Welcome to Gaia! ::

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Months ago, the last golden quill was found upon the Blessed Isle, and the last Spirit Sylph summoned into being. The quills were not easy to get...in fact, our last venture to the island ended with the shattering of dangerous elemental portals contained in the ruins of the library. The threat abated, we gathered the shards and returned quickly to our shop, Scrolls and Seeds.

Joe-chan, the owner of the shop, had a fabulous idea. Since the Isle was no longer inhabited, and most of the flowers she desired for her shop grew there in the jungles, why not move the entire store to the ruins upon the Isle?!

Verdant jungle, white sands, no rent...it was the perfect solution.

Within weeks we had settled down in the sprawling white stone buildings...clearing away the over growth to expose the ancient libraries. There was more than enough room for us and the Sylphs...who of course brought their humans along as well. Everything was idyllic...until the shards we had saved from the portals began to glow.

Each shard of mirror from the elemental portals had been carefully mounted by Wasabi...mementos from the conflict that had earned us the Isle. Every bit was framed carefully in precious metals, the perfect bauble. Innocent, so we thought, until reflections once more danced upon the surface of the mirrors.

Just as Spirit Sylphs were summoned forth from scrolls, Totem Sylphs emerged from the shards...once they found a suitable guardian. It was thus that Kaimana the Hippocampus Totem, and Suraj the Phoenix Totem emerged. We have now the task of finding guardians for the rest of the mirrored shards, and keeping safe the Spirit and Totem Sylphs upon the Blessed Isle.

Considering the nature of Sylphs, and the wilds of the jungle...not an easy task.
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Sylphs are independent and wild creatures...they will often choose a human guardian or companion, but never an owner. As younglings, Totem Sylphs are headstrong and demanding...they are eager to explore the strange realm they have emerged into. The elemental realms they have descended from are much different than the environments here...thus they must once again learn to fly, swim, or leap. Young Sylphs must also learn to speak. As kits, they know only a handful of words in both the Sylph and Human Tongue.

Totem Sylphs also do not bond as strongly to their companions as Spirit Sylphs. It is for this reason they will consent to allow their guardian to have an existing Spirit Sylph companion. The companionship of a Totem Sylph is not guaranteed...it must be earned. Seashells, water bowls, gems, carvings, or tales of fantastic lands and far away places can be used to lure the attentions of the various younglings, depending on their likes.

Once a Sylph matures, they begin to master their powers. Phoenix Totems have influence over the dancing flames, Hippocampus Totems over the swirling tides, and Drakes over the very bones of the earth. These powers come slowly, only after much training...some Totem Sylphs may go their entire lives without manifesting any such abilities.

Origins:
The reflective shards Totem Sylphs emerge from are fractured pieces of huge mirrors...mirrors that once served as elemental portals to dangerous and unpredictable realms. These mirrors were shattered by Spirit Sylphs to prevent the passage of huge elemental beasts during the struggle on the Blessed Isle.
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Now, the only creatures that pass through the shards are Totem Sylphs...drawn by the bravery of their brethren. Spirit Sylphs and Totem Sylphs co-exist easily, complimenting each other with their abilities. Totem Sylphs, however, are slightly more intelligent...in their adult forms, they can speak not only the Sylph tongue, but the language of the humans as well. Totem Sylphs are also more specialized...they possess strength or abilities their Spirit kin do not.

Breeding:
Totem Sylphs do not 'breed' in a biological sense. Instead, they use existing shards to attract young Totems from the elemental realms beyond the shard. Since there are only a certain number of mirror pieces in existence, they have to reuse...and re-enchant...the very same shards from whence they came. However, it takes a certain amount of life essence to open the tiny portals once more...each Totem can only activate one shard in their lifetime.

The way home closed behind each Totem that emerged from the shards. Since the way is closed to them, they cannot open the portal of their own shard. Two Totem Sylphs must trade shards if they wish to attract young Totems, and use the mirror piece of their partners. The type of youngling that will emerge depends on the type of shard that is re-enchanted.

The shards, however, have already endured much since the shattering, and cannot undergo the rigorous process of enchantment more than once. Thus each Sylph has the opportunity to summon one young Totem!
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The Blessed Isle is off the coast of Gambino, only an hour or so in a sturdy row boat. Several boats are tied near the shore for use, each stocked with a few paddles and buoycant sacks. White sand beaches ring the island, stark against the clear blue water. Colorful reefs and scattered tide pools grace the shoreline, attracting all sorts of birds and sea creatures.

The center of the Isle is dominated by jungle...a verdant green tangle that grows overnight to cover any path that is cut. Only one road exists...the overgrown whitestone walkway that leads to the ancient libraries. The stone the road and library are formed of is rare...in fact, there is no known way to carve or damage whitestone. The technique that was used to form the huge stone blocks has been lost for ages, leaving only overgrown ruins behind. There are no glass windows in the library, the outer rooms of the ruins have long since been overtaken by jungle.

Within the heart of the sprawling library, powerful mages known as the Dragonblooded used to reside. In a conflict with Aki and a few choice Sylphs, the elemental mirrors the Dragonblooded derived their power from were destroyed. The Dragonblooded have since left the Isle, now useless to them, and took the majority of the ancient tomes with them...hopefully, never to return.

