Sylvaneth

Grand Alliance Order Sylvaneth

WALKING TREES I TELL YOU! WALKING TREES!

Lore Tactics General Tactics

"Tom's words laid bare the hearts of trees and their thoughts, which were often dark and strange, and filled with a hatred of things that go free upon the earth, gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning: destroyers and usurpers. It was not called the Old Forest without reason, for it was indeed ancient, a survivor of vast forgotten woods; and in it there lived yet, ageing no quicker than the hills, the fathers of the fathers of trees, remembering times when they were lords. The countless years had filled them with pride and rooted wisdom, and with malice."

– J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

"Let there be Green… Let there be thickened trees and unshorn grass, Choking weeds and hand-harrowing brambles. Let there be honey venom flowers and sap-sticky vines that will not break. Let there be kudzu with suffocating canopy, light swallowing gorges, the dark places where sunlight goes to be cinders. Let them rapture and extrude, let them come roaring forth, bursting timber and cornerstone proving that we have built nothing of permanence here. Winter chained them to old locust trees, let them be food for the dark wet tongue of the shifting mountain. "

– The Witch Queen, Old Gods of Appalachia

"I am Groot. "

– Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Sylvaneth, children of the goddess Alarielle, have suffered greatly under the yoke of the Dark Gods. Their emerald kingdoms and woodland refuges in the Realm of Life have been infected and ravaged by the vile servants of Nurgle, until little but rot and decay remains. As Sigmar's tempest rolls out across the realms, a new age of hope is dawning, and the treefolk stir within their devastated forests and glades, taking up arms once more against those who have invaded their lands. However, this is not an ironbound contract. It is not unheard of for a slight misunderstanding to cause the Sylvaneth to depart from their erstwhile allies, or even attack them should they appear to threaten lands the Sylvaneth hold Sacred.

They were well-received upon their release, due to being one of the first factions unique to Age of Sigmar and being seen as a refreshing break from the near-constant focus on Sigmarines vs Chaos. It helps that one of their mainstay units (Kurnoth Hunters) are one of the best value units in AoS.

History

Age of Myth

The sylvaneth are the offspring of the goddess Alarielle, Queen of the Radiant Wood and ruler of Ghyran. Early in the Age of Myth Alarielle went around sowing soulpods, spirits she had saved from the World-That-Was. These formed into the first Sylvaneth. During this time, Alarielle sang a spirit-song, and this resounds in the souls of all Sylvaneth to this day, and through it Alarielle can communicate directly with them in Ghyran. The song of Sylvaneth helps bind them together as a united people, stopping them from struggling against one another not based on oppression but genuine feelings of unity (side note that said song can be heard by other races through magic rituals, though the raw life magic has a tendency to drive all who hear it insane). There was danger, of course, from rampaging beasts and hostile barbarian tribes. However, there were various spirits, most notably the Kurnoth Hunters, who formed the warrior caste and dealt with these threats while the others, most of all the Dryads, could nurture the lands and live in peace.

Alarielle looked upon her creations and knew peace at last. During this time, Sigmar found her and invited her to be part of his Pantheon, which she accepted. Time passed, and the children of the Radiant Wood spread beyond the bounds of Ghyran. Whether by soulpod seeds carried through Realmgates, or by the staging of deliberate expeditions, Sylvaneth enclaves sprung up across all the Mortal Realms, even realms less conducive to life, such as metallic Chamon and deathly Shyish.

These lands proved more dangerous than Ghyran. Entire sylvaneth clans were lost to war and catastrophe. Still, the sylvaneth prevailed and spread. There was one hazard they could not have planned for though; once beyond the Realmgates,the sylvaneth found themselves cut off from the spirit-song of their mother. The sylvaneth who travelled to new realms could still perceive the spirit-song that echoed from within, but they found themselves islands of harmony amidst a terrible silence. Some went mad, while others fled back to the comfort of their heartglades. Tales are still told of the terrible season in which Silverthorn Glade was lost altogether. Those sylvaneth who endured sought out those places in the new lands where life magic flowed the strongest. In these places of power, they planted soulpod groves and sank their realmroots deep; the realmroots being magical paths to travel accessible only to them.

