The Rootbed

Beneath the Viridian Labyrinth sprawls the rootbed, a world of caverns, roots, and subterranean rivers hidden from most of dragonkind. Wherever the Behemoth's roots go questing, there go the rootbeds, carrying with them entire ecosystems that have never seen the surface.
The Behemoth and rootbed are, to some extent, synonymous. Its roots--and the sprouts that grow from them where they break through the earth--touch every horizon of the Viridian isle. As such, the rootbed exists in a state of mass symbiosis, with clans at opposite corners of the territory nestled in, and tending to, the same incomprehensibly vast entity.
To enter the Rootbed is to be confronted by the primal bond between Nature dragons and their homeland. There are things in the dark that blur the line between plant and dragon, or cause the viewer to question whether the line existed in the first place. From the relative serenity of the sunken gardens and root cities to the otherworldly parasitic jungle, on through to the unnatural darkness of the Barrens, the rootbed is a law unto itself.
=== Rootbed Features ===
Due to the size and nature of the rootbed, a comprehensive overview is impossible. Instead, this page focuses on an "archetypal" settlement. You may wish to open the reference map (below, right) in another tab.
====Undercolony Entrance====
There are countless entrances to the rootbed, but subterranean settlements ("undercolonies") tend to be built around Behemoth sprouts. Sprouts and undercolonies are found throughout the Labyrinth, with a higher concentration in the Shrieking Wilds and near the Behemoth's main trunk. "Officially recognized" undercolonies mark their preferred entrance with a Flight banner. "Unofficial" settlements (as well as those that are official but not recognized) may rely on unmarked entrances, or no entrances at all, being reachable only through the rootbed.
Clans often paint or carve their signet onto rocks near an entrance to assist visitors. If you see an unfamiliar signet, it's best not to enter without permission; consider leaving a message-scroll to make contact or, better yet, ask a surface-dwelling local. Unmarked entrances should be avoided by the casual traveler.
====Sunken Garden====
The landscape of the Labyrinth evolves in tune with the Behemoth. Land that was once fully exposed to the sun can gradually sink into a bower, then a dip, then a root-cave. Shallow tunnels can have their roofs caved in, exposing them to sun. However they're formed, "sunken gardens", loosely defined as green spaces neither buried nor exposed, honeycomb the surface. They're the resting place for generations of fallen timber, making them a popular hideout for many animals, and a hunting/foraging ground for fungal warrens. They also act as natural pit traps; breeds that struggle to fly in the Labyrinth should tread carefully. All sorts of above-ground life filters in through sunken gardens. Some undercolonies choose to block them off, while others cultivate them, albeit with Nature's typical light touch, clearing out enough deadwood that they can serve as a sort of meditative retreat or meeting ground: enough sun for surface folk, enough darkness for cavern-dwellers.
====Root Reservoir====
A series of reservoirs form the heart of most sizeable undercolonies. They're filled by rain channeled down from the sprout's leaves or grooves grown into its roots, though they'll also take from springs or rivers where available. The reservoirs are some of, if not the, largest single constructs within an undercolony, storing enough water to serve the needs of the community without siphoning from the Behemoth's root network. During the rainy season, when water turnover is at its highest, the reservoirs may also be used for swimming and festivals that draw attendees from the far recesses of the local rootbed.
While some reservoirs are little more than stagnant ponds, most incorporate filtration and sediment capture through a series of gravity-fed pools with different micro-ecosystems, eventually leading to a large, central basin. Marsh plants and moss are popular filtration media, and full aquaponics setups are commonly found in side pools.
It's not uncommon for reservoirs to overflow. Some water will be channeled to extra irrigation or aquaponics work, but overflow channels may also lead deeper into the rootbed, guiding the water to be reabsorbed by the water table or subterranean rivers and lakes.
====Hedgehomes/Sprout-keeper====
Named for both their living construction and passing resemblance to hedgehogs, "hedgehomes" are above ground housing grown directly from a Behemoth root. Hedgehomes typically belong to "sprout-keepers" (or simply "keepers"), powerful druids charged with maintaining the health of a Behemoth sprout. The health of an undercolony's sprout is of utmost importance to its survival. While it's true that the Behemoth's roots transport nutrients in abundance, each colony is expected to contribute as much as they take, and this can only happen while the above-ground portion is in excellent health. Thus, the keeper devotes their life to tending the sprout and its surrounding jungle, coaxing both to be as large, powerful, and energetically productive as possible.
