Blooming Grove

Fan art of The Blooming Grove, by ookaookaooka.

“
"This is a place where we take the dearly departed people who have done well and people who have lived good lives and we put them into earth that has been touched by The Wildmother. In turn, she grants them with beauty and splendor and sometimes tea."
”

–
Caduceus Clay describes the Blooming Grove
[!h]

The **Blooming Grove**, also known as the **Bone Orchard** to the residents of Shadycreek Run, is a graveyard and temple to The Wildmother and the Archeart in the Savalirwood six miles northwest of Shadycreek Run.

## **Description**

A magically warded sanctum that contains the tombs of those that had been touched by The Wildmother, this grove has been watched over for generations by Caduceus Clay's family.

The Grove is surrounded by the cursed blighted woods of the Savalirwood. The old stone temple is surrounded by three consecutive rings of five-foot tall rusted iron-bar fence built to hold back the continually encroaching razor-like grey-purple thorn vines. The fences were placed up over time to block out the corruption but as they failed, more interior fences were raised up.

However, after Caduceus Clay completed his quest to combat the encroachment of the Savalirwood in 836 PD, by 843 the Grove looked healthy again and was getting close to its original borders. There were new works of natural stone art and enchanted waterfalls. Some of the trees had been modified to grow in the shape of a bench with a view of the sunset.

The magic containing this area maintains the vegetation even in winter and changes the winter trees, swamp and bog-like dense vegetation to unique and varied flowers, green oaks, and a humid summer-like air. "It is an unexpected and extreme shift in temperature and weather. There is something unnatural, or at least magical, that maintains this little pocket of untouched paradise. ... [There] are small pools and bits of bog where the soft greens and browns of compost fall into green, thick, algae-covered bits of water."

On the far end, towards the core northern side of the area, is a 20 by 30 feet stone building like an old stone steeple. It stands windowless and open, each open window overgrown with green vines and leaves. The building has an old wooden single four-feet wide door. The front southeast side has a single, once-filled, arched window. The structure has a stone roof and is surrounded by old gravestones. It was around 100-150 feet from the steeple to the most outer ring of fencing.

There are dozens and dozens of stone tablets, about a foot to two feet high, with bits of script across them, that have partially fallen or leaning. Some of those buried there included:

* 100, 200, 400 and 500 year old elven graves.
* A ten year old grave containing the elvish name of Tyriel Casala.
* Generations of members from a textile family known as Costala or Casala. Their graves grew red-purple flowers for tea.
* A follower of Ioun named Ulysses. He wasn't buried by Caduceus.

There are at least three hot springs at the Grove: hot water, cold water, and a big one that's both. One of the springs is the Sacred Spring of the Unknown Champion, the resting place of the head of the champion whose interment was the reason for the creation of the Grove.

## **History**

Add when the Clays left on their original quest.

According to legend as told by Caduceus, the day after the Raven Queen's ascension (during the Age of Arcanum, perhaps a thousand years before 836 PD), three of the Raven Queen's heroes—Clay, Stone, and Dust—were tasked with removing the body of one of the heroes of "the war" from a city. With the eventual guidance of the Raven Queen, they split the body into parts and took the parts to various locations, and built temples that their families protected through the ages; the Clay family tended the Blooming Grove. The Blooming Grove is reputed to have been built just post-Calamity.

Caduceus lived with his family at the sanctuary-like graveyard of the Blooming Grove. Long independent of the clans and factions of Shadycreek Run, and long isolated from all other sources of "civilization," the area has an air of magic and superstition about it. This magic, obviously a type in tune with nature, has helped the area to be home to small frogs and other small critters. The Grove actually predates Shadycreek Run, and is being slowly overrun by the forest, which breached the third fence recently. Over time, the magic preserving it has given way and has fallen back to the power of the forest's corruption.

After her mate and her son were rescued from the Sour Nest, Nila offered to look after the Blooming Grove, in exchange for Caduceus agreeing to continue helping and traveling with the Mighty Nein. It is assumed that Nila and her family lived in or near the Blooming Grove thereafter, watching over the graves and the spreading corruption, until the Clay family returned to the Grove, escorted by Reani.

Thanks to the crystals crafted in temples of Melora and entrusted to Calliope by Caduceus, the corruption that had been affecting the Clay home stopped, and the process of recovery started. The Mighty Nein made visits to the Grove before and after their mission in Eiselcross, and during the latter, they were tracked and attacked by Trent Ikithon, Astrid Becke, and Eadwulf Grieve; the temple was set on fire, but eventually the Mighty Nein were able to neutralize the enemies and put out the flames. Although reparations were made (even involving Astrid and Wulf, who regretted their actions), Caduceus decided to start a year-long process around 837 PD, casting *Temple of the Gods* daily so that the place would return to all its splendor permanently.

In 843 PD, by the beginning of the apogee solstice, the Blooming Grove was almost back to its original borders, and the Clays lived there comfortably, so Caduceus had some more freedom to leave (even though in the following years he would spend most of his time there, unless an adventure with the Nein or with one of his sisters required his presence).

## **References**

1. ↑ *The Chronicles of Exandria - The Mighty Nein*, p. 152.
2. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 1:01:27.
3. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 0:26:17.
4. ↑ See "*Talks Machina* #143: 'Family Shatters'" (TMx143) at 0:53:10.
5. ↑ See "Converging Fury" (2x27) at 2:48:34.
6. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 1:01:53.
7. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) from 0:36:19 through 0:37:46.
8. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) from 0:39:51 through 0:42:34.
9. ↑ See "The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice" (Sx79) at 0:38:12.
10. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) from 0:40:30 through 0:42:38.
11. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) from 0:42:03 through 0:42:38.
12. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 0:41:26.
13. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) from 0:50:55 through 0:51:37.
14. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 0:51:35.
15. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 0:57:36.
16. ↑ See "The Calm Before the Storm" (2x130) at 3:31:22.
17. ↑ See "Sarsaparilla, Licorice, and Red Hot" (2x127) at 0:17:15.
18. ↑ See "Fond Farewells" (2x141) at 40:59.
19. ↑ In 836 PD, Eremis Stone said this happened "a millennia [sic] ago."  See "Family Shatters" (2x96) at 2:35:29.
20. ↑ See "Causatum" (2x70) at 3:31:06.
21. ↑ *The Chronicles of Exandria - The Mighty Nein*, p. 152.
22. ↑ See "Within the Nest" (2x28) at 1:05:01.
23. ↑ See "Fond Farewells" (2x141).
24. ↑ See "The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1" (Sx73).
25. ↑ See "The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice" (Sx79).
26. ↑ See "Fond Farewells" (2x141).

**Art:**

1. ↑ Fan art of The Blooming Grove, by ookaookaooka (source). Used with permission.
2. ↑ Fan art of the Blooming Grove, by Ulfvae (source). Used with permission.
3. ↑ Fan art of Grave of Tyriel Casala, by Heather Hood (source). Used with permission.
4. ↑ Fan art of the Blooming Grove, by Emi (@emisartcr) (source). Used with permission.