Duskwood
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Overview
Duskwood is an ancient, sprawling woodland occupying roughly one-quarter of the Duchy of Toreen in western Kalderesh. Regarded as the most primordial forest in the kingdom, vast tracts of its dense interior have never been explored by humans. The terrain varies from towering canopies to the seasonally swampy watershed of the Hawk River.
Druidic Presence
Duskwood is the sacred domain of four distinct Druidic circles: the Circle of Guardians, the Circle of the Ancients, the Circle of the Earthmother, and the Circle of Light. Notable Great Druids presiding over these circles include Iney Starlain, Leal the Younger, Heitor Noongar, and Yevga Tarana. The druids heavily influence local life:
- Circle of the Ancients: Maintains a 6-by-7 kilometre cleared agricultural zone around the town of Themesk.
- Circle of the Earthmother: Guides the lumberworkers of Pilton, selecting specific trees to be felled for sustainable timber export.
- Circle of Light: Maintains amicable relations with the remote village of Oldhedge.
Holy Sites
- Bilberry Grove: The most sacred Qidranian site in Kalderesh, located in the deepest, densest part of the forest, roughly 80 km north-east of Coth-Rom. It is the site of the Qidranian Mystery rites, celebrated around the start of summer, and is guarded by a gavrusha known as the Lady of the Stars.
- Bilbery Monastery of Qidra: Often mistaken for the Grove itself, this large stone complex in the central hills serves as a dedicated scriptorium for preserving Qidranian texts and music in open-air facilities.
Key Settlements
- Themesk: The capital of the Province of Qidra, built astride the Krethes River in a treeless section of the lower valley. It is home to a Qidranian Grand Temple and a heavy military garrison.
- Upper-Whitehall: Located in eastern Duskwood along the Royal Road, featuring the grand White Hall castle and the Great Theatre.
- Lorcastle: A unique village where druids have shaped living trees into houses and applied a specialised form of prinwork that marks the wood without carving it.
- Oldhedge: A remote village near the Duskwood watershed that relies on mushroom cultivation rather than traditional farming.
- Pilton: A south-western logging village that floats harvested timber down the Eelbeck River to the coast.
- Redhall: The final Royal Road waystation for religious pilgrims. Annually, a temporary trail manifests in the local Qidranian chapel's garden, initiating a three-day, druid-guided trek to Bilberry Grove.