| Fionn A’ilean |
Commonly referred to as “The Great Forest”, Fionn A’ilean (fee-own eye-lean) is the home of the Wood Elves, or as they like to call themselves “The People”. It is a wild place where nature is given the utmost respect and the needs of the People are met through foraging. Permanent settlements are few in number, not because the land can’t support them, but because the People choose not to damage the land with what they feel is unnecessary.
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History
On the northwestern coast of Novitas there is a large temperate subtropical rainforest. For centuries the forest has been constantly enriched by a steady push of warm wet air from the Maelstrom, a huge stationary hurricane, located off the west coast. It is believed that this land was the Elemental’s personal conservatory during her long ago time living upon Novitas. In fact her desire to conserve it was so great a magical barrier surrounded the forest when people first arrived upon Novitas. The barrier was linked to a magical orb, known as the Sigil Stone, discovered in the tower of the Scholar at Nalbendel. It was theorized that the barrier was a creation of the Craftsman given to the Scholar for safekeeping. At this time little is publicly known about the Sigil Stone, word is that it protected godly magic called the Runescript, but much time has passed and if this is accurate no one who knows more will say. With plenty of land to be had, resources in abundant supply all over the continent, there was little need to defile the Elemental’s sanctuary and so even though they theoretically had the capacity to open the barrier no one ever did. The Sigil Stone was kept secure in the central tower at Nalbendel where it remained until the destruction of the city. Many of the most important artifacts kept in Nalbendel had been stored in places engineered to be difficult to tamper with. As a theft deterrent access to these artifacts took considerable time, time the defenders of Nalbendel simply didn’t have before the city’s fall. The orb was one of these artifacts. When the city was destroyed, the Sigil Stone was destroyed with it, and the barrier around the Great Forest of the Elemental came down. Survivors of the blast, largely those who had enough warning to flee the city beforehand, had no reason to stay where they were. The land was desolate, ravaged by the invading forces and the destruction of the city. Remnants of the horde still remained and the numbers of the survivors were not great, their access to supplies were poor at best. A decision was made to travel to the Elementals preserve. There they could establish a new homeland and simultaneously make right with the Elemental for their part in the destruction of the barrier that protected her Grove. Travel to the Elemental’s Grove was perilous and might not have been successful without the leadership of Bethanael Silvertree. Out of the remnants of Nalbendel, through the ruins of old Quarandar they finally crossed into the lush forest of the Elemental, unsure of what they might find there. The first surprise was the discovery that the forest was already inhabited by sentient beings. Myconids, Verdurans and a variety of bipedal insect creatures had been living there the entire time. It was at once a bountiful and quite dangerous place. After several deadly encounters with the local wildlife, most of the humans who had once lived in Nalbendel didn’t want to go deeper into the forest. They stopped where they were and established the town of Germinas near the edge of the forest. Bethanael led her people deeper into the forest. There they discovered the beautiful home of the Verduran’s Verdur’ Kash. Mentored by the Verduran people they learned what they needed to know to survive in the lush but dangerous paradise. The Verduran’s welcomed these new guests to their land and the People did not forget their kindness. Taking influence from the Verdurans and learning from the mistakes of the past they built a new society. There would be no politicians, people gathered into loose-knit communities by choice. Freedom would be the central tenet, but limited in that the People were not free to oppress others or exploit the forest. But they could not rest yet. The people of this forest or as they would soon refer to themselves simply, The People, knew that the Gershan forces that had invaded Nalbendel would be returning home, and it wouldn’t be lost on them that the barrier that protected the Elemental’s Grove was gone. Bethanael set up a base of operations nearby Verdur’Kash. The elves (and a few others who were still with them) divided into groups to explore the forest and to make sure the Snow Goblins knew they were not welcome there. That base of operations in time became known as Silverleaf, it became one of the few permanent establishments in the whole of the Elemental’s Grove. Having a stable location to coordinate the People proved convenient and to this day when the People need to gather to make a decision this is often where they do so. The various sub-groups each established their own routines. In time they came to be known as houses, or lodges, or a variety of other monikers. Some created other minor settlements, but never on the scale anyone elsewhere in Novitas would consider a “city”. Collectively they named the land Fionn A’ilean or as it is referred to in common, the Great Forest. To the northeast Gershan exploratory groups periodically made attempts to enter the forest and were always repelled by the highly mobile defenders among the People. These conflicts would persist with Gersh perpetually checking the defenses of the People. The defenders came to be known as Wildrunners, the guardians of the forest and protectors of the People. They didn’t just protect against foreign attack, but also protected the denizens of the Forest against natural predators as well. Unlike all the other settlements the dominantly human settlement of Germinas grew and built all the trappings of other cities. They were left alone, allowed to develop as they would. At first they were successful. In time an internal conflict arose there and the settlement broke into a battlefield. There were no survivors. When the People came to find out what happened they found evidence of powerful Necromancy and citizens turned to undead. The threat was contained and the corruption ended. Some Matriarchs use the tale of Germinas as a cautionary tale telling of the dangers of a settled lifestyle as well as the danger, inherent corruptibility, and instability of humanity. To this day the People live in relative harmony with the forest, free to pursue whatever they desire so long as it doesn’t harm the land. In 1600 the Maelstrom suddenly calmed and came to a complete stop. The first thoughts in Fionn A’ilean were not curiosity about what might be discovered, but concern over how the Maelstrom’s disappearance will impact the climate of the Great Forest in the coming years.
