Also known as the Rhuddinwyd and the Heart of the Ley, this forest is born from seedlings far older than the oldest Aethrin city and rests at the exact center of Gylidd Syn Aethri. The Ley River, starting from the eastern glaciers of Arddachwyr and curving west across the breadth of the metropolis - through the dead center of the Heartwood - before spilling into the Inland Sea, begins to slow here as the banks are clogged with the thirsty roots of the trees. Stretching nearly two miles from east to west, the forest is relatively small compared to most, but makes up for it in density. Its composition is a mixture of old growth and young saplings, fallen deciduous mother trees and gigantic redwoods reaching eternally skyward. Ash, cherry, yew, cedar, pine, maple... the diversity of the trees seems impossible in so small a space, and truly would be impossible to explain if not for the old magic flowing up through the roots and spiraling out into the world - the Leylines.
Each of the leylines, both cultivated (settled by civilizations) and uncultivated, begin their journey out from the heart of the planet by passing through this verdant grove. As a result, a great deal of magical energy is concentrated here. Since one of the most important features of the leylines is to foster community between individuals by connecting their lifeforce to one another, the leylines' convergence at this exact spot has a powerful, irresistible effect on every entity that steps within its boundaries.
Any creature nearing the Heartwood is vested with a deep reservoir of empathy for all other living creatures. As such, no violence, predation, theft, murder, nor similar offensive action is possible against any creature within it, regardless of whether the offender is inside or outside the forest. No politicking is possible without absolute sincerity, no lie stands without admission. There is no chance to resist, regardless if the creature is young or old, meek or mighty, aethrin or extraplanar. Not even the gods can resist this place, which defies any and all attempts at destruction without a single leaf being shed. Some learned historians believe that this influence bleeds out into the rest of the island (especially in regions where the leylines are strongest), reinforcing empathy between peoples as far away as the most distant shores of Gylidd - although this effect is far more subtle over great distances and easily overlooked.
Surrounding the Heartwood are a series of six 400-foot-tall megastructures called the Towers of the Aethri, constructed during the Age of Stone by the Coteric Pantheon, and at its core rests the Stone Tree "Edcaraig," a winding, symmetrical megastructure with the 500-foot-tall wireframe shape of a hollow, pointed egg, also constructed around the same time. Neither the towers nor the stone tree touch nor harm any of the forest branches, as the old magic would never permit it. Instead, they are built carefully and expertly around every root and stem, and retain their integrity through the uncanny cunning of the Inaethri.
Beneath it rests the Blackheart, an unfathomably deep and unspeakably dark cavern that stretches below the surface for miles into the beating magmatic veins of the world.
by Gage H.
“Over the millennia, researchers and scientists such as myself have made numerous observations and tested theories regarding the specific powers and energies of the Rhuddinwyd. Questions of its nature have sprung up throughout recorded history, and after a thorough scouring of the lore I have compiled a few of the most common topics to enter public discourse.”
