Thorns

Deity: Orthas, the Great Weaver

The Lands of Thorns

Population: Approximately 1.5 million (many more beasts and nature spirits)
Capital: None
Governing Body: The Great Circle
Each of the Champions, as well as elder and respected Faerie spirits are invited to join
Notable Locations: The Great Meet of the Bark, Tree of Life, Buried Camp, Jade City, the Great Glade

Thorns never wanted this war. They were content to tend to their groves and forests, to provide life and nature a safe haven. Even with the near-constant raids in the Northern branches by the goblins and slags, they were content. After all, nature is not without struggle or battle. When the dragons rose, however, things changed.

The Castle of Korrad Dur fell from grace. The long stream of refugees fleeing from the lands of Strife suddenly stopped. Then, the demon kin began their campaign. This was not skirmishes or raids, this was not natural. The Hollow men, refugees from Strife and settled along the Northern branches, were forced South. The Druids of the Bark were forced to hold the line.

During this battling, the Tree of Life wilted. But still, with patience and strength, the Druids held Strife to a stalemate. War was averted for a time. Then, of course, Scales sought the secrets of biofuel from the Hollow refugees resettled so far to the east. It was the final insult – Thorns would go to war.

Situated on the southern edge of Terrene Gall, the forests of Thorns stretch far north on the western side of the Rage Mountains, forming a border with Strife. On the eastern side of the Rage Mountains, the forests naturally give way to the farmlands of Scales along the northern edge.

Thorns counts Strife and Scales as enemies, but some wonder if Thorns has been pressed too far. If they put down the dragon hordes of Strife and the mercenary incursions of Scales, will they stop there? Or will they continue to press onward, returning a world of civilization back to a world that follows an older order, a natural order?

The Champions of Thorns

The Champions of Thorns are a diverse group, as one would expect of Thorns. From elevated mortal men such as Tamas Dow, to ancient spirits such as the Eidolon of Earth, the Champions come from all corners of the land. All have their place in the Forests of Thorns, and all are more than capable of mounting an incredible defense of their homeland.

Eidolon of Earth

Basic Deck Champion

One of the greatest spirits of the forest, the Eidolon is a remnant from a time when nature’s rule was absolute. It is a massive amalgamation of rock, earth, and rage that kindles anger in all those loyal to it. Most druids claim that it exists before the Gods, and no one disputes that it has inhabited Terrene Gall longer than the Gods. So long as the Eidolon fights, the forests have a chance at survival.

BranDuir of the Bark

Easily the most powerful of the bark Druids, BranDuir guides the Great Meet of the Bark on a course of war. Over years, he has engineered the enchantments and fortifications that have held the hordes of Strife at bay. Now, with the invasion of Scales at the farthest edges of Thorns, he has turned his protective magick to assault, capturing the lesser wyrms of Strife and bending their energies to call on more destructive magick.

Pangaea Tree

The Pangaea Tree is said to be the direct offspring of the Tree of Life. The great roots hold the world together, and find their way everywhere on Terrene Gall. According to some faeries, in fact, the Pangaea Tree is considered the very soul of Terrene Gall, itself. Regardless of its origin, the Pangaea Tree is only quasi-real, fading in and out of the physical world seemingly at will.

Tamas Dow

The leader of the refugees, Tamas Dow sought to protect his charges as they fled the southlands of Strife in to the forests, then again on the northern border from Strife as they journeyed through weeks of journeying through forest to the far edges to build the Buried Camp. The mercenaries of Scales have threatened to take even this home. Now, the Lord-General of the Hollows leads ambushes against all who enter the forest unbidden, killing without mercy and using the bodies to cultivate the land.

Master of the Hunt

Conquest Story Mode Boss Champion

Long have the Freelands of Thorns resisted the call of war. With closed borders and patience, they have sought to outlast the conflict. With the icursions of Scales and Strife, however, the Druids have called forth an ancient power.

The Master of the Hunt has sounded the horn, and the Great Pack is eager for prey!