Culture
As a people who place an incredibly high value on freedom it can often be hard to describe the residents of Fionn A’ilean collectively. They organize themselves into familial groups with a variety of different names. Common names include: Houses, Lodges, Clans, and Tribes. No one name is right, or wrong for that matter. There are some common trends among the different groups however. Nearly all of them are matriarchal. Women are the typical leaders of both households and society. Among the more structured houses the men are often married into other families for diplomacies sake or they become Wildrunners. Families typically trace their lineage to a central female figure from the earliest days of Fionn A’ilean. When women marry into another lodge they become a part of it and their children trace their heritage to the founder of that lodge and not through their mother’s lineage. Monogamy is common but not expected and children born outside of marriage suffer from no particular stigma. As the People come from a scholarly background they place a great deal of value on history and knowledge. However, as they frown upon materialism they typically do not utilize books or other written records. Instead they create tales and songs to document their history. The most learned in these stories are known as Loresingers and they are given great respect for the work they do to carry on the legacy of the People. There are people in Fionn A’ilean who outsiders would call nobles, but that is an oversimplification of the matter. These people come from families with rich storied histories. They have earned the respect of others and through that respect they are treated in some ways better than others. It is expected that they will then reciprocate this respect, continuing to earn this special treatment through their words and deeds. When it comes to foreigners, the People are also complex in their opinions. In theory they are very willing to accept anyone who wishes to join them on the condition that those individuals are willing to adopt their ways. Few are able to do this, letting go of deeply held concepts about the importance of possessions is often very challenging at best. The People have no interest in adapting their own ways to others. Putting this together leaves many foreigners thinking of the People of Fionn A’ilean as being adverse and inhospitable. It’s worth pointing out that due to the longevity of Elves there are some in Fionn A’ilean who are direct descendants of the original settlers. These individuals are all elderly or getting close to it, the youngest of them turned 189 years old in 1600. Most are 2 to 3 generations removed from the original settlers on average. Some consider the idea of becoming a burden on others unacceptable. When these individuals become feeble or their minds start to slip they will seek out someone they trust most, often a matriarch, a wildrunner or a senior druid and ask them to release their Spark from their mortal form. This is an act of trust, love and respect for the mission of preservation. As such the memory plague that struck in 1601 caused a great deal of anguish as it created conflict between this philosophy and the idea of maintaining sacred responsibilities with the Forest. Sidebar: Puns As the descendents of librarians, many wood elves are obsessed with puns. Language jokes are considered to be a high form of humor. Illiteracy is rare, but most wood elves prefer spoken word over written items. Jokes often come in the form of songs. Word games, riddles, and jokes are shared freely and often. <end sidebar>
Lifestyles
A nomadic lifestyle means something a bit different in Fionn A’ilean. With such long lives and abundant resources, the elves of the Great Forest don’t need to roam seeking much of anything. They choose to roam to ensure their lives do not disrupt the forest. Thus sometimes their temporary settlements can last years or even decades before they move on elsewhere. There is no sadness in leaving, it is a change just like the seasons change. The People take the long view, choosing the course of action that will have the least impact on the environment. Materialism is frowned upon terribly. Greed is the source of nearly every evil in the world. Darkness lusted after Illumitas’ creation. Draconis is thought to have remained neutral so it could preserve its treasure. Humans, Goblins, Elves and Terrans fail one another when led by greed. The people shun it as the worst of simple sins. To steal is to murder by increments. Avoiding greed is a central concept among the People. As such most forms of crime are rare. Fionn A’ilean is probably the only nation where murder and other crimes of passion are more common than theft. Heirlooms are treated with