The Eternalwoad

A season shifting forest laden with magic, this gargantuan forest is the woodland home of the Fae.

Gazing upon the Eternalwoad is to gaze upon a forest of rapidly shifting trees, flowing from one season to the next as if they were experiencing all four seasons in a matter of minutes. It is said men go mad entering this forest and can hallucinate their wildest dreams when exposed to the magic of the Eternalwoad for too long. No one knows why the forest allows the Seelie Fae, who honor the sanctity of life, and the Unseelie Fae, who become enamored with the finality of death, to claim immortality within its boundaries, not even the Fae themselves. Many Fae leave the Eternalwoad to experience the thrill of life with an end, only to return for fear of actually dying. It is only by safely traversing the Eternalwoad that one can reach the Shire of Barleybuck within.
The Eternalwoad is goverened by a elected monarch, who rules based on the prevaling season within the majority of the Eternalwoad. These various monarchs are called the Crowns of Seasons, and while they control the woads military, the citizens of the woad vote on largely everything else. The current Crowns are the Crown Titim of Fall, Crown Gheima of Winter, Crown Earrach of Spring, and Crown Samhra of Summer. The Crowns also guide the worship of Ire, Goddess of Vengeance, the primary diety and recognized mother of the Fae. Though other practices are tolerated, no one would dare voice dissent from Ire's primacy while inside the Eternalwoad.
While mostly populated by the fae, who seem entirely at home in the chaotic confines of the woad, it is also home to wyrdlings and trollgaurd, who are mystically altered humans and mogatai respectively. After long years and even generations of living in the woad, these outsiders have become altered by the woads magic forever, and seem resilient towards the woad's more dangerous effects. The Eternalwoad remains on good terms with nearby Draioch and Alfheimr, with whom they trade often, and with the various caravans that make their way in to trade with the Shire of Barrleybuck, the Eternalwoads closest ally.
The Eternalwoad is ancient beyond count, and stories of its creation are lost to time. The Eternalwoad borders the Kingdom of Draioch and surrounds the Shire of Barleybuck on all sides. A haunting forest of trees that go through all four seasons in a matter of minutes, the forest itself can cause those who are not attuned to it to go mad, and see their wildest fears. The Bobbins and Fae are both immune to this effect, and hold the secret to allowing others to pass through the woad as well. Trade routes are set up and scheduled with Grand Caravan of Bhutaar and the Boreal-Lurin Bazaar to allow trade in and out of the Shire of Barleybuck. Only these caravans are made aware of these routes and anyone who stumbles upon them uninvited will face the wrath of the Fae who dwell in the Eternalwoad. The Fae who live in the woad see the citizens of the Shire as their wards, and beings they must protect, so an open line of communication and respect is imporant from both kingdoms towards one another. Although Fae are rarely seen in the Shire itself, citizens of the Shire often attend Fae Solstice celebrations to honor the seasons alongside them.
The Fae who dwell in the forest protect it with the utmost determination. Each season a different king or queen will sit on the throne of their chosen season. When not sitting on the throne they are known as The Council of Eternal Seasons. The Crowns are there to propose plans and remain swing votes on all community decisions. Unseelie, usually hunter Fae of the groves are often seen wandering the forest in search of unnatural beasts who harass the Fae. Fomorians, small insect like creatures who borrow into the minds of their victims, are a particular enemy of the Eternalwoad. When burrowed within a victim, the Fomorian quickly drives the subject mad, before subjecting them to a horrible mutating growth into a monstrous form. Fae within the Eternalwoad are immune to the creatures mutating effects, but hunt them down regardless in order to stop the destruction they wreak on other creatures in the woad.
The Seelie work on fortifying their community both spiritually and physically through the creation of goods, such as potions and tinctures, experimenting with natural and elemental magic as well as recording history through song and dance. That is not to say that the Seelie do not enact in rites of war and battle. Every Fae is a force to be reckoned with and inside them is a bloodlust that is near unquenchable once roused. The Fae are spread throughout the woad in small grove community’s and meet on every full moon to enact the blood tithe ritual in the throne grove, the biggest of all the Groves were the Throne of Seasons is kept. This is the throne in which the reining season’s King or Queen sits.
In the early weeks of the Spring of 1024, madness erupted in the Eternalwoad. Coherent reports are rare, but terrified accounts were coaxed from several survivors who make it out of the borders of the forest. The Eternalwoad is in turmoil. The seasons have ceased their eternal progression, leaving the forest draped in night. According to the reports, swarms of fomorians attacked the Throne Grove. At their head was a monstrous fae, with clicking mandibles set where its jaws should be. When this abomination appeared, chaos ensued, with fae turning upon fae in a riot of bloodshed. The attack spread through the Eternalwoad impossibly fast, with no warning coming from any scout or spell, as if the enemy simply appeared from the shadows.
The four Crowns were in the Throne Grove when the attack occurred, and no one has seen them since the attack. The guardians of the Eternalwoad and the Trollguard fight day and night to contain the fomorian swarm, but must also contend with blood-mad fae traitors, who chant foul oaths to the “Dream Eater’s Herald”. In all this nightmare, a ray of hope emboldens the outnumbered defenders. The dragon Ulmosra, the Symphony Gale, has been seen on the battlefield, battering fomorians with tempest and bolts of lightning, and inspiring beleaguered defenders with the soothing power of her song.
9/1024 - The constant battles and skirmishes in the Eternalwoad have slowed, and the battle lines have largely stabilized. With the arrival of the Dragon Ulmosra, the reinforcements of the Bhutarian cavalry, and even a knightly order of brave Bobbins from Barelybuck, areas have been made safe in the southern half of the Eternalwoad. The northern segments have become haunted places, with fomorian mutants rampaging alongside blood-maddened fae who seem enthralled to the power of the “Dream Eater’s Herald”. Wherever this twisted, chimeric creature rears its head, battle lines threaten to buckle under the weight of her horror-inducing magics. In turn, the knightly order of Barelybuck tracks her movements, reinforcing battlelines and dispelling her magic of nightmares whenever they appear on the battleline. Ulmosra has worked alongside the loyal fae to launch surgical strikes into the lost territory, attempting to hit leaders and steal back supplies, still with no sign of the four missing Crowns.

Cultural Dress
Regal and beautiful clothing mimicking flower petals and flower colors for Seelie. Cold and Fall colors mimicking fallen leaves and Snowflakes as well as icicles for Unseelie.

Kingdom Skills
Child of the Forest: Once per day, channel 5 while in contact with a tree. You remain melded with that tree for 5 minutes or until the tree takes damage. When you are melded you are hidden and can only be detected by magical detection