Schimmel

"We walked for hours through foggy, tangled undergrowth, punctuated only by the occasional cry of a bird and the occasional rotten wooden statue, features barely recognizable. We were increasingly assailed by cloying mycelium, the air heavy with the sweet smell of mold, and large, oak sized mushrooms towered overhead. A few sagging wooden fences surrounding overgrown gardens appeared. The dampness was pervasive and seeped into our bones. Eventually we came to a cluster of perhaps 30 or 40 thatch huts surrounded by glowing fungus, wooden totems, and misshapen willows, atop which mossy wooden platforms were placed, and sagging rope bridges connected them, criss-crossing the village."
- A Tale of Two Realms
Looks can be deceiving in the lands of Erden. Many a bewitching noble has proved to be cruel tyrant, many a fair princess has been an agent of dark powers. The look of Schimmel is also deceiving, for behind an exterior that is unsettling for some is a commune of open-minded, egalitarian druids, who, despite valuing their secrecy, are also more than willing to share a tankard of Sprouting Stout with an outsider.
Schimmel is a village-commune nestled in the depths of the fearsome forest of Arkilon. It was founded in the late 7th century by a group of refugees from the Empire following the War of the Broken Crypt. Fleeing both the undead invasion and persecution from their erstwhile comrades, the refugees converted to the faith of the Oroborites, and their founders, Maldred and Necris, received a vision from the Oroboros in a fungal grotto.
Thus, the Order of the Twilight Serpent was founded, and a long migration began. The refugees settled in what is now Schimmel, forming an insular collective that symbiotic with fungus, a living representation of the parallel Cycle. 50 years later, Schimmel has grown into a small village of 40-50 full time inhabitants. It even boasts a small "tavern" of sorts, and several children have been born in the village, promising a renewal of the Cycle.
Yet not is all as it seems in Schimmel. For many years, the children have behaved strangely, not following the ways of their parents. Moreover, in recent months, a curse has taken hold, killing the Sporebearer Tree and cursing Necris and his family with lethargy. And above all, their ways may put them at odds with both the Holmgardians and the Luminai...