These were places of ethereal pulchritude. The vast Hunter’s Moon, the Singing Mountains, the Citycaverns of Briardell and countless others echoed the beautiful wonder of the sylvaneth homeland.

Age of Chaos

They suffered grievously at the hands of the forces of Chaos. Nurgle, with his fixation on life and Alarielle's similarity to Shallya from the World-That-Was, focused his efforts on Ghyran and directed nearly all of his forces there, also seeking to claim Alarielle for himself. So swiftly did Nurgle’s spawn multiply that tides of squirming terrors were soon sweeping across the lands at an unstoppable pace. The Queen of the Radiant Wood rose to repel this foul invasion, and a war began unlike any other. Renewal battled entropy, healing magic fought infection.

During the Age of Chaos the first appearances of the Outcasts among the Sylvaneth - the Spite-Revenants - occurred, in a period referred to as the "Shrouded Season". = No one but Alarielle knows the details, because she purposefully deleted this from the Sylvaneth's memory on a racial level, including the Outcasts themselves, and refused to talk about it ever since. No one knows why Alarielle did this but her, and it makes them uncomfortable to think about across the board.

All this time Alarielle had held onto Drycha's soulpod. She was conflicted about planting Drycha, fearing Drycha's madness and the harm she might wreak if freed but also concerned Drycha was a necessary darkness and that she was weakening the Sylvaneth by not including her. When she reached her lowest point during this Age, Alarielle headed to a hateful chasm and planted Drycha's soulpod there. Drycha emerged with a body of vines and thorn-root, torn between rage and depression, though she took the fight to the forces of Chaos, they were only slowed down, not stopped.

By the end of the Age of Chaos, all Sylvaneth had become warriors. Every Sylvaneth who wasn't a fighter had either taken up arms and learned to fight or been killed off.

Age of Sigmar

The Necroquake had less of an effect on the Sylvaneth than most of the other races, but they were still effected. The Gnarlroot Sylvaneth, who specialized in studying magic, devoted their efforts to studying the Necroquake and alleviating its effects where they could.

Recently, the events of the Stormvaults have revealed a new threat to Ghyran. There are objects called Black Seeds that sprout trees called Black Oaks that have a deterimental effect on the Realm of Life. Worse, the followers of Nurgle have found them and are starting to cultivate them all over Ghyran. It's mentioned Sigmar hid them in vaults in Ghyran for safe keeping. The Sylvaneth subsequently took it upon themselves to destroy the trees and end their spread over Ghyran.

During the Broken Realms saga Allarielle assisted the forces of Order in invading the eightpoints to stop the harvesting of Varanite. Archaon was planning to use it to break the gates of Azyr and invade Sigmars realm. Following this event she subsequently met with Teclis who was planning on finally stoping Nagash and ending the Necroquake as he felt it had gone on for long enough. While she offered her support she cautioned that the invasion was unnecessary as she was already working a spell of her own and it would have great ramifactions for the entire mortal realms. Regardless she leant her support to Teclis who managed to finally defeat Nagash and end the Necroquake.

Seeing that her opportunity had come she and her followers enacted a great ritual that would channel life magic throughout the realms to help heal it after the calamity of the Necroquake. Sensing what the Sylvaneth were doing the Beastman staged a mass invasion of the ritual site to try to halt it. However they were unable to get past the Sylvaneth in time and Allarielles "Life Quake" rippled throughout Ghyran and the other realms brining Life into acendency. This also led to the Oak of Ages past being reborn in Ghyran, growing into a mighty tree again as a symbol of life throughout the cosmos. However, this did not all go off without a hitch. The magical shockwave of the ritual was the last straw needed to finally free the Destruction God Kragnos from his prison (the Necroquake had already weakened it previously). And now the realms were now forced to once again have to endure the rampage of the End of Empires. Who's very presence was whipping up the forces of destruction into an even greater frenzy.

