Northwood Forest

Northwood Forest is located on the eastern side of Tierhal and runs slightly into Whirlan, where it is called the Spread. It is the setting for many local stories and tales, many featuring Northwood as a terrifying place filled with beasts and monsters.

Geography

Northwood Forest is a temperate forest run through with various streams and occasional ponds. There are several towns located along the edges and even a few within the trees.

Northwood Forest (Tierhal)

Numerous types of trees are found within the forest, including maple, pine, oak, elm, beech, and asterik. Ferns, mosses, and some flowers like primrose and amberose are found along the forest floor. Most trees found within are mature, with few exceeding one hundred years of age.
Threading throughout the forest are multiple walking paths, mostly linking villages together or leading to popular areas for tourism. There are also two main roads, one cobblestone, and the other dirt, that lead to important settlements. The cobblestone road runs along the southern edge and connects two cities, one in Tierhal, one in Whirlan. The dirt road runs between the two largest towns around Northwood and is traveled mostly by commoners. Both are relatively recent, having been made during the 1800s when travel between those places became more common.
Since it is situated between Tierhal and Whirlan, the border between these two countries runs through it. This border is marked by a fence that

separates the Tierhalan side from the Whirlan side. A large gate manned by guards from both countries continues the fence when it reaches the main road.

History

Northwood is several hundred years old and has never been populated in its long history, with most people preferring to travel through it rather than build homes within its depths. The forest was discovered as the first settlers made their way across Narthica to form their own countries. The earliest records claim that it was first called the Spread, the name it still holds for most in Whirlan. As settlers spread out and created kingdoms, the Spread was eventually named Northwood Forest for its location.

Originally, Northwood Forest belonged to Whirlan. However, through negotiation and war, it came to be owned mostly by Tierhal. However, the border between the two countries was not clearly marked at first, so peasants from both would often accidentally cross while hunting. After enough time of hunters or travelers reporting people from the other country trespassing, the rulers of Whirlan and Tierhal decided on a border, marked it out, and added a fence marked in signs with guarded gates at the international road.
As years passed, multiple villages and towns sprung up along the edges of the forest. Some

by Lilliana Casper

were even built inside, but only a few of those were made. Most people were afraid of Northwood’s deep cool and concerned about what might lurk there. Many stories and tales circulate nearby to warn children and strangers of what might be within. And yet still people travel through. After all, why spend so much time on a way around when there are several paths one could take to visit one’s relatives?

Tourism

Although only one or two towns exist inside the forest, hundreds of people travel through every year, and almost everyone who lives nearby enters to hunt and gather food. Lumber is gathered from the very edges of the forest or next to areas of particular interest. Locals and travelers aren’t the only ones to pass through. As one of the oldest forests on the continent, as well as one shrouded in terrifying stories of lost children, many people from across the kingdom come to traverse the paths and peer into the trees. These visitors range from Gifted nobles to peasant farmers on vacation, and all leave impressed and intimidated by the dense thicket of trees that is: Northwood Forest.

Alternative Name(s)

Eastern Tierhalan Temperate Forest (according to Narthica's Main Geographic Features), the Spread (nickname, Whirlan name)

Type

Forest

Location under

Narthica

Included Locations

• Micheal's Bridge

Contested By

• Tierhal
• Whirlan

A section of a Northwood Forest path.

Myths and Monsters

Northwood is a deep, dark, thick forest with thousands of trees, nearly a hundred miles of ground, and heavy undergrowth. As such, it is not surprising that many stories and myths have sprung up in the nearby villages, almost all warning of the dangers lurking inside.
Although no substance has ever been given these tales, many people still fear the forest, and most children grow up hearing how deadly it is for those who forsake advice and enter unprepared. Consequently, until their early teens, children are generally deathly terrified of the forest and what they believe haunts the paths within.
But despite the obvious absurdity of these legends, one must not overlook the alleged monster attacks reported by the town of Danner Hills, when the bodies of three men were found dead. Or the complaints lodged by villagers from Mihall who claimed that there were roaring sounds coming from the forest. And there is a feeling of dread evoked when one looks to the treeline, as if perhaps the stories are true, and something does indeed dwell within.