Riohi - Rock murmuring
After their first encounter in the marshy fields beyond the Emerald Lagoon, Luhu Dropclear and Míro quickly became inseparable friends. The dragon knew Míro's favorite places, his family, and what he liked best. The Qiriri knew of Luhu's gift of foresight, admired her intelligence, and appreciated her unusually high level of empathy for a dragon. The Water Folk are usually rather reserved towards other species, but Luhu Dropclear had won the hearts of the frog-like humanoids in no time. She was not only Míro's best friend, she had also become part of his family, and it was slowly becoming time for her to learn more about their culture. Míro swam with the dragon along the banks of a shallow, turquoise river that disappeared into a grotto. They followed the meandering waterway into the grotto, whose dark blue entrance, adorned with shimmering crystals, resembled twinkling stars in the night sky. As the river rushed into an even deeper cavern, Míro and Luhu left the water and walked along a narrow path into its interior. Small lamps hung on the walls, bathing the grotto in a dim blue light, until undulating, shimmering lines on the stones transformed into figures, revealing a water dragon and small tadpoles depicting the mythical story of the creation of the Qiriri's world.
The rock murmuring on cave and rock faces are currently the only written legacy of the Qiriri, as, unlike other cultures, they only conquered the land over greater distances after the discovery of the Gúrîmòq-Respiration over two thousand years ago, having previously lived primarily underwater. There, a "sensory-mental script" developed, transmitting various pictograms through touch, clicks, and sonar signatures. Although this technique is still partially used underwater today, and most of their traditions and knowledge are passed down orally, the Qiriri also discovered, with the conquest of the land, how to use the cave and rock faces as storytellers. The damp caves reminded the Qiriri of their former underwater home, thus connecting the old world with the new one on land. They are a kind of anchor for their origin in the water and at the same time a connecting element to the ancestral spirits and their later return to the water after their "death".
The styles of rock murmuring
Over the centuries, four distinct styles developed, each with different content and painting techniques. These were studied and compared by Professor Tynóm Ithylún, a respected Téshànian art historian from the 21st century after the council's founding. He retained the indigenous Qiriri names because he liked their metaphorical meaning.
Breath of Origin
Initially, the rock murmuring were purely focused on the memory of origins and the ancestral world. The Qiriri call this period the "Breath of Origins." Swift lines in wave-like patterns depict the creation myth of the dragon goddess Miqotl in her dance with ancestral spirits and the birth of the first Qiriri. According to Professor Tynóm Ithylún, this watercolor-like style was achieved by mixing water-soluble pigments from triton's horn ochre, coral oxide, and pearl hematite with algae extracts and applying them with soft sponges and fingers, resulting in flowing movements and overlapping images.
"The use of water-soluble pigments, through their blending, metaphorically underscores the former life in the water. Just look how they merge with the stone and don't rest on it. It's as if the Qiriri are being gently returned to the water from which they once rose."
Tidal Shifter
The Qiriri call the second period "Tidal Shifter." The scenes, depicted in clear and almost graphic outlines, often portray humanoid beings during the metamorphosis from fish to frog-man and the challenges of walking versus swimming. During this period, the Qiriri mostly used stone styluses to scratch or scrape engravings (petroglyphs) into the softer rock layers of the caves, which they then filled with highly adhesive pigments made from clayey mortar.
"Each edge created through the scratching and scraping techniques reveals life on land in direct, powerful contrast to the softer forms of its aquatic origin, suggested by the colored clay. They manifest the moment of transition, the compelling necessity to submit to the new environment while simultaneously shaping it with the memory of the water."
Dances in the Net
The third period was known as "Dances in the Net" by the Qiriri. Professor Tynóm Ithylún describes this style as a kind of archive of Qiriri technological achievements. The scenes primarily focus on the new life on land, depicting hunts in and on the water, the construction of dwellings, and the use of tools, all shown in harmonious conjunction with the calendrical water currents. This period is recognizable by the use of stencils. Fine brushes made from water feathers' fibers create more detailed paintings, and pigments made from ground bronze ore, such as shell gold or seagrass pearls, lend the depictions a metallic sheen.
"This exquisite attention to detail, achieved through fine brushstrokes and precise stenciling, is far more than mere decoration. We are looking at the heart of their archive of knowledge. The depictions of everyday life are like an illustrated codex, documenting hunting methods, botany, and social structures. Every outline is a preserved treasure trove of information that will serve as a guide for future generations."
Glow of the Deep
The fourth currently known style, known as "Glow of the Deep," is highly spiritual and mystical, depicting the myths and legends and their connection to the deepest, darkest underwater world. Fantastic, luminous creatures of the deep sea often frolic on the darkest walls of the innermost chambers of caves, brought to life with bioluminescent pigments of algal mica and emerald pyrite. By torchlight, the images seem to mimic the starlight of the deep ocean. The pigments, which have a high mica content, are additionally mixed with a binder made from scale glue, creating a subtle sheen that further enhances the luminous effect reflected by the light.
"These cave walls pulsate in the semi-darkness, and when you stand before them with a torch, you get the impression that the creatures are moving. Every shimmering point of pigment, every traced contour evokes the connection to the absolute darkness of the deep sea. It is as if the legends are shining directly towards us from the primal, unfathomable abyss, opening a window into the divine secrets that slumber there."
I'm glad you're going to add art to this. I would love to see them in real life. I love both the description of the styles, and the professor's comments.
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber 2025
Thank you so much! A documentary about periods of terrestrial cave paintings inspired this article. It was very fascinating. And I really hope I can manage to create drawings that match the styles.
Here are my Entries for the water continent Ulűri̋qi̋