The Hidden Grove

Lore & Background

The Hidden Grove emerged as a response to the brutal crackdowns by the Jahad Empire and the Ten Great Families, particularly during the era of the Great Warriors. Its founders were likely survivors of purges or defectors from noble houses who saw the need for a network that could operate without the heavy-handed tactics of groups like FUG. The Grove's philosophy emphasizes preservation and patience over direct confrontation, believing that the Tower's true nature will eventually be revealed through the accumulation of small acts of defiance—a forged document here, a misplaced key there, a whispered warning that saves a life before the blade falls. Members of the Hidden Grove are scattered across the Tower, often embedded in ordinary positions as merchants, guides, or even minor officials. They communicate through coded signals and safe houses, known as 'groves,' which are hidden in plain sight—a forgotten floor where the light never quite reaches, a quiet district whose residents have learned not to ask questions, or a seemingly abandoned workshop whose dust hides a trapdoor. The organization's leadership remains anonymous, with even its most trusted agents knowing only a few contacts. This structure makes it nearly impossible for the Empire to dismantle, but also limits its ability to mobilize large-scale operations. A single betrayed grove might vanish overnight, but the roots run deeper than any one branch. The Hidden Grove's role in the story becomes most apparent during the events surrounding the Hell Train and the battle for the Last Station, where it provided crucial support to Bam and his allies—supplies that arrived without explanation, a door that opened at just the right moment, a face in the crowd that vanished before it could be thanked. While not as powerful or feared as FUG, the Grove represents the quiet resistance that persists throughout the Tower, a reminder that not all rebellion is loud or violent. Its ultimate goals remain unclear, but it is believed to seek a future where the Tower's inhabitants can live free from the tyranny of the Jahad bloodline—a future built not on a single cataclysm, but on a thousand small cracks in the foundation.

In Their Own Story

The air in the dusty antique shop smelled of old paper and forgotten promises. A Regular, her face hidden beneath a hood, slid a worn book across the counter. The shopkeeper, a man with tired eyes, opened it to a page marked by a single pressed flower—a bluebell, rare on this floor. He nodded once, then gestured to a back room. Behind a false wall, a narrow staircase led down into a warm, candlelit cellar. There, a dozen people sat in a circle—a fugitive from a noble family, her hands still trembling; a disgraced Guide whose eyes held the faint afterimage of paths she could no longer walk; a child with a strange shinsu glow that flickered like a candle in a draft. No one spoke their true names. The shopkeeper lit a lantern, and the flames danced across their faces, casting shadows that seemed to reach for one another. 'Welcome to the Grove,' he said. 'You are safe here, for now.' The words hung in the air like a promise that knew its own fragility.

Reader's Guide

The Hidden Grove is a secret network of safe houses and operatives spread across the Tower, dedicated to protecting those who have been marked for death or enslavement by the Jahad Empire. Its primary goal is survival and preservation, not conquest. To join the Grove, one must be vouched for by an existing member and pass through a series of tests designed to ensure loyalty and discretion—a false confession under pressure, a choice between safety and a stranger's life. Once accepted, members receive a unique cipher key, often disguised as a trivial object: a chipped coin, a frayed ribbon, a melody hummed in a certain key. Safe houses are stocked with emergency supplies, forged documents, and hidden passages that lead to the next floor. The Grove operates on a 'need-to-know' basis; no member knows the full network, and even safe houses are relocated without warning if compromised. For those fleeing the Empire's reach, the Grove is not a home—it is a bridge to the next shadow, a hand in the dark that lets go before the light arrives.

Did You Know?

• The Hidden Grove is sometimes referred to as 'The Garden' by those who know of it, a nickname that predates its current name and is whispered only among the most trusted circles.
• Some fans speculate that the Grove may have ties to the ancient Tower residents who predate Jahad's reign, pointing to the bluebell flower—a species that blooms only on floors untouched by the Empire's shinsu regulation.
• The organization's symbol is a stylized tree with roots that form a circle, representing hidden strength and continuity—a promise that even when the trunk falls, the roots endure.
• It is believed that the Hidden Grove has at least one member on every active floor of the Tower, though this has never been confirmed. Rumors persist of a 'Root Keeper' who maintains a map of all groves, written in a scr