Tears of Everglow

The Tears of Everglow is a mythical elixir said to form only once every fifty years in the secluded Lake Vael’therin, hidden deep within the Elarwood Veil, a dense, ancient forest nestled beyond the towering peaks of the Spine of Vael’Zir and the expansive Lake Calav'ren in northern Drakora.   Every fifty years, a rare convergence of natural and magical forces occurs. A geothermal surge deep beneath the continent forces the mighty Veilflow river to swell, redirecting one of its secret branches into the forest and temporarily feeding Lake Vael’therin with its rejuvenating waters. At the same time, drawn by invisible celestial rhythms, swarms of pixies and fairies gather in celebration, their wings shedding enchanted dust into the lake.   The mixture of fae dust and awakened waters creates a radiant, shimmering liquid known as the Tears of Everglow. Those who are pure of heart and drink from the lake at that exact moment are said to be granted 75 additional years of life, untouched by sickness or age.

Scholars of both magic and geology believe that the Elarwood Veil sits atop an ancient, arcane fault line connected to both the Solstone and Nightstone ley energies. When conditions are right, every fifty years, the Veilflow is temporarily diverted into hidden underground channels that feed Lake Vael’therin, blending with deep-aquifer minerals and dormant magic.   Fae scholars claim the convergence of Talorian light, Alagorian shadow, and wild nature invites the fae to gather there, renewing a sacred bond with the material world. These gatherings continue every ten years, though only the rare fifty-year convergence results in the Tears.

Originally a closely held secret of the druids of Elarwood Veil, tales of the Tears eventually spread to sailors, desert traders, and noble courts across Elaris. Many have tried—and failed—to locate the lake or replicate the elixir. Some false brews claiming to be Tears of Everglow have led to sickness, madness, or death.   More fantastical variations claim that those who drink the Tears without purity of heart are either turned to crystal, fade into the Veil, or are cursed with eternal regret.

In eastern coastal tales, the lake grants the drinker youth for just one full season, usually for star-crossed lovers.   Southern myths claim that the lake shifts its location every decade, protected by illusions cast by the fae.   One Veilbound legend insists the elixir is a divine test of balance, and that the fae are sentinels watching for potential champions.

Among the Veilbound, the Tears of Everglow symbolize the perfect moment of harmony between opposing forces. Druids treat the Elarwood Veil as sacred ground, and fae-seeking pilgrims often leave offerings at its edges, hoping to be deemed worthy.   The Tears have also become a metaphor in Drakoran literature for second chances, lost time reclaimed, or unearned desires.

"Whispers of the Elderpine" by Yvanna Dalewind tells of two aging lovers who wander into the Elarwood Veil in search of one final spring.   "The Seventy-Fifth Hour" is a tragic tale of a man who gains extra life from the Tears but loses his identity as the years stretch on, forgotten by all who once knew him.

A mural in the Cathedral of the Blooming Veil shows Lake Vael’therin glowing silver under twin moons, surrounded by winged fae and lanterns floating among the trees.   The Luminous Archive of Thalrien contains a series of enchanted mosaics that glow softly on the eve of the fae gatherings every ten years—one mosaic left blank, awaiting the next convergence.