In the past, when Valdian Forest was home to the Moon Elves, it looked entirely different from the way it looks now. The Elves who live in harmony with nature took good care of the Forest. Centuries-old trees extended strong branches into the sky, their broad tree-heads murmuring up high. Sun beams broke through the thicket, filling it with warm light that gave birth to shrubs and grass.
Hares and foxes, boars and deer, badgers and raccoons, hedgehogs and squirrels all made their homes here – there was enough food and place for all beasts in the Forest. When the first Humans appeared on Tartu, the Moon Elves were indifferent to their dealings. Only after these persistent newcomers made claims on the native Elven territories did the masters of the Valdian Forest react, creating the Moon Gates that were a sign to the Humans that they were, in fact, entering foreign lands.
As soon as any stranger stepped into the Forest through the Moon Gates, Elves learned about it. An arrow or two quickly fired nearby warned any trespasser that they should immediately turn around and leave. But whenever an armed squad of some presumptuous prince or baron crossed the border, no warnings were issued. The invaders just disappeared.
The first invasion of Shaab changed everything. The new enemy that advanced into the Elven realm was unlike anything the forest people had seen in their long lifetimes. These alien creatures showed uncanny strength and vitality, and their mere presence made the Valdian Forest crumble and decay. The sorcerers of Shaab felt strange magic from afar and attacked the Moon Gates with powerful destructive spells. Elven squads that tried to intercept the oncoming monsters were too small to match the power of Shaab's armies. The Gates were destroyed and the Moon Elves had to retreat deep into the forest after suffering heavy losses.
Then came the Great Council that decided that the Era of Division had passed. It was time for the Elves to reach out to the other races of Adan and, with the aid of allies, drive Shaab back into the cursed Abyss. Two Great Wars followed and countless lives were sacrificed for the freedom of Adan. But even though they emerged victorious, the Moon Elves were now too few to come back to the Valdian Forest and restore it.
Parasitic plants and fungi brought by the invaders infected the trees, changing their image forever. Decaying trunks were overwhelmed by lichen and moss. The tenants of the wood began to leave their ancient home. While large bears wander into the Forest from time to time, looking for prey, no other forest animals remain. Golems created by the wizards of Shaab can be encountered here, and so can drevals. These creatures, though untainted by Blight, are extremely resilient and powerful, presenting a threat even to the most experienced warriors.
In time, Valdian Forest became home to Ields. It is said that the Ields were once Nayars, reserved yet kind spirits of the woods that sometimes help lost travelers find their way home. But unlike Nayars, Ields always seemed to prefer the company of Humans, gladly learning their ways. Strange to the Human ways, they never understood that people they learned from were criminals and bandits who sought shelter in the woods. In this way, only greed, rancor, and cruelty did Ields take from their "teachers".
Noticing how distant and alien their brothers and sisters had become, Nayars expelled Ields from their homeland. But exile made the Ields even more evil. Taking shelter on the edge of the Valdian Forest, they adopted a criminal way of life, attacking nearby Human settlements and anyone who was unlucky enough to wander into these lands. Retaining their inborn magical abilities, the Ields learned to use the energies of the ancient Elven buildings to emit bloodcurdling cries that deprive their victims of will and confidence.
Once one of the most beautiful places on Tartu, Valdian Forest is now a gloomy and a dreary place to behold. There aren't many warriors in Adan who would dare to enter the Forest, where fearless insatiable monsters prowl, and sinister magical light shines from inside rotten tree trunks among the echoes of the Ields' heart-rending cries of betrayal.