Wildwood Boneyard

The Terror Canopy, home to all fears

History

Wildwood Boneyard, also simply known as "The Wildwood", is located at the northernmost end of The Isle of Solace, bordering the lands of the Human nations Banpour and Felize to the West and South, and the great wall of Tellum County to the East. It was gifted to the new children of the Old Gods when they retreated from The Outside World, and for thousands of years acted as a comfortable paradise for them during The Primal Peace. As a result of the Dragon War, The Wildwood is the last remaining forest of the native Hobgoblins and Orcs, after the strategic deforestation that created The Clay Wastes. Following the establishment of the first Council of Kings, it was split amongst warring nations such as the Shokari and Isiph Esibo with no regard for ancient borders, resulting in bitter and constant bloodshed in a desperate bid for once abundant resources. Regardless of geopolitical status, The Wildwood has always been remote and isolated, forming a mountainous jungle of savage beasts, hulking dinosaurs, and tropical diseases that even the Giants couldn't adapt to. Human tribes, bandits, and even monsters haunted the thick jungles and have never been able to comfortably exploit them, with the Draego opting for total destruction instead. Nevertheless, The Wildwood draws adventurers who seek its legendary riches, and the treasures held dear by many nations. The primordial Lord of Bones is almost exclusively worshipped in the jungle, for his divine powers award the faithful dominion over the land, in exchange for simple offerings of blood and bone. His fervent followers often spread out over the land as war bands, flesh pirates, and raiders, doing business with free places such as Crossroads, Vulture's Corpse, and The Bountylands.

Culture

The peoples of the jungle typically live in small communities, usually consisting of two dozen or so adults that communally raise the children and serve the needs of the kabila(tribe), which migrate from one area to the next when the resources of the largely-jungle covered terrain become depleted. For hunting and defense they use a variety of weapons, both made by them and repurposed from raids and trade. Everyday life is difficult, as even in the best of times a kabila will be at war or simply trying to survive inevitable conflicts with others. Most citizens will own a weapon, and except for some notable examples, they tend not to build permanent structures or have much personal property. Most living is done in the wilderness, with a tent or a temporary shelter meant to last weeks or months while they inhabit an area. The Hobgoblin nation of Kongrad breeds horses and worgs, and the Goblins of Makumlima breed Giant arachnids and arthropods for riding, while the Orcs of Isiph Esibo deal in slaves and traditional war beasts such as dinosaurs, dogs, and giant cats. A traveling kabila will take care of these assets communally, and share any profits from selling them off. The high number of clerics and their availability to citizens and military forces make sickness an uncommon occurrence. This extends natural life to its full potential, as even in small villages trained clerics are present. Their diet is made up of many disparate sources, mostly meat from hunting and raiding, but also finished goods that can be bought or taken from merchant caravans. While this predatory attitude makes them unpopular with their neighbors, the incentives they receive from the Lord of Bones more than make up for it in many of their minds. Fashion is not a concern for many inhabitants, but many of the old traditions have survived into the modern day, meaning that their clothing incorporates ancient aesthetics with modern functionality. Patterns, textiles, and clothing have been stolen or imported from Felize for so long that it has had a profound effect on what materials are considered desirable for tailoring. The main difference is the personal significance of clothing and the self-made nature, where certain styles are passed down generationally if they belonged to a significant figure. Beauty is typically not as important as talent, those who are able to show value in some way are prized more highly than those with less practical skills. Physical disability or injury is considered to be attractive, as a disability signifies that the gods must have feared your full potential, and scars prove that when there is trouble you can survive. Communities are religious and very social in the correct situation, but if a threat is sensed a friendly parlay can become deadly in a moment.

Politics

The Wildwood does not often make decisions as a collective, but when such a unionized effort is necessary, the Makabila gather in King'ora to fight for the title of Kongazi. One who can become the Kongazi is the ultimate authority in the jungle, and can focus the usually scattered peoples into a deadly force. There is no current Kongazi, but the last was titled Errol "The Arrogant" in 1123 AD, who led a daring campaign through Human lands to reclaim stolen artifacts of the culture. Other notable examples are M'Corei "The Misery" Uka'Kaan in 760 AD, the woman who sacked and ruled from The City of Banpour for 21 years, and Strawdoll "The Soulless" Belfort in 3 AD, who fought the Draego to a standstill using Dark Magic, incurring such heavy losses for them that it sparked the genesis of The Council of Kings. In average times, the 6 territories are controlled by warlords of the day, who fight for supremacy in no-holds-barred contests of strength and cunning. Some of the hardest and most vicious killers and warriors in the entire world are forged within this system, and often live their entire lives unable to escape the constant stress and violence they are born into. Legendary warriors like Juri Serrah'Kon, Three Tooth the Orc, and Joon-Gi Han are the most modern examples of warlords that left that life behind, and were charismatic enough to have their legend spread, with many more simply forgotten to time and entropy.