Eldeen Reaches

The seat of power: Greenheart
Major Races/Ethnicities: 5,000,000 (45% humans, 16% half-elves, 16% shifters, 7% gnomes, 7% halflings, 3% orcs, 3% elves, 3% other races)
For the past forty years, the Eldeen Reaches have officially been under the protection and guidance of Oalian, the Great Druid of the Wardens of the Wood. Long dominant in the forest, the Wardens have spread out into the plains to ensure order throughout the region. Each village has a druid counselor who provides magical assistance and spiritual guidance and advises its leaders. Councils made up of representatives from each farming family govern each of the communities. Bands of Warden rangers patrol the forest, responding to threats as they arise. The shifter tribes and druid sects have their customs, but leaders are usually chosen based on age and spiritual wisdom. The ways of nature guide concepts of law and justice is usually swift and harsh. Politically, the Eldeen Reaches' folk largely ignore the events in the east and are ignored in return. The Wardens of the Wood have made clear to Breland and Aundair that they will defend the nation against any military threat and have no interest in further discussions regarding borders, treaties, or resource rights.
Druid traditions dominate the Eldeen Reaches. The Wardens of the Wood hold sway over the region and most communities have a Warden druid who serves as a spiritual guide and advisor. The Wardens seek to find a balance between human advancement and nature. Unlike the Ashbound, the Wardens have no problem with agriculture, animal husbandry, or hunting for food, as long as proper respect is shown for the land. The Wardens also respect the fey as embodiments of nature—destroying a dryad's tree is a terrible crime. While most of the eastern Reaches' villagers appreciate the druids' authority and wisdom, other beliefs and traditions can be found; the Wardens do not prevent other deities' worship. While few churches exist in the Reaches, the Sovereign Lords Dol Arrah, Olladra, Boldrei, and especially Arawi and Balinor are commonly invoked and revered.
The Eldeen Reaches cover the northwestern region of Khorvaire to the Shadowcrag Mountains. The eastern Reaches feature fertile plains and rolling hills, but dense forests cover most of the nation. These forests house some of the most primeval trees on the continent, ancient growths that have survived the rise and fall of empires and witnessed the arrival of humans on the shores of Khorvaire. The forces of magic permeate these woods, and strange beasts and mischievous fey roam the land. Many dangers lurk in the deep woods, and the humanoids who make their homes in these forests don't always take kindly to visitors. The deep woods of the Eldeen Reaches remain mostly as uncultivated and pure as they were when the world was young. In the Age of Monsters, when the goblinoids forged an empire across Khorvaire, the Eldeen Reaches were the domain of orcs who sought to live in harmony with the wilderness. The orcs were devastated and decimated in the war against the daelkyr. As a result of this terrible conflict, the forest was seeded with aberrations and horrid creatures formed by the sinister shapers of flesh. Millennia passed, and humans came to Khorvaire. As the nations that would one day join together as Galifar took shape, the Eldeen Reaches were primarily left alone thanks to tales of the "haunted forest" west of the Wynarn River, filled with monsters and demons.
Still, over the centuries, humans and members of the other common races slowly drifted into the Reaches. Some came in search of land and opportunity. Hunters and warriors devoted to the Silver Flame came to battle evil magical beasts, eventually driving the more dangerous creatures into the deep woods. Others were drawn to the woods, called by a force they could not name. Deep in the ancient forest, those who heard the call met with the Great Druid Oalian, an awakened greatpine who has watched over the woods for more than four thousand years. He taught those who heard his call the ways of the wild and the ancient gatekeepers' duties. His teachings inspired all the druid sects that eventually grew up in the Reaches. Centuries passed. The druid society grew and spread throughout the forest, which came to be known as the Towering Wood. The younger races brought their customs and perspectives to the Reaches, of course, and Oalian's teachings had already begun to diverge from those of the original Gatekeepers. In time, the druids fragmented into a dozen sects.
