The High Forest : Expanded lore.

[sandcastles]

The High Forest

The High Forest is a holdover from the early days of the world, when elves, giants, and dragons ruled a continent covered in green. The forest is home to all the woodland races, including aarakocras, centaurs, drow (including Vhaeraun- and Eilistraee-worshiping surface-dwellers and Lolth-worshiping Underdark marauders), gnolls, gnomes, hybsils, moon elves, pixies, satyrs, treants, and wild elves.

The few humans who live or travel within the forest are usually druids, rangers, members of the Harpers, or adventurers used to surviving in environments in which they are not entirely welcome. Druids say that the forest is under the protection of the deities Eldath and Mielikki. If true, that explains how he High Forest has survived the woodcutter's axe unscathed.

The forest is too large for any one group to rule completely. At present, the greatest powers within the forest are the treants, the wood elves, and the centaurs.

Life and Society

The nonhumans, druids, rangers and adventurers of the High Forest live in a self-contained and self-sufficient world. Merchant Caravans from Waterdeep or the Moonsea travel to Loudwater or Secomber or Everlund, human cities on the edge of the great wood, but the forest itself needs nothing that the outside world has to offer.

The denizens of the High Forest live by hunting. Some cultivate herbs, mushrooms, and other plants that can be grown under the trees or in natural clearings. The various races hunt different animals and harvest different plants - slow nomadic shuffling of the various clans and tribes keeps the forest's resources from being exhausted in the same manner that crop rotation keeps farmers' lands healthy.

Many races and factions of opposed alignment and interests occupy the forest. Small-scale skirmishes between them are frequent. Large-scale conflicts only occur when one side or the other cares enough to track its enemy through difficult terrain and expend valuable magic and lives pursuing battle. The different races have zones of influence within the forest, but few attempt to exert complete control over a given territory for long.

At the moment, the most combative groups active in the forest are the wood elves who seek to exterminate the orcs who flow in steadily from the Spine of the World and know no other way than violence, the treants who dominate the north tip of the forest, and the tieflings and half-fiend elves of House Dlardrageth who still lair in underground ruins near the Nether Mountains.
~ FRCS; pg 165-166

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Regional History

Long ago, whe nthe elves truly ruled Faerun, the kingdom of Eaerlann held sway in the High Forest. Eaerlaan fell in 882 DR when Ascalhorn became Hellgate Keep. Soon after the elves began to slip away from the High Forest, embarking on their Retreat.

As the elves slowly vanished, the great treant Turlang carefully gathered his strength and took control of much of the northern High Forest, the area most threatened both by orcs and by the demons and devils that once resided in Hellgate Keep. Turlang's treants have gradually pushed the boundaries of the wood, moving the tall trees up the side of the Hellgate crater, miles past the former boundaries of the High Forest proper. Simultaneously, the High Forest near Everlund has crept several miles to the north, coming within a hero's bowshot of the walls of Everlund.

In recent years, many woodelves who moved to Evermeet in the Retreat returned to Faerun through portals into Evereska, then slipped northwest to join the wild elves of the High Forest. They seek nothing less than the reestablishment of the kingdom of Eaerlann. Thus far, the efforts to retake their forest consists of a determination to handle problems with elven skills and elven magic, and to drive the orcs and gnolls from the woods.

Other elves within the great forest have actively evil intent. In ancient Eaerlann, the sun elf mages of House Dlardrageth made pacts with demons. For their crimes they were imprisoned deep beneath what would later become Hellgate Keep. The destruction of the Keep freed them. While seeking to piece together their former magical arsenal, they rescued other sun elf tieflings who had been imprisoned for centuries by the moon elves. The various demon-spawned sun elves have joined forces under the orders of Countess Sarya Dlardrageth. They may never become organized enough to pose a serious threat to the settlements of the North, but anyone who discoveres their lairs in buried elven ruins outside the High Forest finds them dangerous foes indeed.
~ FRCS; pg 167

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Expanded History of the High Forest

In far older days, when the High Forest spanned much of the land from the River Dessarin to the Graypeaks, numerous elven and dwarven realms rose to prominence. Dwarven kingdoms grew mighty by working metal and stone, while elves nurtured great civilizations. For many ages these realms flourished, enduring repeated invasions by orcs, ears among the elves, and incursions from the Underdark. Ultimately, however, all of these civilizations were doomed to fall.

A single act of fiendish summoning that took place nearly five hundred years ago led to a demonic conflagration that devoured the elven kingdoms of the High Forest and neighboring Ammarindar, leaving the North forever changed. The High Forest and its mountains reverted to a savage and lush wilderness in which lost wonders from these bygone civilizations lie concealed.

The High Forest is littered with the ruins of the three elven civilizations that succeeded ancient Aryvandaar. Here in the deep woods, far removed from the more famous ruins of Cormanthyr, lie the age-old remains of great woodland societies that once dwelled under the trees. The graceful architecture of these forgotten elven cities is still amazingly well preserved. Delicate spires, beautiful towers, and ancient temples offer fantastic places for adventurers, antiquarians, and treasure seekers to explore. The magic of the mythals that protect these places has diminished greatly with the elves' departure from the High Forest, but these ancient defenses still embody considerable power.

History

The last chapter in the history of the High Forest elves began nearly ten thousand years ago, when some sun elves returned to the forest and founded the nation of Siluvanede amid the ruins of Aryvandaar.

The moon elves who arrived soon after founded the hidden kingdom of Sharrven in the woodland areas to the south. The last and mightiest of the elven realms that rose in the High Forest was Eaerlann, a powerful kingdom of moon elves and wood elves that was said to rival the legendary Cormanthyr in spirit and lore.


Timeline
-9000: The Fifth Crown War ends. The elves of Aryvandaar abandon the High Forest.

