| Category | Forests |
| Continent | Brucrumus |
| Regions | Cinazan, Grashakh, Tribe Steppes |
| Map | Arinthil Forest |
Arinthil is an expansive temperate forest spanning three distinct regions - Cinazan, Grashakh, and the Tribe Steppes. Originating in the south at the head of the Shadow Rift, the forest stretches far northward, concluding at the Maranwë Tîwele, also known as the "honey plains". From Tamoroc in the west, the woodland is traversed by numerous game trails and military pathways, some of which have become so deeply rutted that they resemble established roads.
Countless hooves have thundered for centuries, driven by bloodlust and the desire to plunder. Eastward they journey, across Arinthil and into the realms of Grashakh and Cinazan. For many, this will be their final great ride. The impassioned claim it is a culling of their own kind, a means to preserve the bountiful riches of Tamoroc. However, do not be deceived - these are the Jara, a cursed and deranged people, driven to destroy anything they deem weaker than themselves.
Cáno, a member of the "War Spears" faction in the city of Lúinwë - "Against Safe Passage"
The Jara have been infiltrating Arinthil for many generations. Occasionally as part of a substantial raiding party led by a Jara Khan. Their sole objective is to pillage and plunder, never to retain their conquests. Towards the end of the First Epoch, elves, Forstneblin, and Nermaneans established settlements in this woodland. They swiftly united to combat the Jara scourge.
By the middle of the Second Epoch, the Ithengee and Lúinwë forts and bastions, most situated in the trees, were safeguarding extensive regions and consistently gaining the upper hand against the Jara. An unspoken truce emerged, with Arinthil's defenders overlooking the raiders as they traversed their lands towards a more formidable adversary. This greater threat was the Orchish Empire. When this empire pushed northeast in the Core Offensive, seizing new territories and establishing settlements, it significantly narrowed the frontier between Lúinwë, Ithengee, and a much larger empire with a more ardent appetite for conquest than the Jara.
Over the course of several eras, Arinthil has been meticulously shaped. Pockets of towering trees, enhanced by arcane and nature energy, are resistant to fire and sturdy enough to support sizeable fortifications. Others stand impressively tall, functioning as observation posts. Some have been coaxed by magic to sprout a multitude of branches and thorns, sharp and hardy. The Fograth refer to these as "pork pines," and their battle manuals describe them as defensive arrays used to channel attackers into killing zones. The forest also features blocky trees with branches as thick as the great columns of Bor. The well-trodden war paths on the forest floor are overshadowed by a network of vines, cultivated to connect the trees and serve as bridges for nimble elven archers.
Arinthil's terrain poses a substantial challenge for travelers. The region boasts varying elevations, dense vegetation, and numerous ravines and streams, making it an ideal location for concealing sizeable groups. While open areas are limited, the northern forest regions favor rivers as the preferred and safer mode of transportation. Most roads lead to river settlements or fortifications equipped with canoes, rafts, ferries, and potentially sailing vessels.
The custom of the Jara is to entomb their fallen Khan within expansive barrows. Numerous such Jara Khan Tombs are concealed amidst the southern hills of Arinthil. The most prominent of these is the Mound of Bone Pounder.