Swaying Meadows

The **Swaying Meadows** extend as a strip of green along the border of the Witch's Marsh. It is an idyllic place with many rivers and singing weeping willows also known as lullaby trees. He who falls asleep under such a tree is said to have the most vivid dreams and visions. These lullabies are also said to have a soporific effect and make hikers want to lie down on the soft meadow to rest. The Swaying Meadows are also home to the peaceful Sixhorn Sheep, whose wool can be made into the continent's softest yarn and is excellent for stuffing bedspreads with.

## History

The Swaying Meadows have always been a crossroads of a hundred cultures and races in this corner of the world. For as long as anyone can remember, the meadows have been there, with their weeping and swinging willows, wild sheep, will-o-wisps and more. Northern human legends tell of a human sorceress who planted these trees at the dawn of time, in an attempt to ward off the Bog Witch and the spread of the her swamp.

Strangely enough, the soporific effect of the singing willows does seem to weaken the wicked bog witches and their minions, not having found a way to neutralize it. Despite that, many battles have been fought in these meadows throughout history, from the very south to the very north. Battles against the Bog Witch and her minions against humans from both Azan and Waldemaria have stained the Swaying Meadows with blood.

Nowadays, one can spot Witchelven armies marching in the southern border of the meadows, making their way to the Warmog forest, where they're planning an assault on the refugee city of Aelar'Ra.

The soporific effect of the singing willows makes it easier for armies to get caught off guard and lower their defenses. This explains why so many forts have been built at the borders of the Evergreen Pastures, Kalydon and Daligard. Archers stationed from these structures would guard them day and night, trying to eliminate any Witchelven spy or Bog Witch minion skulking about the meadows, with the dizzying and drowsing effect of the willows making them unsuspecting towards any potential threats.

## Government

Parts of the Swaying Meadows are under neighboring states, such as Daligrad, Kalydon, the Witchelven Empire, and the Bayukmen Marsh Kingdom. Despite that, only guard posts and bastions can be seen there, with permaments settlements being difficult to maintain due to the soporific effect of the willows and the close proximity to the dreaded Bog.

## Geography

For the most part, the Swaying Meadows are flat. The areas close to the Bog are more likely to resemble marshlands, with those closer to the Fairy Woods being more densely forested.

## Flora and Fauna

The Swaying Meadows are home to a plethora of creatures, animals and plants alike. A couple of ogre tribes can be seen wandering about the meadows and the other neighboring areas, strolling about and napping under the willows. The southern portion of the strip is where one can encoutner will-o-wisps, mischievous creatures that resemble a floating, dim ball of light, and it's said that the ones in the meadows will try to lure any unsuspecting wanderer to the Bog Witch's domain.

The eastern part is home to Gibberlings, small nocturnal humanoid creatures that are known of terrorizing the races that live west of the Great Hedge. Even though they are more likely to be encountered in the Evergreen Pastures (where there is an abundance of resources), they can be seen at times in the swaying meadows, feeding with mushrooms that sprout from the ground and sleeping peacefully under the singing willows. Some even make their way eastwards, where they can be found to be under the command of the Bog Witch's daughter, Mutäa.

The sixhorn sheep can be mostly found in the western part of the meadows, bordering the evergreen pastures. These ungulates are a cousin species to the sheep found in the pastures, and is said that the humans there originally domesticate the sixhorn sheep in the swaying meadows, before eventually settling in the pastures themselves.

### The Willows

The Swaying Meadows' most well known trait are their willows, which dominate much of the landscape. There are two species of willow present in the meadows, who even though look almost identical, function very differently. The Swaying Willow is the less common of the two, said to have a mind of its own, as it's able to move its branches at will. If anyone disturbs one such tree at any point (from a human to a lone bird), the swaying willow will flail its large branches around, often ending with that individual earning some serious injuries.

The Singing Willow, also known as the lullaby trees, are the most common of the two. They take their name from the sound their leaves make when rustling during breezy nights, making it seem as if they're whispering melodically. Their pollen, when released, is known to cause drowsiness to anyone who inhales it, putting them in a state of mild narcolepsy. It is is that people who sleep under the lullaby trees will have the most vivid dreams and visions.

The lullaby tree's pollen is sometimes harvested by people from Daligrad and especially the Evergreen Pastures, who either use it themselves, or sell it to alchemists who in turn make powerful soporific potions.