Ladené (flower)

*This article is about the flower named after named after Ladené. For its namesake, see Endela.*

The **Ladené Blossom** (also referred to as the **Mana Flower**, the **Endela Blossom**, the **Witch's Bloom**, or the **Deya Wand**) is a magical flower found throughout Oltesos, and has different properties depending on where it's grown.

## History and Origins

The true origins of the flower are unknown, but the story behind it has somehow stayed the same despite the different planets not normally being in contact with one another.

According to legend, a woman (sometimes a goddess, sometimes a witch, sometimes a monstrous creature) was cast out from her home on account of her apparent ugliness. Unable to take the isolation, she curled up by a river and waited to die. Her tears hit the earth beside her, causing a flower to grow.

Here, the story differs.

On Esphela and Esphoro, the witch (Ladené) was surprised by the appearance of the flower, and crushed it in terror. In exchange, she was transformed into a voracious beast so that no matter where she went, she would be cast out as a monster.

On Ontalius, the woman (Hito Mea) was disgusted by the flower, thinking its beauty was an insult to her, and so crushed it under her palm. She recoiled in pain as the destroyed flower had grown thorns. Filled with regret of having turned something so beautiful into something ugly like herself, she left to wander the world in search of a new beauty and atone for her mistakes.

On Krido, the witch (Hendara) was terrified by this sudden growth, and crushed the flower underneath her fist. Realizing what she had so thoughtlessly done, she pulled back her arm to find a mark in her skin that resembled the now dead flower. Using the flower on her palm, she returned the destroyed blossom to its former self, causing it to scatter its pollen throughout the air and multiply. The witch smiled with relief at having been forgiven by the flower, and went on a journey to try and spread its wonder.

And on Lucerifus, the goddess (Endela) was overcome with joy at the thought that something so beautiful could arise from something as ugly as she, and so spent her days planting its seeds wherever she went. Her love for the flowers is thought to be the reason why Androthel has such a large field of them covering its marshlands.

## Properties

The flower is shaped like a tulip, but an unnatural teal color, and relies on the wind to propagate and reproduce. While it prefers muddy terrain like marshes or swamps, it is highly adaptable, so like dandelions and tumbleweed, it spreads very quickly, and has to be contained or else may take over any land it reaches. This classifies it, rather controversially, as a weed.

It's magical abilities differ from system to system, but the general basis of its magic ("transformation") remains the same. It's been theorized that it used to be a flower that was mutated by constant exposure to Eltyrium, but so far no evidence supports this.

* In Genis Tria, no magical properties have been detected in the breed found on Lucerifus (the Endela Blossom), and instead it's used as a popular tourist attraction for Androthel. While the same species has managed to survive on Ontalius (Witch's Bloom), its reaction with the planet's atmosphere has turned the sky an opaque green. However, no negligible effects have been found, and so some people give them to their loved ones as gifts.

* In Genis Sesa, after generations of breathing in the pollen of the Mana Flower, the people of Krido have begun exhibiting abilities of their own, with a gradual change of appearance for several generations leading to a new generation born with magical talent. This change has brought conflict to their world, but is an inevitable and unstoppable evolution of humankind on the planet. A compound made with the flower's pollen is also used as fuel to power and advance their technology.

* In Exis Una, the flower's effects on people is widely known, however it's considered a curse, and any who come in contact with a Ladene are shunned from society. The societal effects are much more pronounced on Esphela, but on Esphoro, the victims of the flower are more often accepted once they've gained control of their newfound abilities. The Exis Una variety of Ladene leads to some questions about the possible sentience of the flower, as the abilities granted to those who come near it are almost always something relevant to the victim themselves.

* In Levis Dosa, it's known as the Deya Wand, a type of stalk flower that thrives in marshes and bogs. Any knowledge of its magical properties, if it had any, have been lost.

## Tealdrop

In Dayalis, a flower identical in appearance grows in abundance on Kalidene in Unmei Gunto. While not the same flower, it was inspired by the flower as Daya and Endela became friends sometime after the flower was born, and so to honor her, the Tealdrop (known within Unmei Gunto as the Dene blossom) was created with Daya's power.

While most of the original story was lost, historically the Tealdrop was used as an herbal remedy for those infected with Misery until it was revealed the flower had no such medical properties, but the myth evolved into trading flower ornaments as a symbolic gesture of love. The flower is also used to make a sweet-and-spicy tea, which is good for stress and anxiety, and is a popular flavor of popsicle.

The Tealdrop myth is well known outside of Unmei Gunto, with other Chasms creating charms in the shape of the flower to give to their loved ones.

## Trivia and Background

* There's no universal name for the flower so I just picked the one that had the most impact on its surroundings (and wasn't the Mana Flower) for the page title.
	+ It's also written as "Ladene", but the *é* is there so you know it's "la deh NAY".
	+ Likewise, Dene is also "deh NAY".