the Well Cup

History and Location

The Well Cup is a sacred object for Clan Deerwolf. Not too far from Denholm are The Fordden Gorge and the Waterfall of Corra Drinks. The Gorges are a place of exceptional natural beauty and an ancient religious site for the goddess Corra.

It has long been associated with the Clanbearers of Clan Deerwolf. The chieftain's family accompanied by many clansmen go on a yearly pilgrimage to Corra Drinks to venerate the clan's ancestors and ask for favour and blessings from the goddess. It takes three days to get to the gorge and three days to come back.

The Shrine of Corra is situated in a cave behind the waterfall. Only very few people are allowed to pass through the waterfall into the cave - the Clan Seer and his or her acolyte, the Chieftain and his wife and their children. Only these few people know that at the back of the cave is a secret door that takes one to an ancient temple, the Corra Drinks Hallow.

The temple was very likely first carved out of the rock by the Ancestors. In the Hallow, a beautiful huge stone statue of the goddess has stood there for millennia at the top of an underground spring of crystal clear waters. At one point, the Statue of Corra Drinks was covered with silver and adorned with silver snakes on her shoulders.

On the cave walls, mineral deposit shines when the torches are lit. The effect is breathtaking. On the other side of the wall, there is a beautiful altar made of white Frencal Marbil - imported from Highfort at great cost by Flor's grandfather, Trinen Winstance. The ornate marble altar is a perfect shrine for the Well Cup. It has stood there for generations of Clanbearers and is used during the clan ceremonies to Corra.

Significance and Ceremonies

The Well Cup is a sacred vessel that enables the Clan Seer to communicate with the goddess. After the traditional supplications and prayers, the cup is dipped into the spring, and the Seer as well as everyone present share the cup and drink from it.

 Sharing the Water is a common ritual throughout Alven and an ancient one, often associated with the goddesses Shony and Corra. This ceremony takes place at least once a year during The Feast of Corra on the first of Windthyme.

Corra embodies the fluidity of water and is one of The Gods of the Threshold, at ease between the planes and as such. Not only is she seen as as messenger to the gods but also one that can impart prophecies and visions of the future

When the sun sets on the first of Windthyme, the Clan Seer engages in a very specific ceremony. The cup is filled with water from the spring but also mixed with The Mortal Weed.
After drinking from the cup, the Seer falls into a trance and the visions and prophecies that they experience are then recorded by their acolyte in the Clan Writings. Most clans in Alven have similar books and keep a scrupulous record of the sayings. 

Materials and Components

The Well Cup is made of pure silver and engraved with intricate scrolls of lines in a traditional and simple pattern. No one knows when or how it was made but it has always been part of the Clanbearers' Hoard and a most sacred object of the clan. Its craftsmanship is exquisite and testifies to the work of a master smith, maybe from the Old Era.  

The Mystery of the Cup

Flor's husband, Myst who spent some time copying the pattern was persuaded that the intricate pattern on the cup might have hidden another design. His research was based on one other cup, the Thornhelm Cup, an ancient cup found in one of Thornhelm Keep's vaults within The Farside Mountains.

The silver cup belongs to Clan Wylfedd and sports similar traditional patterns as the Well Cup.  The patterns are known to make up runes which can be magically activated by a Rune Wielder.

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Item type

Religious / Ritualistic

Creation Date

unknown

Current Location

Waterfall of Corra Drinks

Owning Organization

Clan Derwilde

Rarity

one of a kind

Weight

1lb

Dimensions

30 by 20 cm

Base Price

invaluable