Vespera watched as her crew packed up their campsite at the break of dawn. They had landed on the shores of the Harmonic Heartwood the night before and set up camp. Vespera had finally settled on the names of the Iricampus and Phoehen. River and Vespera spent the evening teaching them their names by calling to each and feeding them a berry once they flew back within reach.

"Henrietta, come!" Vespera called. A fiery dart flew from a nearby tree on to her outstretched arm. Vespera smiled at the Phoehen knowing that Dew, the Iricampus, would soon follow. Dew had already learned that if Vespera called for Henrietta, there would be berries for both of them. As expected, a glittery light dove from the skies above, landed on her outstretched arm, and pecked at the berries in her palm. 

"Alright, little ones. We need your help. You too, River. I need you all to find the mysterious berry tree. Take a look from the skies and let me know where it is. Go on, now." The three birds listened intently then took to the skies, each flying in a different direction. Vespera took the time to finish packing while waiting for them to return.

Henrietta was the first to come back, looking remorseful. She had gotten incredibly affectionate over the past few days and nuzzled Vespera hoping for a berry treat, which Vespera happily handed over. River returned a short while later without any luck either. When Vespera finally spotted the flash of light that she had come to associate with Dew, the crew had already finished preparing to set off. Dew dropped a berry into Vespera's outstretched hand and fluttered about proudly.

Vespera smiled happily, "Great job, Dew! How did I know you'd be the one to find the tree? Let's go get you some more berries now!" 

After about a two hour trek through the woods, the crew approached a small clearing with a tall, gnarled tree in the center. Scattered across the branches, they found a variety of beautiful, colorful berries. Disappointingly, River only managed to collect a handful of them. As she turned to face her crew, Vespera heard a giggle coming from behind the tree. A beautiful elf with flowing a green dress and daisies in her red hair stepped out from the tree's shadow.

"Hi adventurer, are you hoping for more berries? My name is Flora Greenleaf and I run a shop not too far from here called Leaf and Petal. I sell fertilizers that speed up the growth of berries if you use them on this tree. Each fertilizer speeds up the berry regrowth time by a percentage of the time left. Better fertilizers will cut more time off of the berry regrowth cycle! Feel free to come by any time to see what I have in stock!" 

Old Fertilizer

Good Fertilizer

Great Fertilizer

Super Fertilizer

Elite Fertilizer

"Thank you, Flora! My bird friends adore these berries and we are looking forward to gathering more for them. River seems to be having a difficult time carrying all of these berries, though." 

Flora giggled again, "I hear my friend Netty Nexus over at Tangle and Tote is now stocking Baskets that allow your pets to carry additional berries! Be sure to check out her shop."

Old Basket

Good Basket

 

Great Basket

 

Super Basket

 

Elite Basket

You are now able to access the Great Berry Tree via the Gathering List page!

We have also updated the Gathering FAQ to include a section specifically for the Great Berry Tree! 

Vespera smiled at the sight before her. She was leaning against the railing watching her pet and minimals diving and swooping in the air next to her ship. River, her pet, loved playing with the two minimals that recently joined their little adventuring crew.

It had been an eventful week -- a trader had visited her stall with a number of stunning berries in different shapes, sizes, colors and hues. The trader told her of a glorious tree that reached up into the blue skies of the Harmonic Heartwoods. As beautiful as the berries were, Vespera was hesitant to add them to her stall...

That was, until a Phoehen swooped down, perched on the table and started pecking at the berries. The trader had chuckled -- he heard of the mysterious new minimals that had appeared around Aleriea and Valaria, and their fondness for berries. This piqued Vespera's interest -- she had noticed the Phoehen hanging around her stall in the past few days and the budding friendship that River had started forming with it.

Vespera had picked up the rest of the berries off of the table, and the moment the Phoehen hopped on to her arm hoping for another berry treat, she knew. Vespera knew that her next adventure was upon her -- she would make the trek to find the mysterious tree in the Harmonic Heartwoods to find more berries for her pet's new companion.

