Roots of Origin
... How do you trace the forgotten?
"I did not find the Word; I became it. A breath becomes an echo of an utterance. The hunger never left, but I was no longer starving."
Layers upon layers of snow and permafrost weigh upon passages into depths of frozen stone and crystal. Within these warm-blooded caverns, atop the tangled roots of ancient groves, or from the hush of grave soil, Life pushes upward, threading through the ground. In the silence of a cold morning, or in the sprawl of night, one must listen closely for murmuring earth. There are unseen tethers winding through the World, bound to each single Soul. This is most prominent in the Plant Kingdom; that which burrows clings not just to the soil, but also to deep, primal knowledge.
Each Plant remembers the ancestor that came before, and through the generations, their verdant tendrils connect to a central place of Origin. Coiling throughout Time, planted seeds spread their roots into the reaches of the eternal, and an infinite garden recalls. What suffers from seed to growth gains meaning from a moment of existence, and the wisdom of all that which came before. Eating a plant provides not just nourishment but also, memory and emotions. A body recalls old Words, ancestral feelings and potent sensations, from a single taste of the Original. What are the Roots of Origin?
Origin & Significance
The first written piece of Lore in the history of the Aelves was recipes taken from a fable regarding a traveling Hermit known simply as The First Forager. The chronicler claims no ownership of the Words; only that he had consumed three mushrooms that spoke through him, "I am Sahyu". This myth informed Aelven arithmetics, early cuneiform, and Chief Deity, Sahyu.
The Lord of Rituals quickly became closely tied with tea ceremonies, as Foragers emerged in search of Sahyu and the holy fruits. This process continued to evolve Aelven script over the centuries following this discovery. In their pursuit of the myth's origins, the Foragers unearthed the Wordcaps. These potent mushrooms impart sacred Words to the consumer.
Alchemist's ID
#01: Wordcap
#01: Wordcap
Caps & Scales
Brews, Dishes, Potions, Tonics
Brews, Dishes, Potions, Tonics
- Endows Word Knowledge
- Mix for permanency
- Consume for Short Duration
- See individual Caps for Effects
Material Base Cost
TBD Casho
TBD Casho
The Root of Words
Even without the Aelven legends of the First Forager, other Cultures inevitably discovered the Wordcaps, leading to many common variations of phonetics within the early languages. Definition and meaning, however, remained the same. Eventually, within the 1st Era, the discovery of these mutual sounds and phrases would form the Leyman global language.By consuming the Wordcap, one will hear an associated Word, and then speak it aloud. This is often an uncontrollable response to consuming the Wordcap, described like an errant belch. Briefly thereafter, the consumer may find themselves changed by the Word, as they exhibit its qualities. For example, Color Wordcaps may change one's skin color to match, or a Mana Wordcap may grant magical Elemental abilities briefly.
Wordcaps require special preparation to unlock their full potential.
Eating Your Words
While one can consume a Wordcap to briefly unlock a Word's potential, a further layer is revealed beyond mimicry once the Wordcap has been cooked or brewed into an edible. Teas and Potions offer concentrated effects while Dishes can extend the effect for a longer duration. Tonics and Elixirs offer permanent effects. The most common form of consuming Wordcaps is through a ritual stew.“Whenever the rich, earthen aroma of Power Wordcap Stew fills the air, I remember the first time I tasted it; the moment I stood from my chair in sheer delight and shouted, ‘Yes! I taste the Power!' It was then I realized the power of Wordcaps and their legends. I’ve devoted myself to the study of Wordcaps, as well as other foods and flavors since learning of their secrets."
Epicure's Dishes
#101: Wordcap Stew
#101: Wordcap Stew
Requires:
Cooking Pot
9-12 Wordcaps (up to 3 varieties)
Boiling Broth or Water
Mixed Vegetables (for taste)
9-12 Wordcaps (up to 3 varieties)
Boiling Broth or Water
Mixed Vegetables (for taste)
Feeds Party of 4.
Effect Duration: 4 Hours
Effect Duration: 4 Hours
- Endows Word Knowledge
- Potency based on Amount (Caps)
- Effect based on Amount/ Variety
Material Base Cost
TBD Casho
TBD Casho
Though countless Cultures have come to partake of the Wordcaps, the truth of their origin still waited to be unearthed. What began as a meal became a miracle. What grew from soil now grew in legend, stories, and songs sprawled across the frozen World.
Account of the First Forager
The First Forager and Sahyu's Emergence
This Aelven legend describes a Hermit known as the First Forager, who crossed the White Sea after the Aelven Departures. During a blizzard, the First Forager took refuge in a cave at the Edge of the World.
He found several of his companions deep within the cave, deceased from cold and starvation. From their remains were the fresh blooms of three mushrooms. Once ingested, for hours thereafter, he was visited by Sahyu's Spirit. This mysterious entity enlightened the First Forager upon the nature of Wordcaps and their roots.
