Vian tree
From Mizahar Lore
Also known as the "Beauty Tree", the Vian is a pale blue fruit tree that is known to exclusively grow on Konti Isle. The Konti have discovered various ways of working its wood, resin, flowers and fruit and enjoying the products.
Overview
The Vian is an average sized tree among the flora of Konti Isle, standing at about twenty feet. Its bark is colored in a pale blue, its resin in silver and shimmers in the moonlight. The tree's roots and branch points grow more horizontally than vertically, the roots preferring wet underground near a stream or lake, spreading their fingers to collect even the smallest hint of water out of the earth, and the branches hanging down and often dipping their edges into the liquid.
In spring, the tree grows beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers which turn into yellow round fruit of the size of a woman's fist during summer and become pale blue. In fall, they eventually ripen and are harvested or simply fall to the ground, taking on a sky blue color. The ripe fruit is protected by a covering that can be peeled with a knife or bare hands, revealing white flesh beneath with a soft, watery quality. Its taste reminds most people of oranges, but is a bit more subdued.
As mentioned before, the Vian is a tree species that grows exclusively on Konti Isle because of its mild subtropical climate and warm temperatures. It doesn’t like cold and dry places and needs a lot of light. It is nearly impossible to grow it outside of the Isle, although some oases in the deserts of Eyktol grow a few smaller exemplars as well.
Usability
This tree’s wood remains blue even when cut and worked into products. It is a bit softer than standard and thus usually used for small, elaborate objects such as wooden boxes, exquisite plates or bowls, doorknobs as well as magic staves. Because of its high resistance to magic, it is very well known among mages as well as carpenters and exported from Mura to many different locations throughout Mizahar.
Small amounts of resin taken from the wood often serve as shells for pearls or other precious and pretty little things that are sold to tourists as souvenirs. During the drying process, the silver color turns lucent, making the pieces shimmer with a strange, ethereal beauty in the moonlight.
The beautiful white flowers are known to have maintained the fresh beauty of many elder Konti, since a bath including liquid fragrances made from them is very healthy and smells exceptionally good. They are used by healers or masseuses to relax their patients, although the majority of the Konti use them for beauty purposes only - because of that, they call the tree by the nickname "Beauty Tree".
Eventually, the fruit which is also known as Vian fruit is very delicious when eaten raw as well as cooked or worked into meals in any other way. It matches nearly every other ingredient since its taste is fresh, but not overly so, making it the perfect side dish for nearly everything. Yet the methods the Konti have developed to include the Vian fruit into their daily meals are countless. They can be served as a snack, side dish as already mentioned, main dish and dessert, the letter being especially popular when dipped in milk, chocolate or honey. Still, people keep inventing new and creative recipes to combine the fruit with other ingredients.
Myths
There are many fairytales regarding the Vian tree, although a few are more known than others. The most common tale states that once upon a time, a Konti was born who didn’t possess any gift at all, although she was marked by Avalis, the All-Seeing Mother. Not even the healers of the Opal Order could help her at finding and developing her gift, and she grew up in isolation from the other children. One day, she was so sad that she went to the shore of Silver Lake and cried. Her tears merged with the vision water, and suddenly a nearly ripe Vian fruit fell from a nearby tree. The girl watched it with surprised eyes and left. A few days later she came back and, since she was sure that the fall into the water had been a sign, collected the fruit and ate it. Soon after that happening, she felt that eventually a gift developed within her mind - she could sense special happenings that would let other people’s personalities grow! Since then, the girl has thanked Avalis many times for sending her a Vian fruit. This tale is the origin of the belief that vision water partly transcripts its unique effects to the fruit.
Another tale revolves around the falling of the beautiful, trumpet-shaped white flowers. It is said that lovers, a Konti and an Akalak, once met under a Vian tree in spring, when the shimmering white petals were dancing in the wind around them. While they were having a picnic, the Akalak who had been hiding his terrible mind condition from his lover suddenly lost control and nearly killed her. Fortunately the Konti could defend herself, but they decided not to see each other again until the Akalak had regained enough control to be with her again. Many years they couldn’t see each other, although their hearts were always with the other one. The Akalak lived together with a master, a smith, and learned his trade while also becoming able to control his body and mind better. Eventually he had learned everything the master knew and returned to the Isle. Under the same tree and in the same season they saw each other again and this time their relationship lasted. Nowadays, the falling petals are known as a love charm and a promise that a couple that has parted under the branches will reunite and stay together forever.
Of course, there are many other tales. However, the origins are mostly unknown and it is even believed that most derive from the same three or four original tales. Nevertheless there is no doubt that the Vian tree is a fascinating symbol with a detailed meaning in Konti folklore.