The Last Remnant of the Evad
The Evad is a term once used to refer to 4 regions of Jalasar, each belonging to one of the four Life Spirits: Eden, Chasca, Saffra, and Vale. Although each region of the Evad cycled through the seasons like the rest of the continent, each region was deeply infused with the energy, symbolism, and traits of its respective season. Eden's lands saw longer springs, while the lands of Vale were almost entirely covered in snow, especially in the northern reaches. More specificaly, the Evad is the point where the realms of the seasons converge. In the past, once a year at the Seasonal Convergence, the sprawling tree city of the Evad, the Grand Aetheria, would experience all seasons both sequentially throughout a day and, more impressively, simultaneously within the day.
But the Mind Blight (the miasma) has reduced a sprawling city of 5 major rings to only the innermost ring with walls slowly withering as the Mind Blight continues its assault. The light of the massive Aetheria tree – the light of the Evad itself – has slowly dimmed and the edges of her roots, branches, and leaves have begun to curl, wither, and disintegrate. As the sun is obscured further by encroaching haze, time continues to tick. Soon, the great Evad will be consumed by the Mind Blight alongside the rest of the continent.
Basic History
The lands of the Evad – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter – have always been infused with magic and enhanced with a touch extra. Colors are more vibrant. Smells are more potent and enticing. The lands here are the pinnacle of scenic and seasonal beauty. For much of its early history, humanoids existed alongside flora and fauna. Those more inclined to travel would follow the herds of grandiose beasts and the flocks of colorful birds, moving in a coordinated migration. Those more inclined to settle, tended to the naturally occurring fields and harvested what the environment produced in abundance, clustering around the light-filled Aetheria trees. At lease once in their lives, those who called the broader Evad their home would travel to the true Evad – the convergence point of the seasons. There, they would stay within the massive Aetheria tree and bask in its warm light.
Growing Prominence. The Bestial, always more inclined to wander, traveled far beyond the borders of the Evad, drifting into neighboring regions and eventually across the entire continent (some even to Dremora). Slowly, wealth began to accumulate within the lands of the Evad, yet they were never tempted to do anything more than build with and alongside nature. They constructed works of art that wrapped around, dipped within, and spiraled across the Aetheria trees of their lands. The Evad itself became the greatest spectacle of all. Constructed around the largest of the Aetheria trees, it was the center point of all Evad society.
The Dreams of the Seasons (~650 YAR). As the Evads declined, they were "consumed" by the Seasonal Blights during the seasonal convergence. The binding of the Blights has forced the Evads into near stasis, confining them to relive their final day in their dreams... until they wake or the Blight's hold finally fades. All that holds back the Mind Blight is the force of a dream.
Much of the history of the Evad has been litlte more than a struggle for survival. Much has been lost.
Politics
In the Evad (and across the Evad regions more broadly), most major leadership positions are held by the Evad Eladrin as they had the age, expertise, and respect of the populace. The specific role an Evad Eladrin took was often dictated by the season of their life they were in. For example, summer Evad Eladrin often served as military leaders while autumn Evad Eladrin often oversaw cultural affairs such as festivals. However, smaller positions – particularly in the cities and villages beyond the Evad – would see leadership functioning either as a single or council of clan elders or with an elected council.Economy
Like the region of Tel’Rhea, the Evad and its associated regions were part of the breadbasket of the Jalasaran continent. Directly infused with the gifts of life, the lands were naturally bountiful, but nothing more so than the Aetheria trees. These trees consumed sunlight, moonlight, and the very magical essence of the land to produce fruits of pure seasonal magic that could be used to craft magic items, to brew potions, to cook food, and more. The Aetheria trees were generally seasonal based. Those in Idyllis only produced spring fruit, while the pale Aetheria in the Frozen Vale only produced winter fruit. However, the Grand Aetheria tree in the Evad was unique in that it produced all four types of fruit sequentially throughout the year and produced all four fruit simultaneously during the seasonal convergence.
Other economical items of note:
- Lumber, herbs, honey, flowers, and spices were produced and exported from the Evad and associated lands.
- Architects were commonly sought from among the populace as they were masters at building harmoniously with nature.
- Bestial Eladrin, in particular, were often recruited to train animals in other regions.
People
Many people inhabited the lands of the Evads, but the original inhabitants were all infused with the magic of the seasons and were broadly referred to as Aetherians, after the trees they settled in and around. Among them were the chosen Evad Eladrin, who experienced longer lives and progressed through the seasons as they aged and grew.
Religion
As the Evad Eladrin and general populace aged and shifted seasons, their religious “orientation” would shift accordingly. Across all the Evads, religious worship often took the form of honoring and living in harmony with nature, valuing all forms of life, and pursuing magic in order to balance oneself within the fold of the seasons. However, specific forms of worship differed.
- Those devout of Eden often pursued magical training in abjuration, serving as protectors and traveling to places to ward them from threats and illness. Flower language was important, and followers of Eden also often performed rituals to summon rain in places experiencing drought.
- Those devout of Chasca often served as midwives and healers, emphasizing the importance of renewal of both body and mind. Those not called to be healers, but instilled with passion nonetheless, often pursued the path of the warrior and became guardians of nature, wielding fire to burn off blight and to shield spring.
- Those devout of Saffra oversaw the harvests, making offerings to Saffra in return. Many used their high standing with Saffra to draw forth the sap of the Aetheria tree and distill it into potent meads that were used at various cultural celebrations (the greatest honor to Saffra is a good party, after all).
- Those devout of Vale often spent a significant portion of their time in reflection, writing, or preserving knowledge. Despite their dwindling light, they were often orators and storytellers, passing on the legacy of one generation to the next… giving hope to the next spring.
The Seasonal Blights. The antagonists of the Evad were commonly referred to as the Seasonal Blights. They often assumed the form of a writhing black mass with pseudopod or vine-like appendages. They would hold the skull of a humanoid of beast within their rolling black mass, using it as a mockery of life when they communicated with mortals.
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Cities of the Evad Lands
Beyond the Evad itself, there was at least one nature-bound city that honored each of the Evad Spirits individually:- Idyllis – the river-bound, mangrove-like Aetheria grove. Its meshwork of rivers fed beautiful meadows of colorful, sweet-smelling flowers. A school focused on Abjuration magic was located there.
- Chasanya – the city of spiraling trees where larger Aetheria trees wound around smaller ones. Pools of water were naturally warmed by the heat retained within the summer-aligned trees, creating natural, herbal spas for renewal.
- Orom'Rye – the lush, bountiful Aetheria trees forever primed for the harvest. Locals would use the potent sap of the trees to distill a delicious mead, served at all festivals. Often, one drink was more than enough.
- The Frozen Vale – the ice-bound, snow-covered Aetheria grove located on the partially frozen, northernmost lake of Jalasar. Tomes of wisdom and personal memoirs were gathered and stored within the sturdy trunks, frozen in time.
Aetheria Trees Reference Art
by wallpaperaccess.com
by dreamstime.com
Yarnbits, Lifelong Companions
by pinterest.com
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