Grove

**The Grove** is an ethereal, primordial, vast, ever-changing world of spirits and untamed nature that exists beyond the material plane's boundaries. As the Grove is the plane of life, the Great Beneath is its mirrored image, representing death.

It appears to those who travel within it to be how Ituna would have been if intelligent beings had not altered its surface. A world with no civilizations, just nature. It represents the purest version of life on Ituna, with life blooming and nature thriving in the absence of outside interference.

The Grove exists as the purest manifestation of the cosmic force Life.

## **Nature of the Grove**

The Grove is a vast and ever-changing realm of spirits and nature magic that defies mortal perceptions of reality. In this intangible realm, time and distance have no meaning, and a day on the material plane feels like decades in the Grove. Scholars and mages are both baffled by this. They've tried to connect it to the nature of arcane magic, but to no avail. Some have suggested that because arcane is a part of nature, the connection may be plausible. More research is required to fully comprehend this realm of life.

Unlike the material plane, the Grove is primarily spiritual rather than physical. Everyone who enters it has a minor impact on it, but only for a short time: the Grove's underlying structure inevitably reasserts itself. Nothing seems to be able to change this complex yet magical realm of life. Some have attempted to control the Grove in the past, but have had to accept failure because one simply cannot control the Grove; rather, it is more accurate to say that the Grove controls all life that enters it. Nature is a force that cannot be tamed. It is only possible to try to balance it. Druids frequently rely on the Grove as their unwavering guide. They govern the ebb and flow of nature as well as the world's evolutionary path.

### **Self-perception within the Grove**

Because of their ties to the Grove, Druids are frequent visitors. In reality, most creatures, no matter how large or small, will pass through the Grove at least once in their lifetime, in their sleep. When an individual's spirit visits the Grove, leaving the body behind, that individual will manifest in their spirit form, which looks and behaves similarly to that individual's physical body. As a result, despite the Grove's primarily spiritual character, most creatures behave normally in the Grove.

Many testimonies recalled their experiences in the Grove, describing a tingling sensation and a calm state of mind while there. Some rules, however, do not apply to druids of sufficient skill or experience who have been trained to see beyond the physical realm. In the Grove, these druids are capable of unusual movements, such as lightning-fast running or the ability to fly. It is uncommon to see such extraordinary abilities in non-druids, but it is not impossible. Experienced druids who are masters of shapeshifting manifested as their spirit animals in the Grove, which is an unsurprising but still fascinating fact. There isn't enough evidence to back this up, but some shamans claim they can visit the Grove whenever they want, just like Druids.

### **Aspects of the Grove**

Ituna and the Grove appear to be near-identical—the Grove is Ituna as seen through a magical lens, untouched by mortal hands. In both worlds, the mountains are in the same places, but where civilizations stand in Ituna, a lush field devoid of artifice grows in this mystical realm. This raises a question to which there is no answer. Why does the Grove project itself as Ituna when it is the embodiment of life? Are there other worlds in the universe that are linked to the Grove? So many questions, so few answers. Only times will tell.

All of the Grove's visitors can have a minor and temporary impact on it. No living creature, however, has ever been able to permanently alter the Grove. The Grove has its own ecology and a diverse population of sentient and non-sentient inhabitants. Inside the Grove, time has no meaning. As a result, many druids who spend most of their time in the Grove live extremely long lives. Their physical features, such as hair and nails, may grow out in the material plane, but they do not age fascinatingly enough. All of the Grove's permanent residents are effectively immortal as well.

The spirits of departed animals on Ituna travel to the Grove as their afterlife. Cernos, the Ancient White Stag, and many other ancient beings are said to return here after death. It is said that they will regain their power here and one day manifest in the material plane. Though it is unknown whether druids or anyone else can travel there when they leave the world.

## **Access**

Although the druids enter the Grove through their connection with nature, more conventional magic can be used to gain access, but the plane's natives do not look kindly on intruders.

Some creatures can't help but dream of the Grove and end up there without any conscious effort; these dreaming creatures arrive in the Grove and frequently have prophetic and helpful visions. Other creatures, such as druids, purposefully use means and rituals to gain access to the Grove.

## **Threats**

Despite its beauty, the Grove is not without danger. Those who visit in their dreams are welcomed and embraced by the natural balance, but those who bring their physical selves are met with suspicion and hostility.

A darker force has also made its way into the Grove. The ever-hungry Void has arrived at the Grove. The Nightmarish force moves slowly through the Grove, picking its prey and leaving corruption in its wake. Though a vigilant and iron will can repel and cleanse this threat, not everyone possesses this ability.

## **Inhabitants**

Being the realm of life. Animals of all kinds from around the world, including some that are extinct on Ituna and subspecies that never had the chance to evolve, can be found in the Grove. They are, however, not the only things available here. Individuals frequently visited the Grove in their dreams.

The Dryads are among the Grove's most well-known inhabitants, and because of their connection with nature, they are able to visit the Grove more frequently than others.