The Lonely Grove

A wide bumpy terrain full of semi exposed rocks and tall grass. Where once an ancient forest stood now is void of it. While Bosh and the Golden Dancer Tribe continue to revitalize the area with new trees there are many creatures that have grown comfortable with the change to the area.

Besides from the rise in Bosh settlements the wild animals and monster don't mind the absences of the forest. Roving centaur herds have an easier time moving about without having to maneuver through a forest. Flying monsters such as giant predatory birds and dragons able to swoop up prey not hidden by the cover of tree canopies. The change in landscape have many benefits and repercussions.

Grassland

While humans are the most plentiful of races living in the Lonely Grove that has only been as of late. Before the burning of Kanor Forest, wood elves were the only humanoid race to occupy the area. If someone wanted to live in the forest they needed permission from them or from the Tyrant. In addition to humans and wood elves there is also a large number of kenku living in and out of settlements within the Lonely Grove.

This area of Bosh has some diverse ways of law handling. Especially depending on what settlement you visit. Outside of settlements the area can seem almost lawless though you will on occasion encounter a patrol of guardsmen that keeping a watchful on out for CRIMINAL SCUM! But be weary travelers, not all enforcers of the law come dressed in guard wear. The Golden Dancers enforce their own laws on this law which pay homage to their culture and traditions. While the laws themselves may be complex to navigate the punishments are brutally simple. An arsonist would be burned alive, and a thief would have everything they own seized or destroyed. Don't feel safe if you manage to find yourself outside of the influence of the law, bandits are a common encounter in these laws and will glady cause trouble to anyone they encounter.

Though years have passed since the burning of the forest the area still recovering from the devastation. Stumps half charred lay rotting in the sun. When the wind blows through one can still detect the scent of smoke. Animals that lived in the forest have adjusted to the change.

The open space has become fertile land for farms raising cattle and tending large fields, though this conflicts with the interests of those wanting to revitalize the forest by taking up the space that would have been used to replant new trees.

Buildings and structures stand out like sore thumbs amongst the rocky prairie. With the open space it's very common for shanty towns to spring up overnight, though they don't tend to last long without some form of protection against monster or bandit attacks.

Whilst it does interfere with the revitalizing process there are still plenty of farmers carving out a living amongst the grassland. While most any plant can be seeded in the Lonely Grove, the ones most people hold interest in is brew melons. This cash crop is a lucrative commodity outside Bosh. The trades are the biggest advocates about utilizing the Lonely Grove as farming space.

The Lonely Grove can be found east of the Grievous Mountains, and west of the The Crystal Sky. Though outdated maps will still call the area the Kanor Forest, especially if the maps were made prior to its burning.

A mid temperate area, which the winds roll from the mountains and gust through the fields with great force. Rain is a common occurrence here, travelers should be weary of flash floods while moving through the plain.

In the year 1617 a migration of wood elves entered the valley kingdom of Bosh. The leader of these wood elves secured an audience with the first Tyrant of Bosh to explain their purpose behind their massive migration. The wood elf leader introduced himself as Vangash and that his tribe, the Golden Dancers, once lived in the Kanor Forest before they were driven off by the Old Kingdom. He expressed his people's desire to once again return to their ancestral home, to which the first Tyrant would allow as long as they swore loyal to him and to the kingdom of Bosh. They would be allowed to have the forests.

For years Bosh and the Golden Dancers kept their pact between each other. Though this arrangement would be challenged in the year 2217 when iron ore deposit was discovered on the southern edge of the forest. Trades and sovereigns began making moves to begin mining the ore deposit. While the wood elves initially protested their pleas were ignored. The initial mining operation received sabotage from resentful wood elves, but this did little in stopping the mining progress. To help secure the mining operation the town of Canker was established. This reinforced both military power and trade for Bosh in the Kanor Forest. Though this also gave rise to another power in Bosh. For years bandit gangs and criminal organizations had plagued the Kanor Forest. Before they were just a nuisance to the Golden Dancers and any passerbyers. Though with the establishment of the mine came a chance for change.

