Verduran Enchantresses

Many are the tales which speak of travelers wandering into darkened forests on a trip home, only to be distracted and led astray from their path by the enchantments and illusions of some forest elf. These stories are inspired by elves that give themselves over entirely to the worship of the forest, fleeing their previous lives to instead keep a solitary existence among towering pine trees and colorful wildflowers. This call to the wilderness is in the blood of all elves, and once followed, an elf begins to slowly eschew all things which used to represent their connection to society. Those who follow the call, and allow it to forever change their lives, are known as verduran enchantresses.   Wilds of the Fey Elves have spent centuries researching exactly what causes a member of their race to suddenly forego their earthly possessions, in favor of a life lived on the wild side. Most elven scholars believe that the reason has something to do with the elves origin as creatures of the Feywild, the strange realms that faeries and many other magical creatures call home. The Feywild is abundant with untamed nature, and many of the fey who live there choose to do so in private glens and small personal groves, similar to the life that a verduran enchantress chooses for themselves. There is a belief that elves who choose this path for their lives are somehow being influenced by a stronger than average connection to the Feywild.   Magic of Mischief The elves who follow this connection to their primal origins are given the title enchantress for the strange effect that it has on their magic. Every elf which leaves their former lives to join the forest claims that, once there, they begin to hear a beautiful music, one which all the forest has a part in playing. By listening to this song and committing it to memory, a verduran enchantress slowly becomes able to repeat it, with their own variations. By doing so, the enchantress is able to cloud the minds of others, charming them and making their wills malleable, or convincing travelers that they see things which aren’t really there. Enchantresses that use this magic are the source of the many tales in other races that speak of elves attempting to use guile and trickery to lead innocent travelers from the path home.   Trickster Guides The stories of other races in which verduran enchantresses appear are always greatly exaggerated, telling tales of elves which seduce and trap forlorn visitors for decades before becoming bored and allowing them to finally wander home. The truth is far less terrifying, though no less upsetting. A verduran enchantress seems to always be drawn to the protection of certain spaces within the forest that they call home, making every attempt to keep outsiders from coming too close to these areas, lest their presence taint them in some way. To prevent this, an enchantress will use their magic to subtly, or not so subtly, guide a traveler away from a spot which they prefer to have left alone. For those wandering the forest with purpose, or those with a will too strong to bend, the unclear intention behind these attempts can lead to misunderstanding, and blades might quickly be drawn.