The Starlight Veil (The-Star-light-Veil)
“Through Death, Sow’s Life”
The Starlight Veil:
- Name: The Starlight Veil
- Size: 50ft tall
- Crest: An autumn blazed maple tree with white and silver leaves attached to the branches—brown bark with a saer swirl around the trunk.
- Symbolism: Hope, Light, History, and Longevity
- Recognition: The Starlight Veil is the official sacred monument of Aethel Caeloria
- Contribution: Offers healing properties, a direct link with the D'ivalorth, ages of knowledge, filtered water, the saer substance, mystical abilities to the Varcanai Healers, the power to pass over the deceased, a direct line of communication with the Caelorian Avialgeontrix, a bond with the Seed, an allyship with the Caelorian Queens, and more.
- Location: Dihavanor's Sphere, C'avarnia.
Purpose / Function
The Starlight Veil is used for many reasons, but the primary one is perceived as a beacon of hope when the kingdom turns dark times. This sacred monument has many purposes:
- Saer: This stream runs throughout the entire kingdom, known as the 'Rhyzeal Stream.' For non-natives, 'saer' is a synonym for 'silver.' The stream is utilised for several reasons, including a substance for the forging of weapons, coins, jewellery, miraculous healing properties, water filtration, and habitats for amphibians.
- The Caelorian Avialgeontrix: The Starlight Veil opens an untampered line of communication with the Caelorian Avialgeontrix, allowing a two-way conversation in a language none other than the gods can understand. The Starlight Veil offers years of knowledge, while the Caelorian Avialgeontrix offers its raw starlight properties, imbued with unparallel blinding powers. When the two monuments shine a bright white beam at one another and leaves gravitate upwards, the elves of the kingdom know that they are communicating. The Starlight Veil and Caelorian Avialgeontrix cannot function without the other. If one falls, the other will too.
- Mystical Abilities: The Starlight Veil offers a range of mystical abilities that none other can copy, for it is unique to the tree. It can summon fighters, communicate with stars above, form a brotherly bond with the Seed, upkeeps the health of flora and fauna within the kingdom's lands, offer healing properties and knowledge, and forge almighty weapons.
- The Caelorian Shield (Later amended to Varcanian Shield): The shield of the Varcanai Guard is made and imbued completely of saer and cerulean blue steel, making it appear chromatic and blinding to enemies as they approach. This is a significant advantage to those who wield it. The starlight properties make it blinding. It is shaped like a 4-pointed star, similar to the Caelorian Avialgeontrix from a distance.
- The Caelorian Staff (Later amended to Varcanian Staff): The staff of the Varcanai Guard is exceptionally well-made, offering the protectors outside Jujinal Wall with the ability to hide the entire kingdom through the touch of the tips of the weapons, thus creating a barrier of invisibility. Each guard wields a white staff that can change into a double-ended spear or dual one-sided spears.
- The Seed: The Seed of the Starlight Veil is the firstborn elfa of the reigning sovereign, and she becomes known as the Seed upon birth, forming an immediate bond and connection to the tree. The Seed has enough energy in her spirit to sacrifice to the tree if it is ever placed in mortal danger, thus symbolising longevity. The Seed is also the voice of the Starlight Veil, for the tree's tone is incomprehensible for elves to hear.
- The Caelorian Queens: When the Seed is faced with danger, the Caelorian Queens will be summoned by the elfling and Starlight Veil, who knows she is an essential aspect of the kingdom's survival. Pure saer elven figures would emerge from the stream surrounding the tree and its carved-in fountains, wielding saer spears made as an extension of their arms. These queens stood faceless with the task of protecting the Seed only. They are known as the Caelorian Queens because they were once the reigning queens of House Aalarelai's past.
- Rayai, Nithavaer, and Nydon: These are the kin of the Starlight Veil. The Rayai is an avial gemstone tree imbued with the life of the Starlight Veil through protected encased shining avial gems and is known as the father tree. On the other hand, Nithavaer and Nydon are the daughter trees of the Starlight Veil. The significance and value of these trees add to the kingdom, for each tree speaks a story but holds thousands of histories as shared by its kin. They are found within Eca Gardens, C'avarnia.
- Births: The Starlight Veil blesses newborn elflings through the voice of the Seed.
