Nights of the Forestmaw Ride

Summary

The Nights of the Forestmaw Ride is named after a time where the hobgoblin, Jeremiah road across the country of Ma'kylava, warning the Skjadi people of the rise of the Lyran armies who sought to take over the continent and reform, what they perceived as, barbaric tribes throughout the lands. They wished to do so by force. Jeremiah Forestmaw rode for 20 straight days with little food and water until eventually making it to the southern region, where he was stopped, and eventually killed by the Ro'am tribe of Hobgoblins who viewed the Forestmaw tribe as traitors to their goblinoid culture.

Historical Basis

The Forestmaw Rider is a legend of Jeremiah Forestmaw, a Hobgoblin said to be a protector of the Skjadi people. The Forestmaw clan was one of the few hobgoblin clans to have allied with the Skjadi against the uprising oppression of the Lyran. After aiding in several battles, Jeremiah and his clan were defeated and wiped out by the Ro'am clan. Before his death, many of his people were prosecuted and killed for treason by the Lyrans. Before his death, he had to witness his own wife's hanging which was said to be his driving cause of undeath unrest, vowing to avenge his wife and his people in any life he may live.

Cultural

Reception

The reception of this folk story is dependant on which culture it is said to. The Skjadi people see the Forestmaw Rider as a sign of heroism and pride, taking down those who would oppress their people and traditions, whereas the Lyran people see the Forestmaw Rider as a chaotic force of rebellion and disorderly conduct counter-intuitive to their culture and beliefs.

Spread

The spread of the Forestmaw Rider has been extensive throughout the Ma'kylava region in recent years with people using his legend as a symbol to fight against the near-tyrannical spread of the Lyran people.

Variations & Mutation

In the Skjadi culture, the legends of the Forestmaw Rider are seen as a positive tale of stalwart, stoic protection, displaying the mental and physical fortitude of their proud people. However, the Lyran people have painted the rider in a much different light, claiming the rider responsible for many of the people's death upon his journey. Like most stories, it has evolved with the propaganda of both cultures, and most of the tale is rooted in some truth. The rider did indeed have to slay many that attempted to stop his ride along the way, but he was also able to warn his people of the upcoming invasion. Though one detail left out from the Skjadi's telling is that their people were equally encroaching on the Lyran people, attempting to gain a foothold in their territory by forcing their presence on the civilians of the area.

Art By: Rasheru Marii

Date of First Recording

The 10^th Day of Erybis
in the 115^th Year of Healing

Date of Setting

The 6^th Day of Fharbis -
The 5^th Day of Erybis
in the 116^th Year of Healing

Telling / Prose

Hymn of the Forestmaw

Related Ethnicities

Lyran
Skjadi

Related Species

Hobgoblin

Related People

The Forestmaw Rider

In Literature

The most prominent telling of the Forestmaw Rider is in the Hymn of the Forestmaw outlining the rise and fall of the skeletal horseman. The song is often considered treasonous in Lyran controlled territories and often can cost people their lives, being thrown in the stockades of even hanged and sometimes thrown to the pyres.

In Art

In Skjadi cultures there are many depictions of the Forestmaw Rider in paintings and murals, often showing a depiction of him on his horse rampant. They often time will show parallels of what he looked like in life as a hobgoblin warrior and in death as an armored skeletal figure riding in the shrouded mists of the Ochridian forests.