At the core and essence of the forest lies the hidden Forest Hall. An ordinary forest is its most obvious manifestation; the woods themselves are already the Fragrance and the Antechamber of this Hall. What lies within an ordinary forest only as hidden potential becomes fulfillment within the Hall. Unlike the Lunar Hall, it does not undergo a periodic transformation of power, but its might varies depending on who enters it, for the Hall tends to reflect the inner state of the traveler. He who carries demons within will encounter danger; he who has peace in his soul will find rest and beauty. Although it does not wax or wane, it nonetheless transforms—so significantly that one may speak of four distinct Halls: the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Halls.
The Fragrance – The fragrance of the Forest Hall is the scent of the woods. He who remains fascinated by colors and shapes, he to whom the scent of honey and decaying leaves brings nostalgia, has felt the Fragrance of the Hall.
The Antechamber – The Antechamber, though it does not change the face of the forest, changes its nature. The traveler suddenly discovers that the stones he now sees must have been seen before, that the trunks upon which he sits were once beheld, perhaps in a dream. He moves within the world of his own memory, for the nature of his surroundings is already so soft and delicate that it accepts his projections. Nothing forces a man to perceive a particular stone as new. In the Antechamber, there are also unpleasant snares: unseen bogs, poisoned springs, delirious vapors, and narcotic fruits.
The Threshold – Upon the Threshold, the traveler senses danger, for the surroundings no longer respect his memory. It no longer assigns forest phenomena to forest things, but any phenomena to anything. In the bark of trees, he sees faces; in stones, cowering goblins; in the wind, voices; and in friends, dead relatives. With this comes the realization of the relativity of our view of reality and the doubt of whether the forest is, at this very moment, showing the true reality—and with that comes dread. The Threshold itself is a rocky belt through which a cave leads. Beyond this cave lies the Hall itself, and whoever does not pass through it shall not reach it. It is called the Wizard’s Chamber, for in its depths, an ancient mage is said to sleep in a crystal coffin, dreaming an eternal dream from which he cannot wake. His mind is so powerful that it creates visions more real than simple reality, and it is to these that the traveler is exposed. Only a true hero passes through this cave with honor and remains alive.
The deeper levels of the Hall beyond the Threshold have not yet been explored, and perhaps only the Druvids can speak in hints of the true secrets hidden within the Forest.
Runes – Forest runes are called Radixes. Unlike the runes of other lineages, they are alive and grow from a seed to the fullness of their maturity. Their users must care for the forest runes and water them. A nurtured rune grows in strength and beauty, and it is said that one day, it shall bloom…
