Everterre Wilds

The Everterre Wilds are a massively overgrown and lush forest connecting the Vaitis Dynasty of the Elves and the region controlled by the Hammerwatch Dwarves. Not many even among the Vaitis where I grew up ventured through to the wilds to the Dwarves. Trade was limited to a single road through the wilderness that was constantly patrolled by the Hunters to keep it safe for the caravans going back and forth and even then only when one was traveling. Even the most experienced Hunters who had traveled back and forth multiple times cautioned me against doing it on a whim. Generally the Wilds were left to themselves. It was believed that to venture off the trail was to be lost permanently and that the Wilds had a mind of their own. Supposedly the most dangerous animals hunted with a strangely communal instinct. There seems to be a distinct difference between being from the Wilds and being "other". If you must venture off the road, stay on the marked paths. If you find you cannot, pray the protectors of the forest take pity on you.

— Malvrari's Manual of the Wilds, Volume 1, Chapter 1 - The Everterre Wilds

Geography

The forest is lush and overgrown with very few easy paths through it's undergrowth other than the few forged by the Elven Hunters and the main road maintained by Hammerwatch to keep trade open. These trails are clearly marked with blazes, however, it is reported that sometimes the trails spontaneously change. As in the territory controlled by the Vaitis Dynasty massive redwoods and oaks are fairly common with diameters upwards of 20 to 30 feet.

The way to survive the Wilds is to move swiftly and with purpose. Never let your guard down. Never forget to check above you.

— Elven Hunter

The Road

The Road is mostly maintained by the Hammerwatch Dwarves and is the only thing in the Wilds that screams of civilization. It is a well worn, cobblestone road that has been engineered so that carts and other trade vehicles, such as the Gnomish prototypes for steam propelled contraptions, can move easily along it. The Dwarves fight an almost constant battle with the Wilds to keep it clear and useable. It remains to be seen which side is more stubborn

Fauna & Flora

Flora

Flower Forest Plant Fantasy Magic Light by Unknown

The trees in the wilds grow to massive proportions. There are herbs and plants everywhere causing the undergrowth to be very difficult to traverse. The Wilds are just that. Wild beyond comprehension. At times it seems the plants grow back almost as fast as you can cut them down to move through them or that they are leading you somewhere, shepherding you where the forest wants you to go. The further into the Wilds you go, however, the more rare and precious herbs you can find.

Fauna

Wolves in the spooky forest at twilight by Comfreak

Most animals in the forest are overgrown much like the flora of the forest. The wolves are the size of horses, the deer and elk are massive versions of themselves, the predatory birds, and even rabbits are much, much more dangerous than their normal sized brethren. It also seems, beyond just size, that the animals of the forest share some sort of bond. They will hunt and kill each other of course, but they will strangely band together to fight threatening outsiders. While this hasn't happened since the Dwarves and Elves first settled here, the long memory of those races still recalls how deadly and dangerous it was trying to fight the Wilds themselves.

Natural Resources

For the daring souls willing to risk the Wilds there are many bountiful resources. There are those who say that as long as you show your respect of the forest you may harvest without harming it. There are plenty of fallen branches and trees to harvest for wood. There are an abundant and overflowing amount of herbs and the further you go in the more rare and hard to find herbs you can find. At least that's what they say.
If you are willing to risk your own life, hunting can also be quite rewarding. With the animals here being larger than normal a single deer or elk can feed a family for weeks. The hides from anything you can bring down will be worth quite a lot. But it is a much bigger risk and not a lot of hunters that go out come back.

The Everterre Wilds are located on the continent of Austros between the kingdoms of Hammerwatch and the Vaitis Dynasty

Type

Forest, Temperate (Seasonal)

Location under

Austros

Wolves

Wolves from the Wilds are as large as warhorses, faster, stronger, and smarter than wolves from elsewhere in the world. They use pack tactics of course, but have also adapted to fighting humanoids with weapons. They can quickly identify which members of a group are the most dangerous and move to eliminate those enemies quickly and efficiently. It is almost like the pack fights with a single mind guiding it.

Mountain Cats

The only saving grace when confronting a mountain cat in the Wilds is that they are usually solo hunters. Usually. The one you see may just be a decoy for the one you don't. They are also as large as horses and very deadly even solo. They tend to climb the trees and lie in wait to pounce on unsuspecting travelers.

Owls

The second reason you look up is for the predatory birds. The most terrifying are the owls at night time as they are completely silent hunters. If you hear one calling in the night, snuff your campfire and pray they haven't found you already. They are big enough that most of its standard prey, the rabbits and the like, are about the size of a large dog, so humanoids are a little large for prey, but still viable. They have extremely good night vision, vicious claws, and are almost impossible to kill at night.

Rabbits

Even the rabbits are over-sized, being the size of a very large dog. Vicious if backed into a corner they will fight to the death and also seem to fight together remarkably well which is uncommon for their species. They are the easiest thing to kill in the forest, but even they don't go easily

Ash-Leaved Flower

The Ash-Leaved Flower is famous for it's poison as well as it's healing properties. A touch on the underside of this deadly plant will infect you with its poison giving you only a few hours left of your life. If harvested, with extreme care, it can be distilled into a potent poison, but also into a very potent antidote that cures nearly every poison known. For these reasons, the flower and its tonics are highly sought after.

Milk Moss

Milk Moss is a fairly common moss found growing on the trees in the Wilds. For those with the proper knowledge of healing and poultices it can be used with almost no other material as a poultice to induce rapid healing. How it does this is largely unknown and this property has never been replicated. However, the moss doesn't survive long after it has been picked and so is only valuable if you live near patches of it.