Inner Ring

At the very heart of Arbor lies the Inner Ring. The main thing that is contained within this ring is the Great Tree itself. This is the place within the city where the trunk of the Great Tree meets the ground. It is also the home to the The Great Tree Workers original headquarters the Knothole which is still used to this day though far less so by the The Gatherers as their duties take them more out into the city than needing to be directly under the Tree.

"The Inner Ring is off limits to everyone but the Seekers and Tree-Wrights that need to go out there... but for the right price I hear there might be a way out there." - Ferrymen operator

The inner Ring as it appeared to the First Ones

Appearance

The Inner Ring consists of two main portions Silver Leaf Lake and the penisula that the Great Tree Sits on. Silver Leaf Lake is a beautiful lake with multiple water falls that feed into it and several rivers and canals that draw water from it. It has ample fish and an abundunce of clay at it's shore and bottom. It is a pictureque spot during sunet and many Ferrymen take full advantage of the romantic nature of the lake charging more for oportune moments to propose. The Penusila is a perpetually dark place being so close to the Great Tree it's canopy blocks out much of the light and in addition small off shoots of the tree burst forth from the ground at regular intervals giving the whole area the feeling of a dark forest.

History

The Inner Ring is the oldest part of Arbor hailing from the Days of the First Ones on occassion you can still find the ruined remains of old buildings or the original settlements that existed on the penisula when the people first settled this area.
Shortly after the Reconciliation permanent domiciles were forbidden to exist on the Inner Ring and many people were forced to move though many of those who lived in the Inner Ring were quite well off so they simply moved into their summer homes in the Canopy. Those who could not afford to make such a move though were still affected and this may have been the last bloody event of the Reconcilliation as the The Order of the Fallen Leaves elected to use force to carry out their new edict.
In the modern era though much the only residents allowed in the Inner Ring are those of the Seekers and Gatherers who still have their official headquarters at the base of the Great Tree.

Rumors

The entire area is a hive of rumors and conspiracies here are but a few of the more popular ones.

Contained Horrors

This rumor speaks to the effectiviness of the Seekers and the ability to deal with the things that make the Great Tree's Great Sky Highway their home. The rumor suggests that many but not all the creatures that reside in the first layer of the Highway have made their way down into the Inner Ring and have established themsleves there. The manner and description of any creature varies from case to case implying multiple versions of these creatures have made their way down and into the city.

Thin Walls

Being in this close proximity to the Great Tree has a number of effects though almost none of them beneficial. The first effect that people notice is that magic and it's effects are enhanced or altered in ways that is very unpredictable. The second thing people notice is that any magic that teleports or phase you has a chance of shunting you to another dimension. There is a great deal of risk of course but it's possible to aim yourself to a particular dimension provided that you can find a spot where the barrier between these worlds is thinnest.

Special Properties

Location under

Arbor

Included Locations

• The Great Tree