Forest heart

Forest Heart is the sister settlement of River heart located in the middle of The Frontier Forest, relatively close to the red-wood settlement

Function

Just like River heart, Forest heart is not the home of any particular tribe. It was once very similar to its sister settlement, until the creation of the red-wood settlement. The incursion of the Entrelai people into the forest catalyzed a change in the forest tribes, who still remember what happened to those who fought in The unification war. Now, it is more of a war room than a place of commerce. Warriors of all tribes prepare here for the continuous war of attrition they fight against what they see as invaders.

Leadership

The ruler of Forest heart is The Heart of the Forest. Just like on River heart, this person is chosen by The Heart. Once elected, they serve as the Heart until their death. They will inherit knowledge and control over the device and select a few delegates to assist them in this task. But unlike their counterpart in the twin settlement, this also makes them the unofficial general of the forest's army.

The heart

This mysterious device, can when used by their chosen person, transport anyone from River Heart to Forest Heart, on the other side of the forest, as travelling long distance inside the forest is dangerous, this has been instrumental in the comunication between different areas of the forest and the reason of the creation of this two special settlements.

Defences

Even when a few traditional walls surround Forest heart. Their best defences are a complicated setup of traps and hidden devices which extend for around 300 m around the whole settlement. Even longer in the direction where the red-wood settlement is located. No one can get half a mile from the settlement without being noticed by the spots who keep watch on the area. This settlement also hosts a combined army of all the tribes of the forest, who have decided to contribute towards the defence of the forest.

History

Forest heart was founded when The Heart was found. It started as a nexus between the two sides of the forest,to facilitate access to distant areas without the need to traverse the most internal regions of the forest, which are dangerous even for its inhabitants. During The unification war, both settlements and their leaders remained neutral. After the war ended, many of those who used to live in settlements near the forest ran inside of it, as most of those who remained were either killed or sold into slavery in The capital, Spiralai. This changed the stance of The heart of the forest, which hosted a massive gathering of most forest tribes to make a decision regarding how to proceed. This first gathering decided to take a defensive stand. But in subsequent gatherings motivated by the continuous attempt of forest incursions, this stand turned openly aggressive, granting The heart of the forest the command of the combined forces of the forest, gathered in Forest heart