The Far Forest

[Possibly Ten]

The Far Forest

Once an idyllic fair wood similar to the brightest parts of the High Forest, the Far Forests suffered a like fate as Ascalhorn with its fall. Its dryad and treant population abandoned its trunks centuries ago as more fiendish creatures from Hellgate Keep invaded its tree line. The trees themselves eventually mirrored the horrific inhabitants, becoming twisted, sickly growths that provided gloom rather than shade. Aside from basic wildlife and the invading fiends, no intelligent sylvan races remained in the Far Forests. With the fall of Hellgate Keep, the fiends within the Far Forests have begun to move south toward the Fallen Lands, seeking a safe haven from destruction. Currently, the Far Forests have once again become the home of treants and dryads, whose ministrations and care have begun to restore the woods to health. Some of the treants have marched the most corrupt or twisted of the trees to a new outer tree line closer to the Delimbiyr, allowing the sunshine to help heal the melancholic nature that permeated the trees and ground.

Motril the Younger, one of the centaur leaders of Clan Hoofmight, has discussed plans of moving some of his clan here both to expand their territory and to fight the fiends that remain in isolated pockets. As of this writing, the exodus has not progressed much beyond the idea. Also, the treants under Turlang and a clan of leprechauns are currently effective at ridding the Far Forests of fiends.

Taken from The North source book pgs. 53-54

[DM Leverage]

The Far Forest

Formerly called "the Far Forests" before its scarred, riven woodlands rejoined into a single, unbroken forest, this wood is named for its remoteness from civilized lands. Once home to many sprites, the Far Forest is studded with small lakes and crisscrossed by ancient game-trails. Its deepest reaches hold giant spiders and lurking horrors descended from the results of Netherese beast-experimentations.

The sprites fled or were slaughtered when fiends out of Hellgate Keep infested the woods, corrupting its very trees with their evil. Almost overnight, the woodlands became a battleground of fiends slaying and devouring each other. The Far Forest soon became dark and deadly, a place where taproots strangled and drank blood, tress smothered each other, and deadly webs were everywhere.

[Trimmed for server timeline reasons]

Humans won't find any part of the thickly grown Far Forest free of danger. Owlbears, ettercaps and spiders, stirges, snakes, bears, and giant beetles all roam its wooded ridges and rolling hills. Its lakes are small and some are still fouled, but others survive as treacherous quaking bogs where will-o'-wisps lurk - and the occasional chuul waits in submerged hiding to drag unfortunate creatures down.

The eastern verge of the forest is more lightly wooded, thanks to the heavy grazing of an increasingly numerous herd of deer. The Far Forest also hides a handful of ancient ruins. Most are fallen and overgrown beneath roots and vines, but a rare few are still visible as thrusting turrets or exposed walls of stone amid the greenery.



Masulk's Tomb

Calishite legend tells of a long-ago vizar stricken with an incurable withering disease. Masulk the Magnificent lingered in pain for many months, setting his affairs in ordered. he commanded that upon his death, his body was to be placed on his favorite flying carpet, and sent north "to fly as the breezes take me, and be buried where it comes to earth, with no coin, but with all the magics I have won for none of my blood can be trusted with such power lest they do ill in their strivings. Let none hold back one ring or scroll, lest they suffer my secret curse, but let all be laid with me, under stone and under root, until the name of Masulk is as forgotten as it should be."

This was done. his servants followed the dead man's carpet on another and dug a tomb somewhere in the Far Forest, replanting trees and vines and shrubs to conceal it before they departed. One decided to betray the others in order to steal his dead master's wealth. But when he turned on his fellows, he was struck down by unseen magic, only to rise almost immediately as an allip that tried again vainly to slay his fellows as they trudged out of the forest. Other servants met with misadventure on the long journey home, and the tale of Masulk's curse spread.

No word of the Successful plundering of the tomb has ever arisen, and no record remains of what magics were buried with the vizar.


Taerymdoom

The southeastern reaches of the Far Forest still harbor a mysterious evil that spews forth cloakers and choas beasts from underground caverns. Those who have dared to enter these natural caves say they stretch for miles underground, and are guarded by vargouilles. Perhaps a deepspawn lairs therein, or perhaps a portal disgorges these monsters from elsewhere.

Named for an elf adventurer, Taerym, who met his death under persistant cloaker attacks while trying to battle his way into the caverns and identify what evil laired there, Taerymdoom remains a mystery - but it's a peril known to have claimed a Zhentarum exploring party and at least one band of adventurers, the Darkblades of Esmeltaran. Worse yet, its reach and boldness seems to be spreading.


Source: Forgotten Realms - The Silver Marches 3.5, pg 25