The Faerie Ring almost impossible not to get lost, which can prove disastrous not to abuse her alliance with Red Jack, for she simply has too much to lose OTHER DEMESNES TANARAO While the Green Expanse is connected to all old forests, it is blocked from other sovereigns’ demesnes unless they permit it—sovereigns simply exert too much control over their own lands—or unless she uses force or guile For example, Korapira is unable to link directly with Manitou’s Bear Marches, since she has not been granted permission by Manitou However, she is not completely blocked from accessing it Being unprepared to test his certain vengeance by using force to break down the front door, she has opted to adopt more discrete methods, using backways to gain small footholds over time By contrast, she has full access to Red Jack’s Strangle Grove, yet out of deference does not abuse the privilege The island of Tanarao is the largest island in the Tanarao Archipelago Nicknamed the Green Crescent, the island appears as a crescent moon set in the sea ever since Korapira’s birth destroyed a large chunk of it, creating the Gulf of Tattered Souls Its smaller sister islands lead and trail like a field of stars The island is completely overgrown with tropical jungle in a vibrant display of plant life, many being varieties found nowhere else Dense underbrush, twisting boles, interlocking branches, massive leaves, iridescent flowers, curious vines, and a constant sense of movement characterize this green and growing tangle of ever-striving life The gulfward side is lined with massive mangrove swamps while the seaward side finds jagged, steep cliff faces Anyone attempting to map Tanarao would sooner or later be forced to accept that the space within the forest is much greater than the space that should be afforded by the island The woods go on and on, seemingly without end Moreover, these woods are constantly shifting, as if the trees—the very land and sky—were merely playing with travelers The distance between any two points is never the same twice, and the vistas are always changing A traveler here must be wary when spotting a path, for these are the untamed wilds, and any path is the sole creation of the forest It means the intruder has been noticed; there is no quicker route to doom than following one of these innocent-seeming trails At first blush, there appears to be a great abundance of animal life in the forest, an impression caused by the ever present sense of motion—strange, incessant noises from different positions and glimpses of movement only in the periphery As an outsider’s visit lengthens, though, and he or she gets deeper into the forest, comes the realization that there’s actually not a lot of animal life Sure, there’s a large population of insects and spiders—in fact, enormous specimens that should not be able to grow to such sizes—and an occasional bird or other small creature But in a forest this size, there should be more And what’s making all those noises, then? PALACE OF LEAVES Nestled near the center of the Heartwood, the breathtaking Palace of Leaves is composed entirely from the surrounding forest—a living, growing place Boles of massive trees twist into needed shapes, forming framework for the construction Branches, vines, and leaves weave together intricately, giving substance to this wonder while immense flowers bloom along the walls Open to the air and sun, it is the utmost in beauty and utility The palace is very much a living thing, and every aspect reshapes itself to Korapira’s whim STRANGLE GROVE With Red Jack’s permission, Korapira has anchored his demesne Strangle Grove to the Green Expanse This has had the effect of stabilizing its wild fluctuations and preventing its complete unraveling Now, Strangle Grove and the Green Expanse are open to one another Red Jack, of course, has honored his promise and meets with Korapira regularly on the boundary of his demesne to talk about death Korapira sits there, uncharacteristically attendant to his every word, as if they were uttered by Death itself She has become strangely devoted to Red Jack, similar to the way the Tufaga are devoted to her Korapira is taking great care — 75 —