Glimpsefruit

*The young man quivered in the chilling night air. He asked the Oracle of Glimpsefruit to assist him with his indecision. "So you're saying that although eating a glimpsefruit will give me future sight, I'll show symptoms that may include falling unconscious, weeks of sweating, vomiting, lessening of lifespan, blindness, dumbness, deafness, smelling of rotting meat, night terrors, insanity and likely death. Could you possibly add any more detriment to this list if you tried?" The old man raised an eyebrow as if these things were of little importance. "I suppose some people don't very much like the taste."*

## A Fruit of Boon and Bane

The glimpsefruit tree of Grimweald is an integral part of how this town survived so well compared to its neighbors during the War of Fragmenterra. Sought out for its oracular ability imbuing traits, the fruit when eaten sends the consumer into an intense fever and sweats within minutes that worsens until they pass out. This period of unconsciousness can often last for days and during this time the consumer is granted a vivid vision of the year to come pertaining to them self, to a lesser degree their town, and a lesser degree again, the wider land and world. This vision helps the individual prosper and this knowledge and has given much vital information on pivotal decisions for defending Grimweald against attackers and how to manage its resources. When finally arising from their deep coma, side effects vary immensely from loss of various senses, physical decay, memory and ability loss, rapid aging, perpetual sickness and imminent death. While every case varies in severity and type from person to person, each person can have multiple detriments with long lasting or indefinite periods of suffering until they perish. Due to the severity of these ailments, everyone ever taking a glimpsefruit has encountered a shorter than expected lifespan.

## A Fruit that Looks Better than it Looks.

Situated at the rear of the town in the center of the town's densely populated graveyard, the groundskeeper of Grimweald's hilltop graveyard doubles as its warden and is the only known consumer to have ever been immune to all effects both good and bad. Taking care of the old tree, he does little to foster it as it takes all water it needs from the rain and all nutrients from the earth, many assuming from those in graves, their combined experiences fueling the tree’s mystical effects.

The trunk and branches of the tree have an almost spongy leather like feel with a black-brown hue. The bark having a good sense of give in it is able to be pressed then released, slowly returning to its original position and shape. Eventually giving way to blue-green foliage, the tree would blend into the night sky and surrounding landscape without much difficulty if not for its glowing fruit that almost appear from a distance to be hovering in the sky. The fruit hang from sinewy stalks that seem much more like an optical nerve than a regular fruit stem. Cloaked in a skin that would be most akin to that of rock melon, the fruit remains closed at night but opens up at night as an eye would, its glowing center revealed. This tree with hundreds of orange glowing eyes stares out at everything, glancing around in every direction awaiting any who may pluck one and take and bite into it.

While the experience of eating one is unlikely to be a part of the decision-making process for most, one can look forward to an unpleasant trial even before their health deteriorates. Glimpsefruit is squishy in one’s hand, much expected for an eyeball-esque fruit in a thin veiny fruit skin. The taste can be best described by those still able to speak after the event as the texture of decomposed corpse slime with firm notes of citrus.

## A glimpsefruit a day keeps the ghouls at bay

While Grimweald is not a large town in physical size or population, they encountered as many Necrine as any other part of The Grey Wastes. It was only due to the wisdom granted by the future seeing townspeople that the town could allocate its defense where needed and send out expeditions for supplies at times that would be safe. No rules are in place forbidding any to eat from the tree. Its reputation usually wards off most from its gifts as they stay mindful of its burdens. Albeit rare, it is not unheard of for people to volunteer the mantle of town Glimpser for that year to recieve visions in service of the town. Seen as an honorable way to live out one's now shortened life, they are regarded highly in their society and cared for until they pass. When volunteers are not forthcoming, the Oracle of Glimpsefruit will choose from the town a new Glimpser to take the last's place. Only few times has the request been rejected, the townsperson viewed as a deserter and exiled from the town.