Forest Guardian

In vast, foreboding forests filled with monsters and magic, the villages of forest guardians are a rare and wondrous sight. These unique settlements are known for their harmony with nature. Typical dwellings are tree houses with the mightiest branches forming living walkways, walls and alcoves. The grandest of these forest guardian villages have many houses in a single tree and elegant walkways connecting each home.

In lieu of gardening, forest guardians treat their home as a vast orchard. They cull and manage animal populations and use controlled fire rituals to tend to the forest, all while honouring the role of death in life.

Forest guardian communities are often fairly isolated. They raise their own food, train their own warriors and produce their own crafts. Some of these villages are insular and xenophobic, but many more are hospitable and generous to travelers. Some guests are even invited to stay permanently. Their social orientation is communalistic and egalitarian. Although forest guardian laws and hierarchy do exist, they prefer to resolve conflicts through consensus. For complex conflicts they use large circle meetings where anyone can speak.

Other important cultural values for forest guardians are curiosity and exploration. Isolated though forest guardian villages may be, it is not uncommon to see a forest guardian troubadour, craftmaker, or sightseer on a quest to learn something new.

Characters raised in the forest guardian culture share a variety of features in common with one another.

Alignment

Forest guardians love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others’ freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.

Features

Exotic Weapon Training

You are trained with any weapon with the word “elven” in its name or properties.

Mask of the Wild

You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Speak with Small Beasts

Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with small or smaller beasts. Forest guardians love animals and often keep squirrels, badgers, rabbits, moles, woodpeckers and other creatures as beloved pets.

Languages

You speak, read and write either Elvish or Sylvan with native proficiency and the other with accented proficiency.

Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.