Ehran

Meaning "White Tree" in Old Elvish, the Ehran is the iconic tree of the Ehranian Empire. According to legend, it was gifted by Ruandal as a reward after the Elves secured victory in the Everwar. Many scholars instead believe it was invented by skilled Elven magicians, but it is considered impolite to discuss the matter openly.
As the name suggests, the tree is primarily white in coloration, having silvery leaves with golden edges. Depictions of the tree or it leaves are ubiquitous symbols within the Elven land. The progenitor and most famous of trees is Ehrama, the "mother tree", which is also the primary real estate of Ehrania's capital, Ehranith.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Its trunk is very straight and cylindrical, with a gradual taper to a sharp point. Its bark is very smooth, with a faint crisscross pattern sometimes compared to the scales of a fish. The trunk grows in both height and width as it ages.
Its boughs have a gentle curve, emitting branches which sport leaves in a spiral pattern. While the boughs and branches grow with proportion to the tree, the leaves do not.

Biological Traits

The wood of the Ehran tree is Ehranite, the magical properties of which allow it to grow indefinitely without issue resulting from its weight.

Genetics and Reproduction

The tree has no sex and does not produce seeds, and so can only reproduce by careful cuttings, which can only be safely made after it reaches maturity.

Growth Rate & Stages

An Ehran sprout grows very slowly, and is extremely vulnerable and tender during this time, especially to extremes in temperature. Ehran saplings are kept in greenhouses and tended by certified botanists to ensure the greatest chance of survival. They generally become stable after 100 years, with their growth rate increasing slightly.
They grow indefinitely, becoming stronger in the process. There is no known limit to size or age: Ehrama is over 20,000 years old, and more than 3.3 kilometers in height.

Ecology and Habitats

A young tree can only thrive between 73 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity between 50 and 80 percent, and needs six hours of indirect sunlight and at least one gallon of water per day per meter of height. Because no environment maintains these conditions perfectly throughout the year, greenhouses are used to ensure tree health. As the tree grows, its required parameters widen, and once it reaches maturity it can potentially survive in any environment, provided its water needs are met.

Biological Cycle

The tree's reaction to the change of seasons is very slight, primarily noticeable by the coloration of the leaves, which become more golden during the autumn and return to mainly silver in the spring. Otherwise, the bark becomes more brittle during colder weather, but the effect is negligible and only noticeable on very large scales.
Ehrama has produced two fruits in its lifetime, at 7 and 14 thousand years of age. These fruits contain no seeds, but instead house highly concentrated magic power, believed by the Elves to grant godlike powers to the one who consumes them. Because no other Ehran is over 5 thousand years in age, it is unknown if they will follow the same pattern.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Ehran trees are seen as sacred, and as such are never used for practical purpose. On the rare occasion a tree dies for some reason, it is buried with the same respect as a head of state or great hero, and crafting or using its wood is considered anathema and a great crime. The only use to which the trees are put is as habitations: Ehrama and the seven younger trees surrounding it are of such size that they can collectively house thousands of individuals, who live in structures carefully built upon their bark, made from other trees and vines.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Almost all Ehran trees are on the eastern side of Ehrania, clustered around the capital where development of the trees began. However, there are many trees in other parts of the empire, usually in the keeping of wealthy or high-status individuals; there are also a few in other lands, notably Dwarven and Human nations, given as signs of diplomatic goodwill.

Conservation Status

Protected