Stonewood

Many newcomers to Stonewood first assume they are seeing a mirage. From a distance, the sight of a large and fully grown forest rising out of the shifting sands feels impossible. The ancient and giant trees stand silent sentinel, a reminder, like the salt flats and dried river beds, of what the region was before it became the Wild Winds Desert. The forest survived relatively intact due to the distance from the crater and the diligent work of the elves living there. Over the centuries, as the forest has changed, so have the elves within it. The painted elves living in Stonewood are as hard and tough as the trees they call home. These elves are not a singular people but a collection of clans always vying for power and influence, though this is hard to tell for outsiders. Like the slow-growing trees, elves take the long view of politics and coups.
Visitors are not well-liked or welcomed in Stonewood. Despite this attitude, the painted elves need goods from outside the forest to survive, so there are small trade depots spread along the forest's border. The goods made in Stonewood are highly sought after in the Wild Winds Desert and beyond. Stonewood weapons and armor are prized for their strength, beauty, and weight. The furniture and jewelry made by the expert craftspeople of Stonewood are stunning and highly prized for their magical potential.

Capital

Garga Garawul

Government

High Council of Druids

Religions

Basoen Elkartasuna

Imports

Wine, Crops, Metal goods, Textiles,

Exports

Stonewood Weapons and Armor, Hunting Birds, Stonewood Jewelry and Furniture

Major Geographical Features

Stonewood Forest

This forest gives its name to the kingdom that has grown within it and shapes all aspects of life for those who live there. The forest's oldest trees are completely petrified, having long ago transitioned from wood to stone. Some trick of the land's magic makes it so any new trees planted in this region, or anywhere throughout the Wild Winds Desert, all quickly undergo this process, ending up fully petrified by the time they reach their first century. The painted elves that make this forest their home cultivate trees of various ages for their art, trade goods, and everything else in their lives. Some believe the dryads that lived in the forest before whatever caused the desert to form are petrified within their trees. It has long been a goal of Druids and historians alike to revive one of these petrified dryads. They may be one of the only beings 'alive' who witnessed whatever made the desert.

Mount Ire

It has been many centuries since Mount Ire erupted, and barring divine or magical interference, it doesn't seem eager to erupt any time soon. A small group of Grey Elves, the Order of the Seeking Eye, have been living on the volcano's slopes for several years. They don't tend to interact much with the elves of Stonewood forest, keeping to themselves. When people interact with these reclusive elves, they are strange, often asking deeply insightful questions that don't make sense. It is unknown what exactly these elves are seeking, and they guard their privacy violently if needed.

Important Sites

Gara Garawul

The only significant city in the Stonewood forest, Gara Garawul is ancient, even by elven standards. The city predates the cataclysm that caused the desert to form. The city is beautiful, in a haunting way, with much of the construction built into ancient and huge trees. These trees were shaped and grown in ways that are no longer possible, making the architecture a stark reminder of what once was. The city has changed hands many times in the millennia since the cataclysm, but currently is held by the Zaleak Clan who have held the city for the last thousand years or so. There is a deep sense of ennui that permeats the city, making it an uncomfortable place for outsiders not prepared for the overwhelming sense of melancholy that settles like a heavy blanket over the city.

Life and Society

Four great clans of elves live in Stonewood Forest. They are constantly vying for control over the best tree nurseries, hunting grounds, and control of Gara Garawul. Elven politics move slowly with years, or sometimes decades of planning, followed by sudden bursts of movement and violence. This means all of the major clans are constantly planning moves against each other, making Stonewood the most politically tense region, but outsiders have a hard time telling. many smaller families of Elves make their homes throughout the forest, living in small communities, crafting and guiding the forest's trees. 

Clan Zalek

Currently, the strongest and most prosperous elven clan in Stonewood, Clan Zalek, is most famous for breeding some of the fiercest and best-trained war birds in all of Ermendia. They took control of Gara Garawul a millennium ago, and since then, they have tried hard to consolidate power over the region through treaties, marriages, and alliances.

Hildakoak and Jalea Clan

These clans are the two most responsible for the fearsome reputation of Painted Elves in the region. It is said that both of these clans were changed as much as the trees themselves when the cataclysm occurred, infusing them with a dire hunger and a wild side that the other two clans do not match. These clans have a fearsome reputation for eating humanoids, not out of necessity but as a preference. They are tolerated by the other elven clans and the people of the desert because they produce the best stonewood weapons and armor in the world. 

Tai Lat Zai Leak Clan

The smallest of the four great clans, Tai Lat Zai Leak, is comparably peaceful. They are the most devoted to maintaining and cultivating the trees of Stonewood. Because of this, they are left comparably alone by the other three great clans. They are unparalleled craftspeople, and their carvings and furniture are prized throughout Ermendia for their beauty.