“A Salamander-representative has come to the Loofvoogel,
to arrange the seasonal dissipation of their amphibious eggs.”
Onder ons, Onder ons
Alle dingen – komen & gaan
Onder ons*
UNKNOWN TO MOST there is an empire that is both vast & eternal, even if it does not cover a single inch of ground. It is the realm of the high skies, bounded only by the clouds and the surface far below. It was the first and it will be the last. Never rooted, it has always remained outside of the grasp of earthly rulers.
IT IS WHERE the Voogelen† fly and glide on the torrential winds, where great cloud-cities form and dissipate in a moments’ notice. Its residents care little for what goes on underneath, their lives identical to their realm: never settling, always in turmoil, ever-changing.
THIS HOOGRYK‡ is ruled by a constitutional monarch, Den Hoogkooningk#, appointed by the princes of the air.
They rule all that is under the clouds, but not above.
They rule all that is above the seas, but not underneath.
Few of these High Kings are remembered by name as the skies do not record history like the earth does. The short natural lifespan of most feathered breeds has deviated their psyche from that of the surface dwellers: always on the move, their eyes fixed on the future, they will keep repeating the past.
THE LOOFVOOGELSΔ are the earthly ambassadors of the sky-kings & princes. They reside in the forlorn ruins of old Pýktte◊, or find themselves perched on the rocky outcroppings of the smallest and remote islands. This is reminiscent of their distanced stance on the politics of Bos and their skewed & inverse view on history.
In the illustration we can see how a small Salamander-representative has come to the Loofvoogel, to arrange the seasonal dissipation of their amphibious eggs.
Notes
“Beneath us
Beneath us
All things –
come & go
Beneath us”
-Opening lines of the coronation-speech of Rýkkýrt Hoogevlugt, current High King.
Voogelen — Birds, general term for all feathered breeds, can be flightless.
Hoogryk — meaning High Realm, or Sky Empire.
Hoogkooningk — High King
Loofvoogel — ambassadors of the Sky-king. Usually of a breed with long lifespan.
From Dutch: ‘loof’ (foliage) and ‘vogel’ (bird). Resembles the Dutch word ‘roofvogel’ (bird of prey).
Pýktte — a thinly populated island(?) with only a handful of lumber camps along its coast. The land is lush and fertile, but its harsh winters have always thwarted sustained settlement, until the founding of Volxteen.
