The Derkwuds: Forest of Eternal Mist

The Derkwuds are a permanently mist-wreathed forest filling the valley between the Draktun Pass and the Aranthaes Fields. The trees grow so densely that whole tracts are impassable, and locals avoid the margins; many who venture inward never return. At the forest’s lightless heart yawns the Derkwuds Tear – a long, narrow chasm brimming with black water said to be bottomless. Scattered through the reachable groves stand jet-black, glass-smooth structures from prehistory, purpose unknown and unnerving to the touch.
 

Setting & First Impressions

The Derkwuds are thick with pine and shadow, their canopy blotting out the sun even at midday. Fog clings to the undergrowth, muting sound and dulling sight. Approaching from the Draktun side, the valley seems to swallow the road into a world of perpetual twilight. Sounds carry strangely here: a whisper may seem shouted, while a snapping branch echoes like thunder. The air itself feels heavy, and those who linger too long report a sense of being watched.
 

Hazards of the Woods

Travelers fear the Tear most of all – its black waters drink all light, and legends claim anything that falls within is lost forever. Lanterns sputter without wind, and pale lights drift between the boles at night, luring the unwary deeper. A rough “shortcut” road has been hacked through where the forest thins, offering a direct but perilous link between Lantear and Aranthaes Port. Few guides agree to cross it at night, and those who do charge dearly, muttering of shapes glimpsed in the mist and calls that echo from the Tear as though in reply.
 

Secrets of the Black Structures

The most unsettling features of the Derkwuds are the ancient structures scattered through its depths. Jet-black and glassy-smooth, they show no tool marks or seams, as though poured whole from some forgotten art. Metal brought near them grows icy cold, ink beads and slides from their surfaces, and toppled blocks hang half-submerged in the Tear like jagged teeth. Scholars argue whether they are relics of the Mother, or remnants of something far older and beyond understanding. Most locals avoid them entirely, convinced they are cursed.
 

Notable Places

The Derkwuds Tear: A chasm of inky water, whispered to be bottomless. Many claim it hums faintly at night.
The Derk Road: A rough track linking Lantear to Aranthaes Port, known for disappearances after dusk.
The Black Monoliths: Prehistoric blocks scattered in groves, chilling to the touch, with no signs of age or erosion.
The Whispering Glade: A clearing where voices echo unnaturally, often repeating words not spoken aloud.
 

Rhythms & Customs

Locals refuse to enter the forest after sunset, and even by day they mutter charms and tie knotted twine at its margins to “hold back the mist.” Guides will only cross in groups, and insist travelers cast a stone into the Tear before leaving, lest the forest claim their path. Even the hardiest of the Red Cloaks swear that the fog carries voices downstream, and some claim to have heard their own names called from the banks.
 

For the Storyteller

The Derkwuds are a natural stage for mystery and dread. Its gloom hides both mundane dangers – beasts, bandits, and Red Cloak patrols – and supernatural ones, from the inexplicable behavior of the lights to the ancient monoliths. The Tear offers a perfect anchor for eldritch secrets, while the Shortcut Road provides a tense gauntlet of encounters. It is a place of unease, of half-glimpsed shapes, and of rumors that may prove all too real.
 

Encounters

When traveling in the Derkwuds, roll d10 for possible encounters…

  1. 2 (1d4) Red Cloaks moving quietly through the mist, intent on ambushing smugglers.
    Red Cloaks: AC 14, HP 22, scimitar (1d6+2), leather armor.
  2. A pale light drifts between the trees – following it leads to a sheer drop into the Tear. DC 14 Perception to notice in time.
  3. 3 (1d4+1) giant wolves, their eyes glowing faintly in the fog.
    Giant Wolves: AC 13, HP 26, bite (2d6+2), pack tactics.
  4. A ruined grove with a half-buried black monolith; lingering here causes 1d4 psychic damage per hour as whispers fill the mind.
  5. 4 bandits posing as lost travelers.
    Bandits: AC 12, HP 11, shortsword (1d6), leather armor.
  6. A caravan of smugglers taking the Shortcut Road by night, jumpy and quick to draw blades.
    Smugglers: AC 12, HP 14, dagger (1d4+2), leather armor.
  7. Swarm of ravens erupts from the canopy, clawing and pecking wildly.
    Swarm: AC 12, HP 22, multiattack (1d4+1), no armor.
  8. A scholar and two guards examining a monolith — paranoid and convinced the forest is alive.
    Scholar: AC 10, HP 9, dagger (1d4). Guards: AC 14, HP 12, longsword (1d8), chain mail.
  9. A black bear prowling near the Tear, agitated and territorial.
    Bear: AC 11, HP 34, multiattack (claw/bite, 1d6+2 / 1d8+2).
  10. An unnatural silence falls; all creatures must make DC 13 Wisdom saves or be frightened for 1 minute, imagining footsteps closing in.
On   /   Island Locations