The Fellowship of the Living Oak are a quasi-religious organization native to the Verdant, a region of protected forests on the northwestern coast of Prozes. The forest itself exists outside the borders of any nation, with the Living Oak acting as the de facto governing body of the region.
History
Exact details surrounding the formation of the Living Oak is unknown, though the oldest records of their existence date back to the mid-First Era. Initially believed to be an offshoot of the existing temple to Graescenal, a local nature deity, it wasn't until 1E 531 that the Living Oak was identified as a wholly separate organization.
The Living Oak managed to avoid much of the chaos of civilized life, sticking within the boundaries of their forest and only ever trading with trusted neighbors. This peaceful coexistence came to an end during the Fourth Era, as the Sanumic Combine's invasion of Prozes forced hundreds of thousands of refugees north into the Verdant. The Living Oak took in these refugees, and when Combine forces began to encroach on their territory, members of the Living Oak valiently fought to force them back.
During the reign of the Combine, members of the Living Oak were among the many disparate peoples attempting to weaken the Combine's hold through internal conflict. When the Combine began deforesting large stretches of the Verdant, the Living Oak withdrew, their sacred lands tarnished by the Combine's brutality.