Meanwhile, the nation of Aundair claimed the fertile plains along the eastern edge of the woods, and farmers and settlers spread across the river. Despite minor conflicts between shifter and settler, settler and druid, and even among the druids themselves, the region prospered. The Last War proved to be the undoing of the old order. As the conflict intensified, Aundair pulled its forces back to protect its heartland and eastern borders, leaving the Eldeen Reaches to fend for themselves. Bandit lords sponsored by Karrnath and the Lhazaar Principalities harried the farms west of the Wynarn River, using the forest as a base and staging ground. In the south, Brelish troops crossed the Silver Lake to occupy Sylbaran, Greenblade, and Erlaskar. As things went from bad to worse, an army of druids and rangers emerged from the forest. In 956 YK, the Wardens of the Wood rallied the farmers and peasants, crushing the bandit army before it knew what was happening. With order restored in the north, the Wardens turned their attention to the south. In 959 YK, they finally succeeded in driving the Brelish forces back across the lake. Angry at the Aundairian crown for abandoning them, the people swore allegiance to the Great Druid, breaking all ties with the lords of Aundair and resisting several Aundair attempts to regain control. Since 958 YK, the Eldeen Reaches people have considered themselves to be part of an independent nation. The Reaches were finally recognized as such with the signing of the Treaty of Thronehold. It remains to be seen whether Aundair will try to reclaim its old territories now that The Last War has ended.
The Eldeen Reaches are a strange mixture of untouched wilderness and pastoral farmland, inhabited primarily by humans, half-elves, and shifters.
When humans first came to the Eldeen Reaches, the orc natives shared their druidic traditions with the newcomers. Over the centuries, these teachings were twisted and reinterpreted, and today five major sects exist in the Eldeen Reaches. These groups dominate the great forest. Some seek to protect travelers and settlers from the wild's dangers, while others see it as their duty to drive civilization back from the Reaches and ultimately from Khorvaire itself. After a ranger has learned the basic ways of wood and wild, he can travel to the Eldeen Reaches and seek admission to one of the sects. A sect usually requires an applicant to pass one or more tests to prove his skill and devotion to its ideals. Once he has been accepted into the sect, an Eldeen ranger learns special techniques and abilities that help him fulfill his sect's goals.
Life and Society Two distinct cultures occupy the Eldeen Reaches. The Towering Wood that fills most of the region is home to the various druid sects, while the agricultural communities dominate the northeastern plains. The farmers of the northeast region live simple, rustic lives. They have worked the land for generations and possess a strong sense of pride and ownership. The typical Reacher has little interest in events beyond his village but a fierce loyalty to his community's people. The region has never been heavily populated, and there is plenty of room for the farmers to expand. A Reacher focuses on caring for the land, producing a good harvest, and leaving their children a larger farm. While strangers may be treated with suspicion in some communities, in general, the people of the Reaches are generous and friendly, doing what they can to make travelers comfortable. House Vadalis maintains communities along the eastern border that are larger than the farming villages and generally more sophisticated in terms of the services and forms of entertainment available to travelers. While Vadalis respects the power and influence of the Wardens of the Wood, Vadalis towns rarely have druid advisors; the house considers the abilities of its dragonmark heirs to be proof of its strong bond to nature. A dozen distinct druid sects inhabit the Towering Wood. The largest of the denominations, the Wardens of the Wood, has communities scattered throughout the forest. The other sects are mainly nomadic.
Most remain within specific regions of the great wood, but the Ashbound and a few others migrate across the forest's length. Each sect has its customs and practices, and sometimes these customs conflict with those of another group. The Wardens of the Wood provide a warm welcome to all travelers who show proper respect for the forces of nature. At the same time, the Ashbound are often suspicious of travelers and hostile toward those who practice arcane magic. The majority of Khorvaire's shifter population resides in the western half of the Reaches. While many shifters have integrated into the druid sects, several shifter tribes also live in the woods. Like the druid sects, each tribe has distinct customs. Some of the shifter tribes follow a nomadic lifestyle; these shifters generally celebrate their bond to the natural world and prefer to avoid all contact with other races. Stationary tribes usually embrace their human heritage, establishing hamlets and trading with travelers and the people of the northeastern plains. All suffered to at least some degree at the hands of the Silver Flame inquisitions over the centuries, but in recent years the Church of the Silver Flame has altered its attitude toward the shifters; it no longer considers them to be the spawn of evil. While it hasn't embraced the shifters, the Church no longer sees them as creatures that must be destroyed (despite their lycanthropic heritage).
