Greater Faydark
Faydwer is home to the largest forest in all of Norrath: the Greater Faydark. Here, the trees tower hundreds of feet above one’s head, their trunks thicker than a large wagon, foliage so dense that the sun’s rays never touch the ground. The Greater Faydark is renowned throughout the world, and many travel to admire its trees and bask in its ancient majesty. But the forest is not without dangers, and the unwary may soon learn to regret their visit.
Points of Interest [WIP]
Much of the Greater Faydark looks the same — tall, heavy trees looming above, branches interlocked to form a thick canopy of dark leaves, mushrooms and vines and moss underfoot. It is very easy to get lost within the forest, particularly with the dim lighting and the frequent fog and the fact that most of the trees look alike. Even so, the forest does have several distinct locations, and travelers can use these to orient themselves if they get lost.Climate
Greater Faydark is surprisingly warm, given the lack of direct sunlight, because the sun's rays warm the leaves of the trees, which then transmit that heat into the forest proper; the leaves are so thick that they prevent warm air from escaping again. As a result, the forest is warm but muggy, the air thick and filled with moisture. Skin and clothing become damp within minutes, and metal rusts easily if not oiled every night. Fog is common in the forest, so that at times the tree trunks are vaguely seen dark pillars and the mushrooms loom suddenly out like boulders. Wind cannot breach the heavy foliage either, and the air is still and stagnant, rich with the smell of decaying plants. Those who choose to walk through Greater Faydark are advised to come properly equipped. Metal items should be wrapped in oilcloth whenever possible. Clothing should be kept light, or else oiled against moisture. Thick boots are wise, since the ground is often soggy and the rotting leaves make for slippery footing. Skin should be covered to avoid a multitude of insect bites unless one has access to herbal mixtures or other means designed to repel such creatures. Full waterskins are essential, since most of the water in Greater Faydark is found in small, stagnant ponds.Geography
Whether the legends are true or not, none can truly say, but many of the details are accurate. The forest did cover all of Faydwer once, and the trees were indeed farther apart, so that the light of the sun did still reach the ground between them. At some point in the past, however, the geography changed. Earthquakes caused a mountain range to erupt just east of the great forest’s center, running from near the middle of the northern shore down to the western edge of the southeast peninsula. These mountains cut the forest into two sections, one to the northeast and east and the other to the west and southwest. Along the peninsula, the ground had become hillier and the ocean currents brought cold winds. The trees there thinned away, leaving only the occasional grove.
In the south and southwest, the trees also vanished, leaving broad grassy plains and two large lakes (the third lake, along the eastern shore, marked the point where the forest stopped its southern growth). In the northwest, the land had also become hilly and mountainous. It is here that the Orcs of Clan Crushbone make their home. This mountains began jutting southward, splitting the great Faydark Forest in two, creating Lesser Faydark to the west and Greater Faydark to the east. Greater Faydark is bordered by the ocean to the north and the east and Elizerain Lake and the Steamfont Mountains to the south. Despite all this, it is the largest forest in Norrath, covering a full fifth of the continent of Faydwer beneath its mighty branches.
