User blog:Ilniaj/The Wood Elves

When the ancestral land of the elves known in their legends as Ulthuan sunk into the sea, what would become the Dark Elves fled west and what would become the Wood Elves fled east, both looking for new lands to settle. What would become the Wood Elves found a lush and fertile land that is now called The Old World by humans but Elthin Arvan in their tongue. While this land is hospitable, it was also inhabited and what would become the Wood Elves had to engage in bitter fighting to carve out a home, eventually forming one named Athel Loren, a vast forest suffused with magic. When the Wood Elves and Dark Elves met later on the two had become so different culturally from each other that there was no reconciling, the Dark Elves viewed the Wood Elves as primitives who have abandoned and denigrated what made the elves strong while the Wood Elves viewed the Dark Elves as decadents who were on the same path that led to the sinking of Ulthuan and were appalled that they were willing to mix their elven blood with human. While sexual predation on both males and females from monsters have caused considerable numbers of them to be corrupted and exiled the vast majority are still pure of taint.

From the depths of Athel Loren, the Wood Elves view the outside world with distrustful eyes, reluctant to meet or embrace anything that lies beyond their own borders and hearts ever willing to avenge transgressions. Only the youngest and oldest pay the outside world any heed, the young due to yearning for an adventure that cannot be found in Athel Loren and the old because experience has taught them  that Athel Loren is not as removed from the circles of the world as they wish. As much as they would desire otherwise, the Wood Elves know that the fate of Athel Loren is tied to other lands. Though they do not seek to act as the world's protectors or enthrone themselves as its master, there are times when they must shape the fortunes of other lands, though this is only ever to the protection of Athel Loren. Not all threats must be destroyed but merely whittled to weakness or redirected along a different path. Slay an Orc Warlord, and her coalition of tribes will splinter, lure a Beastwomen warherd onto the defenses of a human town, and they'll sate their lusts on humans instead of elves. It is fair to say that Wood Elves have little in the way of allies, but rather a wide array of enemies of varying degrees, who they'll use as weapons against each other as needs dictate. When all of Athel Loren is threatened, a Wild Hunt is called by the Archangel Orion. Every Wood Elf and forest spirit alike feels the pull of the savage hunt and many are overcome by the savage urge to join it. When the Wild Hunt is called, the forest goes utterly silent and trembles in fear, not a creature stirring. Whatever the purpose of a Wild Hunt, it is a dangerous time when it is called, and anyone with any sense will either utterly avoid it or join it.

The Wood Elves are an army of hunters, masters of the bow and spear. Unlike the drilled and trained soldiery of many other lands and their Dark Elf cousins, Wood Elves have little in the way of a formal military. Instead, an army of Athel Loren is an alliance on kinbands and clans, summoned by the warhorns of the hunt. Each warrior brings martial skill of bow and blade honed in the dangerous environs of Athel Loren, skills that combine with elven grace and speed to create warriors as deadly as any other throughout the world. When called to war, the Wood Elves can travel great distances in a single night, for there are mystical pathways that bind Athel Loren to the many wilds of the world. The Wood Elves can tread these paths, appearing without warning many hundreds of leagues distant, circumventing defenses, vanguards and patrols. Through this, the Deepwood Hosts avoid drawn-out confrontation through speed and illusion. Where other armies must fight extended campaigns to even reach their opponents, Wood Elves will strike at the heart of the enemy with the very first blow. When the battle starts, the Wood Elves will open with volleys of arrows and javelins blacking out the sky, each missile guided by masterful marksmanship. Only after the opening volleys have been made will hunting horns sound, loosing the Wood Elves to the fray. If the foe is unbroken by the initial ambush, and manages to rally and fight back, phalanxes of Eternal Guard whose wits are as sharp as their two-headed spears tread close about the lords and princes commanding the host, sworn to defend their lords even in the face of certain death. On the flanks, Glade and Wild Riders spur their swift steeds onwards, ever alert for gaps in enemy formations. They gallop swiftly, darting between the swords and spears to wreak havoc among the flanks and rears of the enemy battleline. Elsewhere, tattoed wardancers strike deep into enemy ranks before leaping away, every fluid movement another step in the shadow-dance that binds and destroys. Eagle riders, Great Eagles and even mighty Rocs swoop and soar overhead, diving down to assail war machines and ranged units before returning to the skies. There can be no refuge when fighting the Wood Elves, for no secret path or refuge can be hidden from the Waywatchers and Deepwood Scouts. The skills at the command of the Wood Elves are many and varied but when they go to war, they do not go alone. About and around the favored of the forest flit swarms of fairies and occasional Titania spellcasters, but these are the least of the spirits of the woods. Treekin, elven heroes with the ability to transform into mobile humanoid trees shatter shields and bones alike with tumultuous blows from bark clad fists, and towering above them are the Treemen, massive golems made out of a living tree and animated by the spirit of a departed elf. Their footfalls make the ground tremble, their roots burst upward from the ground to throttle and crush and their every blow sweeps aside enemies like broken twigs. Lesser elven spirits form bodies out of the earth, water or air called Revenants, appearing from ambush to strike down the foes of the Wood Elves.

