Sylvaren (SILL-vah-ren)

The Sylvaren live by a quiet, enduring code rooted in nature, balance, and legacy. Their customs are not dictated by written law, but by an ingrained sense of harmony and generational memory—an understanding that every action echoes through the land and the lives of others.  

Stewardship of the Land

Above all else, the Sylvaren value the health of the land. Forests are not merely homes—they are ancestors, teachers, and sacred spaces. Every leaf turned, every tree harvested, is done with intention, prayer, and replacement. Wastefulness is taboo; greed is unforgivable. Even in war, they avoid damage to the land where possible.  

Truth in Silence

Words carry weight among the Sylvaren. They speak sparingly, preferring meaning over embellishment. Silence is not uncomfortable but sacred—a shared moment of communion with one another or the forest. Promises are rarely made, but once spoken, they are unbreakable. Lies are not forbidden, but manipulation is looked down upon.  

Balance over Extremes

Sylvaren reject extremes in behavior, magic, and emotion. To them, imbalance—whether in nature or one’s spirit—invites corruption. They practice seasonal rituals to realign themselves and consult shamans or spirit-guides when grief, rage, or sorrow threatens to overwhelm.  

Legacy of Footprints

Each Sylvaren is taught to consider the marks they leave—on the earth, in memory, and through magic. Children are raised with the question, “What will your footprints say of you?” Personal achievements are less valued than quiet contributions to the greater whole: a healed animal, a well-tended grove, a story passed to the next generation.  

Communal Responsibility

While privacy is respected, no Sylvaren lives entirely for themselves. From foraging to raising children to maintaining magical wards, responsibilities are shared. Elders are revered as storytellers and advisors, and youth are not coddled but taught early to listen and contribute meaningfully.  

Rites of Passage

Coming-of-age often involves a journey alone into the deeper wilds—known as The Listening. There, a young Sylvaren must commune with a spirit, survive with only their knowledge and instinct, and return having learned a truth about themselves. Upon return, they may choose a new name or mark themselves with a tattoo grown from living ink.  

Respect for the Dead

Death is treated as a transformation, not an end. Bodies are laid in moss crypts or entombed within the roots of sacred trees. Spirits are honored on moonless nights, when the veil thins. To forget the dead is considered a betrayal of one’s bloodline and the forest alike.

The daily life of a Sylvaren is steeped in reverence for the natural world and in the rhythms of the forest. Their customs are deeply seasonal, often tied to the turning of moons, the migration of beasts, and the blooming or withering of certain sacred plants. These traditions bind their scattered communities with shared meaning, even across great distances.  

The Turning of Leaves

As the seasons shift from Veridom into Aurumeth, Sylvaren mark the change with the Falling Feast. Foods that are hard to store—berries, roots, game—are shared freely. Rituals of release are held, symbolizing the letting go of burdens. Elders tell stories of what they’ve learned that year, and youths share what they seek in the seasons to come.  

Bonding Rites (Fael’thir)

Romantic or spiritual unions are sealed beneath sacred groves, where two individuals braid living vines around one another’s wrists. These vines are enchanted to slowly detach when the bond naturally fades. Though not always romantic, the Fael’thir is a public declaration of chosen kinship, partnership, or shared purpose.  

Tattooing of Growth

Sylvaren often mark life changes with tattoos made of living ink—a mix of enchanted sap and plant-based pigments. These tattoos are grown into the skin by a druid or shaman over several days. They shift subtly with mood or health, and no two are ever alike. Receiving one is often part of coming of age, grief rituals, or oaths to the community.  

The First Hunt

Upon completing their Listening (the solitary rite of passage into adulthood), each Sylvaren is invited to participate in a ceremonial hunt. They do not kill for sport—the hunt is symbolic, meant to honor the cycle of life and death. The chosen beast (often a stag, boar, or predator) is given a blessing before and after death, and every part of its body is used.  

Naming the Trees

Every Sylvaren community names the oldest trees in their territory and treats them as elders. These trees are consulted during rituals, meditations, and decisions. It is believed they carry the memories of those buried beneath their roots. Children are taught to greet them by name and offer them water during dry spells.  

Rootspeaking

A practice among Sylvaren seers and druids where they meditate at the base of a tree to receive visions, wisdom, or ancestral guidance. Rootspeaking is not always literal—some commune with wind, animal spirits, or fungi networks. The key is stillness and listening. Apprentices often spend years learning how to interpret the forest’s many voices.