Aantaanok
ProCreate / Photoshop12.5” x 17.5”
2020
“The pilgrimage to Undurin was uneventful. Seventeen sunrises on foot from our previous lodging to the threshold of that hallowed ground. Now in contrast to the abundant variety found in Maakren, Undurin is known for just a single spice; Ethkin, from the wildflower that grows along the edge of its many terraced pools.
You could smell the steamwinds four days out. Everyone’s mouth fell to watering instantly. By the time we reached the summit, desire broke into a flash of pure debauch; eating, drinking, bathing… all from the same pools. Nearly everyone forgot to log the spice in their journeybooks if you could believe it!
The site's stewards were generous; everyone shared in the harvest and were helped with preparing a plentiful decoction of the Ethkin. The overwhelming subtlety of its flavor profile sits at the edge of transcendence. The energy at Undurin is as delightful as the stories tell.”
For the peoples of the great geyser world Aantanok, life is a sweltering mess of joyful abundance. SInce time immemorial the wandering folk have known the endlessly flowing mineral pools to harbor curiously tasteful growths.
A great culture of pilgrimage developed, that the peoples would travel region to region, seeking out the novel flavors and textures from diverse locales. Each region would be known for a particular blend of mineral and spices, clearing great hiking paths and maps for would-be travelers seeking to complete the regional checklist, making its local specialty easy for all to access. The average person gets incredible satisfaction from logging and collecting the tastes of the locale.
Over the aeons, they have perfected the art of storing the abundant spice in flavorful long lasting decoctions and tinctures.
Sensual people, the Aantanok delight in the full sensory experience, and have few taboo when it comes to the sense of taste. Folks bathe in the very pools that new spice decoctions are brewed, lending infinite micro variety.
A piece made for Light Grey Art Lab’s “World Roulette” Project