Crystal Mother's Forest
The Crystal Mother's Forest is the large temperate rainforest to the northeast of the Shimmering Sea, where the tropical flowering trees of the Jungles of Kar'ack give way to conifers and tall soft-wooded trees that seem to almost resist the wet weather that is frequent in the region. The Crystal Mother's forest is often considered inhospitable to human (and demon) but the Roselanders rely on its bounty for their living. Many rivers flow from the Crystal Mother's Forest into the Shimmering Sea and the Roselanders hunt the small and fast black-tailed deer and the larger, bulkier crystal-antler elk that roam in herds through the trees. Many strange and dangerous monsters live in the Crystal Mother's Forest, some with known names and some that are so rare they have only a few sightings. The Knights of Stone and Sigil and the Immortal Vigil will fight these monsters to protect hunters, loggers, and miners, as well as the myriad of other groups that must enter the Crystal Mother's Forest.
However, that protection does not extend to the Dreamers of the Crystal Mother. These cultists seek to unearth the location of the ancient Demon God, the Crystal Mother, one of They Who Dream Between Stars. They claim to speak with her through the world of dreams. Though the Roselanders keep a watch for those who belong to the cult, there always seems to be more. They will conduct their rituals deep in the Crystal Mother's Forest, in search of their supposed patron.
Localized Phenomena
The Song
The song is a phenomena that occurs seemingly at random. Those who live in the Roselands describe it less as the sensation that someone is actually singing and more that the crystals begin to chime and resonate, as if struck to ring. This 'music' will move through the Crystal Mother's Forest, causing more crystals to vibrate. It is unknown exactly what causes this to occur, as when the Song does happen, it is not localized but moves through the Forest, even to the cities like Rose where the crystals will start to hum and vibrate, creating music throughout the streets of the city.Crystal Trees
The crystal trees of the Crystal Mother's Forest are thought to have been normal trees that have, through some ancient magic inherent in the forest, been turned into crystal. When this happens, the bark becomes a colorful crystal growth, while the inside lumber becomes hard as stone, a form of petrified wood. Though this material is difficult to work with, it is recognized by all as being beautiful material and so the Roselanders have learned how to harvest both the crystal and the petrified wood to use for their art and architecture. The crystal is often ground up and used to make Rosean glass.Crystal Beasts
In rare cases, the crystal formations from the trees get stuck into the flesh of animals. No one knows if the beasts accidentally eat the crystal, or if the stones simply gets wedged into its flesh, but the two begin to merge, with the crystal actually growing and expanding through the host's body. These hybrid creatures are usually much stronger and develop strange powers, as well as a cruel intelligence. Though this affects humans, it is far rarer to see, as the only ones who would likely do such a dangerous and foolish things are the cultists of the Dreamers, and it would be difficult to hide their allegiance then. However, there are stories of lone Knights of Steel and Sigil who come upon lonely groups of people out in the forest, with these living crystals inside their bodies...History
The Crystal Mother's Forest is said to have been the sight of a battle during Nightfall, in the Days of Blood and Shadow, where one of the Demon Gods, the Crystal Mother, was cast down, condemned to eternal slumber, her very essence splintered to prevent her being freed. This, the scholars claim, is the origin for both the Song and the Crystal Trees, as well as many of the other strangeness and hostility that occurs in the Crystal Mother's Forest.
Type
Forest
Location under
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Included Organizations
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