Twisted Forest

The Twisted Forest is a mysterious landmark in the Drachensgrab Hills in the Pomarj.

Description

The Twisted Forest is a collection of stony pillars scattered about the hillside meadows. They range from the size of a small goblin to that of a large ogre to a snakelike rock the size of a dragon. There are patterns on their "trunks" reminiscent of tortured faces. Though they are weathered with age, they are bare of the moss or lichen common on ordinary rocks nearby. No birds will nest on them. The ground nearby is littered with bones and weapons of varying ages, as well as flowers of a species common only in the far western Sea of Dust.

Those who touch the stones often die or go mad, which explains the bones and scattered weapons.

Special features

Any evil creature that enters the Twisted Forest must save every round or be transformed into stones themselves, fully aware of their surroundings but unable to move or speak. Attempting to damage the rock will cause the prisoners terrible pain without harming the rock in the slightest. The stones are almost indestructible. If another living being should touch or strike the stones, the prisoners can attempt to switch minds and souls with them. Sometimes they die, their new bodies unable to handle the shock. Sometimes they are unleashed upon the world with new bodies and faces.

History

According to Uhas of Neheli, a particularly wicked group of Suloise fled Keoland shortly after that nation's founding along the northern coast of the Azure Sea. They were learned, powerful, and cruel, and as a result they were successful in all the atrocities they committed. That is, until they made the mistake of slaughtering a Flan tribe in a manner that brought down retribution from their gods. In punishment for their deed, the Suel were transformed into tormented stones.

Since then, many of the original prisoners have escaped; perhaps their knowledge and malevolence was so great that they were able to twist the curse to make it escapable. Many of the stones now contain the souls of goblins, ogres, even a large red dragon. Some of the original evil sorcerers of the Suloise band that triggered the curse still remain.

Location

The exact location of the Twisted Forest is unknown. The sourcebook Slavers does not mention it, but does mention that the smallest mountain in the area, Hakentos, is considered a taboo place by those who worship the Earth Dragon. It would be logical for the Earth Dragon, who is a powerful spirit worshiped for thousands of years by the tribes of the Drachensgrab Hills, to be responsible for the curse.

Variations

Another site involving powerful creatures of evil transformed into standing stones is detailed in "The Standing Stones of Sundown" in Dungeon #25.

Bibliography

• May, Paul. "The Standing Stones of Sundown." Dungeon #25. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990.

• Moore, Roger E. "Greyhawk Mysterious Places." Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1999. Originally appeared in TSR's America Online folder as a second edition update to Greyhawk Adventures, later moved to its website. No longer live on the WotC website but available from the Wayback Machine: [1]

• Reynolds, Sean K and Chris Pramas. Slavers. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.

• Ward, James. Greyhawk Adventures. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1988.

External links

• The Twisted Forest on the Wizards of the Coast message boards
• A map showing a possible placement of the Twisted Forest
• A history of the Sheldomar including more possible details on the Twisted Forest's origin

References

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Twisted Forest	Geographical feature	Woodland,	Greyhawk Adventures	3, 95, 96
Twisted Forest	Geographical feature	Woodland,	The Adventure Begins	3