Peacebough Grove

"Sometimes I come here to get away from everything, y'know? I know it's not far from the city but it's just... It's just far enough that it feels like the other side of the world."

— Unknown

Grateful for the Sun

Sitting quietly outside the city of Vesterguard, in roughly the middle of the island of Horn, is a small grove.
It was the sort of place where one might stumble in looking for a shortcut and find themselves a good deal more comfortable than they ever intended to be. The trees, ancient and wise in the way that only trees with a capital ‘T’ can be, formed a protective canopy that filtered sunlight into a dappled mosaic on the forest floor; a light which had a curious habit of making anyone standing in it feel as if they’d just been given a particularly comforting hug.
Legend had it that the grove was older than the oldest stories, and if you were inclined to believe trees had their own stories, then it was older still. Some said that the Peacebough Grove was the heart of Horn, while others suggested it was the mind of the island, its thoughts, and dreams made real. But the trees themselves remained tight-lipped on the matter, which is to say they rustled their leaves noncommittally when asked.

Good to be Alive

The Grove had a reputation, with travellers, adventurers, and even the odd hero with an eerily overdeveloped sense of their personal narrative finding solace there. It had a way of bending the rules of time and space, so that a night spent under its boughs felt like a week at a seaside cabin, only without the sand in uncomfortable places. There was something about the air that seemed to whisper, "Take a load off. Life's troubles can wait until tomorrow."
In the center of the grove stood the Peacebough itself, an ancient tree of such magnificence that it seemed more likely a wizard had gotten bored and decided to sculpt several large boulders into arboreal form. Its branches stretched out in a welcoming embrace, greeting each weary and worn visitor as a sanctuary. In a world teeming with quests and perils, it was a small corner where peace reigned, if only for a moment. The trees watching over their guests, offering quiet companionship and a gentle reminder that, sometimes, standing still was the best way to move forward.

Type

Tree