Liu'lian Tree

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[Alassiel Telrúnya]

The Liu’lian Tree

Categorization: Tropical Tree

Basic Overview:
The Liu’lian tree is most known for its fruit, with its thick, thorn-covered outer husk and its distinctive odor. For this reason, they are also known as ‘Reekthorns’ or ‘Foul Melons’, sometimes even ‘King of Fruits’ because of its rarity. The Liu’lian entices people with the edible yellow flesh which emits the strong odor, and is regarded either as fragrant and addictive, or overpowering and offensive. This tree is found only in the rainforests of South-western Nybelmar, but the fruit is picked early before ripening and imported over to Sarvonia where it is quite popular.

Description:
Liu’lian trees are made of softwood, reaching up to 50 peds in tropical forests, and normally stand straight up with rough, peeling trunk, which in the adult tree  can reach  more than a ped in width. The bark on the trunk of a Liu’lian tree is dark brown and peels off irregularly. Liu’lian tree branches may be straight or curved; it varies per individual tree and depends on the amount of sunlight exposure. The trees’ thin, smaller branches are coated with copper or grayish scales when younger.

The Liu’lian trees’ drooping leaves look simple, but are attractive all the same, and are up to about 2 palmspans long, and up to 8 nailsbreadths long on average. They are light or dark green; the underside has a scaly appearance, sometimes brown but more often with a golden sheen. The leaves stretch out as time passes; the particular shades of green they have, along with their golden undersides, give the trees a very attractive and almost glowing appearance, admired by many.

Liu’lian flowers have a strong fragrance, and are up to 7 nailsbreadths long. They grow in clusters of 1 to 45 individual flowers per cluster. These flower clusters hang from the main and smaller branches, or directly from the trunk of the tree. As it gets older, the outer fleshy part of the flower divides to reveal 5 united sepals and 5 petals, which match the color of the edible pulp that will develop inside the fruit; trees with yellowish flowers produce yellow-fleshed Liu’lians, which is the most common color of Liu'lians, while the more unique plants with white or reddish petals will have white or reddish fleshed fruit.

Inside the Liu’lian fruit’s spiky skin, it is divided into sections and within the smooth white walls of each section are three or four large cream-beige seeds, each one enclosed in a fleshy covering which can be pale cream to bright yellow in color (depending on the variety of Liu’lian rather than its stage of ripeness). The taste of this fleshy fruit often receives praise from those who dare to try it, in spite of the smell.

Territory:
No Liu’lian trees have been found outside the continent of Nybelmar. It prefers hotter climates, though it has been successfully grown in areas with fairly cool temperatures, and it cannot survive in deserts for very long. That is why it is only found in certain areas of South-western Nybelmar, where the climate is just right for it.

Usages:
The edible fruit of the Liu’lian tree is more popular in the continents of Nybelmar and Sarvonia than the rest of Caelereth. Though some people are repulsed by the Liu’lian’s smell, many people find that they get hooked to it after they have tried the fruit twice. It appears to be well-liked among the Nybelmarian apes and monkeys, like the Capou-capou, the Makaka and the Jupa ape, if they are able to get through the thorny husk.

One can often find Liu’lians at parties, festivals and celebrations, where people will gather round as someone chops the fruit open with an axe. Because it is difficult for Liu’lians to disperse seeds naturally, they are very rare, and older trees are even rarer. Although fruit production decreases in very old trees, the fruit quality tends to noticeably increase with age, and fruit from older trees is greatly prized.

Medicinally, in some areas, parasitic worms are said to be expelled by eating Liu’lian fruits; fevers are said to be reduced by drinking a tea of the leaves and roots, or applying Liu’lian leaf juice to the head; swellings and skin diseases are said to be aided in healing by applying a tea of the leaves and fruits. The people who originally discovered the use of these medicinal values were the Krean Men, who kept it a secret, so very few outside that tribe know about it today.

Reproduction:
Liu’lian flowers open at dusk and are visited by small flying bats. The bats play an important role because the flowers must be cross-pollinated in order to produce fruit. By midnight most pollen has been shed and most flower parts fall to the ground. Although Liu’lian flowers are much visited by many insects including bees and moths, Herbalists claim that the shape of the Liu'lian's flowers makes it much easier for them to be pollinated by bats than by insects during the evening.

