Crystal Tree
Description: These trees are exactly what they sound like; trees that are made out of crystal. They can be any type of tree, and they can be made out of any color crystal. The crystal that these trees are made out of are faceted, similar to a cut gem. But they appear to have an opalescent shimmer the way that pearls do. Their leaves are made out of the same crystal that the main part of the tree is made out of, but they can be a different color (or different colors) than the trunk and branches. The leaves can be picked, but it is harder to do so than it would be to pick a leaf off of a tree in the waking world; more like trying to pull a very stubborn weed out of the ground by the roots. Should a dreamer succeed in picking one, the tree will scream, a shrill, agonized sound that hurts the ears, and echoes in the mind as well as the ears. It can be heard for long distances that vary with the height of the tree; the taller it is, the further its cry can be heard. Any Emeyan within range of that scream may or may not come to investigate it. The leaves can also be found on the ground beneath the tree from time to time, because like trees in the waking world, they shed their leaves periodically. But unlike trees in the waking world, this does not necessarily happen with the change of the seasons, or for any discernable reason. The leaves feel like bubbles to the touch, and if squeezed too hard, they will burst, coating the hand of whoever squeezed it with a thick, syrup like liquid that is the same shimmery color the leaf was. This liquid begins to glow upon contact with anything it touches, and will be absorbed into whatever it comes into contact with in a matter of trills.
The most notable aspect of these trees is that it will begin to glow every so often. When a tree does start glowing, its leaves will rustle madly as if caught in a strong wind. Trills after that, brilliant beams of light will shoot out in every direction from every leaf and the tips of the branches. Each tree has its own cycle for when this happens. So it could happen once a trial for some, once a trill for others, and once every forty five bits for still others. And so on. It is a beautiful sight to behold.
Intelligence: This varies greatly from tree to tree. Some are merely that; trees. Others have a presence, and anyone who draws near has the feeling that someone is watching them. That "presence" can be felt as being amused, hostile, or anything in between. Still others are capable of communicating with those who come within a few yards of them. This communication isn't as simple or as clear as words or emotions would be. The person the tree is "talking" with simply knows what it wants in a general sense. They might feel unwelcome, and know the tree wants them to leave, for example, but not why they are unwanted. Or the tree might want them to do something for it, and they will get the impression of what they should do as if they themselves decided it would be a good idea to do whatever the tree is trying to get them to do. These impressions can be ignored, but the cost of doing so is a feeling of intense disappointment, and anger directed towards them, and a severe headache that lasts for the rest of the dream. The headache may linger into the waking world for a few breaks if the tree's anger is strong enough.
Abilities: The beams of light that are produced by the crystal trees will change anything that they touch. Dreamers, Emeyan beings, the landscape around the tree...nothing is immune except for the trees themselves. The changes can be drastic, such as a patch of dry land turning into a swamp, or a rock turning into a book with legs that runs around begging people to read it. They can also be internal rather than external, such as a wolf suddenly finding that it can't eat meat, but has started craving plants instead. The changes can also be subtle such as a personality trait being gained, enhanced, or lost, or a physical trait such as strength or speed being enhanced or diminished. Other possibilities can include, but are not limited to suddenly being able to see in infrared or ultra violet instead of (or in addition to) the normal visible light spectrum, changes in age, gaining or losing limbs, etc.
The liquid inside the leaves can cause changes as well. The changes that the liquid can cause are just as varied as the changes caused by the beams of light, but are limited to the area where the liquid was absorbed into, so usually a hand, or a foot. The greater danger is that the afflicted Dreamer will find it harder to awaken from their dreams from a time, ranging from a few trials to a Cycle. This comes with the risk of becoming trapped in their dreams for that period of time. Only Dreamers are ever affected by the liquid of the leaves because it will only effect living creatures, and the Emeyans know better than to crush the leaves and get the liquid on themselves. Even the lowest level Emeyans have an instinctive fear of the leaves, so they will avoid touching them.
If a dreamer is changed by one of the crystal trees, the changes will persist as long as the dream does. Getting hit by another beam of light from the same tree, or a different one may reverse the change...or it may simply add a new one. In most cases, the changes fade away as the Dreamer wakes up. Once in a while, a change might persist for a time (a trial, or a cycle, it varies). These changes affect the dream self only, however.
Frequency of Appearance: Semi common. The older/taller trees are the ones who have a presence, and/or are able to communicate, and these are more rare than the younger trees.
Danger Level: Moderate; the changes are completely unpredictable, and can be drastic, but it is easy enough to stay out of range of the tree's beams of light if one knows what they are dealing with. The effective range of the beams ability to to change what they touch is 25 yards from the tree that produced them. Beyond that, the light is too diffuse to do anything.
Credit to: Ari'sora