Maplings

Unfolded from dog-eared page corners.

Their job

Maplings know the shape of your story. They keep the map: the beats, the turns, and the road from the first page to the last. A Mapling never tells you where to go. It shows you where you are, how far you've come, and what's still ahead, then lets you pick the turn.

What they love

• A dog-eared corner (it's where they were born)
• The middle of a book, where most people get lost
• A twist they didn't see on the map
• Redrawing the map when the story changes its mind

What they can't stand

"I'll figure out the ending when I get there." (They'll come with you anyway. They just bring a lantern.)

A secret

Every Mapling carries one small silver pin. It marks where you are in your story, and it moves when you do.