Not long after experimentation on the uses of spirit cores began taking place around the world, the scholars who helped with the creation of the Crafters Guild returned to Naerhelm, but not before assisting in a final breakthrough in spirit core research. Gathering notes and theories from researchers across the world, the Naerhelm scholars found that fusing spirit cores with metals or wooden materials they could create weapons that hold characteristics of the creature cores used in the creation.

After the discovery of spirit weapon forging and the departure of the Naerhelm scholars, Crafters Guilds across Melio began to forge these new weapons in earnest. Marvelous weapons that gave seemingly magical abilities to those who wield them became a hot commodity in every Hunters Order hall. Daggers forged with the spirit core of agile creatures gave the wielder increased agility and speed, a great sword with the core of a Minotaur would give a Hunter immense strength.

These weapons greatly increased the Hunters capability to protect the traveling merchants of the Traders Guild, improving the rate of which supplies and valuables would reach their intended destination. The Hunters Order halls and Crafters Guilds across Melio began to work together to arm each member with these new weapons, adapting a sort of rite of passage for trainees. Those that prove themselves to be capable of fulfilling the role of a Hunter were given a spirit weapon at their indoctrination. While these gifted weapons were lacking in potency as some of the incredibly powerful arms that highly rated Hunters wield, as those who could would kill a rare or particularly strong creature for their spirit core and gather special ores for the weapon itself, they were well above the performance of mundane weaponry.

While the Order and Guilds relished in this newfound strength and security, some were left wondering why the Naerhelm scholars had left directly after such a momentous discovery. The answer came roughly two years after when Naerhelm introduced a new Order to the trails. The Vanguard Order came equipped with spirit weapons that could rival an entire team of high rated Hunters weapons and took control of a majority of the trails, claiming only they were capable of securing safety and order in The Wilds. The Vanguards were antagonistic towards any Hunters they encountered and would drive the Hunters away from their merchant and citizen charges while claiming they were simply too weak to stand against the creatures that were a constant threat to humanity. Antagonism lead to open conflict between the Hunters Order and the Vanguards, often leading to the deaths of entire Hunter teams at the hands of a single Vanguard.

One such occasion lead to the death of a relative to the current Potentate of Gaile, sparking an outrage within the settlement. Gailian merchants began to refuse the protection of the Vanguards outright, prompting the now openly hostile Order to seize the entirety of the caravan and kill any who raised a complaint or opposed them. This went on for over a year, causing the Hunters Order in Gaile to lose well over half of their members to conflict with the Vanguards and immeasurable losses for the Traders and Crafters Guilds as well. Enraged and desperate, Potentate Raskin of Gaile sent envoys to all the other settlements on the Western continent, calling for immediate assistance in subjugating this Northern hostility. Word of the crisis also reached Mystes, who had taken to the Vanguards as a more reliable source of protection against the threats of The Wild. Magistrate Galfton, current leader of Mystes, sent an inquiry to Naerhelm, asking for information regarding the issue and if there was some way the hostilities could be ended as it had effected trade across the Northern mountain range. Naerhelm quickly sent a response to Galfton’s missive, in the form of the messengers head and the broken remnants of his spirit weapon.

With this act of open aggression, Galfton began to send Hunters proficient in stealth and information gathering into the areas around Naerhelm were Vanguard activity was strongest, as well as enlisting a vessel from Bravima with a crew of highly rated and heavily armed Hunters to travel the Central Sea, bypassing the Naerhelm trail strangle hold and contact Gaile, stating the intent to lay siege to the northern settlement. The ship carrying the message and the armed to the teeth Hunters were battered and tossed about in the violent storms that raged across the Central Sea and were forced to stop for repairs on what they assumed to be a large uninhabited island just past making the halfway point in their journey.

Tired and hungry as the storm had claimed a fair amount of their supplies and robbed them of any rest, the Hunters began to venture inland from their ship, pressing in towards the center of the forested island. It wasn’t long before they realized this Island was far from uninhabited. As they gazed upwards to the tops of the massive trees that seemed to greedily absorb all open ground with roots wide enough two grown men could have no trouble walking in side by side, they noticed strange structures spanning the boughs of the behemoth plant life.

That first night spent amongst the roots the Hunters were surprised by humans careening down the trunks of the trees aided by strange contraptions that allowed a controlled decent from the ridiculous height of the boughs. The Hunters at first armed themselves as they believed they were being set upon by tree dwelling creatures, but seeing humans they became confused, and no small portion relieved as they had expected not to find any sort of hospitality on this strange island.

The strange people and contraptions soon had the weary Hunter party amongst the branches of the massive trees and inspecting up close the structures they had trouble seeing from the forest floor. Wide and sturdy feeling caged walkways seemed to twist and turn and branch out in endless junctures high above the root floor of the forest. Talking with their newfound companions, the party was told they were indeed Hunters themselves from a settlement they called Sanvar, and that they had built these expansive walkways as a safe way to traverse the forest as the trees were not the only things that had gargantuan statures. Led seemingly for hours amidst the foliage ranging from the size of a large person to that which would dwarf the great gates that allowed entry and exit from the Walls, they arrived at the settlement Sanvar. The Wall that surrounded this settlement was neither stone nor metal as the party had come to expect, but a weaving of the enormous tree trunks and branches using an odd frame work that seemed to snake in and out of the weave with no apparent pattern.

What confounded the Hunters more was the strange appearance of the settlement itself. What appeared to be houses carved from the trunks of the trees had strange metal workings jutting here and there from within, spouting steam either randomly or steadily. Pulley systems that allowed quick travel up and down the towering trunks could be seen working their way quite quickly up and down, some carrying boxes and baskets, while others had people ascending to their houses among the upper levels of the settlement. Nowhere could they see stone roads or brick buildings that had brought comfort and a feeling of security whenever they reached a mainland settlement. Pathways made of shaped roots and branches twist and turn where ever they set their eyes, and lining these paths were strange staves that emitted a weak but steady light to aid in travel at night.

One odd sight after another assaulted the exhausted Hunters senses as they were guided towards a particularly large tree home located in the middle of the exotic homestead. By the time they entered the home and were instructed they could seat themselves and had food and drink presented to them, the party felt as though they had stepped into an entirely different world. After some time a few of the Hunters began to dose while the more cautious of the group sat weary but alert, the bark door that had been closed during this stretch opened and a very short, very disgruntled looking old man made his way to the center of the room. “Welcome to Sanvar,” the old man stated in a not too welcoming manor, “You may call me Oos.” The old man snorted as he surveyed the battered and bruised men and women. “Rest here tonight, and in the morning we will talk about how the hell you got here, why you are here, and what it will take to get you the hell off this island.” And with that the decidedly unpleasant Oos took his leave, slamming the bark door closed with a grumble.