The Black Willow Court
The Black Willow is a massive, ancient artifact of times long forgotten. It dominates the shoreline of the Lac DuMere in the Lower Moors of central Salinmoor, but its location seems to shift without warning, presumably under the direction of whomever holds mastery over it. Combined with the fact that this primodial flora cannot be seen from the air and can choose whom to appear to on the ground, the Black Willow can be impossible to find if it does not want to be.
Its furrowed bark is dark with age and its trunk is the diameter of a medium-sized house. Its long-leafed branches reach several hundred feet above the lake and stretch out to cover a diameter of the same.
Design
Beneath the canopy of the Black Willow, the massive branches entirely blot out the sky and droop down to brush the ground like a long-leafed curtain. The result is a domed audience chamber of sorts, with the hulking ebony trunk dominating its heart. Fist-sized fireflies drift in languid orbits throughout this chamber, glowing with a soft amber radiance like floating lamps.
Sensory & Appearance
Beneath the canopy of the Black Willow, the magical aura creates an environment suited to its guests. Temperature, humidity, and pressure each suit themselves regionally to match the guest's home of origin within reason. For example, the Black Willow cannot create winter in the height of summer, but could certainly cool a particular region beneath the canopy to more comfortable levels.
The Black Willow never loses its leaves, and resists all forms of precipitation, be it rain or snow. Even outside sounds are greatly diminished beneath its branches, as though the tree itself rebuffs incursions of any kind.
Denizens
The Black Willow Court is the seat of power for the Moor King, and as such many of those within his employ, or seeking his favor, can be found here. This often includes:
- The Moor King
- Grulka Blackmoss - A tortle druid.
- Bogloq Logblokk- A kobold warlock.
- Shylock the Doppleganger- Serving as herald and spy.
- Cletus Laroux - A gangly, red-headed, mullet-wearing bully and self-styled enforcer of the Moor King's will. He is a true believer who worships the ground the Moor King walks on. Cletus often takes it upon himself to act in a manner that would impress the Moor King, but rarely succeeds. The more King considers him a fool, but a useful fool none-the-less.
- Mariée Bavarde - This statuesque, green-eyed and raven tressed beauty was once a consort of the Moor King. Always a bit of a gossip even before his disappearance, she unwisely circulated rumors of his demise several years into his hiatus. Upon his return, the Moor King was less than pleased with the chaos her rumors had encouraged. He took her tongue in payment, and she now wears the rotting organ on a thong around her neck as penance. The lower half of her face can often be seen swathed in gauze, where blood still seeps from her mouth to stain the bandage in a red mockery of a smile. That she never actually tried to claim the throne herself is the only reason she still lives.
- Dozens of wood woad guards created by Grulka and under the command of the Moor King.
- Anywhere between one- and two-dozen werecrocodiles in their humanoid guises.
- A host of servant staff comprised of various races including lizardfolk, kobolds, and humans.
Contents & Furnishings
In the presence of guests, the space is filled with flat-topped tables formed from twisting roots thrust up out of the earthy loam and moss that carpets the ground. Contoured chairs weave themselves from the local sedge grasses, bulrushes, and other reedy flora to provide comfortable respite for the foot-weary.
Even the crockery and utensils of this chamber are born of the Black Willow's magical hospitality. Bowls, plates, and platters are woven constructions of leaves and branches with the consistency and texture of fine porcelain. Serrated leaves and forked twigs, both with the tensile strength of good steel, serve as knives and forks for those enjoying a meal. Beyond the canopy of the Black Willow, however, these items lose their magically crafty properties and simply fall apart.
In the evenings, these same roots and plants can reshape themselves yet again to provide small open-topped, root-walled cottages with plush woven cots and a relaxing floral ambiance.
Beyond these furnishings, the master of the Black Willow can use the tree's roots to create any number of magical constructions, including thrones, daises, prisons, or anything else the master can imagine.
History
The oldest legends of the Salinmoor tell of a long-forgotten titan who fell in battle with another god and was cast down to Oerth. The impact created the Salinmoor basin and would later fill in to become the Lac DuMere. The titan's body decayed and its silty brown blood soaked into the earth, forming the marshes and swamp of the Lower Moors. From the titan's one remaining eye sprouted the sapling that would one day grow to become the Black Willow.
Alternative Names
The Court of the Black Willow, The Moor King's Court
Type
Tree
Owner
Characters in Location
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