- Funeral Rites: There are no burial grounds within C'avarnia, so once a native elf dies, their soul is transferred to the Starlight Veil, and their bodies fade into starlight particles. Travellers believe them to be trapped, but the elves that have passed over believe they live in peace with their ancestors within the spiritual realm. Once an elf dies, another is due to be born.
- Varcanai Healer Gift: The Starlight Veil grants The Lead Varcanai Healer, Maevil and his experienced Varcanai Healers with its gift, known as 'saer hands.' These saer hands run just beyond the wrist, turning the healer's hand and lower arm into complete saer with the ability to move their fingers around with ease. This gift enables the Varcanai Healers to perform miraculous healing properties on those who have undergone severe and despairing injuries. Their most renowned gift is the ability to create a new limb for amputees made entirely of saer, but this is usually only for the Varcanai Guard. Travellers can experience this phenomenon, but they have to pay an extortionate price. Anyone else is given wooden prosthetics, a recent modification from Maevil.
- The D'ivalorth: The Starlight Veil has a direct line of communication with the D'ivalorth through telepathy and ultimately takes over half of the elfa's soul, entrusting her with multiple eras of knowledge. While the other half of her soul is hers, the D'ivalorth occasionally has to mentally battle her thoughts and the Starlight Veil's struggling to understand which are hers and what memories belong to the trees.
- Age-Old Knowledge: Due to the Starlight Veil existing on Caede Galair since 2999 NE, it has accumulated thousands upon thousands of years of knowledge from Nelaeryn's creations to Aalarelai reigns and events which have taken place throughout the many ages. The knowledge of the Starlight Veil is its most powerful asset, sharing its wisdom with a few elven individuals, the Caelorian Avialgeontrix, and its kin. It can only hear and collect knowledge as far as its roots spread. Due to how far its roots spread, it hears everything that happens around that vicinity.
- Filtered Water System: On the tree's trunk are three cavities, which turned into carved-in fountains that saer pours out of and into the Rhyzeal Stream. The high elves use a filtration system to prevent an overflow of saer from its cavities. Once the saer is collected in barrels, the Starlight Veil senses this and turns it into normal drinking water, more than enough for the entire kingdom to use throughout the year.
- Heartwood: Inside the tree's core is the resting place of Heartwood. The Starlight Veil gifted a faceless saer elf this weapon upon the Forsaken Commander, Vivaleth's arrival; it has been given to each Prince of Aethel Caeloria ever since.
Denizens
The Seed:
This is the firstborn daughter of the reigning Aalarelai sovereign. Only elfa's can claim this role because of the former sacrifice made during the War of Faiths.
The Sacrifice:
- 'Tilundiun' is elvish for 'The Sacrifice of the Seed.' The term is completed when the Seed's name is placed in front of it. For example, 'Garavei Tilundiun.'
- The first daughter of every Aalarelai bloodline must transfer their lifeforce to the tree to ensure its longevity if placed in fatal danger.
- Through transferring her lifeforce, she will pass over into death, offering the Starlight Veil a longer life span life and further endurance.
- The tree reminds the royal bloodline of its duty by infusing autumn blazed hues into the tips of their firstborn daughter's hair. It is both a blessing and a curse.
- The Starlight Veil is a sacred part of Aethel Caelorian culture, preserving all elf life and standing as a beacon of hope through the Seed.
Architecture
Dihavanor's Sphere:
The architectural structures are located around the Starlight Veil, forming a sphere that protects the tree from danger when extended and set in place. This only happens when imminent danger occurs. These structures are comprised of the most robust stone but patterned in white marble. This is the only moving structure in C'avarnia and is the last structural defence for the Starlight Veil.
Parts of the Starlight Veil:
Different parts of the Starlight Veil have various purposes, and there are even myths surrounding the mystical tree that many have come to believe over time. While no alterations have been made to the tree, it remains as mysterious as its creation.
Exterior Parts:
There are many parts to the Starlight Veil, with different survival functions. See those functions below:
- The Crown: The crown supports the leaves used for photosynthesis, filters out dust, dead cells, and particles from the air, and assists in cooling the air by providing more shade. By doing this, the crown reduces raindrops from impacting the soil around it. The Starlight Veil has a dominant tree crown, which reaches over all other flora. The crown is 10-feet overall. It attracts additional direct sunlight than any other tree crown because of the branches and leaves that push slightly upwards and outwards.