Myth/Lore/Origins:
In areas where Liu’lians aren’t imported, they are never picked, but left to ripen and fall - ensuring they are perfectly ripe. A common saying is 'a Liu’lian has eyes and can see where it is falling'. This is because (so the saying goes) the fruit never falls during daylight hours when people may be hurt by their size, vicious spines and the velocity gathered as they hurtle to the ground, but rather in the hours when honest citizens certainly would not be prowling under Liu’lian trees.

The saying was originally formed by the Krean Men as an attempt to prevent little children from growing up to be criminals; the idea was to scare them into thinking that if they went about at night doing anything bad, they might end up with a severe injury to their heads. But over the years, it has gathered more importance, and even people who are not superstitious would have heard of this saying.

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

Have I put too much in the Basic Overview?

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

I like this.  Especially the part where older trees give less fruit, but it is better quality.  Great work Alassiel.
uhm...so how did you manage to sit still LONG enough to get this done??  **points to your previous "needs work" thread**

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

Actually, I've been sitting at my dad's laptop doing this measly info above me for two hours. It's cuz I was watching TV at the same time. My dad approves of me doing this because he thinks that the more I understand how durians - I mean Liu'lians - work, the more I'll like it. Well, I still don't like it! It tastes and smells disgusting, though some people might think otherwise.

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

This is a question I asked in my previous thread but no one answered: I feel like doing a Myth/Lore/Origins section, can I say that a wizard was trying to create an animal which was covered in thorns and had a nasty smell, so it wouldn't get eaten by predators, but he got the crucial bit of the spell wrong and ended up with the Liu'lian?

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

Ah well, I've done it anyway I've finished my Liu'lian entry! All comments are welcome, and please feel free to tell me what you think.

[Aurora Damall]

A fabulous entry, I think. Nice Work. I did however see some problems. This problem I noticed mainly in the description where you switched between the Durian and the Liu'lian tree, which may confuse people. Besides grammar looks good. Although just a friendly warning I'm not so sure with the magic being reworked that they'll let you use the last paragraph of it. Anyways nice job and keep up.

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

I knew I'd missed out some durians! I'll change them. And yeah, I'm not too sure about that last paragraph too, that's why I asked about it previously, but no one replied, so I did it anyway, and if I can't do it, I'll just delete it. But thanks anyway.

Okay, edited! Now all I need is for someone to answer my question about the Myth/Lore/Origins bit, or is there a reason why everyone's avoiding it? *looks around challengingly*

[Miraran Tehuriden]

CHAAAAARGE! *snickers*

The Liu’lian Tree

Categorization: Tropical Tree

Basic Overview:
The Liu’lian tree is most known for its fruit, with its thick, thorn-covered outer husk and its distinctive odor. For this reason, they are also known as ‘Reekthorns’ or ‘Foul Melons’, sometimes even ‘King of Fruits’ because of its rarity. The Liu’lian entices people with the edible yellow flesh which emits the strong odor, and is regarded either as fragrant and addictive, or overpowering and offensive. This tree is found only in the rainforests of South-western Nybelmar, but is imported over to Sarvonia where it is quite popular.Are the trees, or the fruits imported? And do bear in mind that it takes MONTHS to get from Shar to Sarvonia!

Description:
Liu’lian trees reach up to 50 peds in tropical forests, and are normally erect with rough, peeling trunk, approximately a ped and 2 palmspans in width. The bark on the trunk of a Liu'lian tree is dark brown and peels off irregularly with many deep splits lengthways; the wood is softwood. Liu’lian tree branches may be straight or curved, this seems to change per individual tree and depend (I don't think there would be many 'cultivars' available, and the word is to modern anyway.) on the amount of sunlight exposure. The trees’ thin branchlets are coated with coppery or gray scales when young.

The Liu’lian trees’ simple, drooping leaves are up to about 2 palmspans long, and up to 8 nailsbreadths long on average. They are shiny smooth, light or dark green above; the underside is somewhat scaly, sometimes brown but more often with a golden sheen. The leaves are folded at their mid-rib when they first appear, then stretch out as they mature. The particular shades of green that Liu'lian leaves have, combined with the golden sheen of their undersides, give the trees a very attractive and almost glowing appearance.

Liu’lian flowers, which are strongly fragrant, are 5 to 7 nailsbreadths long and grow in stalked clusters of 1 to 45 individual flowers per cluster. These flower clusters hang from the main and smaller branches, or directly from the trunk of the tree. As it matures, the outer fleshy part of the flower splits to reveal 5 united sepals and 5 petals, which match the color of the edible pulp that will develop inside the fruit; trees with yellowish flowers produce yellow-fleshed Liu’lians (the most common), while those with white or reddish petals will have white or reddish fleshed fruit.

