This vast woodland covers much of the eastern
central North,
stretching for almost 500 miles from its southern edges (near
Secomber) to
its northern end (near Turnstone
Pass).
The High Forest is home to most
known races of intelligent woodland creatures.
Ents,
the "wood-rulers," are closest to
Everlund, and
that part of the High Forest is
known as "The Woods of Turlang" after the
treants' aeons-old leader, Turlang "the
Thoughtful." Men
know little of the interior of
the High Forest, although korred
are known
to inhabit the headwaters of the Dessarin,
and
several networks of subterranean caverns
underlie the Forest's western edge.
The Unicorn Run
(q.v.) enters the interior of
The High Forest from the south. To the
east,
along the western bank of the upper Delimbiyr,
elves of old
had a realm, Eaerlann (q.v.),
now abandoned. They left when Ascalhorn
became Hellgate
Keep (q.v.), but druids moved
into that region known as the Tall Trees,
to
preserve and defend the forest, and may
be
encountered there yet.
The Forest is so vast that travelers can,
and
have, found every sort of woodland creature
in its green, shadowed depths. Rumors of
lost
cities and treasure regularly surface in
taverns
about the North but the truth is, few
dare to investigate. Of the most powerful
adventurers who dwell in seclusion in the
North most have avoided The High Forest
(the Mistmaster and the Nine being the
only
exceptions, and in both cases they have
not
settled in the Forest's interior). Archmages
of
power great enough to rival demigods
have
chosen the orc-infested
regions of the far
North (The Lonely Tower, on the shore of
The
Endless Ice Sea, for example, and Tulrun's
Tent, usually to be found in the eastern
Coldwood,
near the Ice Mountains) rather than
settle in the High Forest. Lesser men have
been much slower to cut trees and carve
roads into these woods than they have in
the
Dragonreach lands. There is something about
this vast green land that warns civilization
away...Tapann, god of the korred, perhaps?
Silvanus?
Only time--and with it, intrepid
exploration--still tell.
The High Forest (FR5)
| - | - | - | - | - |
| FR5 The Savage Frontier | - | Forgotten Realms | - | 1st Edition AD&D |
This giant forest, its contents and occupants
are described beginning on p. 49.
"Date unknown. Well, this is where it
ends, starving to death in a dank cell,
imprisoned by another one of A. A.'s old
'friends.' I've tried to gauge time, but
with no natural light and infrequent
meals, I can only guess.
"Will try to recap my situation (Tempus
's Toes! Amelior's got me writing for
posterity now!). Jhingleshod and I found
the Stronghold of the Nine. It seemed
deserted, so we snooped a bit. Maybe we
could just 'borrow' the potion and leave.
We met Laeral. She seemed a bit different,
nastier; than usual (or maybe it was
her hair). After a short argument (maybe
'cock-eyed witch' was a bad choice of
words), I awoke here.
"Next time I'll try A. A.'s enemies, they
might be more friendly. See if I ever do
anything for One-eye again. Wonder if
that cock-eyed witch is looking for the
stupid spikey crown I found in here. It
sure makes for a lousy pillow."
Deep, dark, ancient and unfathomable,
the vast High Forest dominates the
eastern central marches of the North.
From its southern edge near Secomber
to its northern extent near Everlund
and Turnstone Pass, it stretches nearly
500 miles. It is like and yet unlike other
woods in the north, remaining virtually
untouched by woodsmen's axes.
Forest Folk
The "wood rulers" dwell near the city
of Everlund in the part of the forest
known as "The Woods of Turlang," after
the Treant's aeons-old ruler "Turlang
the Thoughtful." Each treant has a
stretch of woodland which is carefully
maintained in keeping with his or her
personality, ranging from immaculately
clean tree gardens, to dense, dark and
eerie, seemingly haunted forest.
Half-Elven Renegades
The descendants of the folk of Eaerlann
inhabit, or infest, much of that lost
land's former woodlands. These halfelven
brigands are primarily moonelves,
but numerous drow "breeds" are
to be found, descendants of elf, drow
and human unions long past. Noted
among them is their leader, "princess"
Tianna Skyflower.
Druids serving Silvanus guard Tall
Trees (the great tree remnants of the
ancient elven land of Eaerlann) near the
forest?s eastern edge and occasionally
(and with great caution) explore the
deeper forest. An adventuring band
has a stronghold in the south, and an
illusionist one in the north.
The primary home of these dancehappy
forest folk is the wood around
the Lost Peaks in the western forest.
Great glades form dance floors large
enough to host a thousand dancing
korred. These diminuitive, wild-haired,
satyr-like creatures worship Tappan,
their own god and Shiallia, a female
woodland demigod allied with Mielikki.
This subterranean elven subrace does
not dwell here, but it has long been suspected
that the forest hides an entrance
to Menzoberranzan, one of the dark
elves' Deepearth cities.
These mixed breeds have been migrating
in numbers to the central forest,
apparently being called into the service
of a charismatic man who calls himself
"The One."
Numerous orc tribes dwell in the cool
darkness of the southwestern forest.
Their crude villages are located about
two days' travel into the woods.
This winged race dwells only in the central
Star Mounts, but occasionally is
seen near the western fringe of the forest.
They are reclusive, having little to
do with other folk.
The High Forest and the surrounding
countryside experience (or suffer from)
occasional exotic weather patterns that
can only be of magical origin (and are
presumed to be caused by the Dire
Wood). This weather appears suddenly,
ends suddenly and is often destructive
and deadly. Recorded types of wizard
weather have included red snow ("it
tasted like blood"), hot rain ("it boiled
the flesh"), blizzards in summer, exotic
(invisible, multi-colored, huge, explosive,
glowing and black) hailstones,
dense fog (with evil creatures lurking
within), razor-sharp sleet ("it drew
blood and scored metal"), black, acidic
rain, and desert-like blazing heat.
There is a 1% chance each day of
encountering wizard weather while
within the High Forest.
Realms, Ruins & Strongholds
Within the forest, there are few markers
of civilization, past or present.
Those that might be of interest are
noted below.
?Dearest Amelior,
?Perhaps I was too hasty earlier this
year. Dove and I will be traveling to
Waterdeep in Uktar. Can you find time
to talk on our return trip? Even in
Silverymoon, the long winter can be
lonely.
Alustriel?
?Dear Amelior,
?Sorry to have missed you. It was
Dove?s idea to let ourselves in. We tried
to clean up, but we just made it worse.
Hope you like the gift I left.
?Alustriel
?PS. I love the statue. If you want it
back, you?ll have to come to Silverymoon.
I?ll wager you can?t guess where I
am going to hide it.?
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