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MickMackPaddyWhack
Moon
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2025
The High Forest and its surroundings.
What lay within this deep forest was somewhat of a mystery, and few traveled there to explore its depths. The more notable locations in the forest included the majestic Star Mounts, providing the headwaters of the Unicorn Run and the Heartblood River. There were the Lost Peaks in the northwest that form the headwaters of the Dessarin River. Of course, one cannot forget the living heart of the High Forest, Grandfather Tree. In the east, the Dire Wood is home to dangerous creatures of unknown, arcane origin. Scattered throughout the forest as well were many dungeon ruins, abandoned settlements, and mysterious locales. The Great Everwood was recorded as being over 500 miles in length from the north near the foothills of the Nether Mountains to the south near Secomber, and covered nearly a fourth of the lands known as the "Savage Frontier". It was considered the biggest forest in the known world. The southern slopes of the legendary Star Mounts contained the Endless Caverns, which were said to be home to dragons, as well as containing passageways that connected to the Underdark. To the south of the caverns was an abandoned dwarven cavern complex called the Stronghold of the Nine.
East of High Forest was a small patch of woods, at the foot of the Greypeak Mountains and separated from the rest of the Great Everwood by the flowing Delimbiyr River. Here resided an orc tribe, known as the Starshadow. It was a poetic reference to the distant Star Mounts and how these woods were “in the shadow of the Star Mounts”.
The Starshadow tribe was led by Karas'Tus, who defeated the previous warlord in single combat.
Karas’Tus reigned as a despot for over two decades without question, until one of his wives produced a male heir. According to tribal tradition, there are two ways of becoming warlord: defeat the current warlord in single combat, or be the current warlord’s male heir and replace him when the child reaches the age of twenty. Warlord Karas’Tus did not enjoy the idea of being replaced, especially not by his own flesh and blood! He had gotten used to power, and had developed a selfish greed that can only come when one rules unquestioned. Why would he have to lose everything, just because one of his concubines bore him a son? No, the warlord ruled over all he saw… And saw the Great Everwood, beyond the river. So, of course, it had to be his. It was his right, by rule of might!
The Starshadow tribe expanded into the High Forest, reaching the long-abandoned stone ruins of Karse.
The orcs cleared out the vegetation that had taken over the sinister area, using the lumber and stone to rebuild and restore much of Karse into a functional stronghold. This long-term incursion took nearly fifteen years of arduous effort from the Starshadow tribe, under the iron-fisted rule of Karas’Tus. According to him, it was destiny for them to take Karse; the ruined city and his name were nearly identical. But all of this did not go unnoticed by the other inhabitants of the woods.
A Tree Ghost barbarian.
Grandfather Tree.
Scouts of the Tree Ghost barbarians were the first to notice the Starshadow tribe and their new settlement, built upon the old stone bones of Karse. They approached their elven allies in the Tall Trees, warning them of newcomers in the High Forest.
The elven kingdom of Teuveamanthaar, or Tall Trees in the common tongue.
The Ghost Tribe were curious about these orcs and were willing to trade with them. The elves of Teuveamanthaar viewed them with indifference, tainted with a touch of suspicion; with the presence of the Starshadow tribe in a fortified city, the power balance of the High Forest had shifted. The other great power of the High Forest, Turlang, did not like these newcomers at all.
Turlang, the "Wood Warden".
But Karas’Tus had different plans.
During this time, the orc warlord’s son grew up fast, and grew up strong. He and his mother, Third-Wife Kireena, were mainly left to themselves as the Starshadow leader was busy with drawing plans, shouting orders and scheming by himself. Though most of the orc tribe followed Gruumsh and his pantheon, Kireena was a priestess of Herne Hurkgruum, also known as Herne the Huntmaster. He was a deity of hunting, linked to beasts, nature, physical strength and survival in the wilderness. Herne’s priests were almost entirely shamans and druids, as well as a few barbarians.Third-wife Kireena named her son Herne, to praise her chosen god.
As a child, Herne was particularly curious and good-natured, a contrast to his foul-tempered and closed-minded warlord father. The menfolk of the tribe took a shine to the lad and his toothy grin, teaching him everything they knew about metalwork, stonecraft and of course, warfare. They taught him how to fight with weapons and with his body, how to survive an ambush, how to don and doff armor, what to do when outnumbered, as well as the secrets of the shield, the battleaxe and the warhammer. Third-wife Kireena taught him about animals, insight, medicine, nature, and survival. She showed him how to use a bow and a spear, how to hunt and how to respect the prey. To give thanks to nature and to only take what is necessary. Kireena showed her son that nature, though mighty, must remain in balance. Clearcutting a forest condemns the area to be lifeless for generations; draining a river turns a fertile valley into a barren desert.
In his teens, Herne learned of his destiny. As the warlord’s son, he was to replace him when he reached twenty years of age. During this time, Karas’Tus became bitter and started to hold delusions of grandeur. He held Karse and the Starshadow tribe was a force to be reckoned with in the High Forest. Trade routes had been established with both the Tree Ghost camp and Tall Trees. But it was not enough for him. Warlord Karas’Tus believed he should own all of the forest, not share parts of it with human barbarians and elven weaklings! And if the talking trees forgot their place, he would cut them down and burn them! But still, he waited before executing his scheme. He waited, patiently… Until the eve of his son’s birthday, which would mark the end of his reign. That morning, he called the Starshadow tribe to war. They would invade the Tree Ghost camp, and lay claim to the Grandfather Tree. From that position of power, they would force the elves and the treants to surrender, or else he would burn the old oak to cinders.
