Sun-Touched

“Children of the South” / “The Singers” / “Wandering Folk”

“Sun-Touched see more of the world than settled folk see in a lifetime. Is that blessing or curse? Ask ten Sun-Touched, get eleven answers.”
—Traveling saying

Quick Reference

The Sun-Touched - Children of the South

Overview

The Sun-Touched are descended from the peoples of southern Terrum Solidus—tropical lowlands where music, storytelling, and oral tradition flourished. Pre-Shattering, they were known for their rich cultural traditions, their musical genius, and their warm, expressive nature. Post-Shattering, many became nomadic, traveling between settlements, carrying news and stories, and maintaining cultural connections across the fragmented Aetherium.

Pre-Shattering, the Sun-Touched’s ancestors inhabited the warmest regions of Terrum Solidus—tropical coasts, river deltas, and southern plains where the sun shone bright and resources were abundant. They developed rich oral traditions, complex musical forms, and storytelling arts that preserved history and culture through performance rather than writing. They were the bards, musicians, and storytellers of pre-Shattering civilization.

Post-Shattering, when settlements became isolated and communication difficult, Sun-Touched culture became essential. Their tradition of traveling storytellers transformed into a network of news-carriers, their music provided entertainment and morale, and their oral traditions preserved knowledge that might otherwise be lost. Many Sun-Touched chose permanent nomadism, living on airships or traveling constantly between settlements, becoming the connective tissue of fragmented humanity.

Physical Characteristics

Appearance

Skin: Dark brown to black, rich tones, warm undertones

Hair: Curly or coiled, black or dark brown, thick and full

Eyes: Dark brown (most common), occasionally hazel or amber

Build: Tall and lean, graceful, athletic

Height: Tall (men 175-190cm, women 170-180cm)

Features: Expressive, strong cheekbones, full lips

Aging: Age gracefully, maintain appearance longer, gray late (50s+)

History and Origins

Pre-Shattering Era

Ancestral Homeland: Southern tropical regions - Warm climate, abundant resources - Coastal areas, river systems - Lush vegetation, rich biodiversity - Paradise (relatively)

Culture: - Music central to life - Oral tradition (history through story) - Storytelling arts (performance, poetry) - Community-focused (collective culture) - Joyful despite hardships

Role in Civilization: - Cultural keepers (music, stories, traditions) - Traders (coastal commerce) - Artisans (crafts, textiles) - Respected for wisdom and art

The Shattering

Impact: - Lost 75% (higher than average—coastal areas hit hard) - Tropical islands rare post-Shattering - Homeland mostly lost - Survivors scattered

Adaptation: - Became nomadic (no homeland to return to) - Traveling storytellers (carried news) - Musicians (provided morale) - Traders (connected settlements)

Post-Shattering Adaptation (0-287 S.)

Nomadic Lifestyle: - Many chose permanent travel - Living on airships or moving constantly - Connecting settlements through visits - Maintaining culture through movement

Cultural Preservation: - Oral traditions maintained - Music evolved (new instruments, new songs) - Stories adapted (post-Shattering themes) - Identity preserved despite scattering

Current Status: Scattered but connected, nomadic majority, cultural influence exceeds numbers

Culture and Values

Core Values

Music: - Central to identity - Every Sun-Touched learns instrument - Music is communication, history, joy - “A day without music is a day wasted”

Storytelling: - Oral tradition (history preserved through story) - Everyone is storyteller - Stories are truth, entertainment, teaching - “Stories keep us alive”

Freedom: - Value independence - Resist authority (gently) - Choose own path - “We wander where we will”

Community: - Strong bonds (despite nomadism) - Help fellow Sun-Touched - Share resources, stories, news - “We’re family, all of us”

Joy: - Find happiness despite hardship - Celebrate life (music, dance, laughter) - Refuse to surrender to despair - “Sorrow is real, but so is joy”

Adaptation: - Change when necessary - Learn from everywhere - Flexible thinking - Survival through flexibility

Social Structure

No Formal Hierarchy: - Elders respected (wisdom) - Musicians honored (skill) - Storytellers valued (knowledge) - But no rulers

Family: - Extended families (travel together) - Chosen family (fellow travelers) - Children raised communally - Fluid, flexible bonds

The Network: - Informal Sun-Touched network - Recognize each other (signals, songs) - Share information - Mutual aid

Gatherings: - Annual (when possible) - Music, stories, celebration - Reconnect with scattered kin - Maintain culture

Daily Life (Nomadic)

Typical Day

Dawn: - Wake with sun (or constellation) - Morning song (traditional) - Breakfast (simple) - Prepare to move

Morning: - Travel (if moving) - Work (if staying) - Music (always) - Social interaction

Midday: - Rest (hottest part) - Meal - Stories told - Music practiced

Afternoon: - Continue travel/work - Arrive at destination (if traveling) - Set up camp or find lodging - Explore new place

Evening: - Performance (if in settlement) - Stories shared - Music (communal) - Dancing (often) - Late to bed

Possessions

Minimal: - What can be carried - Instruments (essential) - Clothes (few, practical) - Tools (trade-specific) - Memories and stories (most valuable)

Philosophy: - “Possessions weigh you down” - “Can’t take it with you” - “Freedom is having nothing to lose”

Music and Storytelling

Musical Tradition

Instruments: - Drums (portable, rhythmic) - String instruments (handmade) - Flutes (carved wood or bone) - Voice (primary instrument)

Styles: - Call-and-response (traditional) - Polyrhythmic (complex) - Improvisation (valued) - Emotional (expressive)

