The Freewilds
The Freewilds is a biome that is composed of dense broad leaf trees that provide some canopy coverage but light does penetrate, resulting in well-developed and richly diversified understory vegetation and stratification of animals. The soil in this forest is fertile and enriched with decaying litter of detritus, bolstering the diversity of plant life. Hot summers (despite the shade) and cold winters are typical in this biome. During the autumn months, trees change color and then lose their leaves. These large leaves on average can be four feet in length and when littering the forest floor creates a dense colorful carpet of hidden pockets and creatures. Thick bark protects the trees during the winter months when the frost layers the environment early in the mornings. The Freewilds stretch out and cover a large area, growing wildly particularly in the northern portion from the proximity to the Great Dedbour River. While an established highway travels through the forest, the land is considered unowned and upkeep on this road is nonexistent with travelers marking old and new waypoints to stay on the main path for the benefit of others. This in reality does not assist as well as it should as many stories of being lost for days or parties going missing is shared by those who have made it out alive.
Sparse creeks and streams traverse through the terrain under the canopy. These areas are the only region that seen to not have any heavy decaying matter or growth. Occasionally the streams drop off and enter cavern systems below the forest only to reemerge miles away.
Localized Phenomena
At first glance, one might see a grove of oak trees that are slightly spaced more than other clusters. In reality, this is actually a single living organism which can have up to 25,000 trees together in one colony. Each tree consists of the same makeup and all share a massive underground root system that some speculate trace back to a single parent tree. Sometimes referred to as the Trembling Giant, very few travelers have seen or even know of such a entity as they tend to be very deep in the forest. Druidic interaction with the trees reveal that because the roots are connected, dryads can leap easily from tree to tree as it is the same organism. As further speculation has taken place that a grand ancient treant is the cause of this phenomenon.
Fauna & Flora
Many different kinds of trees, shrubs, and herbs grow in this deciduous forests. Most of the trees are broadleaf trees such as giant oaks, massive maples, beech, hickory and chestnut. There are also several different kinds of plants like mountain laurel, azaleas and mosses that live on the shady forest floor where only small amounts of sunlight get through. Giant varieties of fauna in this region grow here comfortably than in other portions of the peninsula, perhaps something from the flora having the same conditioning. Squirrels and rabbits, skunks and badgers, ankheg, deer, displacer beasts, giant wasps, dire wolves, and brown bears are the predominant fauna of the region. Most of these predators rely on ambush tactics to take down prey or the straggler in a traveling convoy.
While the various predators that stalk the forest are to be avoided if possible, some travelers have fallen victim to fine strands of silk nets or snares. Ettercaps make the Freewilds their homes. Normally living alone and utilizing their pet spiders to capture and disable prey before feeding, the bipedal and cruel monsters are believed to have their origin from a savage and secret sect of druids that performed cannibalism and were corrupted by spider fiends. Because prey is plentiful in this region, the ettercaps have integrated a community so that they can work together and share food. It is unknown how these monsters communicate so quickly but if one ettercap is seen, chances are there are several close by that can be called on.
Old druidic sites litter the land, suggesting tales of the ettercaps being true. Closer investigation reveal that most of these ruins and sites have a mixtures of druidic and elven scripture to them. What their end goal or purpose was is lost to time and only the most foolish or suicidal of adventurers would explore deeper in the wilderness.
While the various predators that stalk the forest are to be avoided if possible, some travelers have fallen victim to fine strands of silk nets or snares. Ettercaps make the Freewilds their homes. Normally living alone and utilizing their pet spiders to capture and disable prey before feeding, the bipedal and cruel monsters are believed to have their origin from a savage and secret sect of druids that performed cannibalism and were corrupted by spider fiends. Because prey is plentiful in this region, the ettercaps have integrated a community so that they can work together and share food. It is unknown how these monsters communicate so quickly but if one ettercap is seen, chances are there are several close by that can be called on.
Old druidic sites litter the land, suggesting tales of the ettercaps being true. Closer investigation reveal that most of these ruins and sites have a mixtures of druidic and elven scripture to them. What their end goal or purpose was is lost to time and only the most foolish or suicidal of adventurers would explore deeper in the wilderness.
"The Freewilds have to be one of the only places that travel during the winter is less dangerous than the other seasons. Kuplorae is really sleeping on this one."
-Halon, druid from unknown clan
-Halon, druid from unknown clan
