In the depths of primeval forests and woodlands untouched by calloused hands are groves of mighty trees that shade the forest floor from almost all light. Under the canopy of these trees, the brightest day becomes mere twilight. Night is like the spaces among the stars, blacker than black.
In some of these locales, Elven tales say, the Shadowfell touches the world. The cavelike environment is cool, despite rotting timber and leaves, giving off a chill even in the summer. Trees loom with a sinister aspect. Creatures that feed on decay, such as insects and spiders, take refuge among the trunks and branches. Apparitions of long dead animals appear on the edge of firelight, and voices of the departed can be heard whispering in the still air. The magic of shadow and death is enhanced.
Despite the macabre nature of such surroundings, Elves acknowledge these places as part of the natural order. Elves can see past the forbidding exterior to the eerie beauty of these dim realms. Some Elves are attracted to the gloom and what it might hide. Over the centuries, more than one Elven settlement has sprung up in or near a lightless wood. Among Elves, these settlements are known as Gloaming Hearts.
Gloaming Hearts are difficult to find. Most are found in the center of elven territories, so only friends of the elves have a chance to make their way to one. Legends about the forest that surrounds one, some of which Elves create and spread, can keep even Elven allies away. The truth works to do the same, since those who are familiar with gloaming hearts know that they can contain crossings to the Shadowfell.
Gloaming Hearts are also where surrounding elven communities send their dead, and undead creatures that are welcoming only to elves might dwell within. Elves of the gloaming hearts deal with death and shadow, and they revere the Raven Queen and Sehanine. Although they are far from morbid, these Elves are the keepers of the departed and the caretakers of the oldest Elven lore. To perform their duties or to further delve into the unknown, numerous Gloaming Heart Elves give a small piece of their soul, "to the dark side of the moon" to learn shadow magic. Other Elves who wish to explore shadow magic often travel to a Gloaming Heart to do so.
Elf clerics of the death domain, tending to the needs of the dead and the bereaved, are common in Gloaming Hearts. Perhaps more than other Elves, such priests are lovers of life and foes of those who use shadow magic for the sake of evil. Elf Illusionists, Necromancers, and Nethermancers hone their arts in Gloaming Hearts. Primal magic that evokes Elf ancestors is also a customary practice among Gloaming Heart Elves who have real power.