Builders of Xor

On Xor materials for building are limited. This is a post about basic building ,materials of technology and some notes on structures that probably belongs wit this post of Xorian settlements.

http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/settlements-of-xor.html

Replacing materials of the outer world
Wood and plants can grow on Xor in places and is imported. Bird might drop seeds into areas where a seed can grow and some plants cope better than others. Some natives have made soil from detritis and have gardens or small feilds. Rooftop gardens and high places prevent theives and birds and vermin need to be kept away.

Metal is rare but can be imported and occasionally a star stone of pure iron falls and if burried in Xor and coated in tissue to keep it from Xor. Metallic nodules can be found in some organs too. Many natives see metal as a symbol of the alien world outside and assume metal bearers are suspicious. Some tribes hate meta bearers.

Bone and sinew is a common materiel for weapons and buildings and armour. Often it is formed by attaching it with wet sinew that dries hard and inflexible. Some bones can be carved into blades or edges far stronger than mortal bones. Composite bows are one example of Xor technology, made from nothing but bone and sinew. Some long thin bones can be used like wicker. Some grind bone into meal and use like cement or daubing

Teeth and ivory can be used for edges on weapon or be carved into extraordinary art objects and functional devices.

Hair grows like savanna grass lands in places and is common for grazing animals to eat it. It grows fast and without grazers the hair might get quite long and tangled. The fire risk is doubled by Xor quakes spasming in pain from fires and Xor might react with flooding area in tears or syliva or roll the flesh up to smother the fire which mostly crushes and animals trapped. Some hairs are thicker six inch or thicker and make good building materials. Hair can be woven into rope, clothes, basket, sheilds, blankets and more.

Skin can found in loose dry flakes and eaten or used to create soil. Sheets of dry skin slough off in places like a reptile and can be made into clothing. Some Xorians dislike hurting Xor other happily cut off sheets of skin and cure them into hard leather useful for containers, clothes, armour, roofing.

Some Xorians have mastered the arts of living materials and can make armour and weapons that live and require food and water. Living houses and buildings are warm and some people even hollow out extensions by eating new rooms. Some do this in a way that causes Xor pain through ignorance or malice. Others work with Xor, coaxing it to provide for them. Others are pragmatic and do it from necesity but still respect Xor. Some flesh sculptors make living machines, vehicles and other wonders. These are more like golems and might look like animals but mostly cannot breed or show self interest. Other peoples can make useful customized animals and even make living fire arms, or mobile communities in gigantic kaiju bodies. To those who use living biological tech can tell on sight what form of living tech is. Many disapprove of other types of tech. Those who live in harmony with items dislike the more torturous schools.

This table is good for a village style. Bigger communities might be larger version or several styles

d12 Common building styles
1 Dry bone structure often in towers or keeps
2 Living bone coated in skin riddled with chambers
3 Bone structures with sheets of skin tarpaulins attached
4 Bone or tusk frame with cured skin dome huts or tepees
5 Skin tents huddled together around communal fire pit
6 Large bone perimeter wall with shingle or thatch roof covering smaller shacks
7 Cottages of carved bone blocks or bonemeal mud bricks with thatched hair roof
8 Carved into bone structure (like Petra or Cappadocia)
9 Bone cement buildings with bone bricks covered in bone meal plaster (pueblos)
10 Bonemeal mudbrick pueblo with ladders to gain entry and public courtyards
11 Houses grown from flesh, often resemble organs or with food growing inside
12 Flesh tower or citadel with living gate house with many chambers inside

d12 Bridges of Xor
1 huge spine structure spanning gulf
2 Sinew cables d3
3 Sinew with bone slats bridge
4 Sinew and bone slats with hand rails
5 Long femur like bone crossing span
6 Stretchy bouncy skin sheet
7 Wet stretchy fleshy tissue
8 Dried cartilage carved into bridge
9 Tube of woven hair fibers
10 A tusk growing across obstacle
11 Flesh drawbridge
12 Living bridge with face each end and mouths for gatehouse