Shael i'Vor

Shael i'Vor is the largest forest on all of Ardrana. Its name means "Forest of Purity" in the Elven tongue. It takes up a large area of west-central Lanad i'Sarois, including the island of Vorilsha. It is bordered on the north by Onyllan, on the south by Idrellan and the Swamp of Undeath, on the west by the Living Ocean, and on the east by the Vorilon River.

History

Legend tells that, after the fall of Pretic, the High Elves of Ardrana roamed the world searching for a new home. Upon crossing the Living Ocean, it was obvious that this forest was meant to be their home. They were welcomed by the wild creatures that dwelt here, particularly by the unicorns. Near their landing place, they built a new temple to Vodyus in the trees, and further inland they built their main city and named it the City of the Trees, the first such city named in honor of Pretic and still the largest of Elven cities.

However, those early times were not without peril. The forest came under attack by orcs, a series of attacks now named the Fire Wars. In a last desperate effort, the orcs unleashed the Red Bull, and the mighty druid Baley was able to save Elf and unicorn alike by calling upon Bassik to let the ocean flow and stop the fires. In doing so, the forest was cleft in twain, leaving much of it on a new island, which was named Vorilsha. Vodyus' temple was destroyed, and in its place a great circular clearing was formed and given the name Baley's Clearing, and is the preeminent temple to Vodyus on Ardrana.

Current status

Today, Shael i'Vor is home to many Elven societies -- high, wood, wild, and even grey. They are overseen, though not ruled, by the Elven Council of Shael i'Vor, which meets in the City of the Trees. However, they more often deal with outsiders than the Elves of the forest themselves. Many other sylvan creatures live here as well -- centaurs, brownies, and the like -- as well as a number of Gnomes and Halflings.

About a year ago, a portion of southeastern Shael i'Vor -- specifically the portion surrounding the nexus of Lassomaranza -- was invaded and conquered by an army led by a Maluur. The Elven people were at first slow to counteract the threat, but have recently sent out a call to their brethren to aid them in eliminating this stain on the purity of the wood. Many Elves have thus left the cities of the Lanad to join the fight.