Inside the Liu’lian-fruit’s spiky skin, it is divided into sections and within the smooth white walls of each section are three or four large, glossy, cream-beige seeds, each one enclosed in a custard-likeCustard? in Santharia? i always thought that was a rather typical english dish? covering which can be pale cream to bright yellow in color (depending on the variety of Liu’lian rather than its stage of ripeness). The texture of the flesh that encases the large seeds is dense and creamy; the taste highly praised by all brave enough to venture past the smell.

Territory:
No Liu’lian trees have been found outside the continent of Nybelmar. It prefers hotter climates, though it has been successfully grown in areas with fairly cool temperatures, and it cannot survive in deserts for very long. That is why it is only found in certain areas of South-western Nybelmar, where the climate is just right for it.

Usages:
The edible fruit of the Liu’lian tree is more popular in the continents of Nybelmar and Sarvonia than the rest of Caelereth. Though some people are repulsed by the Liu’lian’s smell, many people find that they get hooked to it after they have tried the fruit twice. It appears to be well-liked among the Nybelmarian apes and monkeys, like the Capou-capou and the Jupa ape, if they are able to get through the thorny husk.

One can often find Liu’lians at parties, festivals and celebrations, where people will gather round as someone chops the fruit open with an axe. Because it is difficult for Liu’lians to disperse seeds naturally, they are very rare, and older trees are even rarer. Although fruit production decreases in very old trees, the fruit quality tends to noticeably increase with age, and fruit from older trees is greatly prized.

Reproduction:
Some people think of the wild ancestors of modern Liu’lians as one of the first plants to rely on animals for the dispersal of its seeds. But if the reproduction of Liu’lians was left to nature, it would not grow so well as when it is deliberately planted, because Liu’lians rely on animals for dispersal, but its spiky skin makes it hard to get to. This is quite evolutionary. also, as far as the entry says now,m the Liu'lian is not a cultivated tree, but a fruit harvested from the wild. thirdly, any tree that has ineffective seed spread dies out long before one of the races gets to cultivate it. This section is meanth to describve the proces from flower, through pollination and fruiting, into the sapling.

Myth/Lore/Origins:
In some areas Liu’lians are never picked, but left to ripen and fall - ensuring they are perfectly ripe. A common saying is 'a Liu’lian has eyes and can see where it is falling'. This is because (so the saying goes) the fruit never falls during daylight hours when people may be hurt by their size, vicious spines and the velocity gathered as they hurtle to earth, but rather in the hours when honest citizens certainly would not be prowling under Liu’lian trees. I like this, but what is the meaning behind the saying?

It is also said that many years ago, a wizard was trying to create an animal which was covered in thorns and had a nasty smell, so it wouldn't get eaten by predators. Just when it looked like he was going to succeed, the excitement made him get the crucial bit of his spell wrong. Instead, the wizard ended up with the Liu’lian.
This seems a bit icky to me.. why would a wizard be creating this animal? and what mage would be powerfull enough to do it? The magic capabilities of the zhunites are unknown to me, but i'm fairly sure the Krean cannot have done it, as their earth magics would not affect animals as much as plants.

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

I've done most of the edits except the myth/lore/origins bit, cuz I don't really understand that. Explanation, please? Oh, and are the words 'parasitic' and 'pollination' too modern? Also, I've added a paragraph to the usages.

[Miraran Tehuriden]

Those two words are fine (because we have nothing to replace them with )

The Myth comment was that it would be unlikely for someone to a) try to create that creature, as creature creation is EXTREMELY hard to do, and b) if they have that kind of power, mess up the spells, or c) there are no people in that area who could have done the spells in the first place, with the possible exception of the Krean High Priestess. Who would not have failed the spell.

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

No no, I undestood what you meant there. But you were asking about the meaning behind the saying of the first paragraph, I believe?

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

I really didn't get that saying bit. And I'm not sure about my new reproduction section.

[Miraran Tehuriden]

Oh, there is a saying "The Liu-lian has eyes etc etc"  but a saying usually has a deeper meaning to it... i was wondering what it was in this case.

[Alassiel Telrúnya]

Um, I don't suppose I'd be any help if I said I didn't know the 'deeper meaning'?

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