Guardian Forests
The ancient Karatikan Alliance of druids and mages sent their most dangerous prisoners to a distant peninsula walled off by mountains – in modern day Rakore. Semi-awakened trees each held a prisoner within their trunks, wrapped around them, sustaining them, and individually tailored to the prisoner.
Some of the Guardian trees – known as Gleidhidh in the ancient Karatikan tongue – absorbed magic from their prisoners, to keep them from using it; others infused their prisoners with particular poisons or magics. Most of the prisoners were powerful, immortal, or both. Many were friends to immortal persons in the Karatikan world, and so could not be executed. All of the prisoners were awake during their incarceration, and could hear or sense or smell the world outside their prison. Their emotions were, when possible, modulated to rehabilitate the prisoners.
The Guardian trees' roots and leaves communicated with one another and with their wardens. The roots could shuffle resources and aid other trees when an individual tree weakened. The leaves could release molecular cues to signal one another and wardens.
The War of the Undead saw some of the fallen trees arise – and some of the fallen prisoners, as well.
The remaining Guardian trees maintain their centuries' old watch over their prisoners – but there are no more wardens to warn.
