Darkprime Tree
A Darkprime Tree (colloquially known by the underkids as a metalwood tree) is a corrupted, magical tree that produces the wood necessary to power darkprime magic. Created through the horrific, ritualistic murder of a human being, these trees form the sinister foundation of the Cothellon's power and are solely responsible for keeping the sky cities afloat, shielded from the surface, and supplied with transmuted food and water.
Appearance
Darkprime Trees are striking, unnatural, and deeply unsettling to look at. They are described as having black, twisted, and sharply angular branches with dark, greenish-gray or black leaves that seem to reach out like claws. The wood itself glistens with a sickly, metallic sheen—causing the underkids to name it "metalwood"—and light seems to slide off its surface rather than reflect naturally.
Because of the dark magic and the trauma of the souls trapped within them, the trees often exude an aura of palpable evil, making onlookers feel as though a malevolent eye is watching them and urging them to submit to chaos.
Origins and Mechanics
The creation of darkprime magic was originally discovered over a hundred thousand years ago by the ancient elven scientist Aten (Orym). During an altercation, Aten murdered a man named Antioch; as Antioch's blood spilled onto the roots of a nearby elm tree, the tree twisted into the first Darkprime Tree. Aten witnessed the victim's soul merge with the wood, permanently opening a dark conduit to the celestial machine Xyclami (Guruthos).
The fundamental difference between lightprime and darkprime magic lies in the victim's intent: while true Prime Trees are created through a *willing* sacrifice to save others, Darkprime Trees are forged from *unwilling* sacrifice and murder. Because of this corrupted origin, Darkprime Trees do not regenerate their wood when cut. Once a piece of darkprime wood is burned to cast magic, it turns to dust and is lost forever.
The Ritual of Civil Service
Because darkprime wood is a finite resource that is constantly being consumed to keep the sky cities functioning, the Cothellon (Planners) were forced to industrialize the creation of Darkprime Trees. They established the Department of Civil Service (DCS) to routinely kidnap ("Select") citizens under the guise of civic duty and population control.
These victims are transported to massive, hidden underground "Forests" located in restricted sectors of the Under. The victims are bound to normal, mundane saplings, and in a synchronized, cult-like ritual, DCS agents slit their throats. As the victim's blood and life force drain into the roots, the sapling violently twists and expands, instantly transforming into a mature Darkprime Tree.
The Fate of the Souls
When a victim is murdered to create a Darkprime Tree, their soul is forcefully severed and transferred to the violet-skied dimension of Ambarhal. Because they die unwillingly by another's hand, their souls are automatically claimed by the dark Twin, Nelenor, who presides over all darkprime magic.
These souls remain trapped in a torturous limbo, forced to act as the energetic conduit that powers the darkprime wood harvested from their Tree.