Seizing the opportunity a bandit gang called the Blade Trove, began making deals with locals powers to establish a new settlement. This settlement would use the irons from the mine and turn them into weapons for the kingdom. All the bandits asked were that their gang be the ruling force of the town and be made sovereigns. Terms were negotiated which all lead to the creation of Bowel, another settlement in the Kanor Forest which purpose was to see to the manufacturing of Bosh weapons. The history of this crime ridden settlement is a topic to discuss on its own. But the most pressing change to come from the establishment of this settlement was the rise of bandit activity in the forest.

It was the wood elves that suffered the most. The bandits became bolder with the increase of numbers, each attack they performed came closer to the wood elf village Stowedhearts. The worst would come during a event called Thorn Run Heist. Where a group of bandits known as the Flail Rose Gang drove into the center of Stowedheart performing a wild raid on the wood elf village. As buildings burned and people panicked the bandits plundered the wood elves temple to Iona and stole all the sacred treasures kept there. After the attack, Vangash was enraged. So much so that he and his warriors would go on a murderous mission to kill every bandit of the Flail Rose gang and return the treasures stolen. In a single night Golden Dancers had wiped out the Flail Rose Gang but were never able to recover the treasures lost. This series of transgressions had created so much tension that the Golden Dancers even threatened succeeding from the kingdom. It was only when the high elf Tykan desauded Vangash from doing anything drastic did cooler heads prevail. It was agreed that a higher guard presences would be put in place so the bandits would be deterred from Stowedheart as well as other areas. The actions of the Golden Dancers and the guard certainly curb the number of bandit attacks, they were never able to truly rid the forest of the bandit scourge.

Relations between the Golden Dancers and Bosh only improved after the events of the Hunt For Xander when the Golden Dancers helped thwart the sorcerers attempts of escape. The state of the forest had improved so much that the wood elves were allowing more people to settle in the Kanor Forest.

Months after the fires had finally died down did the people return. The Kanor Forest was lost, Wazwham and his orcs had set flame to the ancient forest. Only a single tree survived his attack. It was at the foot of that single tree that the new Tyrant of Bosh, Damien Halbane declared his plan to restore the repopulate this "lonely grove" with trees once more. He demanded the construction of a town that would lead the reforestation of the area, the town would be named Vantin. In honor of the Golden Dancers leader who fell at the hands of Wazwham. Time passed, the land healed, though the forest has not returned. Vantin continues to plant trees, but it is a long process. One that can easily be upset by the occurrence of natural disaster or monster attack.

The Black Sky War. In the late fall of 2290, a orc warband called the "Green Feend Horde" launched a attack on the Golden Dancer's village, Stowedheart. The Golden Dancer's were familiar with orc attacks, in the past their attempts to destroy Stowedheart ended with failure. Though this time would be different, for the orcs were being led by a intelligent individual. A orc going by the name Warboss Wazwham Badfink, had come up with a devious plan of attack. By planting stashes of explosives at key points throughout the forest, Wazwham created a long chain of explosions that quickly turned into a rapidly growing wild fire that began encircling the whole area. The Kanor Forest had become extremely dry over the fall. Coupled with the wood elves strictness against deforestation there was a strong build up of combustible materials, which lead to the worst wildfire in all of Bosh's history. As the fire quickly circled Stowedheart, the orcs charged into the village. The Golden Dancer's were too busy trying to hold back the encroaching flames that when the Green Feend's launched their assault the wood elves were overwhelmed. With no other choice the Golden Dancer's abandoned their homes, fleeing the burning forest. Vangash and his best remained to hold off Wazwham and his orcs to allow the wood elves a chance to escape. The last anyone saw of Vangash was him taking on Wazwham before the village was consumed by the fire. After laying waste to Stowedheart, Wazham Badfink led his orcs to the Crystal Sky where the would continue their path of destruction.