Silkin Tree
The grave of a thousand Silkin spiders and the birth of a thousand more, the Silkin tree is both a home and resting ground for the arachnid creatures. Standing as tall as 60ft in-between the wildlife of forests throughout Violem. A sight many adventurers would rather avoid.
Appearance:
They stand alone in large forest clearings. The symphony of the forest seem to go quiet as you approach it. Most people first notice the pure whiteness of the wispy branches. Expanding outwards maybe 30ft to 40ft in all directions. The most inner branches standing taller while the most far reaching twigs sag downwards, almost touching the ground below. It is difficult know where one branch ends and another one begins as thousands of small grey droplets hang down, gently swaying in the breeze. Creating the illusion of foliage on a barren tree. These droplets are small clusters of spider eggs, waiting to hatch. Taking your eyes away from the branches and towards the trunk, it is possible to see silvery lines scrawled all over what most presume is the bark of this overpowering sapling. But those brave enough to look closer, the rough texture of this tree is actually made up of numerous spider bodies, long deceased and fused together to form a solid mass as tall as 60ft. Darker in comparison to the branches, instead a blend of blacks and greys that match the colour of a living Silkin Spider.
Life & Death:
Whilst the origins of each Silkin tree is unknown, many scholars presume it begins with the death of an average tree. Chopped down leaving a stump or a broken trunk snapped during a storm. The perfect home for Silkin Spider to inhabit. Claiming the stump as their new home and building up a webbing around it for added protection from natural predators. The spiders lay hundreds of eggs per year and let their young to scurry across the area to live their lives as individuals. Once they near the end of life, the Silkin return to the stump, giving up their body to the stump and allow it to grow further. Over dozens of years, the stumps grow larger and larger until an entire Silkin tree is brought to life.
Mysteries of Kikullu:
Only a few Silkin tree are known throughout Violem, with many more theorised across several forests. But the largest known tree can be found inside the Great Forest. Explorers claim it is three times the size of and other made up an undeterminable amount of spider corpses. Beside the enormous size of the tree, there are whispers that the tree didn't start as a stump or half trunk, but instead an ancient waystone to an undiscovered realm. A realm where gods roam the land. Kikullu, one of the supposed deities protects the waystone and gives birth to all Silkin spiders. Legends speak of this Goddess in texts recovered from the fallen empire of Cynnaghar, roaming the realms in search of new home. Stumbling upon the waystone and entering Violem, Kikullu watches over her kin. Watches them grow and patiently waits for the day when she can return. But to do what? The texts don't say.
The Silkin Tree sounds like nature got bored and decided to prank anyone who walks too close. I bet it looks beautiful right up until you realize it has glued your pants to your legs. Someone probably tried to hug one and is still there, just slightly more fashionable now. Absolutely love it. Would not trust it for a second.