Rootwalkers of Zycore: The Dryathi

Introduction

When the bodies of the goddesses Rexentra (Order) and Dramera (Chaos) formed Zycore, permanently trapping Bel'thazorn within the planet, each continent inherited a different ratio of their essence. Uulek’Dorr received the richest blend, but all continents hold pockets of divine life-force where Dryathi emerged in unique and unusual forms.

Contrary to mortal belief, Dryads are not native to a single land.

They are the world’s immune system—a magical species formed to balance ecosystems, preserve memory, and monitor disturbances in the Sisters’ remains.

But each continent shapes them differently. They did not emerge fully formed. They grew from the roots of the world.

UULEK’DORR — THE HEARTLAND OF THE FIRST ROOT

Uulek’Dorr is the continent where Rexentra and Dramera’s essences mingled most violently, creating Dryathi who embody the paradox of Order born through Chaos, Chaos given shape by Order.

This is where the Elder Roots first awoke. Where the heart-trees hum with divine memory. And where the vast majority of Dryathi lineages originate.

From Uulek’Dorr, splinters of the First Roots spread through drifting spore columns, ley-line surges during the Shrouded Age, the great migrations at the end of the War of the Damned, and (rarely) intentional Dryathi exploration.

These wandering Dryathi seeded the other continents… but the land of each continent reshaped them.

The Dryathi of Uulek’Dorr embody the most “classical” plant-borne forms, shaped by the rich mingling of Rexentra and Dramera’s essence. Their bodies resemble living trees with barklike skin, leaf or vine hair, and seasonal coloration, ranging from the sturdy, broad-shouldered Oakborn to the flowing, graceful Willowmourn and the light-footed, parchment-skinned Birchstriders. Even the harsher Thornkin—studded with hardened vines and desert thorns—retain that unmistakable harmony of order and chaos. Uulek’Dorr Dryathi stand tall and expressive, their silhouettes evocative of forest guardians, their eyes glowing with sunlight or riverlight. Subtle magical auras—mists, pollen motes, or faint heat waves—betray the lineage of their grove and the emotional state beneath their bark.

MYR’LAKKA — THE SHATTERED WILDS, LAND OF SPORE AND STONE

“Where the world remembers what it once was… and what it fears becoming.”

Myr’lakka is a continent of petrified forests, fungal megaspires, and ancient stone scars—the place where the Sisters’ lingering energies fused with primordial fungi. Here, Dryathi did not form primarily from trees or vines but from mycelial networks, glowing lichens, and fungal blooms.

These are the Sporeborn Dryathi, but the term barely captures their variety

Dryathi of Myr’lakka are shaped by fungal networks, petrified forests, and the Dream-Spore magic saturating the Shattered Wilds, giving them an otherworldly, half-mineral, half-fungal appearance. Their bodies often blend fossilized wood, crystalized bark, and glowing mycelium veins, forming figures that look carved from ancient stone and lit from within. Hollowcap Wardens bear wide fungal caps and spore-woven musculature, while Blightkin appear gaunt and darkened, infused with necrotic spores that give them a rotted yet powerful aesthetic. Myr’lakkans drift with spore clouds, hum with crystal resonance, and walk with the slow, monumental presence of beings shaped by both decay and transformation.

ACAZOR — THE FRONTIER CONTINENT OF ASH, STORM, AND TITANS

“Where root meets ruin, and the land itself tests the worthy.”

Acazor is a savage, untamed continent of volcanic ranges, storm-blasted coasts, titanic skeletons, and primal warbeasts. Dryathi here are not gentle caretakers but survivors in a harsh land that respects strength above all else.

They are born from: fire charred groves, Storm-wisted boughs, ash plains, titan-buried root systems, and the few ancient forests that cling stubbornly to life

Acazoran Dryathi are forged by volcanic violence, brutal storms, and titan fossils, resulting in bodies far harsher and more elemental than their kin elsewhere. Ashenbark Dryathi resemble walking charcoal statues veined with ember-light, while Stormbough bodies crackle with lightning patterns and vine-tendrils that spark in the air. The colossal Titanroot Dryathi appear part-wood, part-bone, shaped by roots grown through ancient skeletons. Their colors lean toward blacks, reds, silvers, and storm-blues, and their presence is marked by soot trails, static bursts, tremors, and the deep earth-echoes of old giants. Acazoran Dryathi are survival incarnate—sculpted by destruction, purified by renewal.

VLENERON — THE FROZEN NORTH, THE CONTINENT OF ICE, SILENCE, AND SECRETS

“Life clings hardest where the Sisters’ warmth never reached.”

Vleneron is the one of the coldest continents—an expanse of tundra and taiga forests, glacial caves, untamed wilds, and sunless coastlines. It is also the continent where the Sisters' life-essence is thinnest, leaving Dryathi rare and strange.

Here, life grew slowly, cautiously, and in fragile enclaves. The Dryathi of Vleneron are the quietest, oldest, and most enigmatic of their kind.

Vleneron’s Dryathi are rare, delicate, and strangely luminous, shaped by thin life-essence and an unforgiving land of ice, mist, and auroras. Frostbloom Dryathi carry icewood bark and crystalline growths that flower like frozen petals, while Mistveins ripple with internal vapor, their limbs dissolving at the edges like drifting fog. The enigmatic Echolume appear carved from aurora-light itself, translucent and shimmering, with shifting colors beneath faint woodgrain. Vleneron Dryathi often emit frost, mist, or harmonic chimes, and their presence is quiet, contemplative, and haunting—more like wandering spirits of winter than traditional forest-born beings.

