One of the earliest living Manses constructed in the High First Age, Thornhaven was the masterwork of Shadow-Gliding Leaf. A secretive No Moon Lunar artisan, she sought an alternative path to the Solars’ magitech. She grew the seed that would contribute to Thornhaven in her Twilight Caste mate’s genesis laboratory. Once it was perfected to her satisfaction, the Lunar planted it in one of her territory’s Wood demesnes. The seed took a century of meticulous cultivation by her followers to develop. When its bud finally blossomed, though, Shadow-Gliding Leaf had what she wanted. The Manse became her refuge from Old Realm society and personal organic workshop. She visited frequently throughout the centuries.

Once the Usurpation occurred, Shadow-Gliding Leaf fled to her Manse. She ran her territory as best she could until the Balorian Crusade. The raksha had no trouble taking the Contagion-ravaged land, but Thornhaven itself was more problematic. The resulting siege and battle was ferocious. Shadow-Gliding Leaf eventually forced herself to turn the Manse’s elemental attunement itself against the Fair Folk. If she couldn’t have it, no one would. Her fate after that is unknown.

Ever since then, Thornhaven has weathered the ages better than many other Manses. Its original location in the far Southwestern jungles concealed it from all but the most determined explorers. Most who did find it considered the elemental flux too much bother to handle, though they did note its location. The Oberonian Conquest failed to touch it. Its members were more interested in taking the Blessed Isle than the Threshold. As a result, Thornhaven wound up untouched and deep within Earth’s Amazon rain forest, where it has remained ever since. Heaven knows of its existence. So do several Wood Aspect Terrestrial clans. There are many more unclaimed Manses throughout Creation, though, and most of them are less overtly dangerous.

Hearthstone: Thornhaven’s Hearthstone is a gem of wood shaping. This brown oval, speckled with green bits, can shape up to (Manse’s rating) cubic yards of wood, living or dead, at once. It can’t break the wood (such as for making weapons) or destroy it. Beyond that limitation, though, the stone’s control over its element is supreme.

• Blessed by the Woodlands/Wood Dragon’s Nest (3): This Manse would make an ideal home for Wood Aspect Terrestrials. It is immune to their animas, reduces the cost of their elemental magic (as well as those of elementals and thaumaturges), and encourages the Exaltation of their children. Its Hearthroom is filled with thorns and deadly pollen. These phenomena are environmental hazards that inflict 3L per action and have Trauma 5. In its current damaged state, Thornhaven as a whole experiences the elemental flux.
• Eternal Plant/Self-Sustaining (2): If it suffers Power Failure, Thornhaven can stabilize itself to stave off explosion. It does so at a rate of one dot per minute (or one dot per hour if this power is damaged). Sadly, the Manse cannot repair itself.
• Fruit of All Creation/Provider (2, Favored): Many varieties of fruit adorn Thornhaven’s walls, including those no longer seen on Earth since the Reshaping. They can feed a Magnitude 4 unit-about four hundred people.
• Giant Bush/Living Manse (1): Even damaged, Thornhaven is a giant thorny bush. Its undamaged structure had shorter thorns, fruits, and flowers of many different varieties.
• Organic Laboratories/Master’s Workshop Manse (2): Thornhaven has chambers dedicated to Craft/Earth, Craft/Water, and Craft/Wood. These are not conventional workshops in the slightest. Everything is made of wood and plant material, and maintenance is as much a matter of watering and pruning as it is cleaning.
• Pollen Sweet and Toxic/Subtle Breath of Sextes Jylis (1, Favored): The Hearthstone bearer has complete control over the internal climate of the Manse. By default, Thornhaven is comfortable and dry in tropical conditions. This power is fairly easy to turn against attackers by manipulating environmental conditions.

Maintenance (-5): As a giant bush, Thornhaven must be meticulously pruned, weeded, and watered every day. Rain from the forest won’t do, either. The water must be purified, though thaumaturgy will suffice. Other than that, maintenance requires only gardening tools and two hours’ worth of work. Individuals other than the Hearthstone bearer need either Craft/Genesis 1 or Craft/Wood 3.