Dense, misty forests are an inseparable element of the landscape of the world of Gimle. Wherever you look, you’re sure to see plenty of trees dotting hills, valleys, and other vast expanses of land. Every experienced adventurer knows how fascinating and dangerous the woods can be π²π³ The forest is a great place to hide from law enforcers, prepare a deadly ambush, hide stolen loot, or simply run away from your problems and start over. This is just a glimpse of what you can find among countless miles covered with trees, bushes, and other, often very intriguing, vegetation. Come! It’s time to dive into the endless forest…
You can be sure that nearly every inhabitant of Gimle knows the forests surrounding their place of residence. They are so common and so strongly associated with the lives of local folks that it is difficult to find a person who has never had the opportunity to wander through one of them. Yet… only a tiny fraction of Gimle forests have ever been explored by human travelers… πΊ Great mysteries are still waiting to be discovered.
Welcome to the forest
Let’s start with the fact that the forests surrounding human cities and villages are one of the most important elements of their economy. The wood obtained from the forests is a wonderful, easily accessible, and durable building material – no wonder that the vast majority of buildings consist of some elements made of this material πͺ In addition, wood is used to heat homes and administrative buildings, build boats, barrels, carts, tools, weapons, or furniture – and the list goes on! Therefore, you will often meet people who deal with logging and wood processing.
An equally important economic role of the forest is to provide people with food and herbs. Experienced gatherers can fill their baskets with berries, mushrooms π and roots during a single trip to the forest. In addition, there are also hunters who hunt thicket-dwelling prey for their bones, skin, and meat. Herbalists and druids also have their hands full – the forest provides them with ingredients for medicines, infusions, and potions. Of course, these are not the only ways humans have learned to use the forest for their needs. For now, however, let’s focus on a completely different aspect…
As we mentioned, in the world of Gimle, the forests stretch for miles, often as far as the eye can see. And although forests delight us with their beauty, it should be remembered that they are not the safest places to be around. πΊ However, travelers, traders, messengers, and warriors sometimes have to travel through the forest. By exercising general caution, sticking to the right path, and keeping guard at night, they manage to reach their destination… though not always. What gets in their way and ends their journey in a rather drastic way? And how to travel through the forest to avoid dangers? Luckily, our Cartographer has a handful of useful information for you.
The forest hides much more than you think...
One of the dangers waiting for you in the forests of Gimle is all kinds of bandits and outlaws. However, this time we will not speak too much about them, because we recently devoted a whole part of the Know your Enemies series to them (you can find it here Bandits & Outlaws). Suffice it to say that bandit packs roaming the forests are a nuisance to travelers and traders who can lose their gold, goods, and sometimes even their lives if the cutthroat chieftain decides so.
Instead, let’s talk about more natural threats – those coming from the forest dwellers. And there are really a lot of them! Among the most commonly occurring we can list wolves, boars, bears, snakes, or various types of birds known from our reality… but also absolutely fantastic and deadly creatures such as bloodthirsty wargs, poisonous brunnmigi, stunningly quick calopus, or frightening sabel-tonn Who knows what else lurks in the impassable, fog-covered depths of the forest… Legends speak of even more terrible, magic-twisted creatures. Although many doubt their existence, the oldest sages sometimes mention anguished beings corrupted by the harmful influence of dark magic, which distorts the very essence of nature and drives it to madness. Woe to those who stand in their way…
During one of your numerous voyages through the forests π² you will surely experience many unusual encounters and come across a bunch of mysterious places. These can be, for example, forgotten shrines and abandoned cemeteries. They are a frequent place of occurrence of the undead… Unfortunately, even the mighty forests are not free from their presence. In addition, you will definitely visit mysterious caves, valleys, and groves – be sure to investigate them carefully as they may hide unexpected riches and valuable loot. There are also ancient ruins in the forests – if you manage to find them, you can be sure that an amazing, yet dangerous adventure awaits you π Such ruins may be full of traps, hostile creatures, and darkness, but where there is danger, there is reward. Grab your torch and sword, and break into the depths of the forgotten dungeons… if you dare, of course.
Soon we will come back to you with more descriptions of the amazing creatures inhabiting the world of Gimle. You will learn what they are, what they look like and how to fight them! Be sure to follow our Social Media channels and join the Discord server to stay tuned. Until next time!