It is a small village, almost easy to miss if one follows the main road too quickly. Modest homes with sloped roofs cluster at the edge of a broad woodland known simply as the Alderwood. The trees here grow tall and steady, their trunks pale and straight, their leaves whispering even in light wind. The forest is not wild in the way Norso’s territory is wild. It feels watched. Tended.

Alders exists for a singular, sacred purpose.

The stag is the kingdom’s animal, a living symbol of strength, renewal, and sovereign grace. In banners and carvings it stands proud, antlers raised like branching crowns. But in Alders, the stag is not a symbol. It is responsibility.

For generations, the people of Alders have been charged with the preservation and care of the kingdom’s stag herds. The great animals congregate near the Alderwood in remarkable numbers, drawn to its sheltered clearings and mineral rich streams. No one is entirely certain why they favor this forest so strongly. Some attribute it to the High Matron’s blessing. Others believe the land itself calls to them.

Whatever the reason, Alders answers that call.

The villagers act as stewards rather than owners. They track herd movement carefully. They treat injuries. They guard against poachers and predators. During fawning season, entire families take shifts monitoring vulnerable calves. No hunting of stags is permitted here without explicit royal sanction, and even then, only in rare ceremonial cases.

The stags themselves are magnificent. Larger than common deer, their coats hold a deep reddish brown sheen, and their antlers spread wide and intricate. In the right light, they appear almost gilded. When a full herd moves through the forest edge, the ground trembles softly.

At dawn and dusk, it is common to see villagers standing quietly at the tree line, simply observing. There is reverence in their stillness.

Alders maintains two primary farms positioned on the outskirts of the woodland. These farms are not typical grain operations. Their fields are cultivated with crops chosen specifically to supplement the herds during harsher seasons. Root vegetables, hardy grasses, and specially rotated forage crops grow in carefully managed plots. The farmers here understand soil nutrition not for yield alone, but for animal vitality.

The rhythm of Alders follows the herds. When the stags migrate deeper into the forest, the village quiets. When they gather in open meadows, the town feels almost festive. Festivals celebrating the kingdom’s crest often begin here before spreading outward to larger cities.

Though small, Alders holds quiet political significance. The kingdom’s identity is tied to the stag. Any harm to the herds would ripple symbolically through Llithe. As a result, the village receives modest but consistent royal support, though the villagers prefer minimal interference.

Outsiders are welcomed cautiously. Travelers may pass through, but hunting weapons are often inspected, and certain forest paths remain off limits.

There are whispers among elders that the stags behave differently in recent years. Lingering longer at certain groves. Pausing as if listening to something beneath the earth. A few claim that during nights when the Mana feels thin, the herd gathers unusually close to the village itself.