Meet The Founders Of Umberland
On September 21, 1492, after 26 days of walking by foot, the island nation of Umberland welcomed in a group of 14 people.
Seven men. Seven women. Seven couples.
And behind them? Hundreds of future citizens.
But today? Today we’re learning about those very 14 people who first stepped foot on the island we know as Umberland today.
First, though, let’s set the tone.
An Introduction
For hundreds of years Umberfolk had lived in what is now known as the state of Georgia in the United States of America.
They thrived their, happily, but there was a growing unrest slowly growing, one that leaned towards a major move, though no one knew what for sure.
Only a small group of people knew of the true land where Umberfolk descended. An Eden of sorts for those all different shades of brown and black with hair that curled towards the sun or flowed straight down to the dirt.
For Umberfolk are the opposite of a monolith and come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
They are also the blueprint.
All of that aside, there was a land which these very people once descended. A land called Umberland.
The Umberfolk, however, had been expelled from this land thousands of years ago. Why? That’s a lesson for another day, but just know, they’ve been left to wander the earth for years and years and years…
That is, until they were given access to this land once again.
But this land? It wasn’t in what we now call the USA. Nope. It was an island far off the coast of the state we now call Washington.
An island with nine cities and eight spiritual guardians (plus other things you’ll just have to wait to find out).
And this island? It began to call out to its people. THAT is the unrest the Umberfolk began to feel. Whispers of the land they were currently on not feeling like home. Complaints from those being tired of travelling.
The leaders of the Umberfolk, also known as The High Council, heard the stirrings. They too felt this land calling, but it wasn’t until the message was fully received that they could do anything about it.
And so now, let’s introduce you to each of those leaders while also sharing the role they played in getting the Umberfolk from the southern portion of the USA, all the way to Umberland.
The Santeras
Let’s first meet the Santeras. Tiberias and Ella Rose.
The Channelers
Using their spiritual gift of channeling, they were the ones to receive a unique message from the cosmos.
This occurred in the Spring of 1492 in what we now call the state of Georgia in the USA.
Ella Rose and Tiberias Santera were known to be the most powerful channelers amongst their people, so it only makes sense that they would be the ones to receive and transmit this message.
And their word? It was bond. Due to their power and charisma, they not only held their own seats in the High Council, they held the top rank known as The Crown.
Something to keep in mind? This message had been trying to come through for months, but it was always garbled and misconstrued. But on that rainy spring night in 1492, something was different. Whilst deep in a trance, Ella Rose sensed the message attempting to make its way through, but it still wasn’t clear. The frequency was muddled (or tampered with). Tiberias then came up with the idea to combine his power with Ella Rose’s to clear the airwaves… and it worked! The words came through clear and succinct.
And together? Together Ella Rose and Tiberias Santera spoke in turn when guided, spewing forth the message to be received: the colonizers are coming… LEAVE NOW.
The Toussaints
Next up? The Toussaints. Say hello to Irvin and Lorraine.
The Guardians
Sitting right outside the very room in which Ella Rose and Tiberias received the channeled message was Irvin and Lorraine. Their role? Protecting the transmission.
Ella Rose and Tiberias Santera were known to be the most powerful channelers amongst the Umberfolk. They also held the role of being the Crown of the High Council. What does this mean? Their roles were pivotal but also threatened on a daily basis.
And Irvin and Lorraine? While holding seats of their own in the High Council, they were also the heads of the Umber Guard. Both were highly well-versed in all types of fighting styles. But more than that, they also played the role of spiritual protectors, using their Guardian gifts to foresee the future—specifically the coming moves of anyone opposing them or posing a threat from within. With those skills, it only makes sense that Ella Rose and Tiberias Santera would have them guard their channeling den while they receive such an important transmission.
The Freemans
Now let’s meet the Freemans. Say hello to Kasani and Kenan.
The Architects
Sitting in the very room in which Ella Rose and Tiberias received the channeled message was Kenan and Kasani. Their role? Writing down every detail they could catch. This isn’t where their responsibilities ended, however.
Their next step? Create the plans. This would be a long journey, a whole ordeal. Logistics needed to be figured out. Food. Water. Travel. People. Protection. Plans A, B, and C. The distance. The route.
But Kenan and Kasani? They were quite literally made for this role. Holding their own seats in the High Council, they were also known to be the heads of all things organization, transportation, and distribution. While the Vernays and their aligned families, for example, produced the food, it is the Freemans along with their aligned families that would ensure everything was fairly distributed. The Freemans have their hands in lots of pots making sure things don’t get lost in translation, so it only makes sense that they would be the ones to put this final plan together.
Without the Freemans, this entire journey would not have been possible.
The Vernays
Up next? We have the Vernays. Say hello to Idrik and Octavia.
The Nurturers
Now what role did they play? Well, let’s put it this way: while the Freemans played a pivotal role in getting the logistics together, the Vernays helped in some parts.
