Twizrel Forest

Location   Twizrell Forest is located at the northern end of the Great Icey Pass, somewhat to the south of Mount Stonedelving . It’s westernmost boundary blends with the foothills of the Orcrash Mountains.     History   Twizrel Forest has been inhabited by elves and their kindreds since time immemorial. They feature in legends dating as far back as the First Kingdom of Elas. Although they don’t reveal their true history or origins to outsiders in detail, they tell tales of being born of the trees, summoned forth by Ehlonna as tree spirits with greater self-knowledge, free will and independence than the dryads and hamadryads. Certainly these elves do not share a common origin with their more inhuman cousins in Sidhiara .   The last few hundred years have been difficult ones for the elves of Twizrel Forest. Increasing orcish and barbarian incursions have put pressure on them, and the stately ambitions of humans and dwarves alike have embroiled them in wars they would rather have avoided. The Inter-Kindred War a century or so ago nearly wiped the elves out, and it will take many centuries before their population grows to its former numbers. Since then, the elves have been determined to fight no more, with a policy of strict neutrality, and to build a deep trade network so that they are too valuable a part of every nearby state’s economy to risk in war.     Terrain   As the name suggests, the terrain is forested. Much of it is open woodland with light or no undergrowth (it is carefully tended and kept down by the elves), and frequent open glades. However, towards the edges of the forest, the elves deliberately let the undergrowth and brambles build up as a defensive measure.   There are roadways through the woods, which look like open paths, but actually act both as firebreaks and defensive killing zones for archers.     Climate   The Forest has something of a microclimate due to the shelter provided by the large expanse of woodland. While temperatures in winter are still cold and harsh, the summers are made warmer by the stilling effect on the wind of the trees. Sunny glades are sheltered from the extremes of wind and rain, and even when the skies are overcast the rains tend to be gentler than the storms which ravage the mountains. The winters tend to have heavy snowfall,       Ecology   The trees of the Forest are a wide mix of species, mostly temperate or sub-temperate. There are birch and silver birch, holly, willow and maple trees. The heart of the Forest is composed of ancient oak, linden, beech and elm trees. Towards the southeast, as the forest reaches the lower slopes of the Orcrash Mountains, conifers such as pine, spruce and larch also appear.   Numerous streams run through the Forest, mostly from east to west, their sources in the mountains, and running across into the Jagvar to flow into the sea near An Eliaheer .   The woods harbour a huge variety of bird, insect and other wildlife, leading to a healthy, vibrant and varied ecosystem.     Economy   (WIP)     Social Structure   The population of Twizrel Forest is almost entirely composed of elves. They are related only very distantly to the Eldren of Sidhiara, and consider themselves to be a totally different race, less aloof and insular than their mysterious cousins.   The core social unit is the extended family. To an outsider, it can seem that all the elves are related somehow, and they can be bombarded with lists of who is whose cousin, aunt, nephew three times removed or whatever. Unlike some races of elves, those of Twizrel Forest breed quite readily, possibly an adaptation to enable them to survive the numerous wars they have had to fight. The woods near their homesteads frequently ring with the sound of children playing.   Despite their generally light hearted demeanour, however, the elves take the security of their homeland very seriously. Travellers are watched and will not discover the inhabitants unless the elves choose to reveal themselves. The elven houses are hidden within trees and buried among their roots, and are almost invisible to the casual eye. In winter, when the leaves have fallen, the elves make extensive use of enchantment and illusion spells to hide their dwellings – favourites include Permanent Image, Misdirection*, Sanctuary*     Political Structure   The elves are a monarchy; the current King Gileas Angelheart has sat on the throne for the last century, since the death of his father Haldeas in 912 AFJ.     Religion   Religion does not feature highly in the life of the elves of Twizrel Forest. As a notionally immortal race believing souls are reborn, they are not too concerned with an afterlife. If asked, most of them will profess to the worship of Ehlonna. However, this is mostly in the form of private prayer and small offerings given discreetly in the woods.   The elves do have a good degree of superstition concerning specific sacred trees, although some of this is well-founded as the trees in question are in fact frequently particularly powerful ents indulging in long periods of sleep.     Foreign Policy   After the devastating losses in war over the last few centuries, the elves are keen to remain at peace with the outside world in order to rebuild their population. They are happy to trade, although they prefer to do this by taking goods to market elsewhere rather than having visitors to their realm. They also work hard to encourage elves from elsewhere in the world to come and join them. This has benefitted some elves from more isolated and endangered areas, but has caused some tensions with a few elves coming from Sidhiara and bringing their beliefs with them.     Armed Forces   All adult elves are expected to fight to defend their homeland. However, with their limited numbers, it is usually the case that the elves use the beasts, fey, spirits and elementals of the forest as their first line of defence. When the elves themselves fight, it is very much using the techniques of guerrilla warfare, aiming to do the maximum damage with the least risk to themselves. Most Twizrel elves are masters of stealth and devastatingly accurate with the longbow, their weapon of choice. Although effective in hand-to-hand combat, this is very much a last-ditch resort, and the elves will normally retreat to resume harassing their foes at a distance.     Important People   King Gileas Angelheart Queen Yarnera Goldenloom Falmar Willowand – a renowned and powerful elven sorceress Retmar the Sage – an old friend of Falmar, now resident in Magoran