[Guide] Treants

[Valannor 6344]

[Guide] Treants

Treant Lore

 

 

Credits:

 

TheBlackBobRoss for helping to write this guide

LaffenOutLoud for consultation

(At the insistence of Ross) Myself, for editing, polishing, and writing.

 

General Redlines

 

Spoiler

 

This shouldn’t need to be said, but Treants cannot FTB.

 

The first two stages of a Treant’s life cycle are playable, that being Seedlings and Spriggans.

 

Becoming an Ent acts as a permanent departure of that character and any further development will have them played by a member of the Event Team or Story Team.

 

> Treants cannot learn or become attuned to any magic.

 

> Treants wearing heavy armor are fatigued twice as quickly as an unarmored spriggan and lose access to their offensive abilities. Thin, light armors that do not fully cover the extremities and serve a more aesthetic purpose are exempt from this debuff. 

 

> A Treant who has departed their forest for more than three real-time days is considered lost and will perish, then reforming at their Slumber Tree once more.

 

> In the case of a map change a Treant will venture along with the descendants and root themselves in a new forest where their old body will form into a new Slumber Tree.

 

> If a Slumber Tree is destroyed the Treant is unable to regenerate and will be considered truly dead, unless a Tier 5 Blight Healer elects to breath life into the remains. Should this occur the Slumber Tree will take three real-time days to reconstitute itself and the Treant will not be playable during this time.

 

> Cannot use communion with animals or plants to metagame information about how your character died.

 

> Treant communion can not be used to suade the actions of an animal in the way a druid can. It is purely for purposes of communication with natural flora, fauna, and other fae.

 

> Treants must submit their applications as Seedlings. One may not submit a CA directly to become a Spriggan, and must play their Seedling for the requisite 2-3 IRL months before they advance to Spriggan stage.

 

 

Physiology

 

Spoiler

 

 

Treants, at the beginning of their life cycle, start as seedlings, an incredibly short period of time given the lifespan of a Treant, only lasting about 2 to 3 Elven months. In this time they rapidly grow from their short height at a maximum of 4 feet tall to the beginnings of their adolescent stage, that of the Spriggan. Spriggans have a strength and size akin to that of a golem, maxing around 8ft in height, and with uninterrupted action, they are able to lift nigh upwards of a ton worth of weight, in the event they need to lift a fallen tree or a Petrusite corpse. Despite having similar bodily strength, Sprigans are a bit less durable than the average golem, but are able to make up with it by being more dexterous in their movements, and are generally a good deal more intelligent, possessing sentience and free will. 

 

All Treants, no matter the stage of life, are animated by their Core Cluster, a large crystal that sits nestled within the wooden chest of the treant’s body. This crystal emits a luminous glow that can be seen gleaming out between the wood of the creature. Should the Core Cluster somehow be removed or destroyed, the treant’s wooden form would immediately crumble.

 

The Core Cluster itself has a unique effect as it radiates raw, excess natural energies that are able to be sensed by a druid. A druid can sense the aura from the treant at around 8 meters away, and would give a near exact effect of being within a Fae Ring, while being entirely unnoticed by normal Descendants, who would not feel the effects of such an aura.

 

The most integral part to any Treant’s life is its Slumber Tree, a mighty tree that sits usually at the center of a treant’s forest. A Slumber Tree grows in all great forests, and it is from these trees that a forest gains a soul, eventually bringing forth a Treant. All Treants are able to return to their Slumber Tree, joining their body with it to submit their Core Cluster to the Slumber Tree. By doing this, the Slumber Tree is able to take all the memories from the Core Cluster, backing them up in the vast system of roots that make up the forest. A Treant can not stay very long from their Slumber Tree and the forest it resides in. After three (3) Ooc days, the treant will be considered lost, and their body and Core Cluster will crumble. Should a Treant fall in this way, or by other violent means of having their Core Cluster removed or broken, the Slumber Tree will reform them with an identical Core Cluster and body with the last memories stored within the Slumber Tree, causing the treant to not remember how it was that they fell. Should the Slumber Tree itself somehow fall and die, a Treant will no longer be able to be remade, and will be considered truly dead until a T5 Blight Healer is able to breathe life into the Slumber Tree once more. After three (3) Ooc days have passed once the Slumber Tree has been revived, a treant will be able to be revived from it once more.

