The Anchor Tree

Off the coast of the Coastal Safe Zone there's a small island. At least, it's presumed there's an island under there. It's hard to tell because the main feature of the island is the colossal oak tree growing on, in and through it. The tree's continued use as a maritime waymarker and mooring post explains how it got its name.

Size

The tree is around 130 feet high, as measured from high tide. The crown begins forty feet up that height, and is roughly dome shaped with a flat underside. It is not circular but teardrop shaped, with the rounded end facing towards the prevailing wind. The longest dimension of the crown is just shy of 500 feet; the shortest around 280 feet. The trunk is fifty feet thick. The tree's thick root system twines around itself and the rock that supports the tree. Some of the roots extend as far as 300 feet down into the ocean.

Biome

The tree's age can only be guessed at. Magic was clearly involved in its growth but otherwise it resembles any other oak tree. The salt water does not seem to bother it. Its tangled roots form rock pools which are thriving habitats for sea life usually only found on the coast. Only the most adventurous birds can make the trip out to the island from the mainland, and the lack of any of the usual places that seabirds next on the coast means that nests seldom appear.

Habitation

The tree/island is too small to support permanent, independent habitation. Anyone trying to live there would have to eat nothing but the fish they could catch. Until fifty years ago, the Coastal Safe Zone maintained a lookout platform near the top of the tree. Adventurers with magical message-sending abilities would act as lookouts and inform the mainland if any large sea monsters appeared, or if any extreme weather was inbound. Regular supply ships would visit with food supplies or to swap in a new lookout. As weather-predicting magic improved and the incidence of large sea monsters declined, the scheme was eventually dropped.
The island does see regular visitors, from both the Coastal Safe Zone and the Archipelagic Safe Zone. Ships travelling up and down the coast use the tree as a marker, to let them know both how far they have come and how far from the coast they are. Passing ships usually moor near the tree to allow their crew and passengers some recreational time in its branches. The old lookout platform has been extended into a larger treehouse fort, the better to host more people.

Type

Natural Wonder

Parent Location

Coastal Safe Zone