Allarielle subsequently had a chat with Teclis informing him of current events and dropping the big reveal that some kind of death taint still clung to him since his fight with Nagash, which seemed to diminish while he was in her presence.

The Glades

• Oakenbrow: Said to be the First Glade, whose ancestors sprang from the very first soulpods planted by Alarielle. Have a strong sense of justice. Considered arrogant by some Sylvaneth - particularly Sylaneth from the Gnarlroot and Dreadwood wargroves, most see them as noble-minded.
• Gnarlroot: An ancient, strange and grim glade, they care only for lore and the hidden secrets of ancient things. The magic-heavy Sylvaneth. They're one of the more traditionalist wargroves, though they're more open to allying with non-Sylvaneth if they're wizards or scholars. Their leader, the Old King of Gnarlroot Glade Ithil-spond (AKA the Grum King), claims to have been podborn during Alarielle’s first sowing alongside the first Oakenbrow Sylvaneth.
• Heartwood: The clans of Heartwood Glade are said to be the most courageous and determined of all the Sylvaneth. They worship Kurnoth alongside Alarielle, and so have lots of Kurnoth Hunters. They're constantly at war with the enemies of the Sylvaneth as they see it as a disservice to Kurnoth to ever abandon the hunt. Despite this, they're very honorable and loyal and aren't cruel, just resolute.
• Ironbark: The Dorfiest Sylvaneth. Originating from Chamon, the Ironbark groves are known for their tenacity and resilience, and are famous for weathering the most extreme of circumstances without complaint. They are skilled at drawing up precious metals and ores from the soil, and hold a deep reverence for their lineage. These traits and a familiar attitude have led to strong alliances between them and the duardin factions. During the Age of Chaos, they helped many duardin to escape the onslaught of Chaos by either leading them through realmgates to Azyr or to the tops of the highest mountains in Chamon, the latter of which would go on to become the Kharadron Overlords.
• Winterleaf: The melancholic Sylvaneth. The spirits of Winterleaf Glade are grim and somber, given to fatalism and introspection. They had the most beautiful of homes, but after Nurgle's forces destroyed those places they got a major sad that's lasted ever since. But rather than making them lose hope, they fight for revenge against the forces of Chaos and will ally with anyone who can help them get revenge. They've also developed a strong affinity for and tolerance of cold temperatures, making their new homes in icy regions and glaciers.
• Dreadwood: The meanest Sylvaneth. More vengeful than the Winterleaf, more xenophobic than the Gnarlroot and sadistic to boot with fear as their primary weapon. Utterly merciless, they're suspected of being the source of the Outcasts and have more in their number than any other Wargrove. They are led by Drycha, who serves as a de-facto leader though she's more interested in her campaign of genocide than rulership.
• Harvestboon: The only ones born during the Age of Chaos, but surprisingly not unhappy about it. They're vibrant and optimistic, seeking to heal the damage done to Ghyran. The Branchwraiths of Harvestboon clans are known for the flowing beauty and power of their songs and spellcraft, and the Willowqueen sings strongest of all. Leading her kin to one deadly conflict after another, the warrior regent seeks a future free from Chaos, and she will lead Harvestboon through any danger to win that prize. Their numbers are growing rapidly, especially with Alarielle's rebirth. In fact, they grow at such a blistering speed, they muster several new wargroves, complete armies with Forest Folk and Noble spirits every single day. They likely have the largest amount of Arch-Revenants.
• Pale Oak: Once there was a beautiful forest that surrounded the Free City of Greywater Fastness. Then the armies of Nurgle came to despoil the city and the surrounding area. Chaos-tainted plagues and Ironweld cannons rendered the forest into a crater filled wasteland now called the Ghoul Mere. The Pale Oak Sylvaneth are all that remain of the forest spirits native to the area and savagely attack all who enter the Mere and have even attempted to besiege the Free City itself, only for the Everqueen to order them to back off and arranged a compromise. Though this doesn’t stop them from making any curious adventurer who ventures into the Ghoul Mere mysteriously “disappear”.