Sprout-keeping is an honoured occupation. Battledruids who have proven themselves on the frontlines but struggle to reintegrate with civilian life may be assigned to a sprout, though the position may be taken by any experienced, skillful druid. The work is physically and intellectually demanding, and traditionally comes with a high degree of independence. Some keepers have little to no contact with the undercolony, save when things go wrong. Others socialize freely, and will use their abilities to construct an entire little village of hedgehomes or even found a clan.
====Overjungle====
An "overjungle" is any territory or physical extension of a Behemoth sprout responsible for supplying an area of the rootbed with resources. Overjungles are the local sprout-keeper's domain and the focal point of most of their work. That's not to say an overjungle is a tame place; its state is a serious point of pride for its keeper, and, while some favor a more naturalistic approach, others prefer productivity, defensive utility, aesthetics, or experimentation. In general, overjungles tend to be taller and denser than their surroundings, as their most basic requirement is capturing sunlight. Beyond this, you may encounter:
* Partially-sunken orchards and wild gardens surrounded by boltholes
* Ruins of "enemy outposts", ex: beastclan camps
*Ruins of Nature clans. Undercolonies can survive disasters that would destroy surface settlements (and vice versa).
*Displays of plants designed by an undercolony
*Sister settlement(s) to the undercolony, possibly built right onto the Behemoth sprout as treehouses
*Feral wildclaw clans
*Shrines and ritual circles for magic only possible on the surface
*Signs, tags, talismans, and art hung from trees
* Air exchanges and skylights for an undercolony, often disguised in hollowed stumps
*Defensive briars and mazes
*Experimental plants used for channeling light into the rootbed
*Trade route markers
*Guest suites for visitor-dragons too big to fit into the undercolony
*Patrols, messhalls, barracks, outposts, and similar
*Firewatch-trees, possibly hollow and accessed from below
*Channels for guiding rainfall towards the colony's root reservoir(s)
====Hearthpool====
Formed at the nexus of a Behemoth sprout's roots and trunk, the hearthpool is a magical reservoir fed by the ebb and flow of the sprout. While scrying the health of the surrounding plantlife is its primary use, they also act as protective buffers, being something of a magical counterpart to root reservoirs.
While many undercolony plants have some form of root symbiosis with the Behemoth, these are largely mediated by the Behemoth itself and deal in the lesser materials of sugar, water, and nutrients. Hearthpools, though, are connected directly to the Behemoth's most precious veins. The infection of a hearthpool can quickly propagate through the sprout, resulting in a defensive severing of the undercolony as that patch of the rootbed withers. At the same rate, having no hearthpool at all leaves the area far more susceptible to magical fluctuation, as well as greatly restricting the ability of the sproutkeeper to monitor, modify, and defend the area. These days, many keepers have chosen to shrink and conceal their hearthpools, storing excess sap in caches unconnected to the Behemoth's veins. This in turn binds them closer to the pool, as they must be ready to flood or siphon the veins long before the Behemoth itself could detect something wrong. Settlements near the border have even begun to move their hearthpools belowground for additional defense, splitting duties between the sproutkeeper and an ancillary druid.
The smaller the hearthpool, the less stable it becomes, as there's less material to absorb magical fluctuations. Water dragons should avoid hearthpools when possible; eye contact is not recommended. Never touch the hearthpool unless you know what you're doing. Don't eat plants that grow on the banks of a hearthpool, especially if they look "off". It should go without saying that a hearthpool should never be drunk from.
====Root City====
The most famous "subspecies" of undercolony is the root city. Typically, dwellings are carved into the "deadwood" secondary growth of the root, with minimal punctures through the living layers. As such, root dwellings tend to be small and rounded, with additional dwelling space spun from Behemoth amber in the famous tradition of faes. Skylights are often incorporated into root city designs, and the sight of sunlight filtering through the amberglass down to the soft beds of moss and bracken is considered a minor wonder of the Labyrinth.
Chambered root dwellings lend themselves well to preservation and are a favored dwelling of archivists. They handle the grand work of cataloging the flora and fauna of the Flight; their records and seed vaults are a cornerstone of intelligent ecosystem development. Unsurprising, then, that root cities often host nurseries and laboratories; while the lack of sunlight presents a challenge, the nearness of the Behemoth's power makes them suitable extensions of the capitol's grand workshops.
In addition to archives, many root cities boast craftsdrakes, restaurants, inns, and even expedition services, with larger cities like Bright Aleph being functionally autonomous. In general, root cities are both the quietest and most "metropolitan" rootbed settlements.
