Ironwood Forest

"They can forge as many trails and roads through the trees as they wish, the journey through the Ironwood will never be without risk, not while memories of the war yet linger." - Dastan Kirk, Barkeep at Il'Eska
The Ironwood Forest is a massive woodland located in Astora. It lays south of the Vilmyr and Royal mountain ranges, and stretches south to Gullet's Bay's northern coast. The Ironwood is the largest forest inhabiting Naneth, dwarfing even the Sunrise Jungle. Known as Polodren Nimloth (Strong Tree) in Elvish, the Ironwood is dark and dense, it's growth only thinning into passable woodland around it's perimeter. The forest stood as a stronghold for the Ironwood High Elves, their ancient capital of Arnad-Ang built deep into the heart of the trees. The Ironwood has seen much bloodshed over the years, as it was the primary site for skirmishes during the Ironwood War. In recent years, a group known as The Remnants has made the Ironwood a personal fortress, launching guerrilla style attacks from the forest's edge.

History

Cradle of Life

In the early days of the Age of Creation, the Eres siblings, Eldath and Silvanus, created the massive woodlands and crystal lakes of this temperate forest. The first elves, also created by the siblings, began thriving in these woods, eventually naming it Polodren Nimloth due to the safety and security it provided to the young race. Into these woods Eldath poured her beloved creations; beasts of the ground and air, both large and tiny. They would inhabit Polodren Nimloth, protected under the careful watch of the Eldar Folk.

Sanctuary

As the Age of Fire continued, many races from the eastern region of Naneth migrated westward, pushed by the constant conflict between Aramoor and the dark forces of the Red Wastes. Many would come to inhabit the Ironwood, primarily other elves. By the end of the Second Age, the world as it was known came to a swift end with the release of the The Mist in AoF 811. So began the Age of Mists.
In an effort to protect the Eldar Folk and her creations, Eldath created a magical sanctuary inside the forest, protecting everything within from the deadly effects of the mists. In this sanctuary, the inhabitants of the forest continued to thrive, protected from the horrors beyond the trees. During this time, the Eldar Folk created Arnad-Ang, a great stronghold built directly into the trees. It soon become the capital for the Ironwood Kingdom, home to all the elves of the woodland sanctuary. Two thousand years passed before Eldath's sanctuary lifted, the elves now free to expand their kingdom to the borders of the forest.

Ironwood Conflict

By AoR 357 (Age of Renewal), the young country of Astora had spread well into the territory of the Ironwood Kingdom. The elves grew wary of the continued human progress, sensing that in time, it would lead to a stalemate of unavoidable conflict. Wishing to avoid that reality, the elves of the Ironwood launched a preemptive attack on the expansive city of Vinheim. It failed it's primary objective, and led to a full scale war between the two nations. The Ironwood would become the battleground for many conflicts in the years following.
In AoR 448, the Ironwood would become the setting for Operation Torchwood. Astoran forces, now firmly winning the war, began to burn large swatches of woodland, driving the elves back towards Arnad-Ang. Astoran forces eventually breeched the city itself, razing it, and the surrounding forest, to the ground. The Ironwood War would end soon after.

A Remnant Stronghold

The Ironwood would make a full recovery from the scars received during the war, though with Astora continuing to expand, much of it's perimeter woodlands would become a resource for the increasing number of settlements. By AoR 500, much of the Ironwood is surrounded by fair sized settlements, such as Hilldune and Greenest. With Astora expanding, paths through the woodlands are created, finally leading to primarily human settlements being built within the forest. The most notable example is certainly Weathersby; a medium sized settlement set deep in the heart of the Ironwood.
However, all of this progress is over-shadowed by the existence of The Remnants. The Remnants are a group of Ironwood Kingdom loyalists, who to this day, seek to undermine Astoran power in the region, though they are primarily focused on the forest itself. Since AoR 452, the Remnants have operated inside the Ironwood, using it's secret paths and dark groves as a personal fortress.

A New Sanctuary

In AoR 602 the primarily elven settlement of Eri-Anew was discovered and brought to light in Astora. The settlement was already quite large, and had been a very well kept secret among elven-kind in the region. The though of a purely elven town so far from the eyes of the Astoran government certainly raised concerns among the humans of Astora. However, The Council of Nine made no ruling on the matter, simply allowing the settlement to continue it's current path. Many believe this settlement could be a stronghold for The Remnants, thought there is no known proof of this.

Notable Locations

• Weathersby: A medium sized town set in the heart of the Ironwood. It is inhabited by primarily humans, a first for forest.

• Arnad-Ang: The ancient capital of the Ironwood Kingdom. Arnad-Ang is now nothing more than a lost ruin, long reclaimed by the forest.

• Riverrun: A small fishing village set at the meeting point between Naneth's Deep and the Westland River.

• Jaw Lake: The Ironwood's northern most body of water, Jaw Lake stands at the midpoint of the Westland River, halfway between it's source in the Vilmyr Mountains and Naneth's Deep.

• Lakes Twin & Leafell: Two large basins of the Glade River. Leafell and Twin sit only a few miles apart.

• Glade River: Astora's largest river, the Glade runs straight through the southern region of the Ironwood. Fed by a natural spring in Solo Lake, it flows southward into Gullet's Bay.

• Il'Eska: An ancient hunting guild of the Ironwood Kingdom. This complex is one of the only monuments to the elven kingdoms that has remained. It is currently continuing it's purpose as Astora's hunting and adventuring guild headquarters.

• Eldath's Embrace: One of the Ironwood's old ruins. This settlement stood over the Glade River. at one point it served as an Astoran foothold, though it was reclaimed by the elves soon after.

• Guardian's Rest: Another of the Ironwood's ruins.

• Eri-Anew: One of the newest additions to the Ironwood. Eri-Anew is an elven settlement, constructed deep in the woods away from the eyes of the greater Astoran population. Many humans believe this to be a Remnant stronghold.

Basic Information

Type: Temperate Forest
Location: Central Astora, South of The Crossroads
Other Names: Polodren Nimloth, The Weeping Woods
Notable Inhabitants: The Remnants, Woodland Creatures, Spirits