The Spirits of the Forest

There are more Sylvaneth than just the treespirits; sprites (now called spites) are Sylvaneth, the spirits that possess deadwood to forge bodies out of it (treekin) are Sylvaneth, the ghosts and fae creatures of the glades are Sylvaneth. They ARE good people overall, with most of them having noble desires and despise chaos. Even the sadistic and racist ones will side with the good guys to fight the bad guys. It's just that they're so alien to others that the alliance is always quite strained. They're difficult to interact with, not just because of the language barrier. They do not like you, they don't think like you and they don't live and die like you. Your concerns are extremely alien to them just like they are to you; Sylvaneth in general don't care for glory, expanding borders or making money but instead are mainly concerned with ensuring the safety and cycles of the natural world are upheld. Some things Sylvaneth do share with others is that they build cities, work metal and stone and create artworks, tapestries and furniture. They are also unfathomably long lived. It is likely they only die due to violence or specific diseases, and even then some of them even have their souls in a part of them called a "soulpod" that can undergo a sort of reincarnation.

Despite these alliances, most Sylvaneth do not like mortals/non-Sylvaneth, usually calling them "Quickbloods" (a category that includes daemons, despite them not being mortal probably because blood runs quicker than sap). They consider the Quickbloods to be short sighted, flippant, brief and unable to comprehend the importance of their extremely long term plans and the real meaning of everything. Some of said mortals that they will treat with include the aelves of the Idoneth Deepkin, duardin and humans. One of the reasons is because some of them worship Alarielle even if some of the humans also worship Sigmar. They used to be close allies with the Wanderers, who were formerly known as the Wood Elves. During the Age of Chaos the Wanderers chickened out and fled the battle, abandoning Alarielle and the Sylvaneth of Ghyran to the forces of Chaos. For that, Alarielle banished them from Ghyran and they earned the hatred of the Sylvaneth. For centuries they lived out a mission of repentance, planting waystones so that the forests of Ghyran can sprout in other mortal realms. During the Age of Sigmar when Alarielle built The Living City, she forgave the Wanderers for fleeing, and they were allowed to return to Ghyran and live there. They Sylvaneth themselves are divided, since though the military alliance has been restored some are still salty over the past desertion.

Also, the disparity in sentience can be pretty huge between different castes. For simplicity's sake, this will cover the ones who are playable in the game and any spites that hang out with them.

Forest Folk

• Dryads are lead by the wraiths, who act as druidic spiritual leaders and chieftains. Back in the day, they were the civilians, peaceful caretakers, gardeners and surrogate mothers to orphaned animals. In the Age of Myth it was extremely rare for them to be called to war. The Forest Folk who were not capable of war were driven extinct more or less by the forces of Nurgle, however. For many, life is very nomadic. Constant bouts of fleeing and hiding from the forces of Chaos. They're VERY mercurial as positive qualities among the survivors, such as joy and cheer, faded as they fought to stay alive. Sing a lot. Dryads as part of the living body that is the forest are best described akin to an immunity system and wound healing enzymes. They care for the flora and fauna with loving care, to heal the wounds time and Chaos have dealt to their home. Yet if an intruder is detected (and the will) they switch and act like white blood cells. You are the virus, the forest is the body, and the Dryad is your doom. This is an instinctual behaviour and they don't personally hate you, just as little as the leukocytes when they embrace the virus in order to protect the body.
• Branchwraiths are matriarchal and maternal figures. They're the primary "nodes" of the sylvaneth's song. a sort of mass communication method of the race. Among these teeming armies stand the branchwraiths, sorcerers who can rouse the woods themselves to fight alongside the Sylvaneth. Enchanted oaks burst from the ground and vines move among the enemy like venomous snakes. When not at war, they are absoloutely crucial for the Sylvaneths survival, as they are the primary care takers of the soulpod groves, the nursery and birthplace of all Sylvaneth. Like mothers they guide their wandering daughters in case a Dryad gets lost. In terms of the social order, Branchwraiths are on par with the Treelords, heads of their respective branch.

