The Old Forest Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

The Old Forest is an ancient, dense, and largely untouched woodland located immediately east of Buckland and the Shire's borders. It represents one of the last remnants of the primordial forests that covered much of the continent in ancient times. Geographically, it is a vast, self-contained wilderness bordered by the River Brandywine to the west and the dreaded Barrow-downs to the east. The forest is characterized by a high, irregular canopy that blocks out most sunlight, creating a perpetually gloomy and shadowed interior where travelers easily lose their sense of direction.

The physical appearance of the forest is both intimidating and unnatural. Many trees within are extraordinarily old, with gnarled, twisted trunks and branches that lean over the narrow paths as if examining passersby. The types of trees vary, but ancient oaks, ash, and particularly a species of large, malevolent willow trees along the riverbanks, known as the Withywindle valley, dominate the landscape. The ground is often covered in thick moss and tangled roots, and the atmosphere is heavy with the smell of damp earth and decay.

The forest's most menacing feature is its sentience and malevolence. The trees are not merely passive obstacles; they possess a collective, conscious dislike for the "walking things" that cross their land, particularly humanoids. This latent malice manifests in physical ways: trees subtly shift their positions to confuse paths, drop heavy branches unexpectedly, or lean over to crowd and trap weary travelers against their trunks, slowly crushing them. This makes navigating the forest an exercise in constant psychological and physical defense.

Travel within the Old Forest is further complicated by the River Withywindle, which flows through the heart of the woods. This river valley is the darkest and most dangerous part of the entire forest, a place where the evil will of the trees seems strongest. The willows near the river are particularly dangerous, capable of putting weary travelers into a deep, ensnaring sleep from which they rarely wake. The river itself serves as a conduit for this oppressive power, making the riparian areas death traps.

Due to these inherent dangers, the Old Forest is completely uninhabited by civilized people. The inhabitants of nearby Buckland built the massive High Hay hedge specifically to keep the forest and its pervasive darkness out of their lands. The only resident mentioned is an eccentric, powerful, and mysterious entity known as Tom Bombadil, who lives with his wife Goldberry in a house near the source of the River Withywindle, seemingly immune to and perhaps even the master of the forest's malevolent properties.

Historically, the forest is a place of deep, ancient mystery, a remnant of a world before the ascendancy of men and hobbits. It is a location where the natural world maintains a primal, dark power that refuses to submit to civilization's touch. Its very existence, pressing so close against the inhabited lands of the Shire and Bree-land, serves as a stark reminder of the untamed, dangerous wilderness that lies just beyond the doorstep of safety.