great care. This is one of the few forms of materialism commonly accepted. Useful tools can be passed down for many generations thereby reducing the need to source new tools. Items are used until they can no longer be repaired. The only waste are items too large to move when migration occurs. These objects are carefully disposed of to avoid leaving a large impact behind on the environment. Technological progress is rare. The People brought many magical secrets with them from Nalbendel. They found diverse resources to take advantage of those secrets, and the Verdurans taught them many secrets of the forest. This magical knowledge serves them well and there is little need for more advanced technology. Conversely there is a certain distrust of outsiders being able to handle such knowledge and so these secrets are rarely shared with others. Clothing is generally simple, functional and temporary. A wild elf dressed in bunny skins and clothing woven from the roughest of fibers might have the exact same social standing as someone in beautifully crafted hand woven clothing.
Art
In Fionn A’ilean art is often simple, but elegant. Gathering extra resources just to be extravagant is seen as a form of materialism. Skill is expressed in complexity from minimal materials. An expert sculptor is the one who can create the most detail while carving a piece of wood, not the one who attaches the most gemstones, and metal filigree. Music is very popular in the Great Forest, though instruments tend to the simpler end of the spectrum. It tends to be very informal and free-spirited. Among those who don’t play (and many who do) it is very common to accompany musical sessions with a great deal of dancing.
Inhabitants
The majority of the inhabitants of Fionn A’ilean are elves, typically referred to as Wood Elves. There are some humans who live there as well but they aren’t nearly as common and mostly live in villages on the outskirts of the forest. Some Reavers from Terra will sometimes wind up in these villages with the humans as well. Snow goblins are rarely welcome, most are there for purely hostile reasons. Faekin are welcome in Fionn A’ilean society. The term “Fae-Touched” is generally used with a positive inflection when referring to them. Verduran’s are present in great quantities but they rarely leave their home of Verdur’kash. Drake enclaves exist inside of the Great Forest as well, they mostly keep to themselves.
Naming Conventions
The People follow the same naming conventions most of the elves of Novitas use. See page XX
Religion
The People worship the Sept but in a deeply informal way. Religious observances resemble parties more than services. Few would identify one of the People as pious. This is not an indication of a lack of faith or reverence though. The People integrate the will of the Seven into every aspect of their lives and see it as their responsibility to always carry out these behaviors. As such there is no need to have a structured division between times of worship and the rest of their lives. There are no organized churches in Fionn A’ilean, and there are few Septons among the People. When they do gather to worship it is often very organically and in a somewhat shamanic fashion. Festivals for the gods are integrated into other normal activities. With their deep reverence for the forest, the People are often more likely to become Druids than Chosen of the Sept. Druids fill a vital role in the society of Fionn A’ilean, communicating with the forest on behalf of the People. In many ways they have the same importance a Septon might have in another culture. Druids determine when it is time to migrate, communing with the land to discover when it has reached its limits. They find new places to live, and warn of dangers in the wild. Sparks are viewed with a great deal of importance in Fionn A’ilean. Because the preservation of life is so central to the culture here, the idea of preserving the life essence created by Illumitas holds great influence. It is not enough to preserve the land, the sparks must also be protected. It is believed by the People that there are a finite number of sparks and that anything that would damage or destroy one diminishes the world. Magics that would damage a spark, or monsters such as Kazvaks that eat them are deeply hated. Such beings cannot be allowed to exist, and there is no explanation for why they should exist. What role do they serve in a balanced world? Similarly the undead are despised. Necromancy used for the purpose of reanimating the dead is a horrific thing. Those who practice it work evil and what they create are not people. Necromancy used to protect against existing undead or to lay the undead to rest is called “white necromancy” and is quite respected.