Forest Folk never carry a Lamentiri in their bodies, but particularly old and battle-experienced Wraiths take a leaf out of the Noble Spirits way of life, echoing their greatness.

Noble Spirits

Noble Spirits are set apart form the Forest Folk in their posession of a Lamentiri, basically a blackbox in the form of a seed that may be replanted in the Glades and Soulpod Grove to share its knowledge with the future generations and Treelords add another bit of wisdom to their successors - CCTV footage from every battle ever fought. Every single impression, every twist in the spiritsong that informs new troop movements, every blow dealt, every loss of life, every decision made is recorded and stored so it can be reviewed later to not make the same mistake twice. The Lamentiri are harvested by Branchwyches after the Battle from the fallen Nobles.

• Tree Revenants are sombre. They make up the primary warrior caste of the Sylvaneth and are peace keepers, law enforcement and guardians. They're generally lead in groups with a Treeman and a Branchwych, a so called Household.

Gossamid Archers are winged revenant archers.

• Revenant Seekers and Revenant Lancers are the mounted cavalry of the Sylvaneth, riding upon oversized Spites to fly around while harassing the foe.
• Branchwyches are powerful druidic figures whose sorcery and combat skill is highly respected. They are short-tempered, but keep it in check towards higher ranking Sylvaneth and Alarielle (though most subordinates give them due respect so rarely experience this temper). They have a special relationship with spites; in the eyes of the wyches, the little creatures can do no wrong and the Sprites are very fond of the wyches, coming to their aid en mass.
• Treelords make up the nobility of the clans. Treelords are the most well known of the Noble Spirits and serve purposes like Royal Guards, Librarians, lords and military captains. All sylvaneth love them as fathers/mothers and would only disobey one in extreme cases. Huge swarms of Sprites make their home among the branches of the Treelords, nestled in their bark hides. They're inherently compassionate. They have an extremely deep connection to the spirit song. They communicate with one another in songs made up of streams of color and sensation, made into language. The forest itself recognizes them and literally bows down to them whenever they pass. Any human would see them as incredibly old, but their elders consider them reckless like teenager and too easily roused to wrath.
• Treelord Ancients are the Kings and Queens of the Sylvaneth. They're the most powerful mages, the masters of life magic, they have an inner serenity that persists no matter what it is they're doing, including while on the battlefield that they sing to other sylvaneth. They're extremely meticulous, every detail of their extremely long lives is committed to memory. They know the name of every sylvaneth they rule over and spend their lives amassing knowlege into their lamentiri to ensure that future generations can benefit from their experience.

Both of these noble spirits are extremely prone to deeply exemplifying the eccentricities of their glade. EG harvestboon treelords and ancients are very slight and lithe, but extremely passionate quick to rage and mirth. Ironbark treelords tend to have veins of ore in their wood that makes them glitter while being unreasonably stubborn. Dreadwood treelords are vicious and untrustworthy even in the eyes of other sylvaneth.

Free Spirits

The Free Spirits are much more directly administrated by Alarielle. Unlike other forest folk, they aren’t confined to a glade and instead roam around to lend their wisdom and considerable brawn to all in need, as well as dispatching new orders from the royal court.

