Uncle's Travel Guide to Paper

by Akna

Huun

Huun paper is primarily made and used by Lakamhaans. On Earth, Huun paper can be made with fig trees inner bark or cattail. Here in Realm-R, it is made with shadowtrees and improbable wisp plant fiber.

I tried to break the record for fastest travel through the advanced moving maze in the Shadowtree Forest. I was doing pretty well, having left Dakota knee deep in mixing pulp under the watchful eye of Master Sak Nicte when I arrived at the misleading gaze (a section made up of bivariate bias roots of the tallest shadowtrees).

As I was interpolating data to check headlines for biases, Dakota calls out to me. I turned to see him jumping the roots as if he had a cheat-sheet memorised and arrived next to me with a, "Master Sak Nicte says she actually needs three times the amount asked for," before leaving. I completed my way through the maze dazed.

Even if the materials are used for Lakamhaan techniques and processing, the forests near the old city of Cahoikans are still their territory. Nidi Shroom laughed at me as I gave her back the gateway gem, telling me a new record was just processed just 10 minutes beforehand.

At least I succeeded in acquiring shadowtree leaves and inner bark. Here is a sketch of a shadowtree, used in the very paper I am writing on.

by TaraFaeBelle

Master Sak Nicte has been teaching me paper making techniques of late.

• Cut
• Boil
• Simmer
• Rinse
• Blend
• Mould and deckle
• Beat

Note that the liquid from rinsing the paper-making mix is not a great tea. Still better than Pimly tea though.

The improbable wisps are quick-growing plants that grow in most land areas of Realm-R, and a favourite place of Elemental Wisps to play with us. After playing for over an hour in an improbable wisp field with a group of Multiplication Wisps I was gifted some red flowers we used to make dye. This paper used this dye, though it was from Master Sak Nicte's batch. Mine made little more than confetti.

Improbable wisp

by TaraFaeBelle

Master Sak Nicte wants an apprentice. I asked her about Dakota, which led her into a rant on the finer details of Lakamhaans verses Cahoikans. One, we have more brawn while they have more agility, which generally makes it quicker for us to use the bark beaters in last step of the process. Two, our songs have a better rhythm for the beatings needed. Three, our physiology makes it easier for us to connect to the internal circuitry of the fibers, giving us the ability to bring out energy.

After making me promise to ask Apprentice Apothecary Xeelja to think about switching professions back to paper making when I go there next week, Master Sak Nicte gave me a stack of this paper I'm writing on as a talisman when I go about my travels. "It'll help connect you to the energy vines in the ground," she said. Of course, how to do that with paper is a task I have to work out for myself.

Edit: she told me that the green comes from Aurum daylily stem as a clue.

Travel Tip

You may find Master Sak Nicte to the west of Lakamha, where the loudest shouts come from the improbable wisp fields. Wait for after a meal time to speak with her unless you are going to help make huun paper. She will ask you to gather materials or find Xeelja regardless of the time, though.

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Amate

Traditionally, the Maya used the amate tree (a specific fig tree), mulberry tree and nettle to make amate paper. Here in Realm-R, the paper is made from the bark of ring trees and sparcatchling trees by Lakamhaans and Cahoikans.

I often wandered the Sparkatchling Tree Forest when I was young, trying to nap under the leaves without getting hit. To prove I was good at something, maybe? As one can imagine, though, I was burnt quite a bit. I recently found a sketch from back then, and am redrawing it on some paper made from it.

by TaraFaeBelle

Now if I nap under this paper, I won't get hit by lightning.

*Sorry Uncle, but napping during the Energy Festival near kids will get you hit by lightning no matter what you nap under.

Ring trees usually come in colours of purple, blue, pink and green. There is no extra dye needed when using these trees, as their bark is already used as dye elsewhere. you could say "Ring trees, bark and dye 2-in-1 deal!"

Dakota sent me off to find a golden ring tree, the stuff of legend, saying that only I could find it. Well, I did find it. And I can never tell him where (Guardian secret stuff). So instead I spent hours peeling bark from the biggest blue ring tree I could find (somewhere near the middle). Granted, it was easier to get as I could stand between the trunk and glow-rings.

Then just boil, wash, pound and dry. It's kind of therapeutic to make, especially when I'm not being hounded by my brother.

I am sketching a ring tree to represent the tree bark that was used for this paper.

by TaraFaeBelle

There are many lace and weaving techniques for amate paper. I personally prefer the circular patterns over the more ridged checked or chevron styled weaves. I will leave it up to the professionals to make this style of paper as I am unable to get the circles right. Or more so, they are too 'right' to be circles.

