The Green

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Among the Green Faith and it's followers, there are a number of powerful druids, as well as beings and entities tethered to nature. One such powerful influence amongst the natural world are the Green Man, divine avatars of the primordial earth and stewards of ancient forests. Each Green Man is often manifested as sapient consciousness of the locations they're bound to, powered by the same spirits that often incarnate as leshies.

One such Green Man is Calenwen, a spirit of incredible power that has slumbered beneath the forest for many ages. Yet recently, a shadow is overtaken the lands she calls home, and she has stirred to life once more, finding both her spirit and her ward touched by darkness, bringing her to feel anger and fear at this evil that has befallen upon her sacred home.

History

Calenwen, or oftentimes referred to as simply "The Green", is a powerful spirit of the ancient world. It is said that long ago, an elven people who called themselves the Selunárima (translated: Moon's Envoys), arrived underneath these sacred boughs after being asked by their pantheon, the Lómëtarindi (translated: Queens of the Moon), to find a home closer to the stars, so that their light could touch upon the floor of the elven people, and the Moon-Queens could walk among them.

Obeying their goddesses, the Selunárima embarked into the untamed wilds of Siacros, traveling only by night and the guiding light of the moon and stars. Upon the next new moon, they declared themselves to have found their homeland, standing beneath the shadow of a mountain that rose before them and touched the sky.

Here, they named it "Neldorinlómë", forevermore known as the Moonlit Woodlands. At the base of the mountain they built their initial outpost, venerating their goddess. Yet after they had celebrated and found slumber, a voice spoke to each and every one of them, stirring the elves from their slumber.

"I am The Green." A feminine voice, soft as a whisper, danced upon the wind. Leaves rustled, and the ancient trees groaned, their echoes permeating the clearing where the elves sought solace in slumber. "I am the soul of the forest," she continued, her words resonating off rocks, roots, stone, and earth. The wind quickened, and the grove itself seemed to respond to her ethereal call.

"I am the beating heart of this woodland realm, its breath, its spirit, its will." Her voice carried a rhythmic pulse, and the sound of a heartbeat echoed through the forest, as if the very ground pulsated with life.

"I sunder stone; devour ruins. I am the heart of the wilds, and the shadow of the cycle." The voice held a commanding presence, and the earth beneath stirred, rumbling and quaking in response to her words.

"I am The Green. Why have you come?" The voice concluded, accusatory and cold. As swiftly as the display of power had begun, it ceased. The forest fell into an eerie silence, as if a shroud of terror had enveloped it and all within. The lingering question hung in the air, unsettling the quietude that followed.

Startled and terrified, the elves had little time to respond before the howling of wolves was heard. It started with one, but soon joined to be over a dozen, responding to the call.

Desperate and afraid, one of their leaders called forth, crying out. "Please, great spirit, do not harm us! We are here under directive of our goddesses, tasked to build a home upon the mountain. We only came here to rest for the night before we continued our trek! Allow us to continue unharmed, and we will elevate you among our people to worship, as is befitting one so mighty and terrifying!"

What followed is unknown, but the elven people did eventually make it to the mountaintop, and they did build their city, from which they lived for some time. Yet eventually, the people vanished, the history of the elves lost, and all that remained was ruins and stone, vines overgrown among them. Ancient sigils and symbols written in the Druidic tongue seem to indicate that some sort of bargain was reached, but the specifics are lost to the annals of history.

Current

The Green has awoken once more, her slumber disturbed. Dark creatures and malevolent forces move within her forests, and have stirred her and her subjects to action. Yet among such darkness there is hope and light, as a pilgrimage of elves have come to the forgotten ruins, seeking to restore the civilization that was once lost. Among them are a variety of practitioners, and The Green is eager to spread it's power and influence, channeled through mortal vessels unbound from the earth.

Symbol

The symbol of The Green is that of a serpent coiled about, swallowing it's own tail. Within the circle is two eyes, half-lidded, and a veil of leaves masking the nose and mouth of the feminine figure within the ouroboros.

Relationships

The Green is indifferent towards most larger deities, as it's power is contained only to a small portion of the forest. Among the deities it is aware of, the Green has a favorable outlook towards the Eldest, particularly The Green Mother. Her opinion on most other deities wavers between apathy and indifference, as none bother and she bothers none. The only deity she speaks of in a personal manner is the Lómëtarindi, though her statements make it confusing if the Moon-Queens are alive and merely vanished, or if they died along with the civilization that once lived among her boughs.

Appearance

The Green does not have a specific appearance that is known. Often she manifests as cluttered foilage with eyes and lips shaped from the earth, or a gathering of pollen and leaves that swirl in an invisible wind, or some other natural phenomena. In dreams, some claim The Green takes on the form of an elven woman, with skin of bark and hair of flowers, a living embodiment of growth. Yet others have said The Green appears as a starving wolf, a wrathful harpy, or even a formless shadow, large enough to block out the moon.

Church

The Green does not have an official Church, serving as an entity towards druid circles and witch covens. Yet those who draw divine power from her find similar strength as those who draw from most Green Man entities.

Teachings

The Green holds little in the ways of teachings. She encourages her followers to spread her influence and bring forth the will of the forest to create new forms of plant life, work to ensure the healthy growth and spread of plants, and preserve natural wildernesses. Additionally, The Green forbids flagrant destruction or abuse of plant life, damaging plant life themselves unless in an attempt to prevent a great loss of flora, or damaging natural environments.