Hullack Forest
Hullack Forest
Inhabitants
Hobgoblins, orcs, goblins, bugbears, ogres, oni, Satyrs, centaurs, dryads, treants. Lots of green dragons, chimerae and other monsters stalk it, opossum and farrowdale mouse - venomous. Map of Hullack Forest and surrounding area The Hullack Forest was once a part of the huge forest of Cormanthor and marks the northeastern border of Cormyr and the Dales.[1] It was the most primeval forest in all of Cormyr, with numerous dark valleys and hidden vales that went unseen for decades and was likely among the most dangerous regions of Cormyr. Legends stated that it was full of ghosts and monsters. Cormyrean wardens and crown scouts often steered adventurers here in hopes of taming this dense wood.[1] By 1372 DR the Hullack Forest, the Kings Forest and Hermit's Wood were almost all that remained of the southern reaches of Cormanthor in Cormyr, having been pushed back significantly during the prosperous reign of Azoun IV.[1] Hullack Forest is named for the Great Druid Hullack of the Wyvernwater Circle (part of the greater Druid Ring of Cormanthor), who led the circle around 200 years ago and was known as a firm elf friend and ally of the former nation of Esparrin (now annexed into Cormyr). They Wyvernwater Circle began to diminish following the disastrous confrontation with a hive of beholders around 1100 DR, and since that time the Hullack Forest has been logged back from the northern shores of the Wyvernwater (where it used to join the King’s Forest). Hullack Forest was once joined to the King’s Forest on the northern and southern shores of the Wyvernwater. It was separated from the northern portion of the King’s Forest in 1018 DR when the Flight of Dragons caused several of those creatures to attack Arabel and set miles of the forest alight. Its southern edge was separated much earlier as part of Cormyr’s expansion along the Coast Lands. The current remnants of the Hullack Forest have been left virtually unharmed in over a century for the primary reason that it is full of goblinoids, monsters, and much worse. This portion of the Hullack Forest is the centre of what was the traditional lands of House Amaratharr that acted as wardens of the woodlands of Cormyr long ago under the watchful gaze of Thauglorimorgorus. The elves of the Lythtlorn have long since departed, but some of their legacies still linger. The Hullack Forest is home to many ruins, the most famous of which are Tethgard and the Wyvernstones, but many other fell ruins remain amid the trees and occasionally disgorge powerful magic and creatures to slaughter the unwary forester or traveller.History
1391 DR
The Eldreth Veluuthra seized control of the forest to use it as a base for their operations. [2]1394 DR
Cormyr tries to retake the forest, and a brief conflict occurs with the occupying Eldreth Veluuthra, but King Azoun V soon turns his attention to the more pressing threats of Netheril and Sembia. [2]Locations
Tethgard
In 1372 DR, adventurers discovered the ruins of Tethgard in the Hullack Forest.[3]Wyvernstones of Hullack
A sacred site of Eldath, in 1363 DR they were desecrated by lycanthropes tied to the People of the Black Blood.[4]Elfhold
Wyvernstones of Hullack
The Wyvernstones of Hullack are a sacred site of Eldath and a legend of the Hullack Forest[1] in northeastern Cormyr. Each menhir is twelve feet high and six wide and the twelve of them create a circle some 60 feet in diameter. The north, east, and west facing stones are crossed by a table stone forming an arch over each pair with the south arch, lying cracked and broken at the base of the menhirs.[2] Hidden under thick moss on the inward facing surface of each stone are druidic runes. If cleared and deciphered they form several spells often employed by druids of Eldath.[3] The outer surface of each stone is entirely devoid of moss or lichen, leaving several intricate carvings of ancient wyverns visible to anyone who should discover the fabled Wyvernstones of Hullack. A small, clear, 30' diameter pool lies in the center of the circle and despite the bloody sacrifices and rituals tainting its waters nightly, upon the morning it becomes pure again with the first rays of dawn.[4] They once marked the burial glen for the elves of House Amaratharr until their eventual retreat and were later used by druids of the Wyvernwater Circle. In 1363 DR Lycanthropes linked with the People of the Black Blood discovered the stones and formed the Bloodmoon Circle, and use the site to conduct their bloody rituals.