World of Kralis

Storhet - The Great Forest

While there are many great forests through out Ta Los, there are none that match the age, seemingly magical Great Forest of Storhet. It stretches from the shores of the Dhunadin Sea to the edge of the Vast and encompasses from the eastern borders of Ta’Kanasiti into the high reaches of the Sazar Crys Mountains. The forest is a vast region of old forest growth, some trees are thousands of years old. It is not an old, uninhabited region, it lies predominately within the Kingdom of Panthais.

Beyond the Isande and other human cultures that call the forest home, it is inhabited by many hundreds of different species such as hazor, earth dragons, gunthians, oku, curznaiks, sigah bhalka, formorians, sidz ra, broodlings and atufolk.

While the forest is occupied by the many fiefs and villages, much of its dark recesses are still unexplored by most folk. Rumors abound of ancient mines, lost cities, dark and foreboding dungeons of long ago mad spellcasters and priests of Azahak and chaos. There a many stone paved roads that disappear into the deep shadows of the forest, their final destination lost to the wheel of time.

Like most of the world beyond the lights and warmth of civilization, the Great Forest is still a WildLand. Its thick forests and undergrowth are alive with undisturbed energies that call back to when the world was new and the forest was very young indeed. It has often been rumored that in the darkness beneath boughs of the trees that evil creatures often become the very stuff that feeds the roots of the great trees, killed and eaten by the trees themselves.

Geographical features

Lakes

Black Lake: Situated within the Crys Hills at the foot of the Sazar Crys Mountains, the Black Lake is a very deep lake for its size nearly 1,500 deep at its deepest. The waters appear to be black which is a result of the black granite rift that the lake sits within. With its remove and wild locale in the forest and hills, and how ancient the lake itself is, it has a long history of bizarre events, strange occurrences, legends, myth and folklore. One of the oldest stories stretches back to the time the world and Omniverse formed that the lake is or was a portion of the Ny Shar plane. It is also believed that the water itself is protected by a water dragon that lives at the bottom of the lake.

It has also been noted that at certain times of the year, strange lights of varying colors hovering over the lake. Other legends have indicated that the lake is also a gate to a number of other worlds and dimensions.

Underground Passages

Ithigash Tunnel: Near the border of the northern section of the forests is a dark, twisting passageway that lead into the depths of Tav Aedhun.

Catacombs of Uthnar: Located south of the Black Lake sit the Catacombs of Uthnar. A complex network of tunnels and rooms that was once the home to fir darrig. It was deserted after the fir darrig accidentally released a number of minor fiends within the catacombs.

The Iron Tower: This ancient hold was once the home to a company of chovah that arrived to dig into the Sazar Crys Mountains looking for the wealth and resources of the mountain. It has been abandoned for centuries as the entrance to it has been "missing" since 1284 F.A.

Rivers

Oghold River: Originating from a deep pool of crystal clear water south of Bragih the Oghold River quickly turns into a very fast wide river that splits the kingdom in half as it runs to the Bay of Sorrows. Most of the river is tossed about by several waterfalls and fast rapids. Occasionally along its path it forms pools of swirling water giving the river a sense of calmness within its mad dash south.

Running River: Nearly 1,000 miles in length the Running River is a slow moving, deep river that begins its journey in the Jiliak Lake. It is a clear water river, until it reaches the Scar where the water turns a dark ocher color from the foul soil that makes up that forsaken land. This ocher color and foul smell lasts for several miles after it exits the Scar where it turns in to a fast running, rapid filled river that eventually ends its course in the Bay of Sorrows.

Ozur River: This river begins its journey as drainage for the lowlands north of the Kingdom. It is a deep, swift moving river that allows for barges to travel up and down the river with relative ease. Its shores are a littered with caves carved from the limestone that it has dug into. It eventually merges with the Running River.

Notable Locations

Landmarks

The Dark Barrows Hidden in the Storhet south of Bragih, there are a rise of low covered only by low grass and uprooted stones covered in moss that is ringed by 24 stone monoliths and a clear brook running through the middle, it is an idyllic place. It is an ancient place, said to be the home of undead things that wander the forest and haunt the barrows underground labyrinth of interconnected tombs, caves and wells. Considered by many to be an ancient burial ground of the first humans to make their way here, it is also considered a place of dark magic where Negative Energy runs freely in the form of thick, dark streams and gloss pools deep beneath the rolling hills.

It is a dreadful and fearful place where many a lost traveler stumbled upon the soft grass, weary from the long road from the south have thought the barrows a welcoming place to rest only to be caught off guards when the last rays of the sun drifted away.

Over the thousands of years that it has been here it has also become a WildLand, a place that has taken on a life of its own. It gains the following Traits and Abilities as per Legends of Kralis.

Traits -
• Aura of Darkness - There is a grayness or darkness that afflicts the area. Lighting conditions are always 1 category darker.
• Brutality - All those of a evil philosophy gain +10 bonus to all their skill attempts per 100 years of the land: +60.
• Blood of the Fallen - Any damage done during combat is increased by +10.
• Death Aura - The land is cursed all critical hit ranges gain +10 bonus.
• Fear of the Land - Every hour all beings in the area must make a Fear check or become Troubled by the area. Undead are immune to this.
• Turned Around - Creatures the enter the area often do not escape. Any attempts to Navigate, Tracking, or leave the area via any means suffers a -60 penalty on the attempt. Abilities -
• Barbed Land - Through this ability the land can attack those within the area when it becomes aggravated or distraught. The land, through the use of barbed throned plants, can attack. The land has an Attack Skill equal to a base of 130 and does a base damage of 5. It can attack every target it chooses 4 times per turn.
• Blight - Through the use of this ability the land can cause its itself or areas within itself to become infected with rot. The areas are 120’ in diameter and approximately 2 to 12 feet in depth. Magical in nature this rot looks and smells like that of a fetid bog. This area has an acidic like film and slime that attacks everything in the area. This acid sticks to everything and does 10 points of damage per turn, and 20 points of damage to all metal.
• Summon Undead - Through this ability the area is able to cause all dead within the area to become awakened and attack all those within the area. These undead are generally skeletons, ghouls and zombies. It can summon up to 30 undead every hour.
• Wild - The area cannot be tamed and is still wild. There is a sense of ancient forbidding power and untapped energies. This energy can be used to sabotage travel routes, navigation skills, etc., causing all those in the area to suddenly find themselves lost and confused. This causes any being chosen by the land to suffer a penalty of -100 to any attempts of navigation, sensing direction and survival.

Ever Summer: Legend and rumor hold that in the heart of the Storhet forest there exists a place where winter never comes and the snows of the north never touch. Referred to as Ever Summer in ancient texts, it is said to be the place where Gishra first set foot on the lands of Ta Los.

It is a place filled with ancient oaks and green aspens. It is said that those that seek Ever Summer will never find it, but those that are in need of warmth in the heavy winters of the Storhet will find it. It is guarded by ancient Sidz Ra and a number of hand picked priests and priestess of Gishra. It is home to fae kin, elemental creatures and a host of other otherworldly wild creatures.

The grand temple of the Great Mother, known as Ga’ Rishara, is built of thick white oak and pure silver resides in the center of Ever Summer.