Wildlife Reserve

Levels 40–50

Built by Aelyn, Kextra

One of the major reasons the Drow elves split from their cousins, was over the treatment of the natural world. Where most elves followed the path of balance, taking only what could be returned, even if that meant going without themselves, the Drow elves followed the teachings of the spider goddess Lloth, that all nature could be thought of as flies in a vast web to be harvested at need. This difference lead eventually to war, with the two elf kindreds splitting, and the Drow elves forced largely underground. Both to spite their nature loving cousins, and in desperation for some reminders of the world above, Drow merchants in their underground settlements developed an almost insatiable lust for feathers. Offering vast sums of slave mined gold and gems, whether to line a cloak, trim a fine lady's headdress or make a purely decorative fan, many a hunter started regarding woodland birds as a ticket to quick riches; sometimes paying with their freedom if their Drow customers were dissatisfied, and took the hunters as slaves. This naturally lead to a massive depletion in bird populations, some species suffering more than others, some vanishing altogether, that was until the elves got involved. Aided by dryads, pixies and other woodland dwellers; not to mention the trees themselves, the elves started keeping a watch on forests, catching poachers, and encouraging the birds to breed, establishing several sanctuaries where populations of wild birds could be protected. The efforts have been massively successful, especially when the elves threatened to deliver anyone they caught poaching straight to the Drow to explain why the feather trade had dried up, and now, 40 years after the establishment of the first reserves, bird populations are almost back to normal. This wildlife reserve stands as a reminder of the crisis. Standing at the western end of a range of hills, close to the bustling human town of RiverRine, it still protects the local bird population. Watched over by a couple of human rangers who still occasionally need to deal with the odd poacher attempting to revive the feather trade, but mostly serving now as a local beauty spot, and of course a haven to any bird lovers.