The Silverbark

What was once a vast forest is now little more than a collection of trees between two settlements, hardly more than a day's travel in its width. With the long-dead stumps of its previous sprawl still visible as the snowdrifts roll across the open land, Silverbark is a fragment of its previous majesty. For those who approach, the trees can appear to be simply floating in mid-air, without any supporting trunks. The bark in this forest is a strange, silver-white colour, and at a distance can become indistinguishable from the surrounding snow. In stormy weather, the trunks can become invisible to anyone looking on, with creatures in the outskirts appearing to phase in and out of the storm as the trunks obscure their form.

Geography

Silverbark forest exists on a minor elevation of land, giving the trees a faint, dome-like appearance. With a road to the north and south running by the boundary of trees meeting at Woodspan and Driftown, the forest is isolated from the surrounding lands. Snow regularly piles up on the branches and trunks, further altering the illusory effect that the forest floats without trunks at times.

Fauna & Flora

The many trees within Silverbark all share an unusual feature; the wood of their trunks and branches have taken on a pale silver colour, reminiscent of birch more than coniferous species. The cause is unknown and only theories remain, but not even the Faewood has such an odd appearance present. Any shrubs or other plants appear as normal with brown stems and branches; such a specific effect on only the trees simply deepens the mystery. Despite the colour, the trees are normal in all other aspects, with seeds and nuts perfectly edible by foragers.
A few mundane species reside within Silverbark, and occasionally deer can be seen travelling through the forest, bolting at the slightest noise. No magical or mystical creatures reside in the forest or have been reported to do so, though many are wary that such creatures from the Faewoods might eventually travel to Silverbark if driven away by other species.

Natural Resources

The wood from the trees retains its silvery colour all the way through, with cut wood appearing almost to be a dull, transmuted silver. From the branches come seeds and nuts, while a common practice with dead trees is to section the trunks and allow the rot to come, growing a range of various fungi on the rotting heartwood for harvest.
Meat, tallow, bones and hide come from the mundane species within, though often too little to be of good use. Squirrel, rat and bird are easily sized for portions of a meal, but have little tallow or hide; the bones are too small or delicate for many uses, though if sharpened work well for tools and traps. The rare times a deer is brought down however brings a bounty of materials for the hunters, with such an event celebrated by their settlement.

History

Once, the forest here rivalled The Faewoods in size, reaching all the way to Spine, The. Some of the oldest maps once held in archives even suggested that originally, the Faewoods and Silverbark were simply an enormous forest which covered the entirety of the northern half of Aesmaril, becoming separate and unique wooded areas as colonists and traders established routes by cutting through the trees.
While Woodspan was intended to log both forests, the unusual nature of the Faewoods and the creatures within quickly led to a preference for Silverbark territory; the extent of logging, combined with the demand for the lumber due to its colouration and appearance when shaped, saw the forest reduced dramatically to its current size. Even the establishment of laws and restrictions on logging activity to protect what remained of the forest were circumvented by illegal actions, regardless of the consequences when caught.
Ultimately, it took the Cataclysm to prevent the Silverbark forest from being destroyed by the rampant industry. Even with those in Woodspan now seeing the dangers of their industry, the demand for the lumber was so great they continued to produce the materials necessary. When the Cataclysm came, it broke the cycle of demand: without the need for the lumber driving Woodspan further, the forest is finally beginning to show signs of regrowth again.

Tourism

The unusual nature of the trees has drawn scholars and mages over the years, curious folk who puzzle over why the trees have developed in such an unusual way. The majority of them spend time with their studies before leaving without answers. Others travel further, seeking out the Faewoods to pursue the ancient knowledge of the two forests being a single one in ages past. Some of these simply vanish, while others return just as unresolved as those who left before them.
Elven and Eladrin folk in particular are known to try and make the trip, with the Silverbark and Faewood becoming places of almost worship for them. While unconfirmed and unfound by any explorers, there remains a widespread rumour that Silverbark has an Elven village in its heart, one which steadily grows as more and more travel to join them.

Type

Forest, Boreal (Coniferous)

Location under

Aesmaril