
A beautiful, reddish, spruce-like root, this evil plant was the enchanted remnant of a giant tree which once stood on the shores of eastern Middle-earth. This 600 foot tall tree was planted by Morgoth's minions and sprang from a cursed seed of Telperion, the Silver Tree of Valinor. Poisoned by the foul secretions of Ungoliant, it sent out a network of roots that comingled with and dominated every plant within a league. Fortunately, it was cut down by the Elf-lord Ingwë Ingweron before it slaughtered or perverted all of the local Olvar and made easternmost Endor unliveable.
The Istar Alatar discovered the Sleeping Root around T.A. 1200 and foolishly nurtured it out of dormancy in order to understand its nature and borrow its strength. The Root's power is immeasurable and, if given the chance to grow again, the danger it presented would be beyond comprehension. Sentient and exceedingly evil, the foul Root sought to control all its fellow Olvar, seeding new trees that shared its awful purpose.
The Sleeping Root was but a shadow of its former self. Located in a 120 foot deep pit, it was a mass of entangled subterranean limbs about 300 feet across. It was sheltered from the elements, since the opening to the pit was only 6 feet in diameter.
References[]
- MERP:Creatures of Middle-earth