Grove of Silvanus
Tucked away, almost unnoticeable from the street in the temple district lies the Grove of Silvanus. After passing through a small entryway through a cobblestone wall, one is greeted by a thick cordon of hedges, which if they press through opens into a large courtyards and a beautiful patch of wilderness which abuts the city walls. In the sunlit center, long grasses and aromatic wildflowers form a dense carpet, through which honey buzz flit from flower to flower, making way for an occasional butterfly. This carpet gives way to thick leaf litter and a dark, heavy, and loamy mulch which spreads out from beneath a massive and gnarled live oak tree which stretches its boughs over the rest of the grove, while smaller trees and hedges brush up against the ivy-covered courtyard walls and stretch their branches over the parapets, climbing towards the sun. A few small birds nest dot these branches, and songbirds warble pleasantly.
Beneath the oak tree is a small, cool, crystal clear freshwater spring which bubbles forth from a crack in a pile of smooth stones beneath the tree, and feeds a small babbling brook which pools before draining away under the earth again. Tiny minnows swimming about in the water column and darting in and out of the littoral plants, and dragonflies zip across the surface. Despite being in a relatively active part of the city, noise seems dampened in the grove, and warm sunlight filters through the rustling canopy of oak leaves, and despite being well within the city walls, and cool breeze which carries fresh air heavy with the scent of wildflowers creates a serene environment.
The Grove of Silvanus has always been special to those who have resided in the Whiterport area. Before the first humans settled in Whiteport, it is said the ancient elves treated the place as a holy site where they could commune with nature and cross the boundary into their native realm, the Faewild as a place where the veil between the two planes drew the thinnest. While these myths are unsubstantiated, visitors to the Grove cannot help but understand why Whiteporters fervently believe there is something magical about the place and can't help but feel a sense of connection with the natural world while within its confines.
Purpose / Function
The Grove of Silvanus sits at the center of a number of magical leylines across the world, making it a powerful spot for Druidic rituals, centered around an ancient Oak. Since Whiteport's inception, and early days the Grove has been treated as almost sacred ground, existing as an isolated pocket of wilderness within a sea of civilization, and the few efforts to cut down the grove and build over it have met with failure and subsequently the idea has been abandoned. The Grove acts as an unofficial Shrine for Whiteport's residents, many of whom come to seek the serenity and peace of the wilderness in the chaos and commotion of city life and seek guidance or pray to Silvanus, the elven god of wild-nature. While not one a member of the twelve, Whiteport's officially sanctioned pantheon, Silvanus' worship is tolerated by the city authorities and he is commonly revered by Whiteport residents, especially those of elven ancestry. Citizens come to the grove to sit in silence and attune to the natural world, something nigh-impossible to do in the city proper.
Alterations
The Grove of Silvanus has persisted relatively unchanged since Whiteport's founding. Over the years it has shrunk from its original grounds as the city has encroached further and further upon the borders of the glade, leaving only the absolute center of the grove remaining today. However, these efforts were halted by a thick bocage which surrounds the heart of the glade, and which repairs itself and grows back at almost supernatural speed, resisting all efforts to break through it. Later, as the city continued to grow, a small wall was added to formally enclose the grove and stop continued effort to break through.
Architecture
The Grove is surrounded on three sides by a low stone wall about 15 feet high which encloses the space, and by the city walls which rise higher. However, these walls generally only serve as a formality, as the real borders of the glade are defined by a dense, thick network of bocage which presses up against the walls and towers over them, the upper canopy even hanging over the walls and sheltering the outside city street, and which can only be passed through by passing first through the stone gate, and then a low woven passageway through the brambles. This passageway opens into a central grove, which features a small sunny clearing filled with silky and lush green grass and aromatic wildflowers. At the far end, a massive, gnarled, ancient oak tree reaches upward with immense branches, its canopy creating a pattern of shadow on the grove floor, which transitions from wildflowers into a rich, dark, and loamy soil topped by leaf litter, and where only soft patches of moss and colorful mushrooms grow. At the base of the trunk, a small freshwater spring babbles forth from between a break in the stone around the oak's gnarled roots, creating a small brook which pools in the center of the wildflowers before draining away back into some unseen aquifer.
History
The Grove of Silvanus has existed long before the city of Whiteport was even founded, once standing at the center of large forest along White Bay. The forest and wilderness was eventually cleared to make way for the city, but the Grove resisted, standing as a pocket of nature deep within the heart of civilization.
Tourism
Since Whiteport's inception, the Grove of Silvanus has been recognized as something special and apart from the mundane world, and even as the surrounding woods and wilderness were cleared and managed, the Grove always persisted and has been seen as a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Treated almost like a cross between a city park, forest preserve, and holy shrine, the Grove of Silvanus is open to all, though visitors tend to come seeking tranquility, physical and spiritual rejuvenation. It is also a natural gathering point for druids, rangers, and caretakers of the natural world.
Type
Garden
Parent Location
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