Historical information

“The Keeper of Pathways is a simple, secular office. Her job involves the maintaining of routes through and within the forests, and the lighting of night paths. She keeps a team of designers, workers and artificers, who must constantly strive to keep the wayrights free from invading undergrowth, so that they may admit safe and well-lit passage for all travellers. Not an exciting job, but one which is vital to communication between groups, and to the general safety of Forest dwellers. The forest paths (wayrights) are lit by strings of small lights made from a species of glowing fungus, which is specially cultivated in the mountain caves. A whole team of workers is responsible for the growth of the light fungus, taking shifts as a public duty. No Forest Dweller like caves, so the shift-work is shared out as a public service, one which each person must carry out at regular times, dictated by the clerks of the Keeper of the Pathways.”-Inga Hunter