Wandering Woods

As they mount their horses, she can't help but wonder at the beauty around them, despite her sore backside and grumbling stomach. They follow what looks like an old footpath, and the ground in front of them is dappled in the early morning sunlight. The horses keep a steady pace; fast enough for progress to be made, but also slow enough for the riders to drink in the scenery. As they ride, small woodland creatures scatter, scurry and scamper out of their way.
The sunlight filters through the dense foliage that stretches on for miles ahead and behind them. The rain from the night before had coated everything in a cool, fresh, lasting scent. That, mixed with the pines and the fertile earth, fills the air with a rejuvenating aroma, which helps somewhat sate the hunger gnawing in their bellies.
At one point in their trek, they halt for a water break. As they refill their leather bottles in the trickling creek nearby, a rustling startles both riders. He puts his fingers to his lips and directs her gaze to a small clearing a few meters away. There, in the gentle spotlight, stands a deer. It is completely still; all the fibers in its body tightly strung, like a bowstring waiting to release an arrow at a moments notice. It studies its unexpected company for a few moments, and after having seemingly decided that they mean no harm, it trots off into a thicket. Both riders let out their held breath.
After a few more hours of riding, they reach a part of the path where it gets almost unbearably narrow. He leads his horse through by the halter, closely followed by his companion.

The Wandering Woods are a large, uninhabited area of Arburg. The reason for its desolation are the dense trees. Some settlements reside on its edge, where the vegetation is more sparse. Many rivers and tributaries run through it, making it a very fertile area, which accounts for the thick layer of ground vegetation. There are numerous footpaths that run through the woods, created by travelers like the ones in the excerpt above.
Its name, like most places and locations in Arburg, came from the history of the forest. "Wandering" refers to two things, really. The first is the many travelers and wanderers that find their way through or get lost in the woods. It is a good way to go of you are running from the law, or wish to escape unnoticed due to some other reason. Of course, it is also a very pretty place, so many nature lovers pass through as well, even without being fugitives. The other reason for its name is the legend and myth that surrounds it.

The legend of the wandering woods

Many, many years ago, the land that we now call Arburg was a barren, desolate place. Over time, however, a large forest seemed to come out of nowhere and settled in the northern middle part of Arburg, and the shelter of the Misty Mountains. Many witnesses reported trees that resembled people walk through their villages. It is even said that if you walk through the woods in a dark night, during a new moon, the trees will move ever so slightly. Time has robbed them of their ability to continue travelling, and the fertile soils kept them there in the first place. Someday, perhaps, the woods will gather enough strength and leave altogether.

Whether this is just fiction or an actual past event that occurred is a heavily debated topic. Some people swear on their lives that they've seen the trees move, but nothing has ever been proven thus far.

Geography

It runs along half of the northern border of Arburg, and also borders the Misty Mountains at its North-Eastern edge. Both the Stetset River and Dragonfly Canal are sourced in those woods. The towns that surround it are Rascad , Rosepass and Cetrary.
Little is known about the northern edge as it borders the mysterious Misty Mountains. Most of what we know about the forest is near the settlements that lie on the edge of the woods.

Fauna & Flora

The Woods are filled and inhabited by all sorts of animals, and the vegetation is dense and has a lot of variety. Many medicines have been created by the plants in that forest, and of course the famous Cetrobur is created from the sap of the Summer Elm Tree, which can be found along the southern edge of the woods, near Rosepass and Cetrary.

Natural Resources

The Wandering Woods area contains the most fertile soils of Arburg, which is why it is teeming with life - both flora and fauna.

Wood

The most obvious resource from this collection of trees is wood. Certain trees, such as the Summer Elms, are not allowed to be cut down, but the rest is generally permitted. Logging is not an existing industry, and people generally just take what they need. If someone is seen taking more than necessary, they are generally frowned upon by the community.

Cetrobur sap

Rosepass and Cetrary sap the Summer Elm Tree for the manufacture of Cetrobur. Check out one of the article links to find out more about Cetrobur and its manufacture.

Fruit and nuts

Certain areas of the forest contain fruit and nut trees, which people tend to gather occasionally, especially if food is short in Arburg. This is generally not the case, though, so much of this nourishment goes to the animals and birds of the forest.

Medicinal herbs and plants

There are many different types of plants and herbs found in the Woods that can cure various ailments and sicknesses. However, due to the widespread use of Cetrobur , and the fact that many people are unfamiliar with the types of plants that are safe and the types that will cause harm, only people who live near the forest or know the plants well tend to use them. Even then, the use of plants as medicine is still not particularly popular.

"You know, I do have something interesting to say about that! I heard from a friend whose brother's second cousin's father was told by a Pleosalian farmer's wife's sister-in-law that there was a bad outbreak of some sort of sickness in Rosepass, and they tried to treat everyone with this fancy plant from the forest. At first, it seemed that it was working, but then, just like that, everyone who had the sickness died. The whole town practically died! Okay, maybe not the whole town, but almost, like, everyone! It was really really a tragedy. What's that? You don't believe me? Oh. Well, mark my words, it's very true! I heard it first-hand."

— Maybell, town gossip

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Maps

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  Wandering Woods

  Located in the northern part of Arburg, no one quite knows how they got there. Rumour has it that the trees walked there many, many years ago. Its south-eastern edge consists of the famed Summer Elm Trees, which Rosepass and Cetrary use the most.

Type

Woods