Lindon

The **Forbidden Forest** is also known as the Great Forest, the Forest, Lindon, or Suor Ar Vandor. The forest is usually referred to by the Wood Elves as **Lindon**, which means "*land of song*" in their language. This name refers to the talking, or singing, of the spirits that spirit talkers can hear in landscapes with such abundant biodiversity. The forest is the relatively small remains of a once vast rainforest. The remaining forest is a mixture of tropical rainforest and tropical mountain rainforest centred on the Great Spring and its resulting rivers, which underpin the ecology of the forest, Westmire bogs, and Westmire polders.

## Known History

The forest is the relatively small remains of a once massive complex of continuous forest containing tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, broadleaf, mediterranean, and mountainous coniferous forests. Elves lived throughout these various biomes for vast periods of time, and local populations slowly evolved to live more easily within their specific biomes. However, these Elves remained part of one larger cultural and linguistic area until humans and other post-contact humanoids moved to the Wolds which resulted in massive deforestation and conversion of land to agricultural uses. Lindon, or the Forbidden Forest, is the largest intact network of biomes and is a mixture of tropical rainforest and tropical mountain rainforest centred on the Great Spring and its resulting rivers. These rivers underpin the ecology of the forest, Westmire bogs, and Westmire polders.

Prior to contact with humanoids from other continents.The continent about 800-900 years post-contact.
## Known Noteworthy Creatures

### Elves

The elves of the Lindon rainforest are typically referred to as Wood Elves. They are medium sized fey humanoids with a gracile build. Wood Elves do not see themselves as separate from nature and instead see the forest, both its flora and fauna, as members of their community. Many of the places and trees within the forest are of special spiritual significance to the Wood Elves. And many of the trees are reincarnated Elves or other sentient beings. The Wood Elves typically shape the roots and trunks of trees to form their houses where possible - many of these homes are the reincarnated trees of their families ancestors. So losing their home might be considered by some to be akin to losing a family member of sorts.

## Description

### Food

Fish, small to medium mammals, seeds, fruit

## Life-cycle Information

### Age to maturity

Around 18 years

    The Luftisch are a clan of large humanoid avians who winter in the forbidden forest, the Forgotten Cliffs, and the islands south of the Wolds and to the east of Mirabel. Their breeding grounds lie far to the west. They're society is an egalitarian hunter gather society which largely subsists on fish, birds, and small mammals.

They are able to walk around upright like other humanoids and are able to tuck all of the parts of their wings past the first segment behind their back like a large cape. The first segments of their wings are used in a way that is analogous to the arms and hands of other humanoids.

Historically they have been long-time allies of the wood elves whom they have fought beside in various battles over the centuries. Their numbers have declined in tandem with the forest and they have tried to hide from the post-contact humanoid species since that time. Many of whom do not even know they exist. Fading collective knowledge about them has, in some areas, turned into folk-lore, myth, and fairy-tales told to children.

Culturally, they are known amongst the wood elves as having a penchant for good food and drink.

### Pixies

Pixies are small flying fae people who are mischievous tricksters and are also frequently helpful once adequately entertained. Their societies are formed of clans and they live in villages high up in trees. They subsist on plants, live around three-hundred-years, are 1-3 feet in height, and weigh 1-2 stone.

Historically, there was a significant trade in live pixies in order for post-contact humanoids to grind them into fresh pixie dust. Pixie dust being used for various spells, enchantments, and home remedies for colds and arthritis. Closing the forest off to the outside was partially justified as a means to help protect pixies.

## Description

### Average height

5⅓ inches for females and 5⅔ inches for males

### Intellect

Typical humanoid level but with perfect memory/recall

### Food

Sunlight (50% of calories), plant matter (40%), insects or meat (10%)

## Life-cycle Information

### Predators

Birds, cats, dogs, bears, and other medium or larger carnivores

### Litter Size

1 to 9 babies at a time. 4 is average. Identical twins more common

### Age to maturity

18 months

Sprites are flying Fae people who are 1/12th the height of humans with glowing photosynthetic Dragon-Fly-like wings. Largely their physical features look like that of scaled down Wood Elves. Sprites perceive time 12 times faster than the big folk, and have to intentionally slow the speed of their talking down when speaking to them. They mate for life with both the males and females raising their young.

Sprites are capable of significant regrowth of missing body parts at very quick rates. In a matter of days wings, arms or legs can be back to normal after being completely lost. It is thought this ability evolved as part of a defense mechanism whereby a limb is easily torn-off when a Sprite is being attacked by a predator. This aids their escape as non-body hits are unlikely to allow the predator to pin the Sprite down for further attacks.

They are an important pollinator for several species of flowering plants and trees. Notably, the Sprite Orchid evolved to have large quantities of pollen at the bottom of a large basin formed by petals. This orchid is pollinated by the head hair of the sprite picking up small amounts of pollen in the process of pushing past the stigma in order to get to the stamen and it's pollen. This orchid is known to have significant healing properties, and as yet, has proven impossible to grow outside of the forbidden forest.

