Viambre

The reach of Viambre's leaves enraptured our senses. Loke fran Tundren shifted his gaze thither, all too often agast by their constant mark on the clouds.
"What manner of klöka could craft a thing as this?" he said, open-mouthed in quiet horror.
I had only one answer for him: "The greatest of all - nature himself."

Viambre is the largest growing tree in Poraile and spreads so far that its leaves haunt the edges of the landscape miles away. The most recent measurement of the tree estimates that it reaches about 820 feet (250m) in height, though its width is insurmountable. Its true age is unknown, but its has remained stoic and unchanged for hundreds of years. Appearing almost like an erupting volcano when its leaves turn red, autumn bodes well for the dark elves who use them for stuffing bed and rejuvenate the soil.
All forms of life make Viambre their home, both in the branches and underground. Even to foreign eyes, the tree is a formidable sight and clearly deserving of reverence. It buzzes with life and the birds awaken locals at the base with a concert of birdsong. Those who live close to the tree rarely see the open sky, which only appears in the dark winters. This is the speculated reason why the durmok species are more sensitive to sunlight.
They believe all aether comes from the tree's sap and is carried through its flowers and leaves. Nearby fertile lands, whose plants were likely pollinated by Viambre's many flowers, are apparently richer in aether than usual. The believe more arid places, such as Oksal, are incapable of holding aether and thus inherently without magic.
From these beliefs, the name "Viambre" comes from the words via (vitality) and ambre (tree) in the tongue of the dark elves. They believe that the tree cultivates is the former body of their life God, Kemdal, explaining its limitless vitality. Others, such as the Shal, also consider the tree's branches as the sole indicator of Durmok territory, which sparked a conflict between them and the light elves in the nearby Hemnas, partially covered as the tree has continued to grow.

Purpose / Function

The Durmok speculate that the original purpose behind Kemdal turning his body into a tree, rather than fully passing away, was to protect his people with the limited power he retained after the beasts attacked his mortal body.
Ever since the rumoured time of Kemdal's mortal death, the dark elves have venerated Viambre as the body of their fallen God. To show their gratitude for his sacrifice, they built their capital city, Viathone . The tree's purpose has expanded to providing shelter for this city, and sometimes even a foundation for new homes high up in the branches. The tree's canopy width is also seen by the Shal as the definitive, religiously orthodox way to determine the borders of Durmok influence. The authenticity of this notion is hotly contested.

Architecture

Krodians are forbidden from directly harming Viambre, though that hasn't stopped some houses from dotting the high boughs of the tree. Only the most distinguished and respected are allowed to settle in the highest parts of the tree, since they are closer to Kemdal than most other people manage in their lifetimes.
Most of these houses belong to religious leaders or those working in the main temple at the foot of Viambre, dedicated to its previous life. They make these structures using magic, with techniques for the most part foreign to wizards who visit. Their houses almost look part of the tree to a novice eye, but are actually grown through the use of aether from saplings planted into the nooks and crannies of the branches. Durmok are naturally frosty to outsiders, especially when it comes to their magic, which they consider a sacred art to honour Kemdal and therefore no one else's concern except fellow Krodians.
The temple at the base of Viambre is of utmost importance to the Krodian Duality, where the most prominent theologians and legislators discuss matters of the creed and religion. They also declare religious events from this temple, as well as threats to Viambre, the duality or those who have sworn the creed.

History

Before the chronicled age, the Durmok believe that Kemdal descended in his material form to spread his word and further life to his creations. How the God died is debated, but what all sides of the theological debate agree on is that he was gravely wounded fighting against beasts. Whether these beasts were crafted by mages, a natural part of the world to balance out its inherent good, or a product of a sinful spell to turn people into beasts is still unknown.
Nevertheless, Kemdal used his remaining divine power to turn into the divine tree Viambre so he could continue his divine mission. From this point on, the Durmok promised to protect and foster the prosperity of their blessed land. The dark elves tasked themselves with learning how to harness the aether Kemdal gave them to continuing spreading life, whereas the orcs more closely followed Mondros and his divine mission to protect these creations. As a result, a prospering city developed at the foot of Viambre called Viathone.
Ever since, the holy tree has marked pivotal times of the year and affected how the Durmok records time itself. It can be argued that the Sinari culture has grown entirely dependent on Viambre's inevitable presence, despite regular foreboding prophecies of the tree one day dying.

Tourism

Once every four Camelan years, Viambre's flowers bloom and descend down to earth. This occasion marks the New Year of the Krodian Calendar and attracts crowds from a variety of backgrounds. The main celebrations take place after the first flower has fallen, but preparations traditionally start on the 1^st of Via (29^th of Thawforth) in anticipation.
It is illegal to take the flowers outside of the canopy of Viambre, and thus anywhere outside of the Durmok homeland. Nevertheless, unscrupulous traders gather to Viambre along with well-meaning travellers to witness the spectacle. The well-known Ambrosia flowers only come from this tree and their medicinal properties are remarkable, even if some details are exaggerated.
Those of the creed (or Krodians) celebrate the coming of the Ambrosia by finding a flower of their own to keep. Each person is limited to one flower - a policy most zealously upheld by the local religious order of Kemdal. The first five days of celebrations are loud and colourful, especially if the Ambrosia flower has bloomed a darker hue that year. After the initial excitement, the month continues in a calm fashion as more people drink deep of ambrose tea and savour its flavour. The rest of the month is spent separating the components of the ambrosia and cutting away the foul-tasting sepal. Sounds of children screaming from getting Viambre's sap over their fingers is rather common further into the festive season.
The festivities end at the beginning of Frel (usually starting on the 11th of Laurelay), when most of the flowers have bloomed or fallen from the tree. From this point on, the community is more focused on collecting the leaves the will inevitably fall from Viambre's branches in similar fashion to mark the long winter ahead. This is the time when foreign tourists, unless smitten by the ambrose tea and the looming sight of the tree above them, take their leave - laden with ambrosia or not.

Alternative Names

The Giving Tree, Entfather, Grand Ambre

Type

Tree