Veilwood Enclave
As you walk along the winding path, the air thickens until it is tinged with an almost palpable sense of dread. The shadows seem longer here, reaching for you with strangely contorted fingers and creeping across the densely overgrown forest floor. The natural sounds of the forest that have accompanied you this far have long since fallen silent, and only ravens' distant, mocking cry can be heard. Thick, impenetrable fog seeps from the ground, swirling and dancing around you as it seems to glow from within.
In the heart of Mortavia, at the foot of the Ebonpeak Mountains, lies the Veilwood Enclave - a sprawling region that belongs to no one, and where no law applies. Some even claim that the laws of nature do not apply here. Whether this is true or not has not been fully clarified to this day. What is certain, however, is that the area inspires fear and terror in even the bravest travelers.
The Heart Trees
The heart trees of Veilwood Enclave are centuries, perhaps millennia old. Their trunks measure up to five meters, and their tops seem lost in the clouds and mist. Unlike most of the region's trees, these seem strangely alive, with colorful, dense growths of vines and flowers that mislead the unwary hiker into thinking the area is harmless.
The branches of the heart trees twine into one another, stretching out one after another, until it is hard to tell which tree a particular branch or twig belongs. The roots of the giant trees form bridges, caves, and passages, through which windy and sometimes paved paths run - even though no one seems to know who created these paths.
The Hidden Paths
Veilwood Enclave is crisscrossed by hundreds of trails, some obvious, others hidden. Where do they lead? That is never consistent for the most obvious ways, and the hidden ones have never been mapped. Of course, there are legends. Fairy tales about pathways that lead into stone circles, to ancient places of worship, or even into the shadow realm. But who can say what is a myth and what is reality? However, all legends have one thing in common. Once you find yourself on a hidden path, you have to follow it to the end. Whoever chooses this path, there is no turning back.
Hikers are therefore well advised not to follow any path that suddenly opens up. Especially not those that seem bright and friendly. In the communities and villages around Veilwood Enclave, it is a well-known secret that the forest possesses an intelligence of its own, as deceptive and tricky as the inhabitants who live in it.
Of course, there are always travelers who ignore the warnings and end up on one of the trails. Since they never return, rumor has it that their corpses nourish the forest, and their bones form the ruins that can be seen in the forest.
Plot Hooks
The Mists
The mists within Veilwood Enclave are ubiquitous, treacherous, and fast. One second the path may be clear before you, the next the glowing mist rises from the ground and swallows every sound. However, the mist has its own disturbing sounds.
Shuffling, and dragging noises can be heard as well as slurping, soft giggling, and other sounds that have no place in a forest. In addition, there are optical illusions caused by the silver glow. Some even report the "Lady of the Mists" calling the traveler to her. A dangerous call, which one should probably better not follow...
Blessing of the Mists
Everything has a price. But whoever ventures into the fog and the forest and manages not to get lost, the mistress supposedly rewards him with a piece of heartwood. This wood is used to make powerful staves and wands that can be used to control the fog to a limited extent. The price? Whoever seeks to obtain this wood is forever bound to the forest, leaving behind any chance of mortal happiness.
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