Söngleikur Forest

It looks like the Söngleikur Forest centers on and around a tall hill from afar. However, the hill is an illusion. The trees can grow to great heights. Very great heights...

— Artur Neha, Traveler

Overview

The Söngleikur Forest is something of a curiosity in that its trees have grown unusually large in the years since the calamity of the The Great Collapse have abated. Many unsurprisingly suggest that leftover wild magics have spurred the growth of this forest though many who have studied the outskirts of the forest are unsure. They suggest that the forest's inhabitants, the Faliðians of the Woodland of Falið, are responsible for the unusual health and grandeur of the Söngleikur Forest.

The forest hosts a variety of plant life, most of which are in organized plots as they are grown under the care of the forest's Faliðian inhabitants. The guided designs may only be noticeable to the experienced gardener's eye as the plots of land are not organized in square plots; the plots are organized into artful patterns that can only be readily discerned from above. Of course, most of this organization only occurs deep within the forest, a place under the watchful guard of the Faliðians.

The variety of plant life present in the forest is somewhat strange as some of the plants are not native to the Continental Island of Dammerung. The careful tending of these plants by the forest's inhabitants are a most likely explanation.

The forest is located along the southern coast of the

You could be forgiven to think such a tree as an unlikely absurdity, but you will be in awe of the Kastala if you see it for yourself. I know this to be true while standing in awe at the sight of one right now.

— Phidi Strideheart, Traveler

Kastala Trees

It is a common mistake for those unfamiliar with the Söngleikur Forest to assume that it is a large and dense collection of trees that covers a hill. Those who are more familiar with this particular forest knows this to not be the case, something Traveler Artur Neha discovered one day. The "hill" is really where all the Kastala Trees are concentrated. These tall trees can only be found within the Söngleikur forest. These trees are massive in size, their great branches being more than sturdy enough to hold several buildings and pathways. A single leaf of a Kastala tree, which rarely falls from the trees great branches, can be formed into a sea-worthy boats.

No outsider has been able to remove a seed from the forest as such seeds are collected by the inhabitants of Falið, and they do not tell of where they store such seeds nor of what is done with them. Rumors surrounding their plans are as follows: 1) The Faliðians plan to plant a new forest of Kastala trees, 2) Faliðians use Kastala seeds in forbidden magic rituals, 3) the seeds make some kind of secret dish of unimaginably wondrous flavor.

Woodland of Falið

Otherwise known as Hidden Tree-Town, this settlement is regarded by its inhabitants as not as a town as such but as a woodland. They believe they are only a part of the greater ecosystem of the forest. This viewpoint has led the Faliðians to regard themselves as caretakers of the forest during times of peace, and its guardians during times of unrest.

Orchestra of the Birds

A rather curious phenomena of the Söngleikur Forest is the bird songs that can be heard throughout. Unlike most places where the songs of a particular species of bird, while pleasant, are disorganized in relation to another species. The opposite is true of the Söngleikur Forest; the birds here every morning and evening will erupt into an apparent symphony. The songs of these birds are often changed to better complement the songs of another and so the forest appears to host its own bird-sung orchestra. No one knows if this is a phenomena that will never be explained or if the Faliðians are responsible.

The most remarkable aspect of these songs is that the birds never give a repeat performance. At least, no one has been able to live long enough to hear of one. Even the long-lived elves cannot recall when a song is repeated. When the Faliðians are asked whether they knew they said that they always have to add to the records each time they hear the birds sing. In fact, they have a guild dedicated to the recording and study of these bird-orchestrated performances.

Type

Forest

Inhabiting Species

• Kastala Tree

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Common Fauna

• Nightingale
• Thrush
• Robin
• Mockingbird
• Wren
• Canary
• Woodpecker
• Deer
• Badger
• Snake
• Flying Squirrel
• Woodland Pangolin
• Bees
• Fox
• Turkey
• Boar

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Common Flora

• Mushroom
• Oak Tree
• Beech Tree
• Har Maple Tree
• Wisteria Tree
• Cherry Tree
• Flamboyant Tree
• Lavender
• Wild Orchid
• Sunflower
• Edelweiss
• Tulips

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Typical Magic Fields

• Bubble
• Sleep
• Stamina

Note(s) from the Archivists:

I've never been to the Söngleikur, but I can confirm those trees are really, really tall. - Archivist Edward
How can you confirm anything if you haven't been there? - Archivist Enna
Poor choice of words on my part. I meant to say that I've never gone past the tree line. I was on my way to Luna when I caught sight of the forest. - Archivist Edward
But you were at least within sight of the Söngleikur. Isn't that enough to count as having been there? Having been within physical proximity? - Archivist Enna
I don't know if it does. I feel like you would have to immerse yourself in a place to really have been there. To build memories, and not merely to have seen it while walking by. - Archivist Edward
I think having a physical presence within or nearby, regardless of time spent, counts as having been to a place, building memories would have little to do with physical reality. Again, you got to see the place with your own eyes. - Archivist Enna
You two can continue this discussion through the mail...   or perhaps in person with voice and hearing so that you don't use up parchment and ink. - Archivist Taenya