Millennium Tree Forest

The Millennium Tree Forest, originally named Held's Forest, was a wood bordering Lucifenia and Elphegort and a pilgrim site for Levin followers of Held. It was later dubbed Evil's Forest after rumors spread of its visitors disappearing in search of Gallerian Marlon's small theater.

Early History
Approximately 528 years before the establishment of the EC calendar, the earth god Held incarnated himself as the Millennium Tree and created the forest and all life in it. Some time afterwards, the forest became a pilgrim site for Levin followers of Held in Heldogort.

Held's Forest
At some point before EC 0, Adam Moonlit and Eve Zvezda settled in the forest and lived within a small home, marrying at the location. Following the establishment of the calendar, Meta Salmhofer also sought refuge at the forest and would visit it from time to time. In EC 001, during one of her visits, Meta with her children, Hänsel and Gretel, and placed the twins on the ground to briefly perform another task. Subsequently, they were found and taken by Eve and she was chased by Meta to her home, where the green-haired witch killed her. With the mother dead, the refugees raised the children as their own. In EC 011, Elluka Chirclatia had a secret meeting with Held. In EC 014, following the famine caused by the Levianta Catastrophe, Adam and Eve took their children out into the forest and abandoned them there before returning to their home. The twins later found their way back to their former home and killed their foster parents, splitting Eve's tainted magic, the Original Sin, into the Seven Deadly Sins. With the tainted magic spread across the world, Held called upon Elluka in EC 015, tasking her with collecting the Sins.

After the Venomania Event in EC 136, Gumina Glassred often came to the forest to pray to the Tree of Held. Around this time, Irina Clockworker repeatedly visited the forest to meet with Held and Elluka returned every so often to update the god on her progress. In EC 325, Elluka visited the forest to discuss the recent subordinate she acquired before returning to care for her indentured servant. Several hours later, Irina arrived and tortured the god to learn of Elluka's location, hoping to reclaim her lost subordinate the sorceress had captured. Failing to break the god, she gave up and left, prompting Held to task his spirits with erecting a barrier to prevent those with great magic power from entering the forest. Later on, the barrier was removed.

Millennium Tree Forest
Sometime during the 5th century EC, King Levin Yappai of the Kingdom of Elphegort renamed the forest as the "Millennium Tree Forest" and dubbed the Tree of Held as the "Millennium Tree". At some point during the turn of the century, Keel Freesis constructed a secret hiding place within an old well in the forest. A group of bandits took refuge in the abandoned home but were later fended off in EC 492 by Germaine and Allen Avadonia after the thieves kidnapped Chartette Langley. In EC 499, Elluka visited Held, asking for an apprentice to help her collect the vessel of Pride. After a few weeks, Held agreed and gave the sorceress his spirits, Gumillia and Michaela, to reincarnate as humans and train as apprentices, using the abandoned home as refuge for three months. The house was later used as the headquarters of the Lucifenian Resistance in EC 500. The forest was set ablaze later that year by the Kingdom of Lucifenia as part of the Green Hunting. Elluka and Gumillia swiftly entered the forest and conjured a rainstorm, minimalizing the damage and protecting Held from harm. Michaela later sought refuge from the genocide in Keel Freesis' secret room in the well.

Michaela was visited by Allen Avadonia and assassinated the following night by Ney Futapie, found dead in the well by Allen and later Kyle Marlon. Elluka and Gumillia arrived shortly after and forcibly took the corpse from Kyle's possession; witnessing her body become a plant sapling, the two mages consulted Held on the matter and learned that Michaela was chosen to succeed him as the Millennium Tree. The sapling was later planted by Clarith and Rin near the Millennium Tree. In EC 505, Kyle Marlon, transformed by the Demon of Pride, entered the forest and pursued Gumillia, Germaine Avadonia, and Yukina Freesis into the forest. Attacking them, the monstrous man was subdued by Michaela's singing and freed of the demon by Gumillia. Within the next few decades, Held's mortal life ended and he departed from the human world, leaving Michaela to take his place. In order to distinguish the new tree from the old, the residents of Elphegort referred to her as the "New Millennium Tree".

