The Eternal Forest
The Eternal Forest is the designation given to a plane of existence found outside of the material plane but in the Mortal Dimension. The Eternal Forest is a seemingly infinite and dense woodland inhabited by a variety of naturally magical creatures, including the Fey.
Geography
Food is derived from the forest itself and water is available in the many streams and lakes present throughout the dense woodland. The Eternal Forest is not only home to sapient and sentient creatures, but is also home to a variety of wild animals that, combined with the fruits found in the forest, make up the diet for many of the Eternal Forest’s denizens. The Forest itself is a colorful land of purples, blues, and greens. The sky is a constant shade of lavender while the trees and most foliage are varying shades of blue and purple and most wood is a lighter gray color. The ground is covered in vibrant, green grass which is often knee-high.
History
The Eternal Forest can be seen as similar to a collection of tribes living in a utopian world, though the term Utopia must be stretched to accommodate the fanatic ideals of the Fey. These creatures live in small communities hidden in the woods, and communities tend to not intermingle unless a major religious festival or political decision is being held at the Dolgaya Zhizni, the giant oak tree located at what appears to be the center of the infinite forest and the capital settlement of the Eternal Forest. Dolgaya Zhizni is also the home of Aurora, the Queen of the Eternal Forest and the speaker of the Wispmother, the Fey Goddess.
Aurora is the queen of the Fey and the Eternal Forest, meaning she presides over and is responsible for the safety of the countless races and creatures that live in the Eternal Forest and the Forest’s Edge. Like most previous queens, Aurora is a Dryad who was chosen by the Wispmother to fulfill the role of Queen upon the death of the previous Queen.
As the queen may die at any point in the year and the Wispmother only awakens at one point, there are often times in which there is no queen. In these times, the council of the Eternal Forest takes up the duties of the Queen. There is no idea of dynastic succession or hereditary succession in the Eternal Forest.
Political issues are typically decided on by a vote by the council unless they directly deal with the wispmother and her affairs. The Council consists of 1,700 members appointed by the queen. Those matters are directly decided upon by the Queen and her head Guardian, a valuable advisor chosen from the order of warriors that are tasked to protect the Eternal Forest.
The Eternal Forest is typically peaceful, though sometimes interplanar creatures stumble into the Eternal Forest and need to be dealt with. There is also a constant threat of invasion from forces from other planes that dislike the Fey, such as the Amethyst Vortex or the Spirit Well. This threat is the reason the Eternal Guardians exist, so that there may be a force to defend the Wispmother if the need arises.
The Wispmother is the goddess of the Fey’s monotheistic religion. She is a primarily dormant spirit that lives within the Great Oak at Dolgaya Zhizni. Once a year, she will awaken to provide guidance to the Fey. This awakening coincides with the Struyki Festival, meant to attract visitors from all over the Eternal Forest in order for them to have a chance to ask for guidance from the Wispmother and pray for her return the following year. Worship of the Wispmother follows strict ideals in which the common vices of humanity are frowned upon by the majority of the community and are, at times, illegal. 8 of the 9 deadly sins are discouraged, while the idea of lust is rather encouraged by the Wispmother, but as a tool to expand an individual’s power rather than a tool of pleasure. Worshippers of the Wispmother will typically drink the sap of the Great Oak upon reaching adulthood in order to feel as if part of the Wispmother is inside of them at all times. Some scholars claim that the sap has hallucinatory effects that may last extended periods of time in a mortal’s body. The sap also has a slight addictive quality that makes the drinker seek out more sap once every 20 or so years depending on the species.
The main settlement in the Eternal Forest is Dolgaya Zhizni, a small town developed around the great oak containing the Wispmother. While the infrastructure of the Eternal Forest is typically limited to hide tents and simple furniture, Dolgaya Zhizni is a near exact replica of Willow’s Keep, the city’s counterpart located in the material plane. The main difference is a circular building placed around the great oak in which the council meets and Aurora resides in.
Tourism
The most common forms of entertainment in the Eternal Forest arises in games of trickery, hunting, or excursions into other planes to experience those cultures or create entertainment. Music is also a common form of entertainment, with soft, harmony-driven harp pieces dominating the local sound. Most individuals speak Sylvan, as it is the lingua franca of the forest, but many speak species specific languages as well. Literature is not common outside of the capital and even in the capital it is limited to religious and cultural texts relevant to the people of the Eternal Forest. Typically banquets, dances, festivals, and a leisurely lifestyle are preferred in the Eternal Forest.
Alternative Name(s)
The Feywild
Type
Planar Sphere/Grouping
Included Organizations
Owning Organization
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