Black Forest

The Black Forest is a huge forested wilderness in the southwest of the Western Marches. It is approximately 70 miles north to south, and at least 50 miles east-west - the western boundaries of this forest have not been mapped. This forest is wedged between the Caledonian Ranges and the high steppes of Mos Kheer, at an altitude of some 5-6,000 feet. It is mostly coniferous.

The icy winds from the steppes twist and warps the trees at the edge of the forest, and the poor, acidic soil stunts their growth. Black moulds and lichens grow throughout the forest. The dwarfed firs, cedars and conifers grow thickly, struggling for each drop of the weakened sunlight, leaving the ground in a permanent twilight. Pale fungus and tangled brambles are the primary ground cover, along with hardy shrubs and tough grasses. In winter, the snows can lie up to 10 feet deep for months on end, or form thin layers over air pockets formed by deep brambles, known as thorn pits.

The primary intelligent inhabitants of this forest are orcs and wolves. The orcs live in a number of villages, and raid each other, or Kipchak and Weisbaum settlements. The wolves are rumoured to be shape-shifters, stuck in wolf form. They hunt in packs, bringing down the local elk and deer, and individually keep the rabbits and small birds wary. The orcs and wolves avoid each others. The other dangers of the woods are bears, poisonous fungi, thorn pits, and starvation.