Talark Tree

Growing only in the crystal-crusted sands of the Salted Sands Desert, the Talark tree may arguably be the rarest in all of Rën. It is a slow-growing hardwood tree with a deep root structure that will grow to an approximate length of 300 leagues deep, where it pierces the aquifer. At this stage of its development, it is considered a subadult and is approximately 1400 years old and half its full size. Once the tree has access to all the water it will ever need, it rapidly matures over the next 100 years to stand at an average height of 150 feet with a 20-foot trunk diameter and a 300-foot canopy. Once fully grown, the Arch Druid of the Talarian order (an offshoot of the Areian elves) places a tap into the tree in a coming-of-age ceremony Known as the "Avida Leven." After a short healing period, typically a fortnight, the tree can supply up to 20 barrels of drinkable water daily. The Talarian Druidic Order protects the last standing grove of Talark trees. The forest contains 203 fully grown adults, 80 sub-adults, and another 92 known trees between germination and sub-adulthood phases of development. All 375 trees are named and adopted by a specific member of the Talarian order. Adult trees produce a single seed every 500 years. Each seed takes another 500 years to germinate.   The Talark trees at one time were much more numerous. They were found in small clusters at the center of a paco (an oasis-like area where vegetation grows in the Salted Sands). At this time, pacos were permanently fixed to where they grew. It is thought that the root structures of the great trees anchored them in place. Now, without the Talark trees at their center, the Pacos drift with the sands from which they grow. The Talark trees were found throughout the entire span of the Salted Sands, but they were logged extensively due to their size, durability, heat, and water-resistant features. The beauty of the wood, with its modeled pink coloration and intricate grain pattern, didn't help. The more the world learned of the Talark tree, the more they wanted its milled wood for building homes and palaces, carving works of art, and in some cases, weapons.   The Areian elves were at the center of the logging operation. They grew wealthy from the exportation of the Talark trees; they built a grand city from the Talark wood and fought numerous wars over the years to protect their source of profits. They gathered without thought until the time known as the Wilting (approximately 12,000 years ago). At this time, 90% of all adult, fully mature trees were cut down, and the subadults and seedlings started to die off, forever changing the landscape of the Salted Sands. This disaster drove a group of Areians to protect the last standing grove of Talark trees, and eventually, they grew into the Talarian Druidic Order.