Fauna & Flora
Flora
The Greater Faydark is very dense, at least in terms of its foliage. The trunks of the forest's great Broadroot trees, as the locals call them, are in some places spaced widely enough to allow a large wagon to pass, while in other areas they are packed so closely together that a man drawing a handcart or dressed in bulky armor would have some trouble passing through. The trees are invariably massive and old, towering several hundred feet into the air and usually at least twenty feet across at their base. The lower trunks have no branches, making climbing difficult for the novice, although the trees' thick and craggy bark does provide some footing. When the lowest branches do begin — at impressive heights of 50 feet or more — they spread out rapidly, often intertwining with those of neighboring trees. These branches are thick enough for a man to walk along quite easily, without the supporting branch moving a single inch. Broadroot leaves are broad as well, roughly the size of an ogre's head and shaped rather like a bearskin rug, with a thick body, two tapering stubs on either side, and another at the top. Most of the leaves are dark green on the top and a pale gray-green on the underside, but among the very top layers the leaves are lighter and more golden from contact with the sun. Very little plant life exists beyond the Broadroots because their large leaves block sunlight from reaching the forest floor. The little undergrowth present consists of occasional vines, plus moss and lichen. Moss does grow well in the low-light conditions, and many of the tree trunks are coated with it, providing a brighter green contrast to the dark wood of the bark. Mushrooms also grow well in Greater Faydark, and are usually found clustered about the base of the trees — some of the larger varieties of these mushrooms reach four feet in height, and can be eight feet across the cap. Vines are sometimes seen draping across the high branches, linking trees together; they also trail down around the trunks and even onto the ground. Ground vines may be hidden beneath the fallen leaves in some places, and these are thicker and darker than their aerial cousins.Fauna
Many different creatures make the Greater Faydark their home. Bats thrive in the darkness, and can often be found hanging from tree branches — these bats can grow to enormous size, and a full-grown giant one can carry off a human child or an adult of one of the smaller races. Coyotes and wolves also roam the forest, loping across the forest floor in search of food. These animals survive on a steady diet of mice, ferrets, and other small creatures that live in the trees or in the ground beneath them — a hungry wolf pack will sometimes stalk a lone human or other creature of similar size, or even a pair of creatures. Lizards also abound in the forest, scaling the trunks with ease and feeding off the moss and lichen. Two of the most powerful kinds of creatures in the Greater Faydark are also, fortunately for the other inhabitants, natural enemies: the wasps and the spiders. These two species both thrive in the darkness, and have evolved to gigantic proportions. Most of the spiders make their home in Silverweb, while most of the great wasps live in the Hollows, but individuals or pairs can be found throughout the forest, and travelers are advised to keep an eye open for such dangers. More normal-sized insects and arachnids also live in the forest — mosquitoes and gnats both do well in such a muggy climate, and great swarms of these pests gather around anyone foolish enough to enter the area unprepared.Other Inhabitants
Wood Elves do occasionally roam the forest, but most of them live in the city of Kelethin. They regularly patrol the region near their treetop city, but they rarely spend more than one night within Greater Faydark itself, disliking the damp and the shadows. Orcs also roam the woods, though most of them live in Crushbone just north of the forest. Orcs are more comfortable in the darkness than the Fier'Dal, but they don't trust the woods and thus only travel in small bands or armed patrols. In general, they stay close to Crushbone and only infrequently patrol the nearby area. Humans, Elves, and other races live together in the city of Felwithe, along the eastern edge of the forest. This city is not actually contained within the forest proper, though, since the trees around it have been cut down for use as building materials. Not all such folk are content to live within the cities, however. Bandits lurk in the forest, usually along the Caravan Road, seeking to ambush unwary travelers. The bandits rarely venture far from the road, however, both because their prey keeps to the road and because they take comfort in it themselves. Rumors tell of bandits found deeper in the woods, but, if there is any truth to such stories, these were most likely bandits who got lost and could not find the road again. Druids also live in the Greater Faydark. These priests of nature revel in the age and strength of the trees and the other creatures within the forest. Though druids elsewhere see themselves as caretakers and protectors of the local animals and plants, life in Greater Faydark is generally hardy enough to manage on its own; druids here are rarely needed to prune and plant and water. Instead, they spend their time in meditation near particularly impressive trees or groves, communing with nature and trying to become one with the soul and heart of the forest. Rangers, too, wander the forest, though they