[2] The Wyvernstones of Hullack are a collection of stones 12 ft high and 6 ft in diameter that form a 60 diameter circle of menhirs with trilithons at the compass points (allow the capstone of the southern point has been shattered). The Wyvernstones are truly enormous and stretch to 100 ft below the surface (where they are 12 ft in diameter at the base), and form the vaulted pillars of the Elfhold that secretly lies beneath. The Wyvernstones were once the site of a titanic battle between a hive of beholders and the Wyvernwater Circle of druids led by the Great Druid Hullack. The druids were losing badly and most of their number were slain until the beholders and their allies became suddenly docile and confused (and then were easily destroyed). Hullack caused the Wyvernstones to rise from the ground to mark the battleground and to seal the entrance to Elfhold that the beholders had opened. Today the Wyvernwater Circle is all but disbanded, and the secrets of their members are hidden, but not lost. The Wyvernstones are marked with runes written in an ancient script (Hamarfae), and contain the sentiences of powerful druids of the Circle that can still be communed with (stone tell or other spells and abilities). Hullack himself still persists as a ghost that is trapped within the Elfhold below. Regardless of its more modern function (the Wyvernwater Circle used it as a Faerie Crossroads), the Wyvernstones were originally created as a large gate to the Outer Planes that actually connected to the Abyss. The High Mages of Cormanthyr, along with Iliphar Nelnueve, moved the stones from the Vast Swamp where they were originally used to the Lythtlorn, then magically sealed and buried the gate. Hullack later called the stones of the gate to erupt from the ground (unaware of their true nature) to help seal the tunnels opened up by the Xraunrarr beholders. As the magic of the druids begins to fail, rumours of fell creatures in the Hullack are starting to emerge, it may be that the gate is starting to function as originally intended once more.Elfhold
This chamber is one of many storage vaults and chambers hidden beneath the Hullack Forest and the surrounding eastern edge of Cormry, some of which are connected by hidden tunnels and passageways that are rumoured to stretch as far as the Vast Swamp. Elfhold was once the burial ground of House Amaratharr and later used by Iliphar Nelnueve to store the most dangerous of magical legacies from the vanquished realm of Orva. It is believed the Witch Lords of the Vast Swamp learned much of their most powerful magics from the fell items they plundered from the Elfhold. The main chamber of Elfhold is a half ellipse, 100 ft in diameter and 30 ft in height, with the ceiling held up by the massive Wyvernstones above which extend down to the floor. Between each of the pillars is the entrance to a crypt carved into the wall and sealed with an elaborate capstone (each carved to depict a scene important to the life of the elven family interred within). Some of the crypts have clearly been resealed by magic, the cracks in the capstones still visible. In the centre of the main chamber is a 20 ft pool of crystal clear water (consecrated to Eldath by Hullack himself) with a tiny diamond floating above the pool. The diamond is the tel’kiira of House Amaratharr, it is reluctant to communicate with anyone other than descendants of House Amaratharr. Upon Hullack’s untimely death, he was interred in the Elfhold below by the Wyvernwater Circle, and his spirit now protects the crypts and communicates with the sentience’s stored within the tel’kiira of House Amaratharr. The Elfhold is believed to be connected to many other underground chambers beneath Hullack Forest, many of the sealed crypts have secret doors and tunnels or have been opened by creatures digging from below. It is thought the dragon attack upon Tethgard weakened the wards of Iliphar Nelnueve enough to allow the Witch Lords to open up tunnels to retrieve the lost legacies of the elves of Orva. The Xraunrarr beholder later used these tunnels to reach the surface and establish their own territory in Cormyr before Hullack defeated the beholders and resealed the crypts.Prester’s Lodge
This rustic hunting lodge sits on the edge of the Hullack Forest and was formerly owned by Lord Prester Yellander (slain in 1348 DR for drug smuggling and treason). The lodge has remained abandoned since Prester’s death and is falling into disrepair.Tethgard