Economy
In an effort to not impact the land while avoiding materialism the people do not mine, only taking the ore that is naturally available on the surface, picked from streambeds or in naturally occurring caves and ridges. Digging and delving for resources is simply not done. Homes are built atop the ground or in the trees, never in the ground. They don’t farm, only scavenge fruits, and hunt as needed. Wood is taken from dead trees, and fallen branches. The Elemental gives freely or it is not needed. Some get extra resources through foreign trade, ensuring that at least the goods come from somewhere other than the Great Forest, but there are certainly some who think of this as cheating - letting others abuse the land on the People’s behalf. Trade among houses is rare, if one group has a need those needs are met without question, those who have plenty simply give the necessary items. Luxury items, art work, and gifts are the items most commonly exchanged by the People among themselves. Rare forest plants including many herbs are among the most common goods traded with outsiders. Furs, dried meats, fruits and other foragable goods are the next most common items exported.
Merchant opportunities
Alchemists, magically savvy crafters and chefs for the elite have a high demand for the plants exported from Fionn A’ilean. As much as the People hate to admit it, metal is a popular import, though many would never touch such imports there is enough demand to make it worth the trip. There is little need to transport anything farther than Cedarhaven, the elves will travel on their own to get what they desire and bring what they want to trade. This makes the route short and only serves to increase the profitability. As the choices to get to Fionn A’ilean are to pass through Gersh or Terra, most trade routes stop in Terra on the way there, often trading one item in Terra for Ore that is then traded in Cedarhaven before returning home with the perishable plants from the Great Forest.
Government
Outsiders are often confused to learn that there is no standing government of Fionn A’ilean. Each family, be they a house, lodge, tribe, clan or otherwise with enough of a reputation will send their leaders annually to the Ancient Grove located in the center of the forest. They invite select Matriarchs, Loresingers, Druids and Wildrunners to participate in these gatherings as well. Many voices participate in any decisions which must be made. Decisions once made are binding though they rarely impact citizens of Fionn A’ilean. More often such decisions are related to agreements with other nations. To maintain order in these meetings one individual serves as moderator: the Lady of Silvertree. As the leader of the house descended from Bethanael this one individual is respected enough to maintain order and ensure that all voices are heard. Outsiders often mistake this ceremonial position as being the same as leadership and can sometimes mistakenly refer to the Lady of Silvertree as the Queen of Fionn A’ilean. This leads to quiet chuckles from those who know better, who often do not correct such mistakes because they don’t find it’s worth the effort.
Authority
There is no one central authority in Fionn A’ilean. Each family has their own leader and in that family their word is law.
Laws
The laws of Fionn A’ilean are simple. Do no harm to the forest and let the people be free so long as they carry out their responsibilities to the forest. Beyond that there aren’t really laws, only decisions made to adjudicate disagreements. Slavery is not only illegal in Fionn A’ilean, it is common practice for slaves to be freed as quickly as possible. The idea of slavery is an abomination to the People and they will not suffer it, even when visiting foreign lands. This includes practices like how Civen handles indentured servants. If it is punishment for a crime, how does servitude serve rehabilitation? Help them become members of society or accept they can’t be saved and kill them if it must be done. Indentured servitude for reasons of debt is even worse: in a society without possessions the idea of motivation because of “debt” seems absurd.
