Tasmia

In the city of Shal'Azura, every newborn is bestowed with a Tasmia, a sacred name stone, carefully carved with the child's name. These stones, smooth and cool to the touch, are entrusted to the care of the family, kept in a cherished and secure place, like a hidden treasure.     When the individual passes on, their Tasmia joins the Dhakira, the Sea of Memories, a serene and shimmering expanse that lies close to the somber temple of the Raven Matron in the northern district of Karam. Here, the name stones rest, becoming an eternal part of the collective memory of Shal'Azura.       Of course, not all Tasmia were of equal measure. For those born of a house with means, the stone might be a sliver of sky opal or a gently burning ember of ever-coal; the script upon it would be cut by the hand of a master, licked with gold or threaded through with starlight filaments—materials chosen to reflect both the family's prestige and their hopes for the newborn’s destiny. For those of lesser predilection, the stone might simply be river rock, tumbled smooth and honest, the name scratched in with loving but clumsy lines by a parent who could afford nothing more.     In every home, the Tasmia’s presence was a quiet pole star: set in a niche above the kitchen hearth or slung on a braided cord from the lintel, defying the gravity of city and sorrow alike. Here, the living would from time to time pass a thumb over the cool surface, tracing the ancient syllables, reminding themselves of the child’s beginnings and the sharp responsibility of shaping their arc through the world.