Aru, the Root Witches

### Units

Symbiote, Masked Hunter, Bone Stalker, Xacal, Bloodbound, White Wood Reaper, Underspine, Ichor, Bloodbound, Dread Sister, Red Seer, Incubator, Wraithbow, Resinant, Thrum, Aarox, Behemoth,

“*Our people is one of continual rebirth, for the past is but the dead sire of the present, which in turn is pregnant with the future. As I bore our Blood Mother into this world, so to did She bare me anew, so that I could usher in your own genesis. Now, we Prophet’s three look among Her People for the Worthy. Who among you shall rise to serve the Mother? Who among you shall earn the blood-that-does-not-die?*” -Mala, Prophet of the Blood

## History

The Aru are sylv that have broken off from the Chorus, a collective mind that governs the Iratek. Instead, Aru society is based on Laculathon, an immense being described as a cancer tree and the birther of worlds. The Aru serve her and have been altered to act as hunters and warriors for Laculathon as she searches for new worlds to incorporate into her form. Unlike the collectivist Iratek, the Aru are highly individualist, vying with one another to better serve their god.

The Aru first separated from the Iratek during the Crises of Many Nights. During this time, the sylvs' home world was wracked with massive predators appearing from the sea and storms. The sylv looked to their traditional sun god, Xatil, but prayers to him did nothing to stop the planetary crises. Instead, many sylv were drawn to a new god, that communicated through fevered dreams and asked them to travel to the forbidden continent of Matzlan. Three of the Iratek's pillar cities' heeded the call, breaking their ties to the rest of the Chorus, an act that was likened to a seizure in the already highly stressed Iratek mind.

On Matzlan, the leader of the three pillars, Mala, sacrificed hundreds of creatures upon a massive mountain, Latchatka. It was here that Laculathon's form had descended and begun to break down even the stone and soil, as the god moved to consume the entire world. Here the three renagede pillars became Aru, her people.

Now several years later, the Aru have their own society based on hunting and offering bloody sacrifices to Laculathon. They and the Iratek loathe each other, the Iratek referring to Laculathon as the rutting god, likening her to an insatiable monster that only seeks to incorporate more and more worlds into its bloated body. The Aru, meanwhile, have reorganized along strictly matriarchal lines; the lower levels of their society, such as the masked hunters, are almost exclusively male. Mala serves as the right hand of their god and readies the Aru for a great hunt, during which they will shed much blood for their adoptive mother.

## Culture

The fabric of Aru society revolves around the Great Clans sired by the Prophets and those that vie under them for favor and the right to integrate into the dominant lineages. Mala’s line, the Tlastru, translating to “Foremost” or more literally as “The First of Her People,” occupy the seat of greatest influence and power, as it was Mala who used her powers to bring Laculathon to Nuath. From Mala and her Sisters were born the other two Founding Clans: -Xol’s “Cnaqual” or “The Bone-Hunters.” -Atzlan’s “Huanacan,” or “Vision-Walkers.”

Underneath the Tlastsru, Cnaqual, and Huanacan, a series of rising families compete for attention, favor, and prestige. Whether it is the boastful Nenmitzli, “Strong-Builders,” the reclusive Uitlar, “Birth-Speakers,” or the appraising “Ochatl,” “Beast-Hands,” all Aru clans seek the greatest prize, for their Progenitor to be raised the vaunted position of Prophet.

Status among the Aru is recognized in many ways including the distribution of ceremonial regalia and tools, physical standing during religious rites, selection for marriage or breeding into the higher families, and territory in proximity to the God-Tree Herself. Mala’s Tlastru serve the Aru as arbiters of a clan’s merit, directly consulting Laculathon during religious celebrations tied to the movements of Nuath’s twin moons.

## Mechanics

### Overgrowth

Aru units have 10-20% of their HP in a shield that regenerates within seconds out of combat. This allows Aru contingents to take quick, sharp fights. Taking efficient trades and then backing out to recover.

### Rootway

Aru Temples can only be built on rootway, which is itself generated by Aru temples. It increases the overgrowth regeneration rate, making it regenerate within a second or two. Some units have special abilities when on rootway.

### Blood

Some Aru units can offer Blood to Laculathon to cast spells. If they run out of blood to cast them, then they can cut themselves in order to offer their own blood to the goddess. Some Aru immortals can create Blood Wells, that allow Aru Spellcasters to regenerate their blood and life fairly quickly, allowing them to chain together many spells in quick succession on home territory.

### Range

Aru as a faction is primarily identified by the sheer number of ranged units that they have, with a few melee specialists. This allows them to set up positions and continually poke at an enemy position to look for value, retreating to entrenched positions that are hard to dislodge. While this happens, swarms of blood hungry thrums buzz around looking for spare workers, and behemoths fling Quitls at enemy fortifications in waves, eventually cracking even the hardest defenses.