Galvan's Guide to the Aukari Pine

The Aukari Pine is a deadwood Norteast of Brightshore and inhabited by a dying tribe of druids whom refer to themselves as the Aukari. This forest was once beautiful with tall ancient pines. It was rich in valuable alchemic/herbal plantae, including mushrooms of five different colors which can be used to supplement your base abilities. It also contains deposits of precious gem stones, the sources of which are yet to be discovered. Now though, its beauty is just an illusion. Upon stepping inside its perimeter, you will watch as the pine needles fade and the ground turns to ash. Nothing grows there anymore.

The Aukari for hundreds of years have been reclusive, mostly unaware of any history outside their forest home. They are very much steeped in tradition/doctrines of their people. They do not find mates or procreate in a way most are familiar with; not even for recreation. Their population as far as I have seen shall not increase. Children are born through a process of reincarnation and assigned adults to raise them. These adult teachers pass on the traditions that they learned from the their children's prior lives. Like most druids, they do not make use of metals.

Aukari Druids are split into five tribes, each imbued with a forest guardian animal spirit. Each spirit has an associated color as well as a token attribute.

• Bear. This is the forest spirit of constitution, and is associated with the color purple.
• Cougar. This is the forest spirit of dexterity, and is associated with the color orange.
• Owl. This is the forest spirit of wisdom, and is associated with the color green.
• Stag. This is the forest spirit of charisma, and is associated with the color red.
• Wolf. This is the forest spirit of strength, and is associated with the color blue.

-Coming Soon, drawn by Zren Catsa-

Although the Aukari speak a language very similar to Sylvan, it is distinct enough from the source language to make cross-language understanding difficult at times.

• Dul Gileth. Dreamscape.
• Hen Manae. Child-Spirit.
• Ohanin. Tears of Zylharice
• Leylafaereglath. Forsaken One.
• Manae Renae. Locate Lesser-Spirit.
• Stodurai-odorem. Teacher/Student Relationship(?).
• Wynronae. Greater Forest Spirit

• Boldhollow Home of the Bear Tribe.
• Gracethicket. Home of the Stag Tribe.
• Goadden. Home of the Wolf Tribe.
• The Covet. Sacred and Protected land of meeting for the Aukari.
• Versteep. Home of the Cougar Tribe.
• Wariroost. Home of the Owl Tribe.

• Aukari Mushrooms Each tribe's territory grows a mushroom that corresponds to the color of their Wynronae. These mushrooms can be used to make potions of Enhance Ability for the score relevant to the local tribe.
• Beads of the Aukari Champions of the Aukari Pine are awarded beads of a color that reflects their soul/personality by Zylharice.
• Betula Pendula Also known as 'Indigenous Hedgious'. This vine is peculiarly strong like steel, and useful for growing defensive hedges.
• Needle of the Mannimloth Pine needle from the Mannimloth tree, the largest in the Aukari Pine. This needle allows you to locate the last location of anyone who is or was once in the Aukari Pine. Upon speaking the magic words, it will transform into a spectral grasshopper and seek them out at a speed of 400 ft.
• Precious Gemstones. Each of the Aukari Tribes has access to a deposit/source of precious gemstones with a color that corresponds to their tribe.
• Red Glowing Acorns. As an action, can be tossed 30 ft. to create an Entangle Spell effect (DC ???)

• Sartumahl ♂️. Pale skinned, dark haired ex-member of the Owl Aukari. He is a Druid/Fighter/Paladin/Warlock/Wizard higher than level 20 in presumably all of these classes. He can concentrate on more than a dozen spells at once and his ability scores are higher than 20. He can transform into a gargantuan sized black owl which has a flight speed of at least 400 ft, billows smoke and ash from its wings and has the Fly By ability. When he dives before attacking he gains advantage on his attacks which have a +15 to hit. His owl form has at least 500 hp, and he heals each turn. He has the Eldritch Sight invocation and the Sentinel feat. He may also have constant True Sight. He can attack things that are in the Ethereal Plane. In his human form, all his movement is teleportation. He can summon flocks of four winged black owls. He has a touch attack which calls for a DC22 saving throw or else you are brought to 1-hp. He can then use an AoE line attack to deal damage = to your absorbed hp to multiple targets in that line. He has 3 legendary actions per round, and at least 3 legendary resistances. He has an ability where if you would deal damage to him, you instead summon a hostile creature with hp equal to the damage you dealt and Sartumahl will only take that damage once the hostile creature is defeated. He has infinity 9th level spell slots. He can summon tornadoes. He can cast illusions over many hundreds of miles of land at once, and he can use legendary actions to retroactively remake past saving throws he failed. He has an ability to target a unconscious person and a conscious person if the conscious person fails a save they become unconscious with the same amount of deaths saves that the unconscious target has. He can attack three times per turn and use both Eldritch Smite plus Divine Smite on each of them. He commands armies of Quicklings, Blink Dogs, Blights, Yeth Hounds, Hell Hounds, and corrupt Dryads.
• Zylharice ♀. Likely an Arch-Fey and is the guardian spirit of all the Aukari Pine. She has long white hair, covered in beaded necklaces of various sizes and colors. She does not speak aloud. Her physical appearance is very similar to that of Eilvoryn. Mispronouncing her name anywhere in the Aukari Pine renders you unconscious and brings you to 1-hp.

