Serenwilde
The only forest commune to survive the Taint Wars, the Serenwilde is under the guidance of two Great Spirits of Nature: White Hart, an enormous spirit stag, who lives in the Serenwilde itself, nearby to the druidical circle of Hartstone; and Mother Moon who has three avatars on the ethereal side of Serenwilde, representing the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Disgusted with civilization, who they blame for the cause of the Taint, the Serenwilde Commune withdrew into itself for a long period, and only now is slowly coming out of its shell to take part in the activities within the Basin of Life.
| Serenwilde, Grace of the Moonhart | |
|---|---|
| Patron | Maylea |
| Divine Pantheon | Auseklis, Lisaera, Charune, Maylea |
| Political Structure | Religious |
| Governance Style | Benign |
| Guilds | Moondancers, Hartstone, Serenguard, Spiritsingers, Shofangi |
The nexus of power in the Serenwilde is the Moonhart Mother Tree, located in the southern part of the forest. As all forests, the Serenwilde is reflected on the ethereal plane adjacent to the Realm of Faethorn.
Landmarks
The Moonhart Mother Tree
Clearly the largest tree in the Serenwilde, the Moonhart Mother Tree towers far above the treeline. The silvery bark is gnarled and ancient, and the waxy green leaves are strangely shaped, almost like antlers. White snowy pollen drifts down from the top of the tree, floating lazily in the breeze, filling the air with a fragrant earthy scent.
The Moonhart Mother Tree is the nexus of power in the Serenwilde Commune. It has a reflection on the Ethereal Plane, and its nexus world is the Heart of the Moonhart.
Flame of Glinshari
A large stone stands in the center of the clearing. At first glance, it looks to be made of granite, though flecks of colour sparkle in the light. Shaped like a sphere, the top of the stone has a deep indentation that forms a bowl. There are blue flames crackling within the basin, burning pure and bright.
So long as the White Hart is alive, the Flame of Glinshari may be lit in the Serenwilde Forest, which will create a shield to protect the forest against spiritual attack. If for some almost unimaginable reason, the White Hart has died, he may be resurrected through a ritual that invokes the Great Ancestors of the Serenwilde. The Flame of Glinshari can be raised through a similar ritual overseen by White Hart. As long as the Flame of Glinshari is lit, a ritual can be performed that will release a prophesy given by the Great Ancestors. Upon performing any of these great rituals five times (and thus being awarded five honours), the Epic Quest to become the Sacred Guardian of the Spirits of the Serenwilde will open up for that person.
The Flame is named for Glinshari Strongleaf, the first druid.
The Ellindel Arboretum
The Ellindel Arboretum is a structure that sits on the shore of the Moon River in the northern part of the Serenwilde Forest. It is home to a memorial to Ellindel, a snake pit, and Abeytu, who will pay for dead weevils.
The Arboretum is named for Ellindel Treeheart, the first Wiccan.
Moonfalls
Sheets of silvery water cascade across a moulded face of rock that bears the softened traces of centuries of running liquid. The thunderous noise of the falls smothers most of its fury into the churning depths of the Moon River as it falls several hundred feet into Moon Lake. The waters are whipped up into a frenzy of white foam, the air filled with a vaporous mist that obscures the trees that line the river's edge and project out above the sudden drop. Only a line of rock teeth separates the river from the falls, and it takes every effort to prevent being dragged down the falls to a certain death far below.
Nintoba Naos
Regal oak trees converge about a small mound here, which rises to head-height without precedent from the forest floor. The mound is formed from packed earth into which a number of stone blocks have been set to bolster it, which are covered with a thick curvaceous symbols or runes. Although there does not appear to be an entrance of any kind to the mound from the level of the forest floor, you notice that a set of moss-covered stone steps have been cut into the mound.
The Nintoba Naos is the current resting place of the centaur Nintoba's body after his mausoleum was destroyed by Grutina Oakvine and her rebel druids.
Grove of White Hart
Climbing up through the thick foliage of the rocky slope to the north provides entry into this serene area. There is a primeval stillness that holds this tiny copse at the very centre of this ancient forest with a perpetual hush. Age and time blanket the land with a heaviness, a weighty pall that might bring on a natural reverence in the most open of hearts. Emerald grass keeps to the perfect height, each blade almost clipped in its neatness while blanketing the clearing, small flowers of the sun's captured gold stud the soft carpet with light. So large are the ringing framework of thickly boled oaks that two men reaching round could not hold them tight, although the brambles and thorns that cluster between them manage to create an impenetrable wall. A tiny breeze flits in the air, a serenity matched by the beams of light from above. The leaves rustle reverently, animals visible but silent as they move through the plants, and even the birds that flit overhead sing their sweetest. A clump of golden, four-leaf clovers sway in the breeze here. As still as a statue, the White Hart stands here motionless, though his amber eyes remain ever watchful.