The Forgotten Kin

Feral Elves

The feral elves of Ravenswood Forest are a wild, elusive people who live in deep communion with the land. They ride wolves as their steeds and are adept hunters, moving through the forest like shadows, unseen by the human eye. Known as the Wolfriders, they are fiercely protective of their territory and view any human encroachment as a direct threat. They see themselves as the true guardians of the forest, upholding ancient pacts that predate the arrival of the villagers and the founding of Ravenshollow.

Those Feral elves who cannot contain the wildness of the spirit often leave their community and join the wild hunt. Giving in to their primal self and leaving behind any sense of forgiveness and mercy. The feral elves always respect the riders of the Wild hunt, but it is not something they strive to become. They are generally smaller than their kin of the High court

The Feral Elves are not a unified people, but a fragmented and fiercely independent collection of clans, each shaped by the landscape they call home. Though they all hold fast to the ancient ways of the forest, their methods, alliances, and levels of hostility toward humans vary. Some still strive to protect the balance, while others have been pushed too far and now seek blood and vengeance.

Many of the largest clans make their homes in the Boglands, where the forest merges with the twisting fens and sinking mires, but there are also thorn-bound hunters in the Thornwilds and mystic watchers in the Heartwood. The Moonwhisper Shamans wander between them all, binding them through prophecy, blood, and whispers from the old spirits.

A feral elf community is a tight-knit, nomadic or semi-permanent group bound by tradition, survival, and an unyielding connection to the land. They are self-sufficient, relying on hunting, foraging, herbalism, and raiding to sustain themselves. Their settlements range from hidden tree-dwellings in the Heartwood, reed-hut villages in the Boglands, cliffside shelters in Conifer Vale, to thorn-woven camps in the Thornwilds.

Common Aspects of Feral Elf Life

1. Leadership & Structure

• No Kings, Only Elders & Shamans – Feral elves reject centralized rule. Their communities are led by the most experienced, whether a war-leader, a Moonwhisper shaman, or an elder hunter. Leadership is earned through wisdom, skill, and strength rather than birthright.
• Decisions Are Communal – Matters of survival, war, or migration are discussed in council, and while elders may advise, the final decision is often left to the strongest voices.

2. Roles & Responsibilities

• Hunters – The backbone of the tribe, responsible for tracking, stalking, and slaying prey. They provide meat, furs, and bone, and often double as warriors when raiders or corrupted creatures threaten.
• Foragers & Herbalists – Those who gather roots, berries, mushrooms, and herbs—some for sustenance, others for healing, poisons, or rituals. They hold deep knowledge of which plants nourish and which kill.
• Shamans & Spirit-Speakers – Keepers of rituals, lore, and the will of the spirits. They guide the clan’s connection to nature, the moon, and the forgotten gods. Some carve runes into bark to ward against corruption, while others read omens in the wind.
• Scouts & Pathfinders – The eyes and ears of the clan, moving ahead to warn of threats, spy on enemies, and find safe paths through the ever-shifting terrain.
• Crafters & Bone-Shapers – With little metal, feral elves craft tools from wood, sinew, stone, and bone. They carve ritual masks, weapons, and armor from their kills, believing the spirits of the fallen live on in their tools.
• Warriors & Bloodriders – Every feral elf knows how to fight, but some dedicate themselves entirely to war, raiding, and defending the clan. They train wolves, great elk, or swamp lizards as mounts, relying on speed and ambushes rather than open battle.

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Living Off the Land

Feral elves are expert survivalists, thriving in places where humans would perish. Their diet, tools, and way of life are dictated by their home region:

• Bogland Elves (The Mireborn, The Drowned Hands) – Rely on fish, eels, amphibians, and marsh plants. They craft reed-woven homes, fishbone spears, and venom-tipped arrows.
• Heartwood Elves (The Gloamshades, The Hollowborn) – Live among massive trees, hunting deer, boars, and forest birds while gathering nuts, roots, and sacred herbs. Their weapons are often finely carved bone and twisted wood spears.
• Thornwilds Elves (Bloodriders, Thorn Sisters) – Hunt Nightclaw’s panthers, dark hounds, and corrupted deer. They use thorn-armored clothing, bolas, and hooked weapons to fight in the labyrinth of brambles.
• Conifer Vale Elves (Hollowfangs, Frostwardens) – Stalk mountain goats, cave bears, and frost elk, using stone-tipped spears and bone clubs. They climb sheer cliffs and craft warm cloaks of wolf pelts to survive the bitter cold.