Wood Elves produce a great many magical creations this includes the arrows shot from their bows. Enchanted arrows are so common among Wood Elves that entire armies can be equipped by them. These arrows come in a large variety such as Arcane Bodkins which only the heaviest of armor protects against, Hagbane Tips that poison victims, Starfire Shafts that release a piercing wail when they draw blood, Swiftshiver Shards that seem to fly from the bow of their own accord and Trueflight Arrows that maneuver around obstacles. Elven bows are similarly crafted, using a pulley system to have the range of long bow with the size of a shortbow and even mundane arrows can pierce lighter suits unfailingly when fired from one.

Should a Champion survive the endless battles while still finding favor in the eyes of their gods, they may attain the ultimate reward for their decades of dedication. Their patron will elevate the Champion to their side as an Archangel, a being of godlike power. They are mighty beyond compare, lordly creatures of awesome might. There are few who don't seek this metamorphosis where they shrug off their mortal shell and become a being of divinity but for every champion who roars their triumph as a newborn Archangel, untold thousands perish on the field of battle or simply fail to gain the acclaim necessary before their mortal form breaks down. Archangels are vast in stature, their gigantic forms twisted into new shapes. They wield powerful magic items and strange abilities and the variations between these beings are uncountable. Nonetheless, it is common for the Archangels to retain their intellect and memory. Some are awesome warriors full of martial discipline and pride. Others are master magisters with the ability to reshape reality itself. Others are peerless marksman, wielding bolt throwers like crossbows or small cannons like rifles or enormous bows. Upon ascending most Archangels go to heaven, leaving the world behind so that there is room for others to attain greatness. Sometimes, an Archangel is sent back to the mortal world to serve as the commander of a faithful army. At other times, a newly transformed Archangel continues to lead their followers who view their leader as a demi-god, which is not far from the truth. In fact, some of the oldest and most powerful Archangels are worshiped as deities becoming local gods for villages, tribes or even countries, acting as an intermediary for their patron deity. While Lord Orion and Lady Ariel are the two highest Archangels of the Wood Elves, they are not the only elves to have ascended to become Archangels and so, an Archangel that leads a Wood Elf army might be neither of the two greatest ones. Archangel who were elves while mortal might not be as strong as ones of human origins, but they are more agile and make better use of missile weapons.

The Highborn, the Lords and Ladies of Athel Loren have led the elves in both war and peace since before they settled in Elthin Arvan. Each Highborn, regardless of rank, is to keep their domain free of intruders and has the ultimate responsibility over the area their followers dwell, a calling above all others. Most often, this is a task accomplished by their own Guard, though in more dangerous times, they must entreat the aid of forest spirits or elves from other regions. Should they fail in this duty, it is not unheard of for them to hand the responsibility over to another and depart to the darker places of Athel Loren. There, the noble seeks atonement for their failure. Some are not seen again, others return a few hours later unnaturally aged as if having experienced decades. A rare few return after many years, reinvigorated and filled with purpose. The Highborn are awarded rank based on the station of their birth, though it is not unknown for a valorous individual to be elevated to higher authority. When Athel Loren goes to war, the nobles direct the efforts of its armies, commanding a varied yet lethal assortment of elves and forest spirits. Highborn can be grouped into two general ranks, the Glade Lords and Glade Captains.

