Fey Forest

The Fey Forest is a large stretch of dense woodland in western Arad, spanning from the west coast to the Spine Mountains and acting as a natural barrier between the region of Karnath in the south, and Aetgard (or the Lost Lands) to the north, with Lapis just north of the forest. It is known to be an extremely dangerous place, with many myths and legends describing its mysterious denizens that ensure any human entering the forest never comes back out.

Theories

Many Faewyr compare the Fey Forest to the similarly mysterious and dangerous ancient forests of Tyr-Gwyrd. More than a few Faewyr legends speak of foreign "lesser realms" to which particularly troublesome or otherwise deserving spirits are banished, and many conclusions have been drawn that the Fey Forest may be one of these places.

A popular Huecatn belief is that Temicotli - the Way of Dreams - touches Arad within the Fey Forest, and that its dangers consist of a combination of their god Toteo's efforts to guard against hostile pursuers, and the hostile pursuers themselves.

Others attribute the Fey Forest's strange properties to an unknown Immortal or similar reclusive spirits, and yet others speculate that humans did something there at one point so terrible as to bring on the irrevocable wrath of nature that has remained strong in that place ever after. Theories not involving supernatural entities include a strong presence of nether or resen infestation, or that the forest is the origin of the canim curse and is populated by innumerable hordes of the feral beast-men.

Dangers

While impossible to confirm, dangerous experiences within the Fey Forest have been described as:

• "Indescribable things" lurking in the unnatural darkness of the dense forest.
• Haunting sounds and melodies luring interlopers into the dark.
• Madness-inducing visions and dreams.
• A complete loss of will to survive - even to eat or to drink.

Survivors

• The Exodus of the Hillfolk involved Sifa the Golden leading a large group of refugees through the Fey Forest to escape the pursuing soldiers of Gudleifr the Tyrant-King. Most - though not all - reached the other side safely to settle Karnath and become the Hillfolk. Gudleifr's soldiers were not so lucky, though their horses were spared and were claimed by the Hillfolk.

• Many of the Briarwood clan of Hillfolk live along the southern borders of the Fey Forest, and it is rumored that some of them occasionally venture a short way into the woods for mysterious purposes.