King of Korriban
"Every ruin can become a garden. Every battlefield, a seedbed to Psilofyr."
—Darth Caedes, ruminations...
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a sentient and Force Sensitive tree species capable of large-scale ecological restoration and terraforming.
- Image Credit: All images from Ubisoft Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Art Blast
- Canon: Uneti Tree
- Permissions:
- Links:
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Name: Psilofyr
- Origins:
- Mutated Uneti Seed (sourced from Ahch-To)
- Brosi (first planted)
- Other Locations: N/A
- Classification: Sithspawn | Tree | Mycorrhizal Network
- Average Growth Cycle:
- The Psilofyr exhibits a powerful and symbiotic connection to the Force, thriving near locations steeped in it (such as Force Nexus, Netherworld Rifts, and other, similar locations). In areas where the Force is intrinsically concentrated, the Psilofyr grows as if under the effects of a powerful growth stimulant, mutating more quickly and to greater and more complicated effect. Because of this, the growth of a great tree can vary greatly in its time-to-maturity, represented by the spectrum below:
- Sapling: 10-50 years
- Maturity: 50–200 years
- Planetary Organism: 200+ years
- The Psilofyr exhibits a powerful and symbiotic connection to the Force, thriving near locations steeped in it (such as Force Nexus, Netherworld Rifts, and other, similar locations). In areas where the Force is intrinsically concentrated, the Psilofyr grows as if under the effects of a powerful growth stimulant, mutating more quickly and to greater and more complicated effect. Because of this, the growth of a great tree can vary greatly in its time-to-maturity, represented by the spectrum below:
- Viability: Psilofyr are incredibly resilient and prolific, able to thrive even in barren and resource depleted ecosystems. They have no requirement for light or clean air, and display a remarkable ability to repel and transmute poisons, pathogens, and blights (like the Candorian Blight) for which it was designed. Uniquely, and perhaps inherent to the tree's innate connection to the Force, the Psilofyr's ability to thrive seems to correlate with its proximity to Force exposure, most abundant nearby to Force Nexus and Netherworld Rifts, etc.
- Description: Derived from the mutated seed of an Uneti Tree, the Psilofyr was subjected to alchemical restructuring which resulted in a powerful sentience and the ability to deploy first person subjective experiences. While the Uneti is a rare and typically Force Sensitive tree with origins on Ahch-To, its more sinister cousin was created in the laboratories of Korriban. The seed of a Psilofyr is approximately 11 inches (27.9 cm) in length and 28 inches (71.1 cm) in circumference, roughly the size of an American football or a large coconut. It has a rough, dark-wood exterior, and weighs about 6lbs.
Once planted, the Psilofyr grows to become a massive tree beneath which a wide ranging system of roots and fungal networks mutate and adapt, spawning and connecting a diverse array of new and dominant life to burgeon up through a planet's topsoil. These root networks can span entire continents in the Psilofyr's maturity, or even reach planetary lengths if given enough time. Around these trees, forests and jungles spring to life, swamps and rainforests, and all manner of other diverse and rich biomes emerge. The Psilofyr and its surrounding network of terraformed, emerging life weave a subterranean, interconnected system with more connections than the human brain, where the roots of individual trees engage in electrochemical communication with each other, acting like synapses between neurons and indicating that the entirety of a Psilofyr created biosphere possesses an intelligence or at least an "awareness," capable of cognitive reactions and intelligent design. This consciousness expands and becomes more recognizable over time, as the mycorrhizal network archives the memories and experiences of those who tread upon its surface or perish within its embrace.
As the Psilofyr matures, it develops a host of defensive capabilities—ultimately creating a vibrant and resilient, incredibly invasive, potentially dangerous yet oh! so beautiful environment. Fungal carpets and exotic vegetation release poisonous and/or intoxicating spores into the air, capable of subduing prey and even briefly animating skeletal remains of the deceased who lay upon the forest floor. Of those cultures which spring up 'round the great Psilofyr trees, many develop superstitions about the act of burying their dead beneath the soil, observing that many of the buried return to them, walking again and hungry...
