The Birch of Life
Planar pathway
Location: Connects the Outlands, Lunia and Mercuria
Like Yggdrasil, this mighty tree is a planar pathway. Some say that these two trees are related, although how an ash and a birch can be “related” is anyone’s guess. The Birch connects Dazhbog’s realm of Splendid Sky on Mercuria to Lunia, where the realm of Khors lies sheltered under the canopy. Its roots extend to the Outlands, where they reach as far as Veles’ realm.
Petitioners here take the form of lantern archons, and they can climb the paths of the tree like other petitioners would climb the slopes of the Mountain itself. At the base of the tree there’s is the isle of Buyan, the realm of Khors, and a realm town of the same name. This island supports the Birch and holds many other wonders like the surreal river of milk, which has jelly riverbanks. A staircase spirals up the tree trunk way into the crown, where the Alatyr — Khors’ palace carved from a vast chunk of white amber — is chained to the branches.
Buyan
The burg of Buyan is ruled by Elena the All-Wise (planar human wizard [she/her], LG). She’s extremely intelligent, although maybe a bit too proud of herself. Elena has been around for a good half a hundred years by now, but she seems to be aging really slowly—for a human, at least. Chant goes that this is because of a magical orchard, presumably gifted from a friendly power. The trees in this orchard grow golden apples that air said to restore youthful vigour to a body who eats them, and they can also be used as spell components for powerful magics. But berk, don’t try to steal the apples—the trees are awakened and will cry out if they’re disturbed.
Other treasures at Elena’s disposal include a flock of firebirds and the Book of Dove—an enormous book that holds as much information as any library. Chant even goes that this book is somehow connected to the greatest planar libraries like Thoth’s Estate and the House of Knowledge and can somehow give a blood who can read it the ability access to all of their texts, save for those specifically restricted from view.
Thirty three female warriors simultaneously make up the city’s militia, army, council, court and Elena’s friend group. All of them are capable fighters and mages, who wear enchanted cloaks, that allows them to transform into swans (the fey call them ‘swanmay’). Of course, there are mundane guards too.
Cutters in the burg survive and prosper from the bounty they gather from the Birch of Life. Despite being, well, a birch, this tree produces a number of different edible fruits. The Birch’s flower buds (called catkins), while infertile, look like the expensive furs of sables, foxes or stoats, and artisans of the burg are experts in making them into fine clothing. The tree’s sap is sweet and nutritious, although it only oozes from the tree during certain seasons. While harming the Birch is a sure way to draw the ire of the entire realm, the locals know when it’s safe to harvest the sweet syrup. There are also beekeepers, innkeepers and various craftsfolk in the burg (many of whom work with amber, that is abundant in the sea here).
Sources:Â Margarita and Jon Winter-Holt. Margarita notes: While this homebrew power is based on Slavic folklore and beliefs, the amount of actual information we have on pre-Christian Slavic deities is so minuscule that building any kind of lore out of it is impossible. However, there are a lot of folk beliefs about things these deities are thought to represent, which I have worked into the piece.