- 8400: A few sun elves return to found Silvunede in the northwestern reaches of the High Forest.

-7600: Moon elves and a few sun elves disaffected with Siluvandede's growing elitism found Sharrven in the southern reaches of the High Forest.

-5300: The elves of Silvanede erect a mythal in the city of Adofhaeranede and rename it Myth Adofhaer.

-5000: Survivors of House Dlardrageth, a clan of demon-blooded sun elves, flee from Arcorar to Siluvanede

-4800: The Dlardrageths subvert several powerful Siluvanedenn sun elf houses and, by encouraging demon-elf cross-breeding, ceate the fey'ri. The fey'ri houses conceal their secret heritage and come to wield great power in Siluvanede.

-4700: Nobles of Sharrven who seek to restrict the ambitious Siluvanedeen found the kingdom of Eaerlann.

-4550: The elven tree city of Teuveamanthaar is founded on the present-day site of Talltrees and named the capital of Eaerlann.

-4500: High mages from Arcorar track House Dlardrageth to a secret lair beneath Ascal's Horn. With the aid of Eaerlanni forces, they slay several of the Dlardrageths. Other Siluvanedenn houses under Dlardrageth influence retaliate, beginning the Seven Citadels' War. Sarya Dlardrageth and her sons are captured, but the fey'ri-led Siluvanedenn fight on.

-4440: Eaerlann presses Siluvanede. The Siluvanedenn open several of Aryvandaar's ancient citadels and equip their warriors with Vyshaantar weapons. This tactic draws Sharrven into the war.

-4300: The Seven Citadel's War ends, and Eaelann forciby annexes Siluvanede. Upon discovering the deceit of the fey'ri, untainted Siluvanedenn high mages place the city of Myth Adofhaer in magical stasis, effectively fleeing to the far future to escape association with the fey'ri houses. Most of the surviving fey'ri warriors are imprisoned in Nar Kerymhoarth (the Nameless Dungeon), but some avoid capture and eventually spawn long-lived houses of daemonfey that successfully conceal their nature.

-4100: Shield dwarves settle the Graypeak Mountains.

-3900: Delzoun, the great Northkingdom of the dwarves, is founded.

-3843: The drow city of Ched Nasad is founded, beginning of centuries of strive between the drow and and the dwarves of Ammarindar.

-3830: The elves of Eaerlann teach magic to the humans of Netheril.

-3416: The Lowroad, an underground trade route linking Dlezoun to Netherese towns, is completed.

-3373: King Azkuldar of Ammarindar initiates trade realtions with the magic-wielding humans of Netheril.

-2770: The fey'ri who survive the fall of Siluvanede covertly unleash monser hordes in the southern High Forest. The creatures destroy Sharrven before aid can arrive. King Connar IV of Ammarindar then vanquishes many of he creatures, including the red wyrm Rithaerosurffel, the Bane of Sharrven.

-1900: Citadel Felbarr is completed.

-897: King Olaurin, greatest hero-king of Ammarindar, is slain by the deep dragon Erthungaron.

-550: Year of Glistening Dust : King Azkuldar III of Ammarindar secretly creats the Xothol, an arcane collage charged with guarding against the increasingly antagonistic Netherese.

-500: Year of the Running Unicorns : Citadel Sundbarr is comlpeted.

-372: Year of the Owl's Watching : The elves of Eaerlann found Ascalhorn.

-339: Year of Sundered Webs : Netheril, the Empire of Magic, falls. The body of the momentary god Karsus falls to earth in the eastern region of the High Forest.

-335: Year of Seven Spirits : The Illuskan arcanist Maerin Immar commissions Fardelver and other dwarf artisans from Delzoun to build Gauntlgrym.

-334: Year of Three Seas' Rage : The dwarves build Besendar's Blockhouse on the site that will become current-day Everlund.

-333: Year of the Humbling Havens : Ascalhorn and Citadel Sundbarr accept human refugees from Netheril. As the Narrow Sea dries up, the dwarves begin the slow abandonment of Ascore.

- 286: Year of Foul Awakenings : The Xothol is closed.

-272: Year of the Songstones : Citadel Adbar is completed.

-111: Year of Terrible Anger : Delzoun is devastated by countless orc assults that also destroy other kingdoms of the north. The elves of Iliyanbruen, Rilithar, and Eaerlann unite to shatter the strength of the orcs and halt their rampage into the High Forest and Dessarin Valley.

-104: Year of the Star Stallion : The dwarves abandon Besendar's Blockhouse.

-100: Year of the Black Unicorn : The underground realm of Delzoun falls to underdark creatures. The dwarves' surface citadels survive the attack and remain in dwarf hands.

1: Year of Sunrise : The dwarves of Ammarindar complete Citadel Yaunoroth.

273: Year of the Delighed Dwarves : Three dwarf clans from Ammarindar and Citadel Felbarr migrate together to Myth Drannor.

329: Year of the Closed Scroll : Orcs sack the surface fortresses of Citadel Sundbarr.

515: Year of the Frivolous Exchange : Humans from Ascalhorn resettle Besander's Blockhouse and rename it Everlund.

590: Year of the Turning Leaf : Elf and human wizards from Ascalhorn, Eaerlann, Evereska, Silverymoon, and Myth Drannor raise a wizard mythal over the Aaerlanni city of Glaurachyndaar, thereby establishing Myth Glaurach.

714: Year of Doom : Myth Drannor Falls.

820: Year of the Roving Tyrant : The arcanist Wulgreth summons the first devils to Ascalhorn.

864: Year of the Broken Branch : Orcs of the Nethertusk Horde overrun Myth Glaurach.

880: Year of Unfettered Secrets : Human wizards, influenced by the fey'ri, summon the first demons to Ascalhorn.

