Dirure Stones

After weeks of the crew complaining about the coastline being uninteresting we have come across this place and I must say that the crew isn't complaining anymore!

— A section of one Dirure's Dirure Stones from the island of Ulovi

These stones can be seen scattered all throughout Northern Ostari. These stones mark the travels of Duvian explorers and are named after the founder of the Duvi Sovereignty, Dirure Voana. While they were first only on Duvian islands, with the conquest of the north they have become increasingly common in Awari lands. While they are usually large stone, hence the name, other mediums like cliff faces and trees are occasionally used. Regardless of material, most stones are painted and have art as well as writing on them.

Purpose

When Duvian explorers discover a new location that they want to claim as theirs or is particularly impressive they mark the location with a Dirure Stone. This stone proclaims the date that this discovery was made, the name of the explorer, the name of the ship or ships, and recounts the trials and events that lead them to this place. The stone will also sometimes have the names of some of or all of the crew. It's common for settlements to spring up around these stones. When that happens the history of the town will be added to the stone. Historical events will continue to be added to the stone as long as there is a settlement around it.

Document Structure

Clauses

Towards the top center of the stone will be the explorer and ship(s) names followed by the date, the details of the discovery, and the crew's names if they appear. Sometimes important crew member(s) names will appear below the explorer name or ship(s) name(s). Above the explorer's name there will be a passage praising Dirure for bring the first true Duvian explorer and hoping that she is proud of her people. Especially in the north, it's frequent that this section will also contain religious messages or religious text will follow this section. If the stone also contains the history of a settlement, the name of the settlement will be at the very top of the stone and the history will start a little below the end of the explorer's writing. If there is no more space on the Dirure Stone, another stone will be found and brought next to the original to serve as overflow space.

Historical Details

History

It started off as a way to mark my travels and it just grew from there.

— Dirure Voana

Dirure is, unsurprisingly, credited with first creating the Dirure Stones. The story goes that when she discovered the area that would become Sulas that she wanted to commemorate this find. She found a large rock and had her scribe write her name, her ship's name, and the year on the stone. After that, whenever she found a particularly good or interesting place she would set up a stone. As time wore on, they became more and more elaborate. Once Sulas grew up around the stone, the people started writing their history on the stone and the idea spread. More explorers began venturing out and they kept the idea of marking places that they discovered, adding the portion dedicated to Dirure out of respect.

Legacy

Dirure Stones can be found all throughout the north. Their reach has also begun to spread to other locations as other cultures begin to use them and adapt them to suit their own needs. Most cultures where they are used outside of Duvi, use them solely as methods of recording and celebrating history publicly.

Type

Record, Historical

Location

Ostari