Welcome to everdeen

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 Kindred Rivals is a genre-breaking novel with all the feels. There’s steamy tailor shop banter, comforting conversation at the cafe, and laugh-out-loud moments throughout. This cozy-comfort series starts with Ambrose, who knows how to behave but would rather be naughty, and Zeth, who returns to Everdeen with plans to woo himself a rich wife. 

ENTER EVERDEEN

Our world is unique. It’s built in a fantasy style with a historical charm. All countries have regions, also known as Commonwealths. Queer is normative in our world, and social status means everything. In the Caldor Commonwealth, we start our journey in the town of Everdeen. Click on a town or city on the map to learn more about it.

HISTORY

Everdeen was founded 300 years ago by a woman named Margaret Everdeen, an expeditionist who saw its potential with rich soil and untapped mines. The river and nearby lake also made for a great water source. When Margaret found an enormous old oak standing alone in a grassy field, she felt a spiritual connection to the tree and knew she had found a place to settle. 

And thus, Everdeen was born. With the discovery of gold in the nearby mines, Margaret was able to begin the town’s blueprint. A few homes were built, and a market area went up. A mill was placed along the river, and within the next decade, farmers flocked to the lands to grow crops. Through the next couple of centuries, the town only grew more and more. Eventually, the gold ran out, but local mines were still excavated, and other precious minerals were discovered. 

It was evident that Everdeen was blessed in some way. Many people mentioned that a spirit had been seen coming to and from the enormous, ancient tree in the field. And so, a tradition was then born. Every year that passed with prosperity, Margaret would place several things around the tree: produce, flowers, incense, and valuable items such as coal or other minerals. Margaret wished to share Everdeen’s bounty with others, so every year the townsfolk would gather to give to the tree and hope the items were blessed, and then others who needed such items would accept them gratefully. 

Over time, greed took over, and Everdeen suffered two summers of horrible drought. And so Margaret, in her old age, decided another way for the people to give and be blessed without turning to greed. And so the tradition of the ribbon tree was born. Colorful ribbons were placed on the branches of the tree every year. and each year, people would give each other ribbons. Tying them on the tree’s branches allowed the tree spirit to bless those who exchanged with each other. During this exchange, people set up tents to give people food and sell items, along with the ribbons on the tree. On the first day of this fest, it rained, and Everdeen’s drought was over. Since then, the town hasn’t seen another drought. And so the Founders Festival was born, and the ancient tree was given the name the Everdeen Oak.

Along with Everdeen’s history of the Everdeen Oak, there are other local legends as well. Of a man in white who was one of Everdeen’s serial killers, and now haunts the local cemetery. And the Field Witch who walks the farm fields and draws children into the forest so she can eat them by opening her mouth wide. There is also a mermaid-like creature named Dedra who lures children into water such as rivers, ponds, and lakes so she can drown them, as well as a man with gray skin and the head of a deer in the forest that can cause people to become lost. They call him the Deer-Man. 

These are local legends, mostly to keep children away from wandering too far and away from the river. Ghosts have also been seen as well, and some of Everdeen’s oldest homes are said to be very haunted. Everdeen has every shop you can think of, from a bakery to eating to apparel to general goods, furniture, etc. The town is mostly full of wealthy folks, and even the older district where the old market is, is well maintained. Because Everdeen was established with a mindset for it to be open to all, everyone is welcome to attend the festival, regardless of social status, and those in poverty in town are accepted in all places as well, though many of the elite who come to live there often have issues with it. But the locals who have lived there forever have a sense of pride and humbleness, and therefore will give to those in poverty. Unfortunately, with more outsiders coming to live there, generosity is on the decline.