Inking Erudus - Creating Vegetation - The Spineback Mountain region - Trees
Creating Vegetation for the fantastical world of Erudus.
Region - The Spineback Mountains
Since the mountains in this region are so cold and windy, the trees have adapted to the weather and altitude. Lower regions support more trees, while areas high on the mountain, like the Echo Caverns, have twisted, magical trees, growing in the crevices.
Spine Fir
Spine firs grow on the lower elevations of the mountain. They are tall evergreens that reach upward with blackish green needles and a silvery bark. During the heavy snows of the cold season, and when the Bitter Wind occurs, these trees survive more often than the other species. The branches of this tree can withstand large amounts of snow sitting on them. Because they are adapted to the environment so well, more of these trees grow in the region than any other species.
Blue Needle Pine
These trees have deep blue-green needles and charcoal bark. Pale, silvery veins run up and down the trunk. These veins react to the aurora and shimmer when it is especially bright.
Wind Crooks
These trees are short and very old. Because of the heavy winds, the trunks of these trees are bent towards the base of the mountain. During snow storms the people of the region use Wind Crooks to help them point their way to safety.
Gnarly Cedar
This tree has deformed branches and a gnarly trunk. It grows almost horizontally from the cliffs with its roots growing from cracks in the stone. Climbers on the mountain use these trees as handholds when climbing.
Ringer’s Wood
These trees have silver bark on their trunks and branches, They have long, narrow leaves that ring in the wind. Most people think that there is no pattern to the sound, but Angelika can hear “songs” when the tree’s leaves move.
Aurora Pine
These trees have cobalt blue needles with shimmery silver tips. When the aurora is strong the tips glow lavender, blue and deep green. As soon as the aurora fades away the glow disappears.
Echo Tree
These trees have thick, twisted trunks. Hollow spaces in the interior of the tree occur where the branches or the trunk bends. Wind in storms passes through these hollows producing low whistles. Sometimes strangers on the mountain mistake the whistles for human conversation.
Starfall
These are small mountain trees that have silvery leaves and dark purple berries. The trees need heat to root, so they only grow where sky shards have fallen.
Hearthwood
These trees, with coppery bark and deep foliage, are used in the hearths on the mountain. The wood burns slower, warmer and cleaner than the other species of trees.
Stormroot
These are wide but short trees that grow on the stone. They live easily through thunder and lightening storms and rarely fall. These trees have grown on the Spineback mountains for as long as people have lived there.
Stoneroot
Stoneroots are trees that live for thousands of sols. They grow very slowly and live on land where no other trees or plants can survive.
Stoneroot trees have twisted, silver-black trunks. Their roots grow in natural crevices on the mountain side.
One of the oldest Stoneroot trees is called the Mountain Heart. Couples of the region carve their names on this tree when they bond and become partners.
Other posts discussing the vegetation on Erudus.
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