Kastatsz Tuszimos

The world-tree of Kastatsz Tuszimos stands alone in the center of a great field which shares its name at the middle of the Tajj Netan Empire. While the field stretches for several hundred kilometers, the tree itself takes up relatively little space, standing about 15 kilometers tall and spanning another 30 by its canopy. The rest of the field is a flat, grassy steppe, full of wildflowers and tall grasses with regular trees occasionally dotting the landscape. Kastatsz Tuszimos can be seen from nearly every point in the field, especially as one travels westward and the elevation increases, and one can find its roots rising from the ground practically anywhere. Some sailors have even claimed to see its roots sprouting from the waters of the Bay of Kotok Nas, well beyond the borders of the Empire. Regardless of its physical presence, most would agree that the world-tree gives off a mystical energy which can be felt as soon as one enters the steppe, and many who believe in its magic have chosen to make permanent residency there, even fashioning and shaping its roots into their homes in much the same way as one shapes the branches of a bonsai tree.

The name Kastatsz Tuszimos refers to both the great tree and the field surrounding it, and in many ways it has the typical ecosystem one would expect of a forest clearing. Many small rodents and birds nest there, some of them migratory and others year-round residents, and there are larger mammals such as deer, bears, and wildcats to be found throughout. A large variety of insects make their home in the tall grasses of the field, the roots and bark of the tree, and the leaf litter that beds the ground beneath the canopy. Of course, amidst all of this, there are humans, many of whom live in small villages forged of the tree's own roots, some who live in small cities on the field's edge, and fewer still who live in the branches of the tree itself, which are bountiful enough that an entire life can be lived among them, without ever needing to touch the ground.   Due to the vast size of the tree, there are certain species which live only here. Although mostly confined to insects, rodents, and others which do not have the capacity to travel far in their short lives, there is also the Katu, a primate species which so far has only been found in the canopy of the tree, and whose image is often represented on banners and flags of the tribes native to the tree.

Kastatsz Tuszimos enjoys a mild, temperate climate similar to most of Tajj Neta. Even on days when the sun would be brutal and hard, such as in the heat of summer, the tree's canopy provides a cool blanket of shade.