## Name: Sylrathis **Title:** The Tree of Life, Rootheart of Solare, Eldertree of [[Yggrathian Forest]] **Nature:** Divine Living Entity **Location:** Heart of the [[Yggrathian Forest]], [[North Angoria|North Angoria]] **Alignment:** Neutral Good **Deity Affiliation:** Sacred to [[Perserphina]], revered by druids, elves, and Continent of [[North Angoria]] --- ## Description **Sylrathis** is the oldest and most sacred tree in Solare—**not for her size, but for her soul**. Though she rises only a hundred feet above the forest floor, her true form lies hidden beneath the earth. Her roots **span the entire world**, threading through the bones of mountains, the depths of oceans, and the hearts of ancient groves. She is a divine and eternal being, a living conduit of the planet’s lifeblood. Her bark glows faintly with silver and gold veining, pulsing in rhythm with the leylines that course through Solare. Her leaves shimmer with green-blue iridescence, catching the light like glass in water. The air around her hums with ancient magic, quiet renewal, and the sorrow of forgotten ages. Despite her immeasurable power, Sylrathis never speaks in words—only through dreams, through the rustling wind, and in the visions granted to those attuned to the deeper truths of the world. Her will is one of balance, healing, and the enduring strength of all living things. --- ## Divine Qualities - **Heals Any Disease or Wound:** Her sap and leaves can cure even magical or divine illnesses. - **Resurrection Bark:** A ritual using her bark can return the dead to life, but only if their soul is willing and uncorrupted. - **Root-Touch Communion:** Characters who sleep beneath her roots may receive visions, blessings, or divine clarity. --- ## Role in the Campaign - Sylrathis is the **spiritual anchor of Solare**, targeted by corrupt forces such as the **[[Necrotic Behemoth (Awakened Form)|Necrotic Behemoth]]** and the Cloud Giants’ rot ritual. - Her roots connect to every region, giving her indirect influence over nature, leylines, and primal energies. - Protecting or failing to protect Sylrathis may determine the balance of the entire world. - She may be the source of **divine quests, blessings, and purification trials**. --- ## Threats and Current State - Her root system is **slowly being corrupted** by the necrotic rot unleashed by [[Anam]] and the Shield fragment in enemy hands. - **Cloud Giants** see her as an ancient obstacle to their ascension. - Her guardians, spirits of nature, are increasingly desperate and violent as they try to repel invaders. --- ## Cultural Importance - Worshipped by **barbarians, druids, and elves alike. - The **[[Tribe of the Mother]]** believes she is the first child of [[Perserphina]]. - Druidic orders across Solare conduct **pilgrimages** to her once in a lifetime. --- ### Hidden Scale and True Nature Though Sylrathis rises only 100 feet above the forest floor—a modest height compared to Solare’s ancient mountains and mythical redwoods—this is a deliberate deception. Her divine presence is not measured in physical stature, but in spiritual reach and cosmic resonance. **Beneath the soil, her roots spread across the entirety of Solare**, threading through continents, leylines, forgotten shrines, and sacred groves. Every whispering glade, every moonlit spring, may echo with her presence. Her apparent smallness is a form of divine protection. **Only those pure of heart or deeply attuned to nature can sense the vastness of her being.** Many travelers pass her by, believing her to be but a curious ancient tree surrounded by natural beauty. In truth, she is the **Rootheart of Solare**—a living soul woven into the planet itself. These hidden roots serve as a magical network, connecting: - **Druidic circles in distant lands** - **Grove-temples of the Companions of Bliss** - **Hidden elven sanctuaries** - **Ancient leyline nodes guarded by spirits** It is said that when a traveler slumbers beneath one of these root-nodes and dreams of silver light, they have unknowingly touched a fragment of Sylrathis’ soul. --- ### Root Map of Influence Though Sylrathis herself stands quietly in the [[Yggrathian Forest]] of [[North Angoria]], **her roots extend unseen across the entire world**, manifesting as **Sacred Root-Nodes**—mystical places where her power touches the surface. These sites radiate faint magical energy, cause nature to grow in strange abundance, and are often mistaken for wild groves or ancient ruins. To those who know, they are waypoints of the Eldertree's soul. These Root-Nodes serve as: - **Ritual Sites** for communion and healing - **Teleportation Points** for ancient druidic paths - **Visionary Portals** to receive dreams or ancestral wisdom - **Sanctuaries** during planar or magical storms Below are some of the most important known Root-Nodes connected to Sylrathis: --- **1. The Whispering Grove (South Angoria)** _Located deep within the Talon Grasslands near Hearthstone._ A serene grove of willow-like trees that never lose their leaves. Travelers hear whispers when sleeping here. The Companions of Bliss conduct rituals of emotional healing beneath the moonlight at this root. **2. Tearspring Hollow (Polaria Highlands)** _Hidden in the northern ranges of Polaria._ A crystal spring flows from the roots of a cracked white rock, rumored to be where [[Perserphina]] wept upon the land. Drinking here removes curses and grants temporary divine insight (DM’s choice: +1 Wisdom for 24 hours). **3. The Silverdeep Root (Elandra)** _Beneath the ruins of an ancient elven library._ Elves say this root once powered a grand artifact of balance. The area is now overgrown with silver-leafed vines and glowing moss. The root here still pulses when touched with elven magic. **4. Bloomheart Crater (Brensistria)** _A holy site outside the capital, where [[Queen Cyrill]] once meditated before battle._ This root-node caused a massive floral eruption decades ago, and now the crater blooms in eternal spring. [[Queen Cyrill]] is known to occasionally return here for silent counsel. **5. Root of Ash and Fire ([[Karudasos]])** _Hidden in volcanic tunnels once sacred to an ancient orc tribe._ This root-node survived the fires of war and still grows in charred stone. Orcs who find it speak of peace and visions of their ancestors. Now under threat by [[Anam]]’s undead blight. **6. The Weeping Tree (Lialandra)** _Located near Syal Lake in the wild north._ A massive fallen root, partially above ground, that weeps glowing sap. Many believe this is a “tip” of Sylrathis herself. Lialandrain druids perform seasonal offerings here to stabilize wild magic. --- ### Gameplay Usage - **Druids and nature-based characters** can sense these nodes with Nature (DC 18) or by meditating near them for 1 hour. - **Teleportation Circle spells** cast at a Root-Node can allow travel between other known Root-Nodes, once unlocked. - Sylrathis may **grant boons, visions, or healing** at these locations once per long rest if certain narrative or emotional conditions are met. --- | Root-Node Name | Location | Effect | Travel Link (to next Root) | |-----------------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Whispering Grove | Talon Grasslands, South Angoria | Gain 1 Inspiration if you sleep here and succeed on a DC 15 Insight check. | 3 days walk to Tearspring Hollow via ancient druid path. | | Tearspring Hollow | Polaria Highlands | +1 Wisdom for 24 hours after drinking from the spring (once per month). | 2 weeks via underground root-passages to Silverdeep Root. | | Silverdeep Root | Ruins in Elandra | Grants advantage on Arcana checks related to leyline magic for 1 day. | Teleportation possible to Bloomheart Crater if circle is active. | | Bloomheart Crater | Outside Brensistria | Long Rest taken here removes all levels of exhaustion. | 4 days across the wildlands to Root of Ash and Fire. | | Root of Ash and Fire | [[Karudasos]] volcanic tunnels | Orcs who meditate here gain resistance to fire for 1 hour (1/day). | 9 days by underground river to the Weeping Tree. | | The Weeping Tree | Near Syal Lake, Lialandra | Cast *Commune* once per week without material components. | Unknown — this root is a final terminal point. | ## Notable Lore - It is said that **[[Perserphina]] wept**, and from those tears Sylrathis grew. - Her roots may hold **forgotten relics**, buried spirits, and even **locked gods** from before the Age of Rebirth. - To awaken her fully, one must undergo a **ritual of soul-mirroring**—offering their purest truth.