And who better to lead this charge… But his own son, destined to become warlord the very next day? Third-Wife Kireena objected to this in front of the massed forces of the tribe, reminding them of the warlord-to-be’s destiny. But Karas’Tus would have none of it; how better to prepare an orc child to become an orc man? What better way to become a warlord, than to act as war chief of his own war party? What sweeter triumph than for the warlord’s son to gain control of his own kingdom in the forest?
The plan was as devious as it was straightforward; if Herne were to die during this foray, then clearly he was not fit to become warlord. And if he succeeds, then he can start his own kingdom, on the other side of the High Forest. Death or exile, disguised in generosity. Most of the Starshadow orcs saw through the charade, but none dared to vent their frustrations. Karas’Tus was a savage warrior and would not hesitate to strike down any who opposed him. Herne, wanting to prevent a bloody civil war, acquiesced to the warlord’s demands. He left the same day, with a small detachment of orc warriors, heading north. But, once they traversed the Heartblood river, they headed to the north-east, and the elven kingdom of Tall Trees. Following the Old Road and moving past the entrance to the Nameless Dungeon, Herne and his troupe arrived at the border of the elven territory of Teuveamanthaar and he ordered his forces to lay down their weapons. Herne stepped forward, taking a single step into the elven territory. An arrow brushed past his head, leaving a scar across his face, starting at his eyebrow and down along the jawline. The young orc felt the feather across his eyelid; had the arrow been a quarter-inch to the left, the warlord-to-be would be dead with an arrow in the eye.
It was a warning shot, but also a clear message; the elves of Tall Trees knew of the incursion on their land, and would not tolerate it. But even as droplets of his blood ran down the side of his face, the warlord-to-be kept an open hand to his troops, refusing to allow them to die needlessly. Looking up and around, he saw no one but knew they were being watched, with many a deadly elven bow aimed at them. Herne spoke in the elvish tongue, to the surprise of his troops and the defenders of Tall Trees. The accent was thick, for he had little practice. Herne spoke about his father, warlord Karas’Tus and his plans for warfare with the Tree Ghost tribe, the capture and burning of the Grandfather Tree, and the two-pronged attack that would be executed last to invade Tall Trees and claim all of the High Forest. There was a tense silence as messages were passed quickly throughout the woods, to the crowned heads of Teuveamanthaar and back to their forces at the periphery of their kingdom. Each moment waited felt like an hour.
Finally, the silence was broken and a hidden elven warrior spoke. When asked why Herne would so eagerly betray his tribe, he corrected the question. It was the warlord that betrayed the Starshadow tribe, not the other way around. Through war, the different nations of the Great Everwood would end up destroying everything and everyone. If Warlord Karas’Tus were ousted, the Starshadow tribe would not be a threat to anyone. There was no need for death. His blood had been spilled; it was enough. He offered himself up as a willing prisoner to the kingdom of Tall Trees, to prove his truthfulness and good intent. Herne and his men were gathered up and taken into elven custody. Three days later, an army of hundreds of elven warriors and Tree Ghost barbarians surrounded Karse, giving the Starshadow orcs an ultimatum; allow them to take the warlord away, or be driven from the Great Everwood. Warlord Karas’Tus was armed and ready for battle, but soon saw that not a single member of his tribe took up arms to defend him. Not his wives, not his children, not his kin. They all watched with cold, hard eyes as he was taken away, exiled from the tribe and the woods, never to be seen in High Forest again.
And thus, the War of the Woods ended.
The three wives of the warlord took up the power vacuum left by Karas’Tus, and decided that a council of elders would be better to all, than a single power-hungry warlord. But although the Tree Ghost barbarians and Tall Trees saw this change, they were not yet convinced of the orcish goodwill; within two decades, they had settled a stronghold and had prepared for war. How to convince these territories that they would not do so again? The Tree Ghost leader suggested a marriage; a child of the orcs with a child of the elves. That way, they would be linked by blood and know better than to simply pick up arms on a whim.
One year later, with all of the Starshadow tribe gathered, Herne embraced his mother and picked up his bag, smiling at them and waving goodbye.
For the last year he had prepared for this day, for this new destiny; he would marry in a royal elven family, with its lineage stretching back eons to the time of dragons. The kingdom of Teuveamanthaar would be his new home. He didn’t even know the name of the woman he would wed; only that she was a princess, and he would be her mate. With his finest clothing in a bag, and enough provisions to last him from Karse to Tall Trees, he left. This forest was his home, it had always been his home. He would simply… Change scenery. Now the orc stronghold was led by a conclave of wise women, with Third-Wife Kireena as their spokesperson. Smiles had begun to appear on orcish faces, with children playing with toys instead of wielding wooden weapons against one another.
Accompanied by a pair of Tree Ghost barbarians that would act as witnesses for the wedding, Herne hiked for fourteen straight days through the forest, reaching Tall Trees by the light of dawn. Tomorrow, on the day of his twenty-first birthday, Herne would be wed. Instead of carrying the title of warlord, he would carry a royal title, bequeathed by his new position.
A lone orc, living in an elven kingdom. An arranged marriage to a total stranger, to solidify strained relations between kingdoms in a forest. What a strange, unique thing! The situation was beginning to make him nervous; he knew how to hunt, how to fight, how to survive in the wilds. He had faced many different dangers of the High Forest, including sword spiders, owlbears, and gnolls. But he knew nothing of aristocratic etiquette, of royal titles and courtly intrigue. He knew absolutely nothing about the woman he was going to marry. What was her name, her title, her role in Tall Trees? Was she forced to marry him, or was it her choice? He knew a bit of elvish, and could make do with the sylvan language of woodland creatures. But what if she was a highborn, and only ever spoke elvish? Would they understand each other?
…Would they even like each other?
It was at this moment that he saw the wedding pavilion.
The candles, the decor, the tranquil stream and the bridge a stone’s throw away. It was all so beautiful, so delicate, so... Elven.
Tomorrow, Herne would be wed.