Suncradle Bloom

Summary

There is some debate over what exactly a suncradle bloom is. Some argue its a flower, a type of parasitic plant, an invasive species, or something else. In most states its found, the suncradle stands taller than most children. Its stone-gray visage and stout physique often disguise it as some kind of strange rock. A thick stem supports the bell-like bulb at the top, tightly shut and stubbornly refusing to bow under its own weight. Spindly leaves jut out from the stem, wrapping around itself like a spider's web. In such a form, it's hard to identify, and most don't recognize it as a plant at all.   What exactly causes them to 'wake up' or bloom remains unknown. No botanist has ever recorded a consistent time, place, weather, or other condition like which stimulates most plants. What is easy enough to know, though, is what happens when they do bloom. The leaves of the stem spread open, creating a staggered, staircase-like shroud around itself. The bulb itself then peels and cracks open, trembling as if it cannot contain what is inside. The opening process itself happens in several distinct stages.   At the start, little of the bulb is open, but blinding light spills out in a distinct ray. It is only then that the suncradle's incredible radiant mana is released. The surrounding environment slowly begins metamorphizing into a stone-like texture. Most animals at this stage begin avoiding the suncradle, unless they're powerful enough to resist its mana. Plants and other stationary forms of life have no choice as they're consumed by manaesia.   As the suncradle blooms further, its bulb opens up more. Different layers of the bulb peel off and curl, forming odd concurrent circles around the central body. A pearly sphere sits upon the inner, golden petals of the bulb. The literal heart of the suncradle, and its namesake, the sun pearl radiates light and mana with unbelievable freedom. It becomes obvious then as more radiant mana suffuses the environment, the suncradle steadily matures. Its fully grown form, as most believe it to be, can only be found in areas saturated with usually lethal amounts of radiant mana.   Having grown to twice its size, the suncradle's bulb becomes fully inverted open. The protective, outer petals hang down like a skirt, while the golden ones push up the sun pearl itself. Delicate crystals emerge from the petals, structuring like snowflakes up and around the pronounced sun pearl. In many forms, this delicate structure resembles a sort of natural grown cage. Beautiful shimmering lights dance among the crystals, creating a spectral around the sun pearl. There it awaits, shining eternally, unwavering no matter the weather or time.   Mature suncradle blooms have incredible value, doubly so as one of the best sources for radiant mana on Veltrona. A successful harvest can garner attention among the rich and powerful, even dragonkind. The rarity of such bounty commands its own prices, although sometimes people with too much money get caught up in that.   The greater problem is that working with them is a nightmare. For one, they can be found virtually anywhere sunlight can reach. If they do show up underground, its almost always seismic activity that did it. If a viable specimen is found, moving it is troublesome because its firmly apart of wherever it grew from. Huge chunks of what is presumably its root system needs to be safely extracted. Of course, letting it actually grow means letting everything around it die from manaesia or transform. Worse, the suncradles have nothing resembling functional reproduction in the first place.   Between its location and unreasonable demands, most botanists haven't found an equitable way to care for them yet. Furthermore, harvesting the sun pearl kills the suncradle itself. The usual answer, as a result, is to either harvest them immediately, or setup a small farm to collect its mana. Small monasteries, temples, or other places of faith worship have been setup for just that purpose as well.   As it exudes a divine presence, a number of faiths, particularly sun worshiping ones, regard it as a holy plant. Atenkhet's faith of Uatkara is one example, as they're seen as belonging to Akenra. Generally, they're often believed to be from the gardens of goddesses, and so finding one on Veltrona carries heavy implications to it. For example, those who don't succumb to its aura are seen as divinely favored, or of a virtuous heart.   Quite a lot of mages regard doing so without protection as utterly horrifying, of course. A mature specimen's radiant mana is so intense it's quite deadly to those who are unprepared. Still, that some are seemingly unaffected by it–for no discernible reason–remains a vexing question.   Because of its value and usually religious background, the suncradle bloom carries ideas of heavenly trial and judgement, virtue of the heart, and unknowable danger. Many cautionary tales surround handling or approaching one, something its bearers also invoke in their iconography. Whether or not it appears in high society or not depends on the local religion; some are quite exclusive about it. Generally, icons and filigrees of suncradles can be found the most on armors, particularly shields.