The Misty Falls Retreat

Since their Awakening, the Elves ranged far from their ancestral home in order to experience the beauty and variety of the natural world that was given to them by the Creator of Worlds and their own Father Berdea. Since beauty is a subjective thing, it should come as little surprise that there are almost as many "most beautiful places in the world" as there are beings seeking out these places. But all of those who have actually seen the Misty Falls and its environs easily agree that this place is one of the - if not THE most beautiful locations untouched by the civilizations of any of the Folk in all of Cartyrion.

Geography

The Retreat is located at the point where the Blue Peaks range reaches the shores of Crystal Lake in the north, deep in the North Grove forest. A narrow channel with tall evergreens and flowering undergrowth separates a s small inlet from the main lake. The lower half of the northernmost of the Blue Peaks forms a rather steep, though not vertical wall on the southeast to eastern side of the inlet. The Falls for which the area is named cascade down this wall, which has many flat areas to collect small pools of water.. Overflow of these pools continues down the side of the mountain until the lake's inlet is reached.

Ecosystem

Besides being catchpoints for the meltwater of the mountain's winter ice cap, several of the small pools of water are also fed by spring water from within the mountain itself - and this water is geothermally heated. As a result, the temperature of the spring-fed pools tends to be "warm bath" temperature, while those fed by meltwater can be quite cold most times of the year. Steam rising from the heated pools on cold days mixes with the spray from the falls to create a veil of mist that is a constant part of the environment here. The warmth of this water and the mists keeps this region from ever freezing over entirely, even in the cold winter months.

Fauna & Flora

Being sources of clean, fresh water, the area is frequented by all sorts of animal and bird life from the region. The heat provided by the warm springs also means that, in winter, creatures may linger around the pools to keep warm. Some even use the pools themselves to quickly warm up.

The flora around the area is more diverse than would be expected, but again, this is due to the effect of the warm springs. Plants that would normally go dormant in winter thrive all year long, and some flowering shrubs and ground plants that would not survive a winter at these latitudes have no difficulty in thriving here.

Finally, there are the Fey. On warm, sunny days, the air can be filled with sprites and pixies flitting about like dragonflies. Naiads play in the pools and even leap about the falls themselves. The proximity of the mountains mean that this is one of the few places that the oreads can come to enjoy the company of all of their nymph cousins. Some of the rarer Fey creatures that can occasionally be seen in the great Elven forests will come to water: pegasi, satyrs,

History

The Elves who made the North Grove their home discovered this Misty Falls inlet soon after arriving in the region, and for thousands of years, they managed to keep its location a secret. They didn't want its natural beauty being spoiled by the incursions of civilizations. The Elves themselves passed a decree that no structure be formed within three miles of the inlet. The only exceptions are a series of very carefully crafted shelters - woven from living flora by the magic of druids - that can be used by visitors who wish to linger at the place for a while. These shelters are practically invisible to an untrained eye - great care was taken to ensure that they did not distract in any way from the raw, natural beauty of the place.

Eventually, others did discover the Falls, but fortunately, the next discoverers were druids who appreciated and respected the natural beauty they discovered. Today, the druids help enforce practices to ensure that no marks of civilization are placed upon the area.

Tourism

Druids from all over Cartyrion that have mastered the ability to transport themselves from place to place through the natural world are known to come to the Misty Falls to rest, refresh, and rejuvenate themselves. They claim it is one of the few places on all of Cartyrion where the Four Elements are in such harmony: Water cascading down the side of Earth, the pools warmed by Fire and wafting their mists through the Air.

Elves and Forest Gnomes will also visit the place to admire its beauty, making use of the hidden shelters. Other Folk will come from time to time as well, though not as frequently.

Type

Waterfall