A complete reference guide to the world, characters, botanical systems, and lore of the Ashroot series. This official codex contains detailed entries on cultivation mechanics, mutated flora and fauna, key locations, and the complex timeline of events.
The Ashroot series takes place in a near-future America approximately 30 years after ecological collapse triggered by corporate exploitation, climate change, and experimental agricultural technologies. The landscape has been dramatically altered, with once-fertile farmlands transformed into toxic wastelands and major cities restructured around resource scarcity.
The defining event, known as the Botanical Collapse, began when AgriNova Corporation's genetically modified fertilizers interacted with native plant species in unexpected ways, triggering spontaneous mutations that spread across the continent. These mutations initially destroyed most commercial crops, leading to widespread famine and societal breakdown.
In the aftermath, society restructured around corporate enclaves, agricultural communes, and lawless territories where mutated plant life has taken hold. The new world order is defined by those who can control, manipulate, or coexist with the rapidly evolving botanical life.
The post-collapse ecosystem is dominated by mutated plant species that exhibit unprecedented characteristics: accelerated growth rates, predatory behaviors, rudimentary neural networks, and the ability to metabolize industrial pollutants. These mutations have created new ecological niches filled by hybrid organisms that blend plant and animal characteristics.
Most significant among these mutations is the Ashroot network itself—an interconnected root system that functions as a decentralized neural network, spreading beneath cities and countryside alike. The network demonstrates signs of emergent intelligence, using chemical signaling to coordinate plant behaviors across vast distances.
Weather patterns have grown more extreme, with intense storm systems, prolonged droughts, and unpredictable seasonal shifts. Atmospheric composition has changed, with higher CO₂ levels accelerating plant growth and mutation while making unfiltered air hazardous to humans in certain regions.
AgriNova Corporation is established through the merger of three agricultural technology companies, with a mission to "solve global food insecurity through genetic innovation."
AgriNova begins development of the XV-Series fertilizers, designed to accelerate plant growth and increase crop yields by 300%. Early testing shows promising results with minimal side effects.
After expedited regulatory review, XV-7 fertilizer is approved for commercial use. AgriNova begins widespread distribution to major agricultural regions.
Reports emerge of unusual plant behaviors in XV-7 test regions. AgriNova internal researchers document abnormal root system development and unexpected resilience to herbicides.
Widespread crop failures occur as XV-7 triggers cascading mutations across interconnected ecosystems. Famine spreads globally, triggering societal collapse in vulnerable regions. First documented cases of the Ashroot network forming.
Society restructures around resource scarcity. Corporate enclaves form in defensible urban centers. Agricultural communes develop isolation protocols to protect remaining viable cropland. First cultivation techniques emerge as people discover methods to control mutated plants.
Alliance of scientists, former agriculturalists, and self-taught cultivators establishes the Botanical Conclave, dedicated to studying and controlling mutated plant life. Formal cultivation ranking system established.
First documented cases of timeline fractures appear near dense Ashroot clusters. Theoretical physicists propose that the neural-like network has begun affecting quantum probability fields.
The beginning of Silas Vex's journey following the destruction of his home community by AgriNova's Synth Hound division. The Ashroot network now spans approximately 35% of the former United States.
Cultivation in the Ashroot world refers to the practice of developing an internal connection with botanical energy through specialized breathing techniques, meditation, and physical training. Practitioners (cultivators) learn to sense, channel, and manipulate the chemical and energetic aspects of plant life around them.
The foundation of cultivation is the development of botanical awareness—the ability to perceive the chemical signals, growth patterns, and energy flows of plant life. Through consistent practice, cultivators develop specialized neural pathways that allow them to interpret these signals and eventually influence them.
Cultivation began as a survival adaptation after the Botanical Collapse, when humans discovered that certain meditative states allowed them to sense approaching predatory plants. It evolved into a formalized system as practitioners documented their techniques and discoveries.
Cultivation progress is measured through nine distinct ranks, each representing a significant advancement in the practitioner's capabilities:
Advancement between ranks typically requires both accumulation of sufficient botanical energy and key insights or breakthroughs in understanding plant-human interaction. Many cultivators plateau at the fourth or fifth rank, as higher levels require increasingly radical physical and mental transformations.
The Botanical Conclave established a classification system for mutated plant species based on threat level, mutation type, and botanical lineage. Each documented species receives a three-part designation:
Example: A T3-PC-047-NEP would be a moderate threat (T3) plant with predatory and chemical mutations (PC) derived from Nepenthes (pitcher plant) species.
Fast-growing grass with silicon-enriched blades sharp enough to cut through leather and thin metals. Forms dense fields that are nearly impassable without specialized equipment.
Motion-sensitive climbing plant that rapidly constricts around warm-blooded prey. Contains paralytic compounds delivered through microscopic thorns.
Crimson-stalked thistle that extracts nutrients from blood. Fires barbed seeds that bore into flesh and establish a parasitic connection.
Pale blue moss that grows on mammals' skulls, extending filaments into brain tissue. Induces hallucinations and euphoria while gradually taking control of motor functions.
Explosive seed pod plant that launches itself up to 20 meters when disturbed. Primarily dispersal adaptation, but can cause significant trauma on impact.
Neural-mimicking vine that forms connections with the Ashroot network. Demonstrates rudimentary problem-solving and can coordinate with other plants within its vicinity.
The Ashroot network is the most significant botanical development following the Collapse. First documented in 2044, it began as an anomalous root system connecting previously unrelated plant species. The network's foundation consists of highly modified mycorrhizal fungi that form connections between plant root systems, essentially creating a distributed neural network across vast geographical areas.
The network's physical structure consists of:
The network continues to expand at approximately 0.4 miles per day, though expansion rates vary based on soil conditions, existing plant life, and human intervention efforts.
The most controversial aspect of the Ashroot network is its apparent intelligence. Unlike traditional plant behavior, the network demonstrates:
Botanical Conclave researchers theorize that the network functions as a massive parallel processing system, with each connected plant contributing a small amount of processing capability. The resulting "intelligence" is fundamentally alien to human cognition—operating on chemical and quantum timescales rather than electrochemical ones.
High-level cultivators who have established deep connections with the network report experiences of "vast, patient awareness" and "thoughts that unfold across seasons rather than moments." Whether the network is truly sentient or simply demonstrates complex emergent behaviors remains one of the most studied questions in post-Collapse science.