The Golden Woods of Anwyn

The Golden Woods were once part of the magical realm of the Fey Queen and her Sidhe Court that was brought to the Lands of Warlderia with her. They get their name from the abundance of Gold Maple trees within the forest. When the Fey Queen returned to her home plane of Anwyn she left the Golden Woods and its troublesome inhabitants behind out of spite or perhaps absent mindfulness. The area is very magical and stubbornly independent being filled with those from within the realm that sought to distance themselves from the Queen’s presence and with those from without who wished to bask in the aura of the magical environment. Thus elf and man mixed with many of blended ancestry residing in the area; in fact over half the population is of Elven and human blood and a further 10% touched by the Fey. 1 in 6 of those in the forest are Wood Elves, with an equal number of human woods folk and a small number, maybe 5% Gnomes seeking to master the Fey illusionary arts. 

On the plane of Anwyn the Golden Woods were on the landward borders of a great fey forest but in the Lands of Warlderia they are now on the coast of Harmonias Province with new cliffs and bays suddenly appearing on the southern edge. Indeed the old abandoned fortress of Bellegarde now stands proud overlooking the sea where once it was deep within the forest. On the northern border a swamp has appeared where Mortesia, the lair of the Necromancer Kaphyn, once haunted the province though were they are now is a pleasing mystery. For the folk of Harmonias Province the arrival of a magical wood of predominately good half-Elves instead of hordes of undead and an evil overlord is not to be regretted.

The newly arrived inhabitants of the woods were stunned to find hordes of humanoids in close proximity. It effectively broke a tenuous peace between Everwatch and the humanoids who launched raids on the newly arrived folk. The King of the Stayrs, Wildhorn, was killed with many of his warriors resisting an invasion. Only the actions of Dîmeril  Laeghartha saved matters as she rallied the folk and joined with the forces of Everwatch. Further humanoid invasions were defeated and it led to the end of the rule of orcs and their like in Harmonias.    Within a few months the last stand of the orcs of Eastward Bay was over. An accommodation was reached where the Duchess of Everwatch was acknowledged as feudal lord but otherwise things remained very much the same under the caring eye of the Heryn. 

Merilrond

Dîmeril Illustration by Stefano Marinetti

Deep within the heart of the Golden Woods lies Merilrond, a dispersed woodland community of over four hundred residents. They  are racially very mixed though most have some Elven or Fey blood in them, though not all. The inhabitants mostly speak in Wood Elven, a rustic colloquial dialect of Elven that is easy to follow for pure Elven speakers, Sylvan and often, though not always, Common. The leader of the community is Heryn (Lady) Dîmeril  Laeghartha, a female half-Elf ranger-cleric of the goddess Ehlonna. Years ago Dîmeril and her followers cleared out the monsters that preyed on the locals and made an uneasy peace treaty with the capricious fawns who seduced the maidens of the woods. The malevolent Fey were driven away or killed and even the anger of the Fey Queen was weathered. A force for good that did not seek to control the other inhabitants was very popular and her warmth and wise leadership is loved and chrished.

Merilrond comes from the Elven for Rose Hall which is the largest building in the small town. It is a large  two storey stone and wooden hall was built upon stone foundations as Dîmeril’s home. Her chosen plant was the Rose and the subsequent abundance of Roses led to it being called Merilrond, Rose hall. The dispersed village that grew up nearby was also called Merilrond and is a centre for trade and communication the Woods. There is a temple to Ehlonna, an Inn, several shops including a bowyers and tanners and a blacksmith. There is a school for the children that Dîmeril insisted upon and an infirmary for the sick or injured. In Merilrond there are few laws save the banning of charm and other mind controlling spells. Dîmeril’s followers live nearby in their own homes save for Luin, a devoted Wood Elf warrior, who lives in the Hall in his own rooms.

The Fawn Woods

The Satyrs of the Fawn Hills were blessed by the Fey Queen but the seducing of girls annoyed Dîmeril. When her ward Melda was abducted it turned to blows and the death of the abducting Satyr at the Heryn's hand soured relations with the lecherous fawns. Now that their king, Wildhorn, is dead by orcs, along with many of his warriors, the remaining Satyrs are more peacefully minded and happy to accept aid. Led by Clodion, a female Satyr, they are firmly allied to Dîmeril who graciously advocates on their behalf .

The Unicorns

The Forest is home to numerous small herds of unicorns that are unsurprisingly friendly to the Sisterhood of Anwyn.  

Bellegarde

The Castle of Bellegarde was once home to a variety of Fey nobles, wood lords and eventually brigands and bandits that resided deep in the forest of the Fey Queen’s Realm of Anwyn. As the Fey borders crept ever onwards the castle sank deeper in to the Golden Woods and lost its relevance as a strong defence. Petty squabbles and Fey feuds left it vacant and then abandoned by the forest folk. With the magical appearance of the Golden Woods on the shores of the Westwood Channel, the castle of Bellegarde now holds a commanding position overlooking the sea on a high promontory. It has been claimed by Galsitan the Bard but his plans for it are very uncertain.