Palum Contraligo
A spear hurled from the heavens by an elvish goddess of Spring, transformed into an ever-expanding forest...and a lair for the minions and machinations of Siegfried, the Dead Dragon.
"...With winter granting life to the dwarves, it is said that the Races of the Four Seasons were finally able to drive back the aberrant being that attempted to lay waste to the Material World. Though the Seasons had worked in harmony to win this war, legends say the Elves of Spring, the Season of Sloth, delivered the final blow through a prayer to Sielwara. Through their prayer they were granted a singular spear, wide as their largest temple and tall enough to reach the skies, allegedly hurled from the heavens from the goddess herself, piercing their foe and imprisoning it below the earth once more."Journal of Von Strathmere, renowned wizard and historian
It is my theory that that the legends of Palum Contraligo, known better as Sielwara's Spear, are heavily connected to the Grand Tree at the center of the Evermore Woods. Both are well connected to elvish lore, and the elves that I have spoken to refuse to tell me from whence their Tree came from. Perhaps they are unwilling to share their secrets with an outsider human such as myself. I pray that is the case, for if my hypothetical prove truthful, they raise many, many terrifying questions. What manner of beast did the goddess slay? Why did her spear become a tree whose roots connected to every tree in the Woods? What are the Evermore Woods, and by the Gods why are they spreading?Arkan, diviner of Crescentmoon
Purpose / Function
Legends say this spear was hurled from the Planes Above by the warrior goddess Sielwara, with the intent of sealing a breach of negative energy rising from below the Material World. Though the veracity of these rumors remains debated, none are willing to debate the Tree's strength: its roots are visibly connected to almost every tree within the Evermore Woods. Few dare to venture towards it, for fear of disrupting the tenuous balance it brings to the woods around them...especially if there is a being of unfathomable power beneath it.
The purpose of the spear, then, was to close the seal, and kill the creature that made it.
Alterations
Unbeknownst to both the divine and mortal beings of Thrasmarr, the spear hurled by Sielwara struck two targets. The first was the Gluttonous One, who was impaled with such ferocity that it sunk deep into the earth. The second target, however, was the Ancient Green Dragon, Siegfried, whose aura of malignancy brought forth the perils of nature. When the spear slew the sleeping Siegfried, it was his body and soul that transformed the spear into a Grand Tree, perhaps to protect his lair for the last time.
Yet, when the soul of the Gluttonous One sought to return to the Place Below, its blood fell upon the body of the dead Dragon and seeped into the roots. The Palum Contraligo would serve as a protector of the dead Dragon's former lair, yes. But its roots would hold a secondary purpose: to spread, to grow.
To consume.
Architecture
The 'building' is made of many rings, some of which have been hollowed out for use. Any windows, furniture, or vaguely humanoid features within these rings are roughly carved from the wood. The more well-furnished an area is, the closer it is to the laboratory of Isaak Tenthorne, the Dead Dragon's most potent creation.
Beneath the roots of the Grand Tree lies the now blocked entrance to a large, open valley. The walls of this place were carved from natural crevices to massive chiseled stone brickwork. Lying at the center of the valley is a horde of trinkets, and upon it lay Siegfried, his heart pierced by the Spear's central root.
History
Upon the Grand Tree's arrival and creation of the Evermore Woods, it oft went untouched for fear of interfering with the protection provided by the Forest, and from the outside has seen very few changes. Yet within the tree, there are two occurrences of note:
First, the Dead Dragon Siegfried has allowed his blood to seep into the roots, leaves and spores of the Tree, creating minions ranging from the simple infected, to the perilous orc, to even so rarely include dragonspawn like kobolds and dragonborn. These minions began carving a lair within the tree itself, as opposed to simply using the Rooted Cavern below. These actions were seemingly mindless, as the newfound had not been exposed to architecture, nor did they fully understand the desire of their master.
Secondly, a keep was constructed at the highest central point of the Tree, and the carved paths around it adorned and shaped to be better conducive to druidic magicks. These modifications were made at the command of Issak Tenthorne, a green Half-Dragon Druid and the missing son of the lord of the nearest town: Lord Aldric Tenthorne of Grenwood. Issak was unfortunate enough to have wandered within the tree's rings as a child, and was swiftly pierced by its roots and transformed into a pawn.
The only visible change to the tree experienced by the elves during the attack of the Avatar of Suffering: its leaves achieved their brightest green, and its roots grew further than ever before. The elves of the Evermore Woods placed their (arguably misplaced) hope within this moment, for it was believed to be a symbol of their survival and longevity. Palum Contraligo has remained evergreen to this day.
Alternative Names
The Grand Tree, The Evermore Tree, the Eternal Forest, Sielwara's Spear
Type
Tower, Mage
Characters in Location
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"A spear hurled from the heavens by an elvish goddess of Spring, transformed into an ever-expanding forest...and a lair for the minions and machinations of Siegfried, the Dead Dragon." Is it actually a big spear? Or a big tree? :O That's an awesomely mythical idea
Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.