Žawrülhë

Žawrülhë, historically called the Vëtam-Yarsakïŋ (Draining of Vëtam), is a flower indigenous to the Kairn River System in the central and southern Blýfónic Valley and is highly poisonous to the Ibrófeneð species and its relatives. It possesses a distinctive blue coloring and its leaves resemble thin tendrils. It is one of the earliest-known plants, being burned (Aparaŋ-Ïlýrhonid) by the Ïlýrhonid Tribe as part of its religion the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid, and even after the Abolishment of the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid as part of the Tribe's defensive systems.

Description

The Žawrülhë is a roughly medium-sized flower, standing at around 10-20 cm for juvenile and 30-50 cm for adults. Like many others, it can grow in both Ðúvý and Ïdavý (nighttime and daytime) and establishes large colonies of flowers, all of whom transfer nutrients from one to another as befit their different situations. These colonies can potentially contain members of different species, which then can be considered a symbiotic relationship (hello WorldAnvil). Although the main requirement for symbiotic integration into the system is to possess tendrils (which are the means by which nutrients are most effectively received and transported), any plant with controllable root systems can theoretically be an informal member through the increased stability it can give to the entire grove.

Tendrils

The flower sports a fan-like display of vibrantly blue needles, which first emerge from the top of the stem around mid-adolescence, which is typically when the plant itself requires the greatest amount of nutrients. These hollow needles are initially stiff, but upon the introduction of nutrients through them, they become flexible and tendril-like in consistency, and can be controlled mainly through biological signals transferred from flower to flower. When one tendril interlocks with another from a different flower, these tendrils' ends twist around each other and the tips themselves join and fuse together. This knot is so tight that, if an external force threatens to break it, the fracture occurs not at the knot but at the base of the tendril itself (where it joins with the stem). To make the transport of nutrients easier, as many as 5 different knots can be made to more securely join two flowers together.

Stem and Roots

The stem itself is roughly greyish, owing to its mostly-silicon composition. Its length typically corresponds with the amount of nutrients it has access to, but growth is naturally cut off beyond around 55-60 cm. The distribution of flowers usually results in one or two individuals who each tower above the others in a small area (~15-20 flowers), who then can allow increased nutrient access to all these other flowers through their elevated position.

The Roots are several thin branches that emerge from the bottom of the stem, around 5-10 cm below the earth. Unlike other plants, the roots are typically not the main means by which the nutrients enter the Žawrülhë. For comparison, nutrient transport across the tendrils is around 5 times faster than across the roots, owing primarily to the increased diameter. The exceptions are those flowers who draw their nutrient supply from the river or another large body of water. Their roots are specially adapted, growing to around 30-40 cm in length and an average cross-sectional diameter of 4 cm.

Most flowers' roots are mainly used for linking with other flowers for stability, and tendril and root connections almost always occur simultaneous to each other. The end result for this would be net-like arrangement of roots, which disperse forces across the entire linked chain. As such, for each large grove of flowers, the riverside ones, or those closest to any source of nutrients, supply the others with essential nutrients, and in return, the entire colony boosts its resilience to environmental stressors like wind.

History

Origins

The Žawrülhë is among the earliest known flowers to be used and cultivated by the Ibrófeneð species. It was grown in large amounts at edge of the Kairn River System, but it is likely not native to that area. Most biologists and historians generally agree that it was brought over from the Ðýmóš Plains to the east, where other similarly-shaped flower species can be found. This is supplemented by the fact that the Žawrülhë requires a very soft and pliable soil, which the members of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe had to make themselves by grounding up and mixing the various rocks in the area, all of whom were too dense and inflexible to normally suit it.

Role in the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid

The most apparent quality of the flower is its blue color, which was noted as being one of the most pure natural pigments in the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, and later on, the Blýfonic Valley as a whole. When burned, the blue color, which is concentrated in the petals themselves, mix with the embers of the fire and transfer the hue into the resultant smoke cloud that forms. Early observers would certainly have noted a slight weakening of their body as one burned the flower, which was attributed to the 'draining of the soul', hence the name.

In olden times, this effect was taken in a religious/mythological context; as per the mythos of the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid, the goal of any tribal ritual was to curtail the actions of the Zar-Isyer-Akwor in devouring them. Because a key aspect of the Zar-Isyer-Akwor was their ability to 'float', or to use the powers of the air, the Ïlýrhonid Tribe saw the powers of the ground, like the flowers, as being their main means of defense. In particular, the ground beneath the tribe itself was said to hold the powers of Hyvam and Vëtam, the legendary founders of the tribe, in the form of the earth and the water, respectively. By extension, the water would transfer Vëtam's powers into the crops and flowers grown by them. As such, Aparaŋ-Ïlýrhonid, the action of burning the flowers, that is, releasing their essence into the air, was seen as the unleashing of Vëtam's powers, which would then serve to combat the Zar-Isyer-Akwor on their behalf. As such, the 'draining' was taken to mean that Vëtam was using the combined tribal power (in a way similar to the Žömëp-Fýtaŋ) to protect them. Nowadays, this 'draining' is instead attributed to a mild dosage of the poison embedded within the flower.