- The Leaves: They have three lobes and coarse teeth, which gives them their rounded oval shape. The lobes are relatively broad with shallow v-shaped sinuses. There are two leaves per node along the stem, making them indistinguishable from other maple tree species. The leaf blade is 2-3 inches wide and long and is hairless. There are only three colours the leaves can be; shades of orange, shades of brown, or white with saer outlines. The leaves feel like velvet under one's fingertips despite being hairless. The lower surface of the leaves is soft with thin white saer strands of hair. The stalk of these leaves are 1-2 inches long and are saer coloured.
- The Branches: The long thick branches of the Starlight Veil offers structural support for the leaves and canopy. The tree branches are white and are necessary to thrive and produce water and nutrients for the soil below through photosynthesis. The branches also account for a third of the tree's overall weight, meaning they assist in strengthening and anchoring the tree.
- The Twigs: The twigs of the Starlight Veil are light brown and are noted as individualistic plants able to act as the senses of the tree, determining where the next batch of twigs should grow and where the roots should spread. At the end of each branch and leaf grows a bud encapsulated in a cocoon that helps it survive the seasons. This cocoon will blossom like a flower causing the twig to erect and sense its first glow of light. Twigs sense the light and use it to determine when buds should blossom. The twig turns to wood during the first week of life, growing no longer than four inches.
- The Trunk: The trunk is 40 feet tall with a 5-foot circumference. This part provides a woody structure supporting the crown and functions as a conduit for water and nutrients passed down to the roots. The trunk is also the primary area which allows branches to grow.
- The Bark: The bark of the Starlight Veil is essential as it is formed of multiple layers. It protects the tree from the seasons and potential attacks and provides the moisture needed to grow. The epidermis protects the inside from insects, fungi, and the seasons and is formed of two layers. The phloem is how the Starlight Veil gets its nutrients through a tunnel made by photosynthesis, carrying it to all aspects of the tree. While the phloem is short-lived, it eventually dies and becomes a part of the outer bark springing back to life with a new purpose.
- The Core: The tree's core (heartwood) creates a solid structural pillar, allowing it to grow taller. The avial gemstone in the centre also offers the Starlight Veil its mystical abilities. It is where the Caelorian Avialgeontrix transfers its power into, lighting up the saer properties and imbuing it with power.
- The Cavities and Fountains: There are only three cavities in the Starlight Veil, and they are located on the edges and in the centre of the tree, along with naturally formed wooden fountains filled with saer. While cavities are commonly used for birds, the holes in this instance are filled with saer, which flows into the fountains, and then into the soil where it naturally filters into the saer stream. Nothing can get into the cavities.
- The Soil: This offers a medium for the tree to grow and support itself. It is also a reservoir of saer from the cavities, water, and nutrients. The soil is a living organism, slowly changing and growing over time.
- Lateral Roots: These increase the volume of soil reached by the far-stretching root and partake in water and nutrient uptake for further growth and development.
- Root Hairs: The root hairs are essential because they increase the underground food and water surface area. While they don't offer any structural support, they are still integral to the system of the tree.
- The Taproot: These anchor the tree deep into the ground, keeping them steady and well-balanced. They also prevent the tree from blowing over, keeping them stabilised. The Taproot of the Starlight Veil delves straight down into the mountain Dukran, past the Community of Varcanai and a little further, making it robust.
Defenses
The Caelorian Queens:
Through the Starlight Veil's mystical capabilities, it can materialise warriors from its saer fountains. These warriors are made of pure saer, bearing no faces, have elven bodily figures and heightened power. These warriors are known as the Caelorian Queens and used to be the reigning queens of Aethel Caeloria's past. They do everything to protect the Seed, the firstborn daughter of Aalarelai, as they know her life is detrimental to the tree’s longevity.
Appearance and Power:
- The Caelorian queens are figures made entirely of saer
- Faceless beings with smooth saer bodies
- Saer spears are made as an extension of their arms
- They can only be summoned by the Seed and Starlight Veil
- Elves cannot kill them as their weapons go straight through them with no harm implemented.
History
2999 NE:
- Aethel Caeloria’s Creation
- The White Twilight
- The Rayai Tree Seed Watered
- The Starlight Veil's Growth
- The Well of Fortune Formation
- The Nagtaive Migration.
