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Evontra'vir

Tal'Dorei

Evontra'vir, also known as the Great Tree of Atrophy, was a powerful Gau Drashari of Toramunda who became a tree spirit in the Shattered Teeth. As an NPC, he is played by Matthew Mercer.

Evontra'vir, also known as the Great Tree of Atrophy, was a powerful Gau Drashari of Toramunda who became a tree spirit in the Shattered Teeth. As an NPC, he is played by Matthew Mercer.

Description

Evontra'vir looks like a massive tree of maroon-red bark, with weird thin branches full of black leaves and dangling vines, a stocky trunk, and long roots spreading in every direction, with skulls and miscellaneous items between them. When he is conscious, a heavily stretched face appears in the bark as if carved, with a big mouth and two milky white eyes.

The area surrounding the tree is a sinkhole of darkness among three mountains. The Great Tree itself is said to be rooted between realms, a window between life and death. Its nature draws undead shadow creatures toward it that inhabit the island and emerge at nightfall, causing necrotic damage to the living.

Biography

A long time ago Evontra'vir, a member of the Gau Drashari, became an archdruid, creating deep bonds with the forces of nature. He was one of the protectors of Toramunda who was present when Imyr Por'co convinced the druids there to allow Mount Ygora to be divided into the flying city of Avalir and the terrestrial Cathmoíra, before the catastrophic explosion that destroyed Domunas and created the Shattered Teeth at the beginning of the Calamity.

Evontra'vir was one of the few who survived the explosion and helped as many people as possible in the process. However, at some point during or after the Calamity, he took upon himself all of the sorrows and losses of that cataclysm and became the memory of the lost and their sacrifices, a vessel for the sorrow of others, and a window into the realm of death and beyond. Using the connection to the natural world allowed them to transform into something new, a tree spirit that took root in Kalutha, an island in the Shattered Teeth.

Evontra'vir is the only portion of his former name that the tree now remembers.

Legacy

It is said that his roots wind between the realms of life and death, and that he watches over the cycle of renewal. The tree can sometimes see a person's path to death and/or a key aspect of their fate, and not everyone can handle the honesty it provides (in fact, some of them end up visiting Jirana the Shore Shrew to deal with the harsh revelations).

At some point around the beginning of the 9th century after the Divergence the leader of the group that would become the Hishari, Efterin, claimed to have traveled a lot, and he boasted about having the blessing of Evontra'vir, something other people, such as Keyleth of the Air Ashari, found hard to believe. However, that specific story was true, for Evontra'vir was responsible for revealing to Efterin how to find a shard of the Empress of Earth in the Necropolis of Toramunda, knowing this relic would eventually destroy the Hishari.

Campaign Three: Bells Hells

Just as Evontra'vir had foretold, in 843 PD Efterin's child, Ashton Greymoore, visited Kalutha with his friends, seeking answers and power. The Great Tree of Atrophy shared its knowledge with Ashton, explaining the nature of his power, telling him about the spark of the Rau'shan, the Emperor of Fire in the Chynes Maw on the island of Igthuldus, and agreeing to use his Pipe of Remembrance so they could see Evontra'vir's most heroic moment in life. The party saw hundreds of small visions of people running, then caught, brought to the tree, and vanishing into it.

Evontra'vir also answered some questions from the other adventurers, telling them that their enemy, Ludinus Da'leth, should be defeated, and that their chaotic team had the potential to undo the archmage's plans and decide the fate of the gods. Soon after, the Tree detected a presence, and revealed that someone was Scrying on the group, so after dispelling that magic it opened itself and created a portal which transported Bells Hells to Igthuldus immediately.

Matron of Ravens

Despite not being directly connected, the Great Tree of Atrophy and the Matron of Death are aware of each other, since their portfolios overlap and they both exist in a similar place. They generally have a sort of frustrating mutual respect for each other, with Evontra'vir being able to ride between the threads of the fate skein the Raven Queen holds. However, their relationship varies depending on the era, and there have been moments in history when both have been formal allies.

According to Matthew Mercer, Evontra'vir might have known the Raven Queen before her ascension.

Abilities

  • Predictions
  • Transport via Plants (apparently)
  • Truesight (apparently)

Appearances and mentions

Quotations

  • "I am the gate and the boundary. I am one of numerous passageways into the realms of death and renewal. My roots reach into the skein of destiny, and I see what paths can be taken, some harder to deviate from than others. I am balance to the enemies to the natural cycle of life, and one of the many caretakers of the fate of Exandria itself. Some come to seek a meeting with ones they've lost. Some come to see their own death. Some come to seek direction, a glimpse at their fate and hope for opportunity. Not all find what they want. Many find what they are meant to."

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