Adventuring in the Eldeen Reaches
The northeastern plains of the Eldeen Reaches generally make for a safe and pleasant place to travel. House Orien has established trade roads connecting most significant agricultural communities, and travelers can get from place to place with little difficulty. The Wardens of the Wood track down any dangerous beasts that leave the great forest, and bandits operating in the open are quickly dealt with. Within the great forest of the Towering Wood, however, things are different. Few paths exist, and fewer still are well maintained. The druids and shifters who live in the woods leave few marks of their passage. Many deadly creatures inhabit the forest, from dire and horrid animals to magical beasts and aberrations. The Ashbound, the Children of Winter, and shifter tribes can also pose a threat to explorers and travelers. Druids, especially the Gatekeepers, usually fight any aberrations they encounter, but other creatures are left alone.
The Wardens seek to protect magical beasts of the forest from poachers who hunt them for the magical and alchemical properties their pelts, horns, and other organs possess. A variety of forces could draw adventurers to the Eldeen Reaches. The Twilight Demesne, the Gatekeepers, and the Great Druid all hold knowledge and artifacts that heroes may need. The Order of the Emerald Claw may try to tap into the power of the Gloaming, or one of the Cults of the Dragon Below could threaten Khorvaire from the depths of the forest. Adventurers traveling in the region could be caught up in the tension between the druid sects and House Vadalis, or friction between the Reaches and the rulers of Aundair could draw adventurers' attention. Breland or Aundair might want to send spies to report on the state of affairs in the Reaches, or adventurers could be drafted to deal with marauders who occasionally emerge from the deep woods to attack Brelish and Aundairian communities before disappearing back across the border. There's no end of trouble, mystery, and adventure awaiting in the Eldeen Reaches.
Adventure Ideas
—A scholar from the Arcane Congress hires adventurers to aid in an expedition to locate and explore an ancient ruin in the heart of the great forest. Should they help her remove a seal hidden in the ruins that might unleash a great power from the depths of Khyber?
—One hundred years ago, a champion of the Silver Flame disappeared into the Twilight Demesne. The Church believes that he was seduced and trapped by the fey, and now that the Last War has ended, they want to rescue the lost hero. In fact, the paladin saved the fey from a terrible spirit that had seized control of the court, and his memory is revered. The lords of the court still hold the armor and weapons of the noble knight. If a new champion of the Flame finds the court and passes the tests imposed by the fey, she may receive the relics of the fallen hero as a reward.
—The Wardens of the Wood request the help of visiting adventurers. In the northern reaches of the Towering Wood, the Order of the Emerald Claw has established a stronghold from which to launch missions into the rest of the region. The citadel must be breached, and the Emerald Claw agents must be dispatched before they can upset the region's balance.
—A Dragon Below cultist has entered the Gloaming to engage in an arcane experiment meant to fill him with the power of Mabar itself. Can a group of brave adventurers navigate the dangers of the Gloaming and its Children of Winter protectors in time to stop this experiment from reaching its conclusion? If not, will they possess the power to prevent a cultist who wields the energy of the Endless Night the way a fighter wields a sword?
—Something among the Guardian Trees has turned a horrid boar toward Greenheart, and every day more horrid creatures appear to threaten the community and the Great Druid's grove. The Wardens of the Wood, requested by the Great Druid, call adventurers to assist them in dealing with the monsters and discovering the source of their agitation. Conversely, if the adventuring party includes a druid or ranger, that character could hear the call for help the Great Druid broadcasts to those in the area.
—House Vadalis has been suffering acts of terrorism and sabotage from the Ashbound, and the sect seems to have increased its efforts against the dragonmarked house in recent weeks. The house sends for adventurers willing to protect its interests and find a way to reduce the number of attacks coming from the Ashbound and their agents.
Major Cities Small agricultural communities dot the eastern Reaches; most of these are hamlets and villages. House Vadalis maintains small towns spread out evenly along the east border of the Reaches, including the most extensive community—the small city of Varna. In the great wood, the druid sects and shifters typically live in small communities roughly equivalent to thorps and hamlets.
Greenheart (Small Town, 12,600): Tucked deep in the Towering Wood, Greenheart is home to the Wardens of the Wood.
Varna (Small City, 80,000): While Greenheart is the spiritual capital of the Eldeen Reaches, Varna is its largest city and the center for trade and contact with the rest of Khorvaire.