After trading for as much information as she could, Vespera got her crew together and they set sail the very next day. She had stood at the prow of the ship, feeding the Phoehen some berries, when she saw a sparkling flash out of the corner of her eye. Before she knew what was going on, an Iricampus had joined the Phoehen and both were eating out of her hand.

River, the Phoehen and the Iricampus had been inseparable since.

Vespera's crew spotted the shores of the Harmonic Heartwoods on the horizon not long ago. Watching her avian friends playing in the winds strengthened her resolve -- she'll find the mysterious berry tree soon. Anything to keep her little family happy. 

Giveaway: Name Vespera and River's Iricampus and Phoehen!

Thank you all for the very warm welcome given to these two minimals! We are now raffling away two more of these minimals. 

Like and comment on this post with a name suggestions (1 for each minimal) for a raffle entry to win an Iricampus or a Phoehen.

Iricampus

Phoehen

Winners will be picked at random to receive a random minimal. Entrants should look forward to possibly seeing their suggestion(s) in the next lore post!

Get your entry in by June 30th at 12:00:00 SST!

High among the celestial vistas of the Floating Pinnacles, explorer and scholar Skylar Fieldstone has laid the groundwork for a daring expedition into the untamed wilds of Aleriea and Valaria. Skylar is summoning adventurers from across Santae to partake in the Gathering Bounty. 

Skylar is seeking brave explorers to traverse these magical landscapes to collect items that are crucial for their research. Each unique flora gathered brings Skylar closer to uncovering the secrets of these mysterious lands, offering adventurers to become part of their next groundbreaking discoveries.

Skylar needs some initial resource items to start up their research center! To bring in the first wave of items, they will be initially offering lucrative sP rewards to any adventurers that can hand over fauna and flora to study. Skylar's adventuring crew has sent news that they will be sending shipments of a exquisite minerals rumored to have mystical properties very soon, so be sure to build up a rapport with them while you can! 

Set out and discover what secrets await those willing to uncover the mysteries of the Gathering Bounty. Ready your gear as the adventure begins!

Announcing the Winners of the Raffle:

Your Choice: Iricampus or Phoehen? 

Thank you all for your amazing short stories, they were so much fun to read! Big congratulations to our two winners:

Setzer

Phoehen

We hope that you, Locke and Rachel have a wonderful time exploring Celestial Pools and Stormforge Caverns together! 

Hareofhrair

Iricampus

Thank you for giving us an insight into Professor Elijah Q. Hare's Expedition Journal, we loved reading about their adventures! 

Prizes have been sent out, we hope that you will participate in the next official giveaway! 

Vespera's journey has led her to the Floating Pinnacles of Santae, a mesmerizing location high among the clouds of Aleriea. The celestial region, where the earth seems to touch the sky, presents adventurers with stunning landscapes and expansive views that appear almost otherworldly.



At the heart of the Pinnacles, Skylar Fieldstone, an esteemed explorer and scholar, has setup their base of operations to explore the diverse ecosystems of Aleriea and Valaria. Skylar brings a unique expertise to the unexplored land in order to learn all about the secrets these mysterious locations have to uncover.

As Skylar and Vespera work together to delve into this magical world, they have asked for help in collecting rare items that could play a crucial role in their ongoing research. While specific locations still remain shrouded in the mists that envelop the world, the allure of participating in these ground-breaking discoveries is undeniable.

Skylar is inviting all Santarians to join them on an adventure that will take you from the majestic heights of the Floating Pinnacles to the serene celestial pools in Celestial Peaks. Vespera has already discovered two gathering locations - the Stormforge Caverns and Celestial Pools, and she has heard rumours of even more locations yet to be uncovered.


Vespera expects these gathering locations will offer unique challenges and hidden treasures, promising rich rewards for those eager to support Skylar's ambitious endeavors of documenting Santaes unique flora and fauna that is yet to be discovered. Make sure to visit back tomorrow to find out more about how you can help Skylar with their studying.

Vespera has also heard reports of Santarians making new discoveries at the Stormforge Caverns and Celestial Pools! What new mysteries are waiting to be discovered?