In His Shadow
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create some cool trees
- Image Credit:
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: N/A
- Name: Laurasil Trees
- Origins: Beyond Shadows
- Other Locations: Can grow in many other locations with restrictions.
- Classification: Flowering, Fruit bearing Tree
- Average Growth Cycle: Like many other trees, it needs the correct conditions to grow. Dependent upon the conditions, it could take a few years to grow to a significant size, or take thousands of years. Some may never even bare fruit, or produce flowers due to these conditions, where as one in the perfect conditions will produce both.
- Viability: The trees can grow normally like any other. Requiring good soil, a foundation for which it can root itself. However, this foundation can be not just one of nature, but also the unnatural. When seeded in a Force Nexus, or in an area where the force is stronger, the growth will be faster, and healthier for the overall viability of the trees. The "Alignment" of the force being Light, Neutral, or Dark does not change the viability, only what it produces. This occurrence mostly stems from where it had been originally planted from. In the realm of Beyond Shadows. A very heavily influenced existence of the force beyond that of time and space. Thusly, these trees some could have theorized as being the beginning of such plant life.
- Description: While the main structure of the flora is typical of any tree like species, Bark, with a "woody" formation, The rest of the tree varies from the soil, location, and power of the force it was planted in. Seedlings will grow and bare fruit typically native to that planet, but producing the "perfect" forms of those fruits. Same can be said of the flowers that bloom from them as well. However, a very unique aspect of these trees, is their tendency to glow, or bioluminescence from the branches. The trunks themselves do not radiate the same amount of light or glow that the branches would. More over, a younger tree, or one that had been seeded further away from force energies, will glow more dimly or not at all.
- Average Height: Varies, dependent upon source and foundation.
- Average Length: Varies, dependent upon source and foundation.
- Color:
- Trees that have been planted outside of a Force positive location, will typically look like any other tree. Notably a white, grey, or black bark coloration, With the flowerings, and fruits that would be native to that area.
- Being planted in a Force nexus produces a glow that will be of different colorations. Many that are in Light-Sided force environments will be gold, or silver. Where as a Dark Sided environment will produce orange, Amber, and in rare cases, red glow.
- Nutritional Value: Nutrients are common of any other flora. Water, sunlight, and good soil. However, another source of energy is that of the force. Some notable trees have been found in locations where water, and sunlight are not abundant, but are thriving in a Force Nexus.
- Toxicity: While the tree itself is not toxic, poisonous or have common deterrents of damaging the tree, such as thorns, thistles and the like, The trees do have a chance to produce poisonous fruit or flowers depending upon the location in which is was seeded. Thus, it takes a botanist or someone who is knowledgeable in fruits and flowers to determine if the flowers, or fruits could be edible.
- Other Effects: Trees of the Laurasil family have a unique effect depending upon consuming the fruits, or flowers from the trees, Should they produce them. Trees in light sided force environments, when consumed, can produce an heightened sense of the force or euphoria, and in much stronger force energies could give one a sense of "Oneness" with the force. While a Dark Sided environment can produce in the consumer again, a sense of euphoria, or in more extreme cases, a growing feeling of psychosis. Just like any consumable, the more one partakes, the stronger these effects become, but so to do the "crash" become stronger.
- Distinctions: Other than looking like a tree that bares fruit from the local area, as well as growing more rapidly when in a stronger force presence, its just a basic Coniferous tree.
Strengths:
- Grows faster in a force nexus.
- Bare fruit
- Glows more brightly in force sensitive areas.
- Can provide benefits from eating fruit, or consuming the flowers of the trees
- Can produce detriments from eating fruit or consuming the flowers of the trees.
- It's a tree. Can be destroyed like any other tree.
- Could take thousands of years to fully grow in some circumstances.
- May not even produce fruit.
Not a host of information is available for these trees. Mostly due to the assumption being that these trees came from Beyond Shadows. This has caused its true origins to be speculated and scrutinized. Studies show that while it is influenced by the force, it could have been just a genetic mutation of many trees that are affected by the force. Coming from the "Nurture or Environment" debate. What is known is that the trees produce a wealth of light when in the presence of the force. Even more so, the more powerful a presence is. Many have attempted to use its bark or leaves to create medicines, or tonics. While others attempted to use it for Alchemy/Alkhest. Results vary greatly in this endeavor.
Many of these trees have been assumed to be "trees of myth" where if there was a depiction of a tree in a religion, faith, or mythical story, it may have been grounded in truth of being one of these trees that had been affected by it. Namely that of a faith where two of the first humans were born from the tree, or another where it was a "Life tree" or one that was the very thing that held existence together.
