Cove City has a strong international presence due to the trades there, you will easily hear many accents and languages from everywhere on the island as well as whatever lies beyond the Mysts and has come to visit. There is a lot of local slang that results from this melting pot of cultures with phrases that make little sense to the rest of the Isle. Depending on the predominant subculture of a given city district you can find unique accents that mix together, such as the nasaly sounds of the marshes with the rapid fire dropped ends of words from the city.

Cove City being so culturally intermixed has barely any spirituality to be found to the untrained eye. But interspersed through the streets you will find small "shrines" maintained by those who live in the district to their various deities. There are usually several dedicated to the Mysts and the Isle, with offerings of trinkets, incense, and mushrooms laid at their base. The Mysts are represented in a lot of different ways as the shrines appeared in a very informal matter, but typically speaking involve a small fountain surrounded by a circle meant to represent the Mysts embrace and protection of the Isle. The Isle is often represented instead with artistic structures of netting on top of a mound of porous white rocks that holds up the incense sticks with ease.The City also boasts the only formal temples dedicated to the Mysts and the Isles, run by a select few who dedicate their lives in service of the Gods. The windows on the temples look like stained glass - built using wood framing and stretched colors of various jelly mushrooms - featuring myths of the god the temple is dedicated to. Many hold their weddings in these beautiful temples both due to their artistic nature and because legends say the Mysts and the Isles are themselves the oldest couple in the universe - living and breathing as one.

Cove city is bursting with color and art at every corner. Self expression is at the center of the city's culture and it shows between the ornate art in the plazas to buildings often painted with a different color on every side. Underlying this self expression is a sense of order and symmetry that has allowed the city to function so well on an international stage - the pictography tiles always on perfect rectangles and symmetrical murals decorate most shop walls featuring whatever they trade in from spices to burrowing services.

The City Council ensures that the streets are decorated for each of the four major holidays. Flags line the streets with depictions of colorful seasonal flora and merry wishings. For the most part holidays here are treated as a time to enjoy a seasonal treat on your way to the docks that day and not much else - but everyone has a bit of nostalgia for their favorite holidays that can melt the heart of even the most dedicated trades creature.

If you can think of a hobby there is absolutely a dedicated group that does it here. Anything you could possible want can be found so long as you know where to look, and there is always a party to be found.

Cove City is too populated to hold much of it's own original Flora and Fauna.

However recently the Cove City Council decided to renovate some areas, for both safety and city improvements. They cleared several areas of collapsing older towers, remnants from early in the city's construction that had long since been abandoned. In their place, the Council decided to showcase new, amazing innovations developed by the Academy and local inventors thanks to recent mushrooms discoveries on the isles. (Read more about Mushroom Magic here) After much debate as to what these wonders would look, like the Council settled on monuments to the thing they all loved most about their beautiful home - gorgeous landscapes filled with fruits, herbs, and more, highlighting the Isles they all knew and loved. There are 7 grand parks in the city, featuring the 7 distinct biomes found on the Mycorzhan Isles and maintained both by the general population and the dedicated park rangers who teach creatures how to care for the food forests of each biome.

• Cove City Community Park - Open Woodland
• Hazelmoss Woodland Park - Temperate Forest
• Mycorzha Grasslands Park - Temperate Grassland
• Morel Marsh Water Park - Subtropical Wetlands
• Sun-Dried Desert Park - Semi-Arid Desert
• Fern Leaf River Park - Boreal Forest
• Crescent Peak Alpine Park - Alpine Tundra

The Council, having mostly grown up in the city and away from much of the land, quickly found themselves a bit lost. They put out a posting, requesting the aid of some of the Mycorzhan critters to create a plan. Nalin volunteered immediately, eager to share their knowledge of the Isles, and together with the Council and the Academy the 7 Grand Parks were designed and ground was broken on the project. Large mature trees were shipped in from various regions to be planted, along with many saplings and seeds to recreate the best of Mycorzha right here in the city.

Cove City Community Park - Open woodland

Stretching across several miles in the heart of Cove City sits the Cove City Community Park, the largest of the seven grand parks. The closest example of a traditional city park that Beyonders might be familiar with, the Community Park is a landscape of gently rolling hills covered in lush, low-lying grasses, wildflowers, and open woodland that showcases the natural terrain of the nearby Luna Valley and the area upon which Cove City was originally built. Winding from the main entrance up to the Temple of the Mysts at the top of the park, the largest path is paved in blue stones to represent the Luna River, lined on both sides by red-bud trees that flower gloriously pink in the spring, to the delight of residents who enjoy walking the petal-strewn path. Side trails spread out through the park, passing small ponds and playgrounds and stands of shady trees. A dedicated community gardens and teaching center is maintained so Beyonders and residents alike can learn about the cultivation and care of all the various biomes of the Isles in one place.

