Knights of the High Forest
The Knights of the High Forest, often called simply the Highfolk Hart, form the most unorthodox and nature-bound branch of the Order of the Hart. Though recognized as peers to the more formal knights of Furyondy and Veluna, the Highfolk Hart distinguish themselves by their loose structure, woodland discipline, and fierce independence. They serve not only as warriors, but as guardians of wild places, defenders of elven sovereignty, and champions of freedom against tyranny.
The Knights of the High Forest are more than soldiers—they are sentinels of the wild, protectors of a way of life that predates cities and crowns. In every branch broken by an enemy’s boot, in every beast slain by unnatural magic, they see a wound that must be answered.
Their banners may be tattered, their ranks scattered, but their hearts beat with the deep and ancient rhythm of the forest. In their silence lies defiance. In their freedom, strength.
They are the Highfolk Hart, and the wild remembers its champions.
Culture
Unlike their armored counterparts in other branches, the Knights of the High Forest are a diverse fellowship made up of elves, half-elves, rangers, druids, scouts, and wilderness-trained knights. Many are drawn from the elven tribes and borderfolk of Highfolk, while others are freedom-loving adventurers who have sworn themselves to the defense of the woodland realms and the Upper Valley of the Velverdyva.
Formality is minimal. Leadership is earned through action, and reverence for nature takes precedence over rank. Oaths are made not just to realms or rulers, but to the land itself—to the trees, rivers, and hidden paths that make up the wild heart of the north.
More than any other branch, the Knights of the High Forest value individual freedom, harmony with nature, and resistance to tyranny—whether that tyranny comes from fiendish overlords or overreaching kings. Their devotion to the balance of nature and the liberty of Highfolk shapes every decision.
They do not court glory or hold great keeps. They sleep under stars, follow the migrations of beasts, and listen to the whisper of leaves before drawing their blades. Some revere Corellon Larethian, Ehlonna, or Obad-Hai, but all share a spiritual bond with the forests they protect.
Public Agenda
The Highfolk Hart specialize in guerrilla warfare, ambush tactics, and border defense, particularly along the rugged frontiers where incursions from Iuz, humanoid raiders, or corrupting influences threaten the natural world. They are masters of stealth, scouting, and asymmetric engagement, often striking from the shadows and vanishing before retribution arrives.
They also act as wardens of sacred glades, emissaries to fey and elven courts, and protectors of the ancient sites hidden deep within the Yatils and Vesve Forest.
To the other branches of the Order of the Hart, the Highfolk Hart are seen as irregular but invaluable—difficult to command, but indispensable in the wilds. Among the elves of the Vesve and the folk of the Velverdyva valley, however, they are folk heroes and sacred defenders, keeping the shadows at bay and the flame of freedom burning.
To their enemies—raiders, slavers, and agents of Iuz—they are ghosts of the wood, silent and deadly, vanishing like mist after every strike.
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