The Treeborn — Wood Elves

Full Record

Physical Traits

The Treeborn are instantly recognizable. Their skin is a warm golden-brown, carrying the quiet glow of long ages lived beneath sun and leaf. Their eyes shine in vivid tones of bright green or intense yellow, reflecting the living magic that runs through their bodies and their forests. Adult hunters mark their bodies and faces with intricate tattoos of deep green lined with gold, designs painted or inked in veined patterns that mimic living foliage. These markings shimmer faintly in sunlight, allowing them to blend effortlessly into the leaves and shadows. Each tattoo tells a story — lineage, hunts, rites of passage, triumphs, and the blessings of the ancient spirits. Their bodies are tall and lean, standing around six feet on average. There is no such thing as a fat Wood Elf, for their culture demands constant movement, precision, climbing, hunting, and mastery over their forested terrain. Emotion flickers brightly in them — anger rising without restraint, joy erupting suddenly — but when the moment calls for stealth, the Treeborn become so silent that even seasoned trackers swear they can vanish at will.

Culture & Society

The Treeborn do not cook their food. They claim fire ruins the "living essence" of meat. Instead, they eat it raw, often wrapped in wild leaf, a mildly narcotic plant that grows only in their forests. Veterans say wild leaf sharpens a hunter's senses and calms the body, though outsiders often find it overwhelming. Though united as a race, the Treeborn kingdoms differ greatly in temperament and their treatment of outsiders.

Homeland

Three great woodland kingdoms: Mistwood (northwest, near Mistfalls and Highguard), Everwood (west, bordering the High Elves), and Wildwood (south of Arkest, east of Blacktide)

Known As

Notable Members

• • Veyla Thornheart

Mistwood — The Forest of Cold Steel

Mistwood lies in the northwest near Mistfalls and Highguard, and it is the most war-hardened of the Treeborn realms. Its people face a constant and horrifying threat: the Enders — creatures the Wood Elves call an abomination against nature. Neither man nor tree nor animal, but a twisted fusion of all three, the Enders spill relentlessly from the lands of Mistfall. Because of this, Mistwood elves are blunt, confrontational, and suspicious. They do not hide when outsiders enter their territory — they confront, surrounding intruders with tattooed hunters whose bright eyes never waver. Travelers are told to leave unless they have legitimate business. If permitted entry, they are escorted closely and disarmed. Disrespect, refusal to depart, or perceived threat leads swiftly to death. Mistwood's relations with the Dreaming Empire of Dor are cold and strained. They are not openly hostile, but neither are they trusting. As long as the Enders exist, Mistwood remains a kingdom that tolerates no foolishness and no compromise.

Everwood — The Forest That Sees All

To the west lies Everwood, bordering the High Elves. Where Mistwood is direct, Everwood is invisible. Travelers may walk for days and never see a single Wood Elf, yet Everwood's hunters — golden-brown skin, green-and-gold tattoos, eyes glowing like forest fire — watch every breath from the trees. Everwood does not confront outsiders unless necessary. Instead, they manipulate paths with subtle misdirection. A misplaced fog, a twist in a trail, a shift in sunlight — travelers wandering too close to sacred glens simply find themselves redirected without ever realizing the forest intervened. Everwood maintains formal diplomatic relations with the Dreaming Empire. They host an embassy in the capital city of Crowsthron and uphold a strict non-aggression pact. Limited trade exists — Steelbark blades, Ironleaf armor, and valued wild leaf. Everwood is wary, but not unfriendly. They understand politics and the importance of measured alliances.

Wildwood — The Unpredictable Realm

South of Arkest and east of Blacktide sprawls Wildwood, the most chaotic and dangerous of the three kingdoms. Here, the forest moves to its own rhythm, ancient and unpredictable. Wood Elves of Wildwood can be welcoming or deadly, generous or ruthless, tranquil or violent — sometimes in the same hour. Some travelers pass through Wildwood unharmed, never spotting a single elf. Others disappear without a trace. And many are found later at the forest's edge, bodies filled with arrows, a silent declaration that they crossed a line they never perceived. Wildwood has no treaty with the Dreaming Empire. Their only rule is simple: "Do not enter our woods, and we will not kill you." Their magic is wild and potent — stormcalling, earthshaking, resurrection in rare moments, and the summoning of beasts in great numbers. They are nature unbound, fierce and beautiful in equal measure.

Faith of the Treeborn

The Treeborn do not worship gods as humans do. They worship Tanelon itself — the forests, mountains, rivers, storms, and breathing world. The leylines flowing through Tanelon are their sacred texts; the heartbeat of nature is their divine voice. Through this bond, they wield spells unmatched by mortal priests or scholars. They heal, resurrect, summon, entangle, command, and awaken. Their forests are not merely homes — they are extensions of their bodies and their power. Every rustle of leaves is a warning. Every animal is a watcher. Every root and vine is a potential weapon.

The Treeborn in the World

Golden-brown skin painted with green and gold. Eyes bright with living magic. Lean bodies honed by centuries of survival. Silent steps. Unerring arrows. Magic woven through every breath of the forest. These are the Treeborn — Wood Elves shaped by the land, bound to the forests, and feared across Tanelon not for cruelty, but for the certainty that their woods will always defend themselves. They do not seek war. They do not crave dominance. But trespass against their realms… and the forest will rise.