Elfwood

Elves are believed to be genderless, asexual reproducers but in actuality elf "sex" occurs in an instant when two elves of different, but visually indistinguishable sexes come into physical contact. The female elf incubates a seed in its chest cavity that is painlessly removed and planted, the seed grows into a fully formed adult elf which requires no rearing or educating as it retains the memories of both parents at the time of conception.

There are no trees in the Elfwood, instead the coastal plain is dotted with elves which never broke off from the earth due to a curse placed upon their bloodline in ancient times, any attempt to unroot the elves of the elfwood results in their untimely demise. Travelers have little reason to visit the elfwood, there is nothing of value there and the elf-trees are a bitter and argumentative race that loath to share their wisdom with mortals.

## History

In ancient times, Elfwood was the region where linkages between this dimension and the faerie realms were most common, and therefore many of the strongest faerie lords operated out of these lands. Alarmed by the spread of human factions that disliked the fey, such as the Azan Empire and certain factions among the Westerlings, the faerie lords of Elfwood were integral to the creation of the First Elven Empire, and often encouraged their followers to “colonize” regions where human invaders were driving out local faerie lords.

Despite their key role in the First Elven Empire, the Elfwood lands were often not seen as an integral part of the First Elven Empire by its enemies, as Elfwood was prone to frequent civil wars, and furthermore its politics, religion, and economy were poorly understood by humans.

The civil wars gradually sapped the strength of the First Elven Empire. Although some faerie lords were slain, many others simply became disillusioned and retreated into their own alternate dimensions.

The final major civil war took place in the decades leading up to the formation of the Witch-Elven Empire. During this time, several factions fought against one another including an enlightened faction led by the owl-like faerie lord Snowcloud, the fanatical naturalists of Treebeard, and the witch-elves and other unseelie fey of Lord Ebon. The war ultimately ended with Treebeard’s followers battering most of their rivals into submission, and driving out the rest. During these events, several rival communities and armies were transformed into strange tree people known as “The Cursed”, cursed to remain rooted and to bicker and moan until their tree form is finally destroyed.

Since the civil war, Elfwood has been largely forgotten by the rest of the world, but some of its inhabitants still speak of rebuilding the Elven Empire, and seek out dark alliances and darker rituals that may allow them to do this.

## Government

Most of Elfwood’s inhabitants are loyal to one of the faerie lords that remain active in the region. The faerie lords have a complex governance structure based on varying power levels and ancient oaths. Some have compared it to the feudal system, but in truth it is much more complicated.

## Economy

Elfwood doesn’t really have an economy as humans would understand it. Most fey here are hunter-gatherers, while others don’t even require sustenance, as instead they draw energy from the primal forces of the land itself. Despite their seeming primitiveness, many of the fey are also skilled craftsmen, able to use magic to create items of exceptional quality.

## Foreign Relations

The inhabitants of Elfwood tend to live in the past, and their perception of other nations is mostly based on past events. Due to their isolationism, they have little interaction with outsiders regardless of these views however.

### The Lands Behind the Hedge (Hereby, Thereby, Whereby, Windwillow)

Elfwood still maintains some links with these nations, though some contain powerful faerie lords that were driven into exile during the last major Elfwood civil war and remain resentful about it.

### Azan Empire, Zapalovach, and Scimitarian

Elfwood once sent “colonists” to parts of these areas to help slow down the expansion of anti-fey human factions, but eventually stopped due to being distracted by domestic issues. Some humans still resent this, and even a few fey resent Elfwood for giving up on the fight, but most consider it ancient history.

### The Traitors (Manogre Princedoms, Land of Fake Humans, Waldemaria, Land of Windmills)

These areas were once home to many fey and fey aligned humans (and generally still are home to at least a few), but eventually the humans, ogres, and some others in these areas rebelled against the fey and fought many wars against them. The inhabitants of Elfwood still hold old grudges against these regions.

### The Dark Ones (Dominion of the Bog-Witch, Witch-Elven Empire)

Although they may be fellow fey, the inhabitants of these regions have thrown their lot in with dark powers of the worst kind, and even the isolationists of Elfwood will sometimes make efforts to disrupt their plans.

### The Exiles (Sniden, Moonlight Shores States, various factions in nations listed above)

Many faerie lords left the First Elven Empire for various reasons at various points in time and still hold old grudges against those in Elfwood.