Evil's Forest
In EC 982, Gallerian Marlon and Ma constructed a small theater within the forest. The following year, Ma returned to the forest and stored many of Gallerian's collected vessels of sin. The theater and forest were largely forgotten until EC 990, where a melodious singing voice was heard in the forest. Remembering the theater, people visited the theater in search of Gallerian's "treasure" that was believed to be inside his forgotten cinema. The visitors were slaughtered and rumor spread that the Millennium Tree Forest had become a forest of no return: Evil's Forest. The forest continued to be used by the theater inhabitants as they searched for the vessel of Wrath.

Millennium Tree
The first and largest tree of the forest, found near its center. Originally called the "Tree of Held", it was widely believed to be the incarnated earth deity himself and became a center for pilgrimages by followers of the Held sect. Over time, fewer pilgrims began making the journey to visit the Millennium Tree and less believers would come and pray for the god's assistance or guidance. It was late replaced by the "New Millennium Tree". It is assumed that traffic to visit the new tree completely halted after rumor spread of visitors to the forest disappearing.

Evil's Theater
A small movie theater in the middle of the forest. Built in EC 982 by Gallerian Marlon, the theater acts as the judge's personal storehouse for his collection of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the years following his death, the theater was forgotten until rumors spread that Gallerian's fortune was laid there. It acted as the residence of Ma, Gammon Octo, and several of the awakened vessels of sin. Main Article: Evil's Theater

Lake of Amusement
A large lake in the northern area of the forest. During each Millennium Tree Festival, the elderly followers respectfully invited the youth to come together and celebrate. It was believed that the lake served as a place for the Forest Spirits of Held to frolic in the moonlight, producing mythical "Stones of the Wild Spirits" that guaranteed a large harvest when planted. The youth would be told stories and legends about the lake. During the turn of the sixth century EC, a small village was set up north-west of the lake as a Trauben farm, dying its west bank bluish-purple.

Forest of Bewilderment
The southern portion of the forest that became part of Lucifenia's territories after the Kingdom's foundation. It was infamous for its dense flora and lack of roads, making it extremely difficult to traverse for those unfamiliar with it. While foolish to enter the forest recklessly, the local woodcutters of the area were considered adept for passing through it. Adam and Eve's former home and the Ancient Well could be found within the woods. Due to the Lucifenian army, nearly half the forest was burned in EC 500.

Abandoned House
The home of Adam and Eve after they fled from Levianta. The house was used as a refuge for the woodcutters up until their death. Following the murder investigation into their deaths, it was abandoned. Approximately 500 years later it became a hideout for bandits, Elluka and her disciples, and the Lucifenian Resistance. The house's furniture and silverware remained and became dilapidated along with the house over the centuries.

Ancient Well
An old well that existed in the south-east portion of the forest. Down the ladder of the well was a secret room built for emergency situations by Keel Freesis. The hidden room had a bed and carried enough rations to last an extended period of time. An iron-barred window gave it a viewpoint to the outside.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * The forest's original name is derived from the Old English word eld, meaning "old age" or "antiquity" and is named after the god who created it; in Swedish it means "fire".
 * Its later name as "Millennium Tree Forest" also references Held as the Millennium Tree with an approximate age of 1000 around the time the forest was renamed.
 * Its final name as Evil's Forest references the album Evils Forest, as well as its reputation as a place of no return and wicked deeds.
 * Evil's Forest parallels the German Schwarzwald, a wood known for being dark and dangerous, as well as the inspiration for myths such as the Brothers Grimm fairy tales; the nation of Elphegort, where Evil's Forest resides, is based on Germany.

Curiosities

 * Interestingly, a majority of the Seven Deadly Sins return to the forest where they were born; this fact is referenced towards the end of Lu Li La, Lu Li La, The Resounding Song.
 * Similarly, the forest is supposed to be a sacred place for the earth god, Held, yet is the setting for the Original Sin and Seven Deadly Sins' creation and the events of Evil's Theater.
 * Ironically, Allen notes how he wished he could burn the forest, foreshadowing Riliane's outrageous demands.

Gallery
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