The Elven Trees

The Four Great Trees

Sylen

To nurture others; to help other grow. The Sylen Tree teaches that our greatest duty is to better others.

As the canopy of the Sylen Tree shades the whole valley, giving leaves to the mulch and shade to the wildlife, so an elf of the Sylen Tree must strive to help the lives of others.

Fyf

To grow oneself; to not stagnate. The Fyf Tree grows taller every year, bigger, wider, stronger. It teaches that there is always room to improve and grow- that no height is final, nor satisfactory.

As every year the Fyf Tree reaches new heights, so must an Elf of the Fyf Tree grow himself.

Shyn

TBD

The Other Trees

Apple

To do only good. The fruit of the Apple Tree is sweet and hardy, it does not easily spoil. However, one bad apple spoils the whole barrel- and so the Apple Tree teaches us to make sure not to hurt and ruin those around us.

An Elf of the Apple Tree will be good to those around him, doing his best to avoid causing harm- almost all are pacifist, most are vegetarian.

Rowan

To advance mortal knowledge. The Rowan Tree is delicate, fragile- it bears little fruit, and its light attracts pests. But it still exists, its glowing halo pushing back the darkness of the night. The lesson of the Rowan Tree is inferred from its halo- that no matter how fragile your knowledge, it still pushes back the darkness of ignorance.

And Elf of the Rowan Tree will dedicate his life to the pursuit of new knowledge.

The Rowan Tree is a... peculiar tree. Its elves even more eccentric than the tree,
the tree is nonetheless an oddity in any setting -
it looks eeriely perfect, like it grows the exact way you imagine trees growing.
Its fruit, which it bares very little of, is very similar in shape to a closed pinecone-
except it has a slight golden hue to it, like it is permanently basked in the light of dawn.

And of course, the tree has a halo- similar to Aasimars, each has its own, unique to it.
But unlike most Aasimar, all share the same ancestor- and their halo always reads:
"I am the seed of the Rowan Tree, who pushed the light of knowledge further into the dark"

Goldenchain

To unite; To bring others together. The Flowers of the Goldenchain Tree are small, individually, but the Tree grows them strung in long chains, reaching from the branches to the ground- covering itself in a golden chainmail, much more impressive than the individual flowers. The Goldenchain Tree teaches us that together we are better then the sum of our parts.

An Elf of the Goldenchain Tree will strive to unite others, to have them work together. In modern times, most are devoted followers of Edon.

Mimosa

To be content with fate. The Mimosa Tree grows delicate flowers made of silk-like strings; it grows gentle, small leaves, on intricate branches. The Mimosa Tree does not try to fight the storms, folding its branches and drooping its flowers, content with letting the storm simply pass. The Mimosa Tree teaches us to let fate blow, to not try and fight that which is beyond us.

An Elf of the Mimosa Tree will be content with whatever fate has in store- and most will devout themselves to its Golden Weaver.

Manchineel

To be your own deterrent; To be deadly enough to always survive. Every part of the Manchineel Tree is hazerdous- its fruit is poison, its sap is harmful to the touch; even water dripping from its leaves caues the skin to blister. The Manchineel Tree teaches us that we should be deadly- the world is perilous and unfair, and so the dangers of the Manchineel Tree outmatch the dangers of the world.

An Elf of the Manchineel Tree knows that safety is only assured by means of fatal deterrence, and will seek to have one.

Oak

To be strong and unyielding; to not bend. The Oak Tree grows slow; it germinates slowly, and grows only little every summer. But its wood is the strongest out of all the Trees, and the great Oaks stand tall among the most powerful storms. The Oak Tree teaches us that strength comes from conviction, not from chasing goals.

An Elf of the Oak Tree will stay true to his beliefs, whatever they may be, and will never bend them. Many follow Arca, though many do not.

Aspen

To adapt; to be flexible. The Aspen Tree grows more then one trunk from its roots- a cluster of Aspens is often just a single tree; sometimes a whole forest of Aspen is a single living being. The Aspen Tree teaches us that there are many places and ways to thrive, that no singular answer is the only correct one.

An Elf of the Aspen Tree will be flexible, recognizing the magnitude of ways one can think and live and still grow.