Cree (Small Town, 10,000): The small town of Cree, located on Lake Galifar, doubles as both a farming and fishing community.
Wolf's Paw (Thorp, 750): The farming community of Wolf's Paw, located in the central region of the northeastern farmland, is one of the relatively few permanent shifter communities in the Reaches.

Important Sites
Magic and mystery fill the Eldeen Reaches. The spirits of nature, strong and ever-present in the Reaches, express themselves in many forms. The land also bears the marks of the ancient war against the daelkyr, blighted regions that spawn aberrations and other twisted creatures. The Gatekeepers guard portals to Khyber and maintain the ancient wards that hold the daelkyr and other fiends in check. The land has much to offer if one is willing to explore the deep forest with an open mind and a brave heart.
The Gloaming: Deep in the great forest, unlucky travelers sometimes stumble across an area where the wood has twisted in upon itself.
The Guardian Trees: The Eldeen Reaches are preternaturally fertile. In the great forest center, deep within the Towering Wood, a region exists where growth is genuinely phenomenal.
The Twilight Demesne: Fey live throughout the Eldeen Reaches.
Exports: Agriculture, animal husbandry
Industries The Eldeen Reaches contain some of the most fertile lands in all of Khorvaire. Guided by the druids' ancient wisdom, Eldeen farmers produce abundant harvests of all manner of crops—much more than the relatively small population can use. Therefore, agriculture has become a big business for the people of the Reaches. In particular, Breland and Karrnath utilize Eldeen produce to supplement their farms' output to feed their highly industrialized societies. For this reason, both nations tried to gain footholds in the region and may do again if the trade or the peace efforts fail. In addition to agriculture, animal husbandry is a significant industry in the eastern reaches. House Vadalis is concentrated in the Eldeen Reaches and has spent generations working to domesticate the region's unusual creatures and use magebreeding techniques to produce new and superior lines of existing species. Mounts, guard beasts, superior livestock, and exotic pets often originate in the Eldeen Reaches. Darkwood groves scatter the reaches, and the forests contain many exotic plants and animals with valuable alchemical or mystical properties. However, the druids discourage the harvesting of rare plants from the woods, and the Wardens of the Wood deal harshly with poachers caught hunting the creatures of the forest for personal gain. Poaching aside, most of the druid sects tolerate the industries of the northeastern farmers and House Vadalis, as long as the land and livestock are treated with care and respect. Many villages have a local druid who provides spiritual guidance and agricultural advice. However, a few extremist sects—most notably the Ashbound—view such acts as a violation of the natural order. These extremist sects occasionally strike out against the northeastern communities.
Power Groups The Eldeen Reaches seem peaceful on the surface, and the northeastern plains exist in a reasonably stable environment under the watchful eye of the Wardens of the Wood. The western woods, on the other hand, are full of intrigue and subtle conflict. Here, the druid sects, shifter tribes, and fey forces maintain a precarious balance of power. Other than House Vadalis, only House Orien has a strong presence in the region. Orien trade roads and caravans provide the means for exchanging vital goods between the Reaches and the other nations. Other houses may offer their services in the towns controlled by House Vadalis but rarely operate elsewhere in the region.
House Vadalis: The Mark of Handling first emerged among the earliest human settlers of the northeastern Reaches, and the house has maintained its greatest strongholds in the region ever since.
The Gatekeepers: The oldest druid tradition in exitance, the Gatekeepers hold their charge of vigilance against the horrors of the Dragon Below.
The Wardens of the Wood: The largest and most influential druid sect in the Eldeen Reaches, the Wardens can be found across the nation, guarding both plain and forest.
The Cults of the Dragon Below: The legacy of the daelkyr can be found throughout the great wood.
The Lesser Sects: In addition to the Wardens of the Wood, several smaller sects—which can prove to be valuable allies or dangerous antagonists—also work within the region. These include the Ashbound, dangerous fanatics who roam the great forest, striking against the farmers of the plains and others they see as threats to the natural order. The Children of Winter, nihilists who embrace death as part of the natural cycle of life; and the Greensingers, druids, and rangers with close ties to the fey can be found near the Twilight Demesne.
The Eldeen Reaches are a land of shallow rivers, dense woodlands, and rocky crags that is home to creatures like the fae, cragstrider, and mauler.

Controlled Territories

• 835 - Wolf’s Paw