====Unclaimed Cavern====
Nature dragons tend to lack Earth dragons' skill in tunneling. Thus, the discovery of a natural cavern is particularly exciting, as it represents a "free" expansion on the oft-claustrophobic confines of the rootbed. Cavern colonization is slow but intensely watched. As the air equalizes and founder-lichens break down the surface stone, debates rage in nearby undercolonies. What will it become? A reservoir, a garden, a wild area? Who will plant it? Who gets to maintain it?
The depicted cavern is on a downslope from an archivist root city, and will likely become a public park or reservoir, assuming nothing moves in first.
====Fungal Warren====
Main article: Fungal Warren
One of the major "subspecies" of undercolonies, fungal warrens are inhabited associations of symbiotic fungi charged with rapidly breaking down organic materials. The dragons that live, work, and play among the towering mushrooms may skew a bit "Plagueward" in some respects, but they're hearty and hardworking, and not much stranger than any other rootbed denizen.
Root warrens make plentiful use of leather, bones, and other slow-to-decay items in their constructs and crafts. Many of their structures are a bit patched and tumbledown given their architectural reliance on mushrooms, but as there's no rain and little wind to shelter from, this is largely aesthetic choice; some forego roofs altogether, preferring to sleep looking up at the glowing fungal nodules that creep across the ceiling and walls which, combined with the oft-abundant spores, is comparable to sleeping in a warm, clear-sky snowfall.
It's a common misconception that the fungal warrens are marked by foul odors, but beyond occasional mishaps, the smells of well-rotted manure and compost hold sway. Travelers should take note of the terrain, though, as the dense, interwoven carpets of mycelia lend it a distinctive (and perhaps unpleasant) sponginess.
====Terrace Garden====
Shielded by a living roof and surrounded by the soft mingling of skylights, cultivated bioluminescence, and glowspells, rootbed dragons enjoy a steady-state gardening environ unlike anything available on the surface. "Terrace gardens" are built along root reservoir overflows and, at their most basic, use the stable environ for year-round food production. As the colonies settle in and the terrace is expanded, though, Nature's enduring fascination with growth and abundance tend to take hold. "Mature" terrace gardens are a gentle plunge into the unknown, often literally, stretching off into the soft murk and arcing down along the outflow, eventually disappearing over an artificial horizon.
Terrace gardens are generally the largest communal "cultivated" area in the rootbed, and so serve as a living seedbank, display case, production zone, and park. Surface plants (preferably ones with some shade tolerance, though Nature dragons do have ways of making things work) mingle with glowvines and underbramble in sloping, tangled bowers that add darkness on darkness, cut through by beams from unsanctioned skylights, sun tunnels, and mirrors. It's not uncommon for dragons to parcel off parts of the terrace to form a community garden. The further you are from the reservoir, the larger your patch, and the more dilute the light. Such gardens are ripe for posturing; sure, your neighbor may have developed a new strain of lichen with promising applications in accelerated rock breakdown, but they'll never match your collection of subterranean orchids. Unfortunately, you're still relying on old-fashioned slow-release glowcharms; your neighbor's imported a sungrub colony and their strawberries are looking fantastic.
Other undercolonies take a more team based approach, working together to turn a terrace garden into a zone of maximal production. A few even get into "friendly competitions" with their sprout-keeper. Such groups may keep bee colonies or reconfigure the original terrace digs into a more Gladeveins-style aqueduct network, often replete with fishponds. In general, the terrace gardens join the root reservoir in forming a symbolic "heart" of a rootbed settlement, and are a prime spot for catching up on gossip or just wandering down pathways into a lovingly-tended (and much safer) variant of the rootbed's dark unknown.
Expressing interest in the terrace garden is a great way for newcomers to make friends, so long as they don't mind a several-hour dissertation on subterranean duckweed variants.
====Burrowbough====
A burrowbough (pronounced "burrabow") is an undercolony sculpted from a living Behemoth root and its surrounding earth. Living root dwellings are rare, as micro-contortion and extension of Behemoth roots is riskier for the root than tunneling into and maintaining secondary growth (as in root cities). Their advantage is defense, as druids can seal and reinforce them at all angles. For this reason, a single root dwelling may act as an entry point for a network of earthen ones, the real scale of the burrowbough concealed behind layers of greenery and earth.
