The Spiritwood

Geography

The Spiritwood is the northeastern region of Archestria that consist largely of a vast forest. Its south border is made of the nigh-impassable Colorless Hills and its north border is a row of small mountains, beyond which lie the unexplored and inhospitable Windvast Desert. Thus, the Spiritwood region is best reached by crossing Drymond to the west, sailing around the coastline of the East Ocean, or traveling through Subterranea and exiting its eastern entrance.

The Spiritwood forest stretches for hundreds of miles and is filled to the brim with plant, fungi, and wildlife. Its green canopy rises gradually towards the center as tree trunks grow taller. The forest is divided into three ring-shaped layers, each one thicker, taller, and darker than the previous. From outermost to innermost, the layers are named the Edgewood, the Mosswood, and the Deepwood. The main defining trait of each layer is its light: the Edgewood permits beams of sunlight through its canopy, the Mosswood is dimly lit by reflected light wrestling its way through the leaves, and the Deepwood is as dark as night.

In the Mosswood layer, just northeast of the center of the forest, The Spirit Tree stands tall and proud, watching over the forest. This arboreal colossus is heavily protected from any uninvited visitors that might damage it for their own gain.

The northern Elavel Hills protect the forest from dry desert winds. Clouds gather over the this small mountain range and provide rain that feeds the forest. The largest river slithers its way throughout the Spiritwood, and is aptly named the Serpentine River. A smaller river flows to the upper savanna.

Demographics

The Spiritwood has a very large elven population. Other races close to nature are also common such as firbolgs, half-orcs, and forest gnomes.

Divine classes are popular in the Spiritwood due to the ubiquity of spirits. Clerics, paladins, druids, and rangers are common. The large elven population also makes dexterity-focused combat styles common, such as archery. In order to survive in the wild forest, inhabitants must be capable of fighting and hunting, or travel with escorts to do it for them.

Features

• The Spirit Tree
• The Edgewood (outer layer)
• The Mosswood (intermediate layer)
• The Deepwood (dark central layer)
• Serpent River
• Snakehead Lake
• Elavel Hills
• Subterranea, east entrance
• Port Dawnwink
• many forest villages