Defenders of the Forest - Liber Fanatica

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Chapter VII: The Forest of Athel Loren After the Greenskins were routed, Ariel emerged from the Oak of Ages to heal the injured Elves. The King and Queen of the forest ascended their oaken thrones, and the Sylvan Pact was sealed. Wr a t h o f t h e Wo o d l a n d s Since the Great Council, Dwarf loggers in the Grey Mountains have learned to plan timbering expeditions for the winter months when Ariel and Orion are dormant. Yet even when Loren’s beasts hibernate and Elven magic is weak, the forest is not entirely defenceless. A race of malicious, shape-changing creatures known as the Winter Dryads guards the forest through the dark season. Although Winter Dryads are mistrusted by the Elves of Athel Loren and rarely fight alongside them, the spiteful beings have been known to join forces with mad or corrupt Treemen on occasion. In contrast to the more stoic Treemen who impart wisdom in exchange for the Elves’ loyalty, Treemen such as the battle-scarred Durthu vent their ancient fury against Loren’s enemies without any want or need for Elvish assistance. Loren’s most malevolent spirits resent the pact with the Elves. Most infamous among these is the elder Treeman Coeddil, who once aided Ariel, but later became tainted by dark magic and was banished to the Wildwood in -625 IC after attempting to foil Orion’s spring awakening. Coeddil remains imprisoned within a stone circle to this day, plotting his revenge and exchanging secrets with the Winter Dryads. Br e t o n n i a a n d t h e Fa y Co u r t Athel Loren has inspired countless ballads, fables and legends throughout the lands of Bretonnia. Ever since the kingdom was united under King Louis, the Fay Enchantress has been revered as a saint of the Lady of the Lake. The Asrai have secretly manipulated Bretonnian religion to their own advantage by promoting technological conservatism as a spiritual ideal. By limiting Bretonnia’s industrial progress, the Wood Elves hope to stall humanity’s encroachment on Athel Loren. Bretonnian nobles are largely amenable to the wood elves’ agenda, because the old ways appeal to their chivalric codes. Besides, industrialisation might empower the merchant class. Envoys from the Fay Court sometimes visit nobles at their castles, or spy on their villages. While most Bretonnians consider an elf sighting to be a good sign, the fay are privately feared. Parents scare children with tales of slit-eyed elves watching from the trees at night, looking for human infants with magical ability to carry away to Loren. Kidnapped boys never return; the girls are trained as Damsels of the Lady and only return from the forest as adults. Bretonnian dukes occasionally crusade against Loren when Orion’s wild hunt wreaks havoc on their fiefs. However, these vengeance crusades are short-lived because Bretonnia’s knights unwittingly obey the commands of Ariel through her intermediary, the Fay Enchantress. Glory-seeking knights sometimes mistake the Fay Enchantress for the Lady of the Lake, and Grail Damsels receive their prophetic visions from mirror-pools that can reflect the Fay Enchantress’ image far beyond Athel Loren. Fo e s o f t h e Fo r e s t Despite threats from Winter Dryads and renegade Treemen, Athel Loren’s elves typically live in harmony with the spirits. They have become keenly attuned to Loren’s consciousness and are capable of sensing intruders from miles away. The last major Dwarf incursion was the Battle of Pine Crags in 1350 IC, when a gang of Trollslayers came in search of magical artefacts. Orcs and Goblins continue to plunder the forest, but have not breached the sacred glades since the Winter of Woe. Currently, Loren’s most dangerous foe is a bestial demigod known as Cyanathair the Corruptor. Cyanathiar has been destroyed and resurrected thrice over the millennia, gathering mighty warherds of Beastmen each time. On the rare occasion when humans are permitted into Loren’s depths, they are usually unwitting pawns in the Shadow War against the Corruptor. The Wild Heaths on Loren’s borders are littered with burial cairns containing the remains of erstwhile