The Rainbow Forest

As part of The Risen Shore, the Rainbow Forest is almost empty of sapient habitation. Signs of some ruins remain in crumbled stone, but these are inconsistent with skyscrapers or even most modern structures. It is possible that the remains of some older civilization were revealed when the forest was underwater, scoured by ocean currents.   The Pine Barrens were known for their sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, leading to dryness and a landscape shaped by fire as part of its natural cycle, despite its proximity to sea level. Trees were mostly stunted pitch pines and scrub, although unique and unusual species were a feature of the area, such as orchids and carnivorous plants. The region was largely deprived of nutrients during the Ice Age and the subsequent melt, due to a land-shelf redirecting moisture along the Delaware River Valley. The locals called the "so-called soil" "sugar sand." However, the area was also marked by rolling green hills, as would be consistent with a land shaped by ocean waves.   Since rising from the ocean, this feature of the landscape is, if anything, even more pronounced. The climate is wetter than it once was due to subtle shifts in the landscape. The "sugar sand" remains, however, meaning that detritus from the forest is largely carrying the weight of feeding the ecosystem.

Will-o-wisps often appear in the forest, especially at night. This is usually chalked up to swamp gas, but Literomancers know that these soft, gentle lights are simply "offgassing" magical energy. They are believed to be mostly harmless, but it is possible they contain magic that would have effects on those who interact with them.   Tales of cryptids in the woods remain even more prevalent than they were before the Risen Shore sank.

The Rainbow Forest once featured pitch pine, Atlantic white cedar swamps, and rare pygmy pines. It supported 39 mammal species, 300+ bird species, and 59 reptile/amphibian species, with 43 species considered threatened or endangered by the state. Notable wildlife included the Pine Barrens tree frog, bald eagles, and eastern timber rattlesnakes.   Fortunately, most of the original species of the Pine Barrens remain or are making something of a comeback, although in smaller numbers. Rare and protected species, if anything, appear to be more numerous. They are, however, overshadowed by the rainbow foliage of the unusual new trees. As a direct result, the ground receives less sunlight than it once did, and thus, moisture accumulates more easily and remains for a longer time. There will no doubt be significant changes to the flora and fauna as the native life adapts to the new conditions.   "Rainbow trees" is something of a misnomer. Each tree is distinctly coloured in one bright shade: red, yellow, green, blue, or purple. Leaves are shaped something like oak leaves, with points more reminiscent of maples, and they shine in these spectacular colours, with hints of luminescence at night. Moreover, the trunks of the trees, and their wood and bark, are permeated by flickering bioluminescent veins that match the leaf colour. Various names have been proposed, although the species has no scientific designation as of yet. "Magewood" or "witchwood" seem to be the most popular.   While the unusual colours of the trees are their most spectacular feature, they may not be the most significant. Magical beings immediately sense the inherent Literomantic Power of the region, and the trees in particular. These spectacular features are almost certainly the result of the innate magical charge they carry. The Order of Royal Librarians theorizes that this is a side effect of both the powerful magic that restored the Risen Shore, and the long history of myth and urban legend associated with the region.

The primary resource of the region was once the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. Key resources also included commercial cranberry and blueberry production, Atlantic white cedar timber, and significant historic iron ore deposits.   The highly concentrated literomantic energy in the trees and landscape may now be its most significant resource, however, which is why the region is shared with the other Great Houses.

The New Jersey Pine Barrens was a significant producer of bog iron for the Revolutionary War, using local timber for fuel. It was known for its many well-preserved historic villages. It was declared the first National Reserve in the United States in 1978, and the UNESCO designated the area as a Biosphere Reserve due to its unique ecology. It has long been associated with cryptids and urban legends, the best known of which is probably the Jersey Devil.   In the apocalyptic events of 2020, the Pine Barrens were entirely submerged in the catastrophic rearrangement of world geography known as The Restructuring. Millions of people, particularly in the Eastern United States, were killed or went missing.   In 2025, literomancers of the Great Houses felt a calling to try to undo some of the damage that had been done, and they combined their efforts in an epic attempt to raise the necessary literomantic energy for such an undertaking. More than a million Werds of literomantic power were raised in a week's time, a feat many said could not be done. The literomancers then combined their strengths and individual talents to put that power to work, at great personal risk, and with the goal to not cause any further disaster or disruption. Tome Knights who participated in this epic feat were granted the title Warden of the Risen Shore.   A side effect of this effort was that the Wardens experienced an immediate intuitive connection to either the entire region of what has since become known as the Risen Shore, or to approximately one kilometer of coastline worldwide. Therefore, it did not take long for the significance of the Rainbow Forest to be noticed, especially once images had been captured on satellite. Investigation quickly proved the intuitive grasp of its literomantic significance.   The status of the region remained in question for several months, but when King Bob returned from his hiatus prior to the 2026 April Tourney, he immediately recognized the forest as being of mutual literomantic concern, and opened it up as a protected site, which would fall under the jurisdiction of all of the Great Houses. In part, this was a gesture of gratitude for all their efforts to restore Sauropodan territory.   Since then, the Tome Knights have been exploring. These explorations are still in the earliest stages.