tend to stay closest to the Caravan Road. These wood-wise hunters seek to protect locals and travelers alike from danger — this means fighting any orcs who might leave Crushbone's vicinity to approach Kelethin or the road, but it also means thinning the forest's wolf population, shooting down any bats roosting near populated areas, and sometimes even chasing off the giant spiders and wasps. Though rangers are traditionally comfortable in forest settings, Greater Faydark is too gloomy for most, who tend to live in or near Kelethin or along the road and simply patrol during the day before returning home at night. Two intelligent races are known to live within the forest itself. The Faeries have their home in Greater Faydark, and the Fey Court is actually located here, in Firefly Palace. The Faeries are normally avoided by most other races, largely because they tend to be unequivocally capricious — some visitors are treated as honored guests, while others are tormented incessantly for no apparent reason. Most of those who live in Faydwer know to stay clear of the Fey whenever possible. The Faeries' cousins — namely Pixies and Brownies— are even worse. These creatures lack the elegance of their Fey kindred, and seemingly live to play nasty pranks on anyone foolish enough to come near them. The Pixies generally dislike the larger races, and will target any Human, Elf, Troll, etc. that they see. Oddly enough, they particularly dislike the Elves and have attacked Kelethin on more than one occasion. Although small, Pixies are clever, agile, and ruthless, and have killed more than one unwary traveler who initially thought them "cute" and "amusing." Finally, the Greater Faydark is home to one other race, or so some claim. The arboreans, as they have been called, are the source of many strange tales among Elves and Orcs alike. These creatures are said to be made not of flesh and blood but of wood and sap, sentient plants who walk and can use tools. Because the arboreans live deep within the forest, no one is sure how much of the stories are true. Wise Elven elders point out the similarity between these arborean stories and the legends of the Woodkine, but others scoff at the resemblance, saying that the Woodkine are mere stories and the arboreans most likely some sort of wild Elf wearing tree sap for camouflage. Even so, travelers would be wise to steer clear of anyone they see who looks like a walking plant, just in case.History
Much of Greater Faydark's past is shrouded in legends, as it was relatively uninhabited for most of history. Long ago, the Elves say, before even they walked this land, all of Faydwer was a single great forest that stretched from shore to shore, covering all the land. The trees were great and fair, their trunks smooth as silk and leaves golden. This was the Suntouched Forest, so named because the sun's light suffused every inch, turning the bark to gold and the leaves to fire, and covering the spaces between the trees with a thick carpet of golden-green grass. Animals lived here peacefully, and trees and bushes provided fruit and nuts enough for all.
Though the Elves had not yet arrived in the Suntouched, the forest was not devoid of intelligent life, for here dwelt the Woodkine, an ancient race. Tall as giants, they were not cast in flesh — instead the Woodkine were great plants, their skin like that of the trees and their hair and beards like leaves and vines. The Suntouched was their home and their charge, and the Woodkine wandered it freely, tending to plants and animals alike and ensuring that the forest prospered. These gentle creatures were one with the land, and could move swiftly through even the densest thicket — some say they swung from tree branches rather than setting foot on the ground, and others that they leapt from bough to bough. Certainly the Woodkine possessed powerful magic, yet it was magic of the land, a power focused on healing, growth, and assistance. These creatures, to hear the Elves speak of them, were akin to gods, but without any arrogance — their lives belonged to the Suntouched, and all their actions were intended to aid the forest and its inhabitants. Then the Dark came to Faydwer.
No one knows how or why the darkness arrived, but suddenly the sun vanished from the sky, hidden behind heavy clouds for weeks on end. With the shadows came creatures the Suntouched had never known, Ogres and Orcs and Trolls, dark creatures full of hate and malice and greed; the Rallosian Empire. To them the Suntouched was a rich land waiting to be plundered, and they tore into it, chopping down trees to build forts and slaughtering animals for both food and amusement. They landed first in the south, and soon much of the southern portion of the forest had been cut down, leaving only stumps and grass where once had stood ancient groves.
The Woodkine were initially horrified, then angered. The land was under their protection, and for the first time these gentle creatures deliberately sought to do harm. First they struck against the intruders, knocking them aside with powerful limbs and crushing them under splayed feet. To their enemies, it seemed as if the trees themselves were attacking, and they fled to the areas they had already cut down, seeking safety amid the stumps and the darkened sky. But the Woodkine's terrible anger, slow to build, was equally slow to abate. Yes, they had driven the intruders out, but their precious forest had been violated, and large portions of it destroyed. This could not be allowed to happen again.
Gathering together, the Woodkine turned their thoughts to the land itself, and implored it to rise up in anger and defense. A great shuddering was heard, and the ground began to shift and tilt, boulders bursting up from beneath the soil. These rocks rose higher and higher until the emptied plain in the center of southern Faydwer was cut off from the remaining forest. The rocks formed the base of what became known later as the Steamfont Mountains.
Now the Woodkine concentrated on the trees themselves. This land is no longer safe, they cried out silently, so you must learn to protect yourselves. "Grow thicker skins, so their axes cannot harm you. Reach out to one another for strength. These creatures seek shelter from the sun — give it to them a thousand fold. We shall keep the sun from the soil and make our home so dark and terrible that even our dark-loving enemies shall fear to enter it again."
Such was the authority of the Woodkine that the trees heard and obeyed. Smooth trunks sprouted thick bark, the fair wood hidden behind dark, gnarled skin. Leaves turned darker and heavier, and branches reached out so that the trees were almost linked into one giant mass. The sun's light no longer pierced the foliage, and the grass withered and died. Shadows had come to the land, and even when the sun burst from behind its clouds, darkness still ruled the forest. The Suntouched had become Faydark.
Sadly, the Woodkine exhausted themselves in the process of protecting the trees they loved, giving much of their own life energy to enable these changes in land and wood. Many of the great guardians perished, allowing their bodies to feed the forest. The remaining few became more furtive, hiding in the shadows and loping along the borders, keeping watch in case the Orcs and their brethren tried to return.
In time, the Orcs did return. They cowered in the southern plains for many years, making no further attacks. Yet they built villages and forts of wood from the forest's edge, and the trees had not struck them down. The forest was frightening, but the Orcs began to cut into it again, widening their plain and driving up toward the northern edge of the continent. Finally, with a great push of many orcs at once, they broke through and reached the northern shore — the Faydark had been cut in two.
All of the remaining Woodkine found themselves in the eastern portion, by far the larger of the two remaining areas, and they attacked the Orcs again, halting the their advance into the eastern forest. The mountains kept the Orcs from approaching from the south and the east. The Orcs were split in two, inhabiting the mountains to the north and south of Faydark. Those in the south eventually perished, but those in the north fortified themselves. They became Clan Crushbone and continued to make excursions into the Faydark. However, the Woodkine had frightened them sufficiently along the narrow western edge, so the forest was left alone on that side again. This part of the forest became Greater Faydark, and the western portion, smaller and without the Woodbine's protection, became Lesser Faydark. Years passed again, and most of those creatures that had attacked the forest either died off or departed for less hostile regions, leaving the forest alone once more. And then the Elves arrived.
The forest quickly realized that these new, gracious folk were not like the Orcs. They did not cut down trees, but instead admired their size and strength. They built homes not from the woods but within it, graceful yet sturdy structures woven high among the branches, and they hunted only to survive, not for pleasure. The Woodkine, watching from the shadows, saw in the Wood Elves kindred spirits, and sagely nodded approval. These new creatures could defend the forest for them, and now at last they could finally rest. Stories tell of encounters between Elves and the Woodkine, but these are all vague old tales, and no one truly believes them any more. Certainly no living Elf has ever seen a Woodkine, and most think them merely stories designed to frighten children and to enhance the wonder and mystery of the great old forest.
Type
Forest
Location under
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Characters in Location
Inhabiting Species
Lesser Faydark
Steamfont Mountains Common Native Creatures
Bats
Black Bears
Brown Bears
Brownie
Dire Wolves
Eagles
Faeries
Giant Eagles
Giant Spider
Giant Wasp
Poisonous Snakes
Pixie
Wolves
Comments