Elves are intrinsically magical beings, their consciousness residing equally on the physical and magical planes. In most, this talent is too weak to be developed, instead representing occasional hunches or foreboding but in some gifted individuals, it can be shaped into a tool of great power. Such a boon is not without danger as raw magical energy is a fickle and destructive thing if drawn upon unwisely. The Spellweavers and Spellsingers are adept at creating powerful illusions and glamours, as well as being masters of the mystical arts of healing and regrowth. They are capable of weaving spells of confusion and trickery so that intruders are unable to discover an elven hall even while only a few footsteps from the doors, cast dangerous blasts that strip trespassers of their wits and memories and heal grievous wounds with but the touch of a hand. Most amazingly, they are capable of encouraging trees and undergrowth to spontaneous growth, which can then be directed to create elegant and artful forms. In this manner, the elves create beautiful artistry such as delicately twisting pillars of living branches that form the basis of graceful monuments and structures. Trees and foliage can be encouraged to uproot and move about, blocking off paths and creating new glades. This is often used as a subtle warning to make trespassers leave, but those that choose to ignore it will be dealt with without mercy. Other mages specialize in learning the secret paths, enabling them to disappear like smoke only to reappear in a different location. They are experts at divining the future and can communicate with trees by touching them. They are capable of all manner of sorceries and artful spells, and are rightly feared by all. On the rare occasions when Wood Elves willingly enter communications with others, it is the mages who act as diplomats, traveling with small entourages to the courts of foreign kings.

In times of need, nearly every Wood Elf can answer the call to defend Athel Loren, for all are trained in the arts of the bow as soon as they can hold one. After all, in Athel Loren, archery is not only a tool of battle but a hunter's skill vital to survival. When an elf comes of age, he or she will be inducted into their households kinhold of Glade Guard, and given responsibility for patrolling a section of the forest. Completely in tune with the rhythm of their home, individual Glade Guard are capable of living off the land as they patrol the forests and watch for interlopers. Should a sentry sight an intruder, he or she will swiftly raise the alarm. In a mere span of moments, the forest will be alive with sharp-eyed Elven Hunters, all focused upon seeking and slaying the intruder within their midst. Most who enter Athel Loren die without realizing they are in danger. When Athel Loren goes to war, Glade Guard form the bulk of the army, a deadly core of skilled archers who can put a foe to flight before the battle has truly joined. Each elven household fights together on the battlefield with several disparate kinbands combining to form one or more regiments under the command of a lesser lord or lady. The Wood Elf army can often seem haphazard and almost disorganized to their foe, for each band is expected to follow the broad dictates of their general, but, at the same time, is encouraged to take initiative when the opportunity presents itself. Such a principle often leads to an overlapping line of battle, with individual Glade Guard kindreds advancing and retreating like leaves in a storm, all while pouring a hail of deadly arrows into the foe.

Deepwood Scouts roam the entire realm, watching for signs of the enemy or keeping an eye on the forests. They are the most skilled and adventurous of each hall - well on their way to becoming Waywatchers. Deepwood Scouts are responsible for patrolling the areas of the forest too dangerous for Glade Guard to enter. To tread such paths, an Elf must not only be invisible to a predator's sight but to its other senses, not easy when evading otherworldly predators. The Deepwood Scouts skill at stealth and concealment serve them well upon the battlefield. They are masters of ambush and deception, the assassins of artillery crews and careless wizards who stray from their army. Many an invading army has come to battle unaware that bands of Deepwood Scouts have tracked it for days. Only when the battlelines clash do the Deepwood Scouts reveal themselves, sowing confusion and disruption among enemy lines.

Athel Loren is surrounded by open heath and downland with occasional crag, grove of stunted trees, and plenty of scrub, bracken and heather. This belt of of wild open land forms the outer border of the Wood Elf realm and is guarded by Glade Riders and Meadow Chariots, riding down and harassing any foes who dare to approach Athel Loren. Glade Riders are among the greatest horse-warriors of the old world, their elven reflexes allowing them to perform all manner of acts that are beyond the ability of lesser races. Whether riding backwards while riding at full speed through woods or darting through the ranks of enemy outriders, Glade Riders repeatedly survive such escapades through a combination of grace and confidence. Unlike most cavalrymen, Glade Riders do not view their horses as property. Instead, they form a deep and lasting bond between each other over a period of many years, a bond beyond friendship and family. Where another would need to command his steed, it is as though the Glade Rider need only think the command and the horse will respond as required.

