From Whence the Forest Folk

Regular Old School gamers will recognize the regular player character races in this setting.  There are, of course humans of various cultures, Dwarfs and Elves (both of a rather Tolkienesque flavor), Halflings (closer to Hobbits than to Munchkins or Dufflepuds), and Half Elves and Half Orcs.  More on the last two later...  However, there are other races, of a distinctive flavor, within the setting that might be appropriate as player character races, or some certainly as foes.

These are, of course, the Forest Folk.  A collection of several anthropomorphic races that dwell within the forests of the Valley of the Old Ones, usualy within the larger forests near the Great River.  These races are:

• Hedgehog People - Peaceful folk, ranging in height from 4-5 feet tall.  They tend to build small peaceful communities, and are known for their masonry skills.
• Mouslings - A tiny folk, most being about 2 feet tall.  They build great nest complexes underground.  On very good terms with certain fairy folk, as well as the more earthy sort of gnome.
• Striped Ones - Resembling a five foot tall Raccoon, these are a wandering people.  They tend to have large family groups that travel around with colorfully painted wagons pulled by small oxen.  They have a well deserved reputation for being thieves.
• Squirrelkin - Four foot tall squirrel people, being particularly good at climbing, as well as archery and other ranged combat skills.  These build tree house compounds deep in the forests where they live.
• Badger Folk - Imagine a bulky six foot tall anthropomorphic badger. These are almost always encountered solo, but one is bad enough.  Given over to weapons mastery.  In their youth they will form temporary bonds for mating, but then spend most of their lives roaming and questing. 
• Wolflings - Vicious hunters, the wolf people are semi-nomadic, having both summer and winter villages.  They will range far afield from their villages to hunt for food, and are not too particular about what they choose to eat, especially when times are hard.
• Stoatmen - Bipedal stoat-like humanoids given over to cruelty and torture as entertainment.

While some of these may seem childlike and fanciful, they in fact have a place in the Valley of the Old Ones.  They are created beings, being the results of magical experimentation and spell craft by the long dead wizard, Han-Kar Vaunn.  The sad and lonley thing about the forest folk is that since they are races of beings created by a mortal, they have no souls.  Some scholars of magic and such affairs considered them to be cursed beings.  This means that a lot of restorative magic cannot affect them.  Equally, however, it means that certain magical attacks are also ineffectual against them, including some undead life and level draining attacks.

Being created beings (created by a mortal, that is) the Forest Folk have no deities that they call their own.  They venerate (those that bother) the Human Gods, Demigods and Saints.  This is especially true of the Hedgehog People and the Mouslings.  The Squirrelkin and Striped Ones are sometimes religious, sometimes not.  The Badger Folk and the Woflings, on the other hand, are Anti-theists.  They are aware of the gods, but begrudge them their worship.  Some even go so far as to openly make war against other Forest Folk (and Humans) who are religious.  The Stoatmen have female religious practitioners who worship dark powers, they are known alternately as Stoatwives or Stoatwitches.

Gorrem - City of the Ten Gates

The namesake, and chief, city at the heart of the Barony of Gorrem is also called the City of the Ten Gates. It has a population of 27,000. There are a number of towns that are reliant on it - these are the chief population centers of the Barony, along with each having its own supporting network of villages and farm country.

• Colvine (population 4,500) to the north
• Harwych (population 6,000) to the east
• Sallow (population 6,500) to the southeast
• Haventown (population 5,000) to the south
• Lightcastle (population 5,500) to the west
• Aldbridge (population 4,000) to the northwest

The Barony is located in the Wychwood (south central) region of the Valley, and its chief political neighbors are the Barony of Lynch (east, on the far side of the Tiazarr River); the Barony of Pellorix on the far side of the Ancelhenn Lake to the southwest; north across the Great River is the Barony of Na Kram.

Much of the Barony is forested, and in addition to the many human towns listed above, there are a large number of "forest folk" in the wooded areas of the demesne.  To the west (in the Redsmoke Woods) there are a large number of Hedgehog People.  To the east, in the Plum Woods and the Belley Woods, there are a number of Mouseling communities.  Also in the region between Belley and Plum is the Green Apple Commonwealth - a small Halfling county that owes fealty to the Barony of Gorrem.  In the forests in the northern reaches of the Barony, along the Great River, there are numerous forest settlements of Wolflings.

The Barony is not home to many Dwarves or Gnomes.  And the few Elven settlements that exist are deep within the forested regions of the demesne.

The current ruling family is the Household of Terrasund, with Baroness Catherine II on the throne.

The city is home to the Homehall Cathedral - maintained by a community of clerics and monastics of the order of St. Ermo.  The Tower Druaqua (Bardic College of Maelwyn) is there. Also within the walls of the city can be found Castle Tattelis - home of the Terrasund family.  Not really of political concern, but of possible interest to adventurers and explorers - the abandoned tower of Ordobrandt is also within the city, but it is guarded by city guard.

Within the walled fields surrounding the city, there is the keep and practice grounds of the Knights of the Malmen Rose.  The Knights are a chivalric (but not Paladin) order that has a loose alliance with Gorrem, but have a distinct arrangement where they do not have Feudal duty, but are rather allies.

The Ten Gates, as well as much of the city, are protected by the city watch, known as Gorrem Levy.  They are much more than a levy, however, as they are a regular full time soldiery.  Typical equipment includes ring mail, simple helmet, bardiche, and short sword.  The Gorrem Levy are (total) approximately 2000 strong, however only 800 are serving at any one time.  There are several towers both on the outer walls and located along the inner walls where these are housed.

In addition to the sites and locations already mentioned, the city is somewhat known for its Inns and Taverns, each of which boasts its own ales and beers.  There are competitive wars between the larger Taverns, each claiming to be the "Best in Gorrem" or "The Baroness' Favorite".