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| Forest Watch | |
| Leader | The Buckawn Lord |
| Founder | an unknown brother of Imithia |
| Discoverer | Unknown, 176AF |
| Enemies | Garden of the Dryads |
Located in central Sapience at the eastern edge of the Northern Ithmia, the fortress of Forest Watch has been the home of conflict for centuries, not only between the buckawns and the dryads but also as a prime hunting ground for mid-level adventurers.
Geography
Remote and secluded, Forest Watch is built upon a hill in a cleared section of the forest and bordered by cliffs to the north and east. It is a short, but often perilous walk, from the city of Hashan and the village of Eleusis.
Culture
Forest Watch is the home of the unfriendly buckawns and is inhospitable to visitors, thanks to its share of several aggressive denizens who will attack any who enter on sight. Fiercely loyal to one another, the buckawns even train their youth to fight to the death. They are led by the Buckawn Lord, though the Buckawn Witchdoctor, with his powers to turn corpses into the walking dead, is arguably more powerful.
History
Forest Watch was originally settled by a group of humans who tired of the politicking within Ceylon many years ago. Led by an unnamed brother of Imithia, the colonists gained permission to found a new colony and struck out into the forests, locating their new home at the eastern edge of the Northern Ithmia.
After several years the settlers found they were under close observation by the dryads who, in response to the reckless damage done to the forests in building the fortress, hindered the settlers' efforts to venture into the forests to hunt, gather food, or even travel back to Ceylon. Fearing the "woodland devil women," the settlers found allies in the buckawns, who promised to help drive the dryads out of the forests and ensure peace.
Three months of battle led the settlers of Forest Watch and the buckawns to success; after slaying many dryads and burning their homes, the alliance of humans and buckawns drove the rest out across the rivers to the south and west. Unwilling to allow the buckawns to live with them, however, the settlers shunned their allies in the wake of their triumph and sent them away from Forestwatch.
This boded ill for the humans. The buckawns they had trusted retaliated with ferocity, slaughtering the settlers, turning a number of them into undead zombies, and completely overtaking the colony.
Inhabitants
The majority of denizens found within Forest Watch are buckawns. Among the undead they have enslaved are dryad zombies, a ghoul smith, several zombie nobles of human origin, and the Zombie Lord. The ghost of the wife of the Lord of Forest Watch also remains within the settlement. In a slimy cistern in the lower part of the fortress dwells the slugbeast, foe of many a newbie caught unawares by the perils of Forest Watch. The dryad Kalishah can often be found lingering outside the entrance.