- The Nelaeryn Springs Blossoming: Hydraen converge to the springs to habituate.
- Aethel Caeloria’s Nature Change: Raw starlight was infused into the heart of Aethel Caelorian Nature.
- Stream Transformation: The clear stream changed into Saer
- Planting the daughter seeds for Nithavaer and Nydon
- Heartwoods Forging
- Caelorian Nature Renamed: Miha Aalarelai officially named a part of the capital, Miha Ponds.
- The Si’tora Seed was Planted
- The Starlight Veil's Gift
- The Starlight Veil's Withering
- G'aravei Tilundiun: Otherwise known as, The Sacrifice of the Seed. The Princess of Aethel Caeloria, G’aravei Aalarelai, transferred her life force into the Starlight Veil to stop its withering and prolong its longevity.
- The Caelorian Queens Revealing
- The Starlight Veil’s Protection: The Myth of the Caelorian Queen’s return was rumoured as, The Fallen Rise.
- The Forsaken Commander's Arrival
- The Isolation of Aethel Caeloria
- The Hyphicen's Appearance
- The Day of Stratanum (Natural Event).
- The Inconsolable Forlorn
- The Hyphicen's Existence
- Rhyzeal’s Temperament: Rhyzeal Aalarelai was officially named a part of the kingdom Rhyzeal Stream.
- The Glaciers Ravine’s Discovery: Eca Aalarelai and his younger brother, Mylo, discovered a ravine filled with crystalline gemstones beneath the Nelaeryn Springs.
- The Growing of Nithavaer and Nydon: The daughter trees of the Starlight Veil grow.
- The Expansion of the Rayai: The Rayai Tree of Aethel Caeloria grows and becomes formally known as the Avial Tree, the father tree.
- Nature Name Change: Eca Aalarelai officially renamed a section of the kingdom Eca Gardens.
- The Hyphicen’s Voice: The Hyphicen of Aethel Caeloria collectively groan in harmony as they birth new offspring into the world
- The Guardian of Knowledge Named: The Starlight Veil named its new Guardian of Knowledge, otherwise known as D’ivalorth.
- The Tender of Scrolls Named: The Starlight Veil named its new Tender of Scrolls, Vythai.
- The Starlight Veil's Growth: This is the expansion of the Starlight Veil's branches. Every 1000 years, the Starlight Veil's branches grow, and more leaves develop, prolonging its life. It is when it is the most vulnerable and needs tending regularly. The Starlight Veil created a gift for future healers who would care for the tree after its creation in 2999 NE. These healers would be gifted hands made entirely out of saer and keep it nourished during its time of growth.
- The Starlight Veil's Gift: Once Dihavanor Aalarelai altered the armour of the royal guards, the Starlight Veil wanted its people to be protected as best as they could; therefore, it infused all the Caelorian staffs with mystical saer properties. This infusion created two retractable thin blades at either end of the staff, turning it into a double-ended spear. Furthermore, the staff could detach in the centre, creating separate dual spears with a retractable spear point at the tips. The Starlight Veil told its Seed a design idea, thus creating a 4-pointed saer and cerulean blue steel shield with a chromatic effect rendering a moment of blindness. This gave the wielder of the shield an advantage to strike.
- The Starlight Veil’s Withering: This was when the Starlight Veil started to wither from the effects of the Ashen submerging themselves in high elven blood. The Starlight Veil felt this and began to grow weak, gradually withering.
- G'aravei Tilundiun: This was when the Princess of Aethel Caeloria transferred her life force to the Starlight Veil to stop its withering and prolong its longevity once more. Her life enabled the tree to flourish again and return light and hope to the kingdom. The leaves stopped falling, meaning high elves no longer fell into the darkness. This became a pivotal point in history because G'aravei was the first Seed to sacrifice her life for a noble and dutiful cause.
- The Caelorian Queens Revealing: Once the Starlight Veil had flourished from the sacrifice of the seed, pure saer elven figures emerged from the fountains of the tree, ready to fight. They stood around the tree and allowed none near it to guard and protect it from darkness now that there was no seed to tend to its needs.
