The Tree of Knowledge
A tree amid the garden and the Serpent upon it
- Health2800
- Height11 m
Where it lives
- Boss hall: Gardens of Eden, floors 3, 6, 9 and on
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. — Book of the Order 9:1
The Tree stands in the midst of the Garden, and no one touches its fruit — so it is commanded. One of the penitents plucked an apple, and since then the Tree has one more branch. The Tree never moves; everything comes to you; its bark holds while the vessels at its roots stand — break all four and the heart opens.
The Tree is older than the Garden: it grew in the old one. Once the Seven that stood before the Throne ate of it, and knew that they could want. Knowledge cannot be cut down, so they fenced it with a ban, and chained the old Serpent to the trunk — to tempt and to punish the same soul. Whoever eats learns the truth, and the Tree takes him as a branch, so the truth goes no further.
Phases
I · Garden — from the start. II · Bloom — from 60% health. III · The Fall — from 25%.
Vessels and heart
While any vessel stands, the bark takes 10% of damage. All broken — the heart is open for 10 s, trunk hits land in full. A broken vessel regrows in 28 s.
Break the vessels at the root, and the heart of the tree shall open.
Golden fruit
Power at a price: heals 25% health and gives +30% damage for 15 s, but it is a step toward the demon — and each fruit adds 20% to the damage the Tree and Serpent deal you, up to 5 fruits.
Sweet is the fruit and great its strength; but the Tree remembereth him that took.
Rotten fruit
1.7 m circles burn from the start of the windup: 3 fruits, later 4 and 5. Acid splashes for 24, higher than a jump. Leave the circles.
The rotten fruit falleth in the circle; stand not beneath the branches.
Roots
Cracks toward you freeze 0.35 s ahead and run at 11 m/s — spikes hit for 22 and toss you up. Jump them.
The roots come for thee beneath the earth; leap over them.
Leaf fall
4 waves: the hall around the trunk is cut into 8 slices, blades fall on every other one — 18, from above. The safe slices crawl around — run into the gap.
The leaves fall every other; run into the gap.
Serpent: bite
A line toward you freezes 0.3 s ahead, the lunge runs at 24 m/s — 26. Step off the line. The Serpent has 600 toughness: beaten, it crawls up into the crown for 12 s.
The serpent striketh along the line; step off the line.
Serpent: coils
Stand by the bark for 2 s and the Serpent coils you: press 3 keys in order, in the Fall 4, while it squeezes 8 every 0.5 s.
Tarry not by the trunk: the Serpent waiteth for them that tarry.
Serpent: tail
In the Fall the Serpent wrapped round the trunk sweeps a 7.5 m circle with its tail — 22, jump it.
The Serpent's tail sweepeth low; leap.
Thorn thicket
2 thorn vines rise by the walls, in the Fall 3 — guards of the hall.
And the thorn rose by the walls, and kept the Tree.