The Irristal Timberland (Ear-Es-Tall)

"The Timberland is as beautiful at it is dangerous. The Elves did a wonderful job supporting the forest, but now its our turn. Still, sometimes I swear I can still hear the song of my Asa'rai ancestors whispered through the leaves." ~ Salrisa Greyhawk, Asa'rai druid.
An expansive forest along the border of the Averheim Empire and the lands of Aeranas and the Amber Plains to the southeast, the Irristal Timberland provides a natural divide between the two nations. The sprawling expanse of Willow, Oak, and Birch also signals the departure from the colder weather of Vanigraad's northern reaches and the welcome embrace of the temperate climate of the Holy Lands.
The forest itself has existed since before the first migration of the Elves, the trees already spreading their ancients roots through the earth. After the Elven migration, the Wood Elves, or the Asa'rai became the self-proclaimed protectors of the Irristal. The magic infused within their music and spread by their druids nourished the forest, fueling its growth and expansion. The Wood Elves developed a partnership with the trees, building their beautiful cities and walkways around, and within, the trunks of the oldest trees. Some soaring over 200 ft into the canopy. It was within these cities that the Wood Elves taught their children, and even those of other races, the deep nature magic they brought over from the Faewild with their kin. Great Druidic conclaves emerged from the Irristal, under the guidance of elves, and spread to all corners of Vanigraad to protect the natural balance before the Confluence.
Resting deep within the Irristal's heart, spreading its ancient roots to all corners of the forest and perhaps beyond, lies the Thea'delas. The Spirit Tree. It is said among scholars that the Elves believed that all the trees of the Timberland are connected to the Spirit Tree by a vast root system. The massive Willow tree rises over 500 ft into the sky, it's branches extending far over the top canopy of the Timberlands. On full moons, it is rumored that drops of liquid moonlight collect on the leaves of the Spirit Tree. It is believed that these dew drops are a blessing from the Moon Goddess and nourish the tree with divine magic, and encouraging its sentience. Apothecaries speculate that you could collect this liquid moonlight and use a single drop to cure any disease know and unknown. But every venturous soul that has attempted to scale the ancient branches have never returned, so speculation it remains.
Surviving Wood Elf records states that the Thea'delas speaks with her children when the wind blows through the canopy and her waters grant them the ability to walk and protect their home since the disappearance Asa'rai. These records in turn have caused the Timberland to be feared by those who do not understand, or respect, the nature of the trees. Or the Ents that call the Timberland home. It is rumored among the travelers and rangers that pass through the forest that the trees do not take kindly to uncontrolled flame. That raising an axe while passing beneath the canopy can cause the trees to groan and shift, their leaves whispering to each other in rustling voices. This does not stop the rangers of the Silver Conclave from holding their annual Bonfire beneath the protection of the Irristal's boughs. But it is done with respect to the nature around them and within a clearing near the southern edge of the Timberland, so as not to disturb the abandoned cities of the Asa'rai, or the Thea'delas herself.
In the years since the Confluence the Irristal has remained largely unchanged, with the exception of the abandoned cities in the Timberland's heart. However, as the tides of Chaos surge once more a darkness has slowly crept beneath the canopy. People have begun to go missing from villages and towns that border the forest, and howls can be heard echoing through the trees on moonless nights. An unease has settled on the rangers that patrol the edges of the Timberland, and they say the Ents have grown more violent recently. Several druids also claim that a black liquid has begun to seep into the roots of the forest and that the Thea'delas is dying. Which bodes ill for perhaps the entire continent.

Localized Phenomena

• Since the disappearance of the Asa'rai after the First Age, a dark mist has settled beneath the canopy. Obscuring the forest floor and those that walk along it. The mist is cold, and seemingly attempts to misdirect any travelers.
• On full moons the leaves of the Thea'delas glow with a pale blue/white light as they collect drops of moonlight.

Fauna & Flora

The following creatures have been documented by the Silver Conclave as residing for extended periods within the Timberland.
• • Ents
  • Wolves
  • Deer
  • Badgers
  • Foxes
  • Hydra
• Recent reports indicate that a coven of Hags has moved into the forest, though their exact location has yet to be determined.

Alternative Name(s)

The Timberland or the Irristal

Type

Forest, Temperate (Seasonal)

Related Ethnicities

• Asa'rae, Singers of the Ballad of Creation

Characters in Location

• Myrna Nightbloom, The Night Hag of Irristal