 

Red Lines

 

Seedlings may be, at a maximum, 4ft tall, and may weigh in at a maximum of 300 lbs. Seedlings possess the strength of a full-grown orc, when at peak form.

 

A Spriggan can be, at maximum, 8ft tall, and can have a max weight of 600 lbs due to being made of wood and filled with water, akin to any living tree. Spriggans possess, at peak form, the strength between that of a golem and a fully grown uruk. While not quite as strong as the constructs wrought by Urguan’s kin, they are powerful creatures when it comes to physical feats.

 

A Spriggan is able to reach higher strengths, but only out of combat with no interruptions, This strength is used entirely for clearing forest debris, be it felled trees or massive stones in the way of fresh earth that would best be used to grow new life.

 

Treants have less bodily durability than a golem. An axe will do rather well, while a normal sword will take damage as it attempts to cleave into you, not quite as effective. Blunt weapons are entirely ineffective given the wooden form of the Treant.

 

Treants are much more dexterous than golems, but they are still large creatures, and can be prone to clumsiness. 

 

Only Druids can sense and be affected by the aura the Core Cluster emits.

 

A Treant will be revived at the location of their Slumber Trees upon death, losing all memories that had not been stored within it before they fell. 

 

Should a Slumber Tree be felled or killed by other means, a Treant will no longer be able to be revived from it if they fall, being considered truly dead until a Blight Healer of T5 breathes life into the tree. After three (3) ooc days have passed, players may play their Treant’s once more.

 

The player must be OOCly contacted when their tree is being interacted with. Signs around the tree must acknowledge who the Slumber Tree belongs to OOCly, as well as describe the appearance of the tree.

 

 

Weaknesses

 

Spoiler

 

Treants have a rather decent durability against most mundane means of attack, being large, hardy creatures of wood and root, but there are some magical based attacks that can harm them especially well. The Void and its magics work rather well against a treant, melting away the wood of their form like a potent acid. The more pure the void is in its attack, the more effective it is. Although if the Voidal energies were to be shaped into conjured forms of natural things, the treants form will meet with resistance, especially with conjured flames. A well watered treant is hard to burn by normal flames as well as conjured ones. If one were to wish to set a treant alight, the flame of the Dragonkin would cut through their hardy bodies like simple kindling. A final weakness treants hold, albeit a broader one, is a vulnerability to Dark Magic. Dark Magic upsets the natural order in many ways, too many to be described, but the effects of all Dark Magics would be much more effective then usual against the treant's form. 

 

Red Lines

 

A Treant is susceptible to pure Voidal Magic, melting away their forms like a virulent acid, but they are able to resist the conjured forms of natural elements, e.g Voidal Evocation.

 

A Treant is able to withstand base forms of flames and conjured voidal flames to a large degree, being living trees, wood wet with water they draw from the earth.

 

The fire from an Adrazi or similar dragonic kin are easily able to set a Treant alight near instantly, causing mass damage as it continues to burn their wooden form.

 

Dark Magics, while broad in their effects, can be assumed to affect the Treant more than a normal target for any spells would be affected.

 

Azhl Steel, and the accompanying Azhl Anemia, will affect the Treant similarly to how it would affect a Tree Lord and other Fae.

 

 

Blight

 

Spoiler

 

Like all forms of nature, Treants are susceptible to the infection of Blight, driving them to insanity and turning them into Deranged Treants. A Deranged Treant loses all sense of friend and foe, and will even lash out at the very forest it is dedicated to protecting, possibly further spreading the Blight. The longer a Treant is infected with blight, the more skeletal their form will become, and the energy and glow from their Core Cluster will pulse with a sickly red glow through their chest. A Deranged Treant cannot be reasoned with and loses all forms of intelligence, becoming little more than a wild beast, only able to shriek and roar as it violently attacks any and all things. 

