Thurstle Island: Gnarls of the Forest

Magazine Illustration from 1906

AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2020: Looking to add another player or two to my online game. Let me know if you are interested.

This post fills in additional details about Thurstle Island's Old Forest.

The Old Forest's Druids call themselves the Gnarls. They have lived in the forest long past recorded memory and serve the Allwaker, landvættir of the island. 

• The Gnarls never sleep. They are always awake. Likewise for their animals.
• Many of them have learned to transform themselves into animals or are skilled wargs.
• They are the religious leaders of the island's vikings and they preside over rituals in the woods on certain prescribed nights. 
• They are experts in camouflage and ambush. Often, the first sign that they are nearby will be a javelin protruding from your chest.

• The are closely allied with the forest's trees. They can sense any harm to the trees and will rush to intervene. Some have learned the language of the trees.
• The druids practice human sacrifice to feed the Allwaker and their treants. They will try to capture intruders rather than kill them. 
• The smugglers also kidnap strangers in Cove Town and hand them over as payment for passage and concealment in the forest. 
• The druids sometimes summon fog to cover the landing of smuggler ships.
• The Gnarls are locked in a covert war with cultists based in Thurstle Island's northwest corner. 
• The war is going badly and the cultists are gaining strength.
• They have been transplanting trees into the City of the Ancients for decades. If you see a grove in the City, it's a Druid strong-point.

My original forest map has encounters for most paths that will be triggered the first time the party moves through. After that, I want traveling through the forest without pacifying the druids to be scary and painful but I don't want to be bogged down on lots of tedious fights. Thus:

Un-pacified Gnarls Encounter Table: Roll d10. No encounter on a 7-10.

1. A swinging log - Save vs. Alertness or the d4th person in marching order takes 2d6 damage.
2. Spike pit - Save vs. Alertness or a leg is wounded and must roll for infection.
3. Javelin ambush - Everyone save vs. armor class or take d6 damage. If you succeed on an alertness check you can shoot back. Otherwise the ambushing druids run away.
4. 2d4 Wolves begin stalking party. They'll only attack if an advantage presents itself.
5. Lantern Ghost - Per Arnold K. Will try to lead the party to the pond (see map) and show them where a cursed axe was deposited in the water. The axe does x2 damage vs. living plants.
6. Sneaking Gothics - You're not the only one trying to covertly trespass these woods. They might team up, but they're probably bad at moving quietly. 

Druid Buddy Encounter Table: Roll d10. No encounter on a 5-10.

1. Druid offers healing / helpful herbs.
2. Druid offers advice / warning.
3. Druid offers news / deal. 
4. Friendly bear accompanies you.

Unless Cultists are defeated, replace Druid encounters with Cultist encounters once rolled.

Search the Druid Corpse: 

1. Severed head of cultist.
2. Leafy packet containing Nightshade berries (Ingestible poison. 2d6 damage. Causes dizziness, pupil dilation and sensitivity to light) / Psychedelic mushrooms
3. Bundle of sharpened stakes / rolled up camo-net.
4. Pouch with d4 units of spell components / curative sap
5. Bouquet of incense daises / bag of winkle moss
6. Blowpipe and 1d10 poisoned darts. d6 damage and save vs. constitution or partial paralysis.
7. Amber gems worth d10x10 gp.
8. Gold Gothic ring. Belonged to a sacrifice victim, someone in Cove Town might recognize it.
9. Runic spell written on bark: Speak With Plants / Command Beast
10. Wolf-hide Cloak - Transforms you into a wolf when worn.

A Gnarly Adventuring Party: 

The druid's expeditions into the City of the Ancients, the vicinity of the Wyrm Barrow and other locations outside the forest have become more frequent as they hunt the abominable wendigos & roid-ogres (not knowing their smuggler friends are breeding them) and face-off against cultist warbands. 

Tevor the Bonebreaker - Can transform into a bear at-will. Dumb and prone to violence when confused.

Surra the Sneak - Old, zealous and clever. Her arrows are barbed and hard to extract. She will wear an enemy down with safe attacks from hiding and only move in for the kill when they are weak. She might offer you poisoned food. 

Ildred the Beast Master - Always surrounded by a pack of wolves (2d4). They'll do anything for her. She's earned it with all the men she's fed them.

Rena the Shaman - The Allwaker has taught her strange magics. She's a warg and can see through the eyes of animals. She will hide and cast Entangling Roots or Fog Cloud or Cause Disease. She is also a skilled healer.