Elven Forest
"Thou shalt not harm nature in any way, lest you must fear that nature harmeth thou in return" (ancient elven Proverb)
- The Elven Forest is one of the two largest forests on the Continent, beside the Woodland Forest. As the name implies, the forest home to the largest population and the birthplace of the wood elves. Valuing the preservation of nature above all else, this subrace has kept the forest in high regard, not defiling it in any manner, and building its villages and towns in harmony with the architecture of the forest.
The Forest's exact age is unknown, but it is as least as old as elven kind. According to local folklore, Daghda, goddess of the earth and harvest, together wit Hachubna, goddess of magic and mysticism, both from the Second Pantheon, used the remains of Mashni, goddess of the primordial Elements of the First Pantheon to grow the most ancient trees that constitute the center of the forest, that is now considered holy grounds. Shortly after, Elven kind was born in this forest by those same goddesses after a divine premonition of Effneki, in the image of the gods. This is why, to this day, the wood elves consider the forest as their older sibling, venerating the 4 gods aforementioned as their progenitors. Furthermore, this makes the high magical energy and mysticism that the forest has been harboring for eons plausible.
It is said that the elven Forest has a mind of its own. Incidentally, there have been many cases of humans trying to gain land on it. As a result, these populations always suffered the "wrath" of the forest as a result, being plagued by wild animals and Ents invading and taking back, if not spreading even more, what is theirs. Such is the law of the forest: "Thou shalt not harm nature in any way, lest you must fear that nature harmeth thou in return" (ancient elven Proverb).
Though we now have different subspecies of elves, the entire race can be traced back to the Elven forest, born from the same event. As such, a brief history of elven kind and inventory of the different subraces is due: - The wood elves represent elven kind in its most primordial state. They have always lived in the Elven Forest and will always live there, one with nature. This obsession with nature even has lead to elf-dryad hybrids, never seen before species, midway between plant and humanoid, named Vahana.
- The high elves are an evolved subrace that date back to the voluntary exile of elven "nobles" wishing to create a unified elven kingdom many thousands of years ago. Seeing the primordial state of other wood elves, and believing themselves superior, they migrated to the Woodland Forest, where terrain is more open with valleys and hills, wishing to build a civilization based on refined arts and eternal development.
- The drow, or dark elves, are the descendants of disgraced exiles that were cast out by divine command after studying The first Higher Ones, banished to another continent where the light of day never shines. Evolving and adapting to their environment, they completely changed their culture along with their morphology, but the call of the forest still remains. Despised by other races, the drow now lead a matriarchal society, isolated on their own continent.
Geography
The elven forest is dense and varied. The different terrains and densities that are present go from woods to jungle, depending on the soil the forest has grown on. However, the different forest biomes can be divided into three hemispheres or layers that roughly represent the density and variety present. From outmost to innermost, there are:
-The Recent forest: This resembles more the classical types of woods one would imagine, with the oldest trees only getting to a couple hundred years. Some elder elves even still remember the "Second great expansion", a natural reaction about 800 years ago to the attempt of Eshneff'il to mow down part of the forest for farmland. As if the forest had known, thousands of ents, wild animals and elves came rushing out the lumbers to protect the forest. After the battle was won, they even had gained massive amounts of terrain on which the forest grew on.
-The elder forest: with the oldest tree aging up to 3000 years, this intermediate part of the Elven Forest resembles more a jungle with dense vegetation and unique predators. This is also the part of the forest with the largest wood elven settlements, as the large trees are ideal for suspended villages and even some larger structures. This part of the forest is the result of the "first great expansion" that happened gradually without obstacles during the first millennia after its creation.
-The forest of ancients: Primordial part and heart of the Elven forest, it is also considered sacred grounds by all elves (including the branched high elves), which makes it uninhabited by cultured species and is only a place of pilgrimage and marvels. Being one of the epicenters of mystic essence on the entire Continent, its aspect is that of fey nature and object of legends from humans and Elves alike. With its giant trees that are eons old, along with other seemingly gigantified fauna and flora, this part of the forest seems untouched by time and will be protected by all the elves (including drow) to their last breath if it is ever threatened.
-The Recent forest: This resembles more the classical types of woods one would imagine, with the oldest trees only getting to a couple hundred years. Some elder elves even still remember the "Second great expansion", a natural reaction about 800 years ago to the attempt of Eshneff'il to mow down part of the forest for farmland. As if the forest had known, thousands of ents, wild animals and elves came rushing out the lumbers to protect the forest. After the battle was won, they even had gained massive amounts of terrain on which the forest grew on.
-The elder forest: with the oldest tree aging up to 3000 years, this intermediate part of the Elven Forest resembles more a jungle with dense vegetation and unique predators. This is also the part of the forest with the largest wood elven settlements, as the large trees are ideal for suspended villages and even some larger structures. This part of the forest is the result of the "first great expansion" that happened gradually without obstacles during the first millennia after its creation.
-The forest of ancients: Primordial part and heart of the Elven forest, it is also considered sacred grounds by all elves (including the branched high elves), which makes it uninhabited by cultured species and is only a place of pilgrimage and marvels. Being one of the epicenters of mystic essence on the entire Continent, its aspect is that of fey nature and object of legends from humans and Elves alike. With its giant trees that are eons old, along with other seemingly gigantified fauna and flora, this part of the forest seems untouched by time and will be protected by all the elves (including drow) to their last breath if it is ever threatened.
Fauna & Flora
The elven forest has an explosive diversity in fauna and flora. As it has been untouched by man, wild animals roam freely, without encumbrance, and natural selection works its magic. This also applies to local elves and monsters, that live in their most primordial state. However, in recent centuries, the forest is being plagued by parasitic lifeforms, which the wood elves and all of its inhabitants are attempting to fight. Named "The Infection", this plague manifests itself by the increasing presence of parasitic monsters such as shambling mounds, that are normally only rarely present, and the apparition of centers of infection across the forest. Though the origin of "The Infection" still remains unknown to all, elven scholars have found in it a magical and artificial origin...
On the other hand, the forest's fauna is of course incomparable. No other forest is so densely grown, with so many different types of biomes. The aforementioned different hemispheres also participate to such diversity. It would be madness to even try to categorize the sheer insane number of different flora species present in the entire Elven fores, though such books exist, written by diligent elven scholars and travelers. However, the forest of ancients hemisphere is still largely unknown after millennia of existence due to its sacred nature.
On the other hand, the forest's fauna is of course incomparable. No other forest is so densely grown, with so many different types of biomes. The aforementioned different hemispheres also participate to such diversity. It would be madness to even try to categorize the sheer insane number of different flora species present in the entire Elven fores, though such books exist, written by diligent elven scholars and travelers. However, the forest of ancients hemisphere is still largely unknown after millennia of existence due to its sacred nature.
Alternative Name(s)
Lithailin (by elves), The cursed forest(By Eshneff'il)
Type
Forest
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