"Just look up; The trees watching over will have what you need" - Lostek Spyrysyon

Description

Hidden in the Spyrysyon forest is a surprising bustle of homes & houses built into the various flora & fauna. There are shops of all kind of unique services from fortune telling to locksmiths. This is also one of the few places where there seem to be more faefolk, especially in this part of the country. The smells are tastier, the sights are more colorful & the sounds make one want to get up & dance.

Geography

The town is deep in the Spyrysyon forest & has two rivers flowing thru it, which merge into one: The Dowr River from the northeast & the alow river, forming the Dowr-Alow channel, which runs thru the center of the city (This is where the term ‘down & out’ comes from). Only a four days walk from Sitoras & 9 days walk to its sister city, Liamlean. Densely forested with all sorts of flora & fauna. A possible new fae portal may be starting to come to fruition here.

To its northwest is the only area with natural lighting for farmland; Timber Tree farms, which grow a myriad of fruits, herbs & vegetables. This is also where beasts of burden are used for meat, mounts & other animal byproducts.

Society

While there are commonfolk who have settled here since the city’s founding, the amount of faefolk have come here seeking a new portal to the fae courts. Ergo, there are many chapels here dedicated to Molimai, and the commonfolk here are beginning to get fed up with the faefolk not adhering to local ordinances.

Government

The city is run by Lord Boiratus Spyrysyon VI who has welcomed the faefolk with open arms. He also places guards to oversee several watchtowers & outposts hidden thru out the forests branches, usually occupied by militia who are able to fly, climb & swing thru the miasma of leaves & branches. Squirrel-like & avalry kinfolk are also fairly common infantrymen keeping an eye on denizens.

Trade

Wood, herbs, books & plants are the main export as well as deer for mounts. Many crafts & services, and especially food & beverage are infused with faefolk magic also come from here as it’s cheaper to ship goods to the majority of Nostus from here as well.

Defenses

Order of the Seed

The order of the seed is the main militia here, as the majority of its city lingers in its trees, needing specialized movements to get around normal armored guards simply wouldn’t be able to perform. While considered a militia, up until recently, not much out of the ordinary happens here & is considered a quiet settlement. Onthe ground are several large point wooden fences to keep out intruders in the event of anyone wanting to cut down the enormous trees.

The Union of Protecting Sentinels

Like all other settlements, Tsanbir is no different when it comes to general security. As such, there are also normal plated guards on patrol. Due to union contracts however, they are only permitted to watch areas that are easily accessible, such as the forest floor & anywhere only requiring steps or slopes to reach, and are only to be called on in the event of a severe emergency.

Origins

After the beginning of the present era, the Spyrysyon forest was one of the first fully sustainable areas people could live in. With the help of some local druids & fae, the trees were magically modified to be crafted into roadways, stairs & even slides. Named after the group’s founder, a vulupe-like kinfolk named Lostek Spyrysyon. While not as dense as the jungles of Liamlean, its trees developed hollow openings, perfect for all folk to live & reside in. As news of the town spread, woodsman & other craftspeople flocked to the forest for its trees’ unique properties.

Rumors & Legends

• There is a local legend that Lostek was granted access to magic at a much faster rate than otherwise in part thanks to Molimai, and is considered a local hero. Every year for three days on the full Glaswyn moon (Blue moon), it is said that Lostek creates a portal for faefolk where they will commune with the permanent locals, with the townsfolk calling it either Rumspringa, or Berya within specific districts. This occurrence only happens here in this settlement, thought nearby villages treat it as a minor holiday.

• For the past few weeks, stags & other deer used as mounts have slowly been going missing & returned back with enlarged necks, and no one is entirely certain why or how. A minor investigation has been going on, but with the sudden influx of faefolk pranking the locals, the town’s assigned constable has had her hands tied between the order of the seed & the amount of incoming traffic.

• The faefolk have a hard time differentiating between their own & someone in disguise, and since the influx, locals have been dressing up as faefolk to frame them in an attempt to get them to leave & return back where they came from. This is beginning to cause a riff within the town judicial system as accusations are being levied left & right.

Notable Locations

• Grove of Stars / Good luck Grove - While fortune tellers are scattered all over the town, the more experienced cluster in Good luck Grove: a long road with holes carved into the branch specifically made for vendors and small shops. While reading with cards is the most common, other diviners here have been known to use runes, crystal balls, dice, bones & even smoke, with one fortune teller being able to project imagery from their querent's minds.

• The Backroots - located closer to the trees’ understory & trunks, all the gods in the current pantheon have at least one or two temples here, provided they’re all either carved thru or use premade space within the trunk itself to have prayer & worship in this area.

• Court of the Canopy - located closer to the tops of the towns trees, the nobles district here is renowned for its stunning views of the nearby countryside. Rather than the homes being carved into the tree, these birdhouse-like homes are built near the tops of the trees housing the rest of the settlement.

• The Olive Branch - a series of markets, stores & other vendors selling all types of tangible & unique items, now renamed to the Olive Branches due to the growing economy.

• The Branch Brook Tavern & Inn - an entire inn & tavern owned & operated by an albino, gorilla-like showen kinfolk named Khor Bazan. The entire establishment is in the inside of a pine tree in the middle of the towns understory. Their spouse, a NB porcupine-like piney kinfolk with large glasses & red/white checkered apron named Bolda Bazan. They cook & clean while Khor bartends. Known for its delicious foods, warm ale & ambient glass lighting thru out the bar.

• Timber Farms - known as “the brightest spot in the forest”, it sits in the middle of the entire town with a consistent watch by all who pass by. The farm itself is in two parts, a community hanging garden & the private base floor, with the hanging garden providing herbs & hanging vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes & strawberries for anyone who needs a meal, and the privatized base floor, where meats & average vegetables such as potatoes, corn, rice & wheat are grown normally. Farmhands, butchers & other laborers harvest crops & take in meats to sell at market. Led by a gnome common folk named Salwin Kindspan, a third generation owner of the farm, and devout to the goddess Elvaren.

Major Denizens

• Gerald Gwey - the current leader of the order of the seed, a squirrel-like rodent & retired veteran who wished to settle into a forested town that was quieter & soon retire. Once the influx showed up, his workload has expanded threefold.

• Lord Boiratus Spyrysyon VI - the current overseer of all government in Tsanbir, he is a vulupe-like kinfolk & claims to have Lostek’s ancestry, who practically reveres faefolk culture & is excited to have them among their new denizens & refuses to believe faefolk are causing trouble.

Culture

When the day is over, it is believed that Daolyn flies to the village at night & sends divine messages to the residents. While these are more frequent than anywhere else, these messages are often more mundane, but also more cryptic. Ergo there’s a strict curfew enforced after moondown. Up untill recently, this has been generally followed by most townsfolk, but with the influx of faefolk, it’s been more of a nuisance than anything & the town’s beginning to become fed up with it.