Mythical Material and Sacred Objects

So, we have a populated universe and a dynamic story to tell of its creation and function. What we need now are objects within the world, tangible things that we can touch and feel to start to make it seem like a real place. Of course, this can and should be the mundane, trees, plants, and animals. But we can also bridge the gap between the divine and the mundane with plants and materials that are something that straddles both worlds.

Mythical materials, such as adamantine and orichalcum, have a long history in mythologies, as do sacred trees. They often explain the unknown or provide reasoning for natural phenomena. Often, they are woven into stories as plot devices. There can be esoteric reasons given for their placement, the gods gifting something to mankind, or there can be more grounded reasoning, they are the core behind some physical effect, a stronger metal that creates a more durable weapon.

The Dolthil Tree

Zilthum and the Sacred Trees

Kolgennon has its own version of these phenomena. Zilthum is a white gold ore that can be worked into a metal of unrivalled strength and durability. Though the skills for working the ore have long been lost. Its placement serves several purposes and provides hook points and story beats that make the world feel more alive and engaging. Whether this is the idea that zilthum is the crystalised tears of Tholo, who wept when her son Buto was cast from the heavens, or the crystalised blood of Gingel, the remains of his sacrifice to make the world, zilthum provides an opportunity to add in focal points to explain the Xosu and their culture.

Similarly, there are two types of sacred tree found in Kolgennon. The Dolthil tree is bright, thin, and reaches for the sky. Its counterpart, the Hulthul tree, is dark, thick and grows low to the ground, yet both have long been objects of veneration. One provides societies with a preponderance for more heavenly deities, a focus of worship, whilst the other is more associated with the chthonic gods. Again, placing these trees within the world provides an outlet to explore the culture and histories of the people, through the lens of something tangible. The fruits of the trees are also made use of in ritual and offering, another place for a story beat and hook to add depth and flavour to the world.

The Hulthul Tree

 A real and sacred world

The addition of things such as mythical materials and sacred trees that seem at the same time a part of the world, but something more mystical, allow for the grounding of a world in reality whilst not quite letting the feet of the reader touch the floor. A world that is tangible, yet distant, rich and deep, but not quite the mundane of our own. It is another layer from which a world can be built and stories can be told.