882: Year of the Curse : Demons and devils battle in Ascalhorn. The triumphant demons stream fourth, bringing about the fall of Eaerlann and Ammarindar (added note: Ascalhorn becomes Hellgate keep). The dwarves allow human refugees to settle in the surface strongholds of Citadel Sundbarr.

886: Year of the Fell Firebreak : Harpers place wards around Hellgate Keep to prevent demons from using their gate abilities.

890: Year of the Burning Tree : The demons beneath Hellgate Keep begin tunneling to bypass the Harpers' Wards.

912: Year of the Sudden Journey : Demons tunneling from under Hellgate Keep reach the Nether Mountains.

1104: Year of the Dark Dawn : Citadel Felbarr is attacked by an orc horde led by the orc chieftain Obould, who defeats the warriors of Silvermoon at the Battle of Many Arrows. The fortress falls into orc hands and is known thereafter as the Citadel of Many Arrows.

1221: Year of the Frozen Flower : Demons tunnel from Hellgate Kepp to the abandoned tunnels of fallen Ammarindar.

1230: Year of the Long Watch : The orcs breach Silverymoon and enter the city but are repelled by Harpers and Elves.

1356: Year of the Wyrm : Demons tunnel from Hellgate Keep to the Nameless Dungeon.

1367: Year of the Shield : With the aid of knights from Silverymoon, the dwarves retake Citadel Felbarr.

1369: Year of the Gauntlet : The Harpers destroy Hellgate Keep. The surviving daemonfey of House Dlardrageth are freed after millennia of imprisonment. The High Forest expands under the direction of Turlang the Treaent.

1371: Year of the Unstrung Harp : The Silver Marches is established. Forces from the Scourged Legion secure Northpeak.

1372: Year of Wild Magic : Daemonfey occupy Myth Glaurach. City of Shade appears

1373: Year of the Rogue Dragons : Under Kaanyr Vhok the Sceptered One, the Scourged Legion battles the drow of Menzoberranzan.

1374: Year of the Lightning Storms : The daemonfey Sarya Dlardrageth frees the fey'ri imprisoned within the Nameless Dungeon. Her army of orcs, orgres, and fey'ri is defeated by the elves of the High Forest and forces from Evereska, Evermeet, and Silverymoon.

~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 83 - 85

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The Lost Kingdoms of the High Forest

Eaerlann

Eaerlaan, the predominant elven kingdom of the High Forest, endured for nearly six thousand years. The wood elves and moon elves who made up its populace dwelled in woodland cities and towns of fabulous beauty throughout the northern and eastern portions of the High Forest.

While Eaerlann was still a young realm, its leaders noted Siluvanede's gradual slide towards evil and decided to take decisive action to prevent the Siluvanedenn from repeated the errors of their arrogant ancestors in Aryvandaar. With Sharrven as an ally, the Eaerlanni forcibly subdued the realm of Siluvanede, ushering in a five-thousand-year period of peace and prosperity.

In the waning years of Eaerlann, its population began to dwindle as its residents left for Evermeet or joined the newer realms appearing along the Sword Coast. Thus weakened, Eaerlann was unable to mount any effective defense against the demons of Hellgate Keep that emerged from Ascalhorn in 882 DR, and the realm quickly fell before their onslaught.

Most travelers seeking the known Eaerlanni ruins go by way of the Old Road, an ancient boulevard of cracked and broken cobblestones that connects Elven Port, Mhilamniir, and the Nameless Dungeon. West of Mhilamniir, forest undergrowth has largely swallowed up the Old Road, though the portions that occasionally peek through the roots and shrubs can guide travelers to other sites along its path.

Many Eaerlanni cities consisted of hallowed-out trees and platforms connected by dozens of slender rope bridges. Each major settlement held at least one tree-temple dedicated to the elven gods. Most of these cities have long since succumbed to the forces of time and nature, but a few traces of some still remain.



Sharrven

The ancient elven realm of Sharrven was founded by moon elves along with a few sun elves who rejected the elitism and insufferable arrogance of the Siluvanedenn nobles. Sharrven's end came a few centuries later after it had joind forces with Eaerlann to defeat Siluvanede in the Seven Citadels' War. Without warning, mysterious portals created by fey'ri survivors of Siluvanede opened simultaneously throughout the kingdom, releasing a torrent of rampaging monsters. Sharrven's survivors fled to Eaerlann and Evereska, leaving their former realm vacant but for a few settlements and outposts.

Today, little remains of Sharrven because the creatures that slaughtered the elves also demolished most of their settled areas. Most of the surviving structures are topped with tremendous stone perches - reminders of the time when elf warriors rode silver and gold dragons into battle. The only fortress still standing is a tower known as Farsilver that is highly reminiscent of the buildings in Silverymoon. This structure is protected by magical wards of the sort that moon elves commonly placed on their buildings.

To this day, travelers in the southern region of the High Forest are likely to encounter a bizarre variety of terrain and unusual creatures. Many of these beasts can trace their lineage to teh fall of Sharrven.



Siluvanede

This kingdom of sun elves was the first elven realm established in the High Forest after the Crown Wars. Siluvanede occupied the northwestern High Forest, which also included the Silverwood at the time. The Siluvanedenn favored long, graceful, stone structures and bright colors, so they filled their cities with tall towers and slender spires built of brightly colored stone and brick. Magnificent manors lined every street, and every boulevard ended in a park garden where artisans came to create work sof art from stone, wood, and magic.

