Weary after traveling all day, a man spots a place where he can seek refuge for the night. He beckons his horse to get there before the sun vanishes for the day. A short time later, he reaches his destination and he gets off his horse and ties the reins to a branch of a nearby tree. He surveys his immediate surroundings and collects some firewood. After building the fire, he watches it, his eyes growing more heavy by the minute. The soothing sounds of a woodland creature comforts him and he falls asleep. What he’s hearing is the song of a woodland elf, found only in fantasy forests.
As a fantasy environment, forests are full of mysteries and wonders. Only those with a brave soul have the courage to venture deep into the treed depths to discover the truth behind these mysteries. Forests are home to long-abandoned castles or dungeons with a strong boss waiting at the end. Or a long-thought extinct species is actually lurking in the heart of the forest, having long eluded discovery.
Woodland realms are rich in life. They’re home to many small critters such as squirrels and bunnies. The leafy trees help block out the heat from the sun, giving animals some breathing room. Many species of plants from roses to vines also reside in forests. These plants like the dampness of the ground and grow like wild.
While fantasy forests are awash in wildlife, they also have a sinister purpose. They serve as excellent places for evil to hide out as only very few people live in forests. Moreover, evil contaminates the water, turning what was clean, pristine water into murky, poisonous water fatal to the drinker. Sinister creatures like spiders and bats thrive in such noxious places.
Forests play an integral role in the story. They serve as as a key turning point, where a character may encounter another character he wasn’t expecting to see. Perhaps someone stumbles onto a place that may become important later in the story? The possibilities are endless and it’s up to you, the creator to determine that.
This is the third in a series covering fantasy environments. The first two covered cities and the countryside. Check them out if you haven’t read them!
Without further ado, let’s make our way into the heart of the forest, shall we?
There’s an aura of suspense and excitement in fantasy forests. The atmosphere is palpable with tension as the hero character and his party, alongside the audience, wades through overgrown bushes, not knowing something is watching them from afar. To complicate matters, there’s so many trees full of leaves it’s hard to see clearly amidst them.
Woodland realms feature numerous species of trees. Elm, pine, and oak are among the most populous, appearing in many worlds. Each species has their own distinct shape and appearance and they show up in specific climates. For instance, palm trees only appear in tropical places whereas oak is found in temperate areas.
How trees appear to those who venture inside reveal the health of a forest. Trees with healthy-looking bark and branches packed to the rim with leaves present a forest that’s not only full of vigor but is thriving. They’re warm though they have a hint of mystery in the air.
Sickly, malnourished trees with dead leaves show a dying forest. There’s several reasons for it. It could just be that the forest is decaying naturally due to the passage of time. However, in fantasy, the reason is far more sinister. A dark power’s taken up residence somewhere in the forest and is choking the very life out of it. You see this with Sauron in Lord of the Rings who hid out in Mirkwood to recover his power while he hid from his enemies.
Fantasy forests overflow with secrets, which attracts those with the burning desire to get to the bottom of the matter. These woodland realms are found in many different spots, from the sandy coastal beaches all the way to the frozen tundra.
Due to them being isolated places, they usually don’t receive much traffic. In fact, the only people who regularly travel to forests are woodsmen, hunters, and wood elves. As such, they’re a great place for those who want to hide out. They hide in abandoned buildings or caverns deep within.
Fantasy forests also are known for being haunted. Many ghoulish spirits roam these lands, ever looking for a hapless fool to capture and drag their soul into the netherworld. Stories of people wandering in and never coming back spread throughout nearby towns. Townsfolk warn people who want to venture inside about the ghouls though their warnings are usually unheeded.
Throughout the genre, a major dungeon is typically placed in a forest. The dungeon winds up being the source of the trouble plaguing the general area, whether it be poison or wild monsters running rampant and so on. The eerie atmosphere, coupled with the fear of the unknown, makes for an unnerving experience. Though that feeling could be attributed to the prospect of facing off against the boss of the dungeon, which is either a phantom, another ghoulish spirit, or vicious beast.
If there isn’t a dungeon hidden somewhere in a forest’s depths, the remains of a civilization lost to time can be substituted instead to add intrigue to the forest. Some ancient civilizations flourished in similar places due to how forests were superb hiding places. They were adept in hunting and gathering food as well as cultivating plants. They were also masters in blending with the environment, easily dispatching their target from afar without being spotted.
Fantasy forests are a vital story beat. Regardless of which part of the story a forest appears, it pushes it forward. More importantly, it changes the trajectory of the story, usually setting the character(s) affected down a new path. The change is accompanied by the character(s) learning new information that makes them chart a different direction.
A fantastic example of this occurs in The Two Towers. After hunting the orc party that captured their friends, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli enter Fangorn Forest where they cross paths with someone they never expected. Revealing himself to the party, Gandalf the White tells them not to worry about their friends; he assures them they’re safe but he needs their help with the coming war with Sauron. The Dark Lord’s ‘ally’ Saruman is threatening Rohan and that threat needs to be eliminated so that Rohan can help against Sauron. He counsels them to come to Edoras with him.
Here, the story moves into a more dramatic direction. It raises the stakes as one kingdom that is needed as an ally against the forces of evil stands on the brink of defeat. If Rohan falls, victory against Sauron dims significantly. As such, in order to prevail, Rohan must survive and Saruman must also be defeated.
Such inflection points showcase the growing tension as the story continues and fantasy forests fit right in due to the unease many people feel when traveling through them. The anxiety the characters feel as they survey a strange landscape, not knowing what’s lying in wait around the corner mirrors the intensifying drama as the enormity of the situation they’re in begins to sink in. It’s too late to go back, for the die’s already been cast.
Another way fantasy forests propel the story forward is by having the characters explore them. Beforehand, word reaches them about something terrible happening inside a forest and those who live nearby are at a loss at what to do. The hero and his party enter the forest, hoping to discover the source of the trouble. They wind up discovering a dungeon where they venture inside to navigate its hallways before facing the boss. To their horror, the boss is the culprit of the forest’s woes and vanquishing it will restore the forest’s vigor.
Slaying the boss leads to the revelation that it was part of a larger plan to conquer the world. The hero and his allies must now travel to the other lands and stop evil, transforming what was a crusade to save a forest to a crusade to save the world.
Fantasy forests are bursting to the beam with mysteries and wonders. Species long hidden from discovery, abandoned ruins, and ghouls roaming around all contribute to the intrigue found in woodland realms. The fact that not many people live in forests makes them great places to hide out.
Forests are the perfect environment to create suspense and tension, which always accompanies an inflection point as it only ratchets up the tension. The apprehension simmering in the characters’ hearts is reflected by the gloomy atmosphere of the forest. Here, the story changes in unexpected ways. Information that may very well change a person’s life comes out in these places, paving the way for said person to seize the destiny waiting for him.
When incorporating fantasy forests in your world, make the audience feel exactly what the characters are feeling. Describe the tension in the air. Show how that tension is affecting your characters, whether they’re moving slower than usual or are more short-tempered than usual. As always, use your imagination!
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Sunfire
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