Timberland Grotto

Timberland Grotto is a large forested district on the edge of town. It has walls as is expected of any given part of town, but has a generally low population count as the district council frowns upon any attempts to urbanize. The tech level is generally low, though proven Friends of the Forest are allowed, with approval of the council, to have their own generator, so long as it doesn't disrupt the area's serenity.

Mostly the home to 'shy' races, the district council is composed strictly of elves and/or spirits, though exception has been made for other long lived races, the district charter suggesting any younger races are incapable of proper forest government. The council will generally not meet someone who has  yet to prove themself worthy, either through deed, voucher, or demonstrating the patience it takes to sit on an elven waiting list. Attempts to circumvent this are frowned upon.

The primary sources of income for Timberland Grotto are hollistic medicines and art, though there is a healthy trade in spiritual focii, natural foods, and even a light timber industry, tended to by druids of all people.

Generally they are distrustful of the fogborn, and those who wish to enter the forests are given a trial wherein they are expected to drink a strange herbal concoction said to be toxic and/or cleansing to those infected by the fog's wicked ways. Those who survive are allowed free entry until the next time they are suspect. Timberland Grotto Visas are sometimes frowned upon, because if someone has passed the trial by toxin, the Grottans don't tend to bother marking their possible fogborn nature. Timberland Grotto was originally a section of forest and small village in a fantasy-esque world. No one is entirely sure how or why it ended up in Cross, but one day after a particularly bad Fog receeded, there was a forest. It was promply surrounded by walls and put under general quarantine. There was a period of distrust and a lot of tension between the residents of Portshire and the people of the forest, but eventually it gave way to peace after extensive measures were taken to ensure the people of the Grotto were not horrible monsters. It is not uncommon for either townsfolk to distrust the foresters, or the foresters to resent the townspeople, but so far the peace has been maintained.

Weather
Generally stable, due to care taken to ensure general holistic balance, Timberland Grotto's proximity to the Fog, occasionally sees particularly harsh or chaotic storms. A local group of spirits and druids are tasked with searching the forest for signs of problems after especially bad events.