by Rajaad

To the Cities and Provinces Treatises

Directly west of the isle of Gwynned lies Serenity Isle, said to be one of the wilderness homes of the Archmage Cowan Faol. As the stories go, he discovered the isle while preparing Gwynned for settlers, and named it after one of the most influential women in his life.

The isle itself, however, doesn’t live up to its name. Indeed, reports suggest that Serenity Isle might be one of Carador’s most faerie-dense locales-- not the sort of place to find idyllic peace and tranquility (unless you're after a different and more adventurous type of serenity).

Based on what I could piece together from various explorers’ and adventures’ journals, I’ll give the layout of the island with an emphasis on the faerie-kin dwelling there.

These huge oaks, with little underbrush, are visible from the sea. Fae sightings are extremely common here – sailors aboard passing vessels claim to have sighted unicorns, nymphs, tyver, and even merfolk along the rocky shore. Overall the grove seems a peaceful place, and somewhere near the eastern edge is said to grow a huge, twisted oak, sacred to the faeries, where many faerie-kin come during special nights for dancing and feasts.

Numerous explorers allege that somewhere to the south of the Oak Grove, quite near the edge of the Neverending Wood, is the summer home of a race of fae who are quite human-like in their mannerisms. Though elves are very rare, and many sages dispute their existence, this seems to be the real thing – small in stature, with large eyes and long, pointed ears, these would probably be classified as wood-elves. They live much like primitive humans, dressing in leathers and hunting for their food. They speak Old Tongue, but utilize the more advanced form of that language, and apparently they are familiar with other languages as well, for at least two reports verify that some of the elves are capable of speaking Maelmuirian and Caradorian. The village is spectacular, and is largely built high up in treetops.

In the winter the elves move to the southern half of the isle, where they dwell in thickly insulated mound-homes.

Although the elves have not reacted poorly to visitors, they have refused to establish trade or to send a member as an emissary to human civilization. So for now, at least, the existence of these elves will remain unproven.

Many adventurers have entered this wood, and few have returned. From what we know of the nature of the place, they’re probably wandering still.

This forest, which ranges from thick and twisted to open and bright, distorts distance and space. People have traveled in a straight line for passages, though the forest is barely two leagues across. It is said to be home to a forgotten faerie race, who once, when Gwynned was first settled ages ago, stole children from the mainland and took them back to Serenity Isle upon their long, strangely shaped boats.

Now, most of the power seems to be stolen from these creatures, so that they cannot find their way from the Neverending Wood. Encounters describe oddly beautiful human-like creatures that speak a strange tongue.

Will-o-the-wisps are often sighted, as well, and everything in the Neverending Wood is surrounded by a surreal atmosphere. Sages suggest that it is a place of high glamour, where the border between Carador and the Fae Realm is extremely thin.

Some unique and unexplained phenomenon occurred here, and left hundreds of trees turned to stone. Upon approach, the trees appear simply leafless and dead, but upon closer inspection it is clear that they have all been petrified by some unknown force. Little seems to live here, though the place does possess a stark beauty.

Those who have seen this valley suggest that everyone should see it, at least once in their life. Basically a long, deep pit, it is filled with layers of rocks that spread out in natural terraces. Throughout this terracing are caves and strange rock formations, presumably sculpted by wind and water. A few scattered reports tell of sightings of humans of some kind – often with skin that appears stone-like. No direct encounters have been spoken of, but it is certainly possible that earth elementals of some kind inhabit the valley.

This is the reason that so many explorers have made their way down to the isle. Somewhere along the beach area on the eastern edge of the island is a thick, hollowed tree – one of the wilderness homes of the legendary mage Cowan Faol. Though the tree is reputedly easy to find, with a cozy interior den complete with furs and shelves, the Archmage himself has proven elusive. Still, many seek adventure there hoping for a chance to meet the famous man. The woods and rivers nearby are home to many varieties of nymphs (thus a likely spot for the mage to make his abode), including ‘ice nymphs’, a previously unheard of variety encountered by numerous winter visitors. They are rumored to be quite dangerous. River nymphs and dryads have also been reported, as well as pixies, tyver, trolls, and sprites.

