Eltawin Forest
The Eltawin Forest is a vast woodland stretching along the southern reaches of the Aul'Daran River and Eltawin River for hundreds of miles. It is broken up into 3 major forests; the Eastern Eltawin Forest that encompases the lands north of the Aul'Daran river and east of the Eltawin River and includes many lightly wooded areas west of the Rikken River; The Western Eltawin Forest, a dark and foreboding forest where travellers a regularly lost and dark rumours a ancient evil are abound; The Southern Eltawin Forest, the woodland to the south of the Aul'Daran River, an area corrupted and twisted by the Pale Wars and the events leading to the fall of Aul'Daran.
The Eastern Eltawin forest if the lighten region of the Eltawin, since the withdrawal of the elves at the height of the Shekiac Empire, much of the forest has been harvested and logged, and many small hovel hamlets and villages dot the region. although the region falls within the Shekiac Empire, the area only sees illegular patrols at best. bandits, slavers and many other unsavoury types make the base here, often raiding into the kingdom of Aul'Daran for easy picking amongst the unprotected citizens. The area directly north of the Aul'Daran river sometimes sees outbreaks of the plagues that destroyed Aul'Daran but any major outbreaks are quickly and ruthlessly destroyed even at the expense of the citizen in the region.
The Western Eltawin Forest is a much darker forest with twisting pathway to nowhere, thick brambles, trees that seem to hinder travellers passage as well as block out the light of day. the forest floor smells of rot and decay. Many who try to travel its depths are never seen again, come out confused and lost, some exit the other side or return to their starting point with not recollection of their time in the forest. Rumour has it that either elves or dark elves still inhabit the western Eltawin Forest and they are the reason for the losses, other rumour speak of something much darker at play.
The Southern Eltawin Forest was once home to a small community of elves and gnomes The Southern Eltwain Forest has fallen to corruption like much of Aul'Daran. The corruption of the forest was initially slower than the surrounding lands but slowly leaked into the groundwater and eventually to the elves, gnomes, animals and even the trees themselves.
Before the Pale War the forest was logged on its eastern and western fringes but the elves had long standing packs with the kingdom of Aul'Daran to not delve too deep into the woods and replenish what was logged. Since the fall of the elves, the people of Xontarvik and Kylton continue to rely on timbers sources from the forests although they now face the added dangers of the forests corruption.
Geography
The eastern Eltawin is a lightly wooded area that stretches from Pale Fields in the east, Rikken Hills to the north and the Aul'Daran River to the south, the woods become deeper the closer you get to the Aul'Daran and Eltawin rivers. The forest also contains several other named woodland areas within its borders including the Balkar Woods, The River Heart, Geldwood and the Lynwood.
The western Eltawin is a much deeper forest with twisted trails, thick underbrush and a canopy that all but blots out the daylight. the western Eltawin covers the forest from the Eltawin River in the east to the Duravale Hills in the west
The southern Eltawin follows the Aul'Daran river from Kylton in the northeast to Xontarvik in the southwest. once similar to the western Eltawin, it has now become even more twisted and warped by the magical plagues that ravage the region. Glades and clears may move or disappear overnight and trails that seem well used may disappear at a moments notice.
Fauna & Flora
The eastern Eltawin forest is home to bandits, slavers and other disreputable humanoids, including orcs, goblinoids and even the odd kobold. further east the occasional undead can be found around long forgotten battlefields, with all manner of beasts including bears, wolves , griffons and even the odd wyvern. Some of the deeper pockets of the east may also harbour cultists, both mundane and infernal, remnants of the Pale wars.
In the West very little is known, but rumour abound that beasts roam free, spiders the size of horses, wyvern, drakes, owlbears and giant wolves roam in packs and dragons are seen at night flying of the towns on the western edge of the forest. Trees walk, and vine choke unwary travellers and even the forest itself seems to repel unwanted guests.
In the south much of the fauna and flora has been twisted by the plagues that beset Aul'Daran,. The flora and fauna is similar to that found in the western Eltawin but many of its creatures are now twisted beyond recognition.
History
The Eltawin Forest was once a sprawling forest full of natural beauty. Elves once tended it's pathways and gnome villages guarded passages to the fey realm and goblin markets. During the rise of the first Shekiac Empire the elves withdrew deeper into the forest cutting ties to the outside world, during this period many of the gateways were destroyed. The Empire aggressively logged the eastern and southern region of the forest, leading to the remaining elves in the west and north to fight back. during this time the forest was reduce by almost half its original area. During the Pale Wars the southern reaches of the forest were beset by plague like much of the lands of Aul'Daran and the armies of the Pale Lord swept through the eastern region of the forest carving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Comments