Military
There is no standing army in Fionn A’ilean, nor are there fortresses or barracks. No cities need to be defended and there are no paved roads to patrol. This design was not deliberate, yet it creates an impossible situation for would-be invaders. There are no targets worth attacking, only land to try to hold. No one knows that land better than the People and invaders sometimes enter but they rarely leave. The defenders of Fionn A’ilean call themselves the Wildrunners. These individuals prowl the forests aiding those in need and ensuring those with ill intentions don’t remain. Wildrunners typically travel in small groups of twos or fives, patrolling to keep the forest safe. They also act as messengers between families delivering information as they roam. It is common for them to also be Druids but that is not always the case. There is no uniform for a Wildrunner or equipment provisioned for them. Most are skilled archers, practiced at woodcraft, experts at trapsetting and capable saboteurs. As such Wildrunners almost never attack enemies directly. Instead they spoil an invader’s taste for war by cutting their numbers down with arrows from the dark or carefully laid traps. Foes who remain generally wake to find their commanders dead in the night. These hit and run tactics continue until it becomes clear to the enemy that their attempt to plunder isn’t worth the cost. The number of Wildrunners is believed to be few, but no exact count is kept. Their ability to use the forest to their advantage makes each one worth many times the value of an enemy soldier. Terra has never come into conflict with Fionn A’ilean, so enemies are always mercenary companies hired to exploit the forest or attempts from Gersh to expand their territory. There is no standing body who determines who exactly can be a Wildrunner. Most often an existing one will find an individual they think will be a worthy apprentice and train them to carry the title. This does mean that some individuals can claim to be a Wildrunner without having any understanding of what that means. When this happens, the veteran Wildrunners will often take these individuals on as proteges… whether they want to be mentored or not. In time the individual will either be worthy of the title or they’ll learn not to call themselves a Wildrunner, in either case the matter is settled.
Status Opportunities
Being a Wildrunner can be represented with Status. Wildrunners often travel to the Freelands to hone their skills on the regular conflict happening there. The major households of Fionn A’ilean may not have direct power over their neighbors but they are noteworthy and influential. Druids have their own roleplaying skill, but the more noteworthy among them gain renown for their abilities and that could be represented by taking Status as well. In Fionn A’ilean status doesn’t really represent having power, it will generally lean more towards representing the respect of others. Those other individuals then give a person power because of that respect.
Views
Civen
Civenites at once show the potential of humanity and their susceptibility to corruption as well. They are greedy, often power hungry, but at the same time there are some among them who genuinely care about helping others. They fight well, but require great numbers and rigid discipline to do so. Some are highly capable magic users and skilled crafters… who use these skills for their own empowerment. When dealing with a Civenite it is often seen as being best to know what it is they want before making any bargains.
Evenandra
The Wood Elves who make up most of the People consider the High Elves to be their relatives. They use the same language and consider each other’s lineages valid. It is common for them to address one another as “Cousin”. When a distinction is necessary the Wood Elves call themselves “The People” and High Elves are called “The Walled People”. This is a little bit of an insult, though the High Elves do not see it as such, making it a perfect title for them.
Gersh
The Snow Goblins of Gersh are a living embodiment of corruption and the malice of the Dark Three. There is no trade between Gersh and Fionn A’ilean. Gersh regularly launches probing attacks through the northeastern border with little to show for such attacks. Wildrunners regularly conduct diplomacy with Gersh at arrowpoint.
Terra
The citizens of Terra stay underground while the People of Fionn A’ilean roam the forests. They couldn’t be more different. Terrans value comfort and build continually as a matter of habit, the People use only what they need and build only what matters. There is no hostility between the two, neither has much the other wants. Trade does occur generally in the form of Terran ore for plants of the forest. The border is not defended on either side.
The Dellin Tribelands
The people of the Tribelands have a surprisingly large amount in common with the People of Fionn A’ilean, but where they differ they differ greatly. Dellins practice slave taking, they venerate Grak, and they fight among themselves instead of helping each other. If it weren’t for the slavery the two cultures might get along based on the importance they each place on personal freedoms and the small communal unit.
The Freelands
These lands hold a special place in the hearts of the Matriarchs. This is where the People first came from, where the tower of Nalben once stood around which the great city of Nalbendel was built. Sadly those times are gone, and it is now a lawless and brutal place. Wildrunners use the Freelands as a training ground and periodically efforts are made to find lost relics there from a time long past.
Vlean
Vlean is considered an example of the worst humanity has to offer. It is a closed off and oppressive place. Even those there who aren’t slaves live like slaves. The idea of a strict hierarchy at all, let alone a religious one is such a violation of the ideology of the Great Forest that it is sometimes dismissed as a wild rumor rather than something actually happening in the world. But runaways from Vlean, particularly among the Fae-Touched demonstrate that this is quite real. These victims are welcomed with open arms and constitute most of Fionn A’ilean’s interaction with Vlean.
Vargainen
The People are almost more concerned with the end of the Maelstrom which has been responsible for much of the climate in the Great Forest than they are with the arrival of the Vargainen diplomats. Worship of the Decade is not well received and has kept these travelers from being warmly welcomed even though much of their culture meshes well with Fionn A’ilean’s. What happens next is anyone’s guess.
