Hello, and welcome to the book of Forest Lore, a brief field guide written by the fictional, but very wonderful, Penny Rivera. As an expert explorer herself, she is familiar with the wild magics and odd rules that belong to magical forests. She has kindly provided some tips for how to navigate them safely and respectfully.
To the right, I have a link to read the guide. Below, I also have some behind-the-scenes content and bonus art for you to enjoy. Thank you for visiting!
Read the Booklet->
My shop is still in the beginning stages, but a selection of art and stickers from the Forest Lore Project is now available in my shop! More to come soon!
As a kid, there was a certain movie… ( I wonder if you know which one…) where the protagonist has to find the Book of Forest Lore, and as a kid I thought that it had a misleading title. Forest lore, in my young opinion, should include survival tips, cool things you can find, and mysterious legends. Lol.
Introduction
Forest Lore
- Wear shoes, unless you want the forest to have your footprints.
- Bring a snack, but save it.
- Everyone can be bribed with good cheese
- If you take something, leave something behind.
- Step quietly, speak softly, look carefully.
- DONT LITTER
- Be gentle
As with a lot of my projects, (and particularly How to Befriend a Mermaid zine,) I think a lot of my feelings about life, and how I wish people would navigate any new or strange space is wrapped up in this project. How do you get by when in an unfamiliar space? Carefully, with interest and curiosity, and respect. How do you get along with new creatures you don’t fully understand? Gifts and snacks. Haha.
The name ‘Moonshadow’ comes from one of my favorite songs by Kat Stevens. The song is so whimsical and the word just sticks in your head in a way I wanted to capture. He has a story about seeing his own ‘Moonshadow’ for the first time on a beach. He’d grown up in the city, and never seen a shadow by moonlight before. The idea of magical things being revealed by moonlight is well-known, and I think the idea of something as personal and yet strange as your own shadow being made all the more magical by moonlight is spectacularly enchanting. (source- https://www.songfacts.com/facts/cat-stevens/moonshadow line five :))
I’m a big nature fan, (who isn’t,) and I particularly adore hot springs. While Moonshadow Pools aren’t exactly hot springs, a lot of the lore does reflect some of the actual folklore around hot springs. If you’ve ever had a chance to visit, you know they are so relaxing, it’s easy to believe they could be magic. The only thing better than a hot bath is one you just find in nature, ready to go. No prep required.
The magical inhabitants of Moonshadow Pools. Moonshadow fish are said to have the ability to grant wishes, though no one has figured out how to persuade them to do so as of yet.
The only thing better than a cool rock is a cool, magical, lucky rock.
Part 1 – The Moonshadow Pools
Though simple pools of clear water by daylight, upon moonrise moonshadow pools fill with mysterious magics. They take on an unearthly glow, as if filled with moonlight.
The rarest and most coveted of creatures, the white hart is legendary. Many people say catching one will grant you a wish, or that its horns will bring you good luck… seeing one is always an omen that strange and wonderful adventures are on the horizon.
It is said that swimming in the Moonshadow Pool by the light of a full moon at midnight can heal any injury or illness, even old age. If you find such a Midnight Pool, leave an offering of silver coins or bread in the water, and take a dip to wash away the woes of mortality.
The Process; Planning
Since I was planning to make this little booklet myself with my handy-dandy printer. (yay) I set out to design the layout, figure out how much space I had for each section, and how to divvy things up. This was my first time working on this so of course, I made my brain hurt thinking about it very hard. Woooo I had to make sure to account for extra pages, etc, so I didn’t leave anything blank.
I wanted to have a nice spread of things you could find in the woods. Just in the booklet, there are a 4 plants, 5 creatures, 3 artifacts, and 2 magical effects listed here, though many more are implied or hinted at!
Moonshadow Pool stones are said to bring remarkable good luck. They will glow by the light of the full moon, and are useful for illusion spells.
I am unfortunately gripped by the belief that anyone can become your friend if you have the right gift. This definately comes through in my world building a lot. It’s unfortunate that I believe this so much because this is the exact sort of thing that gets me into trouble sometimes trying to make friends, lol. Not everyone, it turns out, likes trinkets. But trolls do!
I’m not sure what commentary to add to things like speedpaints and the like, but I hope you enjoy them anyway. I’ve tried to edit them fancy.
Part 2 – Bridge Troll
Bridge trolls love gifts, especially if it’s something they’ve never seen before. The unique or more interesting the gift, the better!
