Stillsong Pines

Stillsong Pines

Stillsong Pines lies in the east-central Oblivion Vale. It is a dense forest of straight pine trunks rooted in hard, dry ground. The soil is dust-heavy and holds little life. Wind moves freely through the trees and carries grit that scours skin, tools, and lungs. Open water does not exist here, and fire is a constant threat.

The forest is controlled by the Stillsong Enclave, a small gnome realm built on planning and secrecy. Entry is limited and watched. Roads are narrow, guarded, and often misleading. The forest is quiet by design.

Land and Conditions

The pines grow close together and rise tall with few lower branches. Light is limited, and little grows beneath the canopy. The ground is packed needles, sand, and exposed roots. Old riverbeds cut through the forest as shallow trenches and dry channels. Many now serve as rough roads.

Wind is frequent and harsh. Short storms tear at the soil and expose buried structures. Fire spreads fast if not contained. Cutting and burning are tightly controlled because a single mistake can destroy the forest.

The Stillsong Enclave

The Enclave survives through control, not size. Authority rests with planners, engineers, and wardens who judge success by stability and loss prevention. Leadership avoids open conflict whenever possible. The Enclave relies on traps, false paths, and slow response rather than force.

Buildings are low and quiet. Workshops are hidden behind false walls or buried entrances. Smoke is filtered and dispersed. Open flame is banned except in sealed spaces. Light is kept dim and shielded to avoid drawing attention.

Law and Movement

Stillsong is not open land. Movement is restricted to marked lanes watched by hidden posts. Some paths are trapped or deliberately unsafe. Only trained escorts know safe routes and signals.

Unauthorized fire is treated as an attack. Unapproved cutting is treated as theft. Any attempt to interfere with survival infrastructure is treated as treason in practice.

Economy and Trade

Stillsong timber is valuable because it is straight, dry, and controlled. Cutting is planned and limited. Logs are moved under guard and stored in secured yards. The Enclave trades timber and precision craft goods through strict treaties.

In return, they import grain, metal, medicine, and fuel. Trade makes the Enclave wealthy, but also visible. Inspectors, raiders, and rival powers all watch Stillsong closely.

Food and Production

The forest cannot support open farming. Small orchard pockets exist where soil is carefully maintained. These sites are guarded like strategic assets.

Most food comes from controlled underground growth halls. These spaces produce fungus, feed, and materials used in medicine and seal compounds. Failure in these spaces means famine.

Security and Threats

Raiders target Stillsong for tools, skilled labor, and control, not land. They ambush caravans and try to capture engineers. The Enclave answers with false routes, dummy structures, and trap zones that funnel intruders into exposed ground.

Outer areas show visible guards to deter attack. Inner areas rely on silence and sudden response. Violence is brief and decisive.

Faith and Social Pressure

Stillsong is not ruled by temples, but belief shapes behavior. Life rites focus on care and recovery. Death rites are strict and enforced to prevent fear and rot. Fate language dominates law and agreement.

Social pressure is constant. Every action is judged by its impact on survival. Failure is remembered. Outsiders call Stillsong cold. Its people call it necessary.

Current State

Stillsong Pines endures because it treats survival as law. The Enclave is valuable, skilled, and under constant threat. Raids, pressure from trade partners, and internal strain never stop. The forest remains stable only while discipline holds and mistakes stay small.