The libraries are virtually empty, aside from the occasional decaying book, or mystically sealed room. There are dozens of chambers that used to serve as studies...now occupied by the various guardians of the Spirit and Totem Sylphs. The outermost rooms are used to grow the blossoms that Joe-chan sells back on the mainland!

The libraries wrap around an elegant courtyard, in the center of which is a breathtaking fountain...fed by the clear water spilling from the mouth of a feathered whitestone dragon statue. The fountain has provided water for hundreds of years, and shows no sign of deterioration or taint. Food is found in ample quantities across the tropical isle, and stored in spare rooms for all to share!

The Isle is not entirely paradise, however. Fell beasts lurk in the jungle and thrash off shore...pumas and storm crows, sharks and land eels. Giant spiders haunt the unused branches of the ruins, laying in wait for a morsel to fall into their sprawling webs. Night especially is dangerous upon the Isle...it is the duty of the guardian to keep their Totem safe.

Another species that resides upon the Blessed Isle are tiny mushroom folk known as Kinoko. Small plush beings with mushroom caps atop their heads, Kinoko cannot breed but naturally occur in abundance.

Kinoko are naturally quiet, passive creatures...when they do speak, it is a simple reiteration of whatever was just said to them. Endlessly curious, Kinoko will toddle about for the majority of the day in search of candy or sweets. Every night, Kinoko must be placed in a tiny dish or pot of dirt to keep them healthy!

Kinoko require no RP, they are content just to rest in the pocket of their guardian! Kinoko hatch directly into their mature form unless they are a rare breed!

As Kinoko spores are discovered, they will be offered here for adoption!

Phoenix Totems:
Suraj, summoned by Wasabineko
Apollo, summoned by Chaeval
Guhya, summoned by Sayuri_Nitta
Shard owned by Ioyla
Shard owned by Alania

Drake Totems:
Neuestadt, summoned by Joe-chan
Rhea, summoned by EvilGummy
Zivayn, summoned by Siyanna Twilight
Shard owned by Orestae
Shard owned by Eftemie

Hippocampus Totems:
Kaimana, summoned by Aki Ana
Poco, summoned by Zydeco
Kaelin, summoned by Draconayzia
Shard owned by Naien Haigara

Unique Totems:
Axo, summoned by TheMadHatter
Arianrhod, summoned by Sosiqui

TOO MANY KINOKO TO LIST! whee To see more Kinoko, simply edit the file name in the url of one of the below certs and work your way up the list!

Aki Ana's Kinoko!!
Sosiqui's first and second Kinoko!
Zero Dream's Kinoko!
Alania's Kinoko!
Hishin_Kazuri's Kinoko!
Neith-Kia's Kinoko!
Mintaka's Kinoko!
Prolixity's Kinoko!
Nika's Kinoko!
Chaeval's Kinoko!
Nekoluch's Kinoko!
Darkest Star's Kinoko!
TheMadHatter's Kinoko!
Selona's Kinoko!
TrinityBlue's Kinoko!
Shiva's Kinoko!
Psycho Shocker's Kinoko!

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Auction Guidelines:
All Unique auctions start at 10k. Minimum bid increase is 1000 gold. Auction will run the stated length of time. Further details will be announced at the start of each auction. I reserve the right to alter and update these rules at my leisure!

Flatsale Guidelines:
Flatsale Shards are 8k! The format of the flat sale will be announced before the flat sale takes place...each one will be run differently, to give everyone a shot!

1. All questions should be addressed to Aki Ana, and I will handle all trades and orders. Wasabineko is our artist, please do not PM her with shop or RP questions!
2. Sylphs are not RP required, but it is recommended! See the Roleplaying section for more details.
3. Do not spam, threaten, or hassle us…OR our customers. Sylphs get very nasty when they are irritated, I’d hate to see anything messy happen.
4. All trades that are sent without following proper procedure, (i.e. when there are no shards available) will be considered donations.
5. Only gold is accepted as payment for flatsales, and payment must be ready immediately. Shards wait for no man. Or woman. Or whatever.
6. Please do not try to bribe the staff, for bribes are tempting, and we are weak.
7. Try to stay off our blacklist. I didn't bother making one, and I'd really hate to change my mind about that.
8. We have reserved a few sylphs for pet trades with other store owners. We will be very selective with pet trades, since they are severely restricted. Other shards may be offered special events, don't be sad if you miss the flatsales!
9. Please....be polite. Don't wander into our thread out of the blue just to plug your auction or sale. While we gladly support the other artists of Gaia, this sort of disrespect will be reported to a mod immediately. stare If you want to advertize here, try becoming part of our community...it's open to anyone! We'll be MUCH happier to support you if you care about our thread as well.
10. DO NOT, under any circumstance, STEAL, ALTER, or COPY these designs without permission. Be respectful, I put a lot of thought into designing sylphs, and Wasabineko put a lot of effort into drawing and coloring them!
11. Please notify us when you are commonly using a mule account! This notification may be done privately via PM to this account, Aki Ana. If you have the name of your main account in your mule's sig you don't need to PM. I read sigs! <3
Sylphs and sylph design © Sylph Syndication…Aki Ana and Wasabineko 2004