For Gold & Glory: Card of the Week: People of the Woods

I love the Drew Tucker artwork here. The vague watercolors really nail the feeling of the piece.

Hidden in the Woods

I had the misfortune to discover my magical talents during the height of the Church of Tal’s power. Though I tried to be careful, my youthful delusions of invulnerability and my desire to attempt more powerful and risky spells soon drew the eyes of the Church’s inquisitors. I soon found myself on the run, the city’s great mechanical gates forever behind me. Despite my magic I had not yet learned to planeswalk, and so I had to resort to more mundane means to keep ahead of the zealous Witch Hunters. So I struck inland, towards the wilds of Giva Province.

Though it had once been a land of rich farms and orchards, the colder weather and growing threat of goblins had driven much of Giva’s human inhabitants south, into the open arms of the Church. The few who stayed were unable to maintain the cultivated fields, and the woods began to reclaim the land. Though the Church’s grip on Giva was less secure than it was in the southern cities, they still held power there. Uncomfortable in the open, I fled to those woods for shelter.

Of course, I was foolish to think that I was the only one to take to the forests...or the first. I quickly discovered that I had invaded upon the territories of the People of the Woods, a loose-knit alliance of outlaws, refugees, and woodsmen fierce in their defense of their freedom from greater authority.

Not an hour had passed after entering the woods before the first arrow shrieked past my head. I looked about, but could see nothing but the surrounding trees through the gloom. I stood stock-still for a long while, convinced that another arrow would follow at any moment. But after none came, I recalled my talents. Casting a Circle of Protective magic about myself, I continued on into the woods.

The next two arrows that came were not warnings like the first, and would have taken my eyes had my magic not turned them aside. And when these failed to kill me, my assailants launched a volley of arrows into the sky to rain down upon me, but again to no avail. Knowing that I had the upper hand, I called out to them. Though my words were of truce, I kept my ley lines ready—both to protect myself from further attacks and to force peace upon them should I need.

They came down from the branches above and out from behind the great trunks and massive boulders. Rugged-looking men and women, all dressed in worn leathers and ragged homespun, all armed with spears and axes and, most especially, bows. None were pleased at my presence, but while some looked outright hostile others seemed curious.

Since the People of the Woods could not harm me with their arrows and I did not wish to harm them either, we came to an uneasy peace. Their leader, a tall and stout woman with a scar across her face, gave me leave to live with them as long as I could contribute to the band. And so I spent my first winter outside of Alsoor amongst them, using my magic to heal wounds and assist with the hunt. But while they were not zealots—many had fallen on the wrong side of the Church's inquisition too—they never accepted my magic fully. Perhaps they feared drawing the Church's attention by harboring a mage, or perhaps they held onto a similar if lesser fear of magic themselves. But come spring, I still felt my welcome thin. I left them to find my fortune in other lands...but not before taking the knowledge of summoning them to my aid. I have yet to call upon them, but there may come a time when I need them to pay back my favors.

Outlaws and Folk Heroes

The People of the Woods were just one of many such groups throughout the ages. Even in the best of times, some people find that they cannot live within civilized society. Some may be criminals, others outcasts. With no protection from the law, they band together for protection and take unsettled lands for their homes—often forests, but also desolate moors, deserts, and other wild areas. And in more difficult the times, more and more people find refuge in the woods.

Robin Hood and his Merry Men—the most famous People of the Woods since circa 1370!

Though some of those who take to the woods for shelter are peaceful, the most well-known of them are outlaws and highwaymen. With no protection from the law, they have little to lose from robbing those who cross their lands. And since those they rob from are typically wealthy and powerful—there’s not much profit to be had from stealing from the poor—outlaws are often romanticized by the common folk. In times of political or religious oppression, their opposition to authority may be seen as heroic by those oppressed, even those who still abide by the laws.

Going into Battle with the People

Few mages call upon the People of the Woods in serious battles. Despite the fact that their strength in numbers grows in proportion to the green ley lines that a mage has bound, they are comparatively difficult to summon into battle. Most green mages opt instead to summon Pixies or more Elves or even Scavenger Folk in their stead—the strength in numbers of the People of the Woods just isn’t effective in comparison to the skills of these other beings. And for their numbers to be sufficiently large for the People to be effective defenders, a mage would need to focus solely on green magic—and even then, an Erhnam Djinn or the like is a much more effective defender and can take to the offensive as well.