The Psilofyr is able to produce slimy creatures similar to acidic oozes, or incredibly simple plant-like drones and laborers. In fact, the most interesting life forms are those which share between the characteristics of both plants and animals. These zooplantae possess the rudiments of a nervous system, which gives them a kind of "organic intelligence" found in primitive animals; Thanks to some analogue of the nervous system, these creatures are capable of quite complex movements. These creatures continue to surprise and delight botanists and zoologists throughout the galaxy. More impressively, these great trees can produce local populations of even more complicated sithspawn resembling Shambling Vines, Duroki Nici, and the Dtarmia iw Dijomatsa.
- Average Height: 100+ meters
- Average Length: Planetary
- Color: The wildlife created by these massive trees also has bioluminescent qualities. By day, these sprawling forests look like lush paradise similar to Kashyyyk, but at night, virtually all life connected to the Psilofyr's mycorrhizal network exhibits bioluminescent qualities in various shades of blue, purple and green.
- Nutritional Value: The forests of a Psilofyr are rich and diverse, capable of producing a vast array of fruits, vegetables, and berries, etc. Moreover, many of the edibles consumed and herbs of these biomes possess potent curative and restorative characteristics.
- Toxicity: Fungal carpets and exotic vegetation release poisonous and/or intoxicating spores into the air all throughout the forests of a Psilofyr, capable of disorienting and subduing prey with any number of differing effects. The nature of these defenses varies from forest to forest, representative of the Psilofyr's constant evolution and adaptation throughout the terraforming process. In some cases, these spores can be lethal, or even dominate the senses to cause debilitating hallucinations.
- Other Effects: Developed initially as a countermeasure to the Candorian Blight on Brosi (c. 905 ABY), the Psilofyr is not only capable of resisting and transmuting otherwise incurable poisons, viruses, and blights, but also able to proliferate a vast array of medicinal herbs and natural substances.
- Distinctions: Psilofyr stores the memories and consciousness of deceased beings in a vast network of interconnected roots and mycorrhizal network, creating a vast and omnipresent consciousness capable of spanning entire planets with time. Psilofyr is linked to all plant life it creates through an electrochemical root network, giving her a natural form of limited omnipresence. Though not divine in nature, its awareness spans the planet wherever related vegetation exists, making it a living, sentient organism and part of the ecosystem.
Autotroph & Bestiary
herbaceous
| Plants | Description |
|---|---|
| Banshee of Paradise | Known simply as the banshee, is a large exotic-looking herb with a curved tubular plant body, long spines and large edible seeds. |
| Binary Sunshine | Is one of the many plants created by Psilofyr with a simple animal-like nervous system. |
| Bladder Polyp | Small rounded plants that grow in clusters on the forest floor. |
| Cat Ear | A woody stem zooplantae with a primitive nervous system, covered with modified leaves resembling feline ears. |
| Centipede | Is a herbaceous life form that has characteristics similar to familiar plants pollinated by nocturnal mammals, including dark colors, large sturdy flower, abundant nectar as a food reward, and foul odor. |
| Cheadle | A lovely, herbaceous plant found Psilofyr that has rounded leaves, and resembles many types of familiar vegetation. |
| Cillaphant | A herbaceous plant, with two whip-shaped leaves that protect the central group. |
| Direhorse Pitcher Plant | Although related to other tubular, pitcher-shaped carnivorous plants, is not carnivorous. It is in the same genus as the chalice plant and leaf pitcher. |
| Fibonacci | A large fern-like plant similar to the fiddlehead fern characterized by the iconic unfurling of fronds through growth. |
| Fiddlehead | A juvenile stage of a giant fern-like plant. |
| Gator Thorn Lichen | A rare species of Lichen. |
