watching trees
Called bivu sezeri by the Yibiduri, the watching trees superficially resemble red maple trees, but rather than growing flowers and seeds they grow and indefinitely maintain hundreds of human-looking eyes, complete with blinking eyelids.
It is not known what purpose the eyes serve. Does the tree use them to see the world? Or are they utilized by some other entity to watch the happenings of the bogs? If the latter, it is only Zi Fuye Kuviki they are interested in as the trees do not grow anywhere else. If the former, what are the trees looking for? Or perhaps there is some other unkown purpose for a tree to have eyes.
The sap if the bivu sezeri is thick and red, resembling nothing so much as partly coagulated human blood. In fact, if the tree is cut open and the sap comes out, it will complete its coagulation quickly. This blocks the flow with a solid plug, looking very much like a scab on a person.
Show spoiler
Watching trees were originally created during the Third Age as a (failed) attempt to grow replacement eyes for people. It was a cross between a tree and speicific segments of human DNA. As with many strange creations from the Third Age, the watching trees became imbued with magic energy upon the return of magic to the world. There are likely many uses for the various parts of these eerie trees.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The Mingkadu have learned to use the eyes in matical protection devices. They use the sap in a magical healing salve.
There has been some experimentation with replacing human eyes with the eyes from watching trees. Success has been limited (thus far) to providing limited sight for a few hours.
It is rumored that the sap is a good enough substitute for human blood that Vampires can use it rather than the real thing.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Comments