Traeventahl Circle
Traeventahl Circle Theme:
Fueled by a massive wellspring of Aether, the source of primordial magics, The World Tree |Traeventahl| groans with deafening cracks as the mountain winds hit its branches. This city-sized plant is home to the Traeventahl Circle of Druids, a hermit state of mages and fey who scorn the rapid industrialization of foreign powers. Circle Druids and Feykin value stability over all else, seeking to preserve traditions and achieve or protect personal immortality. These principles are seen in their use of primordial magics, or the original spells and abilities brought to the mundane plane, and general tolerance toward necromancy, which is one of the first schools of magic. They have guarded and tended to the Valewood Forest at the foot of The Edgelands for millennia, only extending the occasional invitation to traders bartering needed supplies for rare plants, herbs, and druidic medicine. Despite this reputation, every Saint from The Cometfall Theocracy has visited the World Tree; there are rumors that the Traeventahl Circle has a critical component for Saint Ascension.
Trade is only permissible through invitation, and is often managed between heads of state. Along with reigning saints, the Archdruid has entertained leaders such as Zygat of the Hakgu Horde, and even Zasz, the Serpent Preimier of the Yuan-Ti Empire, who was particularly overjoyed to converse with individuals resistant to his passive psionic domination.
Their isolationist tendencies have made them openly hostile to any visitors unless special dispensation is given to enter the forest. Whether by accident or purposeful, unauthorized visitors are immediately met with deadly force. The main path into the forest passes The Grove of Forewarning, a site of the furthest invasion into the Valewood Forest. There, a battalion of petrified soldiers' bodies stand frozen in combat. Their spirits are bound in servitude to the Traeventahl Circle, who have cursed them to eternally defend the forest from invaders.
Traeventahl has been lead by the same Archdruid since its founding: an immortal elf named Lucan Willowrest. Despite his boyish looks and demeanor, Lucan is one of only two known beings alive during the fall of Saint Ignacia in the year 0 CF, the other being The Archivist of the Rings of Ilyena. He wields absolute power in all affairs and has the final say in any laws and judgment. Any form of insubordination towards the Archdruid is punishable by death. Only one person has ever survived such punishment- Balenne Siaga, a rebellious child prodigy who managed to escape a duel against Lucan and went on to found the Free City of New Traeventahl in The Voladrian League.
As an Archdruid, Lucan has the unique ability to manipulate the world tree and can communicate with it through a rare skill known as Treesinging. The tree is considered by the Circle to be a sentient being, able to commune with various other plants throughout Tyras. Lucan's control over the world tree grants him immense power and influence in the forest and over all plant life.
Invited travelers are cautioned before entering the Valewood Forest, as the woods are known to twist and change, causing even the most experienced of rangers to get lost without a local guide. Unauthorized visitors risk encountering the Feykin, who fiercely guard their home and are tasked with eliminating any who threaten their realm.
As the ambassador to the Feywild for the Circle, Elenwen Rosedottir warns that the veil between the two realms is particularly thin in the Valewood Forest. Accidentally crossing into the Feywild can have dire consequences, as time does not flow in the same way in both realms. In such cases, those who seek safe passage must gain the favor of a powerful fey creature or risk returning to the mundane realm at the wrong date.
The Feywild Veil is the thinnest around the Sakura Grotto, an area belonging to the domain of The Valewood Librarian. Travelers through this area have been known to be kidnapped and interrogated by the Spider Archfey. Though most of these people have been released unharmed, survivors note the experience to be traumatic. Gravity at the grotto also behaves oddly, which has caught the attention of many mages and druids who seek to study this phenomenon. However, access to the area is highly restricted even within the Circle; only authorized individuals are allowed admission.
An immense pool of aether is found underneath the spring that feeds the section of the forest known as Aetherfelle, an area marked by giant fungal structures. Creatures born in proximity to this wellspring of primordial magic, from simple rodents to complex humanoids, are imbued with the ability to cast spells through sheer force of will. Even after death, these beings remain tied to the material plane as ghosts or undead, their survival instincts compelling them to cling to life. Serval, the skeleton of unknown origin (even to itself), guards the area under the orders of Archdruid Lucan Willowrest.
Valewood Forest
Elenwen Rosedottir
by
Unknown
Sakura Grotto
by
Unknown
The Valewood Librarian
by
Wizards of the Coast
Nurture Nature
by KaiRaego (OC)
Founding Date
~20,000 B.S.
Alternative Names
The Circle
Demonym
Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments