Alderheart

Long ago, druids of the Wood learned how to speak with trees and use magic to shape them into shelters in which they could make their homes. This process was considered deeply respectful, as a tree could not be forced to take any shape it didn't agree to. So it was that specialist druids, a group of tenders know as shapers, became mediators between the will of the people and the will of the forest. Birdfold shapers spoke to the tallest and most ancient tree in the Wood - Alderheart. The shapers obtained permission for birdfolk to build a home within Alderheart's branches. Later, the great tree again gave permission to shape its trunk into homes for an increasing population. THis burgeoning city took the name of the tree who so generously provided a home for the people of the Wood, and Alderheart became Humblewood's capital. Known throughout the region as the "Great Tree City," Alderheart, is a vibrant place and a cultural center, home to thousands of residents, some regional and some from the farthest corners of Everden.
Alderheart is home to every race of birdfolk and humblefolk. The thriving community attracts people from faraway lands, like traveling merchants, explorers, and foreign dignitaries. Citizens of the Humblewood who don't live in the city routinely journey there to trade goods, stock up on supplies, engage in artistic endeavors, or simply catch up on the latest news and gossip. Effectively everyone in Humblewood has a connection to Alderheart.
Virtually anything can be found in Alderheart, if you know where to look. The majority of the city's inhabitants are well meaning, decent folk but like any city there are dark alleys and back rooms. Crime here is usually kept in check by the Perch Guard, but while the city guards are vaunted as being among the best in the Wood, illicit activities continue under the cover of darkness.

Infrastructure

Getting In and Out

To enter and exit Alderheart, you have two options, entering via the Canopy or the Trunk. If you are visiting Alderheart for the first time, it is recommended to take one of the lifts up to the Canopy to experience Alderheart's stunning height for yourself as you rise upwards. Stairways and corkscrew tunnels also lead up from the forest floor emerging at the same gates in Alderheart's Canopy served by the lifts. Be warned though, this is a long climb. If you have business in the Trunk or Roots of Alderheart, you may enter the city via the Entry Junction Hall instead. This is a large hollow in the base of the tree, and it serves as a hub for Alderheart's network of branch roads, so you can easily travel upwards or downards. Whether you enter by the City Gates or the Entry Junction you will have to pass through a Perch Guard checkpoint. This process is remarkably smoth, given the flow of trade that passes in and out of Alderheart each day.

Getting Around

Most of the travel around Alderheart uses pathways shaped from the Evertree, either on top of branches or through the wood of the tree. These are known as "branchroads". Alderites use the word branch road to refer to many pathways in the city, even those not shaped out of branches. Smaller paths are sometimes called branchways. Meanwhile, the roads and tunnels in the Roots are called rootroads or rootways instead.

Moving Across the City

The major branchroads are easily wide enough for beasts of burden to pull carts of goods in either direction. These can include giant lizards, trained dire wolves, or large beetles. While most branchroads allow for foot traffic as well as carts and wagons, some are used exclusively for one or the other. Branchroads along the fringes of the Canopy level, where the branchroads can't bear too much weight, are restricted to foot traffic. Al branchroads in the city eventually connect to a wide branchroad known as the Mainstay, which winds from the Canopy into the lower Trunk. This branchroad is always alive with folks moving around the city.

Moving Up and Down

Stairways, pulley lifts, and ladders help folks move up and down within the city. Freight and personnel lifts connect the middle to upper levels of the Trunk with the Canopy. Most lifts are large, centrally located, and open to the public for free. A few wealthy private citizens have their own exclusive lifts, which can sometimes be used for a fee, but these are rare.

Transportation

For personal travel in the Canopy and Trunk, you may wish to hire one of the many rickshaws, gigs, or well-groomed insect mounts that carry passengers throughout the city. If you're looking to make an impression in the Canopy, nothing says style to Alderites like paying to arrive in an elegant carriage.

Districts

Canopy

The Canopy contains Alderheart's most iconic structures such as: The Boughs, Canopy Market, Council Plaza, Guild Quarter, Temple Quarter, Observatories, and Observatories.
The Canopy of the Great Tree City is perhaps the most visually stunning of Alderheart's three levels. Located at the top of the city, both in its position and prominence, the Canopy is the place most folks think of when they picture Alderheart.
When Walking along the wide, sculpted branchroads in this part of the city, it's easy to forget how high up you are until you arrive at one of the Canopy's famed vistas. Much of the top of the Evertree is so wide that there's little risk of falling, though in areas close to the Canopy's edge, stabilizing platforms and walkways ensure that folks are safe, even when the wind whips through the branches. The Canopy was the first area of the Evertree to be inhabited by the folk of the Wood and is also known as "the old city". Even today, you will spot some of the oldest buildings in Alderheart in the Canopy, some dating all the way back to before the city's founding.
As you stroll the Canopy's wide boulevards, keep an eye out for the wondrous system of rain catchers. These fascinating contraptions make life possible up here in the Canopy. Rainwater that falls on the tree's upper branches is collected, stored, and then funneled to pumping stations throughout the Canopy. In the winter, specialized heating elements melt the snow. These remarkable "skywells" allow residents of the top of the tree to access freshwater without drawing it up from the ground level.

Trunk

The Trunk is home to a wide array of buildings and districts including: Entry Junction, Trunk Market, Bright Hollows, and Marker's Way
The Trunk of Alderheart is the largest of the three levels and home to most of the city's residences. It is a cozy and welcoming place, and while it may not have the extravagance of the Canopy, it's not without its own marvels. Despite being mostly located inside the Evertree, the Trunk level is surprisingly well-lit. Sunlight pours in through natural knotholes and shaped windows. In places where natural light doesn't reach, strings of lanterns lit by motes of magic or domesticated brightbeetles illuminate the branchroads. Homes in the Trunk show the most use of tree-shaping anywhere in Alderheart, partly because the sturdy wood of the Evertree is so suitable for it here.
The Trunk does not rely on skywells as the Canopy does. Instead, waterways shaped into the Trunk use the Evertree's natural channels to draw water up from the ground and funnel wastewater back into the earth. Clean water from this system can be accessed from wells using hand pumps located throughout the Trunk. More and more homes are installing private access to this water system.

Roots

Noteable areas of the Roots include: The Underfall, Pestlehaven, Rootbraid, Cutter's Coil, and the Wilder Places. The Roots is the newest part of the city. It was legitimized by the Birfolk Council in Song 703. Before this, many folks still lived in the Roots, but they were not considered citizens of Alderheart. The Roots may appear dreary compared to the airy opulence of the Canopy, but this area has a beauty of its own if only you care to see it.
Despite being incorporated into Alderheart officially, the folk here still struggle with economic difficulties compared with the rest of the city. Efforts by its residents to improve conditions have been met with barriers, both political and financial. Meanwhile, several development projects spearheaded by the Birdfolk Council have been ineffective or even disastrous as they lacked consultation with those who live in the Roots.
Before being officially incorporated into Alderheart, the Roots did not have access to the city amenities of any sort. Two decades ago, most areas of the Roots were integrated into the water system that also supplies the Trunk. Now, hand-pumped wells can be found throughout the level, though it is rare for homes to have private access to water.
The air in the Roots is filled with enough moisture that torches and candles can safely be used for light and warmth without risk to the Evertree. Recent city investments have also brought magical cold lanterns to light the dark passageways.

Alternative Name(s)

Evertree

Population

10,000+

Included Locations

• Trunk Market

Owner/Ruler

Gregor Thonspur

Owning Organization

Birdfolk Council