A baby Terraling is called a Nestling.
Nestlings don’t run, or jump, or play right away. They stay close, held against warm arms and soft earth. Their tiny ears twitch at every sound, learning the whispers of the wind, the rustling of the trees, and the quiet songs of their people.
For a long time, they don’t open their eyes. They don’t need to.
The world speaks to them in other ways.
They feel the ground breathing beneath them.
They hear the rain before it falls.
They know when someone is near, even if they can’t see them.
Then one day, when the rhythm inside them matches the rhythm of the world, they open their eyes.
It is not a big event. No one claps or cheers.
Because a Terraling only opens their eyes when the world says, “You are ready.”
The First Steps: Learning the World
Now, they are a Wanderling.
Wanderlings are curious but careful.
They don’t rush like human children. They don’t stumble or fall. They move as if they already know where their feet should land.
And as they walk, the world welcomes them.
The trees lean closer, their branches lowering to say hello.
The wind circles around them, whispering in a language only they can hear.
The ground is softer beneath their toes, warm and safe.
This is their time to learn. But not from books or teachers.
They learn by feeling.
They learn by watching.
They learn by listening.
They follow rivers to understand flow.
They climb cliffs to understand stillness.
They watch the sky to understand change.
No one tells them what to do. The world teaches them instead.
Becoming an Adult: A Choice, Not a Rule
Humans grow up because time tells them to.
Terralings grow up when they are ready.
For some, this happens quickly. They feel the shift in just a few years. For others, it takes much longer.
But one day, when the time is right, a Wanderling steps away from the others.
They walk alone.
Not because they are lost, but because they must listen to the world without distraction.
They sit in the quiet.
They breathe.
They wait.
And then, when they know they are ready, they return.
Now, they are Caretakers, Gatherers, or Storytellers.
Now, the community welcomes them as one of their own.
Now, they are fully Terraling.
The Elders: The Listeners of the World
The oldest Terralings are called Elders.
They do not rule.
They do not tell others what to do.
They simply listen.
They press their hands to the earth to greet new Nestlings.
They guide the Wanderlings as they explore.
They sit with the ones who are ready to grow, waiting for their choice.
And when their time comes to leave, they do not fear it.
They press their hands into the soil one last time.
They close their eyes.
And they listen.
The world hums its goodbye.
And somewhere, deep in the earth, another hum begins.
Not an end. A beginning.