As Nurturers with their own seat at the High Council, Octavia and Idrik are head over food and water production and consumption. They also oversee the health of the population (mental, physical, and spiritual).
So, while the Freemans came up with the plan of action, the Vernays relayed how much food and water would be available along with which citizens would be able to make the journey on their own versus who may need assistance.
There was so much they had to keep in mind: from deaths to births, to the message being received during the planting season and needing to know which crops would be harvested in time for the journey… YES a lot had to be calculated.
The Fontenots
Now, let’s meet the Fontenots. Say hello to Orpheus and Tova.
The Orators
Let’s take a look at the role they played.
Once the Santeras received the message and the Freemans created a logistics plan, it was now up to the Fontenots to spread the word to the people. Mind you, while the message was received in early Spring of 1492, the Fontenots did not deliver their speech until August, right at the tail end of Summer.
Why? Because humans are humans. Imagine if the message had been given any earlier? Straight panic is what would have occurred, which would have led to months of terror amongst their groups of people.
So, instead, they waited until the last possible day in August, giving their citizens just a short few weeks to gather their belongings, deciding what would and would not come.
But… there was another point to this message. Remember the Toussaints our Guardians? Remember how one of their roles is to foresee the future when it comes to plans from the opposition (both within and without their camps)? Well, the Toussaints did their job. Using their gifts they were able to discern who the snakes in the grass were and they would not be permitted to embark on the long journey.
What does this all mean? Well, as Orators, Tova and Orpheus have a unique skillset. Yes, they can deliver a message BUT they can also determine who receives it. So while they stood on that stage and delivered the details of the message and the journey to come, those snakes who would have only sowed discord? Yeah, they didn’t get it. Instead, they received the directive to oppose the journey, to harden their hearts and minds and root themselves to the land they were currently on at the time.
Trippy right? But they did it all with ease. The Fontenots were the most skilled Orators at the time who also held their own seats in the High Council. Beyond that, they ensured communication ran smoothly between all citizens. This includes news being announced, letters being delivered, the list goes on.
But, the Fontenots did not deliver this message by themselves. They had help. From who? Well, we’re going to meet them next.
The Baptistes
Are you ready for the next couple? Let’s meet the Baptistes. Say hello to Risana and Elisha.
The Feelers
Now, it was mentioned earlier that the Fontenots had help in delivering this major message to the crowd. That help? The Baptistes.
Risana and Elisha were the most skilled Feelers of their time, with Risana being a Light Feeler and Elisha being a Shadow Feeler. Together, they covered the full realm of emotions.
This means they not only had their own seats in the High Council, but they were also the heads of emotional and sensory wellness. This is everything from entertainment to music to dance to food to sex to art. They are the ultimate vibe setters, okay?
So, while the Fontenots delivered the message, the Baptistes made sure the vibe was right. Were the citizens comfortable? How was the decor? Did it make the peoples’ bodies relaxed and open enough to receive AND understand the directives?
But, more than that, they were also there in case any hiccups occurred. Hiccups meaning if any panic (or other negative emotion) was felt in the audience, then Elisha as a Shadow Feeler could immediately absorb said feelings and transmute them. And Risana? She was able to expel those happier more peaceful emotions. Think of it like an ocean wave going in and out. Risana would send out a wave of good feelings while Elisha would pull in the bad.
Inhale the good shit, exhale the bullshit.
The LaRues
And last but not least, we have the LaRues. Say hello to Solomon and Zanoviah.
The Foundationalists
Now what role… after everything else, could the LaRues have played? Well, first, let’s lay out what they are: Foundationalists. And Zanoviah and Solomon? They, of course, were the most skilled of their time, holding their own seats in the High Council.
As Foundationalists, the LaRues had their hands in literally every part of the process. While each of the other families and roles have specific niches, the LaRues? The Foundationalists? They play a more general role.
They can be guardians, the can play around with desire and emotion, they can nurture, they can (to an extent) foresee and channel. But what they do that’s most important? They cultivate community.
Think of them like the glue that holds everything together. The crossroads that connect every separate land.
All of these separate parts? They’re no good when their alone. Humans are made to be islands. And Foundationalists? They have a way of binding everything together, very much like the blood in our bodies.
They are life.
So, before Ella and Tiberias could even receive a message? Solomon and Zanoviah caught wind of the energy shifting. While the Vernays could calculate food production, the LaRues were there to help fill in the blanks, knowing underground networks where ingredients they needed could be procured. The Toussaints may foresee the snakes in the grass but the LaRues can feel the danger in their bones.
You get the gist?
These two? They ground everything like the poles ground electricity from the sky.
Without them, everything truly would fall apart.
In Conclusion
And there you have it. You have now officially met all 14 of Umberland’s Founders.
Be sure to click around on those buttons to go to their individual profiles. That’s where you get the nitty gritty on each figure.
And if you’re wanting to know more about each family and the roles they play? Click those buttons too.
That’s it for now.
Catch you on the flip side in our next history lesson.
Signed,
The Historian
