The Atral Child

The Atral Child is a book uncovered through use of Study-related Inquiries.

## Description

As part of ongoing efforts with the residents of Owlets and Spiderlings, Ashewan sought out further understanding of the place of children within the Realm of Atralran, specifically seeking out details of what said members of society did for fun - something that despite lacking in formal organisation, could be found throughout all levels of society.

## Reading

### Completed by Ashewan Norvegicus

The obvious complicating factor when it comes to considering the *Atral Child* is that of defining a child. In the most general sense, it is usually defined by lawmakers and scholars as an individual incapable or incompetent to understand their actions, rendering them at least somewhat irresponsible for them. Although further nuances may designate specific events as the transition from childhood to adulthood - such as the First Reflection for elves, in which their trance starts to focus upon their own waking memories - placing an age on this is nigh impossible. Humans may consider childhood's end to be the early teens, moving then into adolescence before adulthood a half decade or so later, but this process varies biologically, emotionally and culturally between the races that commonly call the Kingdom of Valour home - some by decades, if not a century or so! Further confounding the concept a typical *Atral Child* is that no such thing surely exists, given the wide variation in lifestyles engaged with by the populace. Nonetheless, these differences will be discussed by comparison of two fictional individuals created for sake of this example.

Loren hails from the village of Martilogne, located just south of the city of Angourac in the Province of Rethamia. Loren's parents both work the fields of the surrounding lands, ruled over by the local Régysseur. Loren, having recently had his eighth birthday, helps out his parents where he can, often by feeding the family's oxen, with which their toils are greatly expediated. One of Loren's older siblings - by a measure of four years - has just started an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith, working to fetch pails of water, clean tools and other simple tasks, but will perhaps in time come to take out from the elderly dwarf that operates said forge. Loren's other older siblings live similar lives, learning from local tradefolk of all kinds during the daylight hours, returning home come nightfall to the family home before, eventually, they may branch off to have homes and families of their own. The involvement of the entire family leaves little time or space for extended periods of play and fun, but Loren's life is hardly devoid of it. Unknown to him, his father has commissioned the mason next door to whittle a small stone knight - complete with sword, wand and lance - for his upcoming nameday, tournaments of valour inspired by the Knights of the Silvertowers common in children his age amongst their peers, albeit using sticks of various lengths to stand in for definitive weaponry. In a few years still, he may be gifted a deliberately shaped wooden sword with his initials carved into the pommel, and then a few years later still spend his spare hours in adolescence playing games of cards, marbles and other pastimes of skill and chance alike with his fellow recruits in the Silvertower training barracks.

Oriolda, born to the elven House of Ralcolt instead resides with the capital of Chalimar, the scion of minor nobility. Her family's wellbeing is managed by means of her grandmother's series of gemcutting and finesmiths scattered throughout the capital and beyond, and thus unlike Loren she has not need to work for their upkeep. Instead, she spends much of the day with her peers, playing games such as Fox and Hounds and King of the Plains within the gardens of her family's home, or trailing along as her older siblings go hawking in the copses and fields outside the city's walls. She's already picked up a keen eye for the nuances of the card games that her father plays at the dinner parties held by the family, although has no-one with which to test her prowess - she isn't allowed to sit at the adult's table yet, despite being over three times Loren's age, and her peers have no interest in such things. Maybe one day she'll embrace a sense of rebellion and sneak off into the city's streets come nightfall to challenge the locals of the seediest tavern she can find, or perhaps she will instead find someone interested in such things when her family pulls some threads to land her a prestigious scholarship at the Guild of the Crimson Blossom in a decade or two, and from there perhaps, when she reaches adulthood, might work towards the title of Spellslinger. For now, however, she will simply have to try and find some semblance of joy in that which is presented readily to her, the company of bards singing, speaking and acting histories factual and fantastical, and whatever new game is carried by merchants from the surrounding Realms over the coming month - no doubt she'll take to Naqala with an impressive aptitude.