• The Spirits of Durthu carry their Everqueen’s word throughout her realm as law and speak with her authority. Wielding massive Guardian Swords only few can hope to be on the opposing side of the battlefield and live to tell the tale of a giant tree felling foes by the dozens and using said sword as a magic missile weapon. The Spirits of Durthu are Alarielles chosen generals, advisors and bodyguard, giving sage council and even disagreeing with their goddess to make the best plans for the entire race. These individuals live every day trying to meet his stalwart example, with fierce loyalty and martial might. They have an innate understanding with every other Spirits of Durthu, akin to a shared consciousness.
• Kurnoth Hunters are the "hunter cult" of the Sylvaneth. While they're their own caste of treecreature (hulking warriors much taller than a man) they worship Kurnoth as Alarielle's "Soul-Consort" and equal seeing themselves as embodiment of his wrath as the Sons are to Alarielle. They're the second-newest caste, they didn't arise until Alarielle picked up the spear of Kurnous well into the Age of Sigmar. Hunters are purposeful, driven and almost single minded unlike the bipolar personalities or capricious whimsy of other Sylvaneth. They act as spies, scouts and frontline murdermachines. They're considered very strange creatures by other Sylvaneth who have a hard time understanding their single minded and taciturn natures. Like Treelords and Branchwraiths the spiritsong is especially powerful in them and they reverberate with it. While most Sylvaneth worship seasonal demigods in addition to Alarielle, Kurnoth Hunters are the only ones to do openly another god, Kurnoth. Alarielle says this is fine and that's enough for most Sylvaneth. The Heartwood glade does everything they can to accomodate the Hunters. The Hunt Master of Kurnoth is a recent addition to the Royal Moot. It's baffling for non-Sylvaneth to try and understand his purpose. Some sort of hybrid position of Spy Master, Martial Advisor, High Priest of Kurnoth and Captain of the Royal Guard. Often times a completely random Hunter will take his place with only Alarielle knowing if it's really the Huntmaster. It's unclear if the Huntmaster is a spirit that temporarily possesses a Hunter, or Kurnoth himself making individual hunters his avatar temporarily. The regents of the sylvaneth are very distrustful of the Hunt Master, especially Dreadwood who consider him a clingy upstart. The Forest Folk and many Noble Spirits consider the Kurnoth Hunters to be outsiders to the Glades, unlike them, almost alien, but their might in battle earns them respect, instead of trust.
• Arch-Revenants are a new type of Sylvaneth. During the events that led to the Nercoquake, Alarielle looked at Nagash's designs and the undead ravaging Ghyran and got reminded of the ravages Nurgle and the followers of Chaos. However, this time she resolved not to dwindle or hide like last time and decided to go on the offensive against the threat. To this end she planted the soulpods that became Arch-Revenants, and enlisting the help of Zephyspites, bugs with giant wings, to carry her new captains into the fray. They fuel the warlike parts of the Sylvaneth spirit song, but without the sadism or insanity that can be found among the Outcasts.

Outcasts

The Outcasts are unsettling. Deeply so for mortals, but almost as much for the Sylvaneth. The Sylvaneth don't know where they come from, don't know how they're made, don't even know if they're not a reflection of the Sylvaneth made dark by Alarielle's vengeful desires. Many believe them to be Sylvaneth who caved into despair during the war in Ghyran against Nurgle, others see in them the attempt of spites trying to become Sylvaneth. Alarielle decided to give her entire race amnesia in this regard and keeps this secret to herself. Spite-Revenants are insane, literally. They're deaf to all but the darkest and most malevolent parts of the sylvaneth's song, dwell in gloomy and unsettling glades. Some Sylvaneth fear the outcasts madness is infectious. Where Dryads and other Sylvaneth sing, Spite Revenants "Scream a sawing, nerve-shredding cacophony of horror and hate fit to drive mortal minds beyond the brink of sanity." Murderous butchers all, they commonly soak themselves and their roots in blood and torture their enemies. For fun, if they can experience such an emotion.

