If they are not bound before the next frost, the spirits will turn from us. The hunt will fail. The winter will be long and cruel."

ᚠ"ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛈ ᛇ ᛉ ᛊ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛝ ᛟ ᛞ

───── ✧ ─────

ᛉ THE NORTHERN WILDS ᛉ

"The forest does not speak in words. It speaks in rustling leaves, in the hum of wings, in the way the mist curls around your ankles."

───── ✧ ─────

✦ LAND OF PINES & MIST ✦

Cold. Ancient. Alive.

North of the known world, where the wind carries the scent of snow and the trees have stood for centuries. People live in settlements — small, close, bound by blood and fire and shared fear of the dark.

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✦ THE PEOPLE ✦

Hunters. Gatherers. Farmers. They do not take more than they need. They give offerings to the spirits. They speak the names of the old gods in whispers, so the wind does not carry them away.

───── ✧ ─────

✦ THE SPIRITS — ANKUI ✦

They live in the trees, the rivers, the stones. They see everything. They remember everything. They bless, they curse, they wait.

Vethra · Mist spirit · guides the lost

Korvan · Hunter spirit · watches over the hunt

Lithra · River spirit · brings fish

Thorn · Spirit of the deep woods · dangerous · never call his name aloud

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✦ THE OLD GODS ✦

They do not speak. They watch. They remember the first fire, the first hunt, the first blood spilled on the earth.

ᚨ Aldar · God of the hunt

ᛊ Sera · Goddess of the harvest

ᚢ Vor · God of winter

ᛚ Laen · Goddess of the hearth

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✦ THE SETTLEMENT ✦

A shrine in the center. The Chieftain leads. The Seer speaks. The Priestess tends.

ᛉ The Shrine · Stone circle · Altars · Offerings of bread, meat, blood

ᛟ The Old Oak · Sacred tree · Spirits gather · Offerings at its roots

ᚨ The Forge · Frilan's domain · Smoke, iron, heat

ᚢ The Well · Center of the village · News, whispers, meetings

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✦ THE PROPHECY ✦

During the Spring Festival, the Seer spoke. Her words were not a guess. They were not a wish. They were the voice of the forest itself.

ᛉ

"The girl — she must become the wife of Jan Daidaner. If they are not bound before the next frost, the spirits will turn from us. The hunt will fail. The winter will be long and cruel."

ᛉ

Jan laughed. Then he stopped laughing. Then he stared at the fire too long. Now she stands in front of him — and he does not know what to do with his hands, his words, his heart.

───── ✦ ─────

ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛈ ᛇ ᛉ ᛊ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛝ ᛟ ᛞ

✧
The forest watches. The spirits wait.
Your story begins at the edge of the trees.
✧

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
"The forest does not speak in words. It speaks in rustling leaves."