The Forest Clans

You actually know quite a bit about the Forest Clans. The Forest-Dwellers are by far the most numerous of the four clans. Food is more plentiful in the forests than it is anywhere else, although the predators therein are more various as well. While the beasts in the woods are not usually so massive as those that inhabit the mountains, they are both quick and lethal. Though the Forest-Dwellers are known to hunt and kill nearly anything, their preferred prey is the large elk that roam the forests in sizable herds. In order to pursue such fleet-footed and agile prey, the Forest Clans had to become every bit as swift as their quarry.

The dangerous creatures of the forest are too innumerable to remember on a whim. Creatures like caterpillars the size of a fingernail with the capability to kill an Auroch are not uncommon. The Forest Clans dedicate nearly all of them to memory, however you can only really remember the larger ones off hand.

Large herbivores like the Auroch, the Moruga, and the Greater Elk are powerful and dangerous if provoked. Predators such as the Pine Widow, the Nadal, and the Raghik were not uncommon and encounters with them often cost more than just one life. The deadly creatures of the streams and the Great River Ioradan such as the Sartan and the Ironback Turtle made even the banks of the rivers deadly enough to warrant more than a little caution. The river itself is an almost completely untapped resource, those who would cross it do so at great peril as there are many voracious beasts that dwell beneath its surface awaiting such easy prey. Only a few creatures of the waters are known and many have yet to ever truly be seen.

The lineage of the Forest Clans is both long and storied. You remember these names.

Sigvir the Bold was the first Ardri to kill a Moruga and the first to kill an Ironback Turtle. There are few hunters more legendary than Sigvir. He was the first of your kind to use the "Riastrad", a frenzied state which gave him great power. While in this state he was nearly unapproachable, everything in his path was destined for oblivion. Sigvir never mastered this ability however. When Sigvir challenged the Raghik he entered the Riastrad and became the first Ardri to manage to fight the Raghik in outright combat. After nearly two hours the Riastrad finally subsided and left him exhausted, the badly injured Raghik was again victorious.

Akdya the Coveted was rumored to be the most beautiful woman of her time, so beautiful in fact that the forest itself dared not harm her. She was one of the few women to claim a man rather than be claimed herself, her choice for mate created the bloodiest conflict between kin in the history of the Ardri. She was killed in her later years by a very large Sartan.

Rhyphas the Swift was the first Ardri to slay a Nadal, as even Sigvir had not been fast enough to land a lethal blow on one. Rhyphas was mated by Akdya the Coveted when she managed to subdue him after he ate a rather large meal of Auroch meat and milk. This outraged one of Rhyphas' brothers by the name of Fjorgul, who had desired Akdya but could not manage to claim her. Rhyphas was killed by his brother in a fit of rage.

Fjorgul the Unforgiving was the brother of Rhyphas. In a fit of rage he killed Rhyphas and consumed him. He made many attempts to kill Akdya, who continued to evade him. Fjorgul was the only Ardri to ever feed exclusively on human flesh thereafter, and he killed many in his time. After about two summers, he did battle with the Raghik and lost terribly to his foe. His name is spoken only with disgust.

Hjalund the Grim is a living legend amongst the clans, especially those of the forest. His personality stands in stark contrast to the vivacious and generally gregarious nature of the Forest Clans. His quiet nature serves him well, for when he does finally speak most everyone listens. He is of relatively average height for an Ardri male at 6'5 and has a sturdy build weighing about 280 pounds. His hair is formed up into thick spikes above his head by using lime, and stands up nearly a full 6 inches off of his head. It is also worthy of mentioning that he is the only living member of the Forest Clan to refuse to use his Riastrad. He is among those following you now, but he hasn't said a word since the gathering.

Rigga the Bloodmaned is said to be a direct descendant of Akdya the coveted. You had heard little about her except that she could run faster than a raven could fly, which must be an exaggeration... right?

The most important thing about her now is that she's your mate.

All of this thinking about the Forest Clans makes you begin to think about the deadly creatures of the forest.