| Geode | It received its name from the geological formations of the same name, which are rock cavities full of crystals highly appreciated by collectors. |
| Grub Plant | Are small plants that have bulbous stems and no leaves. However, the tips do have primitive sensory cells. The coloring of it is to camouflage itself among the other foliage in the Psilofyr forests. |
| Healing Rose | A gigantic plant found predominantly in wooded areas. Medicinal. |
| Hermit Bud | Is a weed that is similar to the thistle bud and lionberry. The hermit bud grows a cluster of many flowers (inflorescence). |
| Helicoradian | It is a zooplant (half animal, half plant) that has a single leaf that responds to touch by curling up and retracting towards the ground. |
| Lionberry | Also known as Cynaroidia Decumbens, it is in the same genus as thistle buds and hermit buds. |
| Mantis Orchid | Is named after its mantis-like shape. The main difference between it and the Earth variety is that it can grow enormous in size. |
| Pineapple Plant | It is a bulbous green plant with yellow leaves sprouting from the top of the plant. |
| Popsicle | A tall, colorful plant |
| Sari | A lovely flowering plant with a simple structure consisting of one thick main stem, several whorls of leaves attached in a ring at intervals along the stem, and a large bud at the apex. |
| Spartan | Is a thick stemmed plant covered entirely in large leaves that are somewhat oval with pointed tips. |
| Spiny Whips | Are unusual plants that resemble gigantic relatives of the tiny nonvascular liverworts on Earth. |
| Sol's Delight | A plant unique to Psilofyr that is magnetotropic, meaning it is able to detect and orient itself towards a magnetic field. |
| Sun Lily | Is a hearty multi-petalled bloom, this sun-loving flower is a common sight. |
| Syekalin | Syekalin has purplish-blue petals and green leaves and looks like a terrestrial succulent or cactus flower. Syekalina pollen has a sweet odor that can cause illness if inhaled. |
| Thistle Bud | Is a large herb from the same genus as the hermit bud and lionberry. |
| Thorny Paw | A large succulent cactus-like plant with long barbed spines growing at tips, short spines all over, and no leaves. |
| Warbonnet Fern | A large herbaceous fern-like plant with colorful iridescent blue leaves. |
Similar to a Tree
| Plants | Description |
|---|---|
| Banana Fruit | It is a banana-like fruit, used as a food source. |
| Beanstalk Palm | Is named for its ability to grow to exceptional heights in the dense atmosphere and low gravity of the planet. |
| Burnfiber Tree | A soft, cotton-like plant material native to Psilofyr forests. |
| Canalyd | Has an unusual growth form with a basal, woody stem and a thickened green stem above the base. |
| Cannonball Tree | A deciduous, fruit-bearing tree. |
| Ceilia Fruit Tree | A multi-trunked deciduous tree with long hanging vines from which grow massive seed pods. |
| Cycad | Bears an uncanny resemblance to cycads that occur throughout the Earth's tropics. |
| Dandetiger | A large stately tree that resembles a sparkler. It produces no branches, and leaves are clustered at the crown of the tree. |
| Dapophet | Is an unusual plant that stores water in its tissues. |
| Episoth | A tall tree with an advanced dispersal mechanism to spread its seeds near and far. |
| Goblin Thistle | Known as the Grinch Tree. |
| Lizard Tree | Was named for its lizard-like blue-green bark. |
| Melon Tree | The Melon Tree is a small, palm-like tree. |
| Razor Palm | One of the most useful plants. Its fibrous leaves are woven into mats, baskets, and banners, as well as bridles and saddles for direhorses. |
| Phalanxia | Is one of the most heavily armored plants known to man. It has some features that resemble the gymnosperms of Earth, such as a short woody trunk and exposed naked seeds. |
| Puffer | Also known as puff daddy, it is a close relative of the puffball tree, although it is a large shrub. |
| Puffball Tree | Is a plant from the same genus as the puffer and vein pod. |
| Squid Fruit Tree | A massive jungle tree that produces a large seed-pod covered in spiny blue protrusions. |
| Three Dwarves | Three Dwarves is a green and purple colored plant that grows in the marshes. |
| Tree of Voices | Is a special type of willow tree. They are similar in appearance to the Tree of Souls. |
