************EDITOR'S NOTE************
This tale is strictly player "legend" and is in no way forwarded as official.
************END NOTE************
Now sylvans have a special affinity to trees and always have. So during 20th through the 25th of Eorgaen, when most celebrate the immortals they worship, the sylvans celebrate the Five Spirits of the Trees.
What are these Five Spirits, ye ask? Ah, let me tell ye their tale... In the days before the founding of Yuriqen, the sylvans searched for a place which would provide them a life secure within the boundaries of nature. The forest had always been their home, but then again sometimes the forest could be cruel. Many dangers and discomforts lie inherent in the woods, and the sylvans needed to find a place where they could successfully deal with them all. So for many centuries -- sylphs have very long lifespans, ye know -- the sylphs continued to seek a forest "blessed by the bounty and touched by the miracle". One of the first places the sylvans chose to dwell was in a great forest of thanot bushes. Now the thanots were gorgeous to behold with their glossy blue leaves, and the sylvans adored their natural wonder. But one day unexpectedly a great tiger roamed into the forest of thanots and, being as the bushes had no height to speak of, the sylphs were unable to climb to protect themselves from the onslaught of the beast. Many would have died, had it not been for the Spirit of the Thanot. The Spirit whispered unto the tiger and kept it at bay, but then warned, "I was most pleased to save those who so honor trees, but I cannot make a habit of protecting ye good folk from the beasts of the wilds. I suggest ye find a home more suitable to yer needs." And, heeding the warning, the sylvans moved along to another great wood. The next dwelling place of the wood elves was a thick stand of monir trees. In the season of autumn the monirs were particularly appealing, their leaves turning especially vivid shades of red, orange and gold. But the habitat of monirs is naturally very damp, and great rains would often douse the forest. On the night of one particularly devastating deluge, it seemed likely many of the sylphs would die, had it not been for the Spirit of the Monir. The Spirit ceased the rains and allowed the wood elves to find higher ground, but then warned, "I think ye all fine folk to so love trees, but I cannot often quell the rains to keep ye safe. I suggest ye find a home more suitable to yer needs." And, heeding this warning, the sylvans moved along to another great wood. They sojourned awhile within a cluster of fine fel trees. The charred looking bark of the fels was very distinctive to be sure. Yet the wood of the tree was so hard, the sylphs had trouble fashioning their bows and few utensils, without which they would likely die. Helpfully, the Spirit of the Fel came to them and softened the wood a bit to make it pliable for their use, but then warned "I understand yer need for some implements and the means to create them, but I cannot constantly change the essence of the wood at will to provide ye such means. I suggest ye find a home more suitable to yer needs." And, heeding the warning, the sylvans moved along to another great wood. Amidst the stout presence of blue tanik trees did they next make a home. And the enormous breadth of these trees did provide them much shelter. Yet alas the taniks were much prone to disease and fungi, and during one particularly bad year most of forest was affected by such. This caused much hardship to the sylvans, and many became ill unto death themselves. Until the Spirit of the Tanik intervened and cured the trees, but then warned, "Disease is harsh and trying, this I know. Yet I cannot circumvent the harshness and trial of nature at every turn to make this world more viable for ye. I suggest ye find a home more suitable to yer needs." And, heeding the warning, the sylvans moved along to yet another great wood. Ah, but this last was to prove the magic wood, the most blessed. This was the forest of the modwir, that boasted towering height which could provide a means of escape from predatory animals, that grew in climate which seemed never too extreme, that possessed wood most useful for carving and the like, that seemed most resistant to disease. This was indeed the forest of bounty. Yet what of the miracle? Dwelling in winter amongst the modwirs, the sylphs noticed the trees did not lose their show of fine green needles. So they called upon the Spirit of the Modwir to explain this wonder to them, thinking again a spirit was providing them but a one-time kindliness that could not be repeated. But the Spirit cheerfully assured them, "Modwirs are evergreen, good sylphs. Dwell here amongst mine, for ye are more than welcome into all eternity." And so the sylphs stayed, knowing both the bounty and the miracle, and in time built the great city of Yuriqen amongst the modwirs. And each year, at the time around the Winter Solstice, for five days the sylvans celebrate the Five Spirits of the Trees who guided them to the best and most bountiful and most miraculous of homes.