The Eternal Guard are chosen from among the tallest and sturdiest among the elves and entrusted with the task of guarding the Kindred's sacred glades. Only skill on the battlefield can earn an honored place within the ranks of the Eternal Guard, for their duty is a difficult and dangerous one. Should the forest be assailed in the winter months, they can depend upon little aid from Athel Loren itself, and must hold against whatever threat challenges them. Each guardian is a formidable fighter in their own right and when assembled in numbers, they form a deadly and steadfast phalanx, their spear-staves thrusting and cutting with a graceful and disciplined efficiency. They face the enemy with feet planted firmly, shields braced and the line of spears rippling as the points dart forward to kill. Though their chief duties are tied to the winter months, Eternal Guard are called to serve all year long as watchmen and arbiters of elven halls or as bodyguards for nobles. It is all but unknown for the great lords and ladies to travel anywhere without hundreds of Eternal Guard as an escort and this number can steeply rise if battle is expected at the end of the journey. The Eternal Guard hold duty to their lord high above the threat of personal danger and fight without thought to their own safety whilst their lord or lady has need of service. Thus have they often fought on, steadfastly defending their charge from a terrible fate, even though their allies have cast aside their arms and fled or lie dead upon the field. Eternal Guard are pledged to stand beside their lord, even should the specter of death come to claim them. Come one foe or one thousand, it matters not, the Eternal Guard does not surrender. Disputes between nobles are often settled through trial by combat between representative from the Eternal Guard. The representative is chosen by drawing lots so that it is in the lords best interest to hold their Eternal Guard to as high a standard possible.

Wildwood Rangers are mighty and blessed warriors but it's not through physical prowess alone that they triumph, but through a steadiness of will that other elves find intimidating. The duty of a Wildwood Ranger is to protect the elves from the more hidden threats. This is most commonly a corrupted elf or a monster seeking to marry an elf but others are much worse in nature. Those that die in Athel Loren may cling to the world thanks to the magic that suffuses the wood, where even the most virtuous of people can be driven mad or evil by their demise, forming new bodies to inflict their malignant intent with. At other times, an aethyric creature might slip into the world through a tear in reality. Whether the creature they must fight is horrifying beyond measure or has a comely and seductive form, all require the Ranger to harden their soul to all emotion. Not all are successful. Every year, some are lost to terror-born madness or ensnared by some siren. Of the two fates, the former is far preferred, a fractured mind can be repaired but for those seduced, their fate is either to father enemies of the elves or a life of stupefied servitude and false bliss to some otherworldly creature that ends only in a death too long delayed. Though Wildwood Rangers do not have to answer to any Lord or Lady, a band will sometimes join a campaigning army, their hardened resolve finding employment against creatures of vast and terrifying power. Wildwood Rangers are clad in full light armor much like Eternal Guard, but instead of fighting with swift spears and shields, their weapons of choice are powerful great axes able to slay most enemies in a single blow.

The heritage of the Wood Elves is recorded as much in ritual dances as it is in runes or epic sagas. Every kindred has a band of ritual dancers who perform in the shrine glades, enacting the tales of elven lore. As well as ritual dances, there are deadly dances that can be used in battle. The Wardancers are a select caste, ordained at birth and raised to spectacular skills that are famed and feared throughout the world. They are agile and swift even by elven standards, to them other elves appear to be moving painfully slow. Wardancers wear no armor and little clothing, if any other elf dressed as a Wardancer does, they would be shamed by such nudity. Spiral patterns and swirling designs are painted all over the body, which may be whitened with lime or chalk to make the patterns show up better. This is not just aesthetic but will provide small amounts of protection against attacks. The wild whoops and blood-curdling shrieks, not to mention the weird piping of any musicians accompanying them add to their terrifying appearance. In battle, Wardancers are deadly warriors, leaping over the enemy and twisting mid-air to strike them from behind, darting out of the way of blows and even dodging incoming arrows. Each Wardancer leaps and pirouettes through the enemy ranks to music only they hear, gracefully evading enemy blows and ending lives with impossibly swift strikes of their own. To many they seem like forest spirits, intangible beings who cannot be thwarted or denied whether by steel, stone or strength of will.

The Shadowdancers and Shadowmasters are the highest of the Wardancers, feared and respected as a result. They, and only they, know all of the paths through Athel Loren, treading the dreaming wood as surely as the mortal world. In battle, Shadowdancers are even more dazzlingly swift than other Wardancers. Many Shadowdancers know shadow magic, which they use to distract foes or mete out a dose of humility to elves or spirits that forget their station.

Guardians of the paths leading into Athel Loren, the Waywatchers are silent and deadly sentinels. They are masters of concealment, and have trained themselves so that they can lie unmoving for days before springing into action to slay their unfortunate prey. The way of the watcher is a natural progression for those who have trained as scouts, though rarely an unblooded youth feel the call of the forests. Over time, an Elf may find that he is more comfortable in the forest’s embrace than in the presence of his kin. He will drift further from the halls, spending more and more time in the forest, honing skills of stealth and marksmanship. Many never return, for there are corners of Athel Loren that are dangerous even to the Elves, yet those who survive are skilled beyond compare and hardened by their experiences. Waywatchers operate in small bands hidden among the woods and in the trees. From their perch, they can observe everyone and everything that enters the forest. If they spy enemies they sound the alarm or dispatch a fast runner to alert the kindreds. Meanwhile, the Waywatchers will prepare traps to deter and delay the invaders while the rest of the army prepares for battle. Taciturn and solitary, No two Waywatchers behave in the same way for each is taught by experience rather than a formal system of training. Long years of practice with the bow have left Waywatchers able to let loose a tremendous rate of fire with their bows without loss of accuracy. As well as this, they can place a single shot in the weak point of an enemies armor. Few who have not seen the skill of the silent watchers believe the truth in these tails and few who do see it survive to speak of it. When the call to battle comes, the Waywatchers band together into small groups. Their uncanny skills naturally lend themselves to the arts of disruption and surprise, appearing silently next to a vulnerable enemy and vanishing as quickly as they came before his body hits the ground.

Waystalkers’ personalities have become entirely submerged by their obsession with stalking prey. They are taciturn and solitary individuals, and they may let years pass between visits to Wood Elf halls. Waystalkers are perfectly at ease within their forest homeland and effortlessly survive by their wits and cunning in the wilds. On the rare occasions when a Waystalker returns to the halls, he stands apart from all others, for he is closer to the forest than to other Elves. A Waystalker’s marksmanship shames even that of other Waywatchers. He can pick out a single enemy from a seething mass of troops and place the one perfect shot that brings the target, lifeless, to the ground. Yet the Waystalker finds no reason to exult in the application of his skills – after all, what prey could hope to escape one who has dedicated his entire life to the hunter’s art?

The Wild Riders are the elite light cavalry of the Wood Elves, heroes blessed by the goddess of the hunt. They are fey and dangerous creatures who are no longer fully the elves they once were. Now and forever, they are part of the eternal glory of the Wild Hunt. Wild Riders are primitive in appearance, their ceremonial robes and armor little more than the pelts and bones of beasts, but there is a nobility in them that cannot easily be denied. When a Wild Hunt has not occurred, the Wild Riders watch over sacred glades, unspeaking save to challenge intruders. Their authority is absolute, for becoming Wild Riders, they have severed themselves from wood elf society in all ways except in service to their king. Though they are revered and honoured, most Elves avoid dealings with the kin of Kurnous where possible, intimidated by the aura of power and otherworldly presence of the tall warriors who are now as much forest spirit as they are Elf. In combat, the Wild Riders are full of deadly vigor, riding upon swift mounts that were formerly horses, their bodies swollen with strength. Those unfortunate enough to be in their path are ridden down without mercy, their deaths a sacrifice to the purity of the hunt.

