Sablewood: Overview & Distinctions

SABLEWOOD

A LOCATION FOR DAGGERHEART

OVERVIEW

Themes: Verdant, Serene & Ancient

Tier: 1

Concept: A dense forest known for its bustling economy and hybrid animals.

DISTINCTIONS

The Sablewood is an ancient, expansive forest of trees that reach hundreds of feet into the air. Rumored to be older than the Forgotten Gods, this dense wood is widely known throughout the Mortal Realm, and many who visit are surprised to learn that the stories they believed were exaggerated legends are, in fact, stark truths.

ENDLESS VERDANCE

As far as the eye can see in all directions, and farther still, there is an endless verdancy. The canopy is so thick that, often, travelers cannot tell if it is day or night, and must be careful not to lose their path. Anyone that moves through the treetops could easily make it from one edge of the Sablewood to the other without touching the forest floor. The soil of the Sablewood is notoriously dark and fertile, and though it is a dangerous place, it is the welcome home of a number of communities and creatures.

You might find:

• An entire village taken over by Hunting Trees in the night,

now abandoned.

• The deafening whispers of a thousand leaves rustling in

the wind.

• The scent of sweet honey-like sap leaking from between

the cracks of a sablewood tree.

HYBRID FAUNA

The fauna of the Sablewood are never quite what unseasoned travelers expect. Always a blend of two familiar beasts, or even animals and elements, they operate in unfamiliar ways. These creatures range from docile and friendly to territorial and aggressive. Many are larger than might be expected, by virtue of their profoundly long lives. Some say the animals that live within the Sablewood are the emissaries of the Forgotten Gods.

You might find:

• Tiny cat-squirrels jumping from limb to limb as massive

giraffe-deer move gingerly along the forest floor.

• The hooting-howl of strixwolves calling in the night.

• The whoosh of air passing over you as a lemur-toad

swings by in the darkness.

THE SPIRES

Within the Sablewood there are a number of Spires with attendants that take up the position any time the previous tower tender dies, causing their signal fire to extinguish. To become a Spire Keeper, one must run through the woods, off all known paths, and make it to the unattended Spire to light the signal fire. No one knows the true job of these Keepers, only that someone must always reside in each tower within the forest.

You might find:

• Twisting towers of stone that reach beyond the canopy of

the Sablewood.

• The soft clatter of Spire stones falling from great heights

to rest among the undergrowth.

• The ozone smell of powerful magic.