Defenders of the Forest - Liber Fanatica

Chapter VIII: The Laurëlorn
Forest
Sa m p l e La u r ë l o r n Se t t l e m e n t
Most Asrai glades are centred on a natural feature of mystical
or spiritual significance. In Laurëlorn, this is typically a stand of
rare lornalim trees called ‘The Wood’. The lornalim are sacred
to Laurëlorn Elves, and provide the source of their Elfbows
and the powerful healing moss called Moonflower. Most of the
population, however, lives among surrounding trees like oak,
elm, birch, yew and ash, in an area referred to as ‘The Garden’.
A zone of natural and magical defences called ‘The Hedge’ separates
the glade from ‘The Forest’ beyond.
Th e Wo o d
Like the glade as a whole, The Wood can be divided into three
levels: branches, bole and roots. The mischievous Spites that
dwell here are never truly dangerous – except in times of war.
Br a n c h e s
The lornalim stand harbours the military and political centre of
the glade. In the topmost branches, look-outs sit in Perches and
dispatch messenger birds from aviaries to signal other glades.
Different patterns of flocking birds indicate different dangers or
summons.
Further down, the strongest branches of the largest trees are
shaped by a Treesinger into the High Hall (1). The High Hall
is a place where political decisions are reached, audiences are
granted and major feasts are held in honour of the Highborn.
Only in winter, when the foliage is insufficient to keep the Hall
covered, is it abandoned in favour of the forest floor. The Hall’s
spring regrowth is a festive and sacred occasion.
Other lornalim branches are woven into Bowers. These chambers
are dedicated to meditation and the ritual of Bran-Wa-Shin.
Hollow Lornalim trunks also contain stores for the winter, and
cunningly hidden bridges allow Elven defenders to move quickly
between trees without ever touching the ground.
Bo l e
The Wood’s floor is called ‘the Bole’ after the boles of lornalim
trunks. It encompasses the glade’s spiritual centre, where the
growth magic Ghyran is strongest.
The Allor or Misneach (2) is the closest a glade comes to having
a temple. Whether it’s a sacred pool, standing stone, altar
or shrubbery, this site is dedicated to the glade’s favoured god.
Rituals performed here may include weddings, libations to Liadriel,
or sacrifices to Kurnous in gratitude for a successful hunt.
A building woven from the lowest branches of the youngest
lornalim serves as the glade’s Sanctuary (3), where the sick and
melancholy can recover. Much of the Bole is dedicated to a
plant nursery, the Kailyard (4), where magic concentrated by
the lornalim is put to service growing medicinal herbs and spiritually
revivifying flowers. The most notable plant is Moonflower,
a moss which grows directly on the lornalim (see pg. 111).
Ro o t s
Whereas other Asrai are lain in Burial Glades upon death, those
of Laurëlorn are buried in the Wood so their sleeping spirits
might nourish the lornalim roots to grow deep, wide and strong,
just as those trees nourish the spirits of living Elves. Thus, every
settlement contains a Hollow (5) excavated from the earth
between the roots of the oldest, biggest lornalim.
Dedicated to Morai-heg, the Hollow’s dark and claustrophobic
interior requires a Fear Test from any Elf wishing to enter. Here
the Asrai come to mourn, remember, and prepare themselves
spiritually for perilous duties through harsh ascetic rituals. The
Hollow is thus a counterpart to the Bowers above, where Asrai
gather to forget and rejuvenate themselves.
Th e Ga r d e n
Asrai glades have no streets or set plan; instead their houses
nestle amongst trees and plants following the natural contours
of the landscape. There is no standard layout for a Garden,
although Highborns generally live closer to the Wood while the
lower-caste Elves live nearer to the Hedge.
Every glade has a Feis (6), a meadow or clearing which serves as
its communal centre. By day children play and learn here, while
adults practice sports or simply meet to talk. At night, the Feis
becomes a feasting place for the lowborn. Communal dinners
and dances are held under the open sky, accompanied by music,
lights and laughter. In winter, large social events are replaced by
smaller, more intimate gatherings in the homes of kith and kin.
Stone houses are rare, found only in glades built among the
ruins of old Elven towns. Timber is only used as a building
material in small quantities. The famous Elven Treehouses can
be found everywhere, sung from the branches of the strongest
trees, but they constitute a minority of residences and only a few
remain usable in winter.
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