Origami/Art of Origami
Origami/Art of Origami is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.
The Art of Origami
Origami, the folding of paper into artistic shapes and designs, exists across all Elanthia to varying degrees of popularity. For some, such as sylvans and forest gnomes, it is an idle pastime occasionally picked up by individuals but never embraced as a significant racial or cultural art form. For others, such as erithi and burghal gnomes, it resonates as an integral form of artistic expression.
The term origami is ubiquitous across all languages, its origin unknown. Although many associate it with Erithi, its roots predate the appearance of the erithi 1500 years ago. Interestingly enough, however, even the erithi predominantly use the term origami and have no extant term other than a literal rendition of "paper folding," which is rarely used to denote origami itself.
The Basics of Origami
Origami ranges from simple, two-dimensional shapes to elaborate, three-dimensional scenes worthy of the best museums and art galleries. In addition, the best teachers of traditional origami are the erithi, following the Three Fold Principle of Origami: patience, practice, and paper.
Patience and practice go hand in hand for gaining skill in origami, so one must be prepared to spend hours honing their technical abilities. Master artisans of origami also feel a practitioner must center oneself to truly unlock their full artistic potential beyond rote folding of an origami figure.
All the patience and practice will be lost, however, if used upon the wrong paper. Origami paper comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses, but it is critical to not create it too thick or too thin in order to make it exquisitely foldable. As such, regular writing paper, vellums, and parchments are incompatible with the art of origami. The paper must be thin yet strong, and the best comes out of Atan Irith as well as Ta'Nalfein.
Origami Across Cultures
Burghal Gnomes
Burghal gnomes developed an affinity for origami as it assists with keeping one's fingers nimble and spry for intricate gear work. As time went on, they moved beyond simply folding paper for dexterity improvement and used their skills to create origami models of designs. These models became artwork in and of themselves, often coveted by collectors. For engineers with no origami skill, they will frequently hire an origami master to create the origami model of their design and, after completion of the latest gadget, add the origami model to a display in their showroom.
Erithi
Most erithi value attention to detail coupled with fluid, natural creativity, so it is no surprise that they try to instill these values and characteristics in their children. They do this in innumerable ways, including exposing them to traditional erithi poetry, teaching the art of a formal tea ceremony, theatre, and so on, with origami being one of the most popular methods. Using various size squares of paper, the child is taught to create numerous shapes, from a simple triangle to an intricate rendering of a swan. It requires extreme attention to detail to master some of the shapes, creativity to come up with new, aesthetically-pleasing shapes, and it serves a secondary purpose of soothing an overwrought child, thus reinforcing a calm approach to life.
It is not unusual for adults to return to the skill of origami when they need to focus their minds, or even just in idle reminiscences of childhood. Some erithi take the skill a step farther, turning out elaborate creations of intricately folded artwork. The library and museum in Eloth-Ra have two such examples: a mural covering one interior wall depicting the first erithi settlement by a modern sculptor and a three-dimensional origami recreation of a shi'hadara theatre set by an unknown artist for the Year 1000 celebration. There are also some erithi who have eschewed the practice with their children altogether, feeling it is trite. Therefore, while unusual, it is not unheard to meet erithi with little to no knowledge of the skill.
The Lotus Society
Deep within the realm of rumor bordering on folklore, it is whispered that there is a small group of erithi assassins who leave an origami calling card of a lotus blossom pierced with a dagger. According to lore, each member uses a different color for the blossom to distinguish themselves from one another. Others say the origami is not just a calling card but the death delivery method as well, the paper infused with a contact poison. Regardless of the truth behind this, sending someone an origami figure of a dagger-pierced lotus blossom can result in a great deal of tension between giver and receiver.
Nalfein Elves
Elves treat origami as an artistic endeavor, but mostly a personal one shared between friends and families. However, the Nalfein origami is unique in two distinct ways. First, certain subsets of Nalfein society use origami as a method to send covert messages. The folds serve not only to hide written text (typically further obscured by utilizing coded messages written in invisible ink) but to indicate the way in which to read the message. Next, even more shrouded in secrecy, rumors drift in certain circles about Nalfein assassins using paper folding to create innocuous-looking figures with razor-sharp edges. After using it for whatever nefarious purposes they have, it's easy enough to destroy the evidence, dissolving it in water or burning in fire, for example.
Conclusion
Origami runs the gamut across Elanthia's races from idle pastime to passionate hobby to unique and intricate artforms. For those seeking to further their skills, it is recommended they seek out an erithi teacher for the best experience and to ensure an ample supply of specialized origami paper.
OOC Info
- Written by GM Xynwen
- Release date: 10 June 2022