Ember Warden

Ember-Warden: The Ember-Warden is one of the five prime types of Essence Wardens and should be considered among the most dangerous. Like all Wardens the Ember-Warden is a peaceful floral creature which grows much like any other tree in its' early life, producing and distributing fire-essence to the ecosystem and supporting other life such as Flameflies, Cinder Sparrows, Ash Snakes and the like. Once fully grown, an Ember-Warden tree then begins the formation of a humanoid body within its trunk; after the body has grown the tree then transfers all of its' life and fire essence to the body and withers (bark and wood turn to soil enriching ash). Once withered, the body of the Ember-Warden becomes host to the spirit of a newborn fire elemental spirit, after-which it is free to move about with a conscious will of its’ own.

The body of an Ember-Warden is incredibly strong, created from extremely hard, fireproof wood infused with the dense, pure, tempered metal fed to it through the roots of the Ore-Vine, These Wardens often grow 9-10' tall maintaining a fairly humanoid form — unlike other fire-type elementals these entities are capable of supporting verdant growth on its’ outer bark; this growth often consists of moss, fungus, and other small plants native to the area where the Ember-Warden grows. Ember-Wardens are capable of communing with and even controlling some lesser and greater forms of flora and fauna native to — or sharing aspects with the element of fire.

Ember Wardens live for an incredibly long time, or until they discover an area lacking or in dire need of fire essence; when this occurs the Ember-Warden will take root and become dormant, there it becomes dormant, acting as a progenitor for various types of seeds, pods, and spores which grow in and on its' body. The Ember-Warden eventually dies however, and its' wood and bark then fall away to enrich the soil. What is left behind is a hardened metallic shell which was once the Warden's inner skeleton; this metal frame is resistant to natural corrosion and deterioration – its' essence-core continuing to produce fire essence so long as it remains intact. In the event that an Ember-Warden dies or is slain in another way it will also continue to act as a source of fire-essence though will not produce seeds as a rooted Warden would.