The Veil

[Anne]

he Veil

The Ice chill of Everwinter descended upon the snowy peaks between Blackbarch and Restwood Forests, while the Tawnleaf and Fernsong Woods had still been mired in the confusion of Autumn. The Enchanted Forest of Silrosia, as these great trees had been collectively known, had once guarded the gates to a shining and magical elven kingdom, but it had been centuries since its power had been felt. At first, the birds - princes of the skies - lingered too long; making their southward migration for the winter was a customary event, the bluejays and brightwings leading the way. Yet, as with the squirrels and chipmunks, rabbits and many other critters of the forest, none of them left and all of them nestled and burrowed growing sedentary, almost as if fiercely protective of their wooded enclave. A feeling not of malaise, but of disappointment and distrust beset upon the eyes of these woodland creatures as travelers in those final days leading up to the frozen season would later report. The stirring began late at night, just as the frost of winter began to sing across the air, tiny icicles felt hovering in every whisper, coercing the cold into conquest and harassing the heat into hiding. The twin moons of Telath set their azure glow upon the sea of emerald that was the darkened twilight forest, and the shimmering shine of the pine cresting alongside the reliance of the oak began to grow hazy. Initially thin, a thickening white plume hovered down from the skies, clinging to the trees and embracing the woods as it reached the cold, damp, and slowly freezing ground. "The Old Mists," some ancient elves recognized them, while others would have spoken in hushed whispers of anxiety and excitement referring to them as "Foglords", but whatever solace sentient beings found in excusing this phenomenon, the Veil had returned. The Veil extended its reach, enclosing the woods under its reign and subjugating all who would enter the Forests to its blanket of thick mists and confusing winds. Later that night, from the mists emerged tiny glowing lights, baubles of energy in bright yellow, blue, pink, and other innumerable colors. They swayed in the breezeless stillness of the air, dancing and letting out a soft crystalline hum. The Will-o'-Wisps sang their eerie melody, haunting those who would hear it, unleashing whispers of confusion and providing comfort to those lost, and taunting torment to those trying to find their way. Before the sun rose on that day, the Veil had been dropped over the Enchanted Forest and restored its rightful place as the sovereign of the woods. Druids of the Forest were the first to call this a "loss of union"; a "detuned detachment" between Forest and Person, sensing that greed, temporal desire, the pursuit of power and wealth had all led to unnatural toxins in this, the furthest reaches of the Empire. Travelers entering the Forests surrounding Silrosia found themselves quickly lost in a labyrinthine maze, whose mysteries and magic would be revealed to those who would earn the respect of the wood. And those who sought the shining wooded city of the elves knew instinctively that at first they would not find their way, for to reach the Heart of the Wood, they would have to become One with the Forest. OOC Silrosia is now only selectively accessible to certain player characters, through role playing. Player characters who were visiting Silrosia, as well as any Silrosia resident Player Characters, will find themselves initially unable to return to the city normally, and must first attempt to pierce the Veil by role playing in the Forests. Written by Kaelon

[Kaelon]

OOC - And for those of you who enjoy ambient music: