Last time we left off with Mizzle and the rest of the party swearing an oath not to misuse the secrets of the Druids that Clove would share with them. Let’s dig into some of that.
Here’s some of the most obvious questions I thought you folks may have. Clove’s knowledge is mostly second-hand, as she’s never been to Fletz, so there’s a lot that she is doesn’t know or only has a limited perspective on.
What is the elves’ connection to the Phoenix?
“It’s one of the living Arcana, still present in this world and not yet unbound from this world and only present in the Stream of Souls. The elves of long past made pacts with it and other living Arcana which taught them secrets of the Stream of Souls. That knowledge is what formed the Druids, who acted as stewards of the Stream since then.”
“The pact with the Phoenix is what grants elves their long lives and, when they do eventually die, their souls are less impacted by their time in the Stream before they are reborn. While a newly born elf is no less a clean slate than anyone else, they can learn to commune with their past lives and gain their knowledge. In this way, nothing is ever truly lost in Rozinande.”
Why do the elves not care for half-elves like you and your cousin?
“The elders are worried about what this means for souls of elves. Are we born with the souls of elves who came before? If so, does our human ancestry degrade the souls who were reborn into us? Could this mean the end of Rozinande’s immortality? Or does this make our souls like those of the elves and allow other peoples to enter the elven cycle of rebirth?”
“They don’t know and my mum always said anything they don’t know scares them.”
What is happening with the Phoenix now?
“I don’t know and neither do the Druids I spoke to. The Phoenix roosts in the branches of Fletz where the Druids tend to and commune with it, until it needs to return to the northern mountains to undergo its rebirth cycle. This rebirth usually takes a little while, maybe a year or two, before the new Phoenix turns Fletz. It’s been nearly a decade since the Phoenix has returned and everyone is quite worried.”
“My mum and uncle, using his connection to the Phoenix as Sovereign, went with some of the Phoenix Guard—the Sovereign’s personal guard and protectors of Rozinande—to the northern mountains to try and find what has happened to the Phoenix. The druids lost contact with them and there is a lot of worry and concern over what this means.”
And your cousin?
“She’s caught up in all this confusion. As my uncle’s only child, the role of the Sovereign falls to them. Normally a Sovereign, sensing their end, would undergo a ritual with their successor, granting them their knowledge so that Rozinande could rest comfortably with the knowledge that the Phoenix Sovereign reigns eternal. Even in the event of an unexpected death, the Druids could perform the ritual in their stead, returning the spirit of the former Sovereign from the Stream of Souls so the ritual could be handled. But they’ve been unable to locate my uncle or mother’s souls in the Stream.”
“Some are worried that the Phoenix has forsaken the people of Rozinande. Others fear that something is interfering with the Phoenix’s rebirth, leading to the cold winds from the north. A few of the Druids moved to have my cousin crowned as Sovereign for the stability of Rozinande, though others oppose it. I’m worried about about her.”
How old is your cousin?
“Just a babe still. Only nine-years-old. The druid I spoke to about her said that someone named Master Cyre (pronounced like “sear”) is taking care of her and my aunt Vellis during the transition, but I don’t know anything about them and I’m worried for them both.”
How many druids are there?
“Many do the work of Druids, like myself, but only those who pass the trials of the Council of Druids can call themselves one and are entrusted with duties to maintain the Stream of Souls. Many live far from Rozinande, like my mum, to tend to the branches of the Stream. The Council in Fletz is currently eight. It should be nine with the Phoenix Sovereign, but…” (waves hands angrily)
Why do you keep the people from the Counties out of the Dancing Woods?
The Stream is very shallow here, so there are many Elder Trees that have drunk deeply of its power. People could abuse that, as you’ve seen firsthand with Surdak. My mum and I have been the forest’s caretakers for my whole life, but without her I’m struggling. Surdak’s unleashed his spores everywhere it seems and while I can stamp them out if I find them early, once they take root it’s so much harder.
What’s the deal with Surdak’s spores?
I’m not sure. He’s done something bind his soul to them and let himself become part of the fungus. You said you found his body and I had hoped that destroying that would undo his enchantment, but it seems like that’s not enough. He must be anchoring himself some other way.