Orish
Orish is the furthest west of the Isles of Soora. It is the source of many different types of precious metals and stones. The landscape is stony and barren and littered with craters, and appears to be the source of the pebbles used by the OutRiders which Ambar talks about, and of the Stones of Choice used by the Soorans.
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The Rays' Stones of Choice
The Stones of Choice are used to make both everyday decisions and to make decisions taken by the Rays of Soora. They are black on one side and white on the other, and one side represents 'yes' to a choice, and the other represents 'no'. Because there are five Rays, a majority decision can always be taken by the Rays.
What do you think you would choose? Why not try it next time you are at a beach or a similar place with a variety of small stones?
OutRider stones
Ambar tells Talla of one of the learning activities used by the OutCommanders as they train the young boys of the OutFort to become OutRiders.
Each boy is asked to select five stones using whatever criteria they choose. Later they are given the opportunity to change some of their set of stones in order to get the best set. Ambar has a set of evenly sized stones in different colours; black, brown, orange, yellow and white. Some will choose stones which are very different from each other, some will choose stones very similar to each other, yet others will choose stones of different weights or textures.