Russet Crater
Description
Several hundred years ago, a meteorite crashed into the plains right on top of a leyline node, causing a brief disturbance in the natural flow of aether through the area. The sudden influx of magical energies caused the local flora to become infused with aether and grow out of control, resulting in an expansive forested region, with a giant silvery tree at the epicenter.
About a hundred years ago, some myconids who had made their homes in the branches of the Pearly Kapok were set upon by an invasive, necrotic mold growth creeping slowly up the trunk of their tree, threatening their very existence. A brave mage of unknown origin who was passing through the area saw the plight of the myconids, and rushed to their aid, with a shield bearing the symbol of a mighty lion and eyes bright like the sun itself. The mage made their way to the top of the tree, and with a flash of light, summoned forth a device that captured the rays of the sun within a small glass bottle. They used this device to banish the mold, but not before sustaining serious injuries from fighting the creatures that had emerged from it.
The heroic mage whispered their final wishes into the roots of the great tree with their dying breath, and as their strength faded, they became enveloped in silvery vines. Several seconds later, the vines receded, leaving behind a small, glistening sapling, which quickly grew into a small tree with a humanoid shape, still clutching the bottle that had once housed the light of the sun.
In present day, the Pearly Kapok at the center of Russet Crater is over 3000 feet tall, and the myconids still live there, revering the wooden guardian who still lies at the base of their tree, bottle in hand. The mechanism the mage summoned still rests at the highest point of the canopy, maintained by a shaman who worships the Celestial Lion, the very same deity who blessed their savior with radiant power all those years ago.
Comments