Kotilampi

The land

Steep hills under tundra of moss and low shrub, 1029 m up; brooks and springs in the folds of the ground; the sea about 110 km away; cold snowy winters, no dry season.

Cover

tundra of moss and low shrub

Elevation

1029 m

Relief

steep hills

Fresh water

brooks and springs in the folds of the ground

The sea

the sea about 110 km away

Climate

cold snowy winters, no dry season

The patch

about 1.85 km north to south and 0.86 km across; 1,853 m north to south, 863 m east to west, 1.60 km²

Centre

62.2417°N 155.4917°E

What the land offers a builder

Of this land: turf, stone, ice, snow, hide, bone, cloth, rope, fire. Of the region: marble, slate, bronze, iron, gold. The land allows: ground, stilts, carved, spanning.

Now

Snow and bitter here, 13:53 local, late autumn.

The wild

Animals here this month: brown bear (denning), caribou (wintering), wolf (passing), eagle (feeding), ibex (rutting), wild sheep (rutting).

The lay of the land

• The low knoll (knoll): a rounded rise with a clear view across the surrounding patch
• The north hill (hill): a broad shoulder of high ground dry underfoot after rain

What stands here

THE WINTER TENT — on the low knoll. House-sized, about 6 m. Turf, stone. On the ground.
"A broad turf pavilion guyed low against the wind with a ringed hearth pit inside"
A roof of stone atop the top: pitched low to shed rain and heavy gusts. A hearth of stone inside the centre: set with flat stones to hold the embers through the night. A doorway of turf facing the south: fitted with a heavy latch on the leeward side. A storage rack of turf along the north side, hung with dry provisions, cordage, and spare gear.
Of this land: turf, stone.

THE WAY SHRINE — beside the north hill. Small, about 4 m. Turf, slate, bronze. On the ground.
"A quiet turf enclosure with a carved post and a sheltered offering shelf"
An altar stone of turf inside the centre: worn smooth by salt air and rain. A lantern hook of bronze at the front: lit at dusk when travellers are abroad.
Of this land: turf. Of the region: slate, bronze.

The story, as Elara Thorne tells it

Of the place

• Far Basin was laid out by Elara Thorne, who marked the low knoll first and set the winter tent to face out of the prevailing weather.
• Late autumn, the first year of Kotilampi: a long thunderstorm crossed the country, and every place for a day's walk around heard it. (heard in autumn) taken from the chronicle

Of the people

• They keep a dry stack of fuel beside the winter tent and share the first meal at the hearth with any traveller who crosses the low knoll. (heard when a people lives here)
• Before winter sets in they check the lashings and stones of the way shrine and sing the names of the first four who came. (heard when a people lives here)

The people

THE PEOPLE OF KOTILAMPI — herders and hunters, seasonal, in hearth households.
A child is named at its first winter. They hold the herd sacred.
They keep: names at the first winter; the dead carried to the high ground; the feast of the herd's return; the long migration; winter stories.
They like caribou, hide, snow, and frost. They dislike heat, mosquito, and stone. Wary to strangers.
Their words: hearth öjo, river or sea rolömu, winter or the rains hirlonsi, the dead vinhömsa, home norte, stranger solorä, feast lölrihä, child nene, old one öru, the place Kimma, the beast romke, the sky jelö.
Their herd: caribou.
Founders: four. Lore: 2 lines.

Ways

herding, hunting

Settlement

seasonal

Kinship

hearth households

Marriage

either

Naming

at the first winter

To strangers

wary

They hold sacred

the herd

They keep

names at the first winter; the dead carried to the high ground; the feast of the herd's return; the long migration; winter stories

They like

caribou, hide, snow and frost

They dislike

heat, mosquito and stone

Their herd

caribou, 10 head

Founders

4

Counted

4 named folk, a household of 0, 0 born here, 0 died here

Founded

6 November 2026

Their words

hearth öjo, river or sea rolömu, winter or the rains hirlonsi, the dead vinhömsa, home norte, stranger solorä, feast lölrihä, child nene, old one öru, the place Kimma, the beast romke, the sky jelö.

Their lore

• They keep a dry stack of fuel beside the winter tent and share the first meal at the hearth with any traveller who crosses the low knoll.
• Before winter sets in they check the lashings and stones of the way shrine and sing the names of the first four who came.

Named folk

The chronicle

Every line is a record the land wrote; the names in quotes are the owner's words. What the chronicle does not say did not happen.

Year 1

The annals: 1 founders; 1 people founded; 1 storm shared; 1 ways changed.

• Late autumn, the first year of Kotilampi: a long thunderstorm crossed the country, and every place for a day's walk around heard it. kept
• Late autumn, the first year of Kotilampi: the ways of the people changed: name. kept
• Late autumn, the first year of Far Basin: four came to Far Basin and lit the hearth. The net-mender "Amäju", the fire-keeper "Linji", the keeper of the shrine "Venmi", the lamp-lighter "Mureme". kept
• Late autumn, the first year of Far Basin: Elara Thorne called a people to Far Basin: the people of Far Basin. kept

Here now

the net-mender "Amäju" (folk) · the fire-keeper "Linji" (folk) · the keeper of the shrine "Venmi" (folk) · the lamp-lighter "Mureme" (folk)