Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 greyorm Apr 24, 2007 21:29:42	I believe the commonly accepted wisdom for the Trees of Life is that they were Lifeshaped or created through sorcery, but they've always fallen a little flat in the "mythic and fascinating" category for me -- I mean, they're trees, and they're really alive. Yeah, ok, so? While browsing around on the 'net tonight, I came across an article about the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth that suddenly inspired me to add what I hope is a little more mythic history and wonder to Athas. Specifically this passage regarding the Ents: The Ents apparently never found the Entwives again. Aragorn granted them Fangorn Forest as an enclave and gave them permission to expand the forest again west into the vast wastes of Eriador where once a vast primeval forest had spread, but Treebeard lamented that while the forests may spread again the Ents would not. Over time they dwindled off and more of them became increasingly "tree-ish" and it does not appear that they ever enter into the affairs of other races again (it is unclear if a non-communicative tree-ish Ent can be considered "dead" or if in a sense they persist to the present day).
#2 cnahumck Apr 24, 2007 21:51:21	This is very interesting. Have to think about it some more, but very cool.
#3 zombiegleemax Apr 27, 2007 7:23:02	I like it, I've often thought that if Athas has the "seventh Tree" and "the Last Tree" where was the FIRST TREE? or any other numbered ones? our Game master placed them throughout Athas. The first Tree was Rajaats lost Citadel
#4 lumpkin Apr 30, 2007 2:37:38	I like that idea! I particularly like the way that defiling from a tree of life is still damaging and nasty. I didn't like the way that the SMs effectively became preservers while in their palaces because they surrounded themselves with trees of life (well that was the implication from their lush gardens anyhow). So would this mean that trees of life can no longer be created?
#5 greyorm Apr 30, 2007 20:06:11	I particularly like the way that defiling from a tree of life is still damaging and nasty. I didn't like the way that the SMs effectively became preservers while in their palaces because they surrounded themselves with trees of life. Yep, that bugged me, too. So would this mean that trees of life can no longer be created? If we go with the Tolkiensian way I envisioned it, yes: there's a limited number of them. You'd need not only new treants (and there just aren't any more), but a large set of very special circumstances to create more. (But could you imagine a "Hunt for the Ent-wives" set on Athas?)
#6 lumpkin May 01, 2007 5:27:38	I think the idea of the treants' attempt to save athas being subverted by the SMs, with the trees of life being systematically uprooted and replanted in palaces to fuel endless defiling spells at the expense of Athas's very core, so that it actually ended up doing more harm than good, is a quintessentially Dark Sun style twist
#7 greyorm May 03, 2007 23:14:58	I think the idea of the treants' attempt to save athas being subverted by the SMs, with the trees of life being systematically uprooted and replanted in palaces to fuel endless defiling spells at the expense of Athas's very core, so that it actually ended up doing more harm than good, is a quintessentially Dark Sun style twist Thanks! And that's exactly it: ToL as they stand (no pun intended ) fail to have that whole Athasian "doom is coming, and survival means making hard choices" vibe. They're just too "clean" and their use without tragic or destructive consequences doesn't fit the mood.