Hazelmoss Woodland Park - Temperate forest

Spreading boughs and quiet, leaf-littered hiking trails beneath a dappled forest canopy are hallmarks of Hazelmoss Woodland Park, nestled into the southern corner of Cove City. Beautiful chestnut, oak, beech, and maple trees shade a darkened forest floor, where mushrooms and small saplings thrive in fallen “mother logs” that are carefully protected by park staff. Park visitors emerge from the shaded forest into brilliant sunlit clearings, each home to a different set of crops that have been brought north from Hazelmoss Woods to be carefully cultivated by representatives of their various homesteads. Residents of Cove City can enjoy one of several day hike loops that meander their way from clearing to clearing, bringing hikers to various vistas and points of interest along the way. Shorter, curated trails with signs describing various Hazelmoss plant and fungi species are popular with parents, while the cubs and climbers of Mycorzha flock to a multi-level playground of platforms, rope bridges, and canopy swings that is a huge draw to anyone not afraid of heights.

Mycorzha Grasslands Park - Temperate grasslands

A vast open prairie consisting of many wildflowers, this park is greatly enjoyed by rodent critters in particular who like to have picnics underneath the shade of the tall grasses standing overhead. Larger critters can find pathways that lead to large clearings with fire pits, where you can host small bonfires with your friends.

Morel Marsh Water Park - Subtropical wetlands

Some innovative beavers figured out how to place a swamp in the middle of the city by diverting just the right amount of the burrowed water tunnels to flood a small pocket with constant water. Heated by special mushrooms planted there by the city, the moisture resulted in many spas being opened nearby claiming it to be good for cleansing your skin and rejuvenation. Boardwalks were built so you could cross through the marshes with ease. Kids delight in the carnivorous plant section of the boardwalk, while many adults like to ride in the circular "boat ride" that runs around the park on an automatic chained pully, finding the Swamp Cypruss trees, fireflies, and overhead bridges of the boardwalks to be romantic.

Sun Dried Desert Park - Semi-arid desert

Once again the beaver engineers outdid themselves - diverting water from here to recreate the dry sands took some amazing drainage, but more so recreating the extreme heat and cold, as well as recreating the flooding that naturally happens during rainstorms, took shifting which mushroom tech was active based on shifts. Although you would never see this feat of engineering, you would just get to enjoy the amazing plants and what amounts to the largest sandbox you've ever seen.

Fern Leaf River Park - Boreal forest

Evergreens such as Douglas Firs and Giant Sequoia trees tower above this park, and below a thick forest floor spreads beneath undergrowth of berrying plants and ferns. As Fern Leaf Forest is bordered to the north by the Lanturn Glow River, this park is planted on the north edge of the city, along the shore of the Luna River. Paths through the thickets and undergrowth let critters enjoy the feeling of being shaded beneath the large trees. An artificial lazy river was dug through the park, showcasing the spawning cycle of the Lanturn Fish, who swim up the Lanturn Glow River at the end of every fall season to lay their eggs in the steaming waters of the Glow Cap Caverns. Using some newly invented plumbing, the city park runs water through rooms filled with hot air from the heat mushrooms, warming the water in the lazy stream to simulate the Glow Cap pools, one of the only natural hot springs on the Isles. These sheltered pools allow for unique glowing mushrooms and algae to grow. The Lanturn fish eat these as babies, causing them to glow like lanturns in the water, a beautiful sight every year as they depart for ocean waters, and return to spawn in the spring. In the park, bioluminescent algae from the caverns was planted on the ground of the "river" in the shape of fish, and critters floating down the river can see pictograph tiles depicting the Lanturn Glowfish spawn cycle.

Crescent Peak Mountain Park - Alpine tundra

Unable to fully capture the nearly always snowy tundra of the mountains and the special plants that grow there, this park was buried underground to protect it from the warm summers in Cove City. Mushrooms are used to create artificial grow lights and bring in cold air - making this a year round sledding spot and a favorite for many citizens, especially the kids! Water sprayed into chamber cooled by mushroom magic is blasted into the main areas as snow, turning the whole of the park into a giant, year-round snow globe. Critters enter the park through a chamber which lifts them up to the center at the top of a large hill, meant to represent the terrain of the Crescent Mountains. Copying the vine and pully system that carries baskets up the Luna Valley River for trade, wooden sleds are pulled to the top to sled down. Some creatures choose instead to use the zipline to speed down the hill and enjoy the view from above the trees. Occasionaly critters might actually notice the alpine gardens walk where you can hike down the hill (or up) on a winding pathway and see all the amazing plants that grow here such as Arctic Poppy, Saskatoon Berry, and Pasqueflower.

