Sehanine Forest

North and northwest of the main valley of the Dom of Raone lies the widespread Sehanine Forest. So named by its inhabitants the wood elves, high elves, and drow elves that live in varying locations within the forest. Due to the elves not quite sharing of their maps beyond the forest, it is not currently known how far the forest extends north. The forest is home to the source of the Moonsilver River and ends near the settlements known as The Forges , which are in the higher small valleys of the mountains to the northwest of the Dom.To the east, the forest extends at and around the The Crown Mountains.   The forest gains its name for several reasons. 1) There are a number of lakes near the Moonsilver River that are in the shape of a cresent moon. 2) Many of the elves worship the same moon goddess that some people in the Dom worship, though different names are used. In the Dom, the name Selene or Selune is commonly used, while her elven name is Sehanine, which the elves named the forest in honor of her. 3) There is a type of tree that only grows near these cresent lakes. It's identified by a white bark, and silver leaves and is often called the Silver Willow or the Moon Tree. While beautiful and unique by any standards in daylight, under the light of the moon at night, the tree is a sight that inspires awe and reverence, practically glowing by it's leaves reflecting the moon. Upon close inspection, the leaves actually do emanate a glow. (If plucked or removed from the tree, the leaf will still reflect light, but it will cease glowing.)   Temples to Sehanine/Selene/Selune have been built at each crescent lake. Followers of the goddess are welcome to visit the temples.   Common Wildlife: Yellowhorn deer are the most common, though the smaller greyhorn deer can be found in the forest. Blackhorn deer are rare and farther north.     Common Flora: Treebeard is a hairy looking sage green moss that only grows on certain pine trees. It hangs from branches, resembling a beard, and has mostly medicinal uses, though the elves will use it as a cloth dye as well.    Archer's Thicket grows in bushy patches and is perfect for making arrows.    Sweet moss is a favorite food source for deer, and is also used in cooking to sweeten soups.    Pearl mushroom are small white mushrooms with a pearly sheen that grow in damp, shady spots, usually in shallow caves and rocky overhangs in the mountains and rocky foothils in the forest.    

Myths and Legends

  The Moon Trees, or Silver Willows depending on who you ask, have several myths around them, both about their origin and events that occurred with them.  The tales involving their origins almost always include the goddess herself and usually it's her creating the first one that seeded the others. Arguments abound over which tree is the first.   As the myth goes, a group of wandering travelers found themselves in the woods and desperate. They were lost, without food or shelter, and had prayed to the goddess for weeks to help guide them to give them some hope. In their wanderings, the had been traveling during the day and resting at night while praying to the moon goddess to light the way. One day, they collapsed, having no strength to continue on and no materials to make an actual camp.    As dusk fell, their prayers were answered by a silver leaf floating in the air as if on a gentle current of wind, though it was a windless night. Exhausted the small group stared in awe and the leaf began to travel in a different direction than they had been going. All through the night, the leaf guided them through the woods around and in between dangers. When dawn came, the leaf drifted to the ground, but when dusk came again, the leaf sprung back up as if directed by an unatural wind and guided them all night once more. After days traveling this way, the leaf found rest next to a lake shaped like a crescent moon. When dusk came again, the leaf didn't move. Rather, it settled into the earth, pointing up. The first elven settlement in the forest began and within a year, a small silver tree had begun growing. The people had found a way to utulize the tall and strong trees to make their homes.   Other legends and myths have to do with people seeking aid, healing, truth, or justice and finding it in one way or another near or directly interacting with a Silver Willow.  Other myths involve seeing the visage of a beautiful elven woman near the tree or in a dream, giving them guidance, hope, or advice in difficutl times. Today, many seek the crescent lakes with Moon Trees so they can dream under one and have their prayers answered.