Sprite stereotypes include them being inherently good natured, cheerful, and care-free. They are also commonly thought to be extremely protective of their homes, and the forest more generally. While these attributes allude to broad cultural values amongst the Sprites of the Forbidden Forest; individuals differ as much as any other group. Sprites are known for their singing which can frequently be heard during the daytime while walking around in the forest.

#### Ereb

The Erebim are sprites who were bitten by an Ereb but were not successfully killed or eaten. They only come out at night - sunlight causes them pain and will kill them if they're exposed too long. Their skin typically gets greener or redder, their teeth get longer and pointier, the longer they've been infected. Erebi typically survive for two or three years before being laid to rest. Overall, their numbers wax and wane – the wood elves do what they can to keep their numbers in check. Mostly they eat sprites, pixies, and big folk if they can get them (usually children or the sick). Their predators are mostly wood elves, birds, cats, dogs, and other medium or larger carnivores.

### Spirit Bears

Spirit Bears are bears with complex patterns in various bright colours which appear similar to the tattoos wood elves adorn themselves with. They largely seem to have the intellect of other forest creatures, however, there are many wood elf stories and anecdotes of spirit bears helping, saving and protecting wood elves, sprites and treants. They largely eat berries, honey, vegetation, fish, and small mammals. They are capable of a roar which can magically intimidate humanoids.

### Treants

Treants are large trees capable of rapid movement and intelligent thought - when necessary. They typically prefer to stand as any other tree would and enjoy the sunlight and company of woodland creatures. Occasionally a tree is simply born as a Treant. It is not known why. Sometimes, extremely rarely, when wood elves finish their life and are transformed into a tree, that tree might also happen to be a Treant. In the handful of recorded instances of this happening the memories and personality of the individual have been carried over. Some outside scholars of wood elven ways have speculated that this might be why wood elves transform their dead or dying into trees - in order to try and give them a second life. However, wood elves believe in reincarnation regardless and this speculation misses much of that wider context. Treants are only as long-lived as the species of tree they are. Their personalities are varied, but typically they are thought be patient, measured, and protective of little folk.

### Will-o-the-wisp

Will-o-the-wisps are variably sized balls of light which can pass through people and objects. It is a spirit trapped between lives/worlds. The forest, westmire, and spectremoor have become filled with them due to the inability of wood elves to transform many of their dead who died in battle into trees. For the wood elves they are sombre sight. They have a reputation in Westmire for being tricky and leading travellers astray and into more dangerous terrain.

Spirit BearTreantWill-o-the-wisp
### Wyvern

Wyverns are large winged four-legged intelligent carnivores of the Fae Aeglir. At the end of their tail is a stinger which is capable of briefly immobilizing its prey. They are capable of hunting small and medium sized humanoids, but generally choose not to do so. Typically choosing to eat insects, fish, birds, and small mammals. Their principle prey is an animal called a Cablaich, which is elvish for "sweet jumper," which looks something like a cross between an alpaca and kangaroo. Wyverns mate for life and make their nests on sheer slopes with abundant vegetation.

## Known Places

### Belegond

From Beleg-gond, elvish for big stone. It's very large, about the size of a hill and rounded. It's of minor spiritual significance to the wood elves - it's origin is unknown.

### Fae Aeglir

The Fae Aeglir's name derives from the elvish 'Fae' meaning sprit, and Aeglir meaning line of mountain peaks. Two thirds of the Fae Aeglir are still within the forest and are covered with an abundance of flora and fauna including beautiful wind-blown pines which have inspired wood elf art for generations. One third of the Fae Aeglir has been lost, and without abundant natural vegetation, has become significantly drier and barren.

### The Great Spring

The Great Spring is referred to as Valdëa Thranduil in elvish. Valdëa meaning momentous or important and Thranduil meaning vigorous spring. The Great Spring is a mostly circular body of water around 650 feet across (four Olympic swimming pools). It's surface appears completely still and at night the light of bioluminescent mushrooms frequently make it appear purple and blue in the moonlight. It's placid surface however betrays the incredibly fast flow of water which quickly drains into the rapids and serves as the primary source of the large river network in the south-west Wolds. The spring is of great spiritual importance to the wood elves and on it's shores lies their palace and a few other craftspeople - the closest thing the have to a town or city.

### Idhrinn

Is one of, and the only remaining intact, circle of stones built around a circular grove. It is a site of unique importance to the wood elves being the location of coming of age ceremonies, new years day festivals, and turning of season festivals. Outsiders typically refer to it as a "henge."

### Menelost

Menelost, a compound elvish word from menel meaning heavens, firmament, or sky and -ost meaning fortress, stronghold, or city. Located at the top of the highest mountain in the Fae Aeglir, Menelost is the most holy shrine for the wood elves. The building itself is made of a mixture of stone, living trees, and spirit magic. It is also considered the safest place in Lindon. The shrine is currently presided over by Arien.

### Nen Athae

Nen Athae, or healing waters, is waterfall where the river splits in two. The name is derived from the practice of standing in the stream of the waterfall in order to heal life threatening wounds.

The Great SpringThe interior of the shrine at MenelostThe great waterfall of Nen Athae