THE UTHGARDT TRIBES AND THEIR TERRITORIES

For most Uthgardt tribes, the only stability in their history is the site of their ancestral mound. Most of the Uthgardt holy sites have existed since antiquity, but the fortunes of the tribes that revere them have hardly been static. Following are brief descriptions of the Uthgardt tribes today.   Blue Bear. The easternmost of the Uthgardt are the Blue Bear — thought destroyed more than a century ago — who have recently emerged from inside the High Forest and reclaimed their ancestral mound at Stone Stand, just south of the Moon Pass and north of the forest. The Blue Bears have reoccupied much of their old territory in the time since they returned to prominence, though they don’t venture near Hellgate Keep, considering it a taboo place.   Black Lion and Red Tiger. North of Blue Bear territory, in the Glimmering Wood, is Beorunna’s Well, a settlement of some size that near the ancient ancestral mound of the Red Tiger tribe. The settlement was founded some time ago by members of the Black Lion tribe, who put down roots here rather than continuing to live as nomads.   Though the Red Tigers are less than comfortable with the present situation, they consider Beorunna’s Well their holy site, so they make the best of things. Bands of Red Tiger tribespeople often winter in Beorunna’s Well, and many of its hunters and trappers use the settlement as a place to sell the leather and furs they acquire in nearby forests.   Sky Pony. In a part of the Glimmerwood called the Moonwood stands the One Stone, the ancestral mound of the Sky Pony tribe. These are a people divided; half of the tribe has settled and built a sizable steading around the One Stone, similar to what Black Lion has done at Beorunna’s Well. The other half of the tribe considers this act an insult to their totem, so they launch raids on the settlement, burning as much of it as they can and then escaping.   Tree Ghost. In the depths of the High Forest stands the Grandfather Tree, the ancestral mound of the Tree Ghost tribe. The Tree Ghosts split off from the Blue Bears long ago and all but disappeared into the forest, although occasional reports reach civilization that they are still alive and can sometimes be seen clustered around the Grandfather Tree. Some sages postulate that the newly reborn Blue Bear tribe might well be Tree Ghost Uthgardt who are following a call from a revived Blue Bear totem.   Great Worm. The Frost Hills, a small southern spike of the Spine of the World Mountains just north of the Evermoors, is the site of Great Worm Cavern, the ancestral mound of the Great Worm tribe. These Uthgardt are notoriously reclusive; it has been twenty years since the tribe has sent raiding parties out anywhere but against the orcs of the Spine Mountains.   Black Raven. As forbidding as the Spine of the World Mountains they roam, the Black Ravens are fanatical in their adherence to the old Uthgardt ways. Ranging out from Raven Rock, their ancestral mound deep inside the mountains, they have been known to send raiding parties as far south as Silverymoon, but their most frequent targets are the caravans that come in and out of Mithral Hall.   Elk. The Elk are fierce raiders and savage killers throughout their nomadic range: the Evermoors and the plains east of the Dessarin and lower Surbrin river valleys. Of the Uthgardt tribes, they are the most arrogant, surly, and self-indulgent. Considered by many to be little more than bandits, they often raid other tribal settlements for food, plunder, and sport.   LOST TRIBES OF THE UTHGARDT Some Uthgardt tribes are seen by others as lost to the world. They are considered anathema, and even speaking of them outside certain contexts is forbidden.   The Thunderbeast tribe has not been heard from in several years. When the Thunderbeasts made their annual pilgrimage to Morgur’s Mound in Neverwinter Wood, they found their holy site desecrated. Soon thereafter, their chieftain took them back into the depths of the High Forest, and they have not emerged since.   The Gray Wolf tribe is taboo because of its many werewolf members. It has done much to plague the people in the environs of the Neverwinter Wood. The tribe doesn’t share the ‘gift’ of lycanthropy with others and therefore ensures there are no survivors of its attacks.   The Griffon tribe has long been shunned due to its practice of trading with non-Uthgardt - and even spellcasters - at a settlement known as Griffon’s Nest.   The Red Pony and Golden Eagle tribes vanished centuries ago. They were last seen in the vicinity of the One Stone, the ancestral mound those tribes shared with Sky Pony.