Everlaen:Bleeding Tree

The Bleeding Tree are the name taken by the last orc tribe of any size known in the High Forest. A number of years ago, fleeing the wild elf tribes in the south, the Bleeding Tree journied north in search of safer territory. For centuries orc tribes had lived in the south western reaches of the forest, using it`s cover to strike with impunity at human settlements that ventured too close or merchant caravans which sought a shorter route. Tiring of the constant wrangling for territory between their two races the wild elves mounted a concerted campaign the wild elves attacked and systematically destroyed all orcs they could lay their hands on, pursuing them far beyond the land they claimed as their own. The minor tribes were wiped out with ease. The larger tribes held out far longer, though in the end they were destroyed as well. The Bleeding Tree is the last remnant of those tribes, it`s numbers greatly swelled from refugees from the other destroyed tribes, orcs seeking safety from the relentless elven attacks. Two other things mark this tribe out from the norm. One is their woodland skill, rivalling even that of the wild elves. Having lived so long in the deep forests the orcs acquired skills not normally assosiated with their kind and relying on those skills to survive not only the elven attacks, but also the dangers of the deep forest, they grew skilled indeed. The refugees from the destroyed tribes would have been either those who were strongest or luckiest, in any case the strength of the tribe would have increased as it moved north. The second point of note are the rumours about the chief who leads the Bleeding Tree. During the forest battles, the Bleeding Tree stayed back and avoided the elves wherever possible, falling on them without mercy out of the blue when the elves had pressed too far. Their tactics and the sudden decision to remove themselves from the elven fight when they faced the might of the tribes alone has been attributed to this chief and it rumoured he is unusually crafty. Other rumours speak of the the orcs assosiation with demonic powers and say that only this could explain the orcs success within the forest. Others say the orcs have made a pact with the spirit of the forest itself and in twisted rites water trees with blood of their enemies corrupting the deep woods and turning even the treants and woodland spirits evil. In truth little is known about this tribe as fact, especially now they have removed themselves to such a remote and apparently unclaimed area of the High Forest. It has been noted however by some druids that woodcutting and encroachment on the southerly forest reaches have increased in the last decade and perhaps the orcs were doing a service for the forest after all...