But beneath Siluvanede's beauty lay a growing cancer - namely, a tendency to embrace the dark ways. In the early days of Siluvanede, the memories of the Elven Court's decree against the Vyshannti and the Descent of the Drow were still fresh in the minds of many sun elves, so the citizens of the new kingdom were more than a little fearful of the Seldarine. In response to those fears, temples were outlawed in the new kingdom, and priests were persecuted and driven out. The godless nature of Siluvanede later contributed to House Dlardrageth's success in subverting the Siluvanedeen houses to their own dark cause. As more and more Siluvanedenn fell in with the plots of House Dlardrageth, an increasing number of them chose to follow the dark path laid out by their Vyshaan Forbears.

~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 89 - 92

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Keepers of the Past

The history of the High Forest is rich with tales of heroic wars and battles, of love gained and kingdoms lost. Because such stories are still popular, characters can learn much about the lost elven and dwarven kingdoms of the North simply by listening to the tales and songs in public houses. Since the fall of the High Forest kingdoms happened relatively recently by dwarf and elf reckoning, the information in these tales is still relatively accurate.

~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 85

[sandcastles]

Places of the High Forest.

The Endless Caverns

In the High Forest, due south of the Star Mounts, a spring that joins the Unicorn Run river flows out of this large network of limestone caverns (and a few deliberately hewn linking passages) that stretches for many miles underground, ultimately connecting to the Underdark. Older than the fallen elven realm of Eaerlann, it has been home to several now-slain dragons (some of whose hidden treasure hoards may still lie in it), and more recently illithid-led drow slaver bands who mount raids into the surface realms.
~ FRCS; pg 294


At the edge of the broken lands south of the Star Mounts, a nameless river flows from a huge opening in the cliff face. The rangers of the Harpers know this as the Endless cavern, a deep reaching cavern complex which the elves of Earlann believed to be a connection point with the deep realms of the underearth. Here of old dwelt Grax Rekaxx, an ancient green dragon. His moss covered bones decorate the outermost cave chamber, but no trace was ever found of his vast dragon hoard.

The ranger, Skimmerhorn of Secomber, reported evidence of illithid activity here on his most recent investigation.
~ The Savage North; pg 51-52 (AD&D)

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The Lost Peaks

These two small mountains at the northwest corner of the forest are home to centaurs, satyrs, and other fey. The Fountains of Memory located on the high plateaus reflect views of the past instead of their normal surroundings. As far as anyone can tell, beings who enter the pools in an attempt to return to those past times instead teleport to random destinations.
FRCS; pg 166

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The Star Mounts

These soaring mountains at the heart of the High Forest have been landmarks and mysterious places of legend to humans of the North for centuries. They rise high above the trees, their heights usually cloaked in clouds, and minstrels and woods folk have been spinning wild tales about the mountains for as long as humans have stared at their distant slopes and wondered who - or what - lives there.

The Star Mounts were named for stars in the northern heavens by the elves of fallen Eaerlann. The names Y'tellarien, or "Far Peak" to humans; Y'landrotheil, or "Mount Journey"; and N'landorshien, or "Shadowpeak," survive today, accompanied by later human names for the other outer peaks: Bard's Hill, Hunterhorn, and Mount Vision. These names hint at some lost and forgotten elven understanding of the peaks.

The thickly forested lands north of the Star Mounts are flat and smooth, whereas the land to the south are gnarled, broken by ridges and gullies. The Unicorn Run and the Hartblood River both spring from these peaks, and high valleys hide in the heart of the Star Mounts. The fierce winds prevent all creatures less powerful than dragons from flying to the peaks, except that aarakocras seem to do so with ease.

In recent years, the ancient green wyrm Elaacrimalicros awakened in his lair among the highest Star Mounts and devoured most of the aarakocras. He also delights in raking intruding adventurers off mountainsides, protecting his privacy as if great treasure lies at the heart of the Star Mounts.

It well may. Elven adventurers report that huge crystals (some the size of human cottages) sprout on Star Mount slopes. These could be dwellings or fortresses, though none look inhabited. All of these crystals create a web works of reflected light when moonlight strikes them. When the moon is full, a certain small central peak (hidden from observers outside the Star Mounts) is covered by patterns of light. These full-moon radiances are said to either open a portal to another plane, or to have the power to resurrect any creature laid within the spire-shaped ring of standing stones at the top of this hidden peak.
~ FRCS; pg 166


Located in the heart of the High Forest, this steep-sloped cluster of mountains ascends higher than even the tallest peaks in the Spine of the World. It is possible to see the snow capped mountain tops, and the slopes which sparkle like cut diamonds, from as far away as the Stone Bridge, or the mountains north of Loudwater.

The elves of Eaerlann first named the mountains, giving them the same names as stars in the northern heavens. Most of the original names are forgotten, only their rough translations survive: Bard's Hill, Mount Vision, and Hunterhorn. Yet a few are remembered: Y'tellarien (The Far Star), called Far Peak, Y'landrothiel (Traveler's Star), called Mount Journey, and N'landroshien (Darkness in Light) called Shadowpeak.

The forest south of the mountains hides a gnarled surface that might be called a badland were it not so densely thicketed. To the north, the land is unusually smooth, as if leveled with a woodworker's plane.

The mountains are also known to be rich in metals, including remarkably pure iron and nickle. But since the end of Eaerlann, no one mines there. The Star Mounts are an unapproachable curiosity. The ancient elves names hint at some unfathomable mystery (though most suspect the elves know the truth of it). As far as anyone knows, no flying thing less powerful than a dragon can land there due to constant and usually fierce winds.

The mountains cannot be approached by flying, other than upon an ancient or larger dragon. Strong gusts of wind (possibly huge air elementals) will dash weaker beings against the cliffs. Still, aarakocra, the bird-like winged race, seem to have no difficulty in flying to and from the mountains.

