Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #254

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #254 

September 12th, 2023 

• Number: 254 

• Name:  Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: Boarfang Mountain and the Dead Woods of Ceannar  – Part 2 

• Location: Northeast corner of Flattop Hills 

• Population (approx.): 211 (Boarview) and 5+ (Nor's hut)
  

• Brief: If the locals near Boarfang mountain will say anything about the forest that climbs the slopes to the peak, they’ll remark that everything gets older and stranger the higher you climb. And, they say, you’ll feel a distinct change in the air once you’ve walked through the transition from the mundane woods into the dense and tangled foliage twisted about the petrified remains of the prehistoric trees that once rose into the skies over Ceannar. “Be careful where ye go, where ye hunt or where ye dig,” they advise, "Else the green giant will appear out of nowhere and want to have a word with ye, and by a word, we mean a clubbing with the tree trunk he carries at his side. Better still, stay downslope where the trees are greener, and the land is flatter, and you’ll be fine.” History notes the current green giant has protected Dead Wood Forest since just after the founding of Ceannar and there have been other protectors throughout the recorded history of the region. 

• Norfalen (Nor) Elderfate, 402, male Firbolg is the “green giant” druid protecting Dead Wood Forest. He is well over ten feet tall and has a muscular physique. He has blond hair, which he dyes dark green. His nature is kind and loving to all unless you try to attack his forest. For his clothes, he wears brown pants, yellow or orange shirts, and a vest with embroidery on it. He walks with a large walking staff, at a distance resembling a small tree, to use as a weapon. 

• Nor is the protector of the forest and takes this job seriously. So much of the history of the area is within the petrified trees. Nor spends his days walking through the woods. Occasionally, animals may inadvertently break off the limbs of the trees. He uses his magic to guide creatures around the forest and into the healthier part of the woods. 

• Nor and his family live in a large hut in the shadow of Boarfang Mountain. Nor's wife is Reylana, 389, female Firbolg, and they have several children that has extended their family with their children’s children. Nor and Reylana are grandparents many times over. Reylana works in the living part of the forest as an animist and helps maintain the careful balance of nature. 

• Geography: About sixteen to seventeen miles east of Boarfang (location 1 below), in the woods of the lower elevations, is the village of Boarview (location 2 below), one of the larger settlements in the region. It sits at a cluster of game trails and paths with a slightly larger cart route leading southeast to the plains of Cean County. The woods themselves reside in Adehamar County but are loosely ruled, the only notables being the Knights or Mayors leading the small settlements like Boarview. Nor Elderfate lives 5 miles west of Boarfang (location 3 below) along the border of the Dead Woods.