Spiritberry
Where could it grow?
Nobody knows who started it, but according to the legend, the spiritberry grows on the trees of The Canopy. These resemble banyan trees, but they are exceptional because they grow in the upper part of the Cutter, and their lifecycle is similar to that of the Divine Scavenger. And they don’t produce any fruit. However, according to the legend, every decade or so, one of the trees makes a special fruit, known as the spiritberry.
Why is it special?
If this spiritberry exists, it is a remarkable fruit on multiple levels. Because it grows extremely rarely, it must be a fruit of Abundance. The banyan trees of The Canopy only grow this fruit, and when it happens, only one of the trees grows it. The soil of the trees is fertilized every year by the body of the Divine Scavenger, which makes the area, the trees, and the spiritberry blessed. So the source of the spiritberry’s specialty can have multiple origins.
The spiritberry’s effect
Unlike with the ichor, which bonds the mind of its consumer with the Divine Scavenger, when you eat a spiritberry, you can communicate with it. These aren’t godly manifestations. More like descriptions about what the Divine Scavenger saw and experienced while flying over Tacillia, that help the world make sense for the valturo. Based on the legend, whoever eats a spiritberry receives such a wide variety of knowledge that not even the best spies and explorers are privy to.
Who is allowed to consume a spiritberry?
Only the highest-ranking members of the valturo church. Partially because it is a blessed fruit and partially because it grows only in The Canopy, which nobody else can visit. Not even the Roostmaster, the worldly leader of the valturo, is allowed to eat one of these.
Does this fruit exist?
Nobody knows. In theory, the combination of godly and worldly effects can create a fruit like this. Fruits of Abundance are growing in other places of Tacillia, and the trees in The Canopy can add a level of mysticism. The truth is that, from time to time, the relationship between the valturo and the rest of Tacillia is changing drastically. Like they know exactly what is happening elsewhere.
I’m not sure. Many unusual things are growing all over the continents. Nothing can be ruled out
I really liked this one. The spiritberry feels like it truly belongs in Tacillia, and the way you tied together the religious meaning, the environment, and how rare it is makes it feel believable but still magical. Keeping its existence a mystery was a smart move too. It makes me want to keep thinking about it and wondering if it’s out there, which is the kind of thing that sticks with you after reading.
If I’m not revising, I’m probably rewriting a town for the third time.