Forestmen of Gotha

The Forestmen of Gotha are a large part of their culture, being a subject of chivalrous writings and legends. Like the knightly orders, they too have factions, who often fight each other.

Types of Forestmen

Crown Foresters

"The taxman commeth!" the citizens of Dert would say. A richly robed politician would come in his cart out of the forests guarded by these armored men dressed in green. They are the king's soldiers for the forests, and live a very hard, daring life.

A Quiet Knight by Kekai Kotaki

The Crown Foresters are loyal Larian/Halfian soldiers who enforce the laws in the many forests of Gotha. They often try to stop local bandit clans from hurting the villages, and they enforce the king’s will. They are also known for tax collection and guardians for the tree farms belonging to the nobles of the land. Another task is protecting villages from animals and fey that could potentially endanger them. Depending on their attitude to such work (which can be dangerous), they are either well liked or resented among the common people.
They find themselves rivalled by the Rangers, a group of warriors that do not pay fealty to the crown. Often the Foresters will get into fights or purposefully challenge the holdings of these independent rangers for the sake of asserting the king’s power. To the Crown Foresters, these Rangers are lawless, but can also prove to be great temporary allies when dealing with Outlaw Bands that threaten both the Ranger and Forester holdings.

Rangers

In the forests dwell the ranger, free from the law and the king's taxes. Many believe it is a life of adventure and wanderlust. However, if you ask a ranger, it is a life of survival and toil. A ranger never knows when they come to the end of their days, but lives off that fear to keep going.

Robin Hood by canitiem

In the lands of Gotha, the life of a Ranger is a hard, toilsome affair. They are a more libertarian sport, living off the land, as they refuse to pay fealty to the king. However, this lifestyle is not easy, forcing the rangers to be excellent hunters, trackers, and be attuned with living off the land. Sometimes this means rangers become assorted with the affairs of fey, or learn how to create a greater connection with local druids to protect their lands.
However, the Ranger does not neglect life outside the forest. Sometimes they protect local villagers when they feel the crown of Larian or Halfia is being unfair or absent. They will often fight the Foresters and steal any taxes, delivering them back to villages. (However, this often starts small battles between the two, and is only done when a band of rangers feels confident in their odds.) Though, some respect the boundaries of the law too and want to be left alone.
The ranger described here, however, is not evil. They may be neutral or even good natured, but they will never turn to a life of crime and selfishness. They will even team up with Foresters if a threat comes to the lands. They are enemies toward the Outlaws, who they believe give them a bad name. Thus they are inclined to drive away any Outlaws from their lands.

Outlaws

The Outlaws are former citizens (on rare instances, Nobles themselves) of Gotha who turned to a life of crime and use the wilderness as a base of operations, living off the land. They are troublesome, often consorting with monsters such as orcs or goblins to help defend their territories. They steal from the Crown Foresters and sometimes (if they are feeling confident) the Rangers, but often raid the villages near forests as well.
They are hated by everyone, yet seem to be more numerous than the Rangers and Crown Foresters within the lands of Gotha. Thus they have become a nuisance to deal with, using dense foliage and knowledge of the land to hide from the law.

"Forestmen are found all across Eiren, but for some reason, the people of Gotha romanticized such a lifestyle. It is a curious tale, truly."

~Jethro the Chronicler

The Forests of Gotha

Like it's neighbor Lysandus, the forests of Gotha retain the presense of fey and elves that never quite left to live in the lands of Gaelitia. Thus, many of these forestmen will come across dryads, fairies, and treants that also protect the forests. The Foresters and Rangers often come to agreement not to hurt the benevolent ones, but those who wander the forests without this treaty must beware of the fey and living trees.