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Daily Life & Rituals

• Dawn Hunts & Silent Offerings – Each day begins with a hunt or foraging run, and successful hunters often leave small offerings to the land—a carved bone, a feather, or a drop of blood.
• The Midday Rest – Most elves avoid moving under the midday sun, using this time to tend wounds, craft weapons, or learn from elders.
• Nightfall Gatherings – Clans gather around low-burning fires, whispering songs of ancestors, tales of beasts, and warnings of what lurks beyond the trees.
• The Blood Moon Hunts – On nights of the Blood Moon, the warriors paint their faces in ash and red dye, riding out to slay beasts, undead, or intruders in honor of the Hunt.
• Burial & Sky-Rituals – The dead are either burned on wooden pyres or bound to trees, their souls offered to the wind, river, or stars. Some clans believe their spirits return to the forest itself, guiding future generations.

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Outsiders & The Human Problem

Feral elves see humans as a threat, a nuisance, or prey. They remember when humans were weak, clinging to their fires, but now they see their axes, walls, and growing numbers.

• Some Want War – Bloodriders and Thornwilders believe humans must be driven from the land before they ruin it completely.
• Some Want Distance – The Heartwood elves and Moonwhisper shamans believe human villages are short-lived and not worth the blood spilled.
• Some Want Knowledge – The Gloamshades and a few Mireborn believe some humans might be useful, especially those with ancient bloodlines or gifts for magic.

Their attitude toward witches is divided—some see Agatha as a last hope for balance, others blame all witches for Isolde’s corruption.

The Wolfrider

The Wolfriders are those of the feral elfs that have found a mystical bound with a wolf pup at a young age. They tend to end up as warriors, hunters or scouts. Their culture is deeply tied to the rhythms of the natural world, and they possess an uncanny bond with their wolf companions, communicating in a series of gestures and soft whistles. The pack operates as one, blending the instincts of the wolves with the cunning of the elves. These feral elves have a heightened respect of their kin and is one of the reasons the Dark riders are so hated, since it is such an opposite of what they are.

Beliefs and Conflict

The Wolfriders believe that the witches of Ravenswood are the true protectors of the forest, carrying the burdens of ancient pacts and responsibilities that humans have failed to honor. They view the villagers of Ravenshollow as intruders who have broken the natural balance, taking more than they give back and poisoning the land with their ignorance.

The Elves’ Creed: The Wolfriders follow a strict code, known as the Creed of the Wild Pact, which emphasizes harmony with the natural cycles and deep respect for the forest spirits. They are known to leave offerings of meat and blood at certain groves, honoring the old pacts that bind them to the land.

Conflict with Humans: The Wolfriders often skirmish with hunters and foresters who stray too far into the deeper woods. They see these intrusions as violations of the old laws. Their attacks are swift and brutal, designed to scare off trespassers rather than kill, though there have been casualties. The villagers tell stories of being hunted by elf-riders who appear from the mist and vanish just as quickly.

Encounters with the Feral Elves

The feral elves rarely engage in direct combat unless provoked. Instead, they use guerrilla tactics, harassing and driving away intruders with hit-and-run strikes.

Wolf Ambushes: The elves and their wolf companions often lie in wait along less-traveled paths, using the wolves to surround and disorient their targets. The elves then appear from the shadows, issuing stern warnings before disappearing into the forest. They leave behind symbolic marks—claw scratches on trees or wolf prints in the mud—as a sign to stay away.

Signs of Warning: Travelers who have ventured too deep into the forest have reported finding fetishes hanging from the trees—small bundles of feathers, bones, and fur tied together with sinew. These are warnings from the Wolfriders, signs that the land ahead is sacred or under their protection.

The Kin of the Wild

Other notable roles

1. The Moonwhisper Shamans

the Moonwhisper Shamans walk a different path. These are the elders, the spirit-speakers, those who still listen to the whispers of the old forest and the dying voices of the Moonbound Spirits.

They gather in hidden glades beneath the silver glow of the full moon, where ancient stones still hum with lost magic. Through blood and vision, they weave what power remains of the elder spirits to delay the corruption, to call the wolves and the owls, and to keep their people from falling too deep into the Hunt. They are respected but also feared—for many claim that to hear the true whispers of the Gloomwood is to hear one’s own fate spoken in the wind.

The Moonwhisper know the old paths, the hidden ley-lines, and the places where the forest still remembers. They hold ceremonies under the Hollow Moons, where they tattoo their warriors with the ink of crushed Nightshade berries, marking them with the glyphs of the forest, so that their souls remain bound to the land even in death.

2. The Thorn Sisters

The Briarbound Blades

Not all elves seek visions in the moonlight. Some listen to the thorns, to the whisper of knife-sharp briars that twist through the forest’s darkest hollows. These are the Thorn Sisters, a deadly coven of hunters, all women, who forsake clan and shaman to dwell where only the brambles grow. They are silent, their bodies marked by the thorn’s bite, their blades curved like fangs, their eyes blackened with the sap of the Briar Heart.

Their leader is called Varethia, an elf who once spoke with the Fey Lords, but now lets the forest speak through her. The Thorn Sisters are feared by all—even their own kind—for they do not fight with honor, nor do they ask the spirits for guidance. They strike without warning, moving through the brambles like ghosts of the green, striking at corrupted beasts, trespassing humans, and even their own kin should they show weakness.

