Emerald Planes

Overview

The vast Emerald Planes are rich in minerals, gras, stone and wood. They are filled with small settlements and farms which generate a huge amount of different grains and animal byproducts like leather, bones and fur. The Emerald Plane reaches from the northern forests to the Long Neck in the west, alongside the borders of Pisocenia through the south. From there you can see the borders of Ganguk and the Black Fortress in the east, guarding the Spiral and from there up to the north, back to the forests. The plane got its name from its really green gras which is glittering and shining in the broad sunlight like emeralds, especially after rain and/or thunderstorms. Some legends tell travellers stories about druids maintaining and protecting the plane, protecting the settlements and farms if those act respectfully towards the druids and the plane itself.

Animals

The wild animals of the Emerald Plane are mostly living her life out in the wild. Well, that is why they are wild animals, d'oh. Besides hares, deers and bores there are also smaller bears, hummingbirds, bumblebees, honey bees and a huge amount of butterflies. Besides that you have a huge amount of beetles (speaking of Gold Beetles, often found at bear faeces), squirrels, cats, some wild dogs, a few packs of wolves, some not-so-dangerous variants of spiders and moles. Lots of moles.

Ever stepped into a mole hole? No? Get used to it, you'll have a lot of holes on your journey through the Emerald Planes. And don't anger the moles, they'll only dig more holes, just for you. Get them a few worms or beetles and they treat you kindly. But beware of the druids, they are... well, a different kind of force. Believe me.
— Travelling merchant to a pilgrim

Natural Resources

The vast Emerald Planes are rich with resources. Mostly wood, but there are a few opening which lead into a wide cave system where you can find gems, crystals, interesting veins of different sands (think about Mithril), precious stones, and death if you venture too deep into it. Most of the wood one may find is common oak, birch, beek, willow, wild pears, wild apples, spruce, walnut, and chestnut. There are rare sightings of Goldleaf, but they are so rare that they are a myth for themselves. The Emeral Planes bears lots of mushrooms. Most of them are edible, but there are a few mushrooms which are so poisonous not even animals eat them. Most of the mushrooms are easy to identify, some are not. It is strictly advised to consult a professional before walking into the Emerald Plane and eat something unknown to thyself. The settlements and mines are mostly private. No country, no kingdom and no state has a property claim on a piece of the planes, so companies and sometimes people are settling down in the Emerald Planes to make a living. After negotiating with the Druids, of course.

You see the yellow mushroom there? Yes, the whole dozen. You can eat those, but be advised not to fry them, they tend to go mad and bad, they will poison you. Cook them, it is fine. You see this black 'shroom over there? Eat it, fry it, cook it, doesn't matter, still tastes like chicken.
— Shroom's Guide to travellers

Protection

The Emerald Planes is a vast region, enclosing farms, settlements, animals, fields, roads, meadows, lakes, ponds and small streams. But such a wide plane of green has to be maintained, to be protected. And that is the task of the Druid, a human-shaped lifeform based on plants. They are the gardeners, the guardians and the guides of the Emerald Planes and other regions. They tend to ill plants, curing them or find the cause of the illness. They defend the roads, ponds and lakes, the rivers and the meadows with their strong magic; plants growing back, roads vanishing and punish those who are doing ill to the planes and woods. Not even the states surrounding the Emerald Planes dare to enter with large forces. If they have the need to move their forces they go around the Emerald Planes or enter and cross it with smaller units, sometimes spreaded over the whole plane, as to not provoke any aggressions on the druids' side.

Treasure Hunt

Some eyes are watching what goes on outside the planes. However, most pry inside to get their greedy fingers on the vast and rich resources of the Emerald Planes. The biggest problem are the Druids. If one can kill a Druid, another one will take its place. Not on the instant, but over the course of months. No state dared to date to confront the Druids. There were legends about moving trees, moving human stones, streams appearing out of nowhere, entire units of soldiers just vanishing on the spot, only leaving their luggage behind.

No, my Sire. I do love you, I do love my country, but I will not be responsible for the unnecessary death of dozens, hundreds of soldiers when I can help it. I will not gather the troops and lead them into this plane. I rather have to carry more rations with us than going through this hellscape.
— General to his Highness

Stories, Myth & Legends

Don't anger the trees. Do not kick the grass. Do not shit into a pond, lake or a river. Your axe may cut branches, but do not go after the roots or the trunks. You don't wanna wake up in a foggy afterlife or the Nether, the World Between, where only you and the rageful tree exists.
— Older soldier to a group of new soldiers

Druids? Chief, no one has seen a Druid in ages. There are all ghosts and horror stories for children. We are men, strong and trained. We have fire and axes, we can stand against some trees.
— Soldier before getting slapped by a tree

I wouldn't go in there, mate. Elfland, yes. Druids? Hmpf, never saw a Druid and I don't want to. Better dig a way under it or go around it. Can't you smell the magic?
— Dwarven guard to his employer

Moles. Moles everywhere. Why are there so many fucking moles and their fucking holes?!
— Angry traveller after stepping into another mole hole

How should I know how it is called? It is a long journey through the caves and if you come to this bottomless abyss... I don't know, man, we shouldn't go in there, not for every coin in the world. Just... give me a war, with that I can cope, but not with this caves.
— Freightened merceneray, explaining his adventures in the cave systems beneath the Emerald Planes

Yes, the Lady of the Lake is real. But I do not know if the Lady has a sister. Or more than one sister. Maybe there is an entire family of Ladies of the Lake. They are all beautiful, but don't go near them. I heard Sirens sing and the Lady of the Lake might be their queen. Or queens, if that is a thing.
— Sailor writing his memoirs to his son

Have you ever seen a bunch of different trees standing around a rock and slightly moving? I swear, I think they looked at me.
— Garladan telling their husband about a possible tree Thing

Our light magic doesn't seem to anger them. Crystals are okay, I think. But they didn't love our experiments on some of the bigger plants. They allowed us a few sproutlings, so our experiments are better encapsuled at home.
— A shaky Garladan to the Council of the Tower of Magic

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