A Dreamer Tells... v.19

Feeling--

blah, blah, blah
Reading-- Winds of Change by Mercedes Lackey
Listening to-- nothing

Narnia has the wardrobe. Landover had a personal ad and magic doorway(?) [can't remember truly, need to reread the series]. Fantasia has a magic book (The Never Ending Story). The Magic Faraway Tree itself is a gateway to other distant, incredible imaginary lands. And the wizarding community of Harry Potter has magic gates in the most unlikely of places.

My own imaginary land, or world, is no different. It has its own gateway too. But it isn't so simple as walking through a wardrobe or running through a seemingly solid brick wall between two platforms at a train station. No, Covano's gateway is quite well hidden...for the moment. Deep in the heart of a circular maze, somewhere in the mists of the land of Psyche is a manhole that leads to a warren of subterranean tunnels. It is a long and difficult journey to make: one must have enough faith and childlike innocence, a sense of determination and adventure to find its location. One must battle inner disquiet, outside distractions and overcome the foible of being a perfectionist. (Namely me.)

Once there in the maze's heart, however, one last requirement is asked for before the Guardians of the manhole will allow a person's entrance into their fantastical subterranean universe. One must swear to go with an open mind and heart and abide by the laws governing the galaxies and worlds found below. If one agrees to this oath, the person is allowed to remove the manhole covering and is given a passport as a record for one's travels before descending.

Guardians of the manhole

My passport to Covano

Why make it so elaborate and arduous a journey to get to the gateway itself, then make it necessary to swear the oath, you ask? Why isn't it as simple as opening up a book and immersing oneself in the imaginary land, like Fantasia? I think you all know--at least, my fellow writers should know--the answers to those questions. Covano is my creation, therefore this is my personal journey being made each time I return to this world. Covano is still being created, still is evolving to what it will one day hopefully be in the world of published literature. Once fully formed, the gateway to this imaginary world of mine might be a simple magical one, perhaps as simple as walking through a rainbow.

Covano with its three moons: (going clockwise) the Red Moon, Ursha and Dyo in the Nova One Galaxy
Covano's inception occurred when I was a junior in high school, its main and only purpose being the backdrop for a unicorn fantasy I was trying to spin. The story, or idea with the unicorns was the main thing, the main story. The only story. But since that rough and simple birth, Covano has refused to be just a world, just a backdrop for one brief--or not so brief--tale. Other ideas for more stories have played about my mind, until I realized one day Covano was more than a backdrop. The tales combined would make up the history of my world; in this sense Covano became a "main character."

Once again, since partaking of the dark chocolate of imaginary lands a few days ago, Covano has called out to me from beneath the manhole in the center of my maze, enticing me to resume its creation and evolution. When it first began in my high school days, it was very simple and small. It was a world surrounded by the Faerie Mists and had only 10 or 11 races:

Elves
Humans
Unicorn People (and their Unicorn companions)
Dwarves
Sprites
Canines
Felines
Goblins
Trolls
Faeries
and possibly Gnomes

Now, as I return to Covano, my oath taken and passport in hand, I find it changing. It has more of an ancient history than I remember, a world government or Council of Rulers similar to the United Nations, three moons as oppposed to five or six and a change in the nations and races themselves from the beginning. A 120 year-long war has also come to light in its history, thanks to the chronicles kept by Elven scholars like Ansen Cree. I have begun again to keep notes, and this time, with the added delight of graphics programs like Paintshop Pro 7 I have been able to make visuals to help bring my imagination to better envision what I see. Below are seven flags from three of the races that still claim Covano as home:

Unicorns and *Unicorn People -- The Enchanted Blue Oak Forest [a possibility as a name?]):
��Unitarre
��

Humans (7 nations):
��Zharova
��

��Vhorell
��

��Monahann
��

��Thorcrosse
��

��Kentorra
��

Elves (2 nations):
��Joran (Woodland Elves)
��

*The Unicorn People are what some might call "Halfbreeds." They are a new race with an ancestry of both Elves and Humans. Some look totally human, others look indistinguishable from Elves. Still others look like a cross, humans with slightly pointed ears and elven features.

..:: Remembered��E��Occuring ::..

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moon phase