| Unidelta Tree | The unidelta tree is closely related to the delta tree, but has some differences. |
| Vein Pod | Is related to the puffball tree and puffer, both of which are considered keystone species within Psilofyr forests for their important role in maintaining the stability of the environment. |
| Woodsprite | A seed of the Tree of Souls |
| Yovo Fruit | The Yovo fruit grows in clusters and the fruit itself is small enough to fit several of them in the palm of a hand. |
Mixotrophs
| Plants | Description |
|---|---|
| Anemonid | Is one of several carnivorous plants that obtains most of its nutrition from other organisms rather than making its own through photosynthesis. |
| Chalice Plant | Of three large pitcher-shaped plants known to exist, is the largest carnivorous plant known to spawn from Psilofyr. |
| Dakteron | Bears some resemblance to a well-known insectivorous plant nepenthes of the Earth. |
| Hookagourd | Hollow urn-shaped carnivorous plant. |
| Leaf Pitcher | One of three large pitcher-shaped plants. |
| Panopyra | The panopyra, the unusual life-form that has characteristics reminiscent of a jellyfish. |
Aquatic Plants
| Plants | Description |
|---|---|
| Daisy Anemone | a dangerous fish-eating sea anemone found in the oceans. |
| Fantail | a type of coral found in the reefs. |
| Lotus | The lotus is an aquatic flora which shares a lot of similarities of Earth's victoria lotus leaves. |
| Nom's Delight | One of the many types of coral found along shorelines. |
| Starry Doughnut | A type of coral found in the reefs. |
| Water Lily | A lovely, freshwater flower. |
| Water Moon Lily | Aquatic plant is resembles common lily pads on earth, and can be found in water throughout the Kinglor forest. |
Saprotrophs
| Plants | Description |
|---|---|
| Octoshroom | Are large mushroom-like organisms. |
| Ovumshroom | It parasitizes the roots of other trees, using its giant heart-shaped leaf as a probe. |
Dangerous Plants
| Plants | Description |
|---|---|
| Baby Stem | It launches explosive spores to defend itself against predators. |
| Bloated Stem | The swollen stem has adapted to launch explosive spores at threats that get too close as a defense mechanism. |
| Fire Weed | Is a rare flower. |
| Mine Pod | Mine pods are protected by their spiny, spring-loaded spikes and are often found in moist environments. |
| Spider | The Spider is a zooplantae (part animal, part plant) possessing a spider-like appearance, hence its nickname. |
| Spike Plant | A plant with large, deadly spikes on it, hence its name. The spike plant is able to rise from the ground and lower itself back down. |
Uncommon & Exotic Plants
| Plant | Description |
|---|---|
| Ar'lek Seed | One can harvest a wide variety of natural medicines from the forest, but none can match the healing potential of the ar'lek seed. |
| Essence Seed | Essence Seeds are small blue bioluminescent beads found throughout Psilofyr's landscape. |
| Eywa's Roots | Eywa's roots are strange spiral-shaped plants that grow on the surface. |
| Howling Pod | Howling pod is an unusual plant with a pressurized core. Breaking the shell produces a loud noise similar to the scream of an animal. This sound can be used to attract large animals. |
| Nerve Plant | The nerve plant is an original hard-shelled organism. The plant is deeply connected to Psilofyr's neural network, acting as a group of nerves. |
| Potent Fruit | The Potent Fruit is a spherical plant native with unusual chemical properties. |
| Organic Door | Organic Door is a structure that forms naturally on the surface. It is formed from thick roots that create natural barriers. |
| Thorn Wall | A thorn wall is a natural plant that looks like a barrier. |
Strengths:
- Force-Attuned Terraformer | The Psilofyr Tree ispowerfully connected to the Force, particularly nexuses and rifts, and responds instinctively to imbalance within its ecosystems, adapting to transmute and rebalance wherever possible. It converts toxic decay into useable nutrition and possesses a remarkable ability to purify the atmospheres of toxins and pathogens, in turn enabling large-scale ecological restoration even in blighted environments like Brosi (c. 905 ABY).
