Dawn of Elhellond
Once every hundred years, the great trees of Elhellond put on nature's most celebrated art show.
Between the third and fourth month of the year, the towering trees go into full bloom, producing showy sunrise-colored flowers that remain on the branch for over a week. During that time, they provide vital nectar for the long-lived iridescent spring beetle, a species of insect that exist as grubs for a hundred years between blooms and matches it's own reproductive cycle to that of the trees.
During the Dawn, the shimmering beetles fill the air between the giant trees, appearing as sparks of light amid the blossoms as they hurry from flower to flower in order to drink their fill. Once done, they swarm above the canopy, finding and attracting mates before laying their eggs in the fertile soil of the forest floor. There, the eggs develop and hatch into larvae, which then burrow and root through the soil, bringing valuable aeration and providing tunnels for other small, subterranean insects.
Other species make the centennial trek to feast on the beetles and bolster their own energy. The nectar of the Elhellond tree carries unique magical properties, though it is toxic if ingested directly from the flower. Only the spring bettles are capable of processing it, making them a rare delicacy even for sapient species such as the sucera.
It is believed that the Dawn itself is protected through syllti to an elder dragon, though they have remained unnamed and unseen for thousands of years. There does seem to be a powerful presence overseeing the affair each cycle, appearing to ensure that both the trees and the beetles are not overly exploited and the balance is kept. Suceran harvesters who attempt to collect too many beetles are unceremoniously deposited back on their ships empty-handed. Laranian flower collectors who take too many find themselves wandering back at the edge of the forest, their magical carry sacks empty and depleted of the vital cooling spell to ensure safe transfer.
The Dawn is heralded four months prior, tyically right after the autumnal equinox, by the trees pseudo-evergreen leaves abruptly turning a deep, crimson red before falling several weeks later. The sudden onset of sunlight on the forest floor is believed to be the trigger for the beetle grubs to enter their next phase of life, and it serves a similar function for hundreds of other insect and plant species who react to the increased light in wildly different ways.
The result is a riot of activity and color once winter ends and spring returns.
Between the third and fourth month of the year, the towering trees go into full bloom, producing showy sunrise-colored flowers that remain on the branch for over a week. During that time, they provide vital nectar for the long-lived iridescent spring beetle, a species of insect that exist as grubs for a hundred years between blooms and matches it's own reproductive cycle to that of the trees.
During the Dawn, the shimmering beetles fill the air between the giant trees, appearing as sparks of light amid the blossoms as they hurry from flower to flower in order to drink their fill. Once done, they swarm above the canopy, finding and attracting mates before laying their eggs in the fertile soil of the forest floor. There, the eggs develop and hatch into larvae, which then burrow and root through the soil, bringing valuable aeration and providing tunnels for other small, subterranean insects.
Other species make the centennial trek to feast on the beetles and bolster their own energy. The nectar of the Elhellond tree carries unique magical properties, though it is toxic if ingested directly from the flower. Only the spring bettles are capable of processing it, making them a rare delicacy even for sapient species such as the sucera.
It is believed that the Dawn itself is protected through syllti to an elder dragon, though they have remained unnamed and unseen for thousands of years. There does seem to be a powerful presence overseeing the affair each cycle, appearing to ensure that both the trees and the beetles are not overly exploited and the balance is kept. Suceran harvesters who attempt to collect too many beetles are unceremoniously deposited back on their ships empty-handed. Laranian flower collectors who take too many find themselves wandering back at the edge of the forest, their magical carry sacks empty and depleted of the vital cooling spell to ensure safe transfer.
The Dawn is heralded four months prior, tyically right after the autumnal equinox, by the trees pseudo-evergreen leaves abruptly turning a deep, crimson red before falling several weeks later. The sudden onset of sunlight on the forest floor is believed to be the trigger for the beetle grubs to enter their next phase of life, and it serves a similar function for hundreds of other insect and plant species who react to the increased light in wildly different ways.
The result is a riot of activity and color once winter ends and spring returns.
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