Day: September 17, 2024

I recently had the chance to visit Evermore the Folklore, a full private region leveraging the Land Capacity bonus, held by Persephone Smythe (LeriaDraven) and landscaped by her and Elfie (WeeWangle Wumpkins). It’s a curiously delightful setting, mixing together a range of elements to offer a blending of the natural, the whimsical, the mystical and the fantastical, with just a hint of things that sit well with the approach of Halloween

Welcome to a dream inspired by the world of Evermore and Folklore. Take my hand, wreck your plans, and let’s go to the lakes were the poets went to die. We are so enchanted to meet you and hope you enjoy your time in this era!

From Evermore the Folkore

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea if the reference to Evermore and Folkore concern to Taylor Swift albums or something else – so please forgive my ignorance on that; but to be honest, the meaning of the references barely matters when it comes to exploring and appreciating the region – it genuinely speaks for itself.

Visits begin to the north-west side of the region, on the platform of a little train station that once served a (very modest) little hamlet – it’s little more than a couple of little cottages overlooked by the local lighthouse up on a bluff. Small it might by, but the hamlet has it own industrious-looking wharf and boat repairs warehouse / fishing centre.

The north coast is fairly rugged for the first part of its run, albeit with a couple of sandy points. However, once past the lighthouse it drops down to a sandy stretch of beach backed by gently sloping grasslands occupied by a small farm. But as gentle as the beach might appear, the wreck of a trawler and the remnants of what might have once have been a set of piers and moorings suggest the sea here can be a little unkind to the unwary.

From the little hamlet it is possible to follow the winding railroad tracks as they pass through a tunnel and appear to set out across the countryside – only to come to a abrupt end, indicating that whilst there might well have once be a little service between the hamlet and its fishing wharf and somewhere else, those days are long gone. No matter, because the tracks point the way to both the lighthouse atop its headland bluff and to the farm – the route to the latter being via a covered bridge passing between headland and rocky hills. The bridge is old, but clearly safe – as testified by the highland cattle meandering across it!

The tunnel use be the train burrows under a small hill which also has a footpath climbing over its back to lead the way inland. It is here that things start to get more mystical and fantastical. Crossed by rutted tracks, the land is a mix of low-lying grasslands, rugged hills and headlands, a broad body of water served by the sea to the east, where it gains access to the land between two high thrusts of rock; and a gorgeous waterfall-carved horseshoe of rock into which the water of the falls drops. Up on the rocky cliffs above, meanwhile, stone fairies dance, an almost Ent-like Autumn Guardian weeps silent tears into his cupped arms and an ivy shrouded piano awaits someone to sit so it might be played for the spirit of the lake as she stands over the waters below.

And that’s just the start of the region’s mysterious and captivating elements. Ruins high and low await discovery, each with their own attraction; gazebos offer places to sit on land and over water; grassy paths run under the bough of tall trees, mixing with sands and giant mushrooms, whilst coves hidden between the rocks await discovery.

But of all the elements awaiting exploration, the great castle is perhaps the most obvious and demanding. Straddling the rocky uplands where the sea enters the region, its tall towers and  high windows command views right across the landscape, whilst inside it offers an intriguing welcome. But beware – here, quite literally, there be a dragon!

With mist wrapped around its legs and bat circling its towers, the castle is an imposing sight, standing tall over the little farm and over the damaged remains of a lone tower topped by a statue of the Lady of the Lake as she holds aloft Excalibur (presumably), and lighting arcs all about.

Statues abound throughout the setting, from the village to the hills and towers, adding to the beauty and mystery of the region. Several (understandably) are to be found within the graveyard sitting down below the flanks of the castle’s hill. Whether this be the burial ground of those who have occupied the high towers, I’ll leave you to decide; it is, however, the place with that little twist of Halloween to be found.

Throughout all of this there are multiple places to sit and pass the time, whilst local fauna and creatures add their presence to the mix, bringing more of a sense of life and beauty throughout, and in some cases as sense of mystery (just where has the puppy’s owner gone, leaving behind the little fellow, their bags and books – and a bag of fresh groceries?

All of the setting appears open to exploration, although there is one gated A-frame cabin on the region’s west side; while it is not specifically marked as private, the sign outside – which might well be meant in harmless fun – suggest folk don’t rick crossing the gate. As such I took this as a gentle hint to keep out, and didn’t wander further so as not to invade privacy, if so.

Rounded out with a well considered soundscape and with more to discover than I’ve mentioned here, Evermore the folklore is well worth visiting.

SLurl Details

• Evermore the Folklore (Cartius, rated Moderate)