Rise of the Northern Kingdom

As the Ashwoods journeyed northward into the verdant expanse of Mountainrun, their ambition ignited the rise of what would become the Northern Kingdom. This was an era of bold expansion, driven by their hunger to carve out a legacy that would rival even the ancient races of the Reach. Yet, their rise was not without cost, as their ambitions clashed with the native Wood Elves, whose deep connection to the forest brought tension, conflict, and ultimately retreat.

The Encroachment into Mountainrun

Upon reaching the outer forests of Mountainrun, the Ashwoods were awestruck by the region’s beauty and abundance. The towering trees, fertile soil, and plentiful game presented an opportunity to secure their fledgling kingdom. Led by Arwin Ashwood, the Ashwoods established their first settlement, a fortified town they named Greendale, nestled near the banks of the Giant Tears River.

Greendale grew rapidly, with human settlers clearing large swaths of forest for farmland and timber. The Ashwoods, enamored with the forest's wealth, showed little regard for the unseen inhabitants of the land: the Wood Elves, who had called these groves home for millennia.

The Ashwood Expansion

Under the leadership of Halric Ashwood, son of Arwin, the humans grew bolder. Halric, who envisioned a vast kingdom under his rule, ordered the construction of Greendale’s first great structures, including the High Hall, a symbol of human power and ambition.

To fuel their growth, the settlers pushed further into the forest, cutting down ancient trees and encroaching on elven hunting grounds. For the Wood Elves, this was a grievous affront, and tensions reached their peak when a sacred grove near the outskirts of Greendale was felled to expand farmland.

The Retreat of the Wood Elves

Faced with the relentless expansion of the humans, the Wood Elves gathered to decide their course of action. They could have easily overpowered the humans through sheer numbers and the might of their magic. However, their deep respect for life and their aversion to needless bloodshed led them to an agonizing decision: to retreat deeper into the heart of Mountainrun. As they vanished deeper into Mountainrun, their melodies and lights faded, leaving the outer forests to the humans. Yet, the bitterness of this forced retreat lingered. The Wood Elves vowed to watch the humans closely and never forget the loss of their ancestral lands.

The Founding of Greendale

With the Wood Elves gone, the Ashwoods claimed the outer forests as their own. Greendale, once a small settlement, flourished into a bustling city. Built of timber and stone, it became the first great city of the Northern Kingdom, a testament to human ambition. The High Hall, standing tall at its center, became a symbol of the Ashwoods’ strength and the kingdom’s burgeoning power.

Under Halric’s leadership, Greendale expanded its influence, establishing trade routes and fortifying its borders. The Ashwoods declared the city the capital of their growing kingdom, marking the beginning of an era of prosperity for the humans—and simmering resentment among the displaced elves.

The Legacy of Conflict

The rise of the Northern Kingdom was a triumph for humanity but a wound for the Wood Elves. Greendale stood as a monument to human determination, yet its foundation was built on the sacrifice of harmony with the forest and its native people.

The retreat of the Wood Elves created a rift between humans and elves that would endure for generations. Though open conflict was avoided, distrust and resentment festered on both sides. The humans, emboldened by their success, saw the forest as theirs to tame. The elves, watching from the shadows of Mountainrun, waited patiently, their anger quiet but unforgotten. This period of expansion laid the groundwork for the Northern Kingdom’s dominance but left behind a legacy of strained relationships and unresolved tensions that would shape the region’s history for centuries to come.