West of Dagdara along the coast of Lake Merec grows The Arbodal Woods. Named after the ancient tree at its center, these woods are a crucial lumber source for the cities and villages south of the Mindovell prairies. Because this temperate forest is home to both magical creatures and not, many superstitions arose about the true nature of the forest and the great old tree within.
The Arbodal
At the center of the woods grows the ancient Arbodal, a Boyar tree so ancient and massive that it towers as high as the Grafthall Mountains to the south east. The name "Arbodal" is so old that even the local people can't remember its origin. The roots of the Arbodal reach all the way to the edges of the woods, and at many places throughout the forest sprout out of the soil as smaller clones of the original tree.
Many of the superstitions of the woods come from the ever-present sight of the Arbodal looming over the nearby cities. Dubbed "The Old Man of the Forest" by some, the Arbodal is subject to many bed-time stories spoken to Dagdaran children as nightly reminders that the Arbodal is always watching and will know when they misbehave.
Fairies
It could be said that the source of the many stories and superstitions around the Arbodal Woods come from the unusually common appearance of Fey within its borders, or perhaps the Arbodal is the cause of the fairies congregating in the area. No matter which came first, the fact of the matter is that fairies love these woods and it is host to many secret entrances into the Fey Wild itself. Those who find themselves slipping into the land of fairies may return home with fantastical stories from within the forest adding to its legacy, and those who do not return give a darker infamy to the forest
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