squakhawk 6315 Popular Post Share Posted May 27 The Crothstad Woodlands Nestled between the cold, frozen tundra of Ailmere and the southern valleys of Aevos, The Crothstad Woodlands lay as a quite respite from shore to centre as the trees sprawled from the western shores to the great rivers of the continent. Christened at each dawn and dusk with the howls of wolfpacks aplenty within the region, The Woodlands would be a serene- and dangerous- place that many hardy peoples would call home. The Woodlands The Woodlands themselves were thick and sprawling, with spruce, evergreen, and pine trees dotting the land all throughout. Rocks and boulders from the nearby snowcapped peaks tumbled down and made their way all across the tiered woodland, which rose from cliff to the dip of a valley as quickly as it did beautifully. The rivers bore rocky beds home to salmon and trout which would leave the cold north in the summers to spawn in the rivers and ponds to the land's south- the porous cliffs with each waterfall allowing fish ways upward and unseen, safe from predator and fisher alike. The rocky riverbeds gave life and fertility to the lands surrounding, whilst the majority of The Woodland had a tough and rocky soil unripe for crop and plantation. Despite this, grass and vegetation seemed to grow handily with a multitude of berries, rhubarb, onions, and beets naturally growing and giving both life and sustenance to the nearby region. The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the scent of the same pines and cold frost which blanketed the region throughout the year. While the snows were light, the area was glossed with ice with each long and heavy winter. Sunlight flowed from above through the needles of pines and firs to the ground below, covered in a heavy duff of needles and pinecones left over from seasons prior. Mushrooms grew upon fallen logs which stayed through the thick and thin of seasons, the land providing abundant life to all pieces of the cycle. Aside from the rushing waters and occasional rumble of wildlife, the land was quiet and remarkably peaceful. Serene and tranquil, the expanse of wilderness stretched far as untamed woodland and wildlife made this piece of Eos their home. Thick layers of moss clung to the trunks of trees and boulders both grand and humble, as daylight shone over the river-valley for so long. Dark shadows cast over the crags and into the caves which provided shelter for much of the riverland wildlife, giving a sense of majesty and grace to the land untouched by man. The woodland was home to many a species of animal from all around Eos. Whilst Athin, Frostvine, Bitter Reed, Blissfoil, and Nightglow grew in bushels and cliffsides, many creatures populated the woodland in healthy numbers. Great elk, Grizzly bears, Vowl, Bokolo, Tundrastriders, Hares, Foxes, Lynx, Snow Leopards, Squirrels, Imps, and Direwolves populated the biome most notably amongst countless other creatures found within the cold forest. Curiously, the land was ripe for creatures to grow and populate rapidly- leading to the phenomenon known as The Endless Hunt. The Legend of Crothstad Legend tells of a Hunter, perhaps as old as The Four Brothers himself, named Crothstad. His true name, race, even sex by some accounts- has been completely lost to time. Whoever this hunter was, he did not matter before he arrived to the forests of Aevos. Among the few who would ever survive upon the continent longer than days, Crothstad just like them would go missing with time; his true fate left unknown. Arriving with a hunting party in the tens, Crothstad had gathered the greatest hunters of his clan far beyond the misty seas, arriving to the continent in search of greatness and glory. By one account of the expedition, legend told tale of a creature which lived within The Woodland of Aevos. A serpentine creature tall and long, which an amalgam of mottled brown fur and scales. Two heads, breathing an acidic flame from it's mouth of a thousand teeth. It flew, but not far, and it's scorpion-tail could crush a man better than injecting it with deadly venom. The Great Chimera it was named, a creature which would seal Crothstad into history forever. Rumour has it that Crothstad had the head of an elk, with antlers long and bone white- aged well as the hunter covered himself in furs and runes whos meanings were lost to time. Armed with a heavy sword Trailblazer and his greatbow Lif, Crothstad set foot upon the shores of Aevos with his expedition in close follow. The land was harsh, and unknown to them, The Endless Hunt had made their lives even more difficult from a phenomenon they did not understand. They ate well, but the creatures of The Woodland were larger than any they'd ever met- fighting fiercer and smarter, and without making a dent in their numbers. They seemed completely unafraid of the adventurers, yet, when they saw the bone-white skull of The Great Hunter, they did cower. Unlike his comrades, Crothstad thrived within the land. Each hunt exhilarating, and while he showed no unnecessary boasting in his kills, he did humble himself with each creature utilized and respected to it's fullest extent. Charms of bones and shrines to gods forgotten made with what he and his compatriots could not utilize. Crothstad each day swore that he was closer and closer to finding The Great Chimera, which had still yet to be seen- it's brown scales and tattered wings hidden somewhere within the thick woodland. It was over the course of a year that his party dwindled to but a couple of men retaining, those closest and most understanding of Crothstad and his ways. Mimicking him did well, yet they always lived within the shadow of his past footsteps. Where he dodged some great beast's strike or avoided the gnashing teeth of a wolfpack, the remaining party were too slow and beaten. They had sons, daughters, husbands, and wives to return to back within their kingdom which was surely awaiting their return. The remaining two beckoned their leader to return- and austerely, did he refuse. Driven with a bloodlust to find this great creature which had evaded him, the remaining party had lost their last of hopes. Packing what they had and trophies of their hunt, the two left their obsessed leader; keeping the legend alive, and tales of The Crothstad Expedition spread. Yet the tale does not quite find it's end there. By account of the remaining two hunters who's names had been forgotten, the shadow of great broken wings was seen from the mouth of the channel they had sought to escape by. The Great Chimera, they had thought- indeed, with it's elongated tale and great mane, a head of bone-white and body of dark scales and fur, perhaps Crothstad would finally meet his match. It is unknown what fate lay of Crothstad or The Great Chimera, as the adventurers returned home to tales of guts and glory with their wonderous trophies of battle. The Legend of Crothstad lived on, spread as a tale by sailors, hunters, young and old alike of a man both driven, obsessed, even crazed. Each tale differed by culture and it's teller, but one thing remained the same; The Great Chimera lived, as did The Great Hunter who sought to bring it to it's end. The Endless Hunt The Endless Hunt is a phenomenon within The Crothstad Woodlands of unknown origin, in which the Fauna of the land behaved and appeared differently than any other of their species. To begin, creatures of The Crothstad Woodland would reproduce rapidly- growing and maturing within just a couple of months to years, rather than up to a decade. The offspring and each creature within The Woodland was mighty and robust, growing healthily without defect or disadvantage in their growth. Each animal grew up to twice as large compared to their regular counterpart, with Elk ranging from the size of a Human to the size of an Olog. These animals bore a unique feature that they were completely unafraid of descendants- never having been exposed to them before in any notable capacity, descendants would simply be another creature in their woodland. Elk approached men both in curiosity and defense of their territory, bears unafraid of the sounds of hooves and descendant voice. More akin to prey, descendants within The Woodland would simply be another creature within it's complex ecosystem- their stone walls and thick doors the only separation from themselves and the beasts which lay beyond. Descendants themselves were spared from this effect, even new species brought unto the land did not quite benefit from the same unique phenomenon. Almost as if unique to the species of the land, The Endless Hunt only affected fauna native to The Crothstad Woodlands, leaving descendant and their invading creatures untouched. Every year within the woodlands, creatures both young and old would emerge from their dens and nests to various spots around the forest in which flora refused to grow; bowing their heads remaining quiet as the moon reached it's apex. An hour after silence and stillness within the forest after the new year had come to pass, all creatures would return to whence they came; peaceful, and without a sound. OOC Information The Crothstad Woodlands will allow players and ET alike to run creature events for DIY creatures, but as well larger hunt events with more challenging enemies to consider how prepared descendants are in most fights. Akin to a monter-hunter type game, creatures within this biome should be significantly more difficult to take down and should often involve multiple phases of hunt- like tracking, identifying, hunting, and butchering rather than just the prior two. Creatures involved in these hunt events still follow DIY guidelines, and should not be used as pets, guardians, or to attack settlements/players who do not wish to be involved in the event. Player creatures, players, npcs, and so on are unaffected by The Endless Hunt. The Legend of Crothstad, The Endless Hunt, and so on are known ICly and are not knowledge-locked by any means. Your character can obviously embellish, lie, or add onto the legend however they may please to add flavor and thematic that your character may interpret from the story. Crothstad and The Great Chimera are off limits to roleplay or utilize in events of until further notice, but will be developed later onward. For ET: Refer to the Maplore Backface document for further details on doing events in this region. 61 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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