## Geography

Elfwood is a strange, ethereal place where the boundaries between the real world and the faerie world are thin. Everything seems more alive and vibrant, even the dark gloomy places were certain unseelie fey make their homes.

The terrain is a mix of forests, meadows, swamps, lakes, and hills. Despite popular belief, not all the trees are sentient, but some definitely are. Some of these sentient trees are ents or other tree-like fey, while others are The Cursed, individuals cursed during the last major civil war.

Some sections of Elfwood take on the characteristics of the controlling faerie lord. Within a single day’s walk it is possible to pass through many such realms; for example one could go from a magnificent moonlit meadow full of massive elk where the temperature is pleasant, the flowers glow silvery-white, and a comforting lullaby seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere, to a hellish swamp of frigid water, suffocating fungus clouds, and the moaning of The Cursed.

## Demographics

### Wood Elves

Also known as primal elves, these tree-like elves were the foot soldiers of Treebeard and other like-minded faerie lords (and many of their opponents as well). Wood elves make up a large portion of The Cursed, as Treebeard and his allies were particularly affronted by wood elves and other plant based fey who opposed them.

### Other Elves

Many other elf-like beings can be found in Elfwood. Some are the offspring of wood elves and a wide range of other species, others were deliberately created by various faerie lords. Due to this diversity, little effort is made to catalogue all the possible subraces, instead vague descriptors are used like “horned elf”, “bearded elf”, “pale elf”, etc.

### Other Fey

All sorts of other fey live here including dryads, animalkin, ents, satyrs, nymphs, gnomes, brownies, pixies, hags, goblins, merfolk, harpies, etc.

### Humans and Hobbits

The inhabitants of Elfwood don’t take kindly to those who follow an agrarian lifestyle, but a few humans and hobbits, generally nomads who ancestors have proved their loyalty countless times, are permitted to live here.

## Religion

Most true fey don’t follow a religion as humans would understand it. They are generally very long lived, and believe in a cycle of reincarnation, so aren’t bothered by the prospect of an afterlife much. Most follow the ethos of a particular faerie lord, but see it more like a political/cultural affiliation than anything, plus in some cases a source of magical and or secular power.

Like certain other cultures, they believe an impartial creator god was responsible for the creation of the world, but believe this individual, the Treesoul, has no interest in being worshipped, nor do they provide it. They see Treesoul as having both a male and female component, not unlike the god Queveron, worshipped in what is now Waldemaria. Treesoul is also seen as having strong ties to the earth, not unlike the Earthmother, worshipped by certain animalkin, hobbits, and humans, Marusia, popular in what is now the Land of the Windmills, or the All-Creator of the Northmen, among others.

They believe Treesoul created the various faerie lords of the north, and the animal spirits of the south, who in turn created various lesser versions of themselves. The first generation of faerie lords and spirit animals were said to be god-like in power, but most have removed themselves from direct contact with the world.

Most gods and demon lords are seen as interlopers from other dimensions, but a few are seen as misinterpretations of the first generation of faerie lords and spirit animals.

Powerful faerie lords with large followings in Elfwood include:

### Treebeard

An ent-like faerie lord with a large following of wood elves, ents, and dryads, etc.

### Bloodthorn

A dark-hearted dryad-like faerie lord tasked with overseeing the torment of certain groves of The Cursed. Served by dryads, fairies, and harpies among others.

### Crimisa, Queen of the Dryads

Still quite popular in Elfwood among dryads and wood elves despite having gone into seclusion.

### Verdant Wolf

A tree-like spirit wolf whose playful demeanor contrasts with his hunger for sentient flesh.

### Autumn Queen

An elf-like faerie lord who has fought on nearly every side of every war. Followed by a faction made up of several different elven subraces, nymphs, satyrs, and fairies, among others.

## Military

It has been a long time since the forces of Elfwood have gathered enmasse, but individually the faerie lords and many of their servants are extremely dangerous, especially on their home turf. Aside from the unnatural speed, endurance, and durability that many possess, many are also nearly undetectable on their favored terrain. In addition, the fey know of many strange magics, rituals, and curses not understood by humans and other frequent foes. Even the Wizards of the Isle of Wizards have largely given up trying to understand the rules of faerie magic, seeing it as closer in nature to divine magic, and only available to those in the favor of a faerie lord.