Golden Trees of Seren
Overview
The Golden Trees of Seren are located in Serenael in the Navarr territory of Miaren. Custodianship of the Golden Trees grants an Imperial title; a seat on the Imperial Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable weirwood
The Resource
In the heart of the Miaren are the ruins of Seren, destroyed a millenia ago by the Vallorn and slowly reclaimed after the liberation of that territory. The area is still dangerous, but the Vallorn' unnatural fertility has left large copses of weirwood trees dotted through the surrounding forest
- Reference the city
- Why is this not National, reference the Thimble
- Difficulty of establishing following the Wither the Seed
Once it was only the foolhardy who would brave the Vallorn in search of old Terunael, the ruins of a city lost beneath the darkes of forests. But in the early days of the Empire the Miaren Vallorn was destroyed, and since then the area has been reclaimed.
Part of that reclamation has left groves of Weirwood through the area that was once Vallorn. These weirwood trees stand tall and proud, taller than any other weirwood known in the Empire, and known as the Golden because their leaves show a never-ending touch of Autumn. Some stories say that these trees are the last stand of ancient Terunael, and the workers of Miaren are said to weep whenever they take a tree for the harvest.
There are many stories about Terunael, the ancient city lost beneath the Miaren Vallorn. Unfortunately there is no way to tell if any of them are true, thanks the the verdant canopy and the strangeness that lives under it.
One old and much-repeated story is of the last stand of Terunael, which took place within the weirwood forest that is now known as the Golden Trees of Seren.
The story tells of a shining, bright band of heroes. The greatest that Terunael had ever known, they had brought peace and prosperity. Many versions say there were one hundred and forty-four heroes, some more, some less. But all agree they were the greatest assembled in the world in their day. That they could move mountains, change the course of rivers, but no one could cleanse the unnatural growth.
The story tells of a glorious last charge, of a mighty battle fought through and beneath the Vallorn. Of a desperate last stand, so that the last of Terunael's innocents might flee, to live their lives elsewhere. Of mages, warriors, hunters and theives clad in their finest, most rich rainments, throwing down their lives simply to buy time for those whom they protected.
And the story goes on to say that each of those doomed heroes, as they fell, were bathed in light from above, shining gold as it reflected from armour. And where the light shone, a weirwood tree grew. Majestic, these weirwood trees stand tall and proud, taller than any other weirwood known in the Empire, and known as the Golden because their leaves show a never-ending touch of Autumn.
Once it was only the foolhardy who would brave the Vallorn in search of old Terunael, the ruins of a city lost beneath the most unnatural of forests. But in the early days of the Empire the Miaren Vallorn was destroyed, and since then the area has been reclaimed.
Part of that reclamation has left groves of Weirwood through the area that was once Vallorn, yet the workers of Miaren are said to weep whenever they take a tree for the harvest.
Maybe it is for this reason that the Navarr have never laid claim to The Golden Trees of Seren; that by ensuring they remain an Imperial resource they can share the guilt of killing such majestic trees.