Gardeners

The petra viventem

The Ancients' answer to landscaping was to create silicon-based, agriculturally-inclined life forms; immensely strong, durable, and obedient, initially at least. These Gardeners, later rebaptizing themselves Endoliths (a name which never caught on outside their own number), were the first of the new Races to break from their masters, even before the Slenders joined with the rebel deumana faction (who were to later become the Frost Giants).

The Gardeners have an intrinsic connection to the geography, flora, and fauna of Lume, and were installed to maintain the complex and diverse ecosystems created by the Deumana. Endowed with more intelligence than other races at inception, they quickly formed bonds with their once naive, servile charges. The Deumana in their indifference saw this development too late, only dawning on them to dismantle their former servants as the rebellion broke out in force. The Endoliths had been coincidentally posted by the Deumana at crucial locations; their part in the Schism literally and figuratively rocked the foundations of their empire.

At the time of the Schism the Gardeners numbered in the thousands. Effectively immortal, they were created sterile and lack a means of reproduction; only a few hundred remain by the time Drethen & Co. enter the scene.

See Philosophy and governance on Lume for more about Endolithic social structure.

Gardeners vary in size, no two are identical, all are asymmetrical, and equipped with an arrayed assortment of limbs. Their silicon base is derived from their area of origin; while one is solid granite, another may be sandstone. It is said they contain rare minerals to facilitate their function, however noone has made any progress in confirming this. They are immortal, but not invulnerable; they wear down, and can be broken. Many iconic and suspiciously humanoid statues littering the Continent are thought to be Gardeners who perished, or sit dormant until a later Rotation. See Tolkien's Ents or Pratchett's early Trolls.

Endoliths have close relations with the Slenders, having respect for their academic inclination, and frequently aid the mild scholars in their geographical studies. It's widely believed the Gardeners first woke the Slenders from their servitude, bringing them into the fold of the rebellion; both Races are quiet on the subject. The Gardeners also retain strong ties with the Frost Giants, being the prevailing race that regularly exchanges information with these ascetics.

Many villages and hermits boast a Gardener patron, though their disparate lifespans can create rifts in their associations. The stalwart guardians have typically caretaken an area since before the Schism; they allow occupation by the innocuous, often teaching Folk permaculture, horticulture, philosophy and related subjects in which they take an interest. Gardeners prefer not to interfere unless asked, and even then are discriminate about doing so. Communities considered to be destructive are politely but firmly dissuaded from their habits; erudite slabs of rock being on the whole very persuasive. This tendency has likely prevented many an empire from forming prematurely. The case of the empire of Multis, spearheaded by Necrosis, is a notable exception.

Gardeners are provincial custodians of the regions they were charged with cycles ago. They take an interest in things great and small. For example, on their rounds the resident guardian may check in on a small family of blippets, attend to the growth of an ancient tree, and monitor the slow wear of a hill. Strongly empathetic, they nonetheless accept the impartiality of the universe, having adopted a stoic worldview.

Outside the Folk they alone can observe the phenomenon known to Casters as Anima, but unlike the neo sapiens, cannot influence the elements to transform. To this end these sentient golems make use of their immense bulk and inexhaustible stamina, diverting rivers or flattening hills with their spade-like hands. It is fortunate for Lume that they do not crave power.

Gardeners are conscious of their size; when they wander their terrain, as is their wont, they make no secret of their movements. The stomping gives a creature plenty of time to be anywhere but underfoot.