Interactive Map

The Elderwillow Herdlands have not known true peace for quite some time. The landscape, while outwardly idyllic, masks an underlying sense of urgency, a call to live wild in the moment and never apologize for being what you are. There is an energy here that is palpable, a feeling that the land itself is in motion. Even the trees feel vibrant and alive, unlike their sleepy neighbors farther down the peninsula. Everywhere you look, there is motion. A flock of birds. A herd of deer. A babbling brook and a laughing stream. The trees dance in the breeze as great predators of the wilds pass quietly beneath their boughs.

As for the soquili that call this place home, they too are active beyond the norm. Kawani Warriors and their fleet-footed Soquili companions race breakneck through the glens in hot pursuit of wild game - their whoops and animal calls echoing through the trees. Even the more sedate members of the herd carry themselves well beyond their years or infirmities. The water, they say, is particularly good. Or perhaps it is the great care and respect shown them by the younger herd members. It could be any number of things that keep the old looking young, but outsiders agree it is something about the land itself.

Years ago, this place was once a Kawani settlement. The fate of the original inhabitants of the forests and glades is unknown, but the shamans of the new Kawani village down near the coast assure the Elderwillow leadership that the spirits of these woods welcome their new caretakers. With that in mind, the Alpha and Protector have taken a particular interest in land stewardship that is unlike their peers. What started as an appreciation for the land has developed into a bond; a symbiotic relationship where the soquili protect the soul of this place and the land itself provides whatever they descendants of Wind Horse require. The heart of the land rests not at it's center, but near one of the major rivers that flow down from the sharp fangs of Silver Keep. There, at the base of the mountains, stands a grove of ancient willow trees. It was discovered after the group of soquili calling themselves by their new name 'Cerezo' had settled in the area ... and it's presence changed everything.

They had been the 'Elderwillow' soquili once, when a similar bond with the land had afforded them a peaceful life closer to the original Kawani village. But their home had burned in the fires of a skinwalker attack, and they had fled in search of another place to call home. 'Cerezo' meant cherry tree, and in keeping with their tradition of selecting a home around a central tree, they had picked a venerable old cherry to settle around. Given time and an unending silence, the leaders of the herd - spearheaded by their elder, Flame - looked elsewhere. They were missing something, and it was in this time that the actions of their young Protector, Seresai, earned the regard of the forest itself and the grove was revealed to them.

What they did not expect was the emotional healing that would permeate the herd with the discovery of the grove. Ancestral ties are deep, as it turns out, and the severed ties left behind in their old territory had left gaping wounds in the hearts of the herd. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for a troubled heart to find his or herself in the grove, asking advice of the spirits or simply resting beneath the willows. Visitors, while welcome in the main herdlands, are not permitted here except by express permission of the Alpha or Protector - and they take their duty to protect this spiritual center very seriously. Petitions to simply visit are denied, the Protector in particular does not suffer idle curiosity and she outright scorns gawkers. Spiritual quests are usually granted, but only under discreet supervision by a scout or warrior. Kawani may come and go as they please, as it is their ancestors that imbued the location with such power, but even they are watched. The sole exceptions are the shamans, though they usually insist on visiting the Alpha and Protector anyway, and it was these shamans of the Kawani people who gave the Elderwillow herd their name once more.

The Peacekeepers Grove is a secluded mountain glade overlooking the entrance to the fearsome A-ta-lv-yi Pass. Not much is known about the Grove at this time, as it is currently jealously guarded by the purewalker Seethe. What is known, however, is that the spirits in the Willow Grove wish this place to be reclaimed as another spiritual center, and the signs they send are getting louder.