Edit: Little Alawa wants me to write down that the professionals are basically everyone alive except me. She also wants me to make sure that I know this piece of paper was made her mum with the 'prickly green moss' and the pieces to the right were woven by her mum and her before she could even run as fast as she can now.

by FernandoPodolski and marekuliasz via Canva

Travel Tip

Most of the Cahoikans of Today live in the Plains though many are starting to move into Lakamha. They make fantastic guides for Math Adventurers and Travellers who need to go into the Forest or Swamplands.

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Papyrus

Papyrus is one of the plants that is native to both Earth and Realm-R. Paper made by papyrus is used by Thonisians and Cahoikans, however, in Realm-R there are another two plants that are grown and harvested with papyrus, green rulers and money reeds.

It took me 18 minutes, 4 papyrus, 6 money reeds and 2 green rulers before I was caught. In exchange for keeping the plants, I was sent to the closest Thonisian farm spa where I was to work on rolling the plants for paper production.

The rolling is done by two people per roller (over a meter tall, and 3 metres long), walking along a flat rockpool. We wear no shoes nor long plants so the tiny fish can eat away at the dead skin, as well as regulate the minerals in the water.

I don't really know if it was punishment or free treatment as my feet have not felt this fresh in the last 200 years. I also got this paper as a souvenir so i guess I'll come back and join in again. Maybe they'll let me join in on the smoothing process, its gotta be easier than making amate lace, right?

Travel Tip

Most papyrus is found on the northeast of the continent, though this is watched over by Thonisians. If you have not already established a trade or supply line with them, wait until Chafulumisa is around and ask him for advice.

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Stone

Stone paper was created in the Apothecary Tower (a.k.a. the Apothecary Guild) by some Master Apothecary dumping work on an apprentice of theirs. It's how a lot of things are created, so I guess it all works out in the end.

After messing around in the Tower for a week I found Xeelja. Her mentor, Apothecary Thon, has taken me in as an Apprentice Apothecary, albeit a temporary role until he can finish the paperwork. "If he ever gets through that pile on his desk, I'll contract with him for life" Xeelja whispered. I wondered what she meant until the end of the day. Another two contracts, five project proposals and three project additions had been added to the pile my paperwork was in. All prompted by Apothecary Thon, just because he was interested in them all. "I might have to stay with you both for just as long," I told Xeelja. "It's a date," she laughed.

The project Xeelja is working on has to do with the stone paper she came up with not long ago. Using calcium carbonate bonded with a non-toxic resin she's worked out a way to make a waterproof paper after Apothecary Thon ordered her to find something that wouldn't ruin his paper after spilling coffee on it. Now she has the paper prototypes, I am working with her to test their efficiacy.

Does drowning paper in coffee count as a coffee date? We are in the middle of a flower field after all...

I did remember to ask Xeelja about going back to paper making with Master Sak Nicte but she just laughed manically and asked if I'd rather have my brother as my king or my boss. Given the amount of paper here, I see her point. No matter where she goes, paper-making seems to seek her out.

Still, we did start a new tradition in the Apothecary Guild. Meet in the middle of a flower field and drown your current Apprentice Trial project(s) in a vat of coffee. Laughing menically and shouting insults at your mentor.

So much stone paper has been made the horned beast left here by one of the dissappearing Masters, and the qualgerox living in the basements floors feel as if they need to help out. It's easier for guild members if the creatures are happy, so they keep praising them when they prepare the materials, and then the creatures go prepare more.

Now I have to ask my brother if we can sell this somehow. Normally I would love to give the king more work, but I haven't done the thing he asked me to do 5 years ago so I wonder if I can sell it to Math Adventurers as I travel instead? Just for a couple more years until I get the thing done.

*So that was how the travelling paper merchant came to be. I really should have worked it out sooner. Nidi even told me the Shrooms continued to play the merchant after a 'trusted friend' made the story too comedic to not do so. Just didn't realise she meant how funny it was to see my uncle and father run around each other and making both their lives harder.

Travel Tip

If you need anything from the Apothecary Tower, ask Itotia who will ask Master Vaneesa, who will either ask the Apothecary Tower via her masterful means, or give Itotia a holiday to collect materials herself. Make sure to remind Itotia to take me with her—I've had enough work from my father for a while and need a break. Not just because I want to try out a Guild Coffee Date with my fiance.

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Others

There are other paper materials in Realm-R, such as one made from linearberry and exwhy wax that's made and used by a small group of Cahoikan's living in the Archipelago and another water resisitant paper by people residing somewhere near rivers in the south made of waterstone fruit trees and vennwax pollen.

As for records in Thonis, it's not exactly paper that they use, but books filled with holographic pages.

Travel Tip

Don't just ask others what their favourite type of paper is, also ask them why. It's a decent conversation starter, even for conversing with the king (and sometimes they even forget why they called you in the first place!).