Laurelorn Forest

The Laurelorn Forest is a large forest that grows between the Wasteland and the Middle Mountains in the Empire.^[1]

It is a known domain of the Wood Elves.^[1]

Flora and Fauna

The trees are mainly deciduous and it is lighter and more airier than the Great Forest, huge silver barked lornalim trees also grow here. ^[1]

Locations

• Vale of Memories: It appears to be trapped in a unending twilight was unending. Near the end of the War of the Beard retreating elves placed a spell over the countless fallen soldiers, that their bodies would not rot, nor their minds wander into death. In the eons since then, earth has covered them and trees have grown through and over them .Now it is a haunted place laden with the dreams of the fallen on the edge of death. For some however, the Vale of Memories can provide knowledge of the past, for those left underneath the earth dream of the things they remember. There are few buildings, and only a single community which is dedicated to Ladrielle, Lileath, and Morai-heg. ^[2a]

Uncited text

Laurelorn Forest lies at the northern coastline of the Empire of Man, home to reclusive communities of Eonir. While both Middenland and Nordland claim the forest as theirs, the Elves dare either to try to enforce their claim. It lies west of Salzenmund and the Silver Hills above it, and stretches west to the borders with the Wasteland, though similarly to Athel Loren it may somehow in fact be significantly larger than it seems.

The Elves of Laurelorn are isolationist, wanting to be left alone in the beautiful woods they have come to call home. Unlike Men, who seek to tame the lands in which they live, the Elves of Laurelorn regard the forest and its land as a living thing, something they should live in harmony with, something over which they feel protective. They do, however, recognise that Mankind provides the bulk of their defences against Greenskins and Chaos, so they try not to antagonise the surrounding realms of the Empire, unless they try to establish dominion over Laurelorn itself. The few times the Empire has tried this, whether through diplomatic or martial means, it has always ended with the Eonir still in control of Laurelorn forest.

Although nowadays it's technically a part of the Nordland Count’s domain, Laurelorn Forest is in truth a wholly independent realm, though a small number of human settlements do exist within or around it. This is due to agreement made with the Elector Counts of Nordland, the Elves allow Imperials to settle the area between the Rivers Salz and Demst, which enters the Sea of Claws at Hargendorf. The agreement strictly limits numbers, however, and the Elves must approve before any new settlements are made. This they have been loath to do, placing many restrictions on what the settlements may harvest from the forest.

The humans chafe under these restrictions, for timber from the Laurelorn commands a high price in Salzenmund because of its exquisite grain, lightness, and durability, and nobles have pressured Grand Baron Theoderic Gausser to demand a renegotiation of the agreement.

Impatient as ever, some humans have made illegal settlements in the area, which the Elves have threatened to remove by force, if need be. Some observers fear another coming clash between the soldiers of the Empire and the warriors of Laurelorn, but any such war has been avoided, for now. There are worries, however, that the Elves may see this as a time to assert their rights.

The core of Laurelorn is a place Nordlanders call “the Witch’s Wood” out of their superstitious fear of the Eonir Queen, Marrisith. Imperials are forbidden to cross into it under pain of death, even the Elector Counts of Nordland are under this ban. What truly lies within the Witch’s Wood is unknown.

Some have speculated that the Elves in fact have no capital, living a nomadic life under the trees. Old books, on the other hand, mention a nameless city of glass deep in its heart, a place that glows with its own light. Whatever the truth, it is certain that neither creatures of Chaos nor Greenskins last long once they enter lands of the Eonir, for the Elves defend their home ferociously against all comers.

Although it has a grim reputation amongst humans, Laurelorn actually appears to be quite a pleasant and verdant woodland. Birds sing from oak trees, while rabbits run through the undergrowth. However, upon closer inspection, these creatures seem to possess an uncanny sentience and have a level of intelligence far above that of other normal animals. Inside the forest, the sun is blocked by the lush canopy, providing for a dark, sombre atmosphere.

Similar to Athel Loren, it seems that space and time work somewhat differently in Laurelorn than in the outside world. The best example of this is that Mandred Skavenslayer's army was able to travel a distance through Laurelorn that should've taken days in mere hours. Any traveller granted safe passage may hear crashing and thrashing sounds from deep within the forest, they may see arm-like branches beckon to them, or hear distant calls from lost loves. Any traveller not granted safe passage will never be seen again, swallowed by the Forest during their journey.

Sources

• 1: The Enemy Within (Supplement), Geography of the Empire pg. 23
• 2: Patrons of the Old World
  • 2a: Nayadaryn Frostweald, pg. 13