The Lich & Forest of Iherick

Forest of Iherick

The estates and lands of the Barons of Iherick now known as the “Forest of Iherick” has a rich and long history. Once encapsulating all the land to the west as far as the Mon Range (location of Saint Mon) and the town of Welton, it now ends at the North Road but extends to the coast in the east and includes several islands.

The Barons were very long lived, it was rumoured they had some elven blood in their past. 

Following the emancipation of the western land, the 13th Baron of Iherick, Baron Jules Gramtal Iherick, reserved the remaining woodland for as his personal estate and as a hunting estate.  The Baron evicted most of his tenants, granting them land to the west and allowed the farms and villages to fall into ruin.

Following his death, his son the 14^th Baron of Iherick, Baron Bason Claude Iherick continued building the estate.  He built several hunting lodges throughout the estate, walled the entire estate. 

An enchantment was enacted to reinforce the walls and cause beasts and monsters to be unable to exit the estate.  This barrier even effected flying beasts, monsters and birds who could fly over but would not stray far and always returned to the estate before a day passed.

Following completion of the wall, unauthorised access was forbidden. Trespasses rarely returned, those that did warned that it was not a place to tread, visitors were not welcome there.  The Baron declared it a private hunting preserve, and he had creatures brought from far and wide to stock it. 

The Barons youngest son, the wizard Paget Iherick was appalled by this families hunting. Padget wished to save the creatures and protect them, but bound by the family, was powerless to alter things.  Instead, he spent little time with the family and built a keep and study away from the family main manor home and castle.

When the great cataclysm came, the following unrest saw Padget’s family killed in Elderborne.  Padget alone in his keep, found himself suddenly the last of the Elderborne nobility and the sole custodian for the family estate, the 15^th and last Baron of Iherick. 

Padget was surprised to discover the barrier magic in some way was heredity.  He found he could control the barrier in certain ways and was aware of creatures crossing its boarders.  This was something his father never mentioned, but possibly his father assumed his older sisters or brother would inherit not only their father’s blood thirsty hunting but also this power. 

Along with the barrier Padget discovered he had the service of the seven (7) Forest Elves his father had taken into service to assist with managing the Forest.  The Elves were magically bonded to the Iherick bloodline, Padget assumed by the same magical rituals that protected the borders.  

With the cataclysm having destroyed much of civilisation outside his borders, Padget retreated to his keep and his dream of keeping the estate for the Forest and its creatures.

The Iherick Forest Estate summary

The Estate is about 50miles wide east west at its widest and stretches north about 100 miles.  It is a wilderness with all forms of creatures but the barrier unacted by his family keeps most within it border.  The world has moved on and the outside world know little of the Forest.  It is just thought of as a dark and dangerous place that few return from.

15^th Baron or Iherick – Baron Paget Iherick

Paget as the youngest child was not destined to inherit the Barony and was left mostly to his own devices.  He was very intelligent and as soon as he was old enough went to live and study in Elderborne.  He soon apprenticed himself to the elven mage Elandorr Lutris. Elandorr was to later to become one of the High Seven and assisted in the design of the Towers that were to create the cataclysm.

Paget was quiet and studious; in his studies he was drawn more to nature than pure power and spent much time with the elven druids in Rastrich. Over time Paget was able to meld his Wizard magic with the natural world. 

When Elandorr was accepted into the seven, Paget left Elderborne and Rastrich to return to his family estates.  Here he was able to use his family’s wealth to build his own small keep and tower for his ongoing study.

After the death of his family Paget threw himself into caring for the estate. He was obsessed with it and only it.  The outside world was ignored and discouraged from entering.

Paget spent years studying the power he had inherited over the estate.  He developed greater understanding and began experimenting with it.  Finally, he began a great spell he expected to enhance this power and allow him to release the intelligent beasts.  The spell did not work as expected.  The barrier altered, intelligent creatures imprisoned in the estate could leave, however they slowly lose their minds and become insane unless they returned.

This has led to the nesting harpies on the forest edges harassing passing travellers but returning to the forest.  And the great black dragon who can now range further, has become complete insane over her constant passing back and for the over the barrier.

Paget was appalled, and to this day is seeking a way to reverse or alter the damage of this ritual.

As Paget aged, he realised he had no way of passing on this power, and no one to pass on the care of the estate and his charges.  So, he sought ways to extend his life. Within his family treasures were many of the ancient artifacts of the ancient liches.  Seeing no alternative he studied these to unlock the secrets of Lichdom, he would live forever and watch over his lands.

Paget – The Baron of Iherich is an environmentalist, he owns and manages the estate and cares for all his charges. He has a staff of only the surviving four forest elves who assist. These elves were sworn vassals of the family and forswore their birthrights, dedicating themselves with him to the protection of this reserve. 

The baron took on Lichdom to extend his life and ability to maintain the reserve.  He must consume the occasional life to sustain himself, but he limits himself to:

• Those who volunteer – a dying dragon, a badly injured creature
• Criminals who come into his domain,
• And those who disobey his edicts, if the penalty is death, then that death will feed him

To our knowledge Paget – The Baron of Iherich, never leaves his estate, it is possible he is unable to do so.  He has little to do with the outside world, and the outside world have no knowledge of him.  He has a network of agents, those that offer their service to him, who keep him informed on anything that may affect his estates.  His agents work to keep the estate as it is and reinforce the dangers of the forest discouraging visitors or settlers.  Scolas, leader of the Temple of the Oceans on the estates south-eastern border, knows of Paget and has occasional communications with him.

Paget’s Residence

Paget regularly moves around his dominion.  His Keep and its tower still exist but he rarely visits it for any period.  He prefers a study he has established deep in the ruins of the family castle. At the time of the cataclysm, the family castle was blasted and destroyed.  Some parts of the curtain wall remains but beyond it is a blasted jagged hole in the ground. Withing that 250 ft hole some of the castle remains.

Paget is said to appear at any time anywhere in his domain, it is thought he can teleport at will within it.