makers
Most of the Istotas are Makers.
There are dozens of them, and they are full of contradictions. Makers are strong and opinionated personalities, and they're a bit self-centred. Don't try to make sense of their stories.
Simply allow them to play with you, move you and inspire. Perhaps you recognise their trails inside yourself.
Get to know them by their names.
Acce
Acce is a shapeshifter.
They spend their days as many things: a small insect, a gigantic mountain, a tiny pebble, a cup of tea. It's fun! They get to know lots of states of being, get to see the world from hundreds of perspectives. But nothing ever feels quite right. What's the point of being all these things, when they don't even know their true self? And who actually knows them, remembers them? One day a garden, the next a towering archway?
As Acce journeys through Istopia, they begin to notice how afraid everyone is of change. We cling to what's familiar, but want nothing more than to be our fullest selves. Acce understands this all too well.
One day, Acce comes upon a creature who is very hungry. Acce becomes a fruit tree so they can eat. Another time, someone is lost, and Acce becomes a guiding star to lead them home. Acce realises this is their true self, a shapeshifter who helps others. They accept themselves as everlasting change.
Ambi
Ambi is born in freefall.
Somersaulting down, down, down, their first ever act in Istopia comes when, realising their misfortune, Ambi braces their small body. This tensing-up pushes hundreds of tentacles out of them. It's glorious! Now Ambi can stop their fall, take a break, before moving on.
Ambi becomes very skilful at falling, and even learns to move upwards. Down and up, falling and rising, Ambi begins to realise their tentacles are useful for other things, too. Gathering food and building buildings. Helping others find their clouds, hugging those in pain. They start to experiment with these limbs, creating intricate drawings in the skies, constructing elaborate nests, signalling others in motioned patterns in the air.
The years pass, and Ambi never touches the ground. They don't even want to – they are happy in this in-between, and have grown confident and quick with their tentacles.
A master of the fall.
Anx
Anx. Poor Anx.
Born in fear, a constant discomfort. Every move they make fills them with trepidation. So they decide to stay still. But the fear only grows stronger. They stop sleeping, becoming a skinny shadow of a thin tree, wrapping themself tight in heavy blankets, making it even harder to move – even if they want to. When afraid, Anx turns blue and their eyes grow large, watching for danger. But what are they afraid of? Everything causes the dread to rise. Nothing and nowhere feel safe.
One day, Anx notices a small hole in their big toe with a little tail. Anx finds the courage to pull it, and a little lizard comes out. It starts to wiggle and scream, and another tail emerges from another part of Anx's body. They pull that one out, then another, and another! Soon, Anx is wiggling like a lizard too. Dozens of small, cute lizards under their skin, awake and squiggling. Anx pushes the blankets off and starts to run around with the lizards inside and the ones already out.
That day, Anx realises that the source of their fear is not outside, but the unfamiliar feeling under their skin. Once Anx meets those innocent creatures and gets to know them, they find their calm and start to enjoy the world.
Apro
Appro is born in a dimension of the world where everything can be measured with a matchbox. A tabletop equals 24 flips of the longer side of the matchbox, a cup equals 3 flips of the shortest side, a flower petal 1 flip of the longer side, a leaf 1 flip of the shorter side, the stem of a flower 5. It is the calmest place, with a simple, enduring truth: everything is shaped in matchbook measures.
From an early age, Appro learns how everything is built. They move through life, letting the lightness of certainty carry them. This makes it possible for Appro to be prepared for anything and predict what will occur. In this legible system, the measurement of the world turns to words, which Appro can use to keep the world intact.
In time, though, Appro starts to disappear. One morning, they look in the mirror and see their face blending with the wall. Later that day, their voice fades while talking to another Istota. A few days later, an Istota bumps into Appro, spilling a glass of juice on their clothes. Appro doesn’t understand what is happening, and looks for answers in the matchbox. They flip, twist, and turn it around, but nothing makes sense. Angry, Appro tears the small box apart.
What do they find there?