Sunbreath (Flora)

Plant Type

Dry Tree / Palm

Rarity

Rare

Description

The Sunbreath is one of the most strange looking tree's within the realm, often growing to astounding heights of 5-6m (15-16ft). These palm like tree's however are not known for their heights but the surprising look of their species. They often grow straight up, curving their their top, and hold no visible branches of any kind, often resembling giant thorns sticking up from the sand, their roots visible for a few feet before vanishing under the sand where they make their home. The outside shell of these tree's is hard, much like most species of cacti, but underneath a palm like fiber exists which may be used in fabrics and weaving. During only a few weeks of a normal year, this tree is left barren, with no seeds or plants visible on its surface, almost looking dead, or dormant. However, during the rising of the hotter temperatures during the spring, leaves will sprout from it's top, absorbing sunlight in high amounts for a few weeks before these leaves fall off and die, returning to its dead look the rest of the year. Perhaps the strangest part about this species however is their offspring, having no visible seeds or pods to spread, this tree is only capable of reproducing by spreading it's roots, to which new tree's will sometimes appear with enough distance apart from one another, making one large network of these in groups, giving them the appearance of thorn vines, or some form of growing mass within a large enough area, making their sources incredibly difficult to find as they do not spread like normal plants.

Location

This tree is located in only the hottest, driest parts of the realm, being one of the few species of plants capable of surviving in areas with very little water, and heavy amounts of sun.

The area's included in such a description are rocky cliffs near volcanoes or hot-springs, and in areas of the tallest sand dunes within the desert. Their roots are the longest of any tree and will often grow hundreds of feet outward in search of water, and connecting one another to their source. Given their way of reproducing, they are incredibly difficult to find, often only being discovered by the most hearty of explorers.

Development

Spreading and growing from a single tree's roots, these plants grow on one another like weeds, taking the appearance of a large network of trees within an area, making them incredibly difficult to discover, only the most ancient of them having large groups. They will grow a new tree only once every 5 or so years, making them incredibly slow in growth under normal conditions, however if given enough water year round, this will accelerate to having a new tree every 1-2 years instead.

Material Properties

• The inner palm like fibers of the tree can be used to make fibers or clothing of the same name.
• The outer hard layers of this tree can be used in creating huts, or water channels, being water tight, but cannot be molded or altered, often cracking and breaking to those who try.

Alchemical Properties

• Those who are able to collect the rare leaves, which sprout only for a few weeks a year before falling off can boil or crush them down into a paste which helps treat burns, sunburns included, helping the body more easily repair and restore the damaged flesh caused by the burns, working up to a category 2 burn before its affects become almost useless.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier