Clan Enlanefel
The Quiet Flame of the Gnarley Forest
Clan Enlanefel, though the smallest and most reclusive of the four major elven clans of the Gnarley Forest, carries within it a quiet and enduring power. Rooted in the mystical tree-city of Oakvein and guided by sages rather than warriors, the Enlanefel elves stand as contemplative guardians of ancient magic and natural balance. While others engage in politics or open war, the Enlanefel guard the ley-lines of power, fey alliances, and the lore of ages, their quiet vigilance woven into the very soul of the Gnarley.
History of Clan Enlanefel
Origins and Settlement
An ancient clan, noted for time without measure as the guardians of the sacred tree of Oakvein, who were further tasked by the Fey Queen of Celene some 200 years ago to protect the ley lines and precious heartwoods of the Gnarley Forest. Composed of various sylvan elf tribes, the clan coalesced into a spiritual fellowship rather than a rigid political body.
- Founding Mandate: Appointed by Queen Yolande to guard ley lines and promote elven traditions.
- Migration: Many Enlanefel elves settled from Celene’s Wild Counties—Tawaldaer and Ravarodel—and integrated with wood elf communities.
- Cultural Role: Known for their reclusive nature and focus on contemplation, magic, and druidic arts rather than politics or martial force.
Geography: Oakvein and the Dispersed Tribes of Enlanefel
Oakvein—The Living Fortress
At the heart of Enlanefel territory lies Oakvein , a colossal 240-foot oak tree rising from the wooded hills near the border of the Gnarley and Welkwood. Hidden by ancient illusion and abjuration, Oakvein is a beacon of spiritual strength and arcane wisdom, its trunk a sanctuary and citadel. Within its vast canopy and roots dwell potent mages, clerics, druids, and fey creatures—ready to defend the sacred tree against any who would bring ruin.
- Location: Western Gnarley Forest, near the Wild Coast verge.
- Architecture: Living tree-fortress shaped by elven magic; branches cradle homes, observatories, and sanctums.
- Magical Defenses: Immune to fire, acid, most magic, and all but the mightiest blows.
- Defenders: Treants, talking owls, pixies, brownies, and bound forest spirits.
- Population: Nearly one-fifth of the Gnarley-residing Enlanefel elves live here.
The Greater Enlanefel Territories
Yet Oakvein is but the heart. Like the other great elven clans, Clan Enlanefel is a confederation of smaller tribes and kin-groups scattered throughout the Gnarley Forest and beyond. With only 508 adult elves residing in the Gnarley, they are the smallest of the forest clans—making up just 7% of the whole. However, their presence extends far beyond these woods.
- Celene: Almost two-thirds again that number—over 800 elves—dwell in the Wild Counties of Tawaldaer and Ravarodel, kin-hosted by Clans Aerelnai and Tharondin.
- Northern Kinlands: Fewer than 100 make their homes in the territories of Fealefel, Meldarin, and Sherendyl, or within the elven quarter of Verbobonc, a community that offers sanctuary in the city yet remains culturally distinct.
- Structure: These groups form a fluid, loosely connected network of sylvan tribes united by blood, tradition, and purpose.
Key Geography Notes for the DM
- Main Location: Oakvein, hidden stronghold and sacred capital.
- Additional Settlements:
- Wild Counties (Celene): Tawaldaer and Ravarodel.
- Northern Gnarley Forest: among Clans Fealefel, Meldarin, Sherendyl.
- Elven Quarter of Verbobonc: small diaspora enclave.
- Clan Organization: Not centralized, but united by shared lore, tradition, and religious devotion.
Society and Culture
A Contemplative People
Clan Enlanefel embodies an introspective elven ideal—quiet, magical, and spiritual. They are famed for producing druids, clerics, and lorekeepers in greater proportion than any other Gnarley clan.
- Disposition: Withdrawn, reserved, and deeply contemplative.
- Magic & Faith: Dominated by practitioners of Sehanine Moonbow, Corellon, and Ehlonna.
- Population: 508 adult elves in the Gnarley; another 300+ in Celene proper; and fewer than 100 in Verbobonc and other elven regions.
Government and Loremasters
Rule by the Wise
Rather than nobles or warlords, Clan Enlanefel is led by a Council of Six Loremasters, aged sages who serve indefinite terms from the sanctum of Oakvein.
- Leadership: Faeluneth, Sorcerer 10 / Cleric of Sehanine Moonbow 13, is the eldest at 713 years.
- Governance: Loremasters are elected for wisdom, not lineage, and often serve multiple non-consecutive terms.
- Political Isolation: Rarely engage in politics beyond the forest, preferring to counsel through fey messengers and visions.
Religion and Spiritual Life
Sehanine’s Hidden Temple
Enlanefel devotion centers on Sehanine Moonbow, goddess of dreams and mysticism, and Ehlonna, patron of the forest. Many are dual practitioners of arcane and divine paths.
- Primary Deity: Sehanine Moonbow, revered for her ties to the moon, magic, and mystery.
- Religious Leaders: Most loremasters are clerics or favored souls.
- Rituals: Moon rites and solstice festivals held in secret groves, often attended by brownies, dryads, and swanmays.
Relationships with Other Factions
Celene
- Strong Ties: The majority of Enlanefel elves reside in Celene’s Wild Counties and are close kin to Clans Tharondin and Aerelnai.
- Influence: Though distant politically, they relay forest intelligence to the Queen’s Court via fey messengers.
The Gnarley Rangers
- Wary Respect: Gnarley Rangers are polite but cautious around Enlanefel elves, viewing them as aloof and enigmatic.
Druids of the Gnarley Forest
- Allies and Kindred: The druids revere Ehlonna and share goals of preservation and seclusion; several Enlanefel serve as druidic initiates.
Mounted Borderers & Verbobonc
- Minimal Contact: Verbobonc’s politics are not trusted. Some Enlanefel live in the elven quarter but take no part in civic affairs.
Economic System of Clan Enlanefel
Elven Communalism and Resource Stewardship
The foundation of Enlanefel’s 'internal' economy is communal ownership and shared resource use. Goods and services are distributed based on need, tradition, and spiritual role rather than personal wealth or status. Individuals contribute to the clan according to their talents—whether in magic, lorekeeping, hunting, healing, or caretaking of the sacred groves.
Gift Economy and Mutual Obligation
With 'External Economy', The Enlanefel favor gift-giving as a means of building and reaffirming social ties. Crafted items, magical scrolls, and harvested resources are exchanged freely among clan members, with an expectation of future reciprocity or honor rather than fixed prices.
Summary for Dungeon Masters
- Type of Economy: Elven communalist, with strong gift economy elements.
- Currency Use: Very limited. Coin is scorned; magical or artistic value is prized.
- Production Focus: Enchanted goods, rare herbs, lore, spiritual services.
- Trade Policy: Limited to allies (fey, druids, some gnomes human merchants are mistrusted.
- Crafting & Magic: Magical crafting is sacred, slow, and intimately tied to natural cycles.
- Notable Exports: Elven cloaks, fey-blessed woodcraft, scrolls of moon-scribed wisdom.
- Imports (rare): Books from Verbobonc, rare metals for spellcraft, or food in poor seasons.
This system emphasizes spiritual and ecological harmony over commerce, making Enlanefel less about markets and more about maintaining balance between the people, the forest, and the stars.
Current Concerns: Shadows on the Wild Verge (576 CY)
In the present year of 576 CY, Clan Enlanefel finds itself increasingly troubled by the growing profusion of bandits, humanoids, and raiders spilling across the Wild Verge of the Welkwood. These invaders—whether orc, goblin, gnoll, or human—show no interest in the lands to the south or west. Instead, they march north, cutting through the sacred groves of Enlanefel and threatening the mystical balance the clan has guarded for centuries.
Though the clan remains ignorant of the rebirth of the Temple of Elemental Evil, they rightly suspect that a dark design guides these incursions. Many speculate that the invaders aim to strike along the Wild Road and High Road, targeting merchant caravans, or that they seek to use the Gnarley as cover to raid the Free City of Dyvers, the Plain of Greyhawk, or even Verbobonc's border villages.
The result is a rising mistrust not only toward the usual foes—orc tribes and goblinoid marauders—but also toward human strangers. Even well-meaning woodsmen and militia from the nearby settlements face cold, suspicious gazes beneath the boughs of Enlanefel territory. The clan has begun discussing greater involvement in forest patrols and consulting their fey allies and loremasters to uncover the source of these disruptions.
Important Details for Dungeon Masters
- Threat Area: Wild Verge of the Welkwood (south and east of Enlanefel lands).
- Suspected Routes: Northbound raiders using the Gnarley Forest to reach:
- The Wild Road or High Road trade routes.
- Villages near Verbobonc, Dyvers, or Greyhawk.
- Known Foes: Orcs, goblins, gnolls, and now human brigands.
- Unaware of: The reformation of the Second Temple of Elemental Evil.
- Response: Increased magical scrying, elven patrols, and mistrust of outsiders.
Council of Oakvein: Relationship Matrix
Loremasters of Clan Enlanefel, Gnarley Forest – 576 CY
| → From / To ↓ | Faeluneth | Synriel | Naerion | Nemoi | Lian | Avinor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faeluneth | — | Spiritual sister; roots what she dreams | Cautious respect; tempers his ambition | Soul mirror; deepest kinship | Ceremony partner; keeps the past she foresees | Old friend; she mourns the truths he must remember |
| Synriel | Complements her divine insight | — | Rival in nature vs. structure; mutual respect | Planar foil; useful in fey bleed cases | Shared sacred duties; grove & spirit aligned | Works together in defense of old sacred sites |
| Naerion | Respects her visions; challenged by her riddles | Philosophical rival; conflict over magical interference in nature | — | Close arcane ally; theory into craft | Foil on artefact ethics; productive friction | Tension over relic use; collaboration on containment |
| Nemoi | Dream-conduit twin; shares lunar rites | Cautious cooperation; respects her grounding | Collaborative arcane minds; shared planar interest | — | Balanced respect; tension between dream and ritual | Wary of his past-obsessed clarity; consults on cultic dream signs |
| Lian | Liturgical balance; spiritual accord | Shared memory stewardship; grove to glyph | Watchful of his arcane ambition; ethical guardian | Divergent cosmologies; aligned on elven soul theory | — | Strongest alliance; co-guardians of elven legacy |
| Avinor | Treats her prophecy as necessary warning | Partner in ruin archaeology and blighted forest watch | Debates over relic danger; grudging trust | Watches his dream-readings for ancient patterns | Kindred in preservation of the past | — |
Matrix Use Tips for DMs
- High Council Scenes: Use this matrix to build tension during major decisions—who supports whom, who deflects, and who must be swayed.
- Player Diplomacy: When players approach Oakvein for aid, knowing which loremasters are aligned—or at odds—can shape negotiations or quests.
- Side Quests: Each intersection can generate custom adventures: e.g., Synriel and Naerion must unite to stop a magical disease that disrupts both natural ley lines and enchanted relics.
Notable Figures
- Faeluneth – Sorcerer-Cleric of Sehanine, senior loremaster of Oakvein, age 713.
- Thalanil of the Root-Circle – A reclusive druid who speaks to the ancient treants.
- Elirae Moonbranch – Young bard and emissary to other clans and the city of Verbobonc.
Key Information for the Dungeon Master
- Capital: Oakvein (Population 158; 60% wood elf, 38% faerie).
- Clan Size: 508 in the Gnarley; 800+ in Celene; ~100 elsewhere.
- Leadership: Six Loremasters, elected; no noble houses.
- Disposition: Quiet, reclusive, magically powerful; opposed to forest defilers.
- Major NPCs: Faeluneth (Cleric/Sorcerer), Thalanil (Druid), Elirae (Bard).
- Enemies: Cults of Elemental Evil, Verbobonc loggers, bandits from Nulb.
- Allies: Druids of the Gnarley, Fey Courts, Swanmay Sisterhood.
Regions of the Gnarley Forest as called by the Gnarley Rangers
Sidebar: Trouble Beneath the Boughs
Adventure Hooks in Enlanefel Lands (576 CY)
"We no longer whisper warnings from the trees. We whisper war." — Thalanil Root-Circle, Enlanefel druid
Adventure Hooks for the Gnarley Forest Near Enlanefel Territory
1. The Blood Trail of the Verge
Bandit bodies are found skewered to trees with stakes. Evidence shows that the bandits were slain by elven arrows... but not by Enlanefel hands. Someone—or something—is using their tactics to frame the clan. The players are asked to investigate a recent massacre along the Wild Verge.
- Challenge: Track the source of the bandit-killers.
- Twilight Falls: The arrows can be traced back to Twilight Falls sold by a particular merchant to another that either sold or were stolen by the bandits.
- Twist: It’s a splinter cult of the Temple of Earth, staging false-flag attacks.
- Reward: Trust (or suspicion) from Clan Enlanefel, depending on outcome.
2. Moonlight Accord
An envoy from the elven city of Enstad seeks to unite the Gnarley clans—but the Loremasters of Oakvein are reluctant. The party is asked to escort a seer through disputed forest paths, while being hunted by humanoid scouts.
- Conflict: Navigate ancient clan politics, avoid forest spirits, protect the diplomat.
- Complication: The “diplomat” carries a cursed item tied to the Elder Elemental God.
- Result: Potential to unlock powerful fey alliances—or trigger arcane backlash.
3. Echoes from Oakvein
Strange dreams plague druids and clerics near Oakvein. The Loremasters request help investigating an ancient root-cavern beneath the tree, accessible only through a ritual in moonlight.
- Challenge: A mythic dungeon crawl beneath the sentient roots of the tree.
- Threats: Shadow elementals, forgotten elemental glyphs, imprisoned visions of the EEG.
- Reward: Ancient artifacts, a boon from Sehanine, or access to secret elven lore.
4. The Thorned Pact
The fey allies of the Enlanefel have declared a silent war on any who step off the forest paths—human, elf, or beast. The party must negotiate peace before the fey unleash wrath upon nearby Verbobonc settlers.
- Conflict: Fey courts vs. human villagers; choose a side or forge a truce.
- Key NPCs: A dryad matron, a Verbobonc ranger captain, and a trickster satyr.
- Reward: Fey magic, rare Ipp Wood, or a fey-blessed grove for resting.
DM Tip:
Use this sidebar to seed tension between Verbobonc, Celene, and the Elves of the Gnarley. The more the players investigate, the closer they get to uncovering cult activity linked to the Temple of Elemental Evil—and the tipping point of war beneath the canopy.
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