The Kurzicks & The Echovald Forest
When the Jade Wind swept through the branches of Echovald Forest, it turned everything to stone. Birds crashed to the forest floor in mid-flight. Deer leaped from the ground as flesh and blood, and came to the earth little more than lie-like statues. Now, two centuries later, life has cautiously returned to the forest. The Kurzicks were the first to venture back to the forest. There they have adapted to their petrified surroundings and have begun to carve their culture into this new landscape.
T o the devout Kurzicks, everything is a sign. A portent of what is to come. They find a divine message and meaning in everything they witness. This church-state is ruled by the Council of Nobles, who makes decisions and laws only after receiving counsel from the spiritual leaders, known as the Redemptors. Great Houses govern the Kurzicks, ancient families that can trace their origins into Cantha's distant past, and beyond. Today there are five main houses, two of which are the most powerful and influential. It is common for the houses to argue amongst themselves, but when it comes time to fight the Luxons, Kurzicks quickly forget their internal squabbles and focus their hatred on their long-standing enemy. Since Shiro's death and the petrifaction of the forest, the Kurzicks have built their elaborate homes and cathedrals directly into the fossilized trunks of the enormous trees that make up the forest.