- The Hyphicen's Appearance: As soon as the Commanders and Ashen had arrived, the Hyphicen made itself visible to the outside world and banded together to protect the high elves from the imminent threat they were ultimately faced with. They only allowed the Aalarelai bloodline to ride on their backs and into battle, which was a moment elf and beast became one.
- The Hyphicen's Existence: The legendary and mystical creature made itself known to the high elves and habituated one part of the corner, now known as Nelaeryn Springs. During the war, the Hyphicen made themselves present, so they decided to protect the high elves by co-existing with them. However, none other than the Aalarelai bloodline could visit as they were the only ones who bore a real connection and bond to them. The Hyphicen became a sacred beast which resided within C'avarnia and was not to be disturbed.
- The Rayai Tree: The Rayai tree is the father tree of the Starlight Veil, bearing similar traits and qualities of a father. It is half avial, half Starlight Veil without the mystical properties. It is protective of its seedlings and those around it. Its seed took thousands of years to develop and absorbed starlight to keep it healthy. Instead of water, all it needed was starlight; however, as soon as the high elves settled, they began to tend to its roots and water it regularly.
- The Growth of Nithavaer and Nydon: Nithavaer and Nydon were the daughter trees of Aethel Caeloria. Nithavaer translated into ‘prosperity’, and Nydon translated into ‘fulfilment.’ The Starlight Veil infused them with long life, making them a serene visualisation to all elves. The daughter trees were vibrant, just like the Starlight Veil, the mother tree to all. Nithavaer and Nydon were twin trees and bore pure white leaves with smooth saer veins, soft to the touch. As soon as the trees were in sight, the urge to feel them became greater than one’s ambition to fulfil lifetime aspirations. The mere touch of the trees filled an elf with a heightened sense of enlightenment and hope. A hope that no living elf could explain. It was an adrenaline high to some, but to others, it was perceived as a place of the purest tranquillity. The tree healed their broken hearts and filled them with the hope they needed to carry on. The veins of each leaf felt smooth. They were located in the centre of the Eca Gardens for all to admire and were one of the many prized possessions of the high elves.
- The Expansion of Rayai (Avial Tree): The Rayai tree was vital as it oversaw the daughter trees' growth and ensured that they were always protected from harm. The Rayai was the father tree of Nithavaer and Nydon and oversaw the flourishing of Eca Gardens. Rayai itself translated as ‘Protector’ in Caelorian. Its roots kept a warm nature-like embrace. During the expansion, Rayai saw its branches grow outwards, allowing it to hold more leaves and protect everything within. Parts of this tree were also used to forge the Heartwood dual short swords. Even though it was a relatively large tree, the elflings of Aethel Caeloria would often climb the branches to the top to oversee the kingdom.
- Glacier Ravine’s Discovery: The Glaciers Ravine was discovered by Eca Aalarelai and his younger brother, Mylo, during an exploration of their kingdom. They stumbled upon an open ravine big enough to hold hundreds of elves. The hollow was cold but possessed thousands of crystalline light-filled gemstones with prism-like reflections. They were encrusted within the walls of this open yet area, to begin with; however, it soon became enclosed the further in they delved. The waterfalls from the Nelaeryn Springs fell into this ravine, providing it with a peaceful atmosphere. Mylo Aalarelai discovered a hidden tunnel that led to an enclosed cave with a large crystalline prism sticking out from the ground filled with the memories of the Hyphicen. It was the biggest crystal Mylo had ever seen with his own two eyes, and he vowed to keep it a secret, thus, sealing the cave to a degree to ensure no one would ever find it. Mylo closed this because he loved the species and respected its significance.
The Starlight Veil: This is the sacred monument of Aethel Caeloria. It is a mystical autumn-blazed maple tree that possesses mystical properties and bears natural starlight within the cavities of its trunk. This stream has miraculous healing properties used by the Varcanai Healers.
The Seed: The Seed is the firstborn daughter of the Aalarelai bloodline and forms an immediate brotherly bond with the Starlight veil upon leaving the womb. She learns everything from the sacred tree, even speaking on its behalf as she grows up. To many, she is known as the Voice of the Starlight Veil.
The Caelorian Queens: These are faceless saer elven figures that emerge from the fountains of the Starlight Veil and protect it and the Seed from harm. These figures used to be the former royal queens of Aalarelai's past.
Founding Date
2999 NE
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