Keepers of Lore/Regions/Rettlewood

Spirits of the Marwood

Found by Vairaj K'tan in a collection of peasant hearsay in a library in Rettleville.

The Story

In the forests of Rettlewood, just as one leaves the environs of Rettleville, but before they enter any of the outside regions, the villages hidden throughout the tree become fewer, and travelling grows harder. The mist frequently seen in the jungle of the Marwood is thick, only penetrated by the trees and bright flashes of colour as tropical birds fly past. Occasionally the calls of animals will ring out through the trees, whether birds, frogs, or some other strange creature.

Of course, the strangest creatures are those which are not quite alive or dead. If you were able to locate a nearby village, and you were trusted by the members of the village, you might see something which appears as a colourful mist, wandering throughout the homes of the Marwood tribes. Perhaps you would see a strange thing appearing to be made of life, presiding over the village from the treetops high above. Or, if you were truly lucky, you might witness the dark shadow-birds which fly slowly through a village, causing every villager nearby to put his fist to his heart in respect.

These arcane creatures, perhaps best called spirits, are regular part of life in the Marwood. They are not seen ever day, but no tribesman is shocked by their presence, he merely pays his respects, perhaps converses with the creature in some way, and they go about their business. They are not divine beings to be worshipped, simply mystical beings which share the life of the forest. Many-coloured, many-shaped, and many, the spirits of the Marwood play their own role in their home’s way of life.