The Sisters of the Thorn are both equal and opposite to the Wild Riders, a sisterhood sworn to sorcery and subtlety where the brotherhood of the Wild Riders know loyalty only to the glory of the hunt. While the Wild Riders are born to battle on steeds as reckless as they are, the steeds ridden by the Sisters of the Thorn have their strength hidden under a graceful aspect. The Sisters are  builders, farmers, healers and mages. In times of peace, they travel between settlements, starting the process of shaping the growth of plants into the live buildings or that will be harvested from a plant to be transformed into a tool, or blessing a garden so that it grows entire growing seasons of produce in a small portion of the time it takes to bear fruit, or healing the sick and injured. While each Sister is only an apprentice in the ways of life or beasts magic at that point, the blessings of the gods allow them to pool their power and concentration to cast spells that would normally be done by full grown wizards. As such, this allows the Wood Elves to send their apprentice mages into battle. The sisters fight with poisoned melee weapons and javelins and support their allies with spells. While only on the standard of Glade Guard in terms of fighting prowess, their magical support is quite valuable in war.

Wareagle Riders are a cavalry unit of elves riding a young eagle. This is not a relationship of master and bestial servant but is a familial bond. When the Wood Elves came to Elthin Arvan, there was strife between them and the Great Eagles. Wood Elf children could not walk abroad in the day without fear of being swooped down upon quicker than an arrow while elves would scale to their nests, smash their eggs and kill their chicks. This status remained until the coming of Kirada the Beast Caller, who made peace between the elves and eagles. Those who were the guiltiest in destroying their young offered themselves up to the eagles but the eagles knew that vengeance was useless, instead declaring that they would raise each others children as their own. Thus, young Eagles would bear elves into battle, a purpose they were not bred for, but adapted themselves to. Those who ride Wareagles display phenomenal agility and balance, able to launch volleys of arrows while the mount flies full speed through the forest.

Few would relate chariots with the Wood Elves, for the forest is dense and twisting, making their passage impossible in normal circumstances. The wood elves, however have adapted so perfectly to their abode that they can pilot the small chariots they use with such dexterity that even the forests are no obstacle. Meadow Chariots are sung from living wood and the structure of the chariots is very much alive, infused with the life essence of the mother tree the spites that nest in the knots and hollows of the chariots flanks and even the briars and thorn vines that grow parasitically from the verdant frame. While there are many places in the forest that even these chariots cannot go, there are ample paths and forest glades for charioteers to pass over. This all said, Chariots are rare in the host of the wood elves. They are reserved for message runners and lower nobles when the Wild Hunt is called. In battle, these warriors are the very hounds of the hunt, harrying the foe over miles upon miles and reaping their numbers with spear, sword and the wicked thorns that trail and float in the wake of the chariot like falling leaves.

Fairies are perhaps the best known and most elusive of all forest spirits, living in Fairy Realms whose entrances are in the deepest, most pristine forests, marshes and swamps, but their insatiable curiosity often leading them far from home. Most Fairies stand over 5 inches tall and have bodies made of magic, typically flying at about the eye level of those they converse with to maintain eye contact. Fairies talk quickly and easily become overexcited. They have the mentality of children, often loving to irritate the tall ones. In times of dire need they will gather together and follow elven armies. Hundreds of the little creatures join together, scurrying along paths unseen. Such a mass of magical creatures brings with it a great amount of magical energy. Thus all of them and the paths they've taken shine bright of magic. Sparkling in indefinite colors, the spectacle is a beautiful sight to behold. Man and beast alike are befuddled by this rare display of raw magic and stop their chores or whatever they were after. This magic does have a practical effect allowing them to befuddle enemies, causing them to stumble towards them, transfixed by the magic, which serves Wood Elf armies quite well.

The Revenants are elves unable to completely abandon their grip on their former lives, forging new bodies out of the earth, water or air to defend in death what they loved in life. Only the strongest and most driven souls retain enough individuality to do so. Revenants are seldom able to recognize those they knew in life, so much of the memory is based on the physical senses, which are lost with the physical body. For Revenants, the world is a strange place, hidden beneath a shroud of forgotten memory. Though they might be drawn to protect particular glades or safeguard certain elves, they are seldom aware of the importance those people or places held to the mortal they once were. In fact, one group of them had stood guard over its family hall for centuries, never once aware that the same catastrophe that had killed them had killed every member of their blood kin. When the Revenants charge is threatened, they'll appear from out of nowhere, aiming to cut the threat apart with dual blades. Depending on the element they are built from, they might regenerate rapidly as long as they are in contact with the ground, strike like flowing water, or hover and flit through the air like phantasms.

