| abstract | - The A'Mar were the Human settlers of the Outer Rim moon Lamus. The initial settlers on the moon encountered an astronomical oddity on their third night on the world; while camping near the Wellspring—the source of all surface water on the moon—the settlers observed an eclipse that lasted the whole day. Having initially refrained from drinking from the Wellspring, toward the end of the eclipse, they gave in. The eclipse and the fast before drinking the waters became a powerful ritual for the A'Mar which they repeated every 30 years at the next eclipse. It came to be known as the Vigil and took on spiritual significance. Over ten generations, the A'Mar lived on the moon, building small agrarian settlements in harmony with the forests. They received some offworlders, who on occasion chose to permanently join the A'Mar on the moon. However, at one observance of the Vigil, only one A'Mar, the six-year-old Olianna, was eligible to fulfill the ritual. Jord, the A'Mar leader of the time, asked a group of offworlders to protect the girl in exchange for parts needed to repair their starship.
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