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In the days before the Great Shift, apple trees grew in abundance on the shores of Kugnae Lake. Though they were simple trees, they had been planted by Thoth, so that the people might share in her wisdom. One such tree, though no different from the others, stood upon a secluded bluff overlooking the lake. The Onyx had not been shattered, and the subpaths did not yet exist. Perhaps, in modern times, the Geomancers would have considered the feng shui of the place a particular union of water, earth, and wood. Perhaps the Diviners would have seen for themselves the union of heaven and earth. But the eyes of the people were not yet opened. However, one person, though a mere poet, held this particular apple tree to be her favorite. A graceful, beautiful woman, she would sit on the bluff and gaze out in its shade, partake in its fruit, and enjoy the moonlit glimmer of the lake with her love. The tree was hers. After the Shattering, in their infancy the subpaths began to regard the tree as a fairly important place, but did not pay it much attention as they had other matters that troubled them. The graceful woman continued to adore her favorite place, but another soon joined her. The God Grin had long desired and envied the human experience. He sought to learn what mortality was like, of love and humor and sorrow. While Grin wished to know the human experience, he admired the woman whose special place could transcend it. He made a habit of frequenting the apple tree to discuss these matters with the Graceful Lady. If one could not call what he felt "love," one could say he shared in the love she held for her friends and family, and for the kingdoms. One night, she did not come, and Koguryo was darkened with loss. For the first time, Grin shed tears; the death of his mortal friend had taught him the human experience of sorrow. Not long after that, the Great Shift occurred, for better or worse. Though many trees were uprooted whilst others sprung from the ground, in the tumultous chaos Grin cradled the sacred apple tree. With the energies of the Great Shift, he transformed the simple apple tree into the most majestic tree in Koguryo. As he reflected on the loss of his friend, a sliver of his immortality formed the heart of the tree, for with mortal loss, Grin had known, for a moment, what it meant to be human. In Yuri 82, cut down by the Triiofa under Mupa's evil influence, the rings inside the Tree of Reflections could be easily studied. They show that Yuri 23 was a year of immense growth for the tree, where it nearly quadrupled in thickness. The Great Shift was this rainy season, the Tree of Reflections painstakingly adorned with the tears of a god. -Qantao | |