The blessings of the gods have granted some Wood Elves the ability to transform into humanoid trees. When transformed, a Treekin appears to be a horrifying parody of a man, though one that stands over 8 feet tall on its gnarled and twisted legs. Their hard bark forms a natural armor and forest magic provides a small measure of protection from harm. Lacking many outward signs of true life, Treekin are motionless at rest, indistinguishable from lifeless dead timber. Nonetheless, they remain fully aware and ready to strike with lethal ferocity should an enemy stray too close, waiting with unceasing patience for weeks upon end should it be required, and more than one careless trespasser has had his life cut short in such a fashion. In Lescatie alone there are a score of folk tales that tell of trees driven by a terrible hunger, and variants of these tales are recounted as far away as the Realms of the Ice Queens. There is no doubt that such a sight speaks to the deepest primal fears of mortal creatures (particularly those who gather firewood from living trees), for it is as if the forest itself has come alive to reclaim the land that has been stolen from it in centuries past.

Among the mightiest weapons used by the elves are Treemen, golems created out of a living tree, and animated by the essence of a dead elven lord, or perhaps a live one so that he may aid his kin from a great distance. Treemen are extremely large, at least two or three times the height of an elf, with massive trunk-like legs and thick branching arms. When they stand still, they can easily be mistaken for old gnarled trees with their clawed feet spreading into the ground like roots. Their flesh is tough and woody and their thick gnarled hide has the texture of dry cracked bark. Instead of blood, they have sap and foliage or moss instead of hair. Their mouths, nostrils and eyes appear as deep cracks and knots in the bark-like exterior. They can stomp their knurled feet into the ground, knocking foes off their feet or even send writhing roots to drag foes deep underground where the tendrils can feast upon flesh and bone. Their branch-like arms end in horny talons resembling sharpened twigs. To stand against the wrath of a Treeman is to face the fury of nature unleashed. Survivors often dread going into the woods for years afterward, many becoming city dwellers permanently.

While most Treemen are animated and controlled by an Elven lord, others are controlled by powerful mages. While not as skilled at manipulating their body as one controlled by an Elven Lord, a Treeman controlled by a Spellsinger or Spellweaver can cast magic through the Treeman they control, and is still just as mighty and resilient. These mage controlled Treemen are called Treeman Ancients, though in this context, "Ancient" refers to their magical prowess rather than the age of the created Treeman or the mage controlling it.

Zoats are kin to the Dragon Ogres, the race of the demons of chaos whose patron god Tholrek is strong enough to reject the changes caused by the Demon Lord. Despite having turned away from Tholrek and rejecting the immortality of the rest of their kind in exchange for a shorter but more vigorous existence, Tholrek still extends his protection so that they are not changed to mamano. Zoats have the same body shape as Dragon Ogres, though their scales are now dark green and they have a more reptilian head as an adaptation of their different habitat in the magical forests of the world. Zoats are universally capable of magic, tapping into the wind of life in an instinctive manner. Many a life mage seek out Zoats to learn from them but few succeed in finding these elusive beings. Zoats are seldom encountered outside of their woodland homes or even inside those homes, instead rousing the undergrowth to crush and strangle intruders rather than taking direct action. Where sorcery alone is not sufficient, the Zoat will leave the shadows to enter the fray personally, knocking the invaders to the ground with sweeping blows. Once prone, the enemy becomes easy prey for creeping roots and vines, which swiftly entangle and throttle them.

