The Everwood

An expansive forest in the country of Kouto where Cindergrove trees exclusively grow; a specialized and highly sought-after tree that only grows after forest fires. There are a few smaller cities populated and run by those from outside of the woods throughout, though smaller towns and villages are populated by those who have lived in The Everwoods for generations and recognize the official ruling structure of Kouto to varying degrees. The forest is vast and contains many mysteries and secrets often unheard of and unknown to those outside of its bounds.
Primarily populated by communities of gnomes, halflings, elves, and goblinoids, it is also home to three major witch covens; The Coven of the Iron Thorn, The Coven of the Brass Mirror, The Coven of the Obsidian Moon, as well as the Orochi.

Witch Territory

Deep in The Everwood, at the center of where the official boundaries of the covens lie, there is a large, empty, field. Unnaturally circular, with Cindergrove trees ringing around its edges. Soft green grass and seasonal flowers grow, but small and larger creatures alike seem to skirt around its edges even when crossing through would be the most direct path. It is here that every eight years The Witchlight Carnival arrives, its presence indicating a thinning between the planes, a surge in magic, and one night where no witch may harm another.

Western Woods

The western side of The Everwood is ruled by The Coven of the Iron Thorn, its influence surrounding, without crossing the boundaries of, the few larger cities settled by the nobles and populated by the common-folk of northern Kouto. Everywhere else, in the towns and villages populated by long-time inhabitants of The Everwood, the Iron Thorn is considered the highest power one can answer to. The Coven helps enforce the noble’s ban on poaching in their Cindergroves, and in exchange, they do not ask too many questions about what happens outside of their borders and deeper in the forest. Though seldom known by outsiders, deep in the western woods you’ll find the Orochi - a cursed tribe who surround the area known as the Ironthorn Crush.

Eastern Woods

The eastern portion of The Everwood is split horizontally, with the northern portion holding The Coven of the Obsidian Moon, and the southern portion containing The Coven of the Brass Mirror. The lines between these two are less distinct than those separating the west from the east, with many towns near the center finding almost equal numbers of witches wearing pins displaying a gleaming, polished, brass mirror as there are those with deep, black, full moons. Here, witches can be found in smaller villages serving as sources of knowledge and guidance, as well as living in the handful of noble cities built within their ancestral woods, providing their specialized magic as a service to those who have need of it.

Type

Forest