Starfall Pool

Starfall Pool was a secluded glade in the Moonwood, named after the tiny pond near its center. By the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, it was made famous throughout Luruar by the "Ballad of Starfall Pool".

Geography
Starfall Pool was almost due north from the Hunter's Gate of Silverymoon about 50 miles (80 kilometers). Upon reaching the verge of the forest, it was about another mile (1.6 km) into the trees.

Topographical Features
The Moonwood contained old oak trees mixed with relatively younger maple and duskwood trees vying for space. The climate was cold and damp most of the non-winter months and mists often rose at dawn and dusk. The Starfall Pool glade had one enormous oak tree that stood near the center, shading the ferns, moss, and grasses that covered the open ground. Just to one side of the base of the oak was a ring of stones that were once the foundation for a tower, known as Northwind Keep, but several of the stones were missing. The sixteen remaining large-chest–sized blocks were overgrown with moss and somewhat hidden by ferns and tall grass, but they guarded a square, stone-lined cellar about 6 by 6 feet (1.8 by 1.8 meters) and 4 feet (1.2 meters) deep. Strewn about the ruin and the glade were dozens of smaller stones, typically a bit larger than a human fist. The Harpers used these rocks to leave messages to one another by scratching a trail-rune or a cryptic message on the surface. Typically, the message-bearing rock would be hidden and its location indicated by the positions of other key stones.

Down a little slope from the tree was the small pond that gave the glade its name, Starfall Pool. The water was slightly acidic, but clear of scum and floating plants, and quite drinkable. The moss-covered banks were home to small frogs that serenaded the forest with trilling calls. The bed of the pond was solid rock, nearly featureless, and easily visible through the brilliant water.

Magical Features
The peaceful glade had an unusual "resident"&mdash;a large, silent, floating, illusory shield. It was always positioned upright, as if being wielded, and usually hovered about seven feet (2.1 meters) above the ground. It tended to remain stationary for long periods of time, but it moved throughout the glade with no apparent pattern. Reports indicate it could either glide from point to point, or disappear and reappear in a new location. The finely wrought shield bore a rune or a heraldic device that was indelicately described as "a crowned fishhook", but its meaning was lost to the authorities on such things.

There were two portals in the immediate area; one was about 30 ft (9.1 m) above the stone ring, located where the second or third floor of Northwind Keep used to be, and the other was in the Starfall Pool itself. The portal in the air had at least three destinations, the main one being a room in a stone house located in the oldest part of Silverymoon, owned by the Harpers. The other two known terminus points were the Stone Bridge near Red Larch and a barren hilltop a short ride north of Secomber. Of the portal in the pond, it required beings to submerge themselves in the water and then utter some trigger words. About its destination, Elminster only said "more than one dragon waits at the other end" and recommended that all who step into the Pool for this purpose have all their worldly affairs in order so as not to inconvenience those they would leave behind.

Some of the larger stones in the grove concealed storage or hiding places for small items. These caches were lined with more stones, and at one time contained minor treasures from Northwind Keep. One particular niche, about one foot wide by four feet deep (30 cm by 120 cm), would repair broken objects placed inside, as governed by the constraints of a make whole spell.

Inhabitants
The huge oak tree that dominated the Starfall Pool grove was the home of the dryad Olsheirie. Olsheirie was not her real name, but once the ballad became popular, most everyone called her by the name in the song, and she answered to it if visitors were friendly. She remained hidden if intruders appeared unfriendly, but would emerge unbidden if she recognized a friendly Harper, even if they were accompanied by a stranger.

Defenses
Olsheirie was the only immediate protection for the grove, but she had some magic items hidden under her tree that could be used in dire circumstances. The Harpers also gave her a device that allowed her to cast sending whenever she wished to call for help. Harpers that rushed to her defense via the portal would appear in mid-air and fall unless they made special preparations. Olsheirie had a collapsible platform on a tripod of long poles that she positioned so her allies stepped out safely. She kept this contraption high in her tree and was quite adept at deploying it with a single throw.