The Arbor Wilds is a dense, jungle-like forest in Southern
Orlais. It is South of the
Dales. Much of it is uncharted and unexplored.
Background
The existence of the Arbor Wilds was unknown to most Thedosians until relatively recent history. It may have been known about before Maferath gave the Dales to the
elves at the end of the First
Exalted March, but it seems to have been knowledge lost upon everyone but the Dalish.
These Wilds found their way onto modern maps following the Second Exalted March. After the annexation of the Dales, the Orlesians force turned their heads south in pursuit of the few elves who had fled into the Arbor Wilds. They had refused to submit to the
Chant of Light and thus accepted punishment as their only fate. As the Orlesians tried to breach the difficult terrain of the Wilds, they decided it was not worth the time and resources needed to conquer such a place. They allowed it to stand as a monument to the fallen and failed elven empire.
There are several stories that surround these mysterious jungles. Some have tried to adventure inwards and make a name for themselves, but seldom do they return. It was believed for a while that a Brother Limfonte of
Val Royeaux's Chantry had made a successful expedition into the forest and ended up writing an entire book about it. He made an incredible profit in selling this. His work was later discredited as evidence emerged that he had faked most, if not all, of his encounters in the forests. Many of his beliefs, though discredited, still hold credence in the public eye and in tales told about the Wilds.
Protectors
The most commonly accepted belief about the Arbor Wilds, adopted from the Brother's book, was that those Dalish who had fled there had started some sort of order. This order, which he dubbed as "the Sentinel Elves", purportedly guard the land the ancient
elvhenan secrets that lie within. If stories are to be believed, there are plenty of ruins that lay dormant and abandoned within the forest, rich with ancient elven artifacts and treasures.
Anyone bold enough to trek into the forest should be warned: if the Brother's book holds any weight and the elves do truly exist, he said that they were violent, aggressive, and wished not for parley.
Beyond the elves who dwell within, there is a passed down story that claims that the elves who die in that forest become dryads.
Local Stories
Instead of telling fanciful stories, people who live but a dozen miles away from the Arbor Wilds rightfully fear the jungle. They claim that long, long ago a
Tevinter expedition went into the jungle. Their exact motivation was left unknown, but ever since that happened the lands have been infertile and the local ecosystem thrown into chaos. Every three months, at the changing of the seasons, these people find respite by burning an effigy near the edges of the Wilds. For some strange reason, this prevents the land from being as plagued. They believe that it pleases the lingering spirits of the Tevinters and thus do it for the sake of their lands. These traditions have been followed for as long as anyone can remember and are followed strictly for fear of losing everything one might have.
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