Communication tends to be very expressive here, with a larger emphasis on details: expressive body language, varied speech inflection,and precise language definitions are the norm.

Like most universities the Academy isn't the most religious space. A few certainly feel strong ties to their beliefs and the grand temples of the Myst and the Isles are not too far so they opt to worship how they so choose there. Many at the Academy however believe that there is no spirit which causes all the strange ways of the Isles, rather they believe much of their studies points to quirks of physics and some sort of connected neural network they are still trying to fully grasp.

Art as a subject is often taught within local artist communes or through apprenticeships, so the Academy does not have a traditional
arts program. The trades are treated with great respect and admiration on their own separate from study. However Art history is studied by many, so much of the art throughout the academy is more like a time traveling museum of various popular styles through the centuries. Travelers to Cove City often spend days at the Academy learning and admiring the various diverse works featured in buildings on the campus.

Studies are temporarily halted for 3 weeks at each of the major 4 holidays, marking the end of quarters for each classes study time as well. Many enjoy the rest so much they stay in to take many naps, and others
take the holidays to visit family or explore Cove City for some fun adventures.
As such not much happens for the holidays on campus, but there is plenty to do
within the City for those that celebrate a bit more heartily.

Somewhat obviously - reading, writing, and learning!

Most here do not speak the Mycorzhian language - or even the language of their neighbor. Communication as a result is mostly done through pictographs which you can also find on tiles all throughout the City. Everyone carries a slate tablet on them for simple sketches to get around.

Those in the International district often have their own beliefs, but you will find no monuments to the Isles or the Mysts here. You may however find other religious or spiritual symbology. Those in the international district tend to celebrate and somewhat cling to their beliefs from back home, as many here find themselves with no way to return to where they came from.


Learn more about Spirituality on the Isles

Due to the many pictographs art is on every stair, dusty corner, and rug. Often geometric and colorful much like the pictograph tiles themselves the art depicts everything from plant life to the homes some of those in the international district came from and often now miss.

While the international district doesn't follow the major holidays the place is usually celebrating something! A mix of creatures from all over all bring their own culture to celebrate, often times their own traditions overlapping with the seasonal holidays of the Mycorzhians.

Learn about the 4 major holidays of the Isles

Most are here because they are explorers, and so many gather to go on adventures together through the city, particularly enjoying the Grand Parks for a great time.

Nearly everything discussed here is spoken in reverence to the Isles. As a way of life it is believed "That which is rotten must decay to bring forth new beginnings." and so rot, decay, mold, and fungi of various forms are all considered a positive in some aspect. This creates a strange dialect among the worshipers here which will compliment you by saying you look absolutely rotten today.

Those who worship the the Mysts also often worship the Isles, but for a different purpose.

The Mysts are seen as a spiritual protection of the Isles and the crops that grow here as they cover the Isles most of the year completely protecting it from the harsh sun. This is still seen as fickle as the Mysts staying for too long can cause the crops not to grow well that year due to lack of sunlight, and so Mycorzhian's pray to the Mysts for both protective covering as well as to make way for the sun. The Mysts no matter the time of year circle around the Isles in the distance never fully lifting and so are ever present. Critters come here to wash their newborns in the waters in hopes of protecting them. As the Isles and the Mysts are often considered the first couple, living and breathing as one cycle of both life and death, many get married here in hopes the Mysts will grant their union protection if they wash themselves with its waters. Many will also come to bathe and meditate here before beginning any new stage of life: be that starting an apprenticeship, moving from one community on the Isles to another, or sailors before a journey.


Learn more about Spirituality on the Isles

Art in the temple depicts many different mythos on the Isles. For the Selene Cliffs the Isles is depicted as a bald eagle presiding over the tree with his love - the Crane of the Mysts - roosting in a shroud at the top of the tree over their eggs. For much of Mycorzha the Isles are depicted through various mushrooms, particularly "fairy circles" which often grow in perfect circles around offerings or graves. The morel mushroom crowns used to celebrate Nimmireth and those coming of age on the Isle are shown upon a young doe's head in front of other critters showing her acceptance by both the Isles and her community. Each artwork is as intricate as the last, donated over many centuries to show all the various spiritual connections many have to the Isles.

