THE ILDARWOOD

For nearly 10,000 years, Ildarwood forests have hosted ritual trials in every corner of the world. Filled with endless varieties of greenwood and Ildarwood trees, they are rumored to grow wherever the  physical and spirit worlds most closely intersect.

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These forests are nearly always circular in shape and can grow to over one hundred miles in width. They typically consist of three or more rings extending out from a central core, with the outermost ring often being the safest for young Ildarbound to explore. In most recorded instances, each successive ring approaching the center becomes increasingly perilous -- so much so that few have ever reached the central core and returned to tell the tale.

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Owing to their nature as gateways between worlds, Ildarwood forests contain immeasurable amounts of each spectral element -- typically in relatively even proportions. Forests with excessive levels of any one element in one or more areas can succumb to various forms of Blight -- a spectral disease that can kill Ildarwood trees and corrupt living souls.

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Ildarwood forests are typically diverse ecosystems, housing thousands of species of insects, plants, animals, and spectral creatures -- many of which have adapted to life inside the ancient forests.

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Chapter illustration from "Fall of the Forsaken."
"Connections Through the Ildarwood." By David Perez.