trespassers. The concentration of dark magic around the cairns is so potent that necromancers have begun to seek them out. The southwestern forest still bears scars from the Lichemaster’s march into Athel Loren behind a skeleton horde mustered from the Dhar-saturated cairns. Na v i g a t i n g t h e Lo r e n Fo r e s t This section provides rules for determining whether PCs are able to locate specific destinations within Loren. Certain glades are so heavily saturated with magic that they exist outside of normal time and space. Even areas of lesser magic are impossible to locate by trails alone, because paths constantly shift and turn back on themselves. Navigating Loren is not just a test of intuition – it’s also a supreme trial of character. Those who aren’t native to Athel Loren usually perish or become lost for years unless they befriend Elves or spirits to guide them. Fo r e s t Spirit Disposition Forest Spirits and Spirit Animals are extensions of Loren’s sentient will. Gaining these creatures’ favour makes adventuring in Loren much easier. Each Athel Loren gazetteer capsule lists a Forest Disposition modifier which applies to all Fellowshipbased skill tests with spirits in that region. For social interaction guidelines, see Befriending Forest Spirits, pg. 94. 53
Chapter VII: The Forest of Athel Loren Trespassers are expected to travel in small groups. Loren’s spirits are automatically hostile to large groups of non-elven outsiders: # Travellers Forest Disposition 1-5 As listed in gazetteer 6-10 Hostile (-20) 11+ Enemy (-30) Groups accompanied by a native Asrai guide may count themselves as being one category smaller. Forest Spirit Dispositions can also be modified by Trials of the Forest (pg. 56-57). Paths of Peril PCs attempting to navigate Loren’s deadly paths must walk with a sense of purpose. After they declare an intended destination, the GM locates the relevant Gazetteer entry and players roll a Navigation Test, applying the listed modifier. The GM checks Degrees of Success or Failure against the Navigation and Magical Sense sidebar (read the Travelling result), and then rolls on the Trials of the Forest table. Certain glades can only be discovered by the PCs following aethyric currents using the Magical Sense skill. River Travel The rivers Grismerie and Brienne wind through Loren before crossing Bretonnia on course to the Great Ocean. PCs travelling upriver from Bretonnia will encounter waterfalls before they reach Loren’s inner glades (see map). Loren’s rivers are guarded by the Naiads. The Shadow Walk Loren’s Warp-rifts are a well kept Elven secret. Trusted PCs accompanied by a Spellsinger might be allowed to teleport between locations using the Shadow Walk. Powerful Spellweavers can even teleport between Athel Loren and other forests in the Old World. See page 33 for details on the Shadow Walk. Songlines Thousands of years ago during an age known as The Dreaming, Isha’s seed was brought to earth by “fallen gods”. Behind every glade and hollow is a unique creation myth encoded in Loren’s omniscient consciousness. The Asrai can travel swiftly by reciting songs which stir Loren’s memory of The Dreaming. These myth-songs reveal hidden paths known as “Songlines” that were once travelled by the fallen gods. Of course the totemic animal “gods” referenced in the myth-songs were in fact the Old Ones. Na v i g a t i o n, Ma g i c a l Se n s e a n d Un s k i l l e d Ex p l o r a t i o n When using Navigation or Magical Sense to travel through Loren, apply the location’s Navigation modifier and calculate Degrees of Success or Failure. If multiple characters possess these skills, use the single best result. This table is also used to resolve being Lost in the Forest. Navigation (Intelligence - Advanced) Related Talents: Orientation, Super Numerate Magical Sense (Will Power - Advanced) Related Talents: Aethyric Attunement 3+DoS Ariel’s Favour: The Queen of the Woods sees potential in the travellers. Their destination becomes accessible, or they may Escape Loren after 1d5 days. In addition, PCs may undertake a Diplomacy Trial (pg. 56) 0-2 DoS Travelling: Roll 1d5+5 on Trials of the Forest table Lost in the Forest: Emerge from Loren after 1d10 days 0-2 DoF Travelling: Roll 1d10 on Trials of the Forest table Lost in the Forest: Roll again after 1d10 days; test vs. Outdoor Survival or lose 1d5 Wounds 3-5 DoF Travelling: Roll 1d5 on Trials of the Forest table Lost in the Forest: Roll again after 2d10 days; test vs. Outdoor Survival or lose 1d10 Wounds; test vs. Will Power or gain 1 IP 6+ DoF Lost in Time and Space! (pg. 58) Un s k i l l e d Ex p l o r a t i o n Travelling: Attempting to discover a Loren location without Navigation or Magical Sense (or with no sense of purpose) requires a Will Power test from each traveller, adjusted by the destination’s Navigation modifier: Success: Roll1d5 on Trials of the Forest table Failure: Lost in Time and Space! (pg. 58) To maintain a semblance of party unity, PCs who undertake Trials of the Forest may remain together, and those becoming Lost in Time and Space! may also remain together. Lost in the Forest: Parties without Navigation or Magical Sense that become Lost in the Forest may only wander aimlessly. Roll 1d100 for the entire group: 1-10: Emerge from Loren after 1d10 days; test vs. Outdoor Survival or lose 1d5 Wounds 11-30: Re-roll after wandering aimlessly for 1d10 days; test vs. Outdoor Survival or lose 1d10 Wounds 31-100: Lost in Time and Space! (pg. 58) 54
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Defenders of the Forest Cr e d i t
Page 4 and 5: Chapter I: Playing Wood Elf Charact
Page 10 and 11: Chapter II: Kindreds Ch a p t e r I
Page 12 and 13: Chapter II: Kindreds Ve n g e a n c
Page 14 and 15: Chapter II: Kindreds Beastfriend Pr
Page 16 and 17: Chapter III: Wood Elf Religion Ch a
Page 18 and 19: servants, fallen gods or aspects of
Page 20 and 21: Viydagg Viydagg, the Laurëlorn Br
Page 22 and 23: Principles • Give thanks to the s
Page 24 and 25: Outdoor Survival +20, Perception +2
Page 26 and 27: To r o t h a l , Wi t c h Qu e e n
Page 28 and 29: Pr i e s t s o f Va u l The Asrai o
Page 30 and 31: Ch a p t e r IV: Wo o d El f Ma g i
Page 32 and 33: Chapter IV: Wood Elf Magic Spellsin
Page 34 and 35: Chapter IV: Wood Elf Magic Forecast
Page 36 and 37: Chapter IV: Wood Elf Magic Ri t u a
Page 38 and 39: Chapter V: Armoury and Equipment Ch
Page 40 and 41: Aoilym Fruit The Aoilym fruit (pron
Page 42 and 43: Chapter VI: Careers Ch a p t e r VI
Page 44 and 45: Chapter VI: Careers Sp e l l w e a
Page 46 and 47: Chapter VI: Careers There are some
Page 48 and 49: Exits: Bodyguard, Hunter, Outrider,
Page 50 and 51: Existing Ad v a n c e d Ca r e e r
Page 52 and 53: them. Sometimes these mysterious ro
Page 56 and 57: Elves with both the Common Knowledg
Page 58 and 59: Chapter VII: The Forest of Athel Lo
Page 62 and 63: 1. Quenelles 2. The Wild Heath 3. C
Page 64 and 65: Politics Quenelles’ dilapidated d
Page 66 and 67: 5. Meadow Glades Navigation: Easy (
Page 70 and 71: Ot h e r Lo c a t i o n s Athel Lor
Page 72 and 73: Lost Heir of Dukae Tancred II: Einh
Page 74 and 75: Treachery in the Wildwood: Last yea
Page 76 and 77: Chapter VIII: The Laurëlorn Forest
Page 88 and 89: Chapter IX: The Hinterglades Ch a p
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Page 94 and 95: Chapter IX: The Hinterglades harmle
Page 96 and 97: The pure of heart are allowed to wa
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• Luminescents: These odd Spites
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Chapter X: Friends of the Forest Th
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(see Wood Elf Magic pg. 30). • Te
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Chapter XI: Flora, Fauna and Foes o
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Special Rules: • Thorns: The Deat
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Ma n-Fl e s h Centigors have a grea
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Chapter XII: Revolutions in Progres
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Ot h e r w o r l d Po r t a l s Mis
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missing party (false) and that he w
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Loba...............................
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