Tales of Aetheria Fruit & Seasonal Sap
The Aetheria Tree was the point around which all life in the Evad revolved. Groves of towering Aetheria trees provided the Aetherian people with housing, food, drink, and more. These trees consumed sunlight, moonlight, and the very magical essence of the lands and people to produce Aetheria Fruit and Seasonal Sap (and also Grand Sap in the case of the Grand Aetheria Tree). Both the produced Aetheria Fruit and Seasonal Sap were heavily infused with seasonal magic and were often key ingredients used to craft magical items, to brew potions and tonics, to cook food, and to impart specific, chosen effects onto the consumer.
The Aetheria Fruit were roughly spherical, fleshy stone fruits ranging from 6 ft. in diameter to approximately the size of a small home. The largest fruit grew from the Grand Aetheria tree, which towered above all other Aetheria trees. Aetheria Fruits were (fittingly) classified by seasons. Spring fruits were a gentle mosaic of pink and green hues. Summer fruits featured splatters of bold orange and yellow. Autumn fruits were rich reds, while the Winter fruits were almost a glassy-blue, with the nut-like core visible through the mirror-like fleshy exterior.
Seasonal Sap was tapped directly from the veins of the Aetheria Tree and was most commonly distilled into a drink. Like the Aetheria fruit, its effects were determined by the seasonality of the Aetheria tree from which it was derived. It was common for Aetherians to consume Aetheria Fruit and Sap alongside one another to blend the seasonal effects.
Origin Myths
Among the Aetherian people, there is no doubt that the Aetheria Trees existed before the people did, housing various creatures – such as the Madargyo of Idyllis – before intelligent, humanoid life arrived in the regions of the Evad. And while it is generally believed that the Seasonal Sap has existed since the first Aetheria Tree, there are two competing families of myths on the origin of Aetheria Fruit.
The Fruit Before the Gods
One family of myths holds that the Aetheria Fruit came before the Evad gods. While the details may vary, the core of these myths holds that the gathering of the Aetherian people at groves of Aetheria trees triggered a convergence of seasonal essence and magic that ultimately manifested in the first Aetheria Fruits. When the Evad gods then arrived, they tasted the Aetheria Fruit and were pleased, selecting the qualities of the fruits they enjoyed the most and dividing the first Aetheria Fruits into the Seasonal Aetheria Fruit known to the Evad today.
The Gods Before the Fruit
The other family of myths holds that the Evad gods came before the Aetheria Fruit. Before the gods, there was no Aetheria fruit, only the nut-like "stone". The Evads, desiring to disperse a portion of their divine gifts to the Aetherian people, gathered in Grand Aetheria, where the Hall of Seasons now sits. There, the Evads infused a fraction of their essence into the Grand Aetheria Tree:
Eden blessed the tree with mirth... a childish drawing etched upon the bark. And thus sprung forth the Spring Fruit. Chasca blessed the tree with fire... burning away a blight among the branches. And thus sprung forth the Summer Fruit. Saffra drained the tree of excess sap... blessing it with a new wave of merriment among the people. And thus sprung forth the Autumn Fruit. Vale, in his ancient wisdom, neither offered nor took. Instead, he preserved his family's offerings so that they might persist through the harsh Winter to the next Spring's thaw. And thus the Winter Fruit shimmers like a mirror's surface and tastes like a reflection of the seasons that came before.
Through the roots of the Grand Aetheria Tree, the Evads' blessings spread. Although all Aetheria Trees now produce bountiful harvests of Aetheria Fruit year-round, it is only the Grand Aetheria Tree that produces fruit of all four seasons.
All Are Welcome in Orom'Rye
The city of Orom'Rye – the heart of Autumn and the seat of the goddess Saffra – was known for its revelry, abundance, and excess. It was well known across the continent of Jalasar that all were welcome in Orom'Rye. To deny someone food, drink, and merriment was a crime against Saffra. Many unsavory characters attempted to take advantage of the welcoming nature of the people of Orom'Rye, but – as many stories and myths tell – none could overcome the power of a well-prepared Autumn Aetheria fruit paired with Autumn Sap.
Saffra's "Taming of the Wilds"
One version of the "All Are Welcome in Orom'Rye" myths involves the Lycanthropes of Otsana Daciana, who were renowned for falling into bouts of "primal savagery" during full moon nights.
Beneath the glow of the full moon, a pack of lycanthropes arrived in Orom'Rye. "We seek a respite from are arduous travels." And so, the Priestess welcomed them within the main hall of her Aetheria Tree home. And the lycanthropes rested. "We seek drink to sate our aching thirst." And so, the Priestess offered them fresh water from the springs. And the lycanthropes were contented. "We seek food to sate our gnawing hunger." And so, the Priestess brought forth a spread of fruits, mosses, cheeses, berries, and breads. But the lycanthropes were displeased. The silver light of the moon entranced them. They growled and snapped, falling easily into their primal nature, drunk on the silver glow. "We desire to tear flesh from bone; our teeth were not meant for mosses and grass." And so, the Priestess replied: "There is none to be had here." "You deny your guests their request? Are not all welcome in Orom'Rye?" And so, the Priestess again replied: "There is none to be had here." With a grin that exposed every sharp tooth: "There is meat all around." And so, the Priestess waved and promised to return. Beyond the lycanthropes gaze and smell, the Priestess cut a piece of Aetheria Fruit in the shape of a prime piece of meat. From a hollowed gourd, she poured a generous coating of Autumn sap and whispered a quick spell to further disguise the fruit's appearance. The lycnthropes tore into their presented meal. The moon's whispers were drowned and silenced by their sap-fueled minds. Every fruit, moss, and bread tasted like the meat they craved. Hunger appeased, the lycanthropes danced among the Aetherians of Orom'Rye, the pull of the full moon long forgotten. And when the moon had fallen and sense restored, the Priestess reiterated: "All are welcome in Orom'Rye... where revelry and merriment prevail."
Key Components
"All Our Welcome in Orom'Rye" stories tend to include the following key components:
- A group of non-Aetherian visitors. Common subjects included the lycanthropes of Otsana Daciana, the stern and law-abiding Menseya from the Pridelands, and – if the writer was feeling particularly bold – scouts in the service of the Abyssal Lord.
- A trio of questions the host cannot refuse. The most common set involved respite, drink, and food, though not always in that order. The third question resulted in the visiting party being displeased, questioning whether all are truly welcome in Orom'Rye.
- The use of Aetheria Fruit and/or Sap. More comical writers and orators will use this portion of the tale to tell a series of comical events that eventually lead to the visitors consuming the fruit and/or sap. The length of this section is often determined by the level of intoxication of the performer.
- Saffra's dominance over the influence of another god. In the end, Saffra's merriment and revelry prevail over the influences of another deity, such as the pull of the full moon, the adherence to order, or the piercing fear of the unknown.
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Aaa I love this! I love how poetic your myths sound! They feel so believable by being just vague enough to feel realistic while not being overbearing with detail!
Thank you!! :D