Features of a Sacred Grove (CDH)

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Each branch of the druidic order prefers certain sites for sacred groves. These include the woodland groves of the forest druids, the oases of the desert druid, the fungus-rich caves of the gray druid, and so on. In nearly every case, the overriding requirement is that the sacred grove possess a natural splendor. This splendor may range from the stark grandeur of a ring of standing stones atop a hill on a windswept moor to the gardenlike beauty of a tended forest glade.
A sacred grove is typically between 60 feet and 360 feet across (6d6 - 10 feet). Besides the expected grass, undergrowth, bushes, trees, or other local features, desirable groves share certain elements.
==Distinct Boundaries==
Sacred groves reveal themselves readily to those who know what to look for. A grove's boundary markers often result from the efforts of generations of druids. For example, the trees in a woodland grove may form concentric circles, the outermost layer reserved for the largest, most ancient trees.
Often the trees in a sacred grove are of an unusual size or a type distinct from others in the wood. For example, a sacred grove in a birch forest might have many oaks. Their branches may even entwine to form natural arches to welcome visitors. In more open terrains, sacred groves may surround themselves with high, thorny hedges or even a river. Some groves have artificial borders, such as an outer ring of standing stones. A few are small islands.
==A Clearing==
A quiet place of meditation blanketed with soft moss or grass lies in the center of the grove. Druids prefer groves carpeted with soft ground cover that encourages dancing over a floor of simple dirt or stone.
==Source of Water==
A spring, well, brook, or pool (often fed by a waterfall) provides the grove with pure, drinkable water. Druids use this water in their rituals and in their day-to-day life as well. Some druids prefer still water to a brook or spring, since the quiet water is less distracting during meditation and can prove useful in divination.
==Central Feature==
A commanding structure—perhaps the source of water—acts as a natural altar in the grove or as a focus for worship. Other common central features include a single great tree, a standing stone, or a fairy ring (a circle of toadstools or other fungi). These and other features sometimes possess magical powers, detailed in a later section.
==Native Animals==
An owl lives in a grove's great tree, a snake dwells under a stone—the druid is never really alone in a sacred grove. The place feels alive in every sense, and druids usually befriend a grove's inhabitants.
==Living Quarters==
While the druid and any servants or family members rarely live within the sacred grove proper, home lies not far away. A forest druid, for instance, generally has a stone, log, or sod cottage within a mile of the grove, with a vegetable and herb garden, and perhaps a few domestic animals.