Sylva Briar
"In the Union of Sky and Earth, so created were Fire and Flower. The first Life born of Flower grew deep in the Markéd Peaks - a Tree amidst a Garden of Briar."
-excerpt from Creation
Purpose / Function
The Sylva Briar is a mythic garden hidden deep within Marvelo's largest mountain range, where Agatha (the Marvellan goddess of nature) blessed the world with the beginnings of life. From the rumored central Tree within the garden sprang three members of the major pantheon - Astaphaios, Antiphon, and Maudaräe - who in turn molded the ancestors of the three major Marvellan humanoids.
As of 350 OM, the Briar is considered a sacred place within the scriptures of all major faiths, and those faiths expressly forbid attempting to seek out the garden (lest the mortal fall prey to the wrath of the gods themselves). Worshippers of the Anatomical Pantheon invoke the name of the Briar in regular prayer as a talisman of good health and wellbeing.
Architecture
Stories of the Briar depict beautifully crafted stonework in wake of Agatha's twin Nunura. Though he didn't contribute new life to the world, he became the forerunner of extravagant dwarven architecture and elvish craftsmanship.
The stone was pulled from the earth of the mountains themselves, pillars of intricately carved images and walls with incredibly detailed facades. Near the great Tree stands a pagoda dedicated to Sky and Earth, where the Briar's caretaker is rumored to call their home.
An endlessly circling stream snakes through the Briar, containing the clearest, cleanest water in all Marvelo. Some stories insinuate that the fish that swim within its waters are the spirits of the Tri-Kingdoms themselves, and that the death of one means the death of a Kingdom and a plague upon its people.
Defenses
If the Sylva Briar does in fact exist, it's been divinely protected since its Creation. The gods have spared no expense shrouding this mythological garden from outsiders. Many who have sought to find it for personal gain or glory have never returned from the endeavor, and some have found themselves appearing on the opposite side of the continent. It's rumored that it only shows itself to individuals of both divine heritage and pure intent, a combination which is nigh impossible to find in the modern Marvelo.
History
Astaphaios - the Watcher - created the first humans. She plucked three eyelashes from her all-seeing eye and scattered them to the earth of the Sylva Briar. These individuals would begin long, branching lineages, and each of the Tri-Kingdoms lays claim to one as the ancestor of their first founder. Though their true names have been lost to history, the mythos has come to call the ancestor of Vermilius' House of Charmant Punane, the ancestor of Azuria's House of Rochefort Sinine, and the ancestor of Flaviae's House of Navarro Kollane. As these creatures were semi-divine, they needed no partner to reproduce: as they spread to their respective landmasses, they bore children of their sheer will.
Antiphon - the Voice - created the first dwarves. He coaxed the roses of the Briar into blooming, yet his voice travelled beyond the Flower and into the Earth itself. A strange fuzzy root had grown out of the soil, and so Antiphon decided to harvest the odd plant. He pulled and he pulled, and so emerged the first dwarves of the Briar's soil, pulled by their extravagant beards. Rumor has it that one dwarf remains as caretaker of the Sylva Briar, as the rest have long since dispersed to the Vermilisian and Flavian landmasses to begin their own lives and cultures. In the modern day, dwarves are often stereotyped for their steadfast diplomacy in wake of their Antiphonal worship.
Maudaräe - the Muse - created the first elves. They fashioned a lyre from the wood of the Briar's central Tree, and strung it with the wound gut of a Markéd Longhorn. Of the three humanoids, the elves were created last. Aside from the garden's caretaker, Maudaräe's siblings had left the garden to claim their own divine dominion in the heavens and the other humans and dwarves had long since dispersed to begin lives of their own throughout the continent. They were lonely, and with tears wept as they strummed a mournful tune on the lyre, two limber humanoids with pointy ears and extravagant hairstyles emerged from the thick briar. These were Castor and Pollux - a beautiful pair of twins. The Muse set them on a task to find a place where song and art could flourish, and they began to travel the continent in search of somewhere appropriate.
RUINED STRUCTURE
unknown, lost to time
unknown, lost to time
Founding Date
circa 1 BM
Alternative Names
From Where Life Stems
Type
Garden
Parent Location
Owner
Additional Rulers/Owners
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