Vren

Tears of Eresla

Vren trees are native to the whole of the continent of Morlodan, ranging in size from 10 to 30 feet in height, with red-green leaves on branches hanging down much like a Willow tree. They bear sweet, teardrop-shaped stone-fruit, that come in a wide variety of sweetness and colors. Vren trees bear fruit in the warmer months, but some of those on the southern, temperate half of the continent bear fruit year-round. 
They are used in all kinds of cooking, from simple pies to the most complex of delicacies served for heads of state. A skilled survivalist may easily find enough available Vren fruit to sustain themself as long as they are in season. While a diet of entirely Vren will not sustain most individuals indefinitely, they contain enough nutrition that with the occasional supplement of meat or other plants, Vren can easily make up the center of one's diet.

Vren fruit stay fresh for 3-5 days after picking, if ripe when picked, and may be good for just over a week if picked slightly under-ripe. If more than a few days under-ripe when picked, the fruit will be bitter, rather than sweet, even if given long enough it would normally have achieved ripeness.

The flowers of Vren trees tend to be brightly colored and range between 4 and 8 inches across, depending on the individual variety of Vren. Some Vren have been selectively bred for distinct colors or flavors of their fruit, including some bred for tartness or a particular, not traditionally Vren-like flavor. These varieties are a rarity, however, as Vren are particularly resistant to this process, extraordinary flavor traits are rare to arise, and such Vren trees are not guaranteed to be able to pass the trait on to their seedlings.

The leaves of Vren trees have alchemical uses, often as the base for lesser potions of divine power, such as healing potions and potions that grant minor divine boons.  The plant's ties directly to a deity allow them to empower some divine magic, and it is common for druids to use a branch of a Vren tree as their natural focus, or for a cleric of Eresla to carry a holy symbol carved from the wood of a Vren tree.

Vren are sacred to those following Eresla, Goddess of agriculture, herbalism, and hunting, as the first Vren tree is said to have been planted by Eresla herself as a gift to the mortal denizens of Morlodan after the fall of the First Empire. Worshipers of Eresla claim the teardrop shape of the fruit represent Eresla's sorrow at the destruction caused by the fall.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Vren orchards are a common method of farming, as the trees are easy to maintain and each bear a hefty quantity of fruit. Most of the royal estates even contain small, 6-12 tree orchards on their grounds as an easy method of gathering fresh fruit for nobles.
Some wild Vren orchards exist, typically watched over by variety of fey or awakened plants left there by druids of ages past. It is not entirely uncommon to find a small grove of Vren trees deep in the wild, overseen by an awakened Vren tree, whose demeanor is typically friendly and welcoming, as long as no harm comes to the trees within their grove.

Vren trees naturally live for over 100 years, and grow to full size within only 5 or 10 years, depending on variety.