Akrimmon

To you, this tree might look like a dead remnant of a grand oak, already past its time. To us, it is the most sacred place in this part of the forest. This tree has been here since we arrived, which makes it more than one and a half millennia old. It has seen the rise and fall of families. It saw the childhood of the city of Mynelion. So yes, I would mind if you chop it down.

— High Druid Vinior

Akrimmon is an ancient hollow oak. It's found outside Mynelion.

Location

Akrimmon is hidden deep inside Kael Thalori, almost two hours of walking outside Mynelion. The tree is very hard to find if you don't know what you're looking for, and a part of a druid's training is to travel to this tree, including finding the way there and back again.

The Tree Itself

The tree stands tall in one of the most dense parts of the forest. It's 20 meters tall, and the trunk is about 2 meters wide. Although it's hollow, it still has enough of the trunk left to thrive.

The Hollow

Inside the tree, there's an opening leading into a hollow that is large enough to fit a burly human. The inside is shaped slightly as a seat, so it's possible to sit inside, albeit a bit uncomfortably.

The Druids and Akrimmon

Akrimmon is considered one of the most holy places for the druids. It's been a holy site for the druids since the establishment of the Circle of Mynelion.

How the Tree was Found

It is said that Vinior himself stumbled over the tree on his first journeys with Zira in Enarion. He felt some sort of divine energy coming from the tree, which was most likely the reason he went in that direction in the first place, and he was so fascinated by this tree he spent two years in the forest, just studying the tree and its properties.

Akrimmon seemed to like that someone was so interested in it, so the energy changed slightly, feeling lighter and more pleasant every time Vinior came by. It was just like the tree was happy to see him. Vinior noticed this, and felt honored to be approved by the tree. He made sure to formally introduce Zira to the tree as well, since she was nearby exploring the flora and fauna of the world.

When the pair decided to establish the Circle of Mynelion years later, the tree was one of the main factors influencing the placement of the town.

Pilgrimage

During the last of the five years a druid is in training, they must make a pilgrimage to the tree before they're allowed to be considered a full member of the Circle of Mynelion. The first step is to find the tree itself. This is not an easy task. Not only is the forest very dense and confusing in these areas, it's also close enough to Mynelion to be affected by the natural defenses of the surrounding forest. A druid needs to use several of their taught skills to be able to find the tree itself.

After finding the tree, the student should spend some time in meditation, connecting to the tree. It is believed that the best way to do this is to do the meditation inside the tree itself, but the student is of course free to do this in the way they feel works best. Many who take this trek say they got a feeling of extreme serenity and peace from this experience, others say they didn't feel anything special. It is believed that Akrimmon itself is the reason for the different experiences, depending on the mood of the tree as well as how much the tree likes the individual. How long this meditation should be is up to the student - some might use an hour or two in meditation, others might spend a whole day.

After the meditation is done, the student should bring an acorn from Akrimmon back with them to Mynelion. This acorn should not be picked from the tree itself, it has to be picked up from the ground. The students who do this pilgrimage in winter should dig through the snow to find one, yet since the tree is so vast, it shouldn't be too hard to find one. At last, the student should make the trek home with their acorn.

The pilgrimage to Akrimmon is not only for students of druidcraft, however. Even older druids who are already a member of the Circle of Mynelion might make the trip to the tree, if only just to meditate in peace for a while. It is considered a sign of good luck to meet the High Druid himself on the pilgrimage, and if you meet the Lady of the Grove herself, it's considered extremely lucky.

Acorns

The acorns of Akrimmon has no innate power themselves, but many druids keep the acorn they bring back from their pilgrimage as a token, either making it into a necklace, incorporating it into their sacred tools or use it in some other way as a sort of talisman or memento from their training.

Sacred landmark

Type

Tree

Parent Location

Kael Thalori

Affiliated Organization

Circle of Mynelion

Glossary

Circle of Mynelion

The organization of druids in Enarion, founded by Vinior and Zira

High Druid

Leader of the druids. The current High Druid is Vinior

Lady of the Grove

Another name for Zira

Mynelion

City of the druids. Deep in Kael Thalori in Enarion

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