Burrowboughs are associated with frontier colonies. They'll often be constructed around a reservoir, acting as a defensive outpost as the area's scouted. Once safe areas are mapped, dragons may trickle off to dwellings that better suit their tastes. Some, though, are perfectly happy in a burrowbough, and may dig windows, knock down walls, plant moss, and otherwise welcome the "outside" in, hastening the decay that tends to take all burrowboughs in time. It's not unusual for a wanderer to come across some long-forgotten settlement, its front face crumbling away to reveal a honeycomb of dens, furniture colonized by generations of subterranean flora. Such explorers should be wary; burrowboughs make excellent monster dens.
The origin of the word "burrowbough" is long forgotten, but is believed to have something to do with the Labyrinth's shifting terrain. Records indicate that the Behemoth's growth formed cliffs that have largely since eroded, but settlements along their faces may have been the first "burrowboughs"--literally burrows that exited onto a branch--which were gradually buried.
====Root Tunnel Maze====
The hollow roots, tunnels, and sunken byways that crisscross the Labyrinth are collectively known as the "root tunnel maze". While dragons upkeep parts of it, the maze is "designed" by the Behemoth, and is constantly expanding and altering along every axis. A traveler may come to a fork that didn't exist before or, following what seemed like a familiar route, exit fifty feet in the air through an uncapped aerial root.
Important routes do seem to see fewer upsets, though whether that's due to the efforts of inconvenienced druids or the grace of the Behemoth remains up for debate. Even dragons that generally avoid the rootbed may descend to travel the arterial routes, as they provide a relatively cool, dry alternative to traveling overland in the rainy season. Naturally, these routes are more settled and developed than the wilder depths; rootbed-themed tourist knicknacks aren't completely unheard of.
Less-important routes see traffic of a different sort. Some dragons with little to lose give themselves up to mama Behemoth, hoping she'll lead them somewhere better. Others become disoriented by the shifting, three-dimensional structure of the maze, ending up lost even a short distance from their destination. Still others flee into the maze for some reason or another, losing their pursuers but getting lost in the process. Starvation and dehydration are rarely immediate dangers. Beasts and failing lightsources are a greater issue, as are things with an eye for desperate, lone travelers. Should a dragon endure all this and find their way back to civilization, they may still not be fully "intact"; plenty of undercolonies have at least one member who stumbled from the dark one day with little sense of who, or what, they're meant to be.
====Go No Further/Flower Language====
There are many reasons to find a native guide when visiting the rootbed, one of the most critical being its denizens' use of "flower language." A strategically-placed planting can indicate all sorts of things; some plants mean "safety this way", others "I met someone I love here" or "be careful, the steps get slippery."
In some places, flower language is used for encryption. Should you find yourself in a settlement of Nature dragons outside their native territory, pay attention to the variety of plants on windowsills! In undercolonies, though, it's used out of necessity. Where carvings are overgrown and signs consumed, Behemoth-meshed plants will regrow. There's no expectation of non-Flight eyes; the assumption is that the meaning is clear to all viewers.
This species is a very old one. It used to mean something like "may we harvest as bountifully as we sowed." Its modern meaning is "go no further."
====Moss Pods====
These sprout up in the lower reaches. Nothing to fear! A good, comfy place to store some things. Just load your crates up and wrap a mossy blanket around them! Isn't that nice? All the druids are doing it. They look like hammocks, don't they? Good, comfy place to store yourself? A nice, mossy blanket to wrap around you? A good, comfy place for a good, long time. Nothing to fear!
====Graftdrake====
When traveling through the rootbed, you may find yourself addressed by a cloud of pollen, or by a tangle of briars and vines, or seemingly from nowhere at all. If so, be polite! Whether the voice speaks in perfect draconic or some wet, splintering variant, it's wisest to assume it's coming from something sapient. There are many "echoes" of the concept of dragonhood, many of which were spoken by, and etched into, the land itself. They're not all ancient, either; sometimes a reverb takes a new shape, or a fleshed dragon alters or is altered. This fluidity isn't uncommon in the deep jungles, but visitors don't tend to go there much. In the rootbed, though, one doesn't have to go far off the path to run into something--or, if they prefer, someone--that embodies the unity between Nature dragons and their homeland.
These entities have their own thoughts and desires, same as any dragon. Politeness and attentiveness are generally welcome; if they're speaking to you, it may just be for small talk, or they may have some goal in mind. If they would like you to accompany them, especially further off a path, exercise caution; same goes if they offer you any food. If you'd like to share a discussion or meal, instead consider inviting them to wherever you're staying, and perhaps pay some small homage to the Gladekeeper or the Behemoth en route.
