Seed of Caerylas¶
"Ashtareth, I entrust you with the bearing of the Seed of Caerylas. The future of the Elven race is in your hands." — High Priestess Caolynni (S057)
The Seed of Caerylas is one of three Seeds given by the goddess Arya, each able to grow a new Caerylas Tree and holding "vast energies capable of resurrection, restoration and life" (S053). The last Caerylas Tree, at the Shrine of Caerylas in Arne'Athosia, lives by it; the undying High Priestess Caolynni lives by it; and through the trees, the elves themselves. In the Fifth Age Caolynni gave it to the Proturan party to carry to safety.
Also called: the Caerylas Seed (S053).
The Seeds and the trees¶
The Caerylas Tree at the Shrine was "a gift from Arya", a white-barked tree with silvery-green leaves to which "elves from all over make pilgrimage ... for its blessings of fertility and rejuvenation. Within the inner sanctum, lies an even greater gift, a Caerylas Seed. Each seed is capable of growing a new tree and holding vast energies capable of resurrection, restoration and life. Very few elves are trusted with knowledge of the existence of the Seeds, of which her mother explains there are a total of 3" (S053). The tree and its shrine are described with Arne'Athosia.
The tree and the Seed are bound together, and the elves to both. "The health of the tree is tied to the seed. Without it, the tree's powers fade and it would have eventually died. By restoring the seed, its health will return and its power will again spread ... The fate of the elves is intertwined with the Caerylas Trees. Without the trees, elven fertility will not be enough to sustain the elvish population, and eventually their entire race would be but a memory" (S053).
History¶
The story comes to the party through the dreams of Inwe, Caolynni's daughter. When nearby Anoth-Urulien was destroyed in the War of the Moradrim, "the shrine was hidden from the attackers, and the seed removed for safe-keeping" (S053). Inwe, grown to be High Priestess of the Raven Keepers, later returned a Seed to her mother at the shrine; they spoke of the Nexa-Vinian War, the return of the Primal Death Dragon Nexxumar, and "the recovery of the Seed" (S053).
When Inwe had become an Ascendant, a Necruspex of Teneb'Vari imprisoned in Alyr-Emuien, fifty miles from the shrine, began to break free. Inwe begged her mother to take the Seed somewhere safer and plant it anew. Caolynni refused, "citing the lost generations of elves should she abandon the last tree now", but promised to "send the Seed away before it overtakes the Shrine", making clear "she will die defending the Tree even after the seed has moved on" (S053).
Caolynni's charge¶
By the Fifth Age the Caerylas Tree was corrupted and Caolynni was dead in body but not released. "She is very powerful ... but is being constantly kept alive by the seed. It can resurrect her when she dies without effort. Her body expired during the Hollowing, but the seed keeps her alive while it's in the shrine. If she left, she would die immediately" (S057). She had "not seen another elf since the Hollowing (200 years or so)", wanted the Seed "returned to the High Elves, or priests of Arya", and was "quite desperate to die as she is in considerable discomfort and pain when animated" (S057). The shrine's verse runs: "We are guardians of the tree, Open now, set your roots free." (S057)
Judging the Proturan party worthy, she gave the Seed into their keeping and laid a Greater Gaes on each of them: to its bearer, "You must see that it is safely delivered to noble High Elves or righteous Aryic Priests"; to its guards, "I ask that you defend the Seed of Caerylas and its bearer, and destroy those who seek to harm them" (S057; also S054, S055, S056).
Gifts of the Shrine¶
With the charge Caolynni gave each of the party a gift (S057; also S054, S055, S056):
- Goldenbough Vambraces: given to the Seed's bearer, Ashtareth. They store spells to be cast again without cost, give a yellow light on demand and ward against necrotic harm.
- Orange Runestones: three runestones given to the dwarven runecaster Yagrun. They were a gift to Caolynni "some ages ago" from her dwarven friend Kaelin, "a runecaster, not unlike yourself", to "bestow upon a worthy runecaster"; each lends strength to the making of runes.
- Amulet of Shifting: given to Gaelwyn; it eases changing form.
- Philter of Cleansing: given to Alvaldi, "a large vial which can cleanse him of his corruption (if he wants)".
The kobold Zygzil was given the Raven's Beak.
The road out¶
The party carried the Seed out of the Etterwood, with the Claw of Vixseranyol, into the borderlands of the Urok'gar Confederation, "where the seed was detected by Princeps Hrok'thog of Agor'haem (one of the nine Priest rulers of Agor'haem)" (S059). The rest is told in the Proturan Campaign chronicle.
Gap
No source says where the other two Seeds are, whether the Seed the party carried is the one Inwe returned, what became of Caolynni once the Seed left the shrine, or whether the Seed ever reached High Elves or priests of Arya.