Emerald Grove

The Emerald Grove was a druid grove dedicated to Silvanus, located on the Western Heartlands and active during the late 15 century DR. It was the home to a circle of druids led by Archdruid Halsin, a group aligned with the Emerald Enclave. It experienced great turmoil during the early 1490s DR as it was beleaguered by goblin raids, housed a population of refugees, and was infiltrated by members of the Shadow Druids.

Geography
The grove was situated just off the Risen Road, between the cities of Baldur's Gate and Elturel, some ways east of Moonrise Towers.

Description
A naturally-occurring stone formation created the outer wall within which the Emerald Grove was constructed. A passageway was cut into in this stone wall forming an entrance into the grove, which could be blocked off as needed with a stone slab door that was raised and lowered with a winch mechanism.

The grove itself comprised three distinct areas, extending deep into the cliffside overlooking the Chionthar. A twisting network of tunnels and caves extended just beyond the outer stone wall known as the Hollow; a circular stone reflecting pool set into the ground just outside the end of the caves was referred to as the Sacred Pool; and a large underground caved, decorated with murals, stone sculptures and banners of the Emerald Enclave was the Emerald Grove proper.

Hollow
The Hollow of the grove was hewn into the stony cliffs overlooking the river, with some passages that were formed naturally and others that were hewn into the rock. The ceiling of these caves were supported by large stone columns and held some openings to let in light from the day's sky. One passageway led into a deep chasm beneath the grove, while another led into the cliffside overlooking the Chionthar. The main passage out of the Hollows formed a circular walkway leading down to the grove's main shrine.

Sacred Pool
Just beyond the Hollow was an open-air shrine of Silvanus. Crumbling stone columns encircled a naturally-forming geyser that emptied into a reflecting pool that lay in the shrine's center, decorated with trees, vines, and plants that offered a look that could be defined as "controlled overgrowth". It was here that the druids of the Enclave performed their most powerful rituals, using the sacred idol of Silvanus as their focus.

Wooden walkways led down to a small beach along the river's edge, and a wood-platform elevator granted access to the Hollow above.



Emerald Grove
The inner sanctum of the grove was a naturally-formed cave that had been reinforced with stone architecture. Its central chamber served as a gathering room and common area, with living quarters and a library off to its side. Set above an underground freshwater pool from which the geyser arose, the central chamber featured a series of murals that depicted the grove's history; these murals portrayed its founding, the forming of the alliance between the druids and the Harpers, and their defeat of Sharrans at Moonrise Towers.

The library held many rune-etched stone slabs each roughly the size of a hand-held book. At the center of the library's shelves was a tall, stylized sculpture with the likeness of a lupine beast, around which stood four pedestals with a depression each for a specific rectangular runestone. Each runestone corresponded to a totem animal associated with one of the preeminent druids of the grove: the bear, wolf, stag, and eagle. When the correct runestones were placed in each pedestal, a vibrant blue glow illuminated the stonework in the room and the bestial sculpture descended into the earth, revealing a circular staircase that led down to the enclave's hidden vault.

Government
While the grove did not have a traditional government, their was a hierarchy within the order of druids.

Defenses
It was set within a cave system, which itself was protected by natural fortifications and a great wooden portcullis.

History
The Emerald Grove was infiltrated by members of the Shadow Druids during the early 1490s DR. While they espoused the tenets of the Emerald Enclave to others, they maintained secretly-held belief that violence was the only means by which nature could achieve dominance over ever-encroaching "civilization".

In the, a group of tiefling refugees exiled from the beleaguered city of Elturel were given permission by Archdruid Halsin to take up temporary residence in the Hollow. When Halsin left the grove for Moonrise Towers, to investigate a drow that was infected with an illithid tadpole, Kagha took charge over as leader of of the grove. She immediately took action to remove the tieflings from her home, believing them to be a drain on their resources at a time when goblinoid raiders were running rampant across the region.

Kagha ordered her fellow druids to begin the Rite of Thorns, a ritual that would obscure the location of the Emerald Grove from outsiders, protecting it from the dangers beyond.

Inhabitants
While the grove held connections with the Emerald Enclave, it was unknown exactly which druids of its circle were members of the expansive organization. The druids of the Emerald Grove were drawn from various races, including dwarves, elves, and gnomes.

Archdruid Halsin was served numerous honest and well-meaning individuals, including the dutiful second Rath, a trustworthy and dedicated advisor, and Nettie, a well-meaning but sometimes-misguided apprentice healer. In addition to its humanoid residents, the grove was home to many animals that each exhibited quirky personality traits to those that could understand them. Among these were the bears Ormn and Tuffet, and the bluejay Topaz among others.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate III