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- For the Uncharted 2 chapter, see Tree of Life (chapter).
The Tree of Life, Life Tree, or Irminsul, is a huge tree in Shambhala that created the blue resin (tree sap) that granted anyone who consumed it near-invincibility.
After mistaking the Cintamani Stone as the source of that great power (the Stone was simply a massive piece of amber), Nathan Drake forcefully destroyed the Tree, its offspring, and all of Shambhala by shooting the pool of resin under the tree and the resin on its roots, in order to stop Lazarević (who had drank the sap and became nearly invincible).
Trivia[]
- The power of "near-invincibilty" granted from drinking the sap from the Tree, seems to lie in the fact that it grants the user limited accelerated healing. This is evidenced when the scars on Lazarevic heal unnaturally fast, almost immediately after drinking it. This self restorative power is apparently so strong that Lazarevic takes multiple shots to the chest from a high-powered handgun and simply shrugs it off, with no apparent wounds to show for it. The accelerated healing would explain as to how the Guardians have stayed alive since ancient times.
- Even though we as players are not explicitly told about the Tree until the final cut-scenes of the game, there were instances which clued us in to its existence. For example, there are images carved into the stone and brick walls in the passageways underneath the temple in Nepal. Also, on the cover of a book in possession of Schäfer's dead SS troop, the Tree can be seen. Finally, the secret path to Shambhala in the monastery is adorned by a withering tree.
- The sap from the Tree can be compared to Phazon from the Metroid Prime series: it glows blue, with darker particles seemingly moving through it; it explodes when shot; when consumed, it bestows supernatural powers/mutations; when exposed long enough, something that consumed it will be driven to protect it at all costs.
- It is not explained how the sap / resin will affect the cognitive ability of its consumers. Lazarovic, as a fresh mutant, did not suffer from any apparent intelligence loss during his (brief) final confrontation with Drake. Guardians of Shambhala apparently retained at least some level of higher intelligence, capable of uttering words in human language, masquerading as Yeti, and most importantly, will not attack their own kind. In contrast, Marco Polo's crew, mutated by the same substance, would completely lose sanity and start killing each other.