Kevin's Watch

OK, that story I wrote about my Forestal was tongue-in-cheek. The only accurate bit of information was that her name is Taiga Tzu. But what I've learned since then!!

I don't know how Vain did it, but it certainly must have something to do with the breaking of the Laws of Death and Life. Thing is, the three Forestaal (Yes, that's their pluralization, as opposed to the Lords' Forestals.) that recently showed up in our Loresraat are three of the last four that, with Caerroil Wildwood, cared for Giant Woods, Grimmerdhore, Morinmoss, and Garroting Deep!!!

Let's get straight what we already know.

Loooong before Berek came along, there was the One Forest, covering all of the Land. Basically, it was one huge, glorious mind and heart.

Then the Ravers showed up, and started destroying it. The Elohim loved the One Forest, and so sent one of their own to help the Forest defend itself. When this Appointed Elohim had taught the Forest enough, it bound her in stone, and she became the Colossus of the Fall. (How's that for gratitude!) Now the Ravers couldn't get into the Land.

But this wasn't enough, because then man showed up. Eventually, humans destroyed so much of the One Forest that its soul survived only in the four great Forests. It finally got serious, and created the Forestaal. Unfortunately, it was too late. Nobody could enter those four Forests and live, but could the Forestaal defend every edge at all times?

Berek and the Lords came along, and they, of course, defended the Forests. This seemed great. The Forests didn't diminish. For a while.

Until the Ritual of Desecration!

By the time of Covenant's first visit to the Land, they didn't know if any Forestal still lived, other than Caerroil Wildwood in Garroting Deep.

Now, perhaps, we can learn a bit more.

Of what happened after the Ritual, Taiga Tzu cannot say. She was Forestal of Grimmerdhore, and perished that day. Garroting Deep is much farther from Mount Thunder, and Andelain lies between them. We can be sure that Caerroil Wildwood was tested, but he survived. Taiga was not so fortunate. When she sensed what was coming, she did what she could in preparation. She told each type of tree which way would be best for its survival through the ordeal. As a willow bends in a hurricane, but an oak stands strong, the different trees survive the powers of Desecration in different ways. She had all animals move to the parts of Grimmerdhore that were farthest from Mount Thunder. And she said goodbye to her siblings. As the soul of each Forest was truly one soul, that of the One Forest, the Forestaal could communicate as easily over their distances as you and I can speak to each other in the same room.

And as the wall of destruction drew near, Taiga sang her power, and her life, into the Forest; enhancing every leaf and branch as best she could.

Unfortunately, and surprisingly, Taiga actually has vague memories of the impact and subsequent destruction. The physical damage was immense, obliterating fully half of her beloved Forest.

The other kinds of damage were worse. Although her memory of it spans only a few brief minutes, they are filled with all the terror, rage, and despair you would imagine. Grimmerdhore didn't know if any physical part of itself would survive. But even if it did, it didn't know if its soul would. Would there be trees remaining that were nothing more than what some of the scattered woods had become before the Forestaal were born? Just an automatic process of growth and death, without true life or love? And it knew that it would have to find all these answers without Taiga Tzu. The terror, and the rage at the humans responsible, were understandable.

Taiga's memory ends there, with no idea of how it ended, or what happened between then and when she was recently brought back to life.

Hmm, I'm having second thoughts about destroying Andelain.

An interesting thing is that we are never told in the books about why the forests survived without Forestals during the Ritual - almost all the living things were killed, and yet here we have two forests that were part of the original One Forest, stood right in the centre of the destruction (Giant Woods and Garroting could have been outside the area for the most part, so this is only relevant to Morrinmoss and Grimmerdhore).

Who says Grimmerdhore and Morinmoss didn't have Forestaal during the Ritual?

Appearently, him.

I'll post an in depth history of Morinmoss after I get back to port.

What I would like to know is, what was Giant Woods called before Giants came to the land?

Why don't you ask? After all, one of the Forestaal that hangs out with you was Giant Woods' Forestal. But one guess is that it was named that before the Giants came to the Land because it was the biggest of the remaining Forests.

Err, the Forestal is here. And we're making Andelain better from all those horrors. YAY!!!

Yes, and you're doing a wonderful job! Thank you, dear. As you're coming to understand, there's nothing better than caring for the trees.

I don't understand why the trees are attacking me, though.

They smell fear

Oh.

The trees have long memories.

Well, I said I was sorry!

They remembered Kevin and his Ritual for what 1000 years. They can hold a grudge.

Oh, that's just wonderful! I suppose I'll just go let the trees kill me, if it'll make them stop trying to hang me when I come back. Or maybe a doll that looks like me would make them quit. Or maybe I'll just keep away from the trees altogether.

I have always believed that the trees of the forests survived the ritual of desecration because they had forestals to protect them. But the forestals themselves were probably severely reduced, because otherwise they would have had quite some time in which to extend their forests again because no humans lived in the land right after the ritual.

But what about Andelain? Was Andelain untouched by the ritual?