West of the Caribre Mountains, Calibran is a mostly empty and dangerous wilderness. The Deth Forest, despite being the home of the dark elves, is perhaps the most dangerous forest known.
It is home of any number of strange and dangerous animals. Lizards that might be close cousins of dragons, though less powerful and less long lived, make their homes in the forest, as does the wild versions of the giant spiders dark elves breed as war mounts.
The forest is trackless, to those who do not know its secrets, and as most of the dark elves live below ground, or far above it, a stranger could wander across its whole length without seeing any sign of civilization.
Geography[]
The forest is north of Khorduum and south of the human city of Krulea. The largest and most easily crossed pass over the Caribre Mountains is just south of the forest, though the pass's proximity to Deth and the ranges of the nomadic orcs makes it perilous in other ways. The mountains and forest infiltrate each other, the forest climbing high into the mountain's slopes and Caribre extending tall hills and rocky outcroppings deep into the woods.
The tallest trees are in the area of the city of Talashtar, the dark elven deep city. Most of these are old growth that have been twisted to serve the elves, becoming the necromantic Ash Oaks, but some are simply huge old trees that have lived as long as elves.
The forest extends as far east as the shores of the Margin of Yls, the sea surrounding the Island of Yls, though there are no dark elven settlements there.
History[]
There is little history that the wider realm knows of what happens beneath the dark trees of Deth Forest. It consists mostly of bloody, quiet conflicts between dark elven houses vying for influence and power. Actual battles are few, most questions being settled by a poisoned cup of wine or a sly knife in the back. No doubt each murder and betrayal seemed of great moment to those involved, but few of the killers' or victims' names are known outside the halls of Talashtar.
Inhabitants[]
Deth Forest is the realm and home of the dark elves. It is said their ancestors fled there long ago in search of sanctuary from the depredations of a mad dragon, though when and who it was that made that choice is lost to time. In any case, they have thrived there, building the great city of Talashtar, as well as a number of other towns and cities.