Name: Arborshield Tree
Habitat: Forests, places where trees grow. Spread across Ransera.
Rarity: Rare
Threat: Medium - Deadly
Description: Arborshield Trees stand tall with an ethereal white bark, decorated with blue and green luminescent patterns that seem to shift and move, mimicking constellations on a clear night. These markings are believed to be a form of communication or perhaps a way to store the tree's memories. The leaves are silver, with a translucent property. This allows sunlight to filter through them which results in mesmerizing patterns being cast onto the forest floor.
In groups, the eldest and largest of these trees are always found at the center. This formation provides a natural defense. The elder trees, with their vast reservoir of stored magical energy, act as a beacon, drawing threats towards them first. This allows the younger trees on the outskirts to learn and develop their defensive capabilities while benefiting from the protection of their older kin.
Arborshield Trees possess a unique and astonishing ability to uproot themselves and move deliberately across the forest floor. This movement is facilitated by a complex system of fibrous tendrils that can retract and expand, allowing the tree to "walk" in a manner reminiscent of an octopus's fluid gait. The trees often shift their positions to optimize their exposure to sunlight, access richer soils, or communicate with their kin. Moving their roots inadvertently causes damage to the surrounding plant life so while they can relocate, they generally do not do so unless it's necessary.
More crucially, their mobility serves a significant defensive purpose. These trees act as defenders of their biome, and they will often move to defend each other or even other flora, forming dangerous barriers against unwelcome threats to the forest. Arborshields are intelligent enough to split up into smaller groups to distribute themselves where they are needed most.
Biome Role: Defenders of the forest
Diet: Sunlight
Aging & Reproduction: Reproduction is a long process, as Arborshields release magical spores once every decade. They can live for millennia, with the oldest known tree being around 5,000 years.
Size: Can grow up to 120 feet tall.
Abilities and Features:
Magically resilient - are difficult to set on fire or otherwise damage with magic.
Intelligent roots - can communicate with other fauna
Mobile - can lift their roots to move
Intelligence - can move their branches to attack and communicate with other arborshields
Bark expulsion - can fire sharp shards of wood with great precision.
Nurturing - plant life flourishes where these trees are present which can be useful in restoring areas affected by blight, deforestation, etc.
Cultural Significance (If applicable): These trees are seen as guardians of forests. Lumber companies will often avoid working in forests if these trees are suspected of being present. Arborshields are typically fine with mortals cutting down non-sentient trees so long as it's done reasonably.
Reasons to interact:
The bark, leaves, etc take on properties of the biome that are helpful for crafting. Trees that live in more wet climates would have parts that are useful for creating scrolls and potions that deal with water. Only the inner-most part of the trunks have material suitable for making wand/staves.
While these trees don't contain dragonshards, their presence can be a good indication that dragonshards are in the area.
Being around these trees can be one of the safest places to be so long as one doesn't pose an active threat to the environment.
Recommended Stats:
Expert botany to properly harvest
Journeyman to Master, depending on age and quantity of trees