Huge crystals dot the surface of the mountains, many as large as small houses. There are several uncharged ruins in the mountains with walls made of fractured crystal shards.
~ The Savage North; pg 50-51 (AD&D)


Onthrilaenthor

Carved out of the eastern Star Mounts by the dwarves of Ammarindar for their elf allies, the ancient mines of Onthrilaenthor have not been used sine the fall of Eaerlaan. Two hidden entrances to Onthrilaenthor exist - one on the gnarled badlands near the southeastern base of the Star Mounts, and the other on the northern slopes, just north of the Hertblood River.

The mines of Onthrilaenthor encompass miles of tunnels, spiral stairs, storage chambers, and vertical shafts that reach upward into the peak of the most southern Star Mount. The presence of stables and openings to the sky within that peak suggest that the Eaerlanni at one time employed aerial mounts.

Fierce winds pour through these openings and rush through the mines' shafts and tunnels. Walking against the wind is extremely difficult, and most conversation carried on at a volume below a yell are drowned out by the roaring winds.

The mines were home to a flock of harpies for a decade. These creatures were routed by an adult deep dragon named Onskarrarrd, who had abandoned his lair near Ched Nasad after the catastrophe that threw the entire region into chaos.

~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 91

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The Unicorn Run

Flowing down from the Star Mounts in the High Forest to the valley of the River Delimbiyr, the Unicorn Run is known for its hundreds of waterfalls, it's whitewater rapids, the fey communities that migrate along its banks, and occasional sightings of the creatures that gave the river its name.
~ FRCS; pg 166


This cool, gently-flowing river has its source in the Star Mounts, at the very heart of the High Forest where very few civilized beings have ever been all through the ages (save the elves who do not talk). It tumbles roughly through the rough, densely forested canyonlands south of the mountains, then slowly meanders southward through the hilly forest to join the Delimbiyr at Secomber. Though few chose to do it, the Run is navigable as far as the first of the "sisters," the waterfalls which block further upriver travel. For such a large river, the Unicorn Run is remarkably clear.

The Stronghold of the Nine, lies partway up the run, located on a hill above the valley. Unicorns are known to travel the river's banks (hence its name), possibly traveling to the crystalline slopes of the Star Mounts. A famous halfling adventurer, Gaultham Longtoes, is known to have said, after visiting the Run, "I have seen the unicorns, and can die content."

Legends about the Run are many. One holds that an elven king buried the treasure of his court somewhere along the run while fleeing orcs and hobgoblins - but was soon slain with all his folk. Another holds that the god Mielikki wanders the wood here (though the Harpers claim this "legend" to be plain truth and often make dangerous pilgrimages upriver). They story-wavers of Secomber claim that if you travel the river to its end, you will find the home of the gods, that the river does not originate in this world, but in another. Other folk claim that the water from the Unicorn Run remains eternally pure, that it can never be fouled or poisoned.

"Having been far enough upriver on the Run to see the first 'sister,' as it poured like living mist from the verdant canyon forest high above, I know why bards who see this river sing of it for the rest of their lives. It is certainly one of the most beautiful regions of all Faerun." - Amelior.
~ The Savage Frontier; pg 51 (AD&D)


The Sorrowwood

Hidden in the dense woods of the Unicorn Run, this small corpse of magic oaks was planted by the ancient elves of Aryvandaar. The leaves of these trees change color like those of normal oaks but never fall from the branches. They simply turn from summer green to autumn shades of red and gold to winter brown, then back again to green in the spring.

The Sorrowwood serves as a living recorder of elven history. These trees, whose roots are said to touch the roots of every other tree in the High Forest, hold a history of the elves that goes back more than ten thousand years.

The elves of Sharrven named this grove the Sorrowwood because the history it related was full of sadness, death, and war. The Sorrowwood is not an oracle and does not give answers to questions asked. Rather, those who go there seeking knowledge are drawn into an incredibly lifelike vision in which they must interact with spectral representations of people, places, and events from long ago. So vivid are these images that those awakening from the visions often find themselves clutching an ancient relic or bleeding from a wound.

~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 86

[ancientempathy]

*applauds!*

[EDM Entori]

Apr 8, 2011 2:05:45 GMT -5 @ancientempathy said:

*applauds!*

ditto

[lowstorm]

can't wait til its expanded more.

[verycoldbeer]

Loved it.. Danke for the Info.

[sandcastles]

Sites of the High forest: Dungeons, Ruins, Settlements.

Citadel of the Mists

This isolated castle lies in the forest's northern fringes and is home to a powerful illusionist known only as the Mist-master, reputed to be extraordinarily powerful. He dwells here with his household retainers who are known to be Iltmul, a monk, once the White Master of Dragons, now Green Master of Dragons; and Cherissa Mintareil, a woman warrior who gained great fame in service of Cormyr. The Mistmaster loves to raise and train pegasi.

The Citadel is rumored to contain great treasure within its vaults, yet few have ever seen the Citadel, let alone passed within. The citadel which is built upon the foundation of ancient elven fortress (which may itself have been built upon the ruins of something even more ancient), is guarded by both magical and monstrous guardians, and when the Mistmaster wishes, it is cloaked in swirling mists.

A tall tower houses the pegasi eyrie. It is reached by an exposed internal staircase through a single large chamber, reputedly guarded by charmed air and fire elementals.

Beneath the castle are the cellars of the ancient elven fortress. Passages known to descend deeper have been blocked... repeatedly.
~ The Savage North; pg 51 (AD&D)

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Farsilver

The ancient fortress of Farsilver is an ivy-clad stone tower in the southeastern portion of the High Forest, due north of Loudwater. This rare remnant of Sharrven was a southerly outpost of the realm.

The magical wards inside Farsilver dim any light sources and prevent magical darkness from functioning. Each of the gemstone windows in the tower's top floor functions like a crystal ball with detect thoughts, except that the user's scrying is limited to the direction the particular window is facing. Under a full moon, the tower's main enterance becomes a portal to the ruined Sharrven city of Lhuve.

