Defenders of the Forest - Liber Fanatica

Chapter VII: The Forest of
Athel Loren
Each spring solstice, a great festival is held at King’s Glade where
the Wild Riders of Kurnous elect a vessel for Orion’s rebirth. In
-625 IC, the corrupt Treeman Coeddil sought to end Orion’s
reign by slaying the Wild Riders before the choosing could
occur. Fortunately, the violence awakened Ariel before the last
Wild Rider was killed, and she banished Coeddil to the Wildwood.
Ever since Coeddil’s betrayal, councils involving Loren’s
spirits are not held at King’s Glade but at the nearby Oak of
Ages instead.
Treachery in the Wildwood: Some elves suspect that Coeddil
still whispers to the Wild Riders from his magical prison. These
elves blame Coeddil and his corruptor Cyanathair when Orion’s
Wild Hunt becomes a destructive autumn storm that sweeps
westward across Bretonnia and beyond.
25. Crystal Mere
Navigation: Challenging (-10)
Forest Disposition: Friendly (+20)
Magic: Lore of Life (+1), Lore of Beasts (+1)
Kindreds: Glamourweave, Spellsinger
The River Brienne’s waters are suffused with magic after coursing
from the Wildwood. Several leagues west of the Wildwood
are a series of cascading rapids and a healing pool called the
Crystal Mere (recover 1d5 Wounds per hour of bathing). The
Crystal Mere’s magic occasionally solidifies in the form of
Moonstones which are highly prized for their enchantments (see
page 40).
Elves of nearby Coeth-Mara designate a Spellweaver to serve as
the Warden of Crystal Mere. Most famous was Lady Elynett,
who thwarted Drycha’s first attempt to free Coeddil from the
Wildwood in 1697 IC.
Lost Heir of Duke Tancred II: The duke was told of this sacred
“fountain of youth” by fay envoys to Quenelles.
26. Coeth-Mara
Navigation: Average (0)
Forest Disposition: Congenial (+10)
Magic: Normal
Kindreds: Eternal, Glade Rider, Scout, Spellsinger, Warrior,
Waywatcher
The Elven halls of this region are ruled by Lord Aldaeld, to
whom the wise prophetess Naieth often provides counsel. Last
winter, it was the Elves of Coeth-Mara who mustered the force
that halted Cyanathair’s initial foray into Loren. Lord Aldaeld’s
elite bodyguards have remained on alert ever since last year’s
assassination attempt by the Laithu kinband from the Vaults of
Winter.
A human knight, Earl Leofric Carrard, is alive and well as a
guest at Coeth-Mara, having recently aided the Elves against
Cyanathair. The knight gained Lord Aldaeld’s trust by entreaty
from the prophetess Naieth, who sought human allies after
witnessing the Death of the Forest in a vision. The local elves’
recent experiences with Leofric have improved their disposition
towards humans.
27. The Wildwood
Navigation: Routine (+10)
Forest Disposition: Enemy (-30)
Magic: Lore of Beasts (+1D), Lore of Chaos (+1)
Kindreds: Alter, Wild Rider
Loren’s southernmost region is saturated with brown magic
(Ghur) which imbues the entire forest with a fierce vitality.
Some elves believe the Wildwood’s twisted trees were planted by
the Old Ones as a sanctuary for animal species that faced extinction
after the Coming of Chaos. If the trees are indeed siphons
of Ghur from the Warp, the Wildwood will never be tamed
without axes and fire.
In -625 IC, Ariel banished the traitorous treeman Coeddil to
the Wildwood after his corruption by Cyanathair. Ariel erected
a boundary of magical waystones to contain Coeddil, much
like the Sentinels that contain Loren itself. The shackled rage
of Coeddil and his Dryad handmaidens occasionally causes the
Wildwood’s Ghur to coalesce into Chaos magic.
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