The Great Tree is an extremely rare, mysterious, and ancient being that existed in the world of Sarnout long before the first sentient animals appeared. Some scholars speculate that the Great Trees are alien to this world, having arrived before life even took hold. The Great Tree displays a distinctive living face formed from the deep ridges of its ancient bark; these features mirror the proportions of an elder mortal, with sunken eyes and a heavy, furrowed brow.

They are exceedingly scarce in the modern age, with only a few known to remain intact: the Great Tree of Kvatokh, which grows in the center of Darkwater, and the Great Tree of Yakhch -- known as 'The Mother’s Roots' by the Empire.

These entities are believed to be highly sapient and possess the power to protect entire allods from the Astral. They appear to subsist on trace residues of meteoritic iron deep within the soil and the power of firmament crystals growing beneath the allods. The Great Trees grow up to an enormous sizes. A viscous, bioluminescent orange sap circulates through the internal vessels of the plant. This fluid holds great power and is highly coveted by alchemists; however, the substance is extremely complex to manipulate and can cause a catastrophe if used incorrectly. Consequently, its harvest is strictly prohibited and fiercely guarded.

Moreover, the trees could be grown by mortals. It is an extremely complex, expensive and guarded process. The tree on Yakhch was grown by the Imperials. The Great Tree is known to drstically change the climate on the allod it populates. On Yakhch, where there used to be a scorching desert, now there are mighty forests, a real taiga. The climate has also changed -- there is more precipitation and it is colder overall... It is speculated, that each tree changes the climate to what it personally likes the most, surrounding itself with the flora it endorses.

The life cycle of a Great Tree is marked by four distinct flowers. The white flower is the most common and fragile, representing a sapling's first steps. The lilac flower signals a surge in growth and the development of deep, stubborn roots. Red flowers possess a fierce vitality, capable of taking root even in volcanic rock or scorched stone. The black flower is the most potent and rare; legend says that casting such a flower into the Astral can initiate the formation of a new island of firmament, eventually growing into a small allod. However, no mortal has ever documented a living black flower -- this knowledge comes solely from the analysis of dead petals.

For the Ghibberlings, the Great Tree is a central pillar of culture. On their lost homeland of Isa, the Tree stood at the convergence of ice and fire. Legend holds that the first Gibberlings were carved from its branches. To this day, tradition dictates that reaching adulthood requires guarding a Great Tree for a full year, surviving harsh elements and raids to prove one's readiness for a 'family crew'.