• Fara ♀. mother/daughter figure.
• Dordan ♂️. father figure
• Verjar ♂️. son figure

• Behmeiv ♀. 5'1“, Long brown hair with gray roots, wears decorative leather and cougar furs. Has a strong and agile looking body. Wields a wooden quarter-staff.

• Eilvoryn ♀. White hair, young, mute, very optimistic and playful.
• Elrotyr ♂️. Older Elf.

• Thinearos ♂️. husband figure
• Ragvora. ♀ wife figure

• Lyastra ♀. 5'4”, Chest length brown-grey curly braided hair, green eyes, mother-figure to other Wolf Tribe Aukari. Seems overwhelmed with children.
• Magwyn ♀. 4'6“, Messy curly brown hair tangled with sticks and leaves. Likes to play fight and ambush people. Youngest child.
• Vertoruse ♂️. 4'6”, Brown hair shaved on the sides, has a wolf tail. Rebellious and whiny attitude.Oldest child.
• Xyrcene ♀. 4'8“, Brown curly hair, brown eyes. Middle child.

• Purple Hummingbird. Representative of the Bear Tribe.
• Orange Altamira Oriel. Representative of the Cougar Tribe.
• Green Honeycreeper. Representative of the Owl Tribe.
• Red Cardinal. Representative of the Stag Tribe.
• Blue blue bird. Representative of the Wolf Tribe.

If all members of an Aukari Druid Tribe and their associated Wynronae are present within the Covet, they can perform a ritual at a circle of sacred stones and provide a buff. The Aukari Druid Tribe must remain within the covet in order to maintain this buff on the people it was placed upon. Below are a list of the buffs they can provide a party within the pine:

• Bear. +4 points to your Constitution ability score. This can exceed the cap of 20 on ability scores.
• Cougar. +2 to all Dexterity skill checks and saving throws, as well as Dexterity based attack/damage rolls.
• Owl. +2 to all Wisdom skill checks and saving throws, as well as Wisdom based attack/damage rolls.
• Stag. +2 to all Charisma skill checks and saving throws, as well as Charisma based attack/damage rolls.
• Wolf. +2 to all Strength skill checks and saving throws, as well as Strength based attack/damage rolls.

Additionally, if multiple Aukari Tribes are present in the Covet with their Wynronae, the following buffs shall be received:

• 2 Groups. Overgrowth - Party members gain 20 Hp.
• 3 Groups. Wild Resistance - Party members gain resistance to one damage type of their choice.
• 4 Groups. Nature's Vengeance - Twice per session you gain advantage on Saving Throws and you take 0 damage on a successful save.
• All Groups. ??? - Unknown.

By subjecting yourself to a ceremony performed by Zyharice, you can be marked permanently somewhere on your body with a mark in the shape of a pine tree. This mark will allow you to view the souls of people in the Aukari Pine within a range of 30 ft as an action. As an additional action you can try to connect with that soul.

Aukari Druid memebers at the Covet can alternatively be brought along on adventures. Different druids have different benefits when brought along.

• Behmeiv - . Combatant - Behmeiv can turn into a colossal cougar which can both fight and be used as a mount by the entire party. When used as a mount, she has a movement of 400 ft.
• Eilvoryn - . Support - Can provide heals and can use a greater version of Hearth of Moonlight and Shadow to create an area of non-detection to hide inside of.
• Elrotyr - . Combatant - Turns into a massive owl and can fight.
• Lyastra - . Summoner - Can summon packs of wolves. The more of her children she brings along with her, the more wolves they can summon.

The following characters are the antagonists/villains in the Aukari Pine plotline. They seem to all be associated with the Gloaming Court (Also the Unseelie Court?) under the Arch-Fey, Queen of Air and Darkness. Aside from her, they are all considered generals beneath Sartumahl.

• General Pistachio Daggerthief (Deceased) - . A quickling who recovered the magical item Dagger of Venom when it was dropped by an unconscious Magfina. He quickly rose in rank within his fey social circle and became a powerful villain.
• Sartumahl - . Dark haired pale elvan man who wears a stags skull and grows antlers from his shoulder. He is an ex-member of the Owl Aukari tribe. He was excommunicated after witnessing the cannibalization of his teacher turned daughter by the reincarnated master/daughter of Elrotyr.
• The 3-Eyed Crow - . An enormous three-eyed crow that deals psychic, lightning, and force damage. It has a delayed explosive attack where it suspends balls of enerfy above peoples heads and also a psychic feather area of effect. Its feathers seem to shimmer between the astral, ethereal, and material planes.
• The First - . A dark haired pale winter Eladrin who wielded three powerful swords before Galvan scattered them into the ethereal plane. Likes games and challenging hunts of intelligent creatures.
• The Queen of Air and Darkness - . Sister to Arch-Fey Titania, ruler of the Summer/Seelie Court. The QoA&D rules over the Winter/Unseelie/Gloaming Court. She is supplying Sartumahl with his power/weapons and perhaps the other generals as well.
• Yllazane - . Ice Phoenix Archer, Winter Eladrin.

To be continued…