• Drycha considers herself to be their regent, like the Willowqueen is the regent of Harvestboon or the Old King of Gnarlroot. Drycha and the Outcasts are far more than just racist. They want to purge all non-Sylvaneth, but they will ally with non-Sylvaneth in the short-term if it helps genocide them in the long term. The malevolent and cruel sprites love her. She and the Spite-Revenants are warriors and distrusted if not hated by all other Treefolk.

Notable Places

The Living City

Raised by Lady Alarielle the Everqueen from the stone and Ironoak of the Jade Kingdom, the Living City is a natural bulwark against the savage powers of the realms, a mighty woodland city ringed by thorn-studded towers and walls of choking vines. It was the first of three fortified cities that would find themselves under siege by the forces of brutality and disorder during the bloody season of war. After a vicious campaign, the battle was won, as the city itself stirred to life to crush and tear its foes apart. In the wake of this victory the boughs of the living city have continued to reach ever outwards, forming new perimeter walls of venom tipped thorns and canopy-districts of winding, oaken pathways. Artisans and craftsmen flock to the Living City, fashioning wondrous artifacts and weapons from its sturdy ironoak branches. The city's hunters are renowned as some of the finest woodsmen and trackers in the realms, and their ironoak longbows loose arrows with unerring accuracy.

The Living City stands as a symbol of the great alliance between the people of the God-King Sigmar and the Lady Alarielle, and its citizens are attuned like few others to the wonders - and dangers - of nature. From an early age, the wardens of the city learn the arts of woodcraft and tracking, mastering the ability to move at pace while leaving barely a sign of their passing. In the depths of the forest and upon the battlefield, the shadows are a powerful ally. Warriors of the Living City pass unseen until the moment they strike, cutting down their prey in a pinpoint storm of arrows. Graceful, inhuman forms lead the city's armies to battle: Sylvaneth, separate but always close to their mortal allies, honoring the alliance between Sigmar and the Lady Alarielle. Though the guardians of the Living City are fine trackers in their own right, they know little of the ancient places of the realms, the primordial paths through nature that the everqueen's children still recall. Should battle be joined, the Sylvaneth will willingly lay down their lives alongside humans, Duardin and Aelves, sacrificing themselves for the cause of order.

The Scoured Forest

A region of the Realm of Fire, once inhabited by Sylvaneth. A sprawling land of carboniferous forests, this place was the site of a cataclysmic battle against the Skaven of Clan Skyre. The conflict left the land its self scarred and seared for ages to come, as the ratmen's engines of destruction washed the forests in flames and ignited the volatile gasses that permeated the swampland. Clouds of ash billow across this land, so thick that one can barely see more than a few hundred yards ahead.

Soulbound

In Age of Sigmar Roleplay, it's established that Sylvaneth Soulbound are extremely rare, because the rite of binding is both a great gift and a solemn, terrible burden. The gift is that, ironically, the binding frees the Sylvaneth from the defined role that each individual Sylvaneth was literally born to fulfill, as well as granting them the opportunity to see the beauty of the realms and attain an understanding of non-Sylvaneth races that would otherwise be impossible. The cost is that, just as Soulbound of the other races are sterilized, Sylvaneth Soulbound lose their lamentiri - the generational memories that an individual Sylvaneth carries from its ancestors and returns to the groves with their death to become part of the next generation. To become a Soulbound, then, means that Sylvaneth is the end of their entire lineage; their memories and the part they filled in the Spirit Song are forever lost by agreeing to undergo the Binding.

For this reason, only Alarielle will ask a Sylvaneth to become Soulbound - no other deity would dare to presume they have the right to do so - and she does so rarely. Those rare few aware of the nature of the Soulbound suggest that this is why the Everqueen prefers to sponsor human and aelven followers instead. But, when she must ask it of her firstborn, they invariably say "yes", for their entire race exists to serve her will.

A side-effect of this is that Sylvaneth are highly accepting of Soulbound from their own race. Non-Sylvaneth Soulbound who include a Sylvaneth amongst their Binding are thusly privileged to receive an unusually high amount of favor from the Sylvaneth, one that they seldom afford to outsiders.

