Through Groves of Lore: The Woods of Venerated Voices
Only as one traverses the gate that separates the Archives' main building from the sprawling forest beyond, the true scale of this boundless, savage garden becomes apparent. The fresh air fills your lungs, washing over you with a sense of clarity and serenity. Yet, beneath its dark beauty lies an almost tangible weight—the ancient knowledge, forgotten stories, and the quiet lament of lives long spent.
The winds that occasionally sweep through these mist-laden woodlands carry faint whispers—ghostly echoes of voices lost to time and memory. As you tread the winding paths deeper into the heart of these mystical groves, you’ll notice how their character shifts. Some corners are serene, bright, and even whimsical, while others are cloaked in shadows—ominous and foreboding. Unseen eyes seem to watch from the darkness between the towering trunks of the woodlands' ancient wooden sentinels.
In time, your eyes will catch curious details that feel out of place: weathered cupboards half-claimed by moss in a quiet clearing, a lone statue whose gaze seems to follow your every step, or a pale, white hart that watches from afar—always just out of reach, no matter how far you walk towards it.
One recurring aspect of the Woods are its marked trees—massive guardians adorned with softly glowing symbols carved into their bark. Place your hand upon them, close your eyes, and fill your heart with a desire for forgotten stories—then these trees will act as conduits. Some will grant you glimpses of lives long past—fragments of joy, sorrow or sacrifice etched into the tapestry of time. Others will summon ghostly storytellers eager to share their tales. At times, the forest itself will awaken, filling the air with ghastly visions of events transcribed or conjured by story-wrights—keepers of tales from across all realms and eras. On rare occasions, portals may materialise, revealing paths to distant worlds where entirely new stories then unfold.
The Woods of Venerated Voices invite exploration—but more than that, they demand reflection. Each step through this enigmatic forest is an invitation to uncover, to feel, and to wonder at the stories waiting to be told.
About the Exhibit
This domain houses a collection of stories—some fragments of a greater whole, others loose pages exploring concepts or sketching out world-building ideas. Some are actively evolving, growing with each new addition, while others have remained untouched for years, waiting to be revisited. Though all are vastly unfinished, each is a seed, planted with the potential for growth.
