Ralveran Lore: The Oaken Legion

Greetings travelers of Ralvera,

What is there to say about the Oaken Legion that most don’t know already? Their presence is felt the minute you set foot in a Verdant city. The rumble of their marching shakes the very earth and quells a crowded marketplace into murmured quiet. A single soldier, clad in imposing timbersteel armor, is a force to be reckoned with. When the entire Legion marches to war, there are few—if any—that can stand in its way.

For those travelers who wish to pass through the Verdants, take heed of my words. Respect the trees, for they have given bark and blood to defend their home. Cause any trouble, and you may find yourself on the sharp end of a timbersteel sword.

An Oaken Legion soldier clad in timbersteel plate, drawn by John Spencer

The Verdant Bastions

The North and South Verdants are Oaken Legion territory, a fact that has remained undisputed for nearly a century and a half. Even the cities that seem free of Legion influence, such as grand Reath, still pay some form of tax to the closest Bastion to keep the trees happy. The Oaken Legion rule the forests of Ralvera from four strongholds, aptly named their “Bastions” as they were once the last line of defense against the Paroxysm.

The four bastions are spread throughout the Verdants; two are located in the North Verdant, and another two in the South. Each is a mighty timbersteel fortification, built—or some say, grown—to withstand not just a rival army, but a horde of Vent beasts. To this day, not a single one has ever been successfully conquered by Citadel or invading army alike.

• The Bastion of Life resides in the depths of Toruba Swamp, thriving amongst mangroves teeming with venomous creatures.

• The Bastion of Perseverance lies north of the Weeping Peaks in the freezing, windswept Ielvost Forest, its icy timbersteel walls ready for any threats that crash down from the Northern Ice.

• On the edge of the vast Cenoreth Forest, you will find the Bastion of Growth. The most recent bastion to get attacked, they successfully fended off Citadel Ashfell during the Wildfire Siege. If I may correct myself, “Fended off” is not the proper verbiage. They grounded the Citadel, and nearly razed it to dust.

• Finally, the Bastion of Strength sits in the middle of the Taneshra Savannah, training their soldiers against the ferocious megafauna that graze across the grassland expanse.

Protectors of Nature

The Oaken Legion believe the balance of life and death to be sacred. In every Bastion, the most hallowed ground is the graveyard, where old trees walk their last steps as the Oakfire within them dies. Their bark stiffens as they add themselves to the forest of the dead. There, new saplings sprout from their body, growing steadily from spring through summer. In the fall, they uproot themselves and leave the graveyard to be welcomed into their groves as children.

While their armies are nearly unmatched, their warlike ingenuity is just as sharp. Living ballista, the size of colossal trees, stand ready to combat the mighty Citadels of humanity if need be, and the great forges churn out timbersteel weapons that rival the strongest steel in durability and strength.

Original concept art for the Oaken Legion by John Spencer. I told him that the bottom right was the closest to what I was imagining. "Stump Soldier" still haunts my nightmares.

The Ashen Century

The animosity that the raptors and Oaken Legion harbor for one another is no secret, and it is a direct result of the Ashen Century, also known as the Ashen War. I could write a thousand treatises on the Ashen Century, but I lack the parchment to do so here. Another time, certainly. What you need to know, dear reader, is the raptors and Oaken Legion fought each other for a hundred years following the Paroxysm, in skirmishes, massacres, and all out open war.

The raptors, having survived the eruption of the Vents out in the desert and ice, wanted to find a new home in the lush forests of the Verdants. The Legion, having just spent the apocalypse fighting to keep the Vent beasts and Vent leviathans from flattening their homeland, were aggressively reluctant to let the raptors settle. The war dragged on, but the Legion were steadily winning, even driving into raptor territory to win battles that had not even started yet.

If it were not for the raptor’s invention of Verdant’s Bane, I suspect the Legion would control far more than the Verdants. The concoction proved too deadly for both sides; it ate through Legion armor like water through sand, and it required a raptor to spill their blood to make it happen. Guaranteed death from both the attacker and defender. Thus, the raptors took the desert and ice, and the Legion retreated to the Verdants where they reside to this day.

Another topic to write about eventually will be the victories of the Northern Ice raptors over the Oaken Legion. There is good reason an entire peninsula of the Northern Ice is named "Birchbane Spine."

Becoming an Ancient

If you have ever seen an Oaken Legion soldier charge into battle, you may have seen their leaves glow a fiery yellow. The most animated soldiers, driven to the height of emotions, may even have the veins of their bark alight with green fire—I have even seen flames burst from their eyes! This is known as the Oakfire, and it burns in the chest of every Oaken Legion tree.

Do we know where this fire comes from? Vaguely. We know it originates in the Oaken Legion graveyards, breathing life into every new generation of tree. Touching the source of the Oakfire can be too much for a rank-and-file soldier to handle, but for others, it can transform them into something far more powerful.

The Ancients of the Oaken Legion are wise and powerful trees who braved all four Trials of the Oakfire. Each Bastion holds an ever-burning flame that they believe is the progenitor of all the Oakfire in their Bastion. Along with the sacred flame, there is an accompanying trial that every aspiring Ancient must undertake; they are not for the faint of heart, and are often deadly if the soldier’s bark is not thick enough.

A tree who becomes blessed by the Oakfire of each Bastion will grow into an Ancient, doubling in size, strength, and lifespan. Due to the challenging nature of the Trials, physically and emotionally, Ancients hold the utmost respect in the Legion as the greatest warriors, leaders, and spiritual gurus. Traveling between Bastions is no small feat on its own, especially visiting all four; it is common for many young trees who set out to become Ancients to have their adventure cut short, or to never return at all.

Completing even one Trial is seen as magnanimous. Completing all four and growing to become an Ancient cements you as a legend in Oaken Legion history.

Legion helmet drawn by me!

Play as an Oaken Legion Soldier in D&D 5e!

Do you want to fight for the Oaken Legion! Check out the Ralvera page of teirmondpublishing.com to find the character creation rules.