Some believe the First Forager is Sahyu as an Ascendant Deity; this has never been proven by Sahyu's clergy. Instead, Sahyu belongs to the Chief Deity pantheon as a prominent figure of early Aelven civilization and medicine.
He found several of his companions deep within the cave, deceased from cold and starvation. From their remains were the fresh blooms of three mushrooms. Once ingested, for hours thereafter, he was visited by Sahyu's Spirit. This mysterious entity enlightened the First Forager upon the nature of Wordcaps and their roots.
Some believe the First Forager is Sahyu as an Ascendant Deity; this has never been proven by Sahyu's clergy. Instead, Sahyu belongs to the Chief Deity pantheon as a prominent figure of early Aelven civilization and medicine.
"Water boiling by the stone and flame.
First cap, to Open.
Second cap, to Peel.
The Third cap unlocks sacred Truths of Origin.
All that is root, recalls,
And a Word remains."~ Record of the First Forager, excerpt
Mythos & Culture
Across various Cultures of the Ice Age, the mysteries of Sahyu deepened rather than resolved. Though he was known by different names, such as Zayul the Speaker or Seiyuti of Thresholds, the heart of Sahyu remained similar. Among Aelves, Sahyu is a Deity that represents the sacred root connecting all Living things; a force that speaks through the soul of Plants, imparting knowledge through sensation and remembrance. Though revered in Aelven tradition as a Deity, other peoples interpret Sahyu differently.
The Plant Kingdom is tethered by deep, connecting Spiritual Roots. It's believed that plant roots always indicate the direction of a Leyline, if you can read the direction their roots bend towards. It's also believed that by consuming certain plants the Root of Origin can transport one through Time. Travelers and Strangers seek old recipes that may unlock the ability to travel to their orginal Time. Others use plants in mixtures that can transport one to another Dimension.
Plants are able to trace their lineages across Time, connected to this ancient, timeless weave of Soul matter. The Tree of Life and Knowledge quickly became associated with the Roots of Origin due to the Buniru's interpretation of the Spiritual network as a deeply natural force. Their believes extended to represent the Tree of Life as a location. If one could climb the Tree of Life, they would be given the Fruit of Knowledge, but none has ever reported finding such a location through interaction with the Roots of Origin.
Saija, Breath of the Loam
Appearing in the early songs and oral traditions of the Sijinn, they had a deep understanding of the Spiritual Ley connecting all things by their elemental Natures. Their Deity, Hoqon, met Seiyuti during the transitive Sijinn Exodus.
Seiyuti of Thresholds existed as a liminal being inhabiting this great ebb and flow of Spiritual energy between realms. It's there that Seiyuti takes a true form. The Sijinn were the first to correctly identify Seiyuti's connection to the Roots of Origin- a Spiritual system connecting to Source.
Seiyuti of Thresholds existed as a liminal being inhabiting this great ebb and flow of Spiritual energy between realms. It's there that Seiyuti takes a true form. The Sijinn were the first to correctly identify Seiyuti's connection to the Roots of Origin- a Spiritual system connecting to Source.
Seiyuti of Thresholds
The Roots of Origin
All Souls connect to Source through Leylines; it's within the ley web of the Plant Kingdom that many Souls migrate through to new Dimensions. This system, sustained by healthy, living Plants, connects them to the Souls of their ancestors. Mushrooms and the mycelium network are deeply intertwined with this network, directly referred to as the Roots of Origin. Sprouting Wordcaps are nodes of pressure a Leyline or major Omphali may exert on the Material Realm, manifesting dead memories as a physical reality within the Wordcap.
Sahyu is an important figure in the legends surrounding the Roots of Origin and Wordcaps as Sahyu is concerned with the nourishment, preservation, and transmission of Dreams and Souls along the Roots of Origin. He is generally revered as an entropic entity as he is interested in the passage of Souls along these branching Leylines. Other names for the Roots of Origins include the Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge. Many Cultures adopted this belief as the consumption of Wordcaps revealed the presence of mysteries beyond understanding.
Leylines & Plant Roots
Remedies of Time
The Plant Kingdom is tethered by deep, connecting Spiritual Roots. It's believed that plant roots always indicate the direction of a Leyline, if you can read the direction their roots bend towards. It's also believed that by consuming certain plants the Root of Origin can transport one through Time. Travelers and Strangers seek old recipes that may unlock the ability to travel to their orginal Time. Others use plants in mixtures that can transport one to another Dimension.Tree of Life & the Roots of Origin
Plants are able to trace their lineages across Time, connected to this ancient, timeless weave of Soul matter. The Tree of Life and Knowledge quickly became associated with the Roots of Origin due to the Buniru's interpretation of the Spiritual network as a deeply natural force. Their believes extended to represent the Tree of Life as a location. If one could climb the Tree of Life, they would be given the Fruit of Knowledge, but none has ever reported finding such a location through interaction with the Roots of Origin.
