Cuil'Nen

Deep in the northern woods, the grand cities of the High Elves stand tall and proud, blending seamlessly with the natural world around them. As the winter nears its end, the snow covering the network of branches high up in the canopy begins to melt away. Streams of water trickle to the ground and join with the ravine. One elf makes her daily rounds, gathering the sap collected in clay pots overnight. Her young daughter catches one drop from this spile with her finger, tastes it, and smiles at the delectable sweetness. This sap is essential to Cuil'Nen, a beverage that is distilled from tree sap and is used in many ceremonies in High Elf culture including Elven High Magic.
Cuil'Nen is a beverage made from fermented tree sap and is flavored with berries, herbs, teas, and flowers. The name is derived from the Sindarin for "water of life." It is an essential part of High Elf culture, but other elves have adapted their versions as well. To make the drink last and to make it easier for younger elves to drink, Cuil'Nen is sometimes mixed with berry juice, especially blackberry or mulberry.

Production

Tree sap is the most important ingredient in the making of Cuil'Nen. It is mostly water, but is rich with nutrients and natural sugars. The sap is boiled to evaporate some of the water, concentrating the sugars. During the boiling process, the brewers add berries, herbs, teas, and flowers for flavoring. Each High Elf city has different recipes for their infusions depending on the local flora. The hot liquid is then poured out over a large, shallow wooden pool where it is left overnight to cool. During this time, the liquid is also exposed to airborne yeasts and bacteria, which begin the fermentation process.
The next day, the liquid is moved to wooded or clay tanks held either underground or in caves where it is allowed to ferment anywhere from four to eight weeks. The resulting liquid is a dry beverage about as strong as wine. The colors range from pale gold to a deep red depending on the herbs and berries added. The final product is kept in clay bottles with corks and dipped in wax. Each batch is marked with a stamp in the wax denoting the year. The bottles are then stored on their side in a cellar. Because the liquid will still contain some active yeast, the bottles will have a slight effervescence. Generally, bottles are drank within a few months of production, but one may easily find bottles up to a decade old.

Consumption

Cuil'Nen is not drank as a recreational beverage; it is primarily ceremonial. At major events such as weddings, funerals, and the birth of a child, the close family mixes a chalice with Cuil'Nen and juice from berries and then passes the drink to each member. One by one, each person holds the drink below their heart and says a silent prayer. They then take a sip and pass the chalice to the next person. If the drink is in celebration of a living person or persons, they drink from the chalice last, a symbol of accepting the blessings bestowed upon them. A married couple at a wedding, for example, would be the final ones to drink. At a funeral, the next closest family of the deceased would be granted the final drink.
Another common use of Cuil'Nen is to establish a rapport when a High Elf ambassador travels to a foreign land. Before negotiations or any formal matters are discussed, a bottle of Cuil'Nen is shared. A bottle drank during negotiations may be poured into separate glasses, but when an elf ambassador meets with other elves, the share the beverage in one chalice. The addition of fruit juice is generally not done when the Cuil'Nen is shared with other elves, but is likely done with other races. This is done for two reasons. First, it is an introduction to this drink--a good excuse to talk about cultural ceremonies. Second, if the flavor is undesirable to outsiders, the fruit juice may make the drink more palatable and avoid an awkward situation. Nothing pleases an elf ambassador more than refusing the fruit juice in this initial toast.
If an ambassador from one elven city is visiting another, the brew from the host city is the one that each will drink, while the bottle from the visitor is given as a gift.

Trading

Because Cuil'Nen is not viewed as a recreational beverage, you will not typically see it in a tavern. Travelling elf merchants might have some Cuil'Nen bottles from their homeland stashed in their cart just in case an elf asks for it. The elves that live outside of the elven cities, but wish to keep Cuil'Nen in their homes for important life events know to seek out High Elf merchants and ask for it specifically. These elf merchants typically do not take a profit from selling bottles of Cuil'Nen, but may charge an extra gold piece to cover their costs.

Elven High Magic

In every elven society, the eldest and most powerful mages protect ancient ritual magics. Many of these spells require multiple casters working on different aspects simultaneously, often for hours at a time. These spells are very powerful, so errors in casting can have devastating effects. To ensure the spell's success, elven high mages learn to open their minds to each other, sharing their arcane knowledge and allowing them to operate with perfect synchronicity.
The high mages share from a chalice of Cuil'Nen as a preparation ceremony. Sharing the drink ensures trust among the casters as they enter this ritual spell. It also helps to suppress the mages' surface thoughts, allowing them to more easily free their minds to join and operate as a single consciousness.

Alchemical Use

Distilled tree sap is one of the ingredients needed to create a Potion of Plant Control; therefore Cuil'Nen could be distilled and used for this purpose.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Production
Elven Cities, especially High Elves

Price
4 to 6 gp | 1 Liter Bottle

Ingredients
Fermented Tree Sap, Herbs, Flowers, Berries