Ents

The Ents are the ancient shepherds of the trees, a race so old that they remember a time when the whole of the western woodlands was one continuous forest stretching from Fangorn to the Mountains of Lune. Treebeard, the eldest of them, describes himself simply as 'an Ent,' a name that serves in place of the true name he refuses to reveal, for Entish names are long and tell the whole history of their bearer. They are counted among the four free peoples in the old lore, listed alongside the elf-children, the delving dwarves, and mortal men, yet they are set apart as 'the earthborn, old as mountains.' Their nature partakes of both Elves and Men: like Elves they are less interested in themselves than in other things, and better at getting inside them, but like Men they are more changeable and quicker at taking the color of the outside world. Above both, they are steadier and keep their minds on things longer, a patience that has become their defining trait as the ages have worn on.