The Eldest Tree
The grandest of all trees in the whole multiverse. The Conduit of All Souls falls from its loftiest boughs.
At the centre of the Plane of Creation, a tremendously large tree stands. At least a mile high, its limbs are covered with a scattering of settlements and constructions - mostly fey palaces. Its canopy stretches outwards a similar distance, and its roots reach to the most distant corners of the plane. The entire tree thrums with a bold energy, infusing the surroundings with vibrant life. Many believe that this tree is the source of all natural energy in the cosmos and it is a common misconception that its boughs are the source of the Conduit of All Souls.
The tree is always visible within the Feywild, regardless of where the viewer is. Its image may be distorted by the domain it is being perceived from; in Ceaseless Slough, the Endless Tree appears cold and lifeless but from the grand hedge maze of Turnabout, the tree appears much closer, as though it is the centerpoint of the labyrinth.
Architecture
The Eldest Tree is large enough that its branches support entire towns and villages, carefully nestled into the bark. Care is usually taken to avoid harming the tree directly, instead, buildings are usually grown out of the raw materials of the surroundings or are hung from the branches.
Less reputable societies that have formed further from the tree, around the roots both above and below the surface, are more likely to make invasive or damaging structures.
The largest settlement in the Feywild, The Crown That Glimmers In The Tree, is a ring-shaped construction around the top of the trunk, resting just above the first branches. It is built from a myriad of natural materials sourced from all across the plane.
History
The Eldest Tree has existed since Urvén's creation, its growth happening over the first few centuries of the world. The oldest myths refer to fruits that fell from the tree and sprouted into the living creatures of the Feywild and the material plane.
It is difficult to measure the passage of time within the Feywild, but it is estimated that the alliance between the four seasonal courts for the governance of the plane - and therefore the custodianship of the settlements built around the tree - has lasted at least three thousand years.
Tourism
All fey creatures, along with many interplanar travellers, travel to the Eldest Tree at least once during their lives. It is the hub for all fey politics and while the position of the royal court is kept stable between the four seasonal courts, there is still endless opportunity for intrigue, trickery and the increase, loss or trading of standing.
Worldember 2022
Article Links
Archfey, The Baba, Bag of Bountiful Bread, Ceaseless Slough, Classifications of Powerful Beings, Echo Pastries, The Eldest Tree, Frostbite Jelly, The Hedge, Hollowfolk, Home At The Centre Of The Maze, Languid Lake, Plane of Creation, Recurrants, The Scribes, The Toad Prince, Underbridge, Week of Shadows
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