Stretching far to the south, most of Arthfell Forest actually stands outside the vague borders of Darkmoon Vale. The primarily pine and fir forest generally avoids the axes of loggers affiliated with the Lumber Consortium, thanks to its lack of darkwood. More than two centuries ago, when both it and Darkmoon Wood were much larger and a part of the same forest, a druid circle leader named Narven united the nature-loving peoples in and near Arthfell Forest under his control. Declaring himself the Forest King, Narven reigned supreme within Arthfell Forest for more than 50 years before old age finally caught him in his sleep. His kingdom quickly disbanded thereafter, leaving behind few indications of its existence.
Etherveil: A mile or so south of the gentle slope marking the edge of Elbewick Rise lies a vast indentation in the forest floor in which only silver-barked paueliel trees grow. No underbrush clutters the Etherveil, but a low, chilled fog forever fills it. Thin at the 4-foot top of the indent, the fog thickens quickly until it is opaque only a few inches above the lowered forest floor. On nights preceding solstices, the fog turns from a natural white-gray to a lightly sparkling blue-green. Some legends speak of creatures wandering into the Etherveil and never coming out, while others claim that lovers who loudly declare their love while standing within the indentation live happily ever after. Cartographers who map out the indent never agree on its shape, although sages who have seen the maps universally agree they are in the shapes of letters from the Elven script. Whatever its shape, Etherveil covers several acres of land and is even notable from the air. The few histories of Arthfell Forest and Darkmoon Vale that exist all mention the location, but none of them offer clues to the etymology of its name or its purpose.
Moon Silver Pool: This shallow reflecting pool stands in a quiet glade near the northern edge of the forest. Thick plates of pure silver, somehow immune to tarnish, form a narrow lip around the pool and pave most of its bottom. Despite its extreme beauty, the pool is a place of extreme danger (particularly at night). Druids of the Shadow Pack circle consider Moon Silver Pool a holy site and protect it viciously, as do non-druid werewolves in the area. Nonwerewolves (and even some werewolves who have not yet proved their loyalties) are torn apart on sight if they come too close to the pool. Many believe the Moon Silver Pool is a relic left over from the reign of Forest King Narven.
Taxthyl: Compared to Daralathyxl (see Five Kings Mountains), Taxthyl’s appearance in the region is a relatively recent event. The first recorded sightings of Taxthyl come from 3300, when reports of a reclusive green dragon came in from Tar Khadurrm. Taxthyl quickly established herself as someone not to be bothered. Never an active threat to the forest’s inhabitants, Taxthyl seems only to kill trespassers into her lair or those who annoy her during her long meditations or marathon reading sessions (which can last, uninterrupted, for a year). Only those invited to her lair are truly safe to approach, and then only if they do so quietly and respectfully.
Although their territories overlap somewhat, Taxthyl does not venerate or acquiesce to Daralathyxl. Indeed, Taxthyl seems intent on driving out or killing Daralathyxl, and their few direct confrontations always result in tremendous draconic battles that begin in the sky but frequently come crashing to the earth—without care or concern for what they land on. For her continued defiance against King Daralathyxl, Taxthyl is seen as something of a strange folk hero among both young dragons and humans alike.
Despite her conflict with Daralathyxl, Taxthyl is a typical green. She cares less about commanding other creatures than she does improving herself. To that end, she hungers for information and collected knowledge, and her insatiable lust for self-improvement leads her to hire adventurers to explore the dwarven ruins of the area. When she can find no mercenaries up to the task, or when a bit of information is too valuable to trust in the hands of easily killed humans, Taxthyl emerges from her home deep within Arthfell Forest. Most of the time, when Taxthyl deigns to leave her home, she does so for a particular purpose, and never to spread wanton destruction. For that reason, as well as her defiance of Daralathyxl, the Fangwatch and the other humans in the vale continue to tolerate—if not openly welcome—her presence.