Legend

Dual Faction Champion; Eclipse and Thorns
Release: 2024

This amalgamation of decayed wood and moss covering the great corpse of an ancient Stygian wyrm. When the druids of the bark came upon the great corpse, they bent their magicks, and the biofuel mechanisms of the hollow, to create life inside the corpse. The result is an abomination, filled with rage and life, but trapped in the bones of the dead. The long, serpentine body is reminiscent of Lung-style dragons, but the moss-covered stitches of skin are only notionally covering the tubing and bones beneath.

Ja'Ru

Dual Faction Champion; Scales and Thorns
Release: 2024

When Scales sought to uncover the secrets of biofuel, they excavated lands, pulling tree and earth from sacred grounds along the shorelines of Thorns. The kodama, tree spirits of Thorns, woke from their ancient slumber and took shape. The massive form was that of a great badger, which roared from the mudpits of the shoreline to challenge the profaning dwarven squad. Dwarving ingenuity bound this creature to a biofuel pump, to imprison it, but more importantly protect its infrastructure.

Fires of the Earth

Dual Faction Champion; Thorns and Strife
Release: 2024

The Great Fires of the Earth is a massive Siege Weapon crafted using the shell of one of the last Tortoise Kings of Thorns. The shell was scraped carefully, then the underside fitted with all manner of hellish weaponry from the Forge Pits of Strife. The result is a massive siege engine the likes of which the world has never seen.

Mia's Seeding Contraption

Dual Faction Champion; Thorns and Essence
Release: 2024

Mia’s Seeding Contraption is a massive series of small mulching and seeding units that have been tangled together by the vine-like strength of Thorns. No one quite knows who Mia was, or if she still exists, but the great machine wanders Terrene Gall, killing anything in its path and seeding the ground with a particularly vicious and semi-sentient form of kudzu. Most who try to climb the machine to find the cockpit or innards are added to the fertilization routine, so most just flee.

M'rhythas Shae

Dual Faction Champion; Thorns and Delirium
Release: 2024

When the portals of madness tore across the lands of Terrene Gall, it did so near a powerful Druid. M’rhythas Shae, once a great Druid of the Bark, was corrupted by the otherworldly influence, changing her and shattering her mind. Now she roams the forests, twisting and reshaping nature around her into the slime-like form that she inherited.

Arachnis King

Dual Faction Champion; Thorns and Silence
Release: 2024

Long ago, the Arachnis King left the forests of Thorns. He was pressed out by the expanding colony of arachnis, and left to find a new mate and new territory. His journey took him to the lands of Silence where, over centuries, he adapted to the desert lands, becoming a perfect predator. He burrows into the sands, waiting for foes, then striking with ruthless efficiency.

The Armies of Thorns

The forests are overseen by a Great Circle that meets each full moon. This Circle’s membership changes regularly, but always contain representatives of the Hollows, Bark Druids, and Faeries. Most often, some being that holds sway over the spirits of the natural world also arrives.

Bark Druids

These tree people have watched their species nearly eradicated by the flames of war, and find protection with the Hollow people of the Thorns Guild. The Bark Druids bring the creatures of the forest to their cause, as well as magical prowess. They are a powerful force, and grow stronger the longer they have to entrench their positions.

Example Unit: Bark Druids

The Hollow

These are the displaced people of the forest. They lived off the land in solitude until the Second Great War brought destruction to every corner of the world. They banded together to save the last few Life Trees still standing and have cultivated the secrets of tapping into the biofuel that flows beneath the forests. They scavenge weaponry and gear from fallen enemies, and utilize biofuel to create flying Earthships and breed mutated creatures to devastate armies that get too close to their preserves.

Example Unit: Hollow Harvester

Faerie Kin

From the miniscule Forest Wisps, to the great Storm Strider, the faerie kin are an incredibly diverse group. They tend to be both spirit and flesh, and are ancient beings fighting to protect the last refuge they have from the incursions of mortal man. In the end, most faeries dislike mortals to some degree, and hold them responsible for the decay of the natural world that is slowly killing the faeriefolk. They have an only tenuous alliance with the Hollows, but grudgingly work toward a common goal.