The Pillars

Big trees! They’re a core element of The Snarl. So let’s take a look.

The gargantuan trees known as pillars are the living terrain upon which the Weald thrives and dies. Every pillar is singularly massive, towering between one and two kilometers over the Mulch, with core trunks dozens of meters in radius. Some are wide enough that horizontal cities have been carved into their interiors.

The pillars are studded with gargantuan branches up and down their entire height, reaching out to their verdant neighbors. These wooden arms inosculate—graft together—forming a massive support framework. This wooden lattice serves as the elevated foundation for the trails, roads, and infrastructure of the Weald’s denizens.

The pillars are ancient if not immortal, having existed since the dawn of recorded history. Outside of the Blight and a few that have suffered disaster, they do not die. An unknown process regenerates their core trunks, though individual branches occasionally wither and die. The death or destruction of a pillar is considered a major catastrophe, as they are revered and venerated.

The pillars are the foundation on which entire ecosystems grow and die. Each is covered in thick layers of moss, algae, lichen, fungus, and ivy. Normal-sized trees and bushes sprout from their branches and trunks. Vines, epiphytes, and similar flora dangle from their heights.

Many pillars feature hollow cavities, both natural and carved. These “tunnels” and “caves” serve as homes, shelters, pathways, refuges, or even vibrant gardens. Some pillars have been worked by ancient hands, shaped into distinctive forms, both functional and artistic.

Remarkably, the pillars themselves are resistant to fire—though the flora that grows upon them is not. Wildfires have scoured some pillars clean of life; the pillars themselves have only burned on a few rare occasions.