An Eldevin Account

2025-07-23

The following full text was recovered during a raid of the Western Ruins' laboratory and translated from the original Elvish by the court of the Lady Andrea.

Certified by Yoolt, Head of Translation and Elfin Study, 780 NL

A Botanical Examination of Arbor-sentiens eldevin, the All-Knowing Tree of the Longest Day

Report by: Laeron Willow-Bark, Arborist
Date: 22 of Third Height of Spring, 1112, Age of Sorrow¹

Abstract

This report details the preliminary findings on the exceedingly rare arboreal species tentatively named the Eldevin Tree, and its fruit. Direct observation and experimentation on samples of wood and bark have been conducted using established alchemical and botanical methods. Information regarding the trees' bloom and the supposed magical properties of its fruit is included based only on fragmented historical accounts and reliable testimony, as direct observation has not yet been possible. The tree exhibits highly anomalous properties, including a complete lack of foliage and a unique bark composition. Its supposed synchronous, worldwide fructification on the summer solstice suggests a profound connection to the celestial. This study aims to present a formal record of our current knowledge and posit theories on the tree's unique mode of existence, with the admission that what remains unknown far outweighs what is recorded here.

1. Introduction

It is with a spirit of humble inquiry that I present my findings on a tree that has, until recently, been thought little more than myth. This organism, which I have provisionally named the Eldevin Tree, has been an object of personal fascination for more than a century. The name is a simple affectation from Lauterel'laen Sytte, combining 'Eld' for elder or ancient, and 'Vin' for knowledge or knowing—a nod to the legends surrounding its fruit.² A more formal binomial nomenclature is proposed herein: Arbor-sentiens eldevin. Arbor for tree, and sentiens for the awareness or knowledge it is said to impart.

The primary challenge in studying A. sentiens is its profound rarity and its uncanny resemblance to a deceased common birch (Betula sp.), for which it is often mistaken.³ This has led to its inadvertent destruction by less discerning travelers. The objective of this report is to collate my direct experimental findings with the fragmented lore, providing a foundational document for future study, should any of my kin be fortunate enough to encounter this marvel.

2. Materials and Methods

The findings within this report are based upon samples gathered during a recent expedition into the Nordlund.⁴ The samples consisted of:

• Three cores of wood, extracted with auger.
• Several sections of bark.
• Soil samples from the tree's base.
• Desiccated, sand-like residue collected from the drip line of the primary branches; likely evidence of previous fruiting.

All materials were subject to examination. The texture of the bark was assessed by hand. Its properties as a tinder were tested using flint and steel. The wood was examined through a Seeing Lens to perceive its inner grain. Its humors were assessed by slow distillation. The sand-like residue was subject to all standard alchemical trials, including dissolution in aqua fortis, exposure to high heat in a crucible, and separation into its essential principles of Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury.

3. Results

3.1. The Tree: Arbor-sentiens eldevin

• Bark: The bark of A. sentiens is its most peculiar external feature. Its subtle pinkish-white hue is barely noticeable except in the low light of dawn and dusk. To the touch, the bark possesses a soft, fibrous texture akin to cattail fluff or raw cotton. This material is an exceptional fire starter. When ignited, it does not merely burn but produces a vibrant, multi-hued flame. The fire dances with shades of emerald, violet, and gold, and emits no smoke, only a faint, sweet scent reminiscent of a recent lightning strike. The combustion is complete, leaving behind no ash, suggesting it is almost entirely composed of the alchemical principle of Sulphur.

• Wood and Internal Structure: The wood is lightweight and pale, as common Balsa (O. pyramidale)³. Examination through a lens of seeing reveals a strange, porous grain, not arranged in channels and rings like common wood, but in a random, web-like pattern. When the wood is heated in a retort, it renders very little water, suggesting it is of a profoundly Dry humor. It does not weep sap when cut.

• Sustenance and Life-Force: There is a complete absence of leaves, thus the tree appears dead to all but the most patient observer.⁵ Common philosophy holds that leaves are required to draw the sun's fire into the body of a plant, yet the Eldevin tree manages. It does not appear to be a blight upon its neighbors. The soil at its base shows no unusual depletion, though it does host a dense web of fungal threads. It may be that the tree draws nourishment from a much wider area than a standard tree, though this seems unlikely. Local traditions speak of a "pact" between the tree and the "fungal kingdom" below.⁶

3.2. Bloom and Fruit

Direct observation of the bloom and fruit remains unrealized. Legend holds that on the longest day of the year, every Eldevin tree bursts into bloom in perfect unison.⁶ This event lasts only for the duration of daylight. The flowers are described as magnificent, bell-shaped blossoms of a pale magenta, each measuring nearly a foot across.⁵ Such a coordinated, ephemeral blooming is a marvel that speaks to a connection between these trees.

At the heart of each spectacular bloom, a single fruit is said to form, shaped like a pear with a skin like pure, untarnished gold. Lore states the fruit never rots.⁶ However, if it is not harvested by sunset, it and the flower that bore it crumble into a substance described as "wet sand."⁵ My analysis of the residue found beneath the specimen tree aligns with this. The substance, now dry, did not dissolve in even the strongest acids available. When heated in a crucible, it did not melt or burn, but glowed with a soft, white light. This suggests its nature is almost entirely of the principle of Salt.

4. Discussion

The existence of Arbor-sentiens eldevin challenges our fundamental understanding of the natural world. Its method of gathering life-force remains the primary enigma. Could it be that it draws sustenance not from sun or soil, but from the Aether itself? Mythological accounts posit that this is possible but infamously provide no methodology for reproduction of results.⁷

The name "Eldevin," or "All-Knowing," stems from the fruit's legendary primary property. It is said that to consume the fruit is to receive a truthful answer to any single question one holds in their mind. The knowledge is not heard but known, an empathic transference of pure understanding. Legends, which must be treated with caution, also speak of the fruit reacting to the nature of the consumer, though the specifics of this are unclear.⁶ The taste is universally described as exquisite and perfectly suited to the individual's desires.⁵

The dangers associated with repeated consumption—muteness or even death—are well-documented in cautionary tales.⁸ This suggests the fruit's gift is not one to be taken lightly and is meant as a singular boon in a lifetime. These tales echo the warnings attached to many powerful reagents, where the line between elixir and poison is perilously thin.

5. Conclusion

Arbor-sentiens eldevin is a species existing on the thin line separating the world we understand and the deeper, more magical world that underpins it. We have a specimen, bark that burns with rainbow fire, and sand that was once a golden, all-knowing fruit. We have more questions than answers.

The name I have proposed, Arbor-sentiens eldevin, seems fitting for now as a mix between formal requirements and respect for its legend.³ It is my recommendation to the Elven Councils that this species be granted the highest level of protection. Any found should be observed, not disturbed. The greatest secrets of the wilderness are not those we seize, but those we are deemed worthy to study.

Footnotes⁹

#lore #mrz