The Witchwood

The Witchwood is a vast, dark, and magically influenced forest within the Commonwealth. Found in central Cape County, the woods are ancient and surround the village of Bonnwood. This ancient weald takes it name from a coven of three witches who called the woods home for millennia, with records dating back to the second age and the founding of Bonnwood.
Doomed 2 Die visited the Witchwood twice. The first was to slay a hydra with the huntress Elyra, and the second was to work with the Silver Paladin to defeat the hags on their way to Devil's Bridge.

Geography

The woodland is split into two halves by the river Strichen which flows from the Northern Dales. The Strichen's flood planes lie within the forest's heart, creating a fertile marshland home to numerous monsters and magical creatures such as violet fungi and hydras. The woods turn into forested highlands around the Northern Dales and Carely Hills area, with ancient mines and cave systems found within these hills.

Ecosystem

The Witchwood has a diverse and dark ecosystem, with dark creatures such as giant spiders, calling the wildwoods home. Dire Wolves are the most dominant predator and are a peril to any that try to utilise the wood's natural resources. Legends of the mythic monster Black Shuck talk of a giant wolf like creature who enslaves other dire wolves with it's dark and magical gaze.
Like many arcane forests, Dryad's and fey are a common occurance. Due to the mallign influence of the Witchwood Coven these creatures have been corrupted by dark magics, acting in cruelty and violence. Redcaps, dark dryads, and undead ents can be found in small enclaves throughout the woods.
The flora of the forest is largely evergreen with a symbiotic fungus population alongside. Redjotun, Brown Dragons, and Witchshrooms are a common varieties here alongside smaller arcane mushrooms.

Localized Phenomena

The Black Shuck

A legendary wolf like creature, the stare of the Black Shuck dooms you to death. Other wolves in the forest are bound to this creature, acting as it's pack to hunt and torment other creatures. In the darkness of the forest, one must always be aware of red eyes emerging from shadowed shrubbery and tree cover. The beast's lair is said to be emerged in red mist near a waterfall, the bones of its prey scattering the den.

Torment of Witches

Whilst the hag coven survived, they would prey on those who wandered into the woods with illusions and tricks. Convincing those foolish enough to fall for their lies to drink from cursed ponds or to fall into supernatural lairs, the coven would pray on travellers from a distance, using arcane sight or hiding amongst the trees to play their mischief of misery.

Heavy Mists

The prescence of mists and fogs would obscure sunlight, even during the summer. This mist began to disapate after the hags were defeated by doomed 2 die, but still hangs heavy in the air. These mists make travel and sight hard, without the use of powerful torches or magic.

Shadow Portals

The prescence of portals to the Shadowfell are inexplicably common within the Witchwood. Whilst other magical woodlands, such as the Silverwood, are more prone to feywild portals, this magic has been corrupted by the hags. As such, mallicious undead and lost spirits are known to roam the woods, and dark passages can lead to another realm.

History

Prior to the second age, the Witchwood was known by two different names. The giants of Krowethia called it the Silgurholm whilst the Kernowians called it Sylvan's Weald. In this time it was a haven of druids of Silvanus and Kernowian tribes. The woods were reduced in size after the Krowethic Empire broke the Pact of the Grove and enslaved humans. Kernowian legend says the Kernowian tribes were decimated in an ancient battle during the servile wars, bringing a dark energy to the woodlands. It was this dark history that led to the arrival of the Witchwood Coven.
The Coven were three hags who saw the fall of numerous hag covens in the feywild and beyond. The internal bickering and fighting of the witches was the blame, so these three green hags swore to never fight and work in perfect unision. They were Cressida the Fatespinner, Reagan the Babe Eater, and Gonneril the Corrupter. By working together, the hags destroyed and corrupted the last druids of the forest and turned into a cursed woodlands.
In 1052, 3e, the hags were surrounded by three enemies. The last of the ancient ents, a druid of Silvanus in an ancient henge, and an arrival from Mt Celestia known as the Silver Paladin. The druid sought to purify the woods and return them to their balanced magic, the ent saught revenge for corruption of their forest, and the paladin was an adventurer slain decades earlier wanting to rid their last tie to the mortal world.
Doomed 2 Die, upon entering the Witchwood to hunt a Hydra, were tormented by the hags on their way. Informed of the Silver Paladin at the Greensteps Henge, they saught him out on a second visit to rid the woodlands of this threat. One by one the hags fell to Doomed 2 Die, and although slaying Einar briefly, he was restored to life by the Paladin. Destroyed at last, the woods seem to be returning to their pre-hag influence, but it is a slow step, and the darkness they have created is not so willing to leave...

Type

Forest