The Champions of Order supplement includes the following glades for a Sylvaneth hero to hail from:

• Oakenbrow: This is the largest of Alarielle's glades, often called upon to act as envoys to other mortal species and thus are more open-minded than their kindred. They tend to be the most willing to cooperate and parley, and thus are natural leaders among the Soulbound. Heroes from the Oakenbrow Glade gain double their training on checks to resist any condition and gain advantage on Guile and Intimidation checks made to get their way.
• Gnarlroot: Rather reclusive compared to other Sylvaneth, though recent developments have also tempted their hunger to learn more about various magical secrets. This curiosity is an especially large factor as to why they would become Soulbound, even if it means their definitive end. Heroes of the Gnarlroot Glade start with a specially crafted spell that they can always cast, and all archetypes can now buy the Spellcasting (Life) talent.
• Harvestboon: Though born during the Age of Chaos, they have learned to thrive on battle and victory. Because of their relative youth compared to other glades, they view the price to pay for being Soulbound as rather minor and often willingly seek the wisdom of other races rather than the ancestral wisdom of their own kind. Heroes of the Harvestboon Glade have advantage on any checks made to inspire others. Whenever they undertake an endeavor or action to reduce Doom, the reduce it by 1 more.
• Ironbark: Grown in Chamon, the Sylvaneth of this glad have absorbed liquid metal and have adopted not only the hardness of iron, but also a steadfast and unyielding demeanor. This glade shares a distant history with the Duardin of the realm, and often those who join a Soul-binding do so to repay a debt to a Duardin ancestor by aiding their descendants. As such, these Sylvaneth tend to have demeanors similar to their colleagues, though it baffles others. Heroes of the Ironbark Glade have a natural armor rating of 3 (and can't benefit from Ironbark oil for obvious reasons), and gain advantage on checks made to resist the charmed or frightened condition.
• Winterleaf: After a series of tragedies and misfortunes, this glade has hardened its heart to compassion and instead seek only revenge and hatred against a cold an uncaring universe. Those who become Soulbound will often realize the futility of their actions, and thus kill the morale of their comrades, though some may yet find hope. Heroes of the Winterleaf Glade gain advantage on Intimidation checks but suffer disadvantage on any other social checks. Whenever the party's Soulfire is less than the current Doom score, they double their training and focus on Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill but degrade their defense by one grade.
• Dreadwood: These are the bleakest and cruelest of the Sylvaneth, reveling in sadism. They treat all species as their foes and even other Sylvaneth treat them as possible foes, so much so that Alarielle tries to keep their hate focused on the forces of Chaos and Death. Because of this, the process of Soul-binding is treated more as a final punishment, forcing those Sylvaneth to learn humility among lesser races, though few ever truly learn such a lesson. Heroes of the Dreadwood Glade will invariably raise the party's Doom by 1 and this Doom can never go below 2. Once per battle when they kill a non-minion enemy, they will spend the rest of their turn reveling in this suffering though it also improves their Melee by one step.
• Heartwood: In ages past, this glade suffered severe losses in returning the spear of Kurnoth, god of the hunt beloved consort of their goddess. The Sylvaneth of the modern day seek to embody the heroes of the past and often do so in the battlefield. This has led them to being as open-minded to allying with other races as Oakenbrow Glade. Often, these Sylvaneth join the Soulbound in either further emulating their god or in hopes of resurrecting him - and they will push their humanoid colleagues to reach these heights. Heroes of the Heartwood Glade can call the Wild Hunt once per battle. For this turn, you and your nearby allies improve your Melee and Speed by one step, but degrade your Defense by one step.

In the corebook, Sylvaneth Soulbound have access to three Archetypes; the Branchwych, the Kurnoth Hunter and the Tree-Revenant Waypiper. The Champions of Order splatbook adds the Spite-Revenant Archetype while the Era of the Beast introduces the Warsong Revenant Archetype.