The Bloodriders respect them but keep their distance, for it is said that those who hear the Thorn’s Call never return unchanged.

The Fate of the Corrupted Elves

Not all of the feral elves have remained untouched by the dark influence spreading through Ravenswood. Some have fallen victim to the corruption, their connection to the forest twisted and tainted.

1. The Wraithkin

For centuries, the Feral Elves waged war against the trespass of men, but now a far worse blight has come to their home. The Wraithkin, the husks of elves consumed by the dark entity’s growing corruption, roam the night like shadows of a forgotten past. Twisted and hollow, they were once their kin, their bodies now half-spectral, their minds lost to the creeping will of the dark. The Feral Elves fight them without mercy—to see one’s own fallen brethren rise against them is an unforgivable horror.

Description: The Wraithkin are elves who have been fully consumed by the corruption. Their skin has turned pale and cracked like dead bark, and their eyes glow faintly with an eerie green light. They move silently, their bodies now gaunt and skeletal.

Behavior: The Wraithkin are mindless, driven only by a hunger for life energy. They linger near corrupted pools and dark hollows, attacking anything that crosses their path. The Wolfriders view them as lost kin and mourn their fate, often holding rituals to ward off the same corruption from spreading to their own ranks.

Encounters: The Wraithkin appear at night, moving through the mist like phantoms. They are often seen alongside corrupted fae, acting as guardians of tainted groves. Their touch drains warmth and life, leaving victims cold and weakened.

2. The Dark Riders

Even more dreaded are the Dark Riders, elves who once rode proud wolves but have since become the nightmare they once hunted. Mounted on twisted, bloated mockeries of their former wolves, their mounts bear bone-white eyes and matted black fur, dripping with a foul-smelling ichor. The elves who ride them have no names left, only hunger and hate, serving the dark entity as its hunters. The Feral Elves, especially the Bloodriders of the Thornwilds, dedicate themselves to destroying these lost souls, seeing them as abominations. Their battles are fought in the depths of the twisting brambles, where shadow meets thorn and only blood tells the victor.

Description: Some wolfriders have succumbed to the corruption, becoming Dark Riders. Their wolves, once noble companions, are now emaciated and twisted, their fur matted and their eyes glowing with malice. The riders themselves wear bone masks, hiding their faces twisted in agony.

Behavior: The Dark Riders are tormented souls, trapped between life and death. They roam the deepest, darkest parts of the forest, attacking anything that intrudes. Unlike the uncorrupted wolfriders, they show no mercy, driven by an insatiable bloodlust.

Encounters: The sound of heavy, ragged breathing and the scraping of bone against bark are the first signs of the Dark Riders’ approach. They appear suddenly, their wolves snarling and snapping at their sides, and vanish into the shadows just as quickly, leaving only blood and fear behind.

Rumors and Relations

The villagers of Ravenshollow speak of the feral elves in hushed tones, unsure whether they are allies or enemies. While the elves blame the humans for the forest’s corruption, they have a begrudging respect for those who honor the old ways.

The Pact of the Elder Tree: It’s said that the feral elves once swore an oath under the branches of the Elder Tree, the oldest oak in the forest, to protect the land alongside the witches. Some believe that if the Elder Tree falls, so too will the last of the uncorrupted elves.

The Hidden Grove: There are rumors of a secret grove where the uncorrupted feral elves gather, a place untouched by the corruption. It’s said that the Moonwhisper Shamans keep the grove hidden with powerful magic, and only those pure of heart can find the path.

The feral elves are a crucial part of the forest’s resistance against the spreading darkness, yet their mistrust of humans creates a fragile and tense relationship. They fight to protect their ancient home, holding on to the old ways as the world around them changes, perhaps for the last time.

Losing Oneself to the Hunt – The Call of the Hunter

The Great Hunt is not just a legend among the Feral Elves. It is a curse and a truth, a force older than memory that claims those who stray too close to its call. The elves are hunters by nature, but some forget themselves in the thrill of the chase. When an elf loses their name to the Hunt, they are never seen again—not as kin, not as friend.

They become Hollow Hunters, something more than elves, less than beasts—their bodies moving in unnatural silence, their eyes burning with cold, silver fire. They roam the night alone, for even the Bloodriders will not ride beside them.

It is whispered that The Hunter, the great, unseen lord of the Wild Hunt, watches these lost souls with interest. Some say he takes them as his own, pulling them beyond the veil into a place where the hunt never ends. Others claim that they still walk the Gloomwood, forever trailing unseen prey, their faces half-remembered phantoms glimpsed in the fog.

The Moonwhisper Shamans speak of one chance to save such a soul—to call them back before they cross the final veil. But none speak of what price must be paid to do so, and none who have tried have ever returned whole.