Farsilver has become the base of operations for two members of the Eldreth Veluuthra, a fantatical elf supremacist group dedicated to the eradication of humans. Fairra Waeviyrn and Urrinnar Mithanai ambush lone merchant wagons traveling to Loudwater. Neither elf has any compunction about slaying humans or those who accompany them, so a raid typically includes at least one murder. After a successful raid, the elves burn the wagons and leave the bodies of their victims to rot.

Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 91

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The Grandfather Tree

The Uthgardt barbarians, druids, wood elves, and other nonevil denizens of the High Forest hold this stupendous oak tree sacred. Members of the Tree Ghost Uthgardt tribe guard the tree, though the Grandfather is defended by its own powerful magic. An effect similar to a permanent consecrate spell encompasses the two-square-mile area within the shadow of Grandfather Tree's branches. Worshipers of Mielikki, Silvanus, Lurue, and other nature deities are effected as if by a bless spell when in Grandfather Tree's shadow.
~ FRCS; pg 166

A history of the Grandfather tree
An oak tree of titanic proportions, that towers above the rest of the forest but whose location is not known, other than "Somewhere in the northern High Forest." It is sacred ground to the Uthgardt barbarians, but its existence predates the human presence in the North.

This is one of two abandoned ancestor mounds, a gnarled oak tree of gigantic proportions towering above the surrounding trees of the High Forest. It's location is not marked for it is not known. The giant oak on the altar mound is the altar itself. The shamans would climb up steps carved in the gnarled bark to perform their rituals. The menhirs on the inner cairin ring are lesser oak trees. There is little evidence of the works of man here and a few rotated logs are all that remain of the tribal totem poles. In summer, the foliage of the great oak shadows the entire ancestor mound. Those brave enough to climb the tree to its uppermost branches can see almost the length and breadth of the High Forest.

Long ago, the mound's champion spirits drove the Blue Bear tribe away for unknown reasons. The tribal shaman carried away a cutting from this tree to become the now-ancient oak at the Stone Stand ancestor mound. When the arrival of Tanta Hagara and her corrupting influence caused the Tree Ghosts to splinter away from the Blue Bears, both tribes set upon a single goal... find Grandfather Tree.
~ The Savage Frontier; pg 52-54

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Halls of Four Ghosts

On the western edge of the High Forest in the Sword Coast North stands the crumbling great hall of a ruined, long-abandoned dwarf hold, now haunted by the ghosts of four dwarves who beckon urgently to any dwarves approaching the ruins. Diligently exploring adventurers found an underground stronghold opening out of one side of a now-dry well shaft that descends from the hall. Home to many trolls (including giants of that race), these chambers connect via many miles of mine tunnels (used by drow and illithid slavers) to the Underdark.
~ FRCS; pg 294

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Hellgate Dell

Ascalhorn was established atop Ascal's Horn in the northeastern corner of the High Forest to defend Eaerlann's frontier. After the fall of Netheril, the Eaerlanni conceded the stronghold to Netherese refugees, a decision which proved costly centuries later. A Netherese wizard named Wulgreth began summoning devils to the city in 820 DR to win an advantage over his rivals. In desperation, other wizards heeded the whispers of fey'ri agents and began summoning demons in 880 DR. In the Year of the Curse (822 DR), the summoned demons wiped out the summoned devils and then seized the city. Shortly thereafter, the demonic horde swept down Delimbiyr Vale and Overran both Earlann and Ammarindar.

Five years ago, the Harpers razed the ruins of Ascalhorn (Also known as Hellgate Keep). The great treant Turlang claimed stewardship over Hellgate Dell and extended the borders of the High Forest to envelop its ruins. Vigilant treants now stand guard over the site to keep explorers from entering and fiends from leaving. But the Harpers only contained the evil under Hellgate Dell, they did not eradicate it. This fact makes Turlang feel that he is watching over a festering wound that could erupt again at any time.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 90


Highways from Hellgate
Centuries ago, the demons under Hellgate Keep dug an extensive network of tunnels under the lands surrounding the High Forest. A few of these passages connect with the Fardrimm, and others, reached as far as the Neather Mountains and Northpeak.

The Plunder of Hellgate Keep
The demons that poured forth from Hellgate Keep five hundred years ago returned from their rampage laden with spoils from Eaerlann, Delzoun, and Ammarindar. Mmany priceless heirlooms and unique treasures vanished into the dark pit of Hellgate Keep to become playthings for the fiends. The Harpers compiled lists of wonderous items that they knew had been lost to Hellgate Keep.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 93

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Lothen, City of the Silver Spires

This magnificent city of silvery stone once marked the southern border of Siluvanede. Before Eaerlann annexed it, Lothen was a center of studies for the Siluvanedenn. The rampaging hordes from Hellgate Keep never reached the City of Silver Spires, so Lothen was spared from the devastation wrought by the demons elsewhere in the High Forest.

Today, Lothen's slender stone towers till stand strong, but the great city is populated by orcs from the Tanglethorn, Sharpspike, and Horned Lord tribes. Orc druids have converted several of the old elven temples into temples of Malar, and the forest around Lothen is filled with beasts of Malar that serve as spies and sentries for their orc druid masters.

Far below Lothen lies a stronghold of House Dlardrageth, which occupies several long-forgotten conjuring chambers. When Sarya and her sons were freed from their prison beneath Hellgate Keep five years ago, they settled into this underground space so that they could coverty seek out the descendants of their fey'ri servitors and locate the sites where other fey'ri were imprisoned. When the Dlardrageths occupied Myth Glaurch last year, they largely abandoned their first refuge here.
~Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 92

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Mhilamniir

This Eaerlanni city once boasted numerous temples dedicated to the Seldarine. In fact, Mhilamniiar was the seat of power for Eaerlann's elf clergy before the demonic hordes struck. The ravaged city was largly reduced to rubble by the demons of Hellgate keep, and its ruins are now entirely covered by thick moss and tangles of ivy.