Tethgard was erected by Iliphar Nelnueve (his title was Korra, roughly translating as Warden, he was known as the Warden of the Wolf Woods) in -513 DR which he granted to a Netherese Arcanist and her family. Ostensibly the castle was created to guard the entrance to the Lythtlorn from the failing lands of Netheril, and to act as a neutral area for feuding elves to meet. In reality Tethgard protected the greatest secrets of fallen Orva, and acted as an obvious bait and magically powerful trap for Thauglorimorgorus who was becoming more aggressive against the elves in his territory. Tethgard was abandoned (forcibly – the elves drove out Lady Duskreene’s family and courtiers) when Lady Duskreene died in -233 DR. It was reclaimed by the forest and gradually fell into ruin until dragons destroyed the castle in 163 DR. Tethgard survives today as a few scattered stones, low walls that run through the trees, and a leaf choked pit or two that provide access to the partially collapsed cellars (and the only known and well hidden and guarded entrance to the Elfhold). These ruins lie within a few hundred metres of the Wyvernstones, but the forests are so dense and the ruins themselves are so innocuous that many ignore them or think them an extension of the Wyvernstones. The ruins of Tethgard are administered by Lady Duskreene who still exists as a watchghost tied to the ruins by the very wards designed to seal the evils hidden in the Elfhold below, indeed any bodies interred in or around Tethgard and Elfhold causes the soul to remain tied to the Material Plane as a spirit of some sort, unable to escape to the Ethereal and onto the Outer Planes.Northtrees March
All the land between the Hullack Forest and the Thunderpeaks and between the Immerflow to the north and the Thunderflow to the south is known as the Northtrees March.Firefall Vale
Firefall Vale is the name given to land owned by the noble House of Summerstar, who rule from Firefall Keep on the western side of the Vale. Firefall Vale lies hard against the Thunderpeaks in a valley south of the Immerflow, it was first granted to Glothgam Summerstar for his efforts in driving away the great red wyrm Arnfalamme, whose fiery breath would burn so hot it set the waters of the Turnwyrm Brook in this valley aflame. Firefall Vale is a lush green valley about 5 miles in length from east to west, carved by the Turnwyrm Brook as it rushes to meet the Immerflow. It is split into two vales, the Upper Vale is higher up in the surrounding hills and the brook cascades down a series of falls to the Lower Vale (which it floods in spring). Vale folk keep sheep and goats in the Upper Vale and the surrounding valleys. The Lower Vale is home to a number of small farms (Dunstone, Marthtree, and Bottomstones which lies at the end of the Lower Vale hard against the Cascades) surrounded by low, dry-stone walls, with the occasional copse of blueleaf trees.Firefall Keep
This modest keep stands at the west end of Firefall Vale, although it does not bar entry to the vale. It has 6 towers (Haunted, Twilight, Darkwind, Nalvor’s, Gargoyle, and Scorchshields Tower) a main keep known as the Hall of Honour and a high battlement wall that connects the towers. There is a stable and granary on the south side, a gate in the east and west wall, and there are rumoured to by a dungeon and the Summerstars Crypt lying beneath the castle, with secret tunnels connecting the Hall of Honour and the towers. Galdryn’s Gorge As the Immerflow descends from the Thunderpeaks in a great gorge (south and west of Firefall Vale) that are the lands of the noble House of Yellander. Galdryn’s Gorge is filled with caverns that are home to many varieties of mushroom which the Yellander’s harvest to make Vralo (a very strong flavoured mushroom wine).Whitewings
This modest, unwalled stone keep, with attached mansion, is surrounded by gardens and encircled by a deep, dry moat filled with wooden spikes to deter marauding monsters. It is the ancestral home of the House of Yellander and Lord and Lady Yellander spend much of their time therein.Hawkhar
These high rolling hills span either side of the Immerflow just north and west of Firefall Vale, and are used by the noble House of Indesm to rear their prised stock of Cormyte Riding horses.Hawkhar Hall
This walled stone mansion and adjacent tower is encompassed by a stone wall that surrounds a horse farm and orchard, and then loops outward to cradle the hamlet of Hawkhar. The wall of Hawkhar Hall has two gates that are always open on either side of the estate, with one opening onto the hamlet of Hawkhar.Thunder Plains
These lands between the Thunderflow and the Vast Swamp are verdant farm and ranch country filled with rolling hillsides, hedgerows, and wooded knolls with dirt lanes criss-crossing between tenant farms and noble estates. It is well watered by meltwater streams that run southwest before disappearing down sinkholes and a network of subterranean streams and caves.Если вы хотите что то добавить или присоединится к команде редакторов - пишите комментарии
Внимание! Имеется скрытый контент, доступный только подписчикам. Подписка - бесплатна. Детальнее - читай здесь.
Вы можете присвоить себе следующие роли, чтобы расширить видимый контент: Silver Marches Daggerford Baldur's Gate Neverwinter Waterdeep Deadsnows
RSS канал данного сайта Подпишитесь на Boosty или Patreon
Включает в себя
Связанные отчёты (Основные)
Комментарии