About a century ago, Bogren Brutebasher, a heroic ranger, was just a poor peasant boy who tilled a tiny piece of land near the then border of the Moonwood. An orphan from the early years of his childhood, he grew up by his own wits, becoming a strong, brave, and peaceful youth. At eighteen, the boy lived in a wooden cottage built with his own hands. One day, a wandering athach named Theelsaz attacked a nearby village, killing many and blackmailing the survivors so that they would deliver all their riches in exchange for their lives. The athach made its lair in the outskirts of the Moonwood, waiting for the reply from his terrified victims.
A group of local adventurers, including a good cleric of Silvanus named Pimarus, banded together to challenge the athach, asking for the help of humble and unassuming villagers and farmers. When they found Bogren, the boy was picking mushrooms under a tall ash tree, undisturbed by the closeness of the athach. When asked whether he would join them against Theelsaz, the boy was undecided, for he considered the three-armed giant "just another monster" dwelling in the Moonwood.
Annoyed by Bogren's selfishness and phlegmatic nature, the desperate adventurers taunted him with being a coward. This provocation had a surprising effect on the proud boy, who pointed his finger toward the tree over his head and said, "I will throw my hoe among the branches of this ash. If it falls back to the ground, you will leave me alone. Otherwise, I will not be a farmer anymore, but an adventurer like you instead."
Bogren tossed the hoe, which stuck in the ash's foliage. It is a common belief that Silvanus, the god of nature himself, animated the tree branches to catch the tool. It is believed by some that Pimaris used a control plant spell to "catch" the hoe. "So be it,"said Bogren. "I will come back here only when the hoe falls down."
Thus began the career of a great hero and the downfall of a wicked giant. Theelsaz was killed, with the boy's help, just 3 days later. In the following years, Bogren became a famous adventurer and a slayer of evil giants. He never returned to visit his old property, and died in a distant land fighting some colossal beast.
The ash that held up his hoe, however, became a holy tree. Under the guidance of Pimaris, the local population built a shrine to Silvanus to commemorate Theelsaz's defeat. The ash, enclosed in a courtyard, was thought to be an oracle of the deity. The shrine, referred to as the Ash Temple, served as Pimaris' residence. His adventuring career over, he offered wisdom and healing to all the shrine's visitors.
After Pimaris' death, four priests of Silvanus took care of the Ash Temple in succession. These neutral priests, however, were not as altruistic as their predecessor, and the shrine became less popular, while the uncultivated lands around it turned wild again. The Ash Temple was eventually swallowed into the Moonwood.
© Copyright Maryrita Steinhour, 2002, 2003.