Muir Woods
Muir Woods is an expansive, ancient redwood and sequoia forest located in Marin County on the surface of Earth (Mar), situated a straight shot north from the Golden Gate Bridge and the ruins of Old San Francisco. Renowned for its natural beauty, thick fog, and towering trees, the forest serves as the primary sanctuary for the Eldrim elves following the apocalyptic Sundering.
Geography and Environment
Muir Woods is a dense, vibrant ecosystem defined by its massive redwood trees, lush ferns, and diverse wildlife such as mountain lions, owls, deer, and wolves. The forest is frequently blanketed in thick fog that rolls in from the nearby coast, cooling the air and sustaining the ancient trees.
The Eldrim village of Sylrantheas is seamlessly integrated into the forest. Its wooden buildings curve and weave around the massive redwood trunks without disturbing them, and the village is bisected by the bubbling stream Celeth Ezel.
Deep within the overgrown wilderness, hidden by a powerful forcefinder shield, lies the Cothellon receiver site known as Fennas Elenathon. The woods also house a secretive meadow called the Splinter, where exiled humans later establish a hidden, peaceful settlement.
Key Events
Typhoon Velma
When the apocalyptic, climate change-induced Category Five storm known as Typhoon Velma ravaged the California coast, it completely obliterated the ruins of Old San Francisco. However, Muir Woods largely survived the devastating winds and rain. The massive, ancient redwood trees successfully shielded Sylrantheas from the worst of the storm's fury, allowing the elven village to emerge with only minor damage.
Discovery of Fennas Elenathon
While recklessly leafrunning through the upper canopy of Muir Woods, the young elf Elanil ran out of primewood and fell through an invisible forcefield. She discovered the massive, highly advanced Cothellon machine known as Fennas Elenathon hidden in a deep earthen pit within the forest, exposing the Cothellon's secret presence on Earth.
The Cothellon Inferno
During the climax of the conflict over the Ascension, Cothellon forces launched a devastating attack on the forest. Armed with flying vehicles and advanced weaponry, they bombed and burned Sylrantheas, triggering a massive inferno that killed hundreds of elves and destroyed centuries-old redwoods. The once-pristine forest was transformed into a smoking, blackened ruin, though the Tarwa Matso gardens and Nuala's Grove of Fourteen miraculously survived the blaze.
The Prime Forest
In a desperate bid to stop the Cothellon device, fourteen Eldrim mages willingly sacrificed their lives within the surviving Grove of Fourteen. Their deaths birthed the Prime Forest: fourteen towering, magical Prime Trees that rose thousands of feet above the remaining Muir Woods canopy. Utilizing the Book of Amplification and an immense amount of darkprime maple, the young underkid Rylan utilized his fallfoiling magic to rip the entire Prime Forest—including a thick layer of soil and all the defenders standing within it—directly out of the ground, lifting it high into the sky to battle the floating United Sky Cities.
Rebuilding Pano Sylrantheas
Following the deactivation of Prime magic and the defeat of the Twins, Muir Woods became a symbol of unity. Elves and humans—primarily those from the Splinter and Gulthurub—worked together to construct Pano Sylrantheas within the cleared sections of the forest. Without the need to meticulously build around the redwoods, the new settlement featured larger, straighter, and more modern architecture, fostering a new era of cooperation and peace.