Functions: - Entertainment (performances) - History (songs preserve events) - Communication (musical signals) - Healing (therapeutic) - Celebration (joy)

Storytelling Arts

Oral History: - Pre-Shattering stories preserved - Post-Shattering events recorded - Family histories maintained - Cultural knowledge passed down

Performance: - Dramatic (gestures, voices, emotion) - Interactive (audience participates) - Adaptive (changes for audience) - Memorable (designed to stick)

Types: - Hero tales (inspiring) - Horror stories (cautionary) - Love stories (romantic) - Trickster tales (humorous) - Historical accounts (educational)

Relationship with Other Peoples

With Bright-Folk

Affinity: Both adaptable, both widespread

Trade: Regular (Sun-Touched bring goods, news)

Intermarriage: Very common (similar values)

Respect: Mutual (different strengths)

With Iron-Blood

Tension: Sun-Touched value freedom, Iron-Blood value order

Respect: For each other’s skills

Limited Interaction: Different lifestyles

Occasional Conflict: Authority vs. independence

With Veil-Born

Cultural Exchange: Music meets mysticism

Mutual Respect: Both preserve traditions

Some Intermarriage: Rare but happens

Shared Outsider Status: Both minorities

With Void-Kin

Mentorship: Sun-Touched teach music, stories

Affinity: Both adapted to movement

Hope: Void-Kin might carry traditions forward

Concern: About cultural preservation

In Settlements

As Visitors

Welcomed: - Bring news (valuable) - Provide entertainment (music, stories) - Trade goods (exotic items) - Connect settlements (information)

Stereotyped: - Exotic, romantic - Sometimes distrusted (outsiders) - Assumed to be poor (nomadic) - Patronized (sometimes)

Duration: - Stay days to weeks - Never permanent - Leave before wearing welcome - Return regularly (routes)

The Floating Market

Sun-Touched Hub: - 30% of population - Musicians, performers, traders - Cultural center (for nomadic Sun-Touched) - Gathering place

Role: - Maintain traditions - Share news - Connect scattered kin - Celebrate culture

Cultural Contributions

Music

Aetherium Music: - Sun-Touched influenced heavily - Rhythms, styles, instruments - Most popular songs (Sun-Touched origin) - Cultural impact exceeds numbers

Famous Songs: - “The Falling Song” (about Shattering) - “Sky-Roads” (traveling song) - “Remember the Sun” (nostalgic) - “We Endure” (hopeful)

Storytelling

Oral History: - Sun-Touched preserve much knowledge - Travel between settlements (share stories) - Living libraries - Essential service

Entertainment: - Professional storytellers (Sun-Touched often) - Performances in taverns, squares - Children’s tales - Cultural touchstone

Language

Common Tongue Contributions: - Melodic phrasing - Expressive vocabulary - Storytelling structures - Enriched language

Challenges and Future

Current Challenges

Nomadism Difficulty: - Travel more dangerous (Rot, storms) - Routes disrupted - Fewer safe havens - Harder to maintain lifestyle

Cultural Preservation: - Younger generation settling (abandoning nomadism) - Traditions fading - Music evolving (losing roots) - Identity less distinct

Economic Pressure: - Harder to make living - Competition increasing - Resources scarcer - Nomadism less viable

The Rot: - Threatens everyone - Disrupts travel - Kills people - Existential threat

Future Prospects

Optimistic: - Adaptability ensures survival - Culture will evolve (always has) - Music and stories will endure - Next generation will carry forward

Pessimistic: - Nomadism unsustainable - Culture will be absorbed - Traditions will be lost - Sun-Touched will cease to exist as distinct people

Realistic: - Will change (definitely) - Will adapt (probably) - Will survive (hopefully) - Will be different (certainly)

Related Topics

• Constellation of the Voyager - Primary worship
• The Floating Market - Cultural hub
• Music and Arts - Major contributors
• Oral Tradition - Preservation method
• Bright-Folk - Close relations
• Void-Kin - Next generation

In-World Documents

Sun-Touched Blessing

May your path be long and winding.
May your stories be many.
May your music fill the void.
May you find joy in the journey.
May you remember where you came from.
May you discover where you’re going.
May the sun touch your face,
Even in the endless sky.

Traveling Song (Traditional)

We walk the sky-roads,
We sing the old songs,
We carry the stories,
We remember what’s gone.

Our home is the journey,
Our family is wide,
Our treasure is music,
Our joy is our guide.

The world may have shattered,
The ground may have fell,
But we’re still here singing,
And we’re singing still well.

Elder’s Teaching

What does it mean to be Sun-Touched?

It means we came from warmth and lost it. But we carry that warmth with us.

It means we wander not because we’re lost, but because we choose to.

It means we sing not to forget sorrow, but to remember joy.

It means we tell stories not to escape reality, but to understand it.

We’re not running from anything. We’re running toward everything.

That’s what Sun-Touched do. We move. We sing. We endure.

And we’ll keep doing that until the last island falls and the last song is sung.

“Sun-Touched are the Aetherium’s wandering soul—the people who refused to be pinned down by the Shattering, who chose movement over settlement, who carry culture in their songs and stories rather than in buildings and books. They’re the reason isolated settlements hear news from across the Aetherium. They’re the reason music fills taverns. They’re the reason stories spread. They’re not numerous, but their impact exceeds their numbers. They’re the threads that connect the fabric of humanity, traveling constantly, singing endlessly, reminding everyone that joy is possible even in a dying world.”
—From Peoples of the Aetherium by Historian Elias Stormchaser