Darkhold Forest

From RoH Wiki

The Darkhold Forest is the home of the city of Oakspire located at the very center. The eastern edge of the forest is known as the Maeora where it overlaps with the Firedrake Mountains. To the west of the forest lies the Hellbog and to the south across the Blackwater River lies the Troll Mounds and the Baladus Plains.

History

The Forest of Sorvenia was once home to a great elven empire. The elves who lived there built what was possibly the most advanced society Derlith has seen. A great network of roads connected the far reaches of the forest to the capital city of Oakspire and the wizards of the time had found a way to make themselves immortal.

A wizard by the name of Rinzai was the most talented of his time. He constructed a tower deep in the eastern reaches of Sorvenia, hiding away from the great elven empire to conduct his foul research. Years past and none had heard from Rinzai, but after decades of silence everything changed. Almost overnight the forest flooded with demons - vicious creatures that could tear the heart out of an elf with one swipe. The elves of Sorvenia were forced to retreat to the upper levels of Oakspire, for the part of the city that was on the ground was overrun.

The wave of demons dissipated into the forest, driving out all natural animals and birds. The elves continued to live in their lofty city, safe from the demons below. But within a few years a dark power started to take over the forest - the trees of Sorvenia began to grow at an accelerated pace, and the elven druids suffered painful nightmares and hallucinations. After a decade of this dark magic, all the druids of Sorvenia had been driven insane or fled. The forest was so large and the canopy so massive that no light reached the forest floor. The empire of Sorvenia had been shattered, and all that remained was the Darkhold Forest.

The warriors of Oakspire did not sit by idling during this time. They fought with the endless horde of demons daily, hoping to make a dent in the unstoppable flow of evil. Several of the strongest rangers attempted to enter Rinzai's tower, hoping to learn what had happened - but they were pushed back. They retreated, suffering many casualties, chased by the largest demons they had ever seen.

Many elven scholars postulated that Rinzai had unwittingly opened a gate to Hell itself, but without access to his tower, they have nothing but theories. At this time, many elves fled to Meadhil Forest and Druidwood Forest to the south, though the strongest remained to fight the growing horde of evil.

Shortly thereafter, the Kingdoms of Sigil and Caladon were toppled within one year of each other, replaced by evil despots bent on destruction. Elven scholars are sure there is a connection between these two events and the fall of the Kingdom of Bordia only a few years later. Whatever the cause of these events, the answer is surely to be found in the Tower of Rinzai.