 

A Druid could possibly cure the Blight, should they manage to subdue the Treant before the Blight reaches its final stages of infection upon the Core Cluster. By then it is too late, and the only way to cure the Treant is by shattering its Core Cluster. If managed, the treant will be regrown by it’s Slumber Tree, with no recollection of any of the events that happened in its Deranged State. But, should a Deranged Treant find its way back to its Slumber Tree and corrupt it with Blight, the Slumber Tree will only ever spew forth Deranged Treants when they die and are regrown. At this point, only the most powerful of Blight Healing can heal the Slumber Tree from its corruption.

 

Red Lines

 

If a Treant becomes Deranged, they are unable to speak or function above the ability to find and destroy anything in sight, from uprooting trees to rending creatures to pieces. Should a Deranged Treant die without being able to corrupt the Slumber Tree with Blight, they will revive with no memory of the events during their Deranged State.

 

 

Abilities

 

Take Root

 

Spoiler

 

Description: Allows a treant to lock itself into a single location by unwinding its legs into a swarm of roots which penetrate the ground and hold fast. The treant becomes highly resistant to being knocked around by concussive or similar forces so long as they remain in this state, though sacrificing mobility in the process. Other abilities may be used once fully rooted.

 

Mechanics: Three emotes to become rooted, three emotes to uproot.

 

Ex Emote for Rooting and Uprooting

 

Chrysanthemum yawned, having just finished clearing a rockslide in a nearby clearing. Not quite wishing to make the return trip back to the Slumber Tree yet, she hummed idly. “Hmm... This is a good spot.” She’d stretch her arms out wide, a nearby cardinal choosing this moment to land on her head as she stopped. 

 

As she stood, roots and wood would unfurl from her legs, shooting into the ground and beginning to form a solid trunk. She’d shift slightly, adjusting herself to be more comfortable, while ensuring the nest upon her head remained undisturbed. 

 

Closing her eyes with a tired yawn, the din and drone of birdsong and woodland ambience would be all she heard as her roots dug deep, planting herself as a small tree into the earth. 

 

 

The Dayward Spriggan would open her eyes, observing the domain around her. The rising sun gently crept its way through the thick canopies of Chrysanthemum’s home, casting the forest below in a pale yellow glow. “Well, time to seize the day!” She’d grin, invigorated by the light of the sun. 

 

With a quick ‘Hup!’ and a smile on her face, the spriggan’s roots would begin to rapidly contract, startling the small mound of resting fawns beneath her. Their mother would jump slightly, though quickly calmed down once it had realized there was no danger. 

 

With root and wood giving way and melding beautifully into slender, lithe legs, the spriggan would cross her arms as she proudly looked over her small expanse of territory. It certainly wasn’t much, but… It was hers. 

 

 

Red Lines

Spoiler

 

Can only be used on soft surfaces such as dirt, mycelium, sand, gravel, snow, etc.

Requires three emotes to root, and three emotes to uproot.

 

A Treant may not move while they are rooted. To move, they must uproot themselves first.

Other Treant abilities may still be used while rooted.

 

 

Huntsmans Armory

 

Spoiler

 

Description: Allows a treant to unravel their arms and reform them into rudimentary shapes resembling weaponry. One-handed swords, spears, clubs, and the greatshield make up the typical treants arsenal, though more feral treants will also fashion sharp, elongated three-fingered claws with which to rip and tear at their foes.

 

Mechanics: Two emotes to change one arm’s form, two emotes to change it back. Both arms can be utilized for this effect. Sharpness of sword, spear, and claw transformations are on par with iron weaponry. Greatshield shares attributes with the treant’s body but is not more durable than its body.

 

Ex Emote for creating and dismissing Huntsman's Armory

 

Slowly, silently, Hoarfrost would slink its way behind the lumberjack, whom had his axe raised high; eager to fell it's forest. Angular fingers of wood and bark would begin to twist and churn, the Nightfall Spriggan rising to its full height as it loomed down at the trespasser in silent, seething fury. 