Graftdrakes specifically are living-root constructs shaped most commonly like a cross between a Spiral and Wildclaw. They claim no special knowledge of the Behemoth and seem to have either short lifespans or poor memories. They tend towards exuberance, sprinting through the rootbed on a quest to satisfy a bottomless, babbling curiosity. They're named for their "sleeping" pattern, in which they flatten themselves against a Behemoth root, only to unwind suddenly and startle passers-by. Graftdrakes are most active around festivals.
====Underjungle====
Also called the "parasite jungle", the underjungle forms a solid chunk of the rootbed's wild space. It's a twisting landscape filled with all the things that take root in the dark. Some are direct parasites of the Behemoth, colorless, even glassy, which live and die by their host's will. Others are sprawling carnivores, naked branches undulating in an approximation of a breeze, luring insects with pools of nectar that smell like warm sun. There's stranger plants too, which feed on ambient magic, chemical energy, or some other source, their forms long divorced from what most dragons think of as "trees" or "flowers". Mushrooms abound, feasting slowly or sprouting in great drifts when a corpse falls from some higher place. The air is thick with weak glow, especially of insects and foxfire, and is noticeably heavy. Underjungles often extend into areas of thermal activity, such as hydrothermal reservoirs; dragons, are advised to watch their step, especially if they notice sulfur or heightened humidity.
One theory holds that underjungles are remnants of the original war between Gladekeeper and Plaguebringer. If so, they'd indicate areas where Nature magic permeated so deeply that communities sprang up in near-closed systems, eventually connecting together as the Behemoth's roots stabilized the Labyrinth. Some of the enduring species bear some resemblance to the trees of the Starwood Strand or the shaggy, mushroom-clotted pines of Shadow; likely convergent evolution, though dragons from these territories still might feel a bit more at home in the underjungle than others.
Despite their looks, the underjungle isn't that dangerous, especially compared to Barrens. While the selection of carnivorous plants is impressive, most are adapted for smaller prey. Similarly, while there are larger predatory species, they tend towards slow metabolisms and are ill-equipped for dragon hunting. Of course, there is the issue of things (experimental plants, fugitives, Barrens monsters) escaping into the underjungle; consider checking in with locals before going for a hike.
Fungal warrens tend to be associated with underjungles which, like sunken gardens, act as reservoirs for decomposable material. Underjungles are more difficult to harvest from though, both due to their unusual ecosystem and their potentially multi-tier nature, with Behemoth roots providing structure for several interconnecting levels of growth.
====Barrens====
These caverns are a blight on the rootbed. Plants refuse to grow in them, animals avoid them, and foul things slink from them without any obvious source. Even lights seem to grow dimmer in proximity, especially magical lights, leaving the Barrens drowned in unnatural darkness.
Thankfully, Barrens are rare. The Behemoth doesn't typically grow into them anyways; instead, they're discovered as offshoots of healthier cavern systems, or are tunneled out of by some horror or another. Unfortunately, a Barren's winding entrails (when mapped) may represent some of the best shortcuts through the rootbed. There's always someone desperate enough to try.
While Barrens were initially suspected to be some sort of Plague plot, the hypothesis has been largely debunked. Still, some researchers pay handsomely for Barrens samples as they study how best to root them out.
====Barrens-Beast====
The creatures produced by Barrens can range from nuisances to full-fledged terrors, but the Barrens-Beasts exceed them all. There's little in common from one to the next beyond the degree of danger presented and the ability to, in some sense, carry the Barrens with them. Some are massive and armored, others sharp, slithering, amorphous, square-edged, or simply nonsensical. The advice given alongside the vague name "Beast" is "You'll know one when you see one"; they're said to emanate a sort of wrongness that can be felt from awhile off. Like the rest of Barrens life, they have no obvious source. Some swear they come more quickly when Barrens are disturbed, others that they target weak undercolonies. Some may lurk in their Barrens for years, others attack from nowhere and with no warning. Some tear themselves to shreds with the fury of their attacks, others require many clans to take down.
Some Barrens have never produced one. There's a long oral history to confirm this; the use of "Beast" seems to come from wildclaw hunts, as does the tradition of naming individual Beasts. The rate of attacks does seem to ebb and flow; if the stories can be trusted, there have been localized spikes in activity that rendered entire settlements extinct, though this hasn't happened as of late. 
