Ever wonder why I called it TeaFeathers? Â Here's some details about the tea part of my story! Â This work was created thanks to the support of my wonderful patrons on Patreon. Â <3
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The Tea Spirit is the patron spirit of the Alecani, which makes its home in the widespread tea trees the Alecani keep in each settlement. Not to be confused with the Earth tea tree, this species of tree more closely resembles a larger form of the Camellia Sinensis plant; Â from which green, white, and black teas are derived. It's a large flowering tree with leaves containing caffeine. The spirit itself resembles a large long dragon, or sometimes a worm at its smaller sizes, lined with foliage mimicking the tree. See concept art for more details.
The Cataclysm (I will detail this event soon!) stripped the Alecani of their patron spirit, The Great Song, but also gave them a new one; The Tea Spirit. This spirit has been with the Alecani for eons, as the little winged canines very early on found the brewed leaves of the tree to be a tasty and energizing treat. After the Cataclysm, the surviving Alecani stashed away one of the last remaining tea tree seeds, and brought it with them in their journey across the ocean to find a new home. The spirit attached to this tree made a pact with those Alecani; “If you take me from this burning land, and find me a home with rich soil and abundant light, I will watch over your people and bless them with gifts.” They did indeed find a land with rich soil and abundant light, and there the tree found a new home. It grew strong and tall, and the spirit grew stronger with it. Cuttings and seeds were taken and dispersed among the now growing Alecani settlements, and with them new little tea spirits were born.
In each Alecani village and settlement, there is a central tea tree and an accompanying spirit. These spirits are not actually individual beings, separate from the original Tea Spirit. They are a branch or extension of the Tree Spirit, like an aspen tree is an extension of the whole aspen organism. Destroying a single tea tree is more akin to cutting a branch off a whole plant; the plant lives on and can grow new branches. The “roots” of the Tea Spirit extend into the spirit world, unseen by corporeal beings.
However, the original tree is considered incredibly sacred, and it's death would be a blow to both the Alecani and the Tea Spirit. The location of the original tree has been purposefully lost to protect it. Its location, health, and safety are guarded carefully by an elite group called the Tree Guard. Only they know the way to the tree. They are a secret society comprised of investigators who suss out possible plots to harm the tree (or even harmless ones to try and find it), warriors who can defend the tree from anything, arborists who prune and care for the tree in its hidden home, and more. No one really knows who the members are, as they blend seamlessly into the fabric of society.
Tea
The leaves of the tea tree not only contain caffeine, but medicinal properties if plucked at the right time, dried correctly, and brewed just right. More than just a tasty energizing drink, this leaf based beverage is central to Alecani culture.
Tsaka (seeds of the tea tree)
The seeds of the tea tree are a large nut rich in protein and fats, an essential part of the Alecani diet. Before the Cataclysm, the tea tree would only produce seed pods in the fall, and they were much more sparse. As part of its gift to the Alecani, the tea spirit massively increased its host tree's seed pod production, sometimes fruiting more than once per year. If the tree of a village that has fallen on hard times is well cared for and the spirit given many offerings, the tree may fruit enough to feed everyone for a year or more.
Tea Syrup
The sap of a tea tree has incredible medicinal value. It can be harvested on very special occasions and made into a light refreshing syrup, or a gnarl on the tree can be picked open to create gummy or hardened bits of sap to be chewed on. This particular gift is rarely given, as it puts the health of the tree in danger to harvest.
Spirit Sense
Alecani, like most animals on their world, can see many of the spirits that live among them. However the Tea Spirit has elevated this ability for the Alecani, allowing them to sense (to some degree) even spirits who don't wish to be seen.
Spirit Speak
Learning the language of spirits is something any sapient animal can do, though it's arduous to learn the intonations of many different types of spirits. Alecani have been gifted the ability to easily pick up on spirit languages, which allows them to speak to many different types of spirits. This ability extends to languages of corporeal beings as well, making them ideal translators.
Ideal offerings for the tea spirit include; anything that may help its tree grow strong (fertilizer, iron supplements, inoculations against fungal infections, pollinator insects, even pruning tools), herb bundles, specially brewed teas, lovingly prepared foods, interestingly shaped sticks, pitch and sap bundles, wooden effigies carved in its honor, the seeds of other trees, the dead (can be the body of a loved one, a found dead bird, etc)