 

Upon the sight of the lumberjack turning to face it, the spriggan would let out a terrible, furious roar, shaking the woods around it! Its digits would meld together, lengthening and sharpening into grizzly claws, sharp and serrated; a deadly testament to the power it held...

 

 

Letting out a few bestial huffs, the corpse of the slain lumberjack would fall from Hoarfrost’s claws, where it had been impaled prior. Its duty fulfilled, the spriggan would rest a hand on its wounded shoulder, beginning to limp its way back to the tree it called home. As it did so, the claws would begin to disentangle themselves and split apart, to the hand-like protrusion that had taken its place prior. 

 

With a final split, the claws would have receded, replaced by much gentler and more refined digits. The Spriggan sighed, but felt content. It had protected its forest from the outsiders yet again, through force, fear, and fealty. And it would do so until the night itself was no more. 

 

 

  Red Lines

Spoiler

 

The weapons may only be formed from the wood of the Treant’s body, and do not consist of other materials.

 

Two emotes must be used to change the shape of each arm.

 

Two emotes is sufficient to describe the changing of both arms simultaneously.

 

Cannot merge arms into giant outrageous weaponry. Cannot use weapons other than those listed.

 

 

Entangle

 

Spoiler

 

Description: Supersedes the Huntsmans Armory in favor of extending the mass of roots comprising a treants arm outward toward an opponent with the objective of ensnaring, and then pinning them.

 

Mechanics: Two emotes to send out the entangling roots up to a maximum range of five blocks. Upon connecting with a target it takes an additional two emotes to fully ensnare them. Targets larger than five hundred pounds require an additional third emote. Two emotes to retract the roots if no target is ensnared.

 

Ex emotes for Entangle

 

Fraxis would grumble in annoyance as the orc in its grasp struggled free, falling to the forest floor with a grunt. As it scrambled away, Fraxis would chuckle, allowing the roots of his hands to disentwine from one another, planting them deep into the earth.

 

Slowly reaching out like floating snakes, the tendrils would weave their way out to the orc, seeking and grasping. The Twilight Spriggan would chuckle as this occurred, knowing the Orc’s fate was already sealed.

 

Finally reaching the orc, the root-like tendrils would begin to grab a hold of its body, tightly wrapping around him, twisting and binding the ankles of Krug’s kin. 

 

Soon, the tendrils would be woven firmly around the orcs' entire form, leaving its head exposed as the tendrils began to stop moving, having fully entangled him. Striding up to his bound prey, Fraxis would stare down at the greenskin, a leafy beard gently swaying in the wind. “Not too smart… are you?”

 

 

Red Lines

 

Spoiler

 

Cannot ensnare any target over one thousand pounds.

 

Two emotes are needed to send out the roots, and two more to retract them.

 

The roots involved in this process can be destroyed or cut off with proper tools to free someone from this ability.

 

A Treant may not use any other abilities while it is entangling a target.

 

This ability may only be used to pin someone in place, and may not move or pull the target.

 

 

Regrowth

Spoiler

 

Description: A treant possesses innate regeneration and will very slowly recover from injury so long as they remain in direct sunlight. Perhaps as a side-effect of this restriction, all treants have an aversion to travelling underground.

 

Mechanics: Passively occurs out of combat. Regeneration pauses when combat begins. Takes one real-time hour to fully regenerate a lost limb.

 

Red Lines

 

Arm cannot be used for abilities until fully regenerated. Arm is limp and lacks function until fully regenerated.

 

A treant cannot regenerate when they are not reached by sunlight. No regeneration is possible when in a cave, for example.

 

Regeneration may not occur during combat encounters.

 

Outside of combat, one IRL hour is required to fully regenerate a lost limb

 

 

Edited November 7, 2020 by altiar1011
Clarified Spriggan strength to be more in-line with Treant lore

[LaffenOutLoud 351]

girl change that white text i can’t read it

[FloralHedgehog 410]

The coolest form of tree people