The Lost City of Wabe

Summary

There was once a great City at the heart of Briar Wood Forest. It was said to be one of the major kingdoms of Chardovia - existing alongside Neverwinter, Waterdeep, the Arcane Lands, and what is now the Calgori Empire. It was said to be ruled by a council that represented every known race. Legend says that during the invasion, the people of Wabe set about hiding their city and protecting their High Elf population. Since then, the city has vanished into the Brair Wood Forest, taking its secrets and vast amounts of treasure with it.

The citizens of Wabe had their own language (apparently called 'mimsy') that had a script based on concentric circles. They were also said to be able to speak to animals and exploit the power of Wild Magic. Some renditions of the legend state that the people of Wabe were obsessed with the relationship between nature and time.

It is said that their spiral-like script covered the their architecture and inscribed their tombs - hiding secrets and spells. At the heart of the city stood a great tree - said to be the source of Wild Magic. Most legends tell of something guarding Wabe, a forgotten sentinel that keeps treasure hunters and historians at bay.

That is...if they can find Wabe in the first place.

Historical Basis

While there are no maps, records, or even artifacts supporting the existence of Wabe, there have been several accounts of forest travelers encountering ruins, standing stones, or even intact buildings that match the description in the legend. Experts (i.e. Rovers travelling East through the Briar, and Gnomish cartographers) have suggested that these are merely remnants of High Elf Invasion outposts (rather than parts of a fully fledged city) or even visions of the Feywild (through 'thinnings' in the barrier between worlds).

Forest of Liars: Remains of the Past by Sylvain Sarrailh

Variations & Mutation

In some tellings of the Legend, the City was created in a dream. In others, the magical tree and the surrounding structures were dreamed up by a party of mad druids.

Cultural Reception

The legend of the lost city is generally perceived as a myth. Early maps of Chardovia that predate the Invasion, show no clear indication of a settlement ever having existed in the Briar Wood (nor in the Gravewood Forest, for that matter). What remains of the High Elven records mention a small trading post by that name, but it was said to be near the coast and "built upon the blade of a cliff" - contrary to the legend. Several gnomish expeditions (some with airships, some on foot) have failed to find any evidence of such a settlement. While the Briar Wood defies the laws of Cartography, the gnomes state that a city would have left a "clearer mark".

The Ambush by Dave Greco

The legend of Wabe is mostly view as a story - a cautionary tale that warns against ambition and dabbling in wild magic. Those that believe Wabe to be a real place are perceived as foolish, backward, or even mad.

In Literature

The following bardic ballads and tales mention Wabe:

• Four Sticks and a Pack Mule, by Kevben Fiedlerson

• The Ballad of the Far-Traveler, by Marry Trallyth

• The Drunken Druids of Stonebridge, by Lady Alilove Clapshigh the Never Quiet

• The Jabberwocki, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

• The Fairy Queen and the Fortunate Sailor, by Freda Wimblestump

• The Tale of the Wild Cockatrice Chase, traditional

In most of these tales, Wabe or the seeing of Wabe is equated to a flight of fancy, a lie, or a hallucination.

Date of First Recording

13

Date of Setting

0

Related Locations

• The Brair Wood Forest