Sullivan looks like any other ordinary cat. Folks who have seen him are unsure whether there are many of him, or only one that can change shape and color on a whim. He always introduces himself as Sullivan to whoever he meets… it is best to avoid him if possible.
What to Bring a Bridge Troll
The Process; Color Pallete
I also had planned out a set, more than just the booklet itself, to go along with the guide. I wanted there to be collector’s cards, stickers, and a poster to go along with it. All things I love! It just feels right to fill it out with little fun art treasures. Maybe I am a troll who likes to horde little treasures.
Getting lost in the woods is, of course, a lot easier than people think. Even in spaces where you feel like you can see for a good distance, or see landmarks, people often and easily get turned around and end up needing to be resuced.
Even that being true… I love the idea of just wandering somehwere quiet, alone, and in nature for hours and hours, and just seeing where my mind takes me. If I could do that with a guarantee of safety, or that I would be home by the end of the day, I would.
Those that stumble into the Pine Labyrinth can fall under it’s spell, and become cursed to wander endlessly in the mists. However, if you are clever and bring a lucky stone, or wanderer’s ward, the curse will pass you by.
Part 3 – Pine Labyrinth
Should you stumble upon the silent corridors of the Pine Labyrinth, be sure to remain calm. Fear and despair will leave you trapped in the misty landscape for an eternity… Do not keep track of time, because it doesn’t pass. Don’t follow the sun, because you won’t be able to find it.
Said to be a gift to the Forest from an old and long-forgotten king. You can find it at the bottom of a pool of dark water, or in the tangled roots of an old tree. There is only one. You will not be the same after seeing into it. You will only see it once. Some have tried to take the mirror with them out of the wood, but even those who grip it tight find they cannot hold on to it for long.
The Noem haunts the Pine Labyrinth, and has since the beginning of time. It is unknown whether there is only one Noem, or many, since a Noem can only meet one creature at a time, and you will therefore only ever find one. They are shy, solitary creatures, so keep your distance unless you have cheese. The Noem is said to trade secrets for cheese, bread, or berries.
For this section, I really liked the idea of something that feels easy to traverse being a labyrinth. Standing in a pine forest the way I imagined this one, with huge trees spaced out over a chilly, misty landscape, would feel awesome, vast, and maybe almost empty. It would feel like you could just pick a direction and walk forever.
Another potential friend, of course. I’m beginning to realize despite their creepy appearance, I have a profound lack of monsters in this guide… a good note for next time.
This section has the brightest color palette for these pages, and therefore almost stands out too much from the rest. BUT I love it and it’s my favorite part so I’m not changing it hahahahaha.
I really like this section, I think it’s my favorite. I think it has the best thingies, as well as the most interesting setup. I have always wanted to explore some abandoned ruins, safety hazards be damned!
The Process; cover
Towards the end of my project, I realized I didn’t like the front page as a cover, and wanted something a bit more simple, so this was the design I came up with for the cover of the booklet. (I love it.)
My favorite page in this entire booklet is the Lichen Blade. I mean LOOK at it. I am so proud of that. I want one. I can’t think of anything cooler to find in a magical forest except a magical forest sword. 😀
I can’t remember if I came up with the word Mystiflora on my own (I feel like I did but I could be misremembering this.) But it is a very cool word.
Part 4 – The Old Tomb
The ruins of an ancient tomb, now buried in overgrowth and sheltered by trees and crumbling walls. The shadows of the burial mound are deep, so that even by noon-light the old tomb is ever shrouded in darkness.
Forest Lore
Wandering through the bent and wild wood, I found myself beyond all things familiar. I have stepped from the world that was my right, and my domain, into the realm of that which transcends me.
I am a guest in this place.
Once the weapon of the forgotten king, now the Lichen Blade is the sword of the forest. It has remained at the Old King’s Tomb for as long as anyone can remember. All that is known about it is that anyone who has gone to try and take the sword has either returned empty handed, or disappeared.
This mystiflora can only be found growing of the tombs of the forgotten. They hold memories of those buried beneath their roots, and can even bind souls to the mortal world as ghosts. Little is known of thier potential magical uses as they are rare.
Finishing this project has been… thrilling! And a bit nerve-wracking. This is one of the very first things ever I’m sharing with all of you, and I am so excited! And so nervous. I hope it comes together well. I hope I can get this to make sense on a mobile webpage. I hope you have enjoyed reading. 🙂
If you would like to support me, I would love it if you shared something you like about this article with your friends or on social media. I’m always in favor of a shout out!
