Living Forest

The Living Forest

A region of Eryn Dur

The Living Forest is a vast and ancient forested region located within Eryn Dur in northeastern Elwindil. It is the homeland of the Eternal Realm of the Starmist Folk and one of the most mysterious and powerful natural regions known to exist.

Though it appears at first to be a forest like any other, the Living Forest is widely understood to be alive in a way that surpasses ordinary vegetation. Its trees are not merely connected by roots, but by awareness, memory, and intent. The forest observes, decides, and—when necessary—acts.

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Nature of the Living Forest

The Living Forest is composed of countless individual trees, each possessing its own identity and temperament. These trees are not subsumed into a single mind; rather, they communicate through deep root systems, fungal networks, pheromonal signals, and subtle electrical impulses that pass through wood and soil alike.

At times, this communication manifests physically. Those within the forest have reported sudden winds without weather, vibrations in the ground, and moments when the forest seems to shift its attention. On rare occasions, the trees themselves are known to move—rising from the earth and walking to new locations in slow, deliberate procession.

The forest is capable of coordinated action, particularly in defense of itself or the lands it shelters.

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The Heartgrove

At the center of the Living Forest lies the Heartgrove, an ancient gathering of the oldest surviving trees in Elwindil. These trees are remnants of a once-continent-spanning forest that existed in the earliest ages of the world.

The Heartgrove does not rule the forest, but it does decide. Within it dwell differing perspectives among the trees, often described by the Starmist Folk as:

• Those Who Endure — favoring strength and refusal
• Those Who Restore — favoring renewal and balance
• Those Who Remember — preserving identity and history
• Those Who Abide — choosing stillness and moral certainty

When the Living Forest acts with clear intent, it is said that the Heartgrove has reached consensus.

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Inhabitants

The Living Forest is home to the Starmist Folk, who have lived in communion with the forest for centuries. Elves, hobbits, and other woodland peoples dwell within its bounds, guided by long-standing understandings rather than imposed rule.

The forest itself is considered a participant in these relationships, not merely a backdrop. The Starmist Folk do not command the Living Forest, nor does it speak to them in words. Instead, there exists an unspoken understanding shaped by patience, restraint, and mutual preservation.

Also present within the forest are the Ruunwaith—the Rootfolk—beings of living wood, root, and growth who arise where connection is allowed to endure. They are not members of the Starmist Folk, nor are they guardians appointed by the forest. Rather, they are residents whose lives unfold at the forest’s pace.

The presence of the Ruunwaith is understood by the elves as an expression of Vaelthir-Kaen, the Facet of the living forest. The Ruunwaith are neither servants nor avatars of this divine presence; instead, they are what emerges when the forest’s capacity for intent and coordination is permitted to take form.

When the Ruunwaith act, it is not as enforcers or judges, but as the forest itself choosing—briefly and deliberately—to move, to hold, or, on rare occasions, to refuse.

Magic and Danger

The Living Forest is suffused with ancient magic, though much of it is subtle rather than spectacular. Paths may vanish, distances may shift, and travelers may find themselves guided—or turned away—without realizing how.

Despite its beauty, the forest is not safe. Creatures both natural and unnatural dwell within its depths, and the forest does not intervene lightly on behalf of the careless. Those who threaten its continuity may find themselves opposed not only by its inhabitants, but by the forest itself.

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Wider Context

Scholars and druids note that the Living Forest is the most concentrated known expression of a deeper, older principle of rooted life in Elwindil. While unique in its scale and deliberation, it is not believed to be the only place where such awareness can emerge under the right conditions.

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Summary

The Living Forest is:

• An ancient, sentient woodland
• Composed of individual yet connected trees
• Capable of movement, memory, and decision
• Guided by the Heartgrove at its center
• Home to the Eternal Realm of the Starmist Folk
• A place of beauty, danger, and deliberate restraint

To walk beneath its canopy is to walk within a living presence— one that remembers what has been done upon its soil.