Badger's Heart

Named for being the center of Meles traditions, the Badger's Heart is a henge structure that has marked dates important to the House for millennia. It’s located on a plateau to the northwest of The Den and sits next to the lake that graces the capital’s northern view. Most importantly, the henge marks the winter solstice, the biggest of the Meles holidays.
  At night and during special Meles celebrations, the stones glow with magical energy coming directly from the earth. It provides protection for those inside, serves to power the Yule rituals, and increases the family and friendship bonds of those who gather there.
 
 

Concept Art and Map

 

Features

The henge-style megalith stands on a round plateau that was raised above the trees by the first Badgers who practiced earth Literomancy.
  Two rings form the structure on the plateau and four stones, below the plateau, mark the position of constellations.
 

Outer Ring

The outer ring consists of a series of arches, rune columns, and two giant badger statues.
 

Rune Columns

Each of the rune columns has one of 6 distinct runes from Badger Futhark carved into its top. (See Rune Meanings table in side bar for translation.)
  The northwest rune column pair marks where the summer equinox sunset’s last rays will shine through and light up the area between the pillars. Then 4 pairs of rune stones mark the summer solstice sunrise / winter solstice sunset and equinox sunrise / sunset locations.
  Four of the rune columns are single and placed between arches that don’t seem to mark anything.
 

Badger Statues

The pair of badger statues greets visitors as they make their way up the path to the top of the plateau and mark the entrance to the megalith. These are the tallest of the stones in the henge, standing just over 5 meters (16 feet) tall.
  Their noses and paws touch, forming an upside down heart in the air between the two statues.
  When dawn breaks for the Winter Solstice, the rays stream between the badger pair and it forms a right side up heart on the ground on the path that leads to the henge. Some say this is where the henge got its name. (See the map below for the exact location the heart appears.)
  The winter solstice heart represents the bonds of clan, kin, and kith here in Meles and the triumph of light overcoming the darkness—as the days get longer, alongside more spiritual and emotional meanings.
 

Inner Ring

Solstice and Equinox Marker Stones

There are two types of solstice and equinox markers. The first are the rune column pairs, which include the badger statues. The second are large green prasiolite stones.
  Two pairs of rune columns mark the directions north and south and the prasiolite stones are thought to be a friendship gift from House Lapin, to commemorate the first co-celebration of the spring equinox.
  When the rays of the sunrise or sunset at the solstices or equinoxes hit the stones they appear to glow brightly and cast a blue green tinge to the sun’s rays coming through the rune columns.
 

Engraved Quartz Slab Table

The Meles badger head and the House motto, “Words by claw or paw”, are carved into this polished white quartz table. It serves as a sign of Meles hospitality and the community bonds formed from eating together. Many a feast is served at this table. Additional wooden tables are brought in to accompany large numbers of guests.
  This is the head table for the ruler of Meles. Often the rest of the royal family will disperse among the additional groups to make room for special guests at the head table and to get to hang out with the rest of the Badgers and Badger-kith.
 

Bonfire pit

Placed at the north side of Badger's Heart, a large bonfire pit helps ward off cold from the north from Meles.
  Here, many Meles’ feasts are roasted, sagas are retold, songs new and old sung, dances held, and in the last few decades—smores are made or the youngsters and badger scouts.
 

Constellation Stones

Unlike other henges, the moon placement isn’t tracked, instead large stones mark the appearance of constellations and their direction at the solstices and equinoxes.
 

Constellation Appearances

Looking out from the center of the henge, if you gaze in the direction of the stone that represents the solar event, you’ll see the following constellations on the horizon. (See map below for the constellation stones placement.)
 

Winter Solstice: Badger and Lady constellations

Spring Equinox: Rabbit and Panda constellations

Summer Solstice: Wolf and Turtle constellations

Autumn Equinox: Fox and Cat constellations

 

Uses for the henge

Greeting the sunrise at the winter solstice

Welcoming new members to Meles that joined us during the year

Marking the major events of the solar calendar

Any excuse for celebrations outdoors, feasts, bonfires

 

Unconfirmed Portals

In the high-security works section of the Meles Windy Willows Nikolas branch is an ancient tome called "Hlið" (Gates). It mentions the Meles henge. Here is the passage translated from the old Badger tongue.
 

Stand in the heart before the Badger's Heart henge, speak the name of the realm you wish to be transported to, enter through the badger pillars, and exit the henge in between the appropriate rune pillars. You will appear in the realm's henge.

 

Gates Listed

  Visitors from other realms will enter through the same gates.
  Verification of the portals has not been completed in centuries. Warning: We are unsure what would happen to a person going through a portal if the henge's gate on the other side is not in tact.
 

Portal Peculiarity

The Summer Solstice sunset rune pillars have a unique peculiarity. Minute flecks of mica and metal are embedded into the inside edges and sides of the pillars. Dr. Astrid Lund, head of Geology and Geological Engineering at Meles School of Literomantic Technology and Mining Engineering theorizes that this ancient glitter may be to modify the portal's functionality.
  She and a group of students recreated the mix of mica, copper, and iron. Then tested it on a Literomantically created portal in a lab. Higher doses of the mixture seemed to degrade a portal's stability.
  So, what happened that the Meles portal to non House realms was diminished? Known historic records have no answers.
 

Origin of the Badger's Heart

The Badger's Heart Saga is a fantastical and historic tale of Kari Brokkr (the founder of the Meles Clan) and Maeve (the headstrong daughter of the high king in Ireland). It carries themes of sacrifice, the challenges of navigating peace between enemy cultures, and (unusual for an ancient story) love conquering all.
  Kari is said to have created the henge using earth Literomancy and raising the ground the structure was on to be a plateau. After brokering peace between Meles and Ireland, he added gates to other Houses and realms as a wedding gift to Maeve.
  The Saga is believed to be dated to about the year 1000 AD, but carbon dating suggests the structure is much older than that. Perhaps, other ancient Badgers created it. The wording in the Saga is a little vague and Kari may have simply raised the plateau and created the gates. Either way, Badger earth magic played a part. We know Kari Brokkr existed because there are multiple records of him.
  Henge magic was believed to be invented by House Meles, due to it's connection with earth magic.
  The biggest mystery of the megalith is that the stones are not native to their location out side of the den. Analysts have determined this particular silcrete is from Scotland, not Montana.
  The "Hlið" tome says the original location was near Viking age Dublin and that a powerful enchantment caused the structure to follow the location of the Den when House Meles moved across the ocean to the new world. This would explain the sudden appearance of the structure outside of Billings when the Meles Protectorate was founded in 2021 and Great Badger Darth Nikolas was crowned king.