Notable Locations
Cedarhaven
Humans aren’t unwelcome in Fionn A’ilean, but they aren’t entirely welcome either. Many found their way to the north shore of the Crystal Sea. The settlement founded there is in partnership with elves. Cedarhaven is a small town by the standards of other nations, yet it remains the only major stop for foreigners who visit Fionn A’ilean. Most aren’t interested in risking the dangers of the deeper forest. Nearly all international trade between Fionn A’ilean and elsewhere takes place in Cedarhaven. It is also where most foreign diplomats arrive seeking to make contact with anyone in leadership, though most don’t understand exactly how Fionn A’ilean functions. Cedarhaven has become known for its welcoming atmosphere and care given to strangers as a result of such travellers.
Germinas
A significant number of the humans who traveled into the Great Forest after the destruction of Nalbendel settled here. They were later found dead having seemingly all killed each other in some sort of conflict that spawned many undead. It now sits as a ghost town, periodically swept to ensure no new undead move in, a ghost town that some would say represents the dangers of letting humans self-govern.
Illian
This island off the western shore has a permanent settlement on it as it is too small to hold nomadic people. They support themselves from the sea so that they don’t overwork the land. Here druids speak to the spirits of the waters and keep unwanted outsiders away through their command of the ocean. They export pearls, alchemical supplies, shells, and fish to supplement their community.
Redbark
In the farthest northern portions of Fionn A’ilean there is a rugged stony countryside covered in hills. Under constant pressure from Gershan lords this is where the Wildrunners are most dour and aggressive. Here is the part of the Great Forest where the weather gets the coldest and the snows the deepest. A tree known as Ironwood grows here which makes weapons nearly as strong as steel.
Silverleaf
This is likely the closest thing Fionn A’ilean has to a city. That is not to say that it is well settled, but rather it is second only to Verdur’Kash for how long it has been settled. Here the Silvertree Clan makes its home and they are said to know someone from each other group in Fionn A’ilean. Tall, ancient trees grow there and it has been said that the trees can hear the stories of the people and manifest them in their bark. If this is true or just a story for outsiders is uncertain.
The Ancient Grove
When matters that concern all of Fionn A’ilean occur, the Lady of Silvertree sends Wildrunners to gather each of the families that make up the People together. They gather together at the Ancient Grove where they stay for however long it takes them to reach a conclusion on whatever matter was important enough to bring them there in the first place. Each year they will also gather together without a cause to discuss any less pressing matters that may need discussing.
Verdur’Kash
Home of the Verduran’s of Novitas, this is the warmest most lush part of the Great Forest. The Verduran’s see themselves as the Elemental’s children, and they reside here in the greatest numbers. Though many among the Verdurans are quite fond of the People and appreciate their care for the forest there are some who still view them as outsiders. Due to their reproduction by grafting old viewpoints sometimes take a long time to fade among them.
Room for Growth
These locations are deliberately minimally defined. Players and Gamemasters alike are encouraged to develop these locations further in ways that other players can add on more details later.
Fernwood
Located near quite swampy lands, the temporary settlement at Fernwood is primarily engaged in harvesting peat for use in enriching various forest plants.
Gallowroot
A temporary settlement located between Silverleaf and Ancient Grove. The people living there have been there for nearly a decade and will move on when the druids say it is time. For now they serve as a waypoint for those who wish to travel to the Ancient Grove but have not yet been invited.
Moss Hills
Located on the shore nearest the Maelstrom this area was perpetually inundated with rain and the plants grew wild accordingly. Now that the Maelstrom is gone, it remains to be seen what impact that will have there.
Pool of Forever Stars
It is rumored that there is a simple hot spring somewhere in the northern parts of the forest filled with minuscule aquatic fireflies that glow known as Naieuroyes. According to that same rumor this pool has special healing properties and some versions of the tale claim that Bethanael herself bathed there once.
Riverstone
This temporary settlement moves up and down the rivers of the forest gathering ore that washes down from the mountains of Gersh.
Stillwater and Willow Harbor
These two oceanside communities are major sources of fish for the mainland. As such they are among the rare long established settlements because they have little impact upon the land.
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