October 16th Writing Prompt: Wood
For half a century, a shaman known as the grovekeeper has been cultivating trees grown around a magic meadow. These trees have monumental value: their wood has inherited magical properties that many people find useful, from nobles and kings to merchants and pirates. The grovekeeper must choose a recipient of these enchanted trees. Who will it be, and what do they have planned for the forest?
Ideas and questions:
The possible recipients in the narrative above are just that: possibilities. You can extend your chosen recipient to whoever strikes your imagination. Perhaps the grovekeeper believes the trees would be best received by a powerful wizard. Or it might be that they consider a shipbuilder who is constructing a wondrous fleet to be able to make good use of the lumber.
Because of the possible greed that people can exhibit, it could be that whoever is not chosen by the grovekeeper holds a grudge, and tries to take the material by force. That could add tension to your story.
What are the magical properties that the forest has? Do all the trees have the same enchantment? Or is it a situation where different portions of the forest behave differently, based on where they are?
Is there a reason that the grovekeeper has to choose a person to receive the trees at all? Could it be that no one is worthy of the majestic properties of the forest, and they try to withhold them from everyone?
Is the grovekeeper cultivating the trees to pass the region itself off to someone, or is it just the trees that are being shipped off? Do the possible recipients begin to learn that the location is ultimately important?
Challenge:
Everything changes when… Write your story from the point of view after the shaman learns something telling about either the grove or one or more of their intended recipients.