#witchroot

[rowanisticmines]

Witchroot Estate, Wellspring Village.

[pholianenoctua]

Mandragore feutrée à l'aiguille. Et c'est un monsieur! #felt #needlefelt #mandragora #harrypotter #plantesorcière #witchroot #wool #handfelt #lacabrabanela

[masterskywalkers]

Shadows Carried Within Me | D&D

Natalia sits beside the window in the shared room, looking out at the dusk filled sky and absentmindedly petting Loki. The raven is content on the windowsill, silent as he too appears to be watching.

Her mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, has been since they had spoken with the Siren back on Yokotoro. She'd spent most of the journey back to Neverwinter keeping to herself in her ship quarters, either haunted by images of the Raven Queens vision or busily crafting the letter she'd handed over to Eldar earlier.  Although she doesn't wish to admit it, to give voice to the nagging darkness growing in her mind, Natalia can't ignore how frightened she is. Over the past couple of months the fate of her kingdom has been a constant concern. Now however, Natalia only fears further how it fares in her absence.

Her thoughts over the past few days found themselves drifting to the past, like flotsam adrift at sea. The memories are ones Natalia once tried to block out, knowing she would not be able to push onwards if she remained lost to them. Time can often be a cruel mistress though. And with those rare moments to breathe, the mind wanders. 

She remembers how it began - the blight which infected all vegetation living within Aledian. The famine of their farmlands, the panic that followed the loss of food production. She remembers how it lingered on the air, that tainted aura of all things wrong. How people started staying indoors rather than venturing outside of their homes, the panicked questioning of what they'd done to spark such malice from the Gods.

She remembers the march. 

Remembers the fog coated morn the day darkwraiths first prowled through the streets of her kingdom. The screams which followed in their wake. The deathly silence after.

Natalia remembers all of it. 

She remembers riding out of her kingdom on horseback, galloping as fast as she could. She remembers the streets littered with the dead, the air that felt suffocating to even breathe in. The darkwraiths that chased after her, her heart hammering against her chest with each beat of her horses hooves as she headed towards Witchroot Forest.

Her mother would always warn her away from it, had told her stories of the creatures which lurked within. It had been a decision: to either face the unknown she had feared as a child, or to die by the hands of whatever plague was wiping out her people. 

Natalia remembers the moment she became lost within those woods. The way she frantically tried to find a sign of where to go, pushing aside the anxieties which built up from the various unknown sounds pulling in all directions.

She remembers when the darkwraiths found her. When they closed in around her -

Natalia sucks in a deep breath, shaking her head as she pulls herself out of those memories. 

She had thought about silently leaving in the night, nothing but a letter left behind telling the others that she was alright and that they should continue onwards to Valen without her. But then Amaris had spoken with such excitement about taking them to the woods where she grew up one day, of introducing them to the one whom had raised her. Her joy had sparked something in Natalia, prompting a small smile at the glee that radiated from her as she spoke, and she realised then that she couldn’t just leave. At least not yet.

She may not fully trust or rely on this small group of allies she’s been travelling with, but she has come to care for them all. 

Natalia wonders if her reluctance to ask them to help her is born out of that wariness she still holds towards them at times, or if she just doesn’t want to pull them into the complicated and dangerous web that is her kingdoms fate. If perhaps she doesn’t want them to burdened by what is likely to be certain death in fighting what has befallen it.

Loki caws. Natalia looks down, noticing how he stares up at her. He cocks his head to one side, as if asking why she had stopped petting him. He hops towards her, puffing out his feathers as Natalia gently strokes his head. 

The letter had passed to Eldar now, and all Natalia can do is wait. He and the others would do their best to find more answers, that she knew well.

Turning her head, she looks towards where Reyna sleeps and Amaris is in her trance. She considers turning in herself, knowing that tomorrow will be another long day as they journey back to Neverwinter City once more. 

[masterskywalkers]

30 Days of Natalia

Prompt list can be located here! Shout out to spacegod-of-coffee for putting it together.

16. Hometown

(Where are they from? What was it like?)

Natalia grew up in Aledian, which so far in the game has been described as 'a far away kingdom’.

Aledian was once a peaceful and prosperous kingdom, and one of the most known in the lands it was situated in. It got along well with neighbouring lands, enough that trade routes were created and alliances were made. It was ruled by a monarchy, and outside of the royal family there were a select number of lords and ladies whom had inherited lands they governed within the kingdom itself. 

Aledian was a large kingdom. To the south it boarded a river, and to the north-east was a large patch of forest known as the Witchroot Forest. Many avoided the Witchroot to the myths and stories that were told about what lurked within. Some of the older citizens of Aledian would scare the younger generations by suggesting the forest had been touched by Vecna. 

The kingdom celebrated the Raven Queen, believing that their royal family was as close to her as could possibly be. As soon as the seasons changed to winter the kingdom would begin what was known as 'the festival of remembrance'; a stretch of time in which the citizens would celebrate and remember the dead, praise and thank the Raven Queen for watching over their loved ones, as well as remember the history of the Raven Queen and how they believe she came to be. Citizens would make things to sell for the season as well as leaving offerings towards the god who watched over them.

In contrast, the kingdom feared and didn't trust Vecna or his ideals. They believed his ways were impure compared to that of the Raven Queens', and that his secretive nature only sparked more questions and concern. 

Natalia loved growing up in the kingdom, and misses it greatly. On her adventures she carries the memories of the homeland she cherishes close to her heart, and although most of what she loved has now been destroyed and tainted, she hopes that one day Aledian will be able to build itself back up to its former glory.