The Forest Shrine of Ekalwyn

The Forest Shrine of the Grand Mistress of the Cult of Ekalwyn is found in a dogwood grove, in the northwest corner of a small county in a fallen Empire. Out of sight, and out of mind, hidden from the world for more than 50 years. Completely forgotten by most, utterly unsuspected by the rest.
The avatar of Ekalwyn, the forest spirit, dwells here, in the hearts and minds of the monks and suppliants, and in the person of the Grand Mistress.
From this secluded shrine the business of the cult of Ekalwyn is organized and directed, effecting the will of the goddess upon the Weirth. As the goddess of Forests, Meadows, Streams and Ponds, she is the Patron of Hunters and Fishermen and of the Wylder Nurdiyan and Witches, the magic-users who protect and cultivate the howling wilderlands of Weirth.
Ekalwyn is of the wilderness, but not completely of Chaos. Balance is more important to her aims than which side of the Cosmic drama gains an advantage here or there. It is the nature of animals to devour each other, of fire to burn the underbrush, of the streams to overflow their banks in the monsoon, washing away thorpe and nest alike.
Her followers maintain this balance in the face of encroaching settlements and the influence of the Fae upon the Weirth. They have good working relationships with the cults of Nyx and Tallorba, which depend on wild and domesticated plants and animals to preserve their own worshippers.
The shrine has an extensive library of information on astrology, astronomy, and agriculture. They have a communication network that is nearly unparalleled in Weirth, with access to one of the World Trees, left over from before the Cataclysm, which is the source of Plant Door magic. This tree allows passage to any tree the Nurdiyan has ever touched, and with a leaf from the World Tree in hand, a Nurdiyan can step into any tree on Weirth and step out in the Glade of the Shrine. With this power far-flung spies and agents are able to pass information over vast distances in the blink of an eye.
It is here also that the Coven of the Meadowlark convenes, passing on training and lore to aspiring Nurdiyans and Exalted Warriors rising through the ranks. All of the remaining spells of the Nurdiyan tradition are recorded here, collected at great cost by Adventurers and Witches, from the Belowdark, wild places of the Weirth and the Outerdark. Knowledge of these magical texts is gladly shared with members of the cult in exchange for accomplishing dangerous missions and tasks. 
The Coven of the Meadowlark knows the secret of the Ogres, and have bartered this knowledge for assistance in constructing the Worldroot, a secret demi-pane of subterranean caverns and passages that connect various parts of Weirth. The Worldroot allows for rapid travel across the continent, to the Elemental Nexus, the Archipelago of the Lotus Eaters and even unto the Lighthouse at the End of the World. (Not to the Isle of Bones, the only way to get there is to sail or fly). Until recently, these caverns were not subject to the will of the Belowdark, but have begun to display some characteristics and manifestations of Chaos and Entropy.

Type

Shrine