Maiko's Note
If you stare long enough, the stars start talking back. Just make sure they’re speaking Drabàshabal and not madness, captain.
The Script of Madun
Shindjal: Inshasul Kulin
Faction:
Nodilani
“We do not write. We arrange stars into memory.”
—Asukul, last elder of the Shint’twalani
1. Overview
The Starlight Runes are the primary writing system of Drabàshabal, the sacred tongue of Madun. More than a script, they are celestial maps - each symbol a whisper of the stars, a bridge between language and navigation, memory and motion.
Born from the playful code of ship-born children aboard the Theseus, and later refined by scholars of the Shint’twalani, the script grew from secret to sacred - its curves, lines, and points tracing the constellations that orbit Daninsha, the mother-star.
2. Origin and Evolution
Genesis aboard Theseus:
The first runes emerged as constellation-ciphers, invented by the children of the generational ship Theseus as a form of private language. It was playful, intuitive, and rooted in shapes and stars. These symbols mimicked real star formations seen from the ship’s observation dome.After the Landing:
Once settled on Madun, scholars of the tribes, especially the Endulani, formalized the system—tying it directly to the celestial grid of Madun's nightsky used for spiritual navigation. Each rune came to represent not only sound but also location, binding language and cosmic orientation into one.3. Structure of the Script
3. Structure of the Script
Base Consonants:
There are 22 consonant bases (+ 2 functional markers):
Each consonant has a core pattern based on a unique star-like formation (dot positions).
These patterns are derived from two symbolic rings of star constellation around the Daninsha system:
A horizontal ring for soft consonants.
A vertical ring for hard consonants.
Vowel Positions:
Each consonant can take six vowel forms:
wa, we, wi, wo, wu, and w (bare consonant).
The vowel is marked by a dot placed at one of five standard positions around the rune (based on a pentangular orientation, as in a clock face).
4. Symbolic Function
Each rune does more than represent sound. It is also a coordinate, especially in sacred or scholarly contexts.
Constellation Logic:
The ring-based placement of stars within a rune mirrors the real star belts that encircle Madun. There are two orbital planes, intersecting at 90° - one for each ring.
A third coordinate, the radial depth, is added as a numeral, indicating distance from the spherical celestial shell.
Thus, a rune like wa te 7 might represent a syllable and a physical position in space.The Starfinder Rune or Jiwashinshal (H!):
Used to indicate questions, exploration, or unknowns. Its structure evokes a search across the firmament.The Fixed Star Rune or Ùminsha (P!):
Used to indicate commands or spiritual imperatives. The symbol resembles a central, unmoving point - a cosmic axis or unyielding truth.
5. Stylistic Traits:
All lines are clean and uniform in weight.
Some junctions of lines as well as some ends have a dot for bright stars within the constellation
Lines that don't end in dots end in tapered peaks, consistent across all runes.
Runes are usually drawn in the bluish white produced from the flourescent leaves of the Starspine Fern encarved in dark stone, parchment, or sky backgrounds - like stars emerging from night.
6. Modern Use & Preservation
Though ancient, the Starlight Runes are not relics. They continue to serve as a living system - etched, drawn, and remembered.
Temple of the Endulani preserves history in rune-etched stone, replacing lost digital records.
The Shint’twalani teach the script as part of sacred education, one rune at a time.
In the spacefaring future, descendants of Madun may use Starlight Runes again - this time etched onto spacecraft, calculating real-time positions within the Daninsha system.
“To write is to map the stars” (ledja wa shinja tei inshai)
7. Starlight Numerals
The numeral system of the Starlight Runes is based on a decimal (base-10) structure and reflects the script’s celestial origins.
Digits 1 through 9 are formed from distinct dot constellations, each resembling a star pattern.
Zero is symbolized by an empty point - a dark void, the unseen.
Numbers 10 and beyond are written using linked constellations: multiple digit-forms connected by light-trails, forming sacred geometries.
Though elegant, their ceremonial form is not suited for arithmetic - speed and clarity are sacrificed in favor of symbolic harmony.
Maiko's Note
If you stare long enough, the stars start talking back. Just make sure they’re speaking Drabàshabal and not madness, captain.
