The Ancient Wood was a nature deity of the Elven Pantheon, regarded by the Chokurri Elves as an aspect of an elder nature deity whose original identity had been lost to time. It presided over a sacred grove in the Elmwood of central Ofica, which the Chokurri Elves considered the heart of their civilization and the center of their devotion. Its divine domains encompassed Nature, Life, and Protection. It was killed in 1526 PE (403 TC) by a curse cast by Tah’Caluss Yorn, acting as an agent of the Raven Queen, following the failure of a negotiation between the two. The New Wood was born from its death and continues its sacred duties.
History
The Ancient Wood’s origins predate Chokurri collective memory. By the time the Chokurri Elves established their culture in the Elmwood, the Ancient Wood was already a fixture of the landscape, and they oriented their religious and political life around its protection. The Chokurri Archdruidess and her circle of druids served as its primary clergy, and the obligation to protect the grove was enshrined in their most fundamental oaths.
At some point in the AW era, the Ancient Wood entered into a sworn brotherhood with Oberon, the Greenlord of the Fourth Fairy Kingdom. Oberon pledged to protect the grove and its people, and the Chokurri Elves maintained the sacred alliance with the Fourth Fairy Kingdom as part of their tenets of faith.
In 1526 PE (403 TC), Tah’Caluss Yorn, Master of the Murkwrought Marauders and an agent of the Raven Queen, arrived at the grove to negotiate for the Ancient Wood’s cooperation with the Raven Queen’s plans. The Ancient Wood refused. Tah’Caluss responded by cursing it, and the deity died in the Hidden Gardens of the Ancient Wood. The New Wood emerged from the same site at the moment of its predecessor’s death, inheriting its divine portfolio, its obligations, and its memories.
Divine Domains
The Ancient Wood’s domains were Nature, Life, and Protection. As a deity whose origins lay in an elder nature deity, it embodied natural cycles, the sanctity of living ecosystems, and the provision of sanctuary to those who respected the balance of the natural world. It served as arbiter of the Chokurri Elves’ relationship with their environment and as the theological foundation for their alliance with the Fourth Fairy Kingdom.
Artifacts
The Staff of the Grove: A powerful artifact crafted from a branch of the Ancient Wood, granting its wielder the ability to commune with nature and command the elements.
The Amulet of the Watcher: Worn by the Chokurri Elves’ spiritual leaders, this amulet depicted the Silent Watcher and was said to bestow the wisdom and foresight of the Ancient Wood upon its wearer.
Holy Books and Codes
The Song of the Leaves: A collection of poems and songs celebrating the Ancient Wood’s beauty and wisdom, and detailing the Chokurri Elves’ responsibilities toward it.
The Lore of the Roots: A compilation of ancient myths and legends tracing the origins of the Ancient Wood and recording the history of the Chokurri Elves.
The Oath of the Greenlord: The sacred oath sworn by Greenlord Oberon to protect the Chokurri Elves and the Ancient Wood, enshrining the alliance between the Fourth Fairy Kingdom and the elves.
Divine Symbols
The Rooted Crown: An emblem depicting the intertwining of the Ancient Wood’s roots and branches, symbolizing the deity’s protective relationship with the natural world.
The Verdant Spiral: A spiral of green leaves representing the eternal cycle of growth and decay.
The Silent Watcher: An owl perched on a branch, symbolizing the wisdom and vigilance of the Ancient Wood.
Relationships
Oberon
Oberon and the Ancient Wood established their sworn brotherhood in the early history of the Elmwood. The circumstances of their first meeting have been elaborated in Chokurri oral tradition into several allegorical accounts, the most common of which describes Oberon encountering the Ancient Wood during a solitary journey from his Fairy Kingdom and spending days in conversation before swearing an oath of mutual protection. The alliance between the Fourth Fairy Kingdom and the Chokurri Elves flowed directly from this bond and was maintained across centuries.