Portions of the Gnarley Forest are claimed by Celene, Dyvers, Verbobonc, and Greyhawk. The forest is home to thousands of woodsmen, sylvan elves, and gnomes. Enclaves of ogres, gnolls and goblinoids live within the forest as well, many having once served Iuz at the Temple of Elemental Evil before its destruction. New inhabitants to the forest include those varied creatures who were released from the elemental nodes upon Zuggtmoy's defeat ten years ago. In particular, creatures from the Elemental Node of Fire took to the forest and in a region to its north lies a place known as the Charred Vale for the damage wrought by their fiery nature.
Wood Elves: The Gnarley Forest is home to many enclaves of elves, such as that of Tomyris and his hunting party. They live in small, secluded communities, usually in tree houses 30-50 feet above the forest floor. They are divided predominantly into four clans, and clan allegiances are a source of pride and a badge of honor. The clans follow.
- Clan Sherendyl: This clan has a reputation for producing the finest elven warriors. Sherendyl elves are blunt, pragmatic, and to-the-point in dealing with outsiders. They respect the rangers of the Gnarley, and Ranger Knights meet with the clan elders once a year or so to exchange information and greetings.
- Clan Meldarin: Meldarin elves are renowned for their bowmanship, and in many ways, are the most completely adapted to their life and home. A Meldarin elf is said to be able to predict the weather a week ahead simply by inspecting moss on an ipp tree. This clan has the highest proportion of half-elves, and is the friendliest toward humans and gnomes. Many of this clan revere Ehlonna in addition to elven Powers.
- Clan Fealefel: This clan is ruled by a Council of Wizards five strong, and has always produced more wizards than the other clans. Fealefel elves are quiet folk, studious and more grave than most of their kind, but make utterly implacable enemies. They have some social customs that are unusual among elves, such as arranged marriages and ritualized rites-of-passage ceremonies.
- Clan Enlanefel: This small clan comprises no more than 7% of the total elven numbers, yet is always deferred to. Enlanefel elves are seers, mystics, and loremasters. They do not seek temporal power or authority, but are the major guardians of elven secrets.
The Gnarley Rangers: An organization of woodsmen dedicated to the welfare of the forest. They are neutral in politics and try to keep their attention to their sworn oath to protect the forest. They often find themselves at odds with the claims of Verbobonc, the Faerie Nation of Celene, and others who squabble over claims of the forest. The group is democratic and has no leaders who issue orders or directives, but there are seven Ranger Knights who meet at Corustaith (woodland village of ~40 cabins) every few months to share information at the Gilded Acorn there. Each Knight has his own following of younger rangers who swear a personal allegiance to them. In return, each Knight undertakes to train the younger rangers as needed, and holds an annual feast for all their juniors each Brewfest. The oath is not very restrictive, involving promises to protect the integrity of the forest, to help good folk in need, and to revere the Old Faith (specifically the goddess Ehlonna).
Swanmays of the Gnarley Forest: A sorority of 44 swanmays dwells within the Gnarley. All swanmays accept the guidance of Matriarch Serendya, a priestess of Ehlonna.
Serendya enchants the tokens that swanmays use for their transformations. Where she lives is unknown, although Ranger Knights and other swanmays will know how she may be contacted. The swanmay community is devoted to spying the margins of the forest for evil. When the sorority learns of a menace to the forest, Serendya sends word to those she deems fit to take appropriate action. Often this is a Ranger Knight, so swanmays are often seen at Corustaith. Swanmays also have many friends among the faerie folk, and find a greater welcome in the Welkwood than any purely human ranger would. In the Gnarley, swanmays are known to converse with talking owls who act as spies for them, and some speak of a moon dog female who prowls the forest with swanmays when the moon Celene is full.
Druids: There are 30 some druids that live within the Gnarley Forest, nearly all dwelling alone.
Werebears: The lycanthropes of the eastern Gnarley are not of evil kind; a few weretigresses show more curiosity than aggression, and the werebears are benign folk. Their settlement at Beltander appears simply to be a small woodland village of 120 or so souls, until one realizes how hairy everyone looks. More solitary werebears double this total number, living as woodsmen. The werebears are kindly, happy folk, more sociable than many, and they are great friends with the Gnarley rangers (some werebears are rangers themselves).
The werebears have no natural enemies, and they live well from the fruits of the forest; nuts, some honey from hives they maintain with great care, fungi which they marinate in nut oil and bake in pastry, eggs from chickens and a turkeylike flightless bird imported from the Gamboge forest, and a little trapping.
The werebears are insular folk. They love to hear tales of the travels of rangers and even adventurers, but they're home lovers. Only rarely will a werebear travel to give aid to beleaguered friends, feeling it would be much better for them if they came to his protection instead. But, when finally roused to action, werebears are implacablefolk. The gnomes of Namburil celebrate the 18th day of Harvester each year in remembrance of the hundred werebears who came to aid them against a major orcish assault some sixty years back (many gnomish survivors of the battle are still alive). The gnomes travel to Beltander bringing grain, fruit, honey, and wonderful cinnamonspiced and honeyed apple and raisin cakes which are adored by werebear children. The werebears arrived late to the battle—almost too late—but
when they did turn up, their ferocity was decisive and saved scores of gnomish lives. The gnomes do not forget.
NPCs
- Tomyris (Elf leader of the hunting party, fought in the Battle of Emridy Meadows)
- Furnok (Tomyris' half-elf son)
- Darr (Werewolf Druid)
- Sithbik, female adult red dragon
- Matriarch Serendya
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