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***
The Guide had returned to Sorabu Forest for the first time in years. Behind him walked the Stranger, clad in dark robes, his hands wrapped around a large tome. For the six weeks they had travelled together, the Stranger had barely let go of it. They stood on a crest in a rolling field of grass. The edge of the forest was just a few hundred feet away. Above the canopy rose the mountain line known as Ashwall.
The Stranger cleared his throat with a cough. “This is the place,” he said. “It is here, waiting for us in the forest.”
“This forest goes on for miles, sir,” the Guide said.
***
The Foreboding Shadows of
The Sorabu Forest
Sorabu Forest lies to the south-east in the kingdom of Hirelm, a forest so massive and impregnable that no known explorer has traveled beyond the legendary Ashwall Mountains and returned. Beneath the canopies of the ash trees, many dangers lurk and many secrets remain buried in the undergrowth.
Tribes of forest goblins come raiding from the forest’s edge, sometimes mounted on ferocious boars. Deeper in the forest, lost draugr (as Wight) wander in a cursed quest to find their way home. All parts of the forest is watched over by guardian nymphs (as Nixie), who directs the trees and in dire times awaken the mighty treants. In shadowy ravines and lost groves, the giant spiders lurk, trapping lost forest goblins in their webs. When the moon reaches its apogee and turns blood red, a cursed forest dragon (as Dragon) takes to wing, in search of its stolen eggs.
Along the border of the forest there are many villages and steads, where Hirelmian peasants toil by day and forest goblins skulk by night. The most notable of such villages is the village of Reynglen (06.06) which lies far into the forest, but is still accessible through a handful of glades. Most adventurers foolish enough to brave Sorabu Forest come here, often tempted by rumors of Ravalfstad (07.07), an elven temple said to be built with amber and other mysterious crystals.
The canopies of Sorabu Forest choke all light, except for the steep inclines of Ashwall Mountains (07.08, 08.07, 08.08) where the the Lost Warden Tree (07.08) is hidden away. Buried beneath the Warden Tree is one of the sealed Elsegates. To the west, the Burned Hills (04.07) the forest goblins have built their strongholds.
Key Features
Canopies - The forest canopies hide the sunlight and prevent visibility beyond 300 ft.Colors - The grey trunks, the brown and green undergrowth, the red berries of the rowans.
Foreboding - Sometimes the birdsong stops. Is something watching you?
Uneven - The terrain rises and recedes. Travel is impeded by serpentine paths.
Damp - The air is humid, pungent, full of fragrant scents. Herbs grow everywhere.
Rich - The area is rich in various herbal plants and small animals.
Characters
Skulk - A forest goblin leader. Wants to settle the Lost Warden Tree. Needs to rid the spider infestation there.Alora - Leader of the nymphs. Wants to bring back the Forest Spirit. Needs to drive away the forest goblins.
Howden - Mayor of Reynglen. Wants the best for his folk. Needs supplies and security.
Queen Corvana - Queen of the Elves of Ravalfstad. Wants novel goods and people to interact with. Needs to neutralize the forest dragon.
Forest Spirit - Divine spirit in the form of a forest dragon. Driven mad by the loss of its eggs. Wants the eggs back. Needs the Whisper Curse to be removed.
Adventures
- A contingent of Kingsguard were on their way to Reynglen to collect taxes, wandered off the trail and disappeared. A reward has been promised for those who can give an account of their fate, along with proof of course.
- Forest Goblins have begun the construction of a giant effigy in 06.07, near a cave entry. Rangers report that they are well organised, more than normal.
- A strange company lead by a robed man and a guide hired some local knaves to accompany them into the forest. They went beyond the forest wall, only for a single, injured knave returning home, speaking of horrific monsters in the woods and an ancient temple at the foot of a giant tree.
- A retinue of elves from Ravalfstad visited a village in 06.06, and after they left, some of the younger villagers had disappeared. Local folk beg any passerby to seek out and question the elven retinue about this disappearance.
- Some youths from Reynglen return home with a giant egg. Sages identify it to be a dragon egg. They are unsure how safe it is to keep the egg in the village. They will approach visiting adventurers for advice.
Encounters