Sahyu's Divine Names
Cultural Titles & Deific -Identity
Saija, Breath of the LoamThe Myst & Myth Folk had conflicting views about the origin of Saija. First, they thought of Saija as a feminine entity who came before both of their Cheif Deities and offered the first Wordcaps as a trick to confuse the youthful Deities. Saija is blamed for many of those Deities mistranslations, as many of the earliest Folk conflicts were language disputes. Then, Saija became associated with diseases and entropy. It wasn't until they discovered the Wordcaps that they began to question this notion of their myths.
Kinship Tribes popularized the belief that Wordcaps weren't tools of evil but of commune with Nature and oneself. Granting the title "Breath of the Loam", many Folk began revering her as a greater Spirit hidden in the earth and stone. As Saija's acceptance became more common among Folk, new dishes and rituals cropped up around her existence and the power of the Words she revealed. Though she didn't always appear to the Folk, her voice was still heard clearly speaking from beyond the layers.
Zashui the Tree-top Bearer
In the Buniru interpretation they see Zashui as a tall, dark being wielding a branch like a spear. Rooted in the shadows of Plants and Fungi, it reveals the Tree of Life. The Wordcaps are seen as a type of fruit from the Tree of Life.
In the Buniru interpretation they see Zashui as a tall, dark being wielding a branch like a spear. Rooted in the shadows of Plants and Fungi, it reveals the Tree of Life. The Wordcaps are seen as a type of fruit from the Tree of Life.
Zayul the Speaker
Appearing as a man with a circular cap of dangling beads obscuring a pale white visage, Zayul the Speaker appears to Proto-Humans and teaches new Words to those who can listen as he speaks.
Appearing as a man with a circular cap of dangling beads obscuring a pale white visage, Zayul the Speaker appears to Proto-Humans and teaches new Words to those who can listen as he speaks.
Legacies & Social Impact
The relevance of the many myths and titles surrounding Sahyu and the Roots of Origin paint a larger picture of the cosmological importance of the Plant Kingdom, as it relates to the ebb and flow of Souls and the history of plants and fungi. These organisms receive nutrients from the decaying matter of the World, and in return, they grant access to health, knowledge, and prosperity as they transmit that energy back to the Source.
The Lexicon of Words was a powerful reference copied by many Tribes. Collected from the consumption of Wordcaps, this three-part scroll held the key to the cultivation of the Leyman language across many Cultures. For those who learned the deeper secrets of the Roots of Origin, new social orders formed, new food dishes and medicine were discovered, and new ideas about mortal relationship to Source were considered.
EX Legends & Myths
Pot of Plenty
The last recipe written by the First Forager is an Aelven recipe that calls for several varieties of Wordcaps, specific Plant extracts, and large quantities of Magical Ice to create a Pot of Plenty. This magical recipe eliminated Hunger, if one was able to consume the whole pot on their own. Shared, the benefits weren't detrimental, allowing a group to stave off hunger for many days. However, if one person consumes the whole quantity, it was believed they'd no longer need to eat anything for nourishment, but all food and drink lost taste or sensation. This recipe was thought to have existed briefly before the Aelves had it erased. Pursuing the legend led many Aelves down a dark road as they discovered new rites and rituals instead.9 Sijinn Roots
The Sijinn believe that there are 8 bundled Roots connected to Source, and through the grouped Leylines, their Souls are transferred as Wisps to their Spiritual home-planes, the Elemental Realms. Each of the Sijinn Tribes associates a specific group of Plants that are buried in the ash and soil of their deceased. This is thought to aid in the passage of their Souls. There is an uncommon belief of a 9th Root that represents the transfer of power from the Divine to the World. This is depicted in an artifact held by the Sijinn known as the Root-Keeper's Bowl. A wooden bowl is surrounded by nine figures bearing small masks. Each mask represents an Elemental Spirit, while the ninth watches from above. This figure is considered to be either Hoqon or Seiyuti.
Clinging Memories
Roots of Origin
Mythologia
Origin:
Aelven
Upkeep:
Chronicled
Aelven
Upkeep:
Chronicled
Region:
Global
Discovery:
Exchange
Global
Discovery:
Exchange
Epoch:
Mythic
Mythic
Established:
Ice Age
Ice Age
Legendarium
Classified:
Ritual
Published:
1st Era
EX- Myths:
Sahyu Arises
Ritual
Published:
1st Era
EX- Myths:
Sahyu Arises
Distribution:
Craft, Recipes
Community:
Several
EX- Myths:
9 Sijinn Roots
Craft, Recipes
Community:
Several
EX- Myths:
9 Sijinn Roots
Art History
- Root-Keeper's Bowl, Artifact
- Roots like Smoke, Sculpture
References
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Answering: "A myth about a legendary food or drink"
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Oh, wow, this is such a wonderful myth and a very inspiring idea. I would give anything to be able to eat these mushrooms.
^^ Thank you! I'm super happy you enjoyed this Article! Yes! It'd be like eating something and then receiving immediate boosts of insights from it! The way this myth touched on many things, like food, language, and divinity, was a pretty unexpected turn! It shows that the bud of an idea is bound to provide some good fruit, someone's succor. : D