Urzan (ER zan)
Elder Tree Urzan, the Fourth Seed
Urzan is the fourth Elder Tree to grow on the major continent of Ethae. As the prehistoric periods are hard to date accurately, it is hard to say when the tree actually started growing, but it is estimated by the Jenuwan Order that 3100pre-sc is the birthing date of Urzan. Tradition indicate that it was preceded by Onoma, that began growing a thousand years prior, and was followed by Hamis, that started growing only 300 years later.
Urzan grew and spent its life in central Craddle Valley, on the Cutting Mountains side of the region. It is deeply associated with the valley and its cultures throughout history, and it considered, at least according to legend, the leading source of life and success of the nations that call the valley home. Even long after its death.
Urzan is sometimes referred to as the 'Lonely Elder.' Each of the elder trees have a 'twin', a second elder tree that it is closely assosiated with. Onoma and Sessileg of Novyum for example, or Brimad and Hamis in Jerain. While never studied, if even true, these trees seem to have formed some sort of bond. The lands between them is augmented with Magic and life. In Anbar, elder trees Borg and Seblug were spiritual twins. While Urzan did live in Anbar with them there were never any refences found that suggest the tree shared any connection to them. This never seemed to diminish Urzan's power in any way, however. As stated, there is little information of what was meant when the ancients spoke of the twinning of elder trees.
While some ancient, fragmented text suggests there was contact with the elder tree (an obscure statement about a tree is menstioned in the Book 3 of the Epic of Can for example), there is never any direct reference to Urzan until the Valan settle the land in the Randeny Period. Of the civilizations that thrived in Craddle Valley it was the Valan that are closest in association to the tree as their society centered solely in the trees shadow.
During the Aggelomachy Urzan, of all the elder trees, seem to have been the most involved with the war. The tree's Mantle augmented the Valan defenders. The tree itself, according to the Book of the Valan, was used in the creation of the Minotaur. Quote: "bark given to the flesh of man, sap given to the blood of man, leaf given to the soul of man."
With the end of the mythical war came the eruption of the Na Boon Super Volcano and an age of ice after. In many parts of the world, such as where the elder trees Sessileg and Hamis grew, glaciers covered the land. The elder tree's Mantle's protected the lands around the tree from freezing, keeping an island of life in the ice. For Urzan, and Craddle Valley, however life seemed to have little change. Caddle Valley's location just north of the equator keep the lands warm. Urzan, rather than generate energy to keep the frozen world at bay, could focus its energy as it always had on the life of nature around it. Craddle Valley flurished during the Randagri Period. As did the Valan with it.
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