The largest surviving building in Mhilamniir is a great temple to Corellon that stands in a grove near to the city center. For more than six hundred years, the very old female green dragon Chlorachridara and her brood have made their home beneath the temple's shattered dome. A bizarre woodsman (NE male half-green-dragon/wood half-elf ranger/sorcerer) who claims kinship with the dragon offers travelers the opportunity to question his all0knowing mother, provided they can meet her price.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 90

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Myth Glaurach

This fabled, mythal-cloaked city was built upon the nameless ruins of an ancient Aryvandaarn city located amid the rushing waters and deep forested hills of the Talons, at the headwaters of the Delimbiyr. Myth Glaurach was a gleaming garden city of ornate manors, climbing terrace, and soaring, white-domed towers, but its legendary mythal did not protect it from the ravaging orc horde that sacked it in 864 DR.

In 1372 DR, Countess Sarya Dlardrageth arrived in the ruins of Myth Glaurach with her fey'ri forces and began a meticulous study of the mythal. In the early months of 1374 DR, the daemonfey sorceress succeeded in corrupting the mythal, perverting many of its ancient wards and using its power to summon and bind large numbers of fiends to her service. Sarya's army marched against the elves of Evereska and the High Forest and wrought great destruction until a host assembled in Evermeet by Lord Seiveril Miritar halted her forces and drove her back. The sun elf mage Araevin Teshurr of Evermeet managed to remove Sarya's corruption from the mythal and alter it to prevent future tampering by fiends. The daemonfey abandoned Myth Glaurach shortly after Sarya's defeat.

Presently, most of Evermeet's host is still encamped in the ruins of Myth Glaurach, and Lord Seiveril Miritar has dispatched numerous search parties and patrols to search out Sarya's new hiding place. The elves have not yet charted the destinations of the numerous portals they have found buried in the tunnels below the grand mage's former palace.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 90

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Nameless Dungeon

In the northeastern High Forest (near Tall Trees) stands a ruin of fallen Earlann, a crypt beneath a shattered and overgrown mansion. There's also a small subterranean storage complex near the mansion (not guarded by the elves, and not connected to the mansion crypt). It's said by some to be a long-abandoned dwarven or gnome dwelling.
~ FRCS; pg 296

Until adventurers from Sundabar brought a glowing suit of mithril chain mail +4 out of the ruins of this elven citadel, the treasures of elven Earlann were believed to have disappeared with the elves. The discovery of the Nameless Dungeon has caused a furur among elves in the North. An envoy from Evermeet has gone as far as to ask High Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon to outlaw those known to have trespassed here. There is something in the ancient crypts that the elves do not want anyone to know about.
~ The Savage Frontier; pg 52 (AD&D)

A history of the Nameless Dungeon
During the Crown Wars, the elves of Aryvandaar built a citadel known as Nar Kerymhoarth in the northeastern region of the High Forest to serve as an armory for their war magic. When the empire dissolved, the armory was abandoned.

Five thousand years ago, a group of rebellious sun elves influenced by House Dlardrageth claimed the old armor and restocked it with magic created by the elves of the ancient Vyshaantar Empire. Years later, in the closing campaigns of the Seven Citadels' War, the army of Eaerlann defeated more than two thousand fey'ri warriors of House Dlardrageth and House Vyshaan and imprisoned them in magical stasis in the belowground levels of the armory. The imprisoned fey'ri were soon forgotten by their jailors, and their prison, which was known as the Nameless Dungeon, became a place of intrigue for adventurers.

After the fall of Eaerlaan, the wood elf patrols that guarded this part of the High Forest successfully barred access to the Nameless Dungeon for a time. In 1369 DR, a contingent or orcs and tanarukks from the Scourged Legion seized the dungeon, only to be driven off by a tribe of dark nagas and other scalykind from the Slitherswamp. These monsters, which had traveled to the dungeon through a portal, settled in and made the place their lair.

In early 1374 DR, the daemonfey Sarya released powerful magic from the Gatekeeper's Crystal to free the imprisoned fey'ri. The resulting explosion wracked the upper levels of the keep and killed many of its naga and yaun-ti residence, trapping the rest in the lower levels of Nar Kerymhoarth.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 92

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Nithrithvinae's Tomb

About 40 miles due east of the Stronghold of the Nine lies the only known burial ground for the noble houses of Sharrven. A single statue, now weathered beyond recognition, marks the entrance to this underground tomb. Beyond it lies a massive labyrinth of rough-hewn catacombs that extends deep under the earth. Winding passages, each leading to a separate crypt designated for a specific noble household, branch off in dozens of different directions. Each family crypt is an elaborate vault containing one more more stone mausoleums. Several of these crypts are guarded by baelnorn spellcasters - usually members of the crypt's noble house who accepted unlife to stand guard over the dead and protect their families' secrets.

When Sharrven was a living realm, its leaders frequently came to the tombs to ask respected baelnorns for advice and magical aid. But the elf liches have had few visitors for the past four thousand years, except for the occasional tomb robber.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 91

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Stone Stand

A tall oak tree surmounts the altar mound here. The oak is a cutting taken long ago from the legendary Grandfather Tree. Both cairn rings here are surmounted by menhirs, spaced roughly 10 feet apart and capped by lintel pieces that link the stones together into two unbroken rings of capped columns.

The nearness of this holy area to Hellgate Keep would seem to make life difficult for the barbarians. Although this ancestor mound is holy to both the Blue Bear and the Tree Ghost tribes, only the Blue Bear hold Runemeet here - undisturbed by the things in Hellgate.

