Roots of the Coven's Forest

Roots of the Coven's Forest is a book uncovered through use of Study-related Inquiries.

## History

Many individuals have taken a keen interest in the nature of hags in Ahlus, particularly so since the disappearance of the forest of Covengrove on the western side of the continent. Written by the firbolg researcher Ralodan Rulo, an individual rarely seen in academic institutes though striking nonetheless - given his lavender hue - Roots of the Coven's Forest looks into which entities still remain lurking in the shadows, delighting in torment from afar.

## Research

### Completed by Arnica

It was undeniably hoped by many that with the disappearance of the forest of Covengrove that the presence of hags, the collective name given to a varied number of fey creatures unified in their crone-like nature and delight in the corruption of ideals and goals through twisted acts, would then falter and stumble, given that the forest itself had long been considered their ancestral home. If the tales are to be believed, it was from the Covengrove that they first came to emerge onto the soil and stone of Ahlus, spawned by the union of the Greatwyrm Velun and the Wood Weald, the latter of whom has since been discovered to have been a vestigial fragment of the Darkbringer. Through careful study of reports of the great battle of Velenthir Estate, it seems that there is at least some truth in this statement, in that both the Covengrove and its contents were also claimed by the banishment - and so most likely languish somewhere within the Domain of Dread known as the Dirgevale, presumably forever more. It is a mistake however, to presume that all that originated from Covengrove, whether animate or inanimate, organic or inorganic, sentient or senseless, was likewise claimed and dragged onwards by the same magic. No, quite conversely, the magic of the banishment extended only to the borders of the splintered Domain of Dread, and thus anything outside of it - whether on the soil and stone of Ahlus or in Planes of Existence elsewhere avoiding the chains of thorn and root and thus may still stand fast here, rather than being trapped there.

It is considered fortunate by most therefore that the majority of the activity operated by hags was achieved through the forest, and thus is vanquished and eliminated. However, their presence still lingers, for the roots of the coven's forest run deep and far. Through my research, chasing after threads left only in historical reports, or leaning on old contacts far and wide, I have managed to determine four major hag presences throughout the continent, though I deeply suspect that far more remain in various levels of activity. All of the subsequent four are unified in a single sense, they all appear to foster patronage from an extraplanar entity, possibly shirking their affiliation with the Wood Weald in doing so.

#### The Dredgemother

Most commonly affiliated with the Hadean Tide, a collaboration of aquatic races scattered throughout the Cobalt Sea, the Dredgemother is said to be an ancient sea hag that appears occasionally in tales of sailors, though with varied features each time. Some report that she is a beautiful humanoid figure, akin to that of a siren, that lures helmsmen to turn their vessel onto rocks that rise from the water without warning, others describe her as possessing a serpent-like tail, or sometimes instead a cluster of tentacles that propel her through her numerous lairs with grace and speed. Recent reports state that she is aiding the Tide, more specifically the leader of the sahuagin amongst it - the High Priest Duke Vravor - to empower their forces with an entity trapped within the Plane of Water.

#### The Sable Vestal

Out of the fetid bogs and mouldering quags of the isle of Morass has come inspiration, at least for the Black Hag known only as the Sable Vestal. Seemingly inspired by the efforts of the Sable Prince, the Sable Vestal has sought to rebuild their legacy in the lair that they once claimed, empowered by nature of their own dark might and the pact to which they have pledged.

#### The Sisterhood of the Pale Flame

A trio of Night Hags, the Sisterhood of the Pale Flame have maintained a presence elsewhere in the Planes of Existence for centuries, treating with yugoloths and other entities on behalf of their master in the Hells as part of the ongoing Blood War. Recently however, they seemed to have turned their attention to a variety of seemingly unrelated matters across the Ahlusian continent, from sinking merchant ships, to tormenting mountain bandits.

#### Tarnished Soul Coven

Covens are made up of three individuals, but the Tarnished Soul Coven is a coven unlike most others - given that one of their members is not a hag, but rather an accursed priest, have claimed their position after butchering and consuming their predecessor in a fit of rage. The two hags, one seemingly more at home in the burial mounds that line Barrow Beck to the north of their normal operations in northern jaw of the Ironfangs, the other set to watch over their circle in which they meet with druids and cultists aligned with their patron, the God of Malediction.