Verduran Forest

This article refers to the forest, which stretches across multiple nations. For the named region of Andoran, see Verduran Forest (region).

The Verduran Forest is the largest woodlands in Avistan, and straddles the borders between Andoran, Taldor, and Galt. Despite standing within the boundaries of these powerful nations, the druids of the forest maintain a high level of autonomy within it, especially in Taldor.

The Verduran in Andoran

Inhabitants of the Verduran greet an outsider.

See also: Verduran Forest (region)

In the Andoren part of the forest, druids and fey are in a constant friction with loggers and woodsmen, and the two sides frequently come to blows. Logging is a major industry of Andoran, which is comfortable allowing the wholesale logging of forests. Much of the Andoren portion of the forest is controlled by the powerful Lumber Consortium, whose cruelty and greed keep the poor citizens of Bellis firmly in their grasp. In contrast with this exploitative zeal, the inhabitants of the hamlet of Fusil made a pact with the druids and fey-folk in the forest generations ago, allowing them to live peacefully within the forest, as long as they do not cut down a single tree.

The Verduran in Taldor

Thanks to the Treaty of the Wildwood, signed between the native druids of the Wildwood Lodge and the Taldan empire in 3841 AR, a balance was reached between Taldor's need for timber and the druid's preservationist agenda. The treaty considers the forest a semi-autonomous prefecture, and allows for limited logging and hunting in the forest, but only in certain defined areas. The druids' headquarters are located on the Isle of Arenway, at the confluence of the Verduran Fork and Sellen River in the heart of the forest. The Wildwood Lodge allowed gnomes to build the settlement of Wispil in the forest in order to establish a lumber industry overseen by the druids. It now provides raw timber for the Imperial Naval Shipyards at Cassomir.

The Verduran Forest once covered most of northern Taldor, before its eastern stretches were cut back by the growing nation and much of the land subsided to form swamps. Today, Blackwood Swamp, the wetlands of the Krearis Prefecture, and Lauchlein Lake stand on the land once covered by the forest.

Creatures of the Verduran

Though the Wildwood druids watch over the forest, it nevertheless presents many dangers. These include ettercaps, savage fey, the occasional dragon, and river pirates along both the Sellen and Verduran Fork, as well as sentient, carnivorous plants and nests of giant vermin. The Verduran Forest is also one of the few forests old and large enough to be home to ohancanus, a type of brutish giant-like fey who revel in destruction of civilised structures.

Blackwood satyrs are an especially infamous breed of fey indigenous in the Verduran Forest. They got their name from the pleasantly sweet aroma of blackwood tar they exude. Blackwood satyrs take perverse pleasure in following noble lords and ladies during their passage down the Sellen River, playing songs from the river's bank to lure vessels closer and spellbind all aboard.

Settlements

• Bellis
• Fusil
• Hangman's Harbor
• Wispil

Places of interest

• Bafra's Face
• Black Forks
• Diggen's Rest
• Dunholme
• Isle of Arenway
• Mistwatch
• Ruins of Nazilli

Rivers

• Dragonfly River
• Sellen River
• Verduran Fork

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.