The sea always seems to be rough along this portion of the isle, probably due to the rocky shoals that reach out into the waters. Ragged cliffs are riddled with caves, many of which are at or below the low tide mark. Black-skinned merfolk of vicious appearance make their home among these waters, and should be avoided by all. Although we know almost nothing of these creatures, legends hold that they view humans as prey, and will even crawl up onto the decks of ships at night in attempts to lure humans beneath the waves. Ships should stay well clear in any case, since the rocks lurking just beneath the waters will tear a hull to shreds.

Surrounding the hills of the Ravine, these open lands and sparse woods are home to the Kavari, a race of slight-bodied centaurs. Although sages dispute the existence of such creatures, there is little doubt that the Kavari are real – there are over thirty separate documented sightings within the last year alone. Tribal peoples with a nomadic lifestyle, the Kavari have thus far refused human contact, and are best sighted with a good lens from one of the hills on the center of the isle.

There are probably hundreds of Kavari on the isle, and a few hours of observation will surely reward the onlooker.

Curiously, the Kavari get their name from a legendary race of centaurs that were oft reported when settlers first came to the larger island of the Old World. More oddly still, the Northerners, who were the original natives of the Old World, did not have the Kavari in their legends. The name ‘Kavari’ was borrowed from reports emerging from the newly discovered isle of Shavay, where ‘horsemen’ were seen riding on the plains. The first settlers on the Old World saw their own ‘horsemen’ in the woods and called them ‘Kavari’. Why the creatures disappeared from the larger island, and why the Northerners seemed to be unaware of such creatures, remains a mystery. Perhaps the answer lies upon Serenity Isle.

This huge, deep ravine is home to numerous animals, including an agile breed of grey mountain goat seen nowhere else. Harpies, another rare type of fae, have often been encountered in this area, and also along the northern hills, so those attempting to spy upon the Kavari should beware. Although quite beautiful to behold, the harpies are known to be cruel, and have utilized nets, poisons, and traps to capture human prey.

The ravine is breathtaking, and offers much for adventurers, including cliff-climbing and caving. Still, the presence of the harpies makes adventures here too dangerous for all but the most potent of explorers.

Here is a place where there are definitely mermaids. Nearly every ship that passes the cove can see them through their lenses, but close approaches scatter the merfolk into the waves. Still, some hardy adventurers have made an overland approach and spied from the tops of the cliffs surrounding the cove – these brave few have been blessed with a rare and magical sight. Counts suggest that a community of more than forty merfolk reside in the coves, likely living in underwater caves.

This ancient circle of standing stones is a place of great power. But it is also well guarded, for sirens live in shallow caves below the circle, at the water’s edge. Approach by sea has created a litter of broken and sunken ships all along the southern peninsula and islands, while approach by land is no safer, since the sirens’ singing has caused men to throw themselves from the cliffs down into the churning waters. Only women can approach safely, and this has led to some interesting speculation.

The hills near the standing stones are marked, here and there, by ruins – foundations, mostly, but a few artifacts have been found that suggest the presence, in times of yore, of a society comprised entirely of females. At least one sage theorizes that Serenity Isle was once a great civilization, and that the southern tip served as the home for priestesses who used the power afforded by the standing stones to hold sway over the rest of the people of the isle. Guarded by the immortal sirens, the source of power was protected from men, and the priestesshood would have been nearly indisputable in its strength. Scattered ruins found over the rest of the isle make this theory a possibility.

As you can see, a journey to Serenity Isle would not only be extremely adventurous, it would probably be extremely dangerous. Numerous unknown faerie races are believed to exist on the isle, and of those that are known, many of them are hazardous to humans. So if you’re planning a holiday, don’t make Serenity Isle your destination unless you’re looking for a high dose of excitement. Competent Adventurers Only!

To the top

To the Cities and Provinces

To the Treatises Main Page

To the Treatise List