Va’sil Tree

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Va’sil Tree
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Fauna
Official Name Va’sil Tree
Common Nicknames Emissary of Mana, Estel Rooted
Classification Magus
Habitat Westwynd and Altaleï
Domesticated No
Current Status Extinct, singular known survivor

Va'sil Trees were mysterious beings, who looked like trees and served as heralds of nature in the era of the Allorn Empire. While they often held a place of significance in the Estellon faith, their exact role faded with time as the Teledden turned away from respecting nature, and as Mana was increasingly ignored. Despite this loss of face, it is said they roared back to action in the final years of the Allorn Empire, attacking cities which had forgotten of their presence, or calling on the faithful to heed their warnings. Ultimately, they fell due to the Night of the Weeping Stars, but their impact has been felt for the past three centuries, given the mystery they have invoked. While these emissaries were considered extinct, events in 310 AC have revealed the presence of an infant Va'sil protected by the Regalian Empire, though it will likely take decades for this young seed to grow up to be anything close to its ancestors.

History

The Va’sil Trees are steeped in myth and legend, despite being present from the earliest days of the faith. While commonly associated with Estel directly in the earliest times, later refinements established them as servants to Mana, Mother of the Living Soil. The Va'sil Trees themselves claimed it had been Estel herself, but this knowledge was either an error the Teledden chose to ignore, or a truth they simply did not believe. The Teledden also considered the Va'sil to not be alive with the powers of sentience they clearly possessed, and made them out to be little more than advanced trees gifted with certain powers by Mana. With time, as the Allorn grew more decadent, and Mana was increasingly sidelined, the Va'sil Trees went with her. When their possible creator vanished alongside many of the other Estellon gods, the Va'sil Trees went silent for many years, but in the final decades before the Fifth Void Invasion, something stirred within them. The Va'sil Trees are said to have suddenly risen up, and lashed out at urban cities built in or around them, angry and hateful. Some were more peaceful, but still began to speak again, urgent and forceful, demanding attention. Around this time came other creatures of pure nature, the Neefaar and Elfaar, emerged, and they are said to have tried to help spread the Va'sil's message, alongside the early Yanar. However, they were rarely successful. While some were roused, their numbers were not enough, and the Night of the Weeping Stars came seeing all of the Va'sil Trees burned to ash. A few rose up and tried to flee, but they did not get far, and in their wake left further chaos and more questions than anyone at the time could answer. Ever since then, the Va'sil Trees have been a great mystery to many, especially the Teledden and even the Yanar. Recently, after years of rumors of survivors, or newly planted seeds hidden at the fringes of the world, a newly growing Va'sil Tree was seen to be planted in Oldtera by the command of Emperor Alexander I himself. The site of its growth is now heavily protected by the Regalian state, and is impossible to reach, though the young, female-presenting Va'sil Tree last seemed in good health when outside parties discovered its growing place.

Physical Appearance

The Va'sil Trees were easily distinguished from other forms of exotic plant life by three factors. First, their incredible size. At that point of the Allorn Empire, almost all tall jungle trees had long been felled, resulting in the Va'sil Trees (who could reach up to 50 or 60 feet) towering over the surrounding landscape of greenery they had formed. The next feature that distinguished them was their bark. While appearing generally mundane and often having a thick, broad form with just root-like legs, their bark was universally dark blue laced with a light golden or yellow hue in the cracks. This could also be seen in any knots of the tree, and overall some believe that the hue suggests empowerment by a magical source. Finally, there were their Projections. Altalar records are scarce on the topic, but evidence exists for Va'sil Trees being able to form a large, pure white projection of themselves. These projections supposedly had a strange combination of Altalar and Yanar-like features, much like the Yanera-Flor, but stood a towering ten feet tall. They also lacked facial features and apparently spoke in an archaic dialect, either suggesting they spoke the Altalar languages poorly or spoke only the most complex and ancient of the three forms, Ancient Altalar.

Diversity

The Va'sil Trees came in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Most were described as having three legs and a squat lower body, but others were straight and broad in their entire structure. It is unknown if the Va'sil Trees had a gender or if these physical differences denoted anything about the Va'sil Trees individually.

Mental Overview

The Va'sil Trees have often been characterized as mindless and lacking any desire beyond destruction. This classical Altalar opinion has been rejected by most Ailor, especially those of the variety of faiths that believe in the significance of magical trees. This opinion has also been questioned by some Altalar, who bring up records of post-territory conquest meetings between Altalar and the Va'sil Trees, who projected themselves and attempted to explain their actions. Some records speak of them warning of a doom approaching, while others speak of threats and demands for service. At the very least, whatever the Va'sil Trees said was somewhat effective, winning some hearts over to their side. For when the Night of the Weeping Stars occurred, Esellon worshipers who had aligned themselves with the Va'sil Trees were also killed, both in the urban centers where they carried the Va'sil Trees’ message and when battling in defense of the Va'sil Trees themselves.

Territory and Groupings

The Va'sil Trees set themselves up across Daen, in great groves and formations of their own making. The Altalar today name 421 Va'sil Trees as having existed, but most point out that this number could be wrong for a wide variety of factors. No two Va'sil Trees were known to be close to each other, suggesting an even distribution across what terrain they did emerge in. Each had several Grul-Yanar, almost like an honor guard, but their lack of a role in the narratives of the Night of the Weeping Stars suggests they retreated before that event.

Trivia

  • The rumors of the Regalian Va'sil Tree suggest that a Va'sil Tree’s Heart, a strange crystal-and-organic piece of their body, was spirited away from a dying Va'sil Tree in Daendroc, and was stored in the sewers of the City of Regalia where it has been regrowing ever since.
  • Very little remains today of the Va'sil Tree, the fires that consumed them being all-encompassing. However, the unique mineral Chrysete formed from the green and white sap of the fallen Va'sil Trees.
  • Some suggest that Va'sil Tree are actually far, far older than originally believed. These scholars postulate ancient carvings associated with Talea to show the Va'sil Trees in an active state, before they went into a sort of hibernation for over 1500 years, only awakening when her creation, the Allorn Empire, was on the brink of collapse.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors FireFan96, WaterDruppel
Last Editor HydraLana on 12/16/2022.

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