Magic cast within the mound's inner vale (inside the inner cairn ring) is more potent. The effects of all spells are half again more potent. That is, a spell that would last six turns lasts nine. A spell that would heal 1d8 points of damage heals 1d8+1d4 and so on.
~ The Savage North; pg 55 (AD&D)

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Stronghold of the Nine

This cavern complex is a former dwarfhold rebuilt by the Nine, a famous adventuring band led by the female archmage Laeral. This group, now mostly retired, makes its home in the seclusion of the High Forest, as far up The Unicorn Run as men dare go. The Stronghold is known to have strange and powerful magical guardians (including nagas and golems) not to mention their retainers, followers and several mercenary bands. The Nine are known to have gathered much treasure over the years - much of it is undoubtedly in the Stronghold.

The Nine are now the "Five" A disagreement over an item in Laeral's possession began a feud, dividing the once close knit band into three warring factions. The item is an artifact known as the Crown of Horns, a many-0horned helm of unknown properties (one property should be obvious, it causes dissension and a desire to possess it). Those who investigate The Stronghold will find its above-ground buildings abandoned and in poor repair. The large underground complex is ill-defended and in constant turmoil as ragged, paranoid warbands gain, lose and regain control of the Crown. To them, everything else in the world pales in comparison to the ugly iron helm.

The five who survive are 15th level or higher and include a fighter, a cleric, two magic users (Laeral and one other), and a thief. Most of their followers are 2nd level or higher.
~ The Savage Frontier; pg 52 (AD&D)

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[sandcastles]

Areosclughpalar, Druid Dragon of the High Forest.

Areosclughpalar, "Gildenfire"
N Gargantuan Male Old Gold Dragon, Druid 11 [Mielikki], CR 26
"Guarded like a dragon's hoard, a forest doth expire.
Life, reborn and enduring, is wrought by guilded fire."
Parabel entitled "By Guilded Fire"
Atributed to Mintiper Moonsilver, Year of the Moonfall (1344 DR)

Born in the Year of the Burning Tree (890 DR), Aerosclughpalar has now entered his prime, with swept-back twin horns, twin frills adorning his long neck, and catfish like whiskers common to gold dragons. His golden scales are tinted with green-grey lichen, and his pupils have faded to resemble liquid emeralds.

Lair
Aeroslughpalar dwells in a small stone cave beneath the roots of a great weir tree in the settlement now known as Tall Trees, once the Eaerlanni capital city of Teuveamanthaar. However, he spends the bulk of his time wandering the High Forest, tending to it's inhabitants and guarding the great woodlands against extraplanar agents who would despoil it.

Hoard
Gildenfire's hoard is barely recognizable as such, for he truly cherishes the High Forest in its entirety. Nevertheless, the Druid Dragon has established eight "treasure caches" throughout the great northern woods. Each cache consists of a grove of weir trees, a highly prized species that is now quite rare, carefully shaped over the centuries into living sculptures of dragons of yore. Lingering enchantments (akin to dancing lights) placed by Gildenfire cause these weir trees to flicker with dancing balls of light, leading some travelers to mistakenly conclude such groves are inhabited by will o' wisps. Gildenfire's groves are warded against interlopers (with various symbols and glyphs), but those of pure heart (good or at least non-evil alignment) can wander through unhindered.

Known Allies
For years, Aerosclughpalar has lived in human guise under the name Vaeros Fireshield as an Initiate of the 11th Circle in the Church of Mielikki. Many followers of Our Lady of the Forest suspect that "Vaeros" might eventually succeed Uthgang Jyarl as Great Druid of the North. As such, Aerosclughpalar considers all who worship Mielikki, Eldath, Silvanus, Lurue, and Gwaeron Windstorm as allies. Gildenfire is close friends with the ancient treaent Turlang, and he has worked on many occasions with both Those Who Harp and the Fair Folk who seek to found New Eaerlann.

Known Enemies
As a member of the druids of the Tall Trees, "Vaeros" opposes the machinations of the surviving demons of Hellgate Keep, the orcs of the Nether Mountains and the High Forest, the recently released fey'ri of House Dlardrageth, and the Eldreth Veluuthra.

Schemes
Although Aerosclughpalar is not considered a rogue by other gold dragons, he does hold to philosophical positions at odds with most others of his kind. The Druid Dragon (as those who are aware of his true identity sometimes call him) acknowledge Lareth, before his death, as his liege and the sovereign of all gold dragons on Abeir-Toril, but the two had significant philosophical differences. Gildenfire believes that all species are best served by allowing the hand of nature, however harsh, to cull weakness and disease from the cycle of life and to allow new life to flourish. As such, in the guides of Vaeros he strives to eliminate extraplanar threats to the High Forest and the world beyond that seek to upset the natural order.

Knowledge Checks
Only Sinklayr Greenstroke, Uthgang Jyarl, and a few gold and silver dragons know Vaeros's true identity, so PCs must deduce the connection between Vaeros Fireshield and Gildenfire themselves through careful investigation and roleplaying.

Adventure Hooks
PCs are likely to encounter Vaeros in human form while exploring the High Forest. If the PCs are battling demons from Hellgate Keep or House Dlardrageth, Vaeros might join them in battle. If the PCs are attacking powerful predatory monsters, however, Vaeros might attempt to intercede, arguing that nature should be allowed to take its course.

Rage of the Dragons
Gildenfire prepared for the Dracorage by relocating to the heart of the Dire WOod, a cancerous blot in the heart of the High Forest. As planned, when he eventually succumbed to the magical madness, the gold dragon spent his fury shattering the petrified trees of the Dire Woods and hunting the aberrations that stalk beneath their boughs.
Source: Dragons of Faerun : Pages 12 - 13, some info trimmed out.

[mysticalkas]

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