Children of the Forest (Russian: Дети Леса) are a faction in Metro Exodus. Most of them are hostile towards Artyom, especially the Pirates.
Overview[]
The Children of the Forest are a group of children who were stranded at a scout camp when World War III occurred. Raised by their camp master, whom they have come to call "Teacher", they developed the skills necessary to survive any threat the wilderness may present. Be that the changing weather, fierce creatures, bandit attacks, or unwelcome guests.
They formed a tribe in post-apocalyptic Kazakhstan, created sometime after 2013. The Children of the Forest wear primitive clothes made from items found in nature, similar to the nomadic tribes of the past. The faces of cult members are hidden by masks made from the skulls of mutants in order to instill fear in the hearts of their enemies. As hinted at by their name, they tend to live in woodlands and other areas that remained clear or far from the urbanized centers of humanity's former glory now poisoned by radiation.
The Children of the Forest developed a justice system called the Forest Court, that is mostly used to judge outsiders and trespassers to determine whether they are hostile or not. If they are not hostile, they are allowed to pass through the territory peacefully while the hostile ones are either imprisoned or executed.
As the attacks of bandits intensify overtime, resulting in the death of many members, the Children of the Forest become divided into two subgroups with conflicting views of the Teacher’s lessons: the Pioneers and the Pirates. The Pioneers prefer to lead a peaceful and isolated lifestyle by only killing bandits, while letting any peaceful trespassers pass through. The Pirates, on the other hand, actively attack strangers and engage in looting as well as ignoring the Forest Court multiple times. Artyom has an opportunity to talk to some members of the Children of the Forest, earning moral points along the way according to choices made.
Metro Exodus[]
When Artyom and Alyosha's railcar is derailed as they are scouting the Valley, both are rescued by the Children. While Artyom is secretly rescued by Olga, Alyosha is taken captive by the Pioneers and is set to stand trial, though he later manages to escape. Throughout the level, Artyom will be forced to pass through several camps occupied by the Children. Choosing a stealthy approach and either only knocking them out or avoiding them completely will earn positive moral points. After Artyom's fight with the bear, Olga, along with a few other Children, will confront Artyom and Alyosha. If Artyom showed restraint in dealing with the Children, they will simply see the pair off, while Alyosha warns Olga that the dam is about to burst and to evacuate the Valley with the rest of the Children. If Artyom was merciless, however, Olga and the Children will be much more hostile, and will banish Artyom and Alyosha from the Valley. They will also shoot at the pair as they are ziplining away, resulting in Alyosha getting shot with an arrow.
If Artyom and the Children parted ways on friendly terms, bandit radio chatter can later be heard aboard the Aurora that confirms the Children did, in fact, evacuate the Valley.
Trivia[]
- The Children of the Forest resemble the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, and were possibly inspired by them.
- The Children of the Forest is the only faction in Metro Exodus whose leader is named, but never shown.
- Despite the Pirates being more aggressive to outsiders, with Artyom being compared to the Pioneers, they often question whether such brutal methods of survival are even moral to what the Teacher had taught them. Some of the members considered sparing both Artyon and Alyosha, but also warned them not to trespass on their territory again. This contradicts their original views, since the Pirates are usually willing to take outsiders or bandits as their prisoners for trial and even loot their equipment.
- The Children of Forest also resemble the Jackal Clan from RAGE, considering their appearance and common use of either bows or clubs.
Gallery[]
| Factions in Metro Exodus | |
|---|---|
| Muscovite Groups | |
| Other Groups | Bandits • Cannibals • Children of the Forest • Church of the Water Tsar • Munai-bailer • Mutants • Novosibirsk Rioters • OSKOM • Stalkers • Night Hunters • Tom's Army |