Feylin Forest

The Feylin Forest is one of the largest forests in Rasfadal and has a strong, magical connection to Realms of Chaos. Most folk stay away to avoid the magical lure of the Fey creatures that live within. While the Feylin Forest is technically in Rasfadal its lands are not claimed by any lord. The edges of the forest seem not so different from that of others, but once you venture deeper into the woods that changes. The Feylin Forest is eerily quiet at times, and vibrant and loud at others. It's environment changes with the mood of its citizens. Sometimes the trees carry pale green leaves and the ground is covered in blue and purple grass. Other times the forests takes on the appearance of a wandering circus with red and purple and yellow trees. Some of the woodland creatures take joy in tricking visitors, who are often the victims of mean or even fatal pranks. Maps have no use in this forests; it's locales seem to be constantly shifting, and time passes differently than in the outside world, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Some people have explored the forest, seemingly for only a few days, only to come back out and find their children have been waiting for them a lifetime.

Localized Phenomena

There are many ways to get to the Feywild. Some believe that wandering deep into the Feylin Forest is enough, and rightfully so. But the true gates into the fey realm are located in the darkest parts of the forest, guarded by powerful fey magic. The Feylin Forest bears a strong connection to the Feywild, from which chaotic energy and creatures leak into the forest. As a result the deepest parts of the Feylin Forest have started to resemble the Feywild. Plants and animals have started to take on unnatural shapes and appearances. People that venture far enough into the forest will witness trees and plants in strange colors, and animals that look... off. This has lead many people to mistake the Feylin Forest for the Feywild itself, but to get to the Feywild one must go deeper. In the darkest depths of the forest and ancient gates, which serve as entrances into the true fey realms. These gates are well guarded. Not by strong warriors, but mischievous fey creatures, enchanting, tricking and misleading any who won't venture near such gates.

History

While it is not directly ruled by the king or any of his vassals, the Feylin Forest is generally considered a part of the Kingdom of Rasfadal. Being the largest woodland in the kingdom, the Feylin Forest is a vast expanse of untamed wilderness. The name Feylin is synonymous with enchantment. Everyone in the surrounding land knows tat the forest is the realm of faeries and its reaches are commonly help to be impassable by all, except the very brave. All manner of dangerous beast and malevolent beings are said to lurk beneath every bough, and those who leave the road are lost forever. The colors seem richer and heavier, shadows are more emphatic and show curious colors of their own. It can be eerily silent or else filled with ominous and unidentifiable noises. Travellers on the road should get used to the constant feeling of being watched; there is always movement at the periphery of visions. Whereas its name might suggest and endless swath of woodland, in reality Feylin is made up of many habitats, including flower strewn meadows, trackless swamps, and blasted heathland, but it is true that woodland is dominant. The trees vary by area; the centre is populated by dark pines and yew, but elsewhere there are open woodlands of beech and chestnut, or dense tangles of oak, hazel, and thorn. Willow, alder and birch line the rivers and trail their drooping branches into the water. The inhabitants of the Feylin Forest are faeries, ageless creatures that come in a ways, shapes and forms. They live in faerie shees. There are more than a hundred faerie shees in the Feylin Forest, each home to a faerie tribe. Each shee is unique, although there are some general rules that apply. Most shees are ruled by a king and queen. Faeries are immortal, so their kings and queen have always ruled and always will. Some shees have no king or queen. They may claim to have overthrown them at some point, but most likely they never had one. Each shee exists in the Faerie Veil, a dimension between the mortal world and the Plane of Chaos. From the outside the shee looks like a landscape feature such as a hill, tree, ravine, waterfall or lake. In som light and under some spells the shee’s real appearance can be seen. The true nature of a shee depends of the faeries that live there. Most shees appear like an otherworldly village of strange structures built against, on top of, or inside terrain features. It is very difficult to force ones way into a shee without the consent of its leader. Its gates do not respond to mortal magic and the woodland creatures would not dare anger the faeries. Once permission of one of the faerie residents has been granted the true form of the shee can be seen. The animals and plants that are found in the shee are similar to, but not the same as those of Rasfadal. Some scholars believe that the super natural creatures of Rasfadal may have escaped from the faerie shees. Shees do not appear to have seasons and the weather is controlled by the king and queen. The biggest differences between a shee and Rasfadal are with respect to space and time. All shees appear bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. A small hill or tree con contain a large village and castle in the Faerie Veil. Also, time passes differently in a shee than it does on Wordal. In some shees time passes quicker, in others it passes slower. Faeries, being immortal and mostly unchanging beings, do not understand the obsession that mortals can have with time.