This poison would be of serious danger during the pandemonium that surrounded the Wýðúric Expedition of 25026-25 AYM. One of its effects was the creation of the Kavamïŋ-Hnúyo-Krašl, which was the religious leaders' interpretation of the Expedition's results while adhering to its mythos. It asserted that the Zar-Isyer-Akwor was much, much closer than expected, with some even theorizing that they were impersonating members of the ill-fated Hayïdic Expedition. To combat it, rituals were multiplied in frequency, taking place two to three times per year. As such, the compounding effect of the poison doses caused many to become sick, which further placed them under suspicion. Many of those affected were murdered simply due to the possibility of impersonation.

After the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid (25025 - 19 AYM)

Following the Abolishment of the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid, which simultaneously ruled both the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid and the Kavamïŋ-Hnúyo-Krašl false, the Žawrülhë and other plants briefly fell out of the public conscience for a short while. Unlike other religiously-associated aspects, these flowers were such an incorporated part of tribal society through their presence alone that they were not directly targeted for erasure.

Due to the brevity of this time period, little records exist in general, especially regarding the public perception of these flowers.

First Ýlëntukian War (25019 - 25003 AYM)

Overview

The Ïlýrhonid Tribe would be rocked in mid-25020 AYM, when the Ýlëntuk Family abruptly left. In the months that followed, the Family would separate into the two distinct tribes of Kairn and Varhoŋïð-Khalúš, the latter of whom possessed a fierce vendetta against the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. This conflict between the Khalúšians and the allied tribes of Kairn and Ïlýrhonid would be the forefront of the Ýlëntukian Civil War, which consisted of intermittent periods of conflict that would last until 22711 AYM.

The First Ýlëntukian War was the first such subperiod of this larger War and saw the initial alliance formed between Kairn and Ïlýrhonid come to fruition in the Pact of Kairn. Through the use of Expeditions like the Alëhadic Expedition and Úrïsic Expedition, further allies were gathered in the form of Maðúšýï and Lrhúuŋðarr, who successively thwarted the Khalúšians attempts to expand their territories and gain strength through resources.

Despite the focus historians place on these outer forces, the Ïlýrhonid and Kairn tribes did work together, specifically to fervently defend the most direct routes to the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, those being through the Volain Forest and through the Southern passage between the Ëriðorn Ocean and the Nuzowli Mountain Range. The Kairn Tribe would achieve this via a large tribe-wide communications system called the Avï-Arfarot, which posted makeshift guard stations all around the edge of the Forest. In total, these towns repulsed over 50 attacks during the First Ýlëntukian War alone.

Role of the Žawrülhë

During the War, the Ïlýrhonid Tribe began using the flowers previously neglected after the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid was abolished. In particular, owing to the threat the Khalúšians posed, the plants of Žawrülhë and Vëtam-Wëðašïŋ were used in burning ceremonies very reminiscent of the rituals done in the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid. The mountain gusts would carry the fumes from the flowers to several different places, primarily into the Nuzowli Mountain Range, the Southern Passage, and the Khalúšian territories just northwest thereof. The roles of these specific flowers was also integral in creating a communication system between the Ïlýrhonid and Kairn tribes that permeated across the Mountains, which would then be spread across the Kairn tribe via the Avï-Arfarot. These would be fueled by the two main winds in the area, those being the stronger mountain winds directed northwards and the weaker sidewinds directed westwards.

The Vëtam-Wëðašïŋ was the main defensive mechanism within this system. The flower's grains, which remain intact upon immolation, are initially much less dense than that of the Žawrülhë, but they collide and combine midair, eventually creating small pellet-sized grains that pelt down from the sky. The main problem with them was that the stronger mountain gusts naturally carry them directly northward into the Kairnian territories, rendering them ineffective for repelling a westerly attack. As such, the Žawrülhë would be burned first to provide the air that would then be affected by the mountain gusts and collected for a short while atop the mountains. As it did so, the Vëtam-Wëðašïŋ would be burned in turn, which also would be steered towards the mountains. However, the presence of the Žawrülhë would keep those of the Vëtam-Wëðašïŋ from inhabiting that same spot, and so they would be instead put under the influence of the sideward gusts that slowly drag it across westwards along the Southern passage, eventually dropping out near or at the western edge of the Nuzowli Mountain Range.

The brilliant blue color of the Žawrülhë would also serve as a warning signal that would be seen the southernmost Kairnian cities, creating a mobilization across both tribes in time for the actual attack hours later. This had the potential to be used without that of the Vëtam-Wëðašïŋ, especially if the atacking force had already gotten past the effective range of their pellets.