Cherry

The **Cherry Tree** was a gift by Ilunabar to Vowzra. It has become inextricably associated with Vowzra and is - amongst the inhabitants of Chronos and Vowzra's Victors - a lasting reminder of the kindness of Ilunabar ('Our Mother of the Cherry') and her supposed love for her son, the Bard, and Vowzra.

## Creation and Gifting

The Cherry Tree was created by Meimu for Vowzra, along with other flowers and plants for the other gods, using the Ring of Blooming. The diva was sent forth by Ilunabar - much to her despair - to not only create the flowers, but spread them. And she had to do it all on foot. She was given the responsibility of changing and perfecting flowers as she saw fit - something she found rather terrifying, as she had never before had some much freedom.

The reason for gifting the Cherry Tree to Vowzra is mentioned on page 7, post 123 of the IC:

> **Vowzra**, the deity of time, the most fitting idea Meimu could think was to create a plant that perfectly showed the changes of the year, it also needed to be pretty, yet also ephemeral. And resiliency would add to the design. With all those ideas the Cherry Tree was created.
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## The Crimson Cherry Tree

The Crimson Cherry Tree is a strange and unique cherry tree that grows in the middle of Chronos, near the Cube - coming into being, according to Chronosian myth, due to the intensity of Ilunabar's passion and love for her son and lover. The reality appears far more humble - the Cherry Tree grew from a simple sapling over time while the Bard watched. Even the Bard, however, found its growth to be strange and mysterious - meaning the exact reason and origin of the Crimson Cherry Tree remains something of a mystery.

The Cherry Tree grows on a small islet in the middle of a mystic pool. True to its name, there grow on it deep crimson cherries, each as large as an apricot. Though this is not canonised, they are said to be perfectly spherical. What their properties are has not yet been canonised and the kind of effect they have on consumers is unknown - though it is suggested they have similarities with Sertzamen-Vremae.

No one is known to have eaten a Crimson Cherry is of yet.

## Significance in Chronosian Culture and Belief

According to the elders of Chronos and Vowzra's Victors, the Cherry Tree was a gift from Ilunabar to Vowzra. It was given, according to them, long before hain or humans or any other creatures dwelled on Galbar.

When Vowzra left Ilunabar and took the Bard with him, it is said that Ilunabar so missed her son and her lover that she spent her days doing nothing but carving their faces in wood. Seeing this, it is said that her servants were determined to end the goddess' state of depression. The servant of flowers is said to have brought a red cherry to the goddess to lift her mood, and this inspired the goddess to create the cherry tree for Vowzra. According to Chronosian myth

> ...so great was the passion of the Dream Goddess, so great her love, that the Cherry Tree grew even here, in Chronos. And that there is the Queen of all Cherry Trees, whose fruit are reddest, whose flowers are largest and brightest, whose leaves are greenest, whose branches are coiled with a passionate energy and whose benefits are so many and so great as to be impossible to count or record...
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The Cherry Tree is of such significance that the symbol of the Cherry Blossom, along with the symbol of the Ant (TOBIA) and the Crows (Aeth and Chao), forms the Vowzrid Mark. This mark is on the veiled face of every Victor.

Amongst other things, the Cherry Blossom is a reminder to all Victors and Chronosians of 'the abiding love and loyalty of the Goddess of Dreams for our master the Bard, our progenitor the Celestial Above, and for us who are the creations of him to whom she gifted her heart in the form of a Cherry Tree.'

## References

1. ↑ http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3437731
2. ↑ http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3870486
3. ↑ http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3489808
4. ↑ http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3489808
5. ↑ See: under "Chronos" - http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3367145
6. ↑ See: under "Chronos" - http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3367145
7. ↑ http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3870486
8. ↑ http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3870486