- Blight Resistance & Pathogen Reversal | Unlike most flora, Psilofyr metabolizes viral agents such as the Candorian Blight, neutralizing toxins and other corruptive agents. It is theorized that the Psilofyr trees (and adjoining plant life) passively employ abilities similar to a Jedi's Control Disease or Detoxify Poison techniques, gradually restoring balance to both soil and air.
- Fungal Vassals | Psilofyr does not let death go to waste. Corpses absorbed into its root network are reanimated as semi-autonomous fungal servitors who act as caretakers, pollinators, and forest guardians. Moreover, the Psilofyr is capable of producing and coordinating a variety of other plant-like creatures. These creatures serve as dutiful extensions of the tree's will.
- Sentient Mind | Though it only rarely speaks in galactic languages, Psilofyr is intelligent—capable of responding to intrusion, forming telepathic bonds with Force users, and evolving its defensive strategies with observation. Through a vast subterranean root-and-fungus system, Psilofyr can sense environmental changes across entire regions, and even transmit Force impressions across continents to warn or communicate with the world's denizens. This can manifest as spore ridden illusions and hallucinations, or through the vegetation actually speaking as if through mouths, mimicking the sounds of speech. On planets with sufficient biological density and minimal crustal interference, this network may span the globe.
Weaknesses:
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Psilofyr was born in the aftermath of the Candorian Virus outbreak on Brosi (c. 905 ABY), when the world still teetered on the edge of irreversible ecological collapse. In response, Darth Caedes convened a conclave of Sith alchemists and sorcerers to forge a solution.
At the project's core were three Uneti tree seeds, rare seeds which grow from trees on the world of Ahch-To, though subjected to intensive mutation. Through Sith alchemy and deep communion with the Living Force, the seeds were twisted into terraforming sithspawn: capable of decomposing plague-stricken biomass, stabilizing and producing new ecosystems, and spreading regenerative fungal life across otherwise sterile worlds. The result was the Psilofyr: a sentient, planetary, terraforming organism deeply connected to the Force.
- Centralized Intelligence | While the Psilofyr's fungal network expands across vast distances, each region remains psychically and biologically tethered to its nearest Psilofyr tree. Destruction of a single mature Psilofyr can trigger ecosystem collapse in the surrounding regions, resulting in widespread fungal die-off or terrain instability as the network spirals into behavioral chaos. Despite this, the self correcting instincts of Psilofyr will guide the forest to rebalance any disturbed areas over time, and if left uninhibited.
- Force Nullification Sensitivity | An incredibly resilient plant, the Psilofyr is not inhibited by many things! However, it has been observed that Force nullification zones can be harmful to a Psilofyr tree (or its adjoining ecosystem), particularly if exposure occurs in the seedling phase of development. Even short term exposure to Force nullification can be harmful to Psilofyr vegetation, causing it to wilt and desaturate.
- Orbital Vulnerability | Despite its incredible resilience and fire retardant abilities, Psilofyr is defenseless against turbo-laser bombardment or kinetic strikes from orbit, by means of extreme powered capital ships, neutralizing even mature trees and sterilizing the fungal network over kilometers.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Psilofyr was born in the aftermath of the Candorian Virus outbreak on Brosi (c. 905 ABY), when the world still teetered on the edge of irreversible ecological collapse. In response, Darth Caedes convened a conclave of Sith alchemists and sorcerers to forge a solution.
At the project's core were three Uneti tree seeds, rare seeds which grow from trees on the world of Ahch-To, though subjected to intensive mutation. Through Sith alchemy and deep communion with the Living Force, the seeds were twisted into terraforming sithspawn: capable of decomposing plague-stricken biomass, stabilizing and producing new ecosystems, and spreading regenerative fungal life across otherwise sterile worlds. The result was the Psilofyr: a sentient, planetary, terraforming organism deeply connected to the Force.
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