People have always dwelt in the Forest; and a mixed bunch they are. Because every man is his own master there it attracts both those who seek to escape the laws of various States and those who seek freedom out of idealism. Outlaws, Druids, Chaotics, hermits, hunters and trappers, lepers, brigands, and lately the remnants of the great Evil Army that assaulted the Temple of Heaven on Earth and the Kingdom of the North: all have come to the Forest.
Living usually in small groups, or occasionally alone, they either settle in clearings and by the River Garf or the many small streams or, more often, are nomads, moving across the vast Forest with the game, the seasons, or as their fancy takes them. Because of the difficult terrain, they usually go on foot. Pack animals are greatly prized. The wise go well-armed, as other inhabitants are often hostile (especially if one appears defenceless), and so are the various wild animals, monsters, and even killer plants that are to be found in the Forest.
Yet, despite its many hazards, many Foresters would not wish the Forest to be other than it is. The more philosophical claim its wildness gives it a special quality; the danger that may lurk behind each tree produces a state of alertness in the traveller that opens his senses to the beauty of nature. The deeper into the Forest, the further from "civilisation", one goes, the more this becomes evident. Indeed, it is said some become hypnotised by it. The condition is called "the Trance of the Trees". Druids, however, will say the story just shows the ignorance of the uninitiated of the processes of drawing inspiration and power from Nature at its most glorious and unspoilt.
It is more likely that one will become physically lost in the Forest, for it is vast, and its people are few. Such tracks as exist are usually made by animals, for their own inscrutable purposes, and the nomads leave as few traces as possible of their passing, for their own safety.
All Gods are worshipped, but KOROS, ORIL (and now OPSOR and TIPRE), RAYLIT, MIRIMI, BUDIF (and now WACON), PAREL and the Gods of Nature appeal especially, in various aspects. Also held in awe is the enigmatic WALKER IN THE FOREST, Whom it is said is only ever seen by those in the Trance. Druids say this is but an aspect of NORRID, or else His Demigod in the Forest.
Certainly the Forest hides secrets in its dark depths.
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