As Nimmireth occurs at the beginning of spring the Mysts still cloud overhead and many celebrate the holiday at the Isles Temple instead. Some feel this makes the Mysts jealous and so they may bring incense
in hopes that she does not leave too long for the upcoming summer months.

Arda is at the height of summer when the Mysts have cleared for sometime. It is hot and drought begins to set in, and many bathe here as a respite from the oppressive heat of the sun, making it the busiest holiday of the year for the Temple.

Faelivrin, which comes at the start of the rainy season and the final return of the Mysts to the Isles, often comes with many bringing small offerings to the temple in celebration of the Mysts return. The Speakers often rely on the offerings from this season to help them maintain the geyser, and the Myst Hospital and Orphanages they help to run.

Lumeanar, meant to bring back the warmth of Arda, also comes with many taking bathes in the geysers still tepid waters just as they had in the summer months.

Learn about the 4 major holidays of the Isles

Speakers when not tending to the tree, helping worshipers to give offerings, or recording blessings often spend a great deal of time in meditation or plant cultivation. Indeed a great many innovative plants have
been made by Speakers that have since been spread among the Isles including a
cultivation of grasses that developed into corn.

Nearly everything discussed here is spoken in reverence to the Mysts. As a way of life it is believed "mist is a cloak of protection risen from the water which brings us life". As such water is treated as sacred in itself and the source of all life. Blessings are given to others by saying may the Mysts cover you when you are weary and clear the way so you may know your path.

Those who worship the the Mysts also often worship the Isles, but for a different purpose.

The Mysts are seen as a spiritual protection of the Isles and the crops that grow here as they cover the Isles most of the year completely protecting it from the harsh sun. This is still seen as fickle as the Mysts staying for too long can cause the crops not to grow well that year due to lack of sunlight, and so Mycorzhian's pray to the Mysts for both protective covering as well as to make way for the sun. The Mysts no matter the time of year circle around the Isles in the distance never fully lifting and so are ever present. Critters come here to wash their newborns in the waters in hopes of protecting them. As the Isles and the Mysts are often considered the first couple, living and breathing as one cycle of both life and death, many get married here in hopes the Mysts will grant their union protection if they wash themselves with its waters. Many will also come to bathe and meditate here before beginning any new stage of life: be that starting an apprenticeship, moving from one community on the Isles to another, or sailors before a journey.


Learn more about Spirituality on the Isles

Art in the temple depicts many different mythos of the Mysts. For the Selene Cliffs the Mysts are depicted as a Sandhill Crane presiding wings outstretched over the geyser on a foggy day with her love - the Bald Eagle of the Isles - perched overhead looking towards the shadows of their many children resting under the cover of her wings. The River Critters see the Mysts as the only god who's source is the Fable Falls that feed the Luna Valley River, and so the falls and its mist are painted with the island seemingly spilling out from it and critters forming in the fog. Sailors of the Isles depict the Mysts that surround the Isles, showing a wake of shipwrecks with her cloudy like spear through the hulls and a Mycorzhian ship untouched with the Mysts seeming to open a tunnel for them to sail through. Also shown is a huckleberry bush with a water shrine at it's base and the Mysts clearing just large enough to let in a stream of light so the berries can grow.

As Nimmireth occurs at the beginning of spring the Mysts still cloud overhead and many celebrate the holiday at the Isles Temple instead. Some feel this makes the Mysts jealous and so they may bring incense
in hopes that she does not leave too long for the upcoming summer months.

Arda is at the height of summer when the Mysts have cleared for sometime. It is hot and drought begins to set in, and many bathe here as a respite from the oppressive heat of the sun, making it the busiest holiday of the year for the Temple.

Faelivrin, which comes at the start of the rainy season and the final return of the Mysts to the Isles, often comes with many bringing small offerings to the temple in celebration of the Mysts return. The Speakers often rely on the offerings from this season to help them maintain the geyser, and the Myst Hospital and Orphanages they help to run.

Lumeanar, meant to bring back the warmth of Arda, also comes with many taking bathes in the geysers still tepid waters just as they had in the summer months.

Learn about the 4 major holidays of the Isles

Speakers when not tending to the geyser or helping worshipers to ask for protection are kept quite busy. As one of the main role
of the Mysts is to provide protection to all Mycorzhians the Speakers will take in anyone who needs care and healing, so nearby they help to maintain both and
orphanage and a hospital. The Speakers run an extensive apprenticeship program that teaches nearly all the healers on the Isles and are often helping find new healing methods by working together with the nearby Mystveil Academy in medical
research.