Dourin’s Grove is a relatively
small forest nestled against the Sentinels in the
Manthrian province of the United Kingdom of
Santharia. Best known for its thick underbrush, twisted trees and general
impenetrability, the grove’s interior has not been seen for centuries. Within
this tangled mess is believed to live the ancient, powerful
druid, Dourin, from whom the woods
derive their name.
Description.
Dourin’s Grove sticks out like a sore thumb among the rippling grasslands of
Hylach; an imposing fortress towering over its hinterland. The massive trees
that line its perimeter reach so high that the forest can be glimpsed from over
a dozen strals away. So far
up do the trees climb that they seem to touch
Injèrá herself as she rides across the skies. The rays of her morning glow
set the tree tops ablaze in an inferno of reds and oranges while amid the
purples and dark blues of his descent, they seem like smoldering ashes.
When viewed up close, however, the forest’s edge bears a distinct similarity to
a fence. Thick trees rise at semi-regular intervals to form gigantic posts;
unsurpassable solid and rooted firmly into the ground. Between them dangles a
mess of vines and creepers woven among each other into a steadfast web through
which very little can permeate. With stems as thick as a man’s arm, these
plants serve as the barrier’s horizontal beams, linking together the posts and
restricting movement into and out of the woods.
The walls of a fortress and a fence prove apt metaphors for describing the
portions of Dourin’s Grove accessible to humans’
relation to the forest’s interior. What exactly lies at the heart of the center
of the forest is currently, and most likely for ever will, remain a mystery.
Legend and oral history holds, however, that the woods were erected as a
garrison to serve one of two purposes: a hiding place for the Green Druid,
Dourin, or to keep greedy Avennorian
and Serphelorian prospectors
from exploiting the mineral wealth of the Old Kasth Mine. Thus, one can
logically assume that one or both of these features could be found beyond the
grove’s perimeter.
Location. Dourin’s Grove
is most easily distinguished as one of the few patches of dense forest growth
separating Manthria’s two largest northern
flatlands, the Hylach Grasslands and the Huiscen Plains. Immediately to the
east lie the rock spires of Sentinels whose now-abandoned Kasth Mine is
completely shielded by the woods’ impenetrably thick growth. The grove’s
sister-forest, the Kilma Woods, from which it was separated millennia ago when
the first trails were bush-wacked by
Avennorian and Serpherlorian
settlers that would later grow to become the Elverground Road, lies about a
day’s ride to the west.
The only settlement in the immediate vicinity of the grove is Fort Snowcap, a
sizable fortification charged with the keeping order and protecting the roads
in the northern portions of the Duchy of Huiscen’s Grassen Steading which lie
far beyond the immediate reach of the Duke’s seat of power, Chrondra. As they
tend to be uneducated and superstitious, the soldiers manning the Fort have
developed a fear of the forest and do their best to skirt around it.
People. Due to the fact
that it is entirely inaccessible to any of Manthria’s
races, Dourin’s Grove has no confirmed residents. If myth is to be believed,
however, the forest does house one permanent tenant: the hibernating Dourin.
Exactly who or what one considers Dourin to be varies wildly depending upon the
legends to which one subscribes. However, whether or not he is perceived as a
wrathful half-man, half-beast or a benevolent
guardian of nature and its creatures, all accounts agree that he is a
druid of legendary power and a force
not be trifled with.
Climate. Relatively
frequent rainfall, most likely the result of moisture being cradled and
deposited by the western face of the Sentinels, allows the woods of Dourin’s
Grove to flourish among the otherwise dry and windy climate of
Manthria’s northern-most territories. The humidity of
this region is rarely released as rain, however, but rather hangs thickly in the
air, rubbing off on everything it touches as
beads of condensation. As such, the Grove seems to almost radiate a hot, muggy
haze into the crisp, dry grasslands that surround it.
Though the forest experiences four distinct seasons, they are marked by changes
in physical appearance, not by a variation in temperature. The Grove’s crisp
autumns and springs and mild winters thus flow smoothly together; the falling of
leaves, bare branches and green buds being the only indicators of the
progression of autumn, winter and spring.
The heat of the Injèrá’s rays combines with
the oppressively heavy air of the forest to
create an unbearably sweltering summer. Lacking even the faintest breeze to
provide ventilation, the humid air trapped by the dense undergrowth cooks to
temperatures so high it is a miracle the grove’s flora does not wilt. The heat
does seem to take its toll on the animal-life, however, driving it from the
safety of the forest during the day to escape to a more comfortable environment.