The ancient and proud Great Eagles has lived among the peaks of the World's Edge Mountains and the Grey Mountains since the dawn of time. These wise creatures live for many centuries. From the vantage point of their high eyries, the eagles watch the movements of ground dwelling creatures. Great Eagles are the largest birds of prey in the Old World, with a wingspan of over 30 feet and razor sharp talons and ferocious beaks which they use to tear their enemies apart. Their feathers are golden yellow and glisten in the sun, while their underside, tail and the tips of their wing feathers are white like clouds. Some eagles have black edges to their tail and wing feathers, a sign of great maturity and power, only the oldest are marked this way. They are exceedingly intelligent and a few of their eldest are rumored to speak the tongues of other races, though they seem to prefer to deal with Elves. When a Great Eagle swoops down upon prey, its vast wing span blots out the sun and all the victim can see is the oncoming razor-sharp beak and powerful rending talons. The plummeting dive of but a single such bird is a formidable sight, but it pales in comparison to the dreadful yet elegant vision of an entire flock plunging out of the skies towards a foe. In perfect unison, each of the mighty raptors peals out of flight and streaks downward, striking their foes like thunderbolts. While the Wareagle Riders are expected to separate once the Eagle is fully grown, other pairs form such a strong bond that they stay together long after. This is a great honor in the eyes of the Wood Elves, for it is a true partnership of equals. Such a union invariably forms the start of a great and enduring friendship that continues to bind both parties, even after death. Some Great Eagles undergo strange changes in adulthood, they may have metal feathers forming a natural armor, become supernaturally swift catch fire and turn into phoenixes.

Due to a quirk in biology some Great Eagles grow to massive sizes, becoming enormous Rocs. While no less intelligent than their smaller brethren, this size allows a single one to tear into enemies that a flock of lesser Eagles would struggle with. These Rocs are capable of having the same odd mutations that smaller Great Eagles have, making them even more formidable. Just like the Great Eagles, some choose to allow a Wood Elf Lord to ride them, either due to being mount and rider since the Roc was a Wareagle or in times of need when the Roc must face a great foe like a dragon that they'll need help to fight. Rocs are terrifying, legendary birds renowned for their ability to carry off dire bears and other big animals. While their beaks are hooked like an eagle’s and designed for slashing and tearing, most rocs prefer to seize prey in their massive, clawed talons and drop them from great heights before feasting on the shattered remains. Rocs are equally comfortable over land and sea. While they are capable of sleeping in the air as they soar solo across great ranges in search of food, they generally return home to the mountains to roost and procreate. They build their nests upon the tallest mountain, rocky outcrop, or perch in their territory, using branches and even whole trees in the construction.

The horses of the elves are renowned for their beauty and speed. The steeds of the Wood Elves are swift and graceful, with an agility that cannot be matched by the lesser breeds of other kingdoms. While humans breed their horses for strength, endurance and dog-like loyalty, the horses of Athel Loren are trained from birth to be swift, agile and cunning, to work in partnership with their riders and not merely be broken to their will. The steeds reared in this way form a lasting bond with their rider, resulting in a darting and dangerous grace few other cavalrymen can match. In times between war, the horses are pastured in hidden glades until their rider summons them once more. Those rare outsiders who catch a glimpse of such a beast at play upon the heath often refuse to believe that these horses are truly mortal, assuming instead that some strange fey creature has crossed their path. In truth, there is little more magical about the steeds of Athel Loren than any other inhabitant of the wood, merely the boundless joy of a creature born into freedom and not into bondage.

The Elven Steeds ridden by the Wild Riders take on a deer like aspect. As the rider grows, so does their mount until it changes, growing in size and strength until it is a being called a Great Stag. There is no chance of mistaking a Great Stag for any of the lesser herd beasts that roam the forests of the world. It is a powerfully built animal, whose every snorting breath releases plumes of steam. The antlers of the Great Stag are both impressive and formidable, about whose iron-hard points dances a ghostly nimbus of magic.

The Elven Steeds ridden by the Sisters of the Thorn are similar to those ridden by the Wild Riders, taking on a deer like aspect just like those of the Wild Riders. In addition, the mount also has a further transformation as the rider grows, though in a different path. The steed turns pure white and it's antlers twist together into a set of horns or a single horn, similar to the horns on the unicorns and bicorns of the previous age. These Divine Steeds move with a graceful ease that hints at their true speed and swiftness. In battle, they can rear up, delivering blows with their hardened hooves, but is most dangerous when it can charge with its horn(s) lowered. These Divine Steeds are also highly resistant to magic and can convey their resistance to those they allow to ride them. This unusual ability provides a mage who rides them with a measure of protection against hostile magics, with a devastating spell often resulting in little more than a slightly inebriated and emboldened steed.