The five hearths symbol, also called Fivestew symbol, was part of human Mruggenrykz culture and used to make a settlement appear homely.

Background

According to legend, Mother Esmeralda was an old human woman who lived in the rugged Maerwatch foothills. She had a small farm that produced huge amounts of food and lived in a small stone-and-thatch hut. It had a small cobblestone tower on a side, where Esmeralda kept six ravens. These often flew far above nearby travelers, leading them towards Esmeralda's cozy home and alerting her that she had to cook up some nice stew.

Most famous about Esmeralda's home was of course her food, more specifically her stew. It was very invigorating, and supposedly restored the body from all diseases and magical curses, even fortifying the mind and helping cure wounds. To perfectly prepare all the parts of the stew, Esmeralda had a whole five hearths (of course, this had a religious origin in the five human gods), each complete with fireplace, pot, and chimney of its own. Thus, after following the ravens up the twisting mountain trails, travelers could spot five columns of smoke leading them on the last couple meters.

In Culture

The story of Mother Esmeralda first appeared in Maerdooth around 1'800 b. OW in oral form. The folklore caught on and quickly spread to other human settlements, both in Rogg-Vaasa. With time, the symbol of the five hearths standing for homeliness started to appear in other contexts, such as a description of a waystop near Chessenta: "It was from thick stone and powerful timber, with shuttered windows warding off the cold, and five hearths inside welcoming the traveler".

It did not catch on in the west until much later, after the rise of Midterran cities and of large-scale contact between Rogg-Vaasa and the rest of the world. The Floating Tree Inn in Lakeview actually built three mock chimneys in 1'164.

The symbol disappeared at the same time as the whole rest of the human Mruggenrykz, with the Drubark invasion in 1'084 b. OW.