Flora. A wide variety of
plant life, ranging from towering trees to invasive undergrowth and thick webs
of hanging vines, thrives within this forest. Massive oak, urban and beech trees
scrape against the very sky. Slung lazily from bough to bough, vines and
creepers such as the blanket of Shar and the sweet sip lounge in slack horse
shoes, providing a stark contrast to the rigid and imposing trees upon which
they rest. Finally, along the ground, bushes and weeds grow so thick one is hard
pressed to find a bare path of soil, making the grove seem as though it is
covered in a thick, long haired carpet.
The diverse plant life of Dourin’s Grove does have one unifying feature,
however. Whether the tallest tree or the most pathetic weed, all of the forest’s
greenery grows to an unnatural size and strength. Bushes grow as high as a man’s
waist; normally dainty and lace-like vines as can be as thick as a man’s arm,
and trees become so girthy it takes two or three men to completely encircle
them. According to the locals, these strange features are simply evidence of
Dourin’s existence. Though he slumbers, his magic
radiates out and fills the plants and soil, providing them with unnatural
qualities.
Fauna. The dense growth
that characterizes Dourin’s Grove makes it inhospitable to most animals despite
the relatively attractive climate of the northern portions of
Manthria. Animals small enough to freely wiggle their
way through this imposing barrier, however, tend to thrive quite well. Mice,
rats, shrews, moles, and a variety of other small ground dwelling creatures are
thus often found scuttling in and out of the forest’s wall as they go about
their daily activities.
Almost equally as thick as the forest floor, the Grove’s treetops have a similar
restricting effect of the birds that choose to nest. Predatory birds, with their
large wingspans, are unable to navigate the crowded space and instead choose to
roost in more favourable environments. As a result, small songbirds of all kinds
have flourished in abundance among Dourin’s canopy, feasting on berries from the
forest and insects and grains from the surrounding grasslands. Their cheerful
songs resonate throughout the wood, painting the otherwise eerie and foreboding
trees as the guardians of a paradise hidden within.
When compared to their kin elsewhere in Sarvonia, the
creatures of Dourin’s Grove have a noticeably carefree demeanor. Relegated to
one of the lowest rungs of the food web, rodents and small birds tend to be
characterized as ‘timid’ in nature; always fearful of some threat lurking just
beyond notice, they move with extreme caution and are constantly checking over
their shoulders. On the other hand, those of the grove seem to be well aware of
the fact that they have no predators in the immediate vicinity and brazenly
saunter about in the open. Hoping to capitalize on this unusual behaviour, the
soldiers of Fort Snowcap have on numerous occasions attempted to hunt these
small beasts to supplement their diet, but have had no success. Arrows fired
upon them almost never find their mark and traps lain have their bait stolen
without being sprung, leading the more superstitious guards to whisper that the
hand of Dourin protects these creatures, shielding and guiding them with his
magic.
Resources. Dourin’s
Grove has little in the way of resources for human
consumption. Though it is a rather dense forest, the trees have proven wholly
un-useful. Their unnaturally hard wood and thick bark have a tendency to leave
prospective lumberjacks exhausted after a day’s work with nothing to show for it
save for a dull or broken axe head. Furthermore, even if one is successful in
securing a few logs, the wood proves to be hardly worth the labour. The fact
that it is often found in awkward shapes and is usually warped makes it
difficult at best in construction and crafting, while its wet, sappy interior
makes it even worse for burning.
The forest is also completely devoid of larger animals, making it a poor hunting
ground for those in search of wild game. In addition to barring the way of
adventurous humans, the web of brambles and
thick underbrush also seems to keep out all animals larger than a small rodent.
Unable to find shelter within the forest’s heart, larger animals have long since
wandered off to safer habitats or have been trapped and killed.
Myth/Lore. The
majority of the Lore surrounding the grove attempts to explain its weird
properties. According to commonly believed legend, the Wildman Dourin, who made
his home within the forest in the late 1200s a.S., warped it using
druidic
magic. Furious at the slow destruction of his woods by the Kasth miners, and
their blatant lack of respect for nature, he resolved to exclude them from it
entirely. This myth states that by manipulating the essence of the flora within
his grove, Dourin was able to weave the wall of plants that surrounds the woods.
It is also believed by some that Dourin remains alive even today within the
grove. Granted unnaturally long life by his strange powers, it is said that he
makes his home at the wood’s center, living harmoniously with the flora and
fauna sealed inside while maintaining his barrier to prevent any new entrants.
Dourin’s grove is also rumored to be home to a number of
pendrowe thought to have aided the druid
in his expulsion of the Avennorian
miners from the forest. Since pendrowe
are known to be extremely protective of the forests in which they live, this
theory does not seem far fetched. Some soldiers at Fort Snowcap insist that the
grove’s fence of trees is actually an army of these sentient plant-beings
defending the forest’s interior and claim that the
pendrowes’ ‘aura of healing’ is what
makes the brush indestructible. A few of these individuals even go so far as to
claim that they’ve seen or been attacked by one of these beings move along the
grove’s exterior.
