Journal Detailing the Establishment of the Fae Glen

Written by Jacque Droumeaux, Hand of the Arcane Alliance. Requires rank of Hand or higher to access.

First entry, 210 years before present.

Lord Habbsberry has done the Alliance a great service by allowing me to document the growth of the seedlings gifted to him by the Court of Buds, delivered directly from the Feywild Isles. I seek to understand the nature of the Feywild and how exactly it propagates. Thus, over the course of the next 300 years, I intend to put a plethora of hypotheses to the test.

To begin, I shall hereby refer to these founding 12 trees as subjects 0-11. I have already taken samples of the subjects, the surrounding mundane foliage, and the soil in the region, which I shall preserve and use for comparison over the course of my many experiments.

This site's proximity to the Mage Blight does give me some cause for concern, but I have decided to make the most of it by studying how the two forces react to and with each other.

Entry 2, 200 years before present.

This grove has become quite a lovely place to inhabit. The seedlings have propagated surprisingly fast, but haven't yet spread beyond Habbsberry's prescribed territory. Towards the center where subjects 0-11 took root I have been able to record some minor distortions, such as temperature changes and alterations to lesser, mundane flora. I've been able to rule out pixies as the drivers of the expansion, as none have appeared thus far. Of particular interest to me currently is the soil as my instruments have registered a gradual and as-of-yet non-specific change to its local frequency. I'm working on refining these instruments, but it's likely I'll be required to create new ones.

On another note, my expedition to the Mage Blight revealed a fellow elf living within the region named Tabitha! From what I observed she seems to be responsible for maintaining the barrier pylons, but I cannot be certain as she did not take a liking to me and aborted our conversation abruptly (and violently). I recommend the Alliance avoid contact, as her isolation seems to have made her mentally unstable.

Entry 3, 125 years before present.

After decades of experimentation I believe I have determined the exact source of the Feywild. It was not the trees, but a passenger they brought with them: a fungus. This fungus seems to extend its mycelium through soil, vegetation, and most excitingly, the barrier between worlds. I've taken spore samples and inoculated a selection of trees throughout the province that I've dutifully checked back on annually. What I found so far seems to confirm my hypothesis: where the fungus goes, the Fey follow. Not all of my test subjects have thrived, however. Trees to the north, west, and south beyond a certain radius of subjects 0-11 were unable to maintain their fungal cultivars. Trees to the east, however, performed surprisingly well given their proximity to the Mage Blight. Perhaps this evidence points to a connection?

Yesterday I met a Firbolg who told me he'd been called here to "learn the Forestsoul" in his own words. Firbolg are such delightful creatures, seeing a soul in anything and everything. I look forward to including him in some my tests.

Entry 4, 95 years before present.

My tower has been completely overtaken by what the locals have taken to calling "the Fey Glen." Indeed, I've even been informed recently that at some point the province itself has come to be known as "Feylin." It pleases me that my special interest tickles the fancies of so many. Anyway, this rapid expansion can be attributed to my inoculation subjects, proving beyond a doubt that this fungus is the foundation of what we consider to be Feywild.

It seems to feed on quiver, which exists in abundance in the region where subjects 0-11 were planted, and to lesser degrees the further away one gets. Once it is established, the mycelial weave pries into Mobius, which both ensures that a steady supply of ambient magic leaks into the region, and links the local fungal network to the greater Feywild. I've decided to name this fungus 'Quiverweave,' as I am simply too humble to name it after myself.

Oddly enough, quiverweave eagerly consumes blight as well, nullifying blight dust's negative effects on mortal flesh but also changing the nature of the fungus in a way I've yet to nail down. Perhaps this is due to blight being a sort of 'left handed' form of quiver. Further research is required. My current instruments are much more adept at sensing the mycelium than my previous equipment, and I am readying them for a new experiment: the inoculation of a mortal body with the quiverweave fungus. The Firbolg will be easy enough to convince to be subject A, and once I understand its effects I plan on joining him as subject B. Tir'Frig bless us both in our pursuit of science.

Entry 5, 60 years before present.

My body is now fully saturated by the quiverweave fungus. I have gained a great understanding of its nature, but it's come at a cost. The fungus is consuming magic nearly as quickly as my soul can generate it, greatly reducing my ability to cast spells. The Firbolg is faring much better, claiming to have reached a level of connection to the forestsoul that would not have been possible otherwise. The fungus doesn't seem to be interfering with his ability to practice druidry for reasons that elude me thus far. Others have begun calling him Pathtender for his ability to manipulate his surroundings to create safe passage through the Glen for the local human population. I myself have not developed these abilities, so I cannot say if they were provided by the quiverweave with any certainty. I have gained new insights into other areas, however.

I have determined that the quiverweave is itself the method by which Fey are able to reincarnate themselves. When a Fey is felled, the Quiver that makes up its being, heretofore referred to as its 'essence,' is consumed by the fungus and stored within the mycelial network. I discovered this by using a modified lantern that causes the mycelium to glow when exposed to its light. I've been using it to track metastisized quiver as it is transported through the megastructure. This essence seems to contain the Fey's memories, which can then be excreted by the fungus at a later date. In this way the quiverweave could be considered to be a sort of Ur-fey itself.

I can scarcely wait to deliver my research back to Raktesh in another 150 or so years. This information will be invaluable to the Alliance. I expect to be made Surrogate post-haste!

Entry 6, 30 years before present.

It seems the Glen has grown prominent enough to develop its own archfey, and almost a century ahead of schedule! A large sinkhole has formed between subjects 0-11, revealing a subterranean cavern that appeared to be filled with quiver crystals. Unfortunately I was not permitted to explore it, but I was able to glimpse a giant tulip plant growing out of its depths, no doubt gestating the new archfey if my instruments are to be believed. From what I've come to understand, the archfey of a region has control over the local quiverweave network, and I am eager to witness its effects on the region first-hand.

Entry 7, 10 years before present.

The last couple days have been quite eventful. Last night the sky was lit up by a pulse of some kind that caused the quiverweave within me to contract painfully, knocking me to the ground. While there, I had a vision of orange and blue ripples, and blight dust falling like snow.

The next day, I was summoned to appear before the unborn archfey, much to my surprise. It asked me if I could use my magics to prolong its gestation period. I had to disappoint it, as I am barely able to cast cantrips these days. I recommended speaking to the Pathtender instead, as his magics hadn't seemed to have been affected by the quiverweave. It then warned me that when it is born, it's bringing something else with it, and that I would be wise to leave the Glen and return to whence I came. I am seriously considering the suggestion, as I don't have my usual methods for defending myself from danger anymore, but could I call my research completed if I left before witnessing the birth of an archfey? Of note, the archfey spoke in an extremely antiquated dialect. Perhaps that is simply how Fey nobles speak, or perhaps this reincarnation has been a long time coming.