THE THREAT OF THE FIRST BANDIT COALITION

Military: War

The Wood was an unruly place in those early days, and the settlements beyond Alderheart looked out only for themselves. The various bandits, robbers, and crooks of Humblewood used this to their advantage. In Song 402, they joined together to form a great pack of thieves known as the Bandit Coalition under a mysterious figure known only as The Robber King. To this day, the Bandit Coalition’s name and insignia are used by brigands to spark fear in the hearts of honest folk.   The Coalition raided every corner of the land. Even the birdfolk in their lofty perches weren’t safe. The bandits came prepared. With ropes, ladders, and cunning tactics, the settlements of the Wood were ransacked one by one. Only the Evertree was left unscathed. Its trunk was too tall to scale, its stairways too narrow to storm, and its bark too thick to burn.   Vulnerably located on the forest floor, Bramblewell was attacked by the Coalition. However, thanks to the warnings from the acolytes watching high above for approaching marauders, the folk of Bramblewell were able to take shelter high in the Evertree while the Bandit Coalition sacked their little town. With the assistance of their neighbors from the Canopy, each time Bramblewell was raided, its people rebuilt it stronger than before. Bramblewell raised stone walls and other fortifications, ruined traces of which can still be seen. Townsfolk with combat skills organized themselves into a trained militia, becoming a bulwark against the bandit raids.   In exchange for the kindness shown to them by the folk of the Canopy, Bramblewell ensured that the treetop community continued to receive supplies and kept watch for anyone who might try to sneak up through the tree’s hidden stairways. By supporting each other, both communities were strong enough to resist the worst of the Bandit Coalition’s onslaught together.   As Bramblewell grew, it opened its gates to the wounded and frightened folk from nearby villages. It wasn’t long before the Great Tree of Alderheart was established as a symbol of hope for the denizens of Humblewood. Birdfolk from the divided clans began to look to Alderheart as a place of safety and security, paving the way for the city’s founding.