The Forests of Tel-Syrinn

See also Map:World Map

The Forests of Tel-Syrinn

## Overview

The Forests of Tel-Syrinn hides much beneath the canopy of its ancient trees. The Sylvan Elves fiercely guard the borders to the forest, calling the many treetops their home.

While the areas occupied by the Sylvan Elves are relatively safe, there are pockets of the forest that are anything but. Malevolent spirits haunt the forest floor, spirits that have refused to return to the Mother's side. Within these haunted woods lies the fabled Sylvan Lake. It is said that the water of the lake is so pure it can soothe any pain, even if such pain is suffered by the soul.

## Relations with other forces

### The Ellyrian Elves

The Sylvan Elves hold a deep-seated mistrust of the Ellyrians. In the Mother's darkest hour the Ellyrians left to support another, the Lord of All. Their support of the Euda fractures the unity of the Elves; something the Sylvan have yet to forgive.

### Lutesanians

Together, the Sylvan and the Lutesanians keep the peace in Nevria. However, recent events in history have garnered a wariness from both sides.

### Dwarves

Although allies, the Sylvan have difficulty understanding the ingenuity of the Dwarves, seeking as little interaction with their mountain neighbors as possible.

### Myr

The Sylvan Elves pity their Myr brethren, but little contact has been had with them since the Unraveling. The downfall of their civilization was a tragedy; one that turned their proud cousins bitter and resentful.

### Orcs

Tension have run high between the Sylvan Elves and the Orcs of the Utic Desert for centuries; often resulting in border skirmishes. Queen Velnak's founding of the Seven Hills Federation has mitigated some of this tension, but not enough.

**The Dran'uii (Dark Elves)**

The Sylvan see the Dran'uii as little more than assassins and cultists in service to the dark lord Tamat. They want little to do with their fallen cousins.

## Population

Three major groups populate the Forests of Tel-Syrinn; the Sylvan, the Spirits, and the Fey-folk.

The Sylvan are the proud stewards of the immense and beautiful forest. Hardy hunters, gahterers and nurturers of the wood, they spread wide acros its expanse. Ancient Sylvan histories trace their genealogy all the way to an almost mythic past, when the world was just being born, before Orcs and Humans even set foot on Nevria.

The Forests of Tel-Syrinn are also inhabited by many strange and powerful spirits. Formless, these spirits often appear as glowing spheres of light no bigger than a firefly. But, should they become angered or threatened, they can bind themselves to the very forest itself, becoming fearsome creatures of wood and stone.

Those who wander deep enough into The Forests of Tel-Syrinn may be lucky to spot one of the Fey-folk. They possess a deep knowledge of the forest and its elements. It's said that many an elven mage has sought out the Fey-folk to learn the secrets of their magic.

## Civilization

As denotes their name, the Sylvan Elves have great respect for nature. Many orders of hunters, guards, and rangers patrol Tel-Syrinn, keeping it free of dark magic, and hostile intruders, and in balance with nature. Many Sylvan Elves choose to spend their lives in the forest and view those who leave with suspicion.

Interactions with the outside world have invariably ended in disaster for the Sylvan. The Undead wars took their toll on the forests, and even more recent history has taught them not to trust. A short-lived war between the Elves and the Humans, based solely on persecution, saw the burning of the Forest of Berthelien. Though the blaze was kept to the forest's borders this even lead to the Sylvan becoming ever more protective of their land, and ever less tolerant of outsiders.

The vast majority of Sylvan live amongst the canopy. Their villages linked together through swing bridges and spiraling staircases running up the sides of the tall tree trunks. Lofty bridges twined of vines and stone, run between houses grown into the hollows of grand oaks. Though their capital of Carlion is more traditionally built of immovable stone, they never forget that they live together with the forest and never above it.

## Religion

Sylvan Elves believe that when they die, their spirit rejoins the Mother. Those who refuse for selfish reasons, or because of unfinished business in the mortal life are believed to become the vengeful spirits that haunt the forest floor.

The Sylvan see aspects of their god in the inscrutable activity of each and all of the elements. Sylvan Elves believe the nature spirits, are little pieces of the Mother's soul. Yet they view nature spirits as friends more than deities. Different Sylvan Elven clans are close with different nature spirits of which there are seven types: Fire, Ice, Wind, Earth, Forest, Water, and Aether.

To a Sylvan Elf, these elemental spirits are their ancestors, their friends, their lovers, their heroes.

## Organization

The Rangers of the White Oak guard Tel-Syrinn. They are said to be the silent line of defense between the Nature Spirit and the forces that seek to disrupt it. Quiet and observant, they watch all that happens in the woods, even though few realize it. But should a visitor come with ignobile purpose, then they will soon find themselves dead, shot full of magic arrows, or done in by a noiseless blow from a moonbone dagger.

In Sylvan Elf society, druids have many roles. They can serve as mages, doctors, scholars, and councilors, as well as the officiators of both birth and death.