Featherburn or fire feathers

Featherburn

Featherburn is a rare, weed-like plant that blooms only at the end of the year, during the final stretch of Nireval, when winter has fully taken hold and the land offers little mercy. It is most often found in desolate, cold environments where ordinary plant life struggles or has already failed. Its appearance is considered a sign not of abundance, but of survival.

When in bloom, Featherburn produces a constant, visible flame that radiates warmth into its immediate surroundings. The fire burns clearly and brightly, yet does not spread, consume fuel, or ignite nearby material. Snow melts near it. Ice softens. Flesh warms. The fire simply exists, contained to the plant itself. Many travelers mistake these for campfires. Animals with enough intelligence can be found gathered around these, but prey creatures avoid them due to the campfire being associated with humanoids.

The leaves of Featherburn are thin, narrow, and clustered tightly together. Individually they appear fragile, but together they form long, feather-like fronds that give the plant its name. As the plant burns, these fronds glow softly, shifting in color between muted oranges and pale yellow-white light. The leaves themselves remain dull and textured beneath the glow, never fully consumed.

Featherburn does not grow tall. It spreads low and close to the ground, often overlooked until its warmth is felt rather than seen. In deep winter, this warmth can mean the difference between endurance and death. For this reason, travelers, hunters, and isolated communities regard Featherburn with quiet gratitude rather than reverence.

The plant’s flame provides heat but no protection. It does not ward against weather, predators, or hardship beyond the cold itself. Those who rely on Featherburn still must act, prepare, and endure. The plant offers only the chance to continue.

Because Featherburn blooms late in Nireval and fades shortly after, it is rarely harvested in large quantities. Most encounters with it are brief and situational—found when needed, gone when the year turns. Its presence reinforces the lesson associated with the end of the cycle: that survival is not always marked by triumph, but by persistence.

In yearly records and personal journals, Featherburn is often mentioned without embellishment, noted simply as a place where warmth was found when none was expected.

Harvesting

Featherburn can be harvested - Magically preserved through careful rituals of the arcane. If successful will retain its light, heat, and overall power without fail. The material can then be altered to fit lamps, sconces, or other similar objects.

Its most common use is to be woven into garments to protect against cold. These