The Great Cycle of Dryathi Across Zycore

Dryathi scholars refer to the continents in a cycle:

• Uulek’Dorr — Root and Balance
• Myr’lakka — Spore and Transformation
• Acazor — Ash and Renewal
• Vleneron — Frost and Reflection

Together, they complete the world’s ecology—not physically, but magically.

The Dryathi believe that to understand Zycore, one must walk all continents. To understand the Sisters, one must hear each continent’s “voice.” To prevent Bel’thazorn’s resurgence, one must listen to all roots, all spores, all ash, all frost.

Some prophecy-driven Dryathi whisper a final truth:

“If ever the four lineages gather in one place,

the Sisters’ Dream will open once more.”

No one knows what this means, but the world is changing—and Dryathi have begun traveling again.

DRYATHI RACIAL TRAITS

“All things grow, all things fade, and in the cycle we find purpose.”

Ability Score increases: +1 to Wisdom, and +1 to Dexterity, or distribute two +1 bonuses across your abilities as you choose
Creature type: you are considered fey

Size: you are Medium (ranging anywhere from 5'6'' to well over 7 feet, depending on lineage)

Speed: Your walking speed is 30 feet

Natural Magic: You know the druidcraft cantrip, and wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this trait
Sylvan Step: Your movements flow with the rhythms of the natural world. You ignore non-magical difficult terrain made of plants, roots, or undergrowth, and you have advance on stealth checks made to hide in natural environments

Barkskin Resilience: Your skin can harden like living bark. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your dexterity modifier. This trait does not stack with other mechanical benefits (such as a monk's or barbarian's unarmored defense feature)
Verdant bond: Dryathi can form magical connections mirroring the Sisters' final unity. After a 10-minute ritual with a willing creature, you form a Verdant Bond with them. You and the bonded creature gain the following benefits:

• You and the bonded creature can communicate simple emotions within 60ft.
• As a bonus actions, you may grant your bonded creature advantage on their next saving through against being charmed or frightened. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus

You may only have one Verdant Bond at a time, ad creating a new bond ends any previous one.

UULEK’DORR SUBSPECIES

These represent the most “classical” Dryathi forms—rooted in the Sisters’ original mingled essence. Choose one of the following subspecies below

Heartwood Oakborn

“Stand as the oaks stand: unmoved by storm, patient with time, and certain in purpose.”
— Elder Borvell of the Heartgrove

Stalwart guardians of ancient groves and dynastic borders.

Oakborn are the pillar-like Dryathi of Uulek’Dorr, shaped by enduring groves and the heartbeat of the continent. They embody resolve, tradition, and the calm strength of order.

Traits

Ability Score: +1 Constitution

Rooted Resolve: Advantage on saving throws and checks against being shoved, knocked prone, or moved against your will.

Heroic Sap: Once per long rest, you may cast the Heroism spell (Wisdom is your casting ability).

Riverwisp Willowmourn

The river remembers every sorrow it carries. So do we.”
— Miraeth the Veiled

Melancholy diviners and counselors of fog-veiled rivers.

Willowmourn carry faint echoes of Dramera’s emotional memory. They are empathic, fluid, and often the intermediaries between mortals and forgotten spirits.

Traits

Ability Score: +1 Charisma
Veil of Mist: You can attempt to hide even when lightly obscured by natural features (fog, foliage, rain).
Echo of Tears: When an ally within 30 ft fails a Wisdom saving throw, you may use your reaction to grant them advantage instead. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus

MYR’LAKKA SUBSPECIES

Formed from spore networks, petrified forests, and the Dream-Spore magic of the Shattered Wilds.

Blightkin Rotweaver

“Decay is not death—it is correction. We are the world’s quiet surgeons.”
— Rotweaver Myrrun

Harsh purifiers shaped by necrotic spores and cycles of decay.

Rotweavers are feared even by other Dryathi. They are not corrupted—they are cleansers, ensuring decay occurs where the land demands it.

Traits

Ability Score: +1 Constitution

Rotburst Strike: When you deal melee damage, you may add 1d6 necrotic damage, and can do so a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus

Decay-Tuned: You have advantage on checks to identify or to gather information about diseases, poisons, or undead.

ACAZOR SUBSPECIES

Shaped by volcanic destruction, titan fossils, and relentless storms.

Ashenbark Cinder-Ward

“Every scar tells a story of a forest reborn.”
— Cinder-Ward maxim

Charred guardians forged by fire and renewal.

Cinder-Wards live among ash dunes and volcanic valleys. They see destruction as a sacred cycle, and they rebuild what fire consumes.

Traits

Ability Score: +1 Strength

Fireforged Body: You have resistance to fire damage.

Cinder Burst: As a bonus action, you may erupt in a 5-ft flaming burst, causing all creatures to take fire damage equal to your level. Creatures struck by this effect take additional damage equal to your level at the start of their next turn.

VLENERON SUBSPECIES

“We bloom in silence, in snow, in stillness—and therein lies our strength.”
— Winterseed philosopher

Rare, ethereal, icebound Dryathi shaped by frost, mist, and aurora magic.

Frostbloom Winterseed

Quiet guardians of delicate ecosystems in the icefields.

Winterseeds grow where life should not survive—warmth flickering in the coldest places. Their bodies bloom with crystalline flowers.

Traits

Ability Score: +1 Wisdom
Coldborne: You have resistance to cold damage.
Hoarfrost Step: When you move, the ground within 5 ft becomes lightly frosted, granting you advantage on Stealth checks in snowy or icy terrain.