Politics

Ku’Than is an unwavering theocracy governed by the Council of Than, presided over by the High Witch, currently Serona. The Council meets in shadowed arboreal halls, dosed in the hush of ancient oaks, where decisions are rendered in whispers and the rustle of leaves. Authority stems not from lineage or wealth, but from spiritual merit and ritual endurance. Every witch, forged in rigorous trials, commits herself to the forest—and through that bond, binds with another witch in a symbiotic connection: death for one means death for the other. Some legends claim that Ku’Than’s eternal purpose may be both protector—and warden—of a sleeping, malevolent force imprisoned in the forest’s core, and that its politics revolve as much around containment as worship.

Population

Ku’Than is structured not on towns or villages, but on isolated covens—twelve in all—scattered deep within the forest. Each coven forms the nucleus of a hidden enclave where witches—practitioners chosen in childhood and forged by brutal rites of survival—rule as both guardians and devotees of Than. Alongside them are many Familiars, non-witch servants dedicated to the forest’s protection. These loyal aides may perform tasks from gathering sacred herbs to tending the forest’s shifting wards. Every member of Ku’Than’s population, witch or familiar, serves a singular purpose: the worship of Than and the guardian stewardship of the Elden Wood.

The woodland kingdom of Ku’Than—literally “the place where Than dwells”—lies in the far eastern reaches of Kelos, known as the Elden Wood. It is a realm shaped by ancient magic and unforgiving nature, a living forest that veers between sacred sanctuary and dangerous labyrinth. Here, Than, an ancient and enigmatic forest deity of Skazka, reigns as the primal embodiment of the earth’s untamed spirit. Revered by a devoted theocracy, Ku’Than exists entirely to honor Than’s will and preserve the sanctity of the wild. Strange, shifting paths and living trees guard its secrets, making entry rare—and exit rarer still.

The Sanctuary of Revelations

A sacred water cave deep within Elden Wood, where the ritual of Than’Dva unfolds. Two witches enter and emerge telepathically bonded, sharing secrets, fears, and visions through thoughts alone. It is said the cave walls pulse with faint bioluminescent runes—and the spirits of the forest linger in the mist.

The Weird Wood

A twisted, sickly section at the forest's edge, overrun by Black Oak druids and their progeny, the ebony-skinned child-like fey known as Vodnik. Their domain floats above caverns cursed by Dark Elves, and the forest here bleeds with strange magic and grotesque beauty. Entrance to the Weird Wood is forbade.

The Shifting Grove

A labyrinthine glade where paths rearrange as if alive. Mist coils and roots braid overhead, preventing navigation. Only the initiated—those with latent forest magic—can pass through unlost. Many who dared enter seek the Heart-Tree, rumored to stand at its centre, alive with faint thrum of Than’s will.

Visiting Ku'Than

Approach Ku’Than at your peril. The forest’s sentience warps paths and misleads the uninvited. Intruders vanish without trace, swallowed by green shadows. If any encounter succeeds, it is only via clandestine trade at the forest’s edge—typically conducted under the cover of night with whispered bargains and wary glances. Witches and peculiar treelike guardians stand watch. Rare travelers report moss-soft whispers on the wind, shapes that blur between bark and bone. Should you wish to petition the Council or seek knowledge from Ku’Than, prepare for a trial of endurance, humility, and perhaps initiation—always at Than’s discretion.

The Midnight Clearing

A circle of moonlit stones ringed by ancient trunks in which nocturnal rituals are held. Here, under twin moons or solstice dusk, witches invoke Than’s fury or blessing in rites of silent communion that twist reality into uncanny unity with nature.

The Sentinel’s Edge

The forest's outer boundary where towering trees arch inwards like guards. Sightings here include witches flanked by animate wooden guardians—eerie, gnarled creatures half root, half bone—that fade into the mist after ensuring the forest’s safety. It is said that those who approach the Sentinel's Edge can hear strange voices that can send those will ill intent insane.

The Coven Halls

Hidden enclaves, each village-centered around a coven and molded from living wood. Interiors are carved from sustainable bark and vine, built into great tree hollows. The architecture pulses with the forest’s life, walls breathing, floors soft as moss—these halls are home to both ritual and daily life, planets unto themselves.