Gamboge Forest

The Gamboge Forest is an untamed land caught between Nyrond and the Pale, where elves, gnomes, and human woodsmen struggle to defend their home from monsters, raiders, and neglectful rulers. Once loyal to Nyrond, the forest folk now question their ties, finding strength in their own alliances and the secretive Brothers of the Bronze.

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A Land Between Powers

The vast and ancient Gamboge Forest stretches between Nyrond and the Pale, yet neither kingdom holds true dominion over it. Within its dense bronzewood, oak, elm, and hornwood trees, a diverse and independent people—wood elves, high elves, gnomes, and human woodsmen—make their home. While the forest provides a bounty of fruits, nuts, and timber, it is also a place of lurking danger, where ogres, hobgoblins, and raiders from the Bone March stalk the shadows.

The Forest Folk

The wood elves claim the deepest heartlands of the Gamboge, fiercely protective of their lands. They do not tolerate human encroachment, driving away trespassers with snares, traps, and volleys of arrows. Though they rarely ally with outsiders, they have begun cooperating with the gnomes of the Flinty Hills, aiding in the defense of their shared woodland borders against eastern threats. The high elves and gnomes maintain scattered, hidden settlements, while human woodsmen have withdrawn into stockaded hamlets, ever watchful for danger.

Strained Relations with Nyrond

Though the Gamboge folk have long traded with Nyrond, that relationship has turned bitter. Many remember how 1,000 Gamboge men fought and died in Nyrond’s wars, how the woodsmen aided the Flinty Hills gnomes against the Bone March hordes, and how the kingdom repaid them with silence and neglect. While the northern Nyrondese still respect the forest and its bounty, the king in Rel Mord offers nothing—no aid, no gratitude, no recompense. Frustration and resentment grow, and many now question whether Nyrond deserves their continued support at all.

A Land of Peril

The Gamboge remains a wild and dangerous place. Its people must contend with marauding ogres and hobgoblins, humanoid warbands from the Bone March, and desperate bandits from the Bandit Kingdoms. Unlike the Vesve Forest, however, no single malign force or powerful magical evil threatens the Gamboge. The various races patrol their lands, sharing intelligence and standing firm against invaders. Gamboge bowmen, particularly the elves, are feared for their deadly skill in woodland combat, and their resistance to outside threats remains strong.

The Brothers of the Bronze

Unlike the Gnarley, Vesve, or Celadon Forests, the Gamboge has no great cities or ranger strongholds, yet a quiet force works to unite its people—the Brothers of the Bronze. This secretive group trains woodsmen in combat, survival, and the knowledge of the wider world, reinforcing the belief that the Gamboge must stand alone if it is to survive.

Secrets of the Forest

Legends tell of ruins and sunken temples hidden within the Gamboge, remnants of forgotten ages. Yet unlike the Gnarley or Vesve, the forest does not bear the weight of an ancient and lingering evil—at least, not yet. But should its people falter, should their unity waver, the forest may yet fall to the forces that seek to claim it.