Elomin Ri'sa Al'sahCurator of Gylidder MagicHigh Priest of the Dragon, Izzithsicoria Dauddraig
“What and where are the limits of the empathic energy of the Rhuddinwyd?”Our research suggests that any location - whether on this planet or any other - on any plane, and in any magical or antimagical circumstance, with a connection to the Heartwood via a ley line is subject to the effects of the forest in some way. Many factions in Gylidd have honed their talents to tap into the Leyline energy - such as the Ley Knights - and can draw upon its powers literally anywhere. Furthermore, while most creatures in Myzelis live their lives without thinking about it (and thus without consciously feeling its effects), those who do think about the Rhuddinwyd can sense their empathy building - although only specifically for the forest itself and anyone inside. This is different from the universal sense of empathy that builds when entering the forest proper.“Is it possible to harm someone inside the Heartwood if their attacker is standing outside it?”This is the most common question and the easiest to answer. The supernatural empathy of the Heart of the Ley is usually limited to the interior of the forest, but this range extends into extraplanar infinity when it concerns entities wishing harm upon those inside it. For most, this peaceful impulse is so subtle it seems to come from within; Aethrin across the world waste few thoughts on wishing ill upon the Rhuddinwyd or anyone inside it as they realize such actions are futile. Unlike when both aggressor and target are inside the forest, this distance does not confer empathy on the aggressor to dull their hostility - only their ability to cause harm. They will likely return to their original plans as soon as their target leaves the forest.“Is it possible to evade danger by using the Rhuddinwyd’s safety? What about avoiding consequences, such as making a deal with a powerful entity and escaping to the Heartwood to avoid having to settle the score?”In an immediate sense this is a logical answer - the Heart of the Ley confers empathy and peace regardless of the circumstances. However, as the person avoiding consequence spends time in the Rhuddinwyd, they become painfully aware of the fact that their debtor may turn their harmful attention to others in an attempt to force the person to leave the forest. Even if one is exceedingly selfish or incapable of understanding the pain of others, they will find it impossible not to empathize with even the potential suffering of their enemy’s new targets. The Rhuddinwyd has this power over even the Inaethri. Additionally, constructs or other creatures without a mind of their own are given just enough insight to become incapable of following through on commands to cause harm, even if their creators are long dead.“Do people stay in the Rhuddinwyd for extended periods of time? Has anyone tried to live there on a permanent basis?”Throughout history many creatures have come to the Heart of the Ley to find peace, to heal their hearts and minds, and/or to learn how to empathize with others. With most, their stay is short, as they quickly come to realize that their understanding comes with a deep well of guilt for hiding from the world when instead they could go out into it and make meaningful changes. The Rhuddinwyd itself may change in superficial ways, but it is constantly and consistently the safest place on the planet, so any empathic being imagines that their time is best spent elsewhere once they themselves have been healed. In addition to this, the Rhuddinwyd - and specifically the Blackheart beneath it - is home to Vykdramir, the oldest of the four Dauddraig. The ifrit shadow wyrm has special powers that allow them to imprison creatures of indelible evil beneath the Heartwood - either for eternity, or until the empathy of the Rhuddinwyd finally prevails.“Can anyone change something inside the Rhuddinwyd, even something as small as digging a hole for a tentpole, or taking a berry from a bush? Would they ever need to?”The theme of the Heartwood is that those who enter need for nothing (although they may want for things that will take them back out of it). Creatures inside may sleep or meditate anywhere without penalty, resting on the grass, on the forest floor, in shallow pools, along broad branches - wherever they wish. Constructing or changing the forest is neither needed nor possible. Similarly, creatures inside the Heart of the Ley no longer require sustenance - the energy of the planet itself is enough to comfortably sustain them for as long as they remain inside, and they suffer no ill effects for leaving. A (generously) recent example of the extent of this is the case of Gylidd’s current Advocate, Amrith Hogaine, who has been a vampire since 3344 AI. After 90 years of personal experimentation, and 10 years of supervised internment within the Heartwood itself, Amrith became the first (and so far only) undead vampire to successfully substitute Ley Energy for the blood that vampires typically require. It is therefore theoretically possible for other unnatural creatures to do the same, given time."Is it possible for someone to bring something artificially harmful into the Rhuddinwyd without knowing, such as a gunpowder bomb?"Research indicates that while objects of this nature can be brought into the forest, their function is supernaturally suppressed - in other words, a bomb will not ignite, fails to fire, or falls apart into its component parts without much fanfare. Furthermore, creatures responsible for this action will be subject to the empathy of the Rhuddinwyd so long as they are aware of their plan’s potential, and will quickly become overwhelmed with an urge to foil it themselves. In the case of harmful magical effects or spells cast upon a creature outside the forest, the caster will quickly lose concentration the moment their target enters the forest, sensing their spell becoming undone even if the spell requires no concentration."Would someone who is chased by an entity (such as a Revenant) who has a feature that tracks them regardless of distance, yet wishes them harm, be shielded from such divination in the Rhuddinwyd?"The pursuer would know where they were as the Heartwood doesn't block divination, but they would be unwilling to wish their target harm so long as they were inside the forest.
