| That next morning you meet Elaria and head out for Treak Cliffs. She says it’s a day’s travel or so, westwards into wilderness. The journey is through fairly homogeneous fenland with copses of trees over rolling terrain, but it is an eerie environment. The trees grow closer together as you progress, and their branches entwine overhead, giving the impression of a series of gloomy, wooden tunnels. This is not the bountiful, lively Tarinwood. It feels mostly dead, or dormant. The wind whistles through the branches with a mournful howl, or perhaps it is something else that moans and howls? As you progress further into the wood, the note of the wind shifts the howling and moaning sound, which seems to be drawing close; sometimes it is ahead, then behind or perhaps on your flank. With relief, the eaves of the far side of the forest draw near. The gloom does not lift, as the sun moves overhead, with shadows clinging to the black cliffs looming on the horizon some two or three keymiles away. The source of the howls emerges as you clear the forest. A great shape strides out from between some low hills to your right. | That next morning you meet Elaria and head out for Treak Cliffs. She says it’s a day’s travel or so, westwards into wilderness. The journey is through fairly homogeneous fenland with copses of trees over rolling terrain, but it is an eerie environment. The trees grow closer together as you progress, and their branches entwine overhead, giving the impression of a series of gloomy, wooden tunnels. This is not the bountiful, lively Tarinwood. It feels mostly dead, or dormant. The wind whistles through the branches with a mournful howl, or perhaps it is something else that moans and howls? As you progress further into the wood, the note of the wind shifts the howling and moaning sound, which seems to be drawing close; sometimes it is ahead, then behind or perhaps on your flank. With relief, the eaves of the far side of the forest draw near. The gloom does not lift, as the sun moves overhead, with shadows clinging to the black cliffs looming on the horizon some two or three keymiles away. The source of the howls emerges as you clear the forest. A great shape strides out from between some low hills to your right. |
