Elven and Sodalite Forest

Somewhere in hidden in the middle of the Expanse, there is a secluded forest that was once heavily protected by a system of magic wards. These wards were not so crude as to prevent entry, but rather instill a sense of simply not wanting to go there, followed by amnesia. It goes without saying that certain forests are simply not meant to be tampered with. Perhaps there are dangerous animals and plants there. Perhaps the ecology is too complex for the natives to understand, and thus it cannot be farmed. Whatever the reason, anyone who came close to the forest simply walked away from it, or went around.

These wards would sometimes change position allowing re-entry into one part of the forest and preventing access to another part. This prevented suspicions and rumors from arising. Only an extremely powerful mage could sense these wards, and thus only the highest members of the Parliamentary Council of Elders were aware of its existence.

The secret of the forest was the secret of the Expanse. Thousands of years ago, a great and powerful earth dragon named Va'nei Dha'zhi, Earthwarden  roamed the earth. She found many creatures, including sentient ones, had evolved, and that some were more destructive than others. They all had a right to exist of course, but many of them chose a path which would ultimately bring the world into conflict, and perhaps create mass extinctions. This saddened Va'nei, who none-the-less showed them mercy.

However, there was a small group of elves and humans living at what happened to be a nexus of spiritual leylines, similar to Yee Hua Hua. Unlike the others, these humans and elves sought to live in perfect balance with nature. They sought peace, and nothing more. And because of this, they could wield great magics, as the earth itself blessed them.

Va'nei saw this, and revealed herself to the humans and elves. With her great power, she carved out an ideal setting for these people. "Go and live your lives in peace, and if you are ready for the next stage in your development, the earth will bless one of you with unimaginable power." It was thus that the succession of chaos mages was born, powerful entities who would bring balance to the land and ultimately facilitate the growth of the people. "Let them not make war with each other, or fight amongst themselves. Let them not be drawn to the fallacies of gods, but instead seek to understand the light within themselves. Let them achieve perfect harmony with the world."

And so it was that for thousands of years, the Land-Tillers evolved in this land, working hard to achieve their ideal existence, maintaining isolation from the world until they were ready.

As time went on, the humans continued to breed. They eventually overtook the elves, though unintentionally. However, there still remained a secret tribe of elves hiding among them, protecting them. Only they remembered Va'nei. The true elders of the land, these elves secretly watched over the safety of the Expanse, and the progress of the humans.

Despite some mistakes, the elves are quite proud of how the humans have grown, especially now that the civil war is over.

Recently, Va'Nei returned to the Expanse and, after meeting the humans, discovered that they had advanced and grown wise enough to treat the elves as equals rather than deities. And so the Elven forest has been declared open to anyone who wishes to enter.



The elven forest is dominated by massive trees with homes carved out right into the wood. Magic keeps the trees alive even as the elves go about their business inside. Along the sides of the trees and at their bases grow copious amounts of edible and medicinal fungi and moss.

These elves have always been, and still continue to be served by the mysterious Sodalite Clan, an eccentric bunch of humans who often wield great psionic powers. These beings, like the elves, live relatively long lives, seeking personal growth and truth under the guidance of the elves. They are NOT slaves, but serve the elves willingly, and are treated with respect in a sort of mentor/mentee relationship. They often live with the elves or in make-shift dwellings on the ground, assuming they feel they even need dwellings at all. It is not uncommon for the Sodalites to live off the land as nomads, occasionally sleeping in make-shift camps or even on bare dirt. Up until recently, the Sodalites were so rarely spotted that they were considered almost mythical creatures by the general population. The Elves managed to remain even more secluded.