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#1 paulstrait May 14, 2010 1:13:19

Gerichtslinde (Gericht for short) is a warforged warden.   Thousands of years ago, he was but a tree, but an ancient Netherese archwizard named Aldlas Sodhese animated him to be a warrior to fight against the Elves of Myth Drannor.  After his master was slain (Aldlas's army of warforged trees and the Trio Nefarious, a group of three nycodemons he summoned to make war against the Elves, had just been defeated), Gericht remained dormant in the forest for a few thousand years.  Recently, wanderlust and the stirring of ancient evil has lead him to motion once again.  He fights on behalf of the entire forest and all of the benevolent fey who live there.  He especially distrusts human wizards. --- Description:  Saying Gericht looks like a tree is a bit of an understatement. He is almost 7 feet tall and weights over 300 lbs. Built like a house is only putting it mildly. The foliage growing off his head gives a "hair" look and it is dark green during the late spring, summer and early fall, turning golden and brown during the late fall and into spring. He wears the dark, cured hide of gnolls that dared invade his section of the forest that has been sewn and fastened into rough armor to cover his torso. In is off hand he wields what seems to be a large wooden palisade that when touched has the feel of iron. The same can be said for the "hammer" made from the branch of a tree. All these items can be seen as magical to those with the ability to do so. The dark brown of the heartwood that makes up his frame contrasts well with the plates of metal that make up the outer covering of his bipedal form. Etched into a wooden circle in his chest is the symbol of Sylvanus god of the forests and trees. He talks in the first person, and introduces himself as Gericht, although his full name is Gerichtslinde, a name he took from when he was still a full tree at the edge of the Cormanthor. Tireless and un-needing of rest, he takes the time to read and learn when he gets the chance, and to this point has read mostly religious texts from the various druids he has run into or saved. Because of that he has become a follower of Silvanus, the forest god, whom he seeks to emulate.  ---- An old man stands before a fire his hood drawn back, telling a story to young ones of a tree come to life to save the forest. "Listen lads, for I tell you a tale, one that you must remember, for every tree you harm, every branch you bend or break could bring the wrath of the hanging tree down on you. All of you are laughing right now, imagining a tree uprooting and chasing after you. But don't laugh too loudly for the forest is quiet and the sound travels too easily. A long time ago there was a corrupt evil man. Aldlas Sodhese was his name; he was a Netherese archwizard obsessed with his own power and glory. Believing that the Elves of Myth Drannor had stolen a copy of the famed Nether Scrolls, he decided that he needed to make an army that obeyed only him, and would be as numerous as the trees in the forest, in order to crush the elves and retake what was his. Back in those days, in Cormanthor Forest, the trees there were strong and grew quickly. There are even a few elves who still remember those days, or at least remember hearing about them... at least so I am told, but it even fades from their long memory. Aldlas ordered every tree to be uprooted and brought to his dark forges where they would be combined with iron and formed into magical soldiers whose only desire was to serve him and destroy his enemies. The legions of summoned creatures went about this dire task and soon the old forest was no more. Druids were forced out of their groves by marauding evil the likes of which no longer walk this plane. The elves soon followed, unable to hold their part of the forest with the druids gone. The forest lay destroyed, and the trees, mighty oaks, regal birch, and unbendable ironwood alike were forged into monsters. Much larger than men, these monsters were the combination of the heartwood of these magestic trees, and sorcerous iron, that when combined together and enchanted with a spell of permanence, took on a life of their own only to serve the evil Aldlas Sodhese. Line after line, row after row of these creatures were created and enchanted, the lifeforce of the trees bent towards Aldlas' evil will. It was exactly as he wanted untill the oldest of the trees, a bent and broken Birch was turned into the last of his creations. Being the smallest of the magestic trees, this "warforged" as Aldlas named them, was to be used as a servant not a warrior. However, something different occured, the age and experience of life in that tree allowed it to retain it's own senses, even if it lost most of it's memories. As light began to grow in the Gerichtslinde's eyes, there was anger, and hatred that burned in him. We have lost any histories, and the 'tales' that surround the event, but the tales of the fall of Aldlas' forges all center around a sentient tree laying waste to the building with the help of some adventurers passing through at the time. None of you may believe these tales, as they are very hard to believe, who would think a simple tree like the one behind me would rise up and destroy a building made from stone and iron, BUT I TELL YOU IT IS TRUE, AND SILVANUS SAVE YOU FROM HIS WRATH IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR THE FOREST." With that, the old man pulled his cowl back on and walked silently into the trees. "I hope they got all that" the old man said as he walked through the pitch black. "I'm sure the children will stop carving into my friends, they were especially terrified as I swung my branches through the air behind you as you finished your speech." Gericht responded. "I was wondering why they were running, and here I was thinking I should have been a bard instead of a druid." the old man joked. "How long do you plan to stay in Cormanthor anyways?" he asked. "For as long as I can, this forest is one of the few left that can hide something like me." Gericht responded sadly. With that, he dug back into the ground and entered his "sleep" for trees don't really sleep, they just exist.