The Hartzwold lies in the metaphysical and geographical center of the Grimmwold. At the region’s heart is the Elder Tree, said to be the original body of Druathos, before they ascended to divinity by ripping out Ferukhar’s godhead. Legends say that should the Elder Tree perish or Druathos’ aura weaken, the nameless evil that dwelled beneath Ferukhar’s oldest temples will awaken once more to cover the world in green leaves and mortal blood.
The region as a whole is sacred to the Grimmfolk, who only dwell on the outskirts of it, leaving the central woods of Forest’s Heart around the Elder Tree to the Green and Druathos’ divine wilderness. It is in the Forest Heart that the Grimm Council meets, decisions made to bind the nation under the watchful eyes of Druathos and the other gods.
The people who live in Hartzwold tend to have an even closer connection to and intuitive understanding of nature than the average Grimmfolk, dwelling as close to Druathos’ aura as they do. It is rare for them to be followers of any god besides the Green one; the region unsurprisingly produces a much larger number of Clerics of Druathos than one would expect given its population.