Complete, soul-saturating peace fills the shade beneath the branches of the World Tree.
The towering tree has existed since before recorded history. Hundreds of feet tall with impossibly vast branches, it shades more than twenty acres within the ancient forest that surrounds it. Creatures beneath its canopy feel healthier, calmer, and deeply connected to those around them.
Scholars debate the true nature of the tree endlessly. Legends claim the species of the World Tree itself has changed at least once throughout history, though no living witness has ever observed such a transformation. To many, the tree is divine. To others, it is something older and stranger still.
Pilgrims once traveled from across the world simply to stand beneath its leaves. That changed during the reign of Keridwyn, when a city was established among the branches themselves. Rather than spread outward, the settlement grew vertically alongside the tree.
Buildings now rest atop immense limbs, hang suspended from reinforced supports, and nest naturally between living foliage. Bridges stretch from branch to branch high above the forest floor, while lanterns and magical lights glow through the leaves like constellations suspended in the canopy.
Life within the World Tree follows a philosophy unlike anywhere else in the realm. The people value patience, self-improvement, education, and emotional balance above wealth or conquest. Work is approached calmly. Mastery is pursued without obsession. Even governance remains temporary and communal.
Problems are addressed democratically by elected organizers who return to ordinary life once their task is complete. Leisure is not viewed as laziness but as a natural part of existence. Games are played without gambling, food is enjoyed without excess, and authority is exercised without greed.
The tree’s influence also strengthens magical imbuement. Skilled craftsmen produce extraordinary enchanted tools beneath its branches, while even novice artisans can create functional magical items with surprising consistency. During the height of Keridwyn’s alliance, the World Tree supplied vast quantities of practical magical artifacts throughout the kingdom.
Yet not all trust the peace the tree provides. Critics argue its influence is unnatural — perhaps addictive, perhaps manipulative. Many who leave the city describe an uncomfortable emptiness as the sense of unity fades with distance from the branches. Some return willingly. Others grow resentful, believing the tree clouded their judgment.
After the alliance shattered, enemies of the World Tree saw opportunity. Without Keridwyn standing between them and the sacred grove, factions fearful of the tree’s influence began preparing to confront what they believe may be the greatest unseen threat in the world.
Once known as Hixli, Wis served as the Lore Master of Clan Bato, carrying generations of accumulated goblin knowledge and oral history. Her wisdom allowed her to foresee dangers others ignored.
She warned her clan against overusing ForkLeaf — a useful but dangerous plant whose acidic root systems weakened the alpine terrain beneath their settlement. The Clan Master ignored her warnings in pursuit of greater harvests.
When the mountain collapsed and half the clan was lost in the landslide, grief turned to blame. Accused of sorcery and cursed foresight, Wis was driven from her people and forced into isolation among caves and foothills.
During her years alone, she refined her divination magic and learned to survive without support or companionship. Though capable and resourceful, loneliness slowly became more dangerous than the wilderness itself.
Eventually a traveling merchant directed her toward the World Tree, where she expected suspicion but instead found acceptance. Yuyizi immediately recognized her intelligence and gave her purpose within the city’s defense.
Now Wis serves as one of the city’s greatest strategists and advisors, using foresight, accumulated knowledge, and careful planning to protect the peaceful sanctuary she finally calls home.
Yuyizi is every bit as cunning as the foxes from which her people descend. Small in stature but impossible to underestimate, she survives through preparation, manipulation, and layered contingency.
Before embracing the peace of the World Tree, she controlled much of Symtar’s criminal underworld. Alongside her loyal protector and fellow thief Izi, she spent decades outmaneuvering the enforcers of Keridwyn while building a fortune through black markets and organized crime.
Her brilliant mind allowed her to stay steps ahead of nearly everyone around her — until a catastrophic failure nearly cost her life. For the first time, no backup plan remained.
The experience shattered her confidence in greed and ambition. Seeking a different path, she abandoned her criminal empire and traveled to the World Tree in search of peace and spiritual balance.
Though she left crime behind, she retained the instincts and knowledge gained from it. Yuyizi understands selfishness better than most, making her uniquely capable of predicting the actions of enemies, spies, manipulators, and conquerors.
Age has weakened her skill with a blade, but her mind remains terrifyingly sharp. Together with Wis, she orchestrates the layered defenses of the World Tree through traps, political maneuvering, magical preparation, and long-term strategy.
