Nevermire

## Geography and Description

At the heart of the Pinchwater Fen, surrounded on all sides by water-logged land is an island of cedar and pine trees, twisted by wind. The township that has sprung in in the heart of this unwelcoming land exists on raised walkways, their buildings held up by stilts. The air is heavy and damp, every building sporting moss and vines. The weather varies between bright, clear skies that let you see for miles around and thick mist that stops you from seeing your hand at the end of your arm.

## History

Nevermire was originally a copse of trees in an inhospitable land that was found by a group of Vae'Hilé fleeing from deforestation. Uniquely able to adapt to an environment that required raised platforms and homes off the ground, they settled and made the Fen their home. They brought with them their faith in Sehanine, and adapted to the strangeness of the wild place they had come to call home.

Eventually others came - the first was a group of gnomes who were fleeing the destruction of their town by a mysterious force. They became trapped amongst the peat and the Elves in their kindness rushed to their aid. These refugees were given a safe, if damp haven and taught the Elves of Tentronn.

Then came a tribe of orcs who lost their way, following a will-o-the-wisp through thick mist in the hopes of finding a safe place. Once again, the inhabitants of Nevermire came to the rescue. The orcs became valuable community members, and taught the town of Ulfbargr.

Over the following centuries, others have come. Sometimes clans of halfing nomads, some singular travellers through the gloom. All have found a strange welcome so long as they were considered fated to be there. If the leaders of Nevermires strange collection of people felt they did not belong, a traveller may be shunned or turned away.

The Fen was threatened recently by a drought, with its water beginning to dry out. After one particularly dark night, the drought broke suddenly and a storm of unbridled ferocity swept in. The rains continued for seven days straight, until the Maidenwater burst her banks. The storm threatened not only the survival of Pinchwater Fen, but of every settlement along the banks. It stopped suddenly after one particularly dark night, and gave rise to rumours that it had been conjured and defeated by the Nevermire Coven.

## Culture

Nevermire's inhabitants have, over the years, gained aspects of their culture from many others. Furthermore, they have gained aspects of their culture from the closeness they share with the Fen and its other beings. Within the Grasslands, Nevermire is a place spoken of in hushed whispers and often quickly followed by an appeal to a god to keep the person safe. It has a reputation for witchcraft and wicked things, but is also one of the major sources of herbs and medicine for the area, so it is loosely tolerated for now.

The town is led by a coven of witches, who meet in the heart of Nevermire, down where the roots of the trees that support and protect the town meet.

## Ancient History and Archeology

### Original Vae’Hile settlers

The Vae’Hile fleeing deforestation were the *Viajantes,* fleeing from the destruction of what they call the *Ala Antgio*. They were a people who specialized in protective and rejuvenation magics, and most of their history is discovered through pottery and the remnants of irrigation systems, as well as Peat-mummified wood. Early *Viajantes* history is relatively well-recorded through folklore and oral language. So it seems lost, but isn’t to locals. They spoke Hiléan.

* Artifacts: None on public record, ritual stones and some written record, wood foundations and objects in the bog. Peat bodies.
* Locations: Nevermire itself
* Pheobian archeological opinion: Would be worth so much to get history of magical ritual and rule, but unfortunately the current members are standoffish and rude.
* For generating names and places, consider Portugese

### Nevermire Halflings

The Halflings called their traveling band the *Grágan Staonad*, or just *The Gragan* - the wayward. Due to fleeing a disaster, few artifacts were brought, and due to being assimilated into a new society their language, a unique variant of Hinling dropped off pretty quickly. Some still talk it though, and there has been a drive by the locals to regenerate the language. Where the halflings came from is completely lost - to public record.

* Artifacts: Trinkets, pottery and textiles
* Locations: none
* Pheobian archeological opinion: Of middling value, could be used to access the Vae’Hile ritual and magic information, as well as locations of valuable ruins around Pinchwater.
* For generating names and places, consider Irish

### Nevermire Orcs

The Orcs that traveled and became stuck in the bog were ancestrally Daksh people, who seem to have left their own clan due to a disagreement on leadership. There is hope that these orcs have some artifacts or records that would help to recreate the Daksh history on Allhallow, but they are many generations separated. Similarly to the Halflings, PUBLIC RECORD believes these people’s history is mostly gone.

* Artifacts: None on public record, Beads and textiles of the Daksh tribe
* Locations: none
* Pheobian archeological opinion: If this could be used to find more on the Daksh culture that would be great.
* For generating names and places, consider Hindi

### Arkstring's Folly and the Gift of the Seven

Some seven hundred years since, the Winter Peak exploded in the event known as Arkstring's Folly. The witches of Pinchwater Fen felt the first ripples of magic as the event began to transpire. Knowing the cost, the first Nevermire Coven set out to protect their home. Those that are now known as The Seven set out to the edges of the Fen, and stood facing the mountain. They immersed themselves in the great flow of magic, using their own bodies as conduits to shield their home and their people. As boulders and magic rained down upon the Grasslands, the Fen was protected by a glowing bubble of magical energy that could be seen for miles around.

Every witch involved was lost to the overwhelming magical energy, but their bodies were petrified by the act, preserved in stone. They stand ever present as guardians of the Fen. Seven equidistant statues with their arms raised in defiance, facing the mountains around the edge of the Fen. Their names are inscribed on a stone tablet that rests in the gates of Nevermire.

Every year, on the anniversary, the people of Nevermire make a pilgrimage to visit and honour each one. They are led by the current Coven to ensure people's safety.

Their names were:

Aurelia Fayde (Elven)

Celestine Fayde (Elven, head of the coven)

Fleur Cinquefoil (Elven)

Philomene Lavalette (Elven)

Idawyn Callwater (Halfling)

Keeva Dimbuckle (Gnomish)

Imara, Mahila Saaradar Daksh (Orc)

## Notable People

Fortuna Cinquefoil

Myrnabelle and Zolla Fayde

Juniper "Juni" Fayde

Friar Matteo "Matt" la Bellagamba

### Notable Buildings

The Moon Under Water

The Petrichor Emporium

The Meeting Roots