Researchers debate most aspects of Beasts, including a more official name for the "species." One of the challenges in developing better defenses is the tendency to attack from unexpected angles. It's not unheard of for a scouting party to come across a huge, freshly-dug hole already pooling darkness. The lack of consistent anatomy doesn't help, nor does the difficulty of scouting Barrens.
It's rare, but not unheard of, for two Barrens-Beasts to exist in the same Barrens at the same time. This requires at least one of the two to lurk awhile as, outside of historical reports, there tends to be at least a year or two between Beasts. History indicates minimum delays on the order of minutes.
====Forbidden Region====
Regions marked with the Go No Further rune should not be entered under any circumstances. The rootbed is full of dangers, and it's simply not possible to prepare for all of them. Barrens, toxic gas, chasms, unstable magic, and rockslide zones are just a small selection. If you see the rune, smother your curiosity and turn back.
The region marked on the map can't be entered by mistake. The warnings can't be missed. There's no excuse and no reason to approach.
Trespasser #1
--s like meat simultaneously charring and rotting, with a wet acridity my brain recognized as "growing things" despite never having smelled something like it.
Trespasser #2
--heard it moving so I hid in one of those moss pods. One of the "safe" ones, I guess? Thing tried to whisper me to sleep, but the adrenaline helped me fight for awhile. But then I felt...no, that's not right. Is it? Sorry, I need a second, I didn't remember that at all...
Potential Trespasser
The site I noticed wasn't even far from the city, and I kept seeing druids and the like head over, so yeah, of course I checked it out. They stopped me pretty quick; prolly only got as far as I did because of the Wind eyes. Guess they're keeping an eye out--eh? eh? Feh, you'd like them. Humorless. Barked at me that it's crop research. Yeah, and I'm 'Singer. Whatever, this place is a maze, no way they've got every entrance sealed. Been getting a feeling from one of the downwards tunnels out by the eastern gardens. Not a good feeling, but that's what makes it an adventure...
Stolen Scrap of Research
--cultivar reacted with out-Flight magic. Truly, the Mother provides [ILLEGIBLE] and all things a purpose. Less targeted than hoped, but we have the researchers and materials to ensure it, and there's always the other projects--
Interview
Of course, always happy to help a Flightmate. The original meaning is as old as the war, you know...ah, here we go. Yes, interesting change, isn't it? It's used as a warning-plant these days, but some of us suspect that the plant came after the rune. A living manifestation of--yes, this one, here. A lesser holy symbol. "The Red Rune of Harvest" is the accepted translation of the name; a modern equivalent in meaning might be "you reap what you sow," though that one does have something of a negative connotation, no? We believe our ancestors once painted it by their gardens in hopes the Mother would notice the hard work they put in and reward them accordingly.
The other names? Didn't take you for a linguist, hah! I wouldn't pay them any mind. Honestly, they all hinge on the "Red". It's obvious to any reasonable observer that it goes with the rest of the Westlabyrinth Pigment-Rune Set, but some insist that since it's in the name itself, it must be important. As if standards don't evolve over time...well, the one with the most traction is likely "The Rune of Red Harvest."
==== Forgotten Glade ====
Main article: Nature Exaltation: Forgotten Glades 
Sometimes, the Labyrinth's needs are beyond our day-to-day understanding, and so dragons must forget themselves to embody the will of the Gladekeeper. This, at least, is the accepted explanation for the Forgotten Glades, vast tracts of wilderness watched over by dragons called away from their previous lives. The glades themselves are common knowledge, and may even be located right next to settlements. Their name comes from the practice of trying to forget and avoid dragons thus called, as they're considered functionally dead. Staying too long in a Forgotten Glade is dangerous on its own (in a certain sense), as it seems to increase the likelihood of being "called" as well. Some dragons seek this intentionally, roving deep into the glades in hopes of drawing the Gladekeeper's eye. Such treks are rarely successful; perhaps She believes such devout dragons serve better as lucid druids, or perhaps the phenomenon of the glades is some other trance entirely. Still, the glades occupy sizeable tracts within the rootbed, and are reasonably safe to travel through for visitors (so long as they're very careful not to damage anything). Labyrinth-dwellers should be less cautious in some senses, more cautious in others, especially if they have someone to come home to.
=== Major Rootbed Settlements and Landmarks ===
This is an incomplete list of settlements and landmarks within the rootbed. You can help by expanding it.
==== Bright Aleph ====
Main article: Bright Aleph
==== Sunken Aleph ====
Main article: Sunken Aleph
Category:Nature
Category:Communal Locations