Augment Trees

Augment Trees

"Beware of the spikes on that Augment Tree. See how they're green right now? You don't want to get pricked by one of those, wait 'till it's light blue. It'll still hurt, but you won't lose your arm if you're lucky."

The Augment Tree is a tree infected by a psionic blight. This occurs where there is a large population of those who harness the powers of their minds. Telepathy, telekinesis, and the like. The trees that grow in areas highly influenced by psionic power or other chaotic, hard to control forces, tend to evolve into Augment Trees.

At the top of an Augment Tree, around the middle of a mass of vine-like branches that move in the breeze, there grows Augment Crystals. Which can have various effects, from increasing mental capacity or focus of their owner, to manifesting an elemental energy in the form on an attack. These crystals are highly prized and very valuable due to their rare conditions, strange powers, and the difficulty in acquiring them.

The thorns have different effects depending on what color they are, their colors shift in unison as described below.

• RED = The thorn explodes, in a small burst of flame, upon contact.
• YELLOW = The thorn explodes, in a small burst of highly corrosive acid upon, contact.
• GREEN = The thorn melts, into a highly corrosive acid upon contact.
• TEAL = The thorn melts, into a liquid form that can freeze water and cause frostbite, upon contact.
• BLUE = The thorn is so cold that it can freeze water and cause frostbite, with limited contact.
• PURPLE = The thorn becomes so hot that i can cause serious burns and catch flammables on fire with, limited contact.

The color makes a full change to another primary color every 30 seconds, shifting by one step (as seen above) every fifteen seconds.

Groups that are interested in Augment Trees and their crystals:

Order of the Prismatic Mind

The Augment Trees are often used as initiation rites for those who wish to walk the path of a mental warrior. The Order of the Prismatic Mind is one such group. They require all members to possess an Augment Crystal, which must be carried at all time. A member caught without his or her crystal can be subject to a number of dares on the spot, or face a official report and possible expulsion from The Order.

The Chaos Thorns

A group with a jealously guarded secret harvesting method that allows them to use Augment Tree thorns as weapon apart from the trees. Some have been said to use the vines as whips. These reports are always from the perspective of someone who heard the tale from a friend's brother and completely unverifiable.

If a random Augment Crystal is desired, roll 2D6 on the table below to determine its effect.

1. Not a Possible Outcome
2. Translucent Red Stone = Can be used to keep the carrier warm for up to 48 hours before it becomes inert.
3. Translucent Green Stone = Can be used to delay the effects of a poison or venom for up to 3 hours before it becomes inert
4. Translucent Blue Stone = Can protect the the carrier from the effects of severe heat, but not direct fire damage, for 12 hours before it becomes inert.
5. Opaque Red Stone = Can create a minor blast of fire from the stone twice per day.
6. Opaque Green Stone = Inflicts a minor disease of anyone who handles it with bare flesh at night, only occurs once then stone is inert.
7. Opaque Blue Stone = Can cause light snowfall on already cloudy days or slightly intensify an existing storm, usable monthly.
8. Solid Red Stone = Explodes when struck for moderate fire damage to all nearby creatures and objects, usable once then destroyed.
9. Solid Green Stone = Can be dissolved by water. Water becomes a nauseating poison, usable once then destroyed.
10. Light Pink Stone = This stone exudes kind and loving thoughts, may cause normally hostile beings to think about something other than killing you.
11. Light Yellow Stone = Once removed from the tree, this stone will shed light as bright as daylight for one week until it becomes inert.
12. Light Teal Stone = Smells like antibacterial soap and can be used as soap when used with water. Never depletes.

An Augment Crystal is a small multi-faceted stone that appears in a wide variety of colors and clarity. It typically looks like a jagged orb with a hole bored through the middle, as if meant to be worn on a chain. Some people do wear them on chains, and some of the stones are too dangerous to wear on chains.