At Tenches' center stands a ring of seven trees so massive they dwarf everything around them. These are the Heartwood—trees that predate the forest itself, their trunks wider than houses, their canopy spreading over the council halls below.
The Grove Council claims to interpret the will of the Heartwood through dreams, omens, and direct communion. Whether the trees actually communicate is debated by outsiders and believed absolutely by locals. What's certain is that decisions attributed to the Heartwood have kept Tenches independent and prosperous for centuries, navigating regional conflicts with uncanny foresight.
The Heartwood Grove is open to visitors during daylight hours. Touching the trees is forbidden. Cutting them, harming them, or even speaking disrespectfully near them results in immediate exile—and possibly worse, depending on what the forest decides.