World Trees

The world trees are embodiments of life on Omnia. Unfortunately, many of them perished during the War of Life. This has left Omnia with only five remaining world trees, one on each continent. They all have two forms: their standard tree form through which they keep an eye on the world through the roots beneath the earth, and their avatar, usually an animal of sorts, with which they can go to war, go to places with little plant life, or just be out and about a bit.

## Masilues

Queen and mother of the fey, world tree of Occidacia, warden of Sylvaloque. A great many titles only fitting for the most powerful world tree of them all. She bravely fought on the front lines during the War of Life. These days, she acts as Queen and guardian of the Elves and tree spirits that call Sylvaloque home. To Occidacia, she is a reminder that nature is not to be trifled with.

She normally has the form of a great oak tree. Her avatar is humanoid, but with large antlers appearing like small trees. This form radiates peace and tranquility to most, but is an image of fear and terror to those that defy life.

## Bolshen

World tree of Oridacia, the infected one, was a Ginko tree once. The War of Life left Bolshen weakened. This weakness was swiftly exploited by a Tessenosai known as Kongzhijun. From tartarus, he had spread his mycelium all the way back up to the surface and infected Bolshen, draining his power. Bolshen is nothing but nearly dead wood that serves as a breeding ground for Konghzijun's infection. Through the world tree, Kongzhijun attempts to corrupt life in Yeshou Senlin, which Bolshen calls home. This corruption used to be spread far across Orridacia, but under the motto of keep your friends close and your enemies closer, the angels destroyed the corruption. Or so they thought. From the presumed dead trunk of Bolshen, the infection is spreading once more, and the angels are preoccupied with their own issues.

His avatar used to be that of a tiger, with a fur of blazing red leafs. Sadly, this form has gotten corrupted by Kongzhijun as wel. Bolshen used to stand proud in his awakened form. Now he appears weak, elderly, nothing but skin and bones as all the leafs have rotted away by the infection.

## Panhetar

In the midst of the lost continent lies a great aspen forest, hundreds of miles in length. The trees in this forest are all part of the same organism: Panhetar the world tree. Rather than one large central tree, Panhetar has spread roots and grown new trees from them over this large area. Because it is all the same tree, the trees shift and move about. It is a place where one can easily lose their way, gaining the forest of Panhetar the nickname the wood of a thousand dead ends. The woods are inhabited by monkeys who manage to traverse it without getting lost, and they take great joy in leading the occasional ratfolk into the trees and making them loose their way.

Because Panhetar is the forest itself, it doesn't need an avatar to traverse it. When going outside of the boundaries of its own roots, it travels the lost continent as a monkey, in memory of a long lost friend.

## Serin

The world tree of Emriel who stands in the sleeping forest. This forest is of course called so after the monsterous Tarrasque which sleeps there, but it only sleeps through the powers of Serin. Serin is a pine tree who's pollen induce a powerful sleep. Powerful enough to keep a Tarrasque asleep. If a less powerful creature falls aslumber in a cloud of Serin's pollen, he judges their souls through the roots and the earth. If Serin deems you worthy, he will bring you to the tree as his avatar. If not, you will stay asleep until you are one with his roots.

Some individuals die of fright from seeing Serin's avatar regardless, which is an elephant sized bee with green rather than the common yellow stripes.

## Agauri

The world tree of Amerath has grown as a mangrove between the two islands of Samudaya. According to legend they tried to keep the two islands from ripping apart. When the Omni created the Amerathians they worried about their own wellbeing, as there were now a bunch of destructive creatures running around throwing fire everywhere. One particular Omni noticed their concern and created a race of protecters: the Aarakocra. As thanks, Agauri taught the Amerathians the ways of controling the flow of mana in plants. Their widespread roots, creating the Samudaya mangrove, is also home to the Halflings. Agauri is an isolationist and prefers to be left alone at the edge of the world, or to travel with the sky wales to the lost continent to check in with their sibling who they worry greatly for.

As their avatar, Agauri takes the shape of a sky whale greater than any other. They are covered with moss and roots, dangling down their sides in flight.

## *META*

The five remaining world trees are largely inspired by some real world cool ass trees.

Masilues is based on the significance of the oak in European folklore and druidism. It is also known as a hardy and long lived species which is why Masilues is largely inspired by the oak in general.

Bolshen is based on a Ginko tree as Yulon is largely inspired by ancient China, and the Ginko tree is its national tree. It is also just an interesting species since it is a coniferous tree, but its needles are bundled in a little sheet that makes it seem like leaves which is just cool. The oldest fossil records of trees are of Ginkos which makes it a solid choice for a creature that has existed on Omnia since the beginning.

Panhetar is, perhaps unsubtly, based on the largest organism found on planet earth: Pando. This forest consists of offshoots of the same tree. Such a being of an enormous size seemed like a good fit for the large and primordial lost continent.

Serin is based on a particular individual of the Montezuma cypress species (Árbol del Tule in Mexico). With a diameter between 9 and 14 meters depending on how you measure it, this is what we in the botany world call an absolute chonker. The choice of a coniferous tree was made to thematically fit the sleeping forest, with the logic being the extreme amounts of pollen that these trees produce are what makes the sleeping forest sleeping.

Much as Samudaya, at least geographically, is based on New Zealand, its world tree inspiration holds an important role there. Agauri is based on the Kauri species in culture and spirituality. The individual Tãne Mahuta is the God of the forest and of birds (hence the Aarakocra connection) and is believed to be anywhere between 1250-2500 years old. Physically there is no connection between the trees as Agauri takes the form of a mangrove whilst Kauri are very much landbound.