Sablewood: GM Principles & Landmarks

WELL-WORN PATHWAYS

The pathways of the Sablewood are worn so deep that they are sunken into the rich soil of the forest undergrowth. People who live on the edge of the woods will warn travelers not to leave the paths, as those who do never return and their bodies are never found. Maps leading through the Sablewood are handed down through generations and are quite costly to acquire.

You might find:

• New travelers walking with their heads and eyes down,

while experienced merchants whistle common tunes.

• The creak of wooden cart wheels passing over packed

dirt.

• The smell of campfire as strangers crowd together to

scare away the darkness.

UNDERROOT

Because the surface of the uninhabited Sablewood is dangerous, many people choose to live in the network of subterranean tunnels carved in and among the roots of the Sablewood trees. Each community keeps the entrance to their underground home secret, and many maps leading to Underroot communities are coded.

You might find:

• Winding stairways and tunnels, lit only by faerie lights.

• Raucous laughter over meals shared with small

communities.

• The acrid scent of roots and herbs brewing over a fire.

GM PRINCIPLES

The wood is full of life in all forms, every corner occupied by strange and unusual creatures. That which is terrifying is also beautiful and though the risk is high, the Sablewood may offer incredible reward.

Travelers must adapt to the wood, it does not adapt to them. Those who live in the Sablewood must learn the rhythms of the trees and animals. In the end, foresight and cleverness beat out brute force every time.

Nature knows no good nor evil, only need. The Sablewood is too long established to bow to any power but that of the Forgotten Gods. There is neither guile nor guilt, no blow withheld, or storm corralled.

LANDMARKS

THE TITAN'S STEPS

Height of the Highest Pillar: 1,189 vertical feet

Number of Bridges Built Between the Pillars: 562 Stories say that in the time of the Earliest Age, there was a fight between the Old and the New gods in the place where the Sablewood now grows. During this battle, numerous portions of the Mortal Realm were razed, and others were crafted afresh. One such craft is known as the Titan's Steps, or the Pillars of the Sablewood, that stand within the forest at a variety of incredible heights. Some say one of the Forgotten Gods was foiled in an attempt to create a stairway leading to the Hallows Above. The rocky cliffs of the formation stop neither plants nor creatures from climbing their height. Wooden structures old and new cling to the rock with nets strung between pillars like cobwebs, while flying creatures and massive beasts hunt within the reaches.

DUSKWATCH OUTPOST

One of the many encampments hanging from the edges of the Titan's Steps. This outpost is known to be the largest and easiest to reach, due to a network of bridges and steps that are reasonably well maintained (if you know which planks to avoid.) Within the economy of the Steps, Duskwatch serves as the primary market for merchants willing to travel from the Sablewood below. There is a rumor that the Duskwatch

MOUNTAIN CRABS

Many people who’ve climbed the pillars have been killed before they even knew what got them. Sometimes confused as rock fall when they awaken, the giant Mountain Crabs are a unique hybrid of crustacean and stone that camouflage themselves with their unique gray shells. They can be small enough to carry, or as large as a building, and will continue to grow until they are killed. These massive hunters move with

THE CATCHER’S CRADLES

Many of the Step communities craft nets they call "the catcher’s cradle" below their buildings and walkways as a last resort for those who misstep or fall through a rotten plank. As rain and age causes rope to deteriorate, and flying creatures tear through the fibers when caught, mending the nets is a constant chore, and not all of them are in good repair. Some communities string nets between the pillars specifically to trap birds and other animals to eat, and among those groups there is an entire economy built around the buying and selling of strongly crafted rope and the materials required to make it. Sablewood custom dictates that anyone who falls off a

THE LUCENT RIVER

Common Modes of Transportation: Riverboats, many of which employ craymeleon (a chameleon-crayfish hybrid with large claws) to pull their vessels by scurrying along the shore or underneath the surface.

River’s Nickname: Lucy The Lucent River cuts a luminous ribbon through the Sablewood, at parts deep and clear and other parts rocky and tumultuous. It is the primary source of fresh water in the area, and may be one of the key reasons the trees and plants grow so lushly. The common mythology of the Sablewood describes the river as the everflowing tears of the Forgotten Gods, and once their true names are remembered the river will run dry. The waters of this river are famed for their healing ability, likely due to their moonglow. The alchemists of Root’s Hollow brave dangerous portions of the wood to access the regenerative waters. In distant regions Lucent Water sells for incredible sums.

MOONGLOW

The Lucent River is so named for the soft blue glow it gives off when the moon rises, though the moon itself is barely visible through the canopy above. This feature allows travelers to navigate by night and is an excellent means for keeping time when the sun and the moon are not discernable through the trees. The water of the Lucent River keeps its

EELIGATORS

The largest predator in the Lucent River is the eeligator. They sleep in the deepest portions of the river, but can travel both in the water and on the shore, making them a ferocious predator to combat. They have slick skin covered in a number of spots that can be used to dictate their age, if the swimmer could survive long enough to calculate. The large eggs of the

THE HIGH FALLS

In the mountains of the Sablewood, the Lucent River transforms from a small stream into the cascade that creates the massive High Falls. This waterfall is formed by an incredible drop that, when examined, covers a large cave system that shows evidence of once having been a home to a large community, though no one knows why it was abandoned. Directly behind the High Falls there is a massive cavern with nothing but a carved stone throne. Moss

OPEN VALE

Unique Flora: Sunfire Lily, a flower that only blooms once a year for eight days. It is harvested to make a powerful hallucinatory tea.

Memory: Everyone who has ever entered. A perfect clearing within the middle of the Sablewood; no one knows why the trees will not grow here. It is covered in a layer of particularly lush grass and receives complete sun, in comparison to the rest of the thick forest. This meadow is resistant to farming efforts, and those plants that manage to thrive grow in their own seasonal patterns. The Open Vale is the site of numerous spiritual rituals, performed by a variety of communities that live in and around the Sablewood. “The Meadow Demands Peace” is a common phrase, and fighting within the bounds of the Vale is punishable by banishment into the deepest wood—off path and without a map.

THE MIREMIST

The Open Vale seems to contain its own weather system, resulting in a perpetual fog. This mist permeates the nearby portions of the Sablewood and adds to the confusion of anyone in the area who loses their way. The fog is so thick and wet that numerous creatures that live in the Lucent River will come ashore to hunt when otherwise they would not. “When the moon is low, they dance in the miremist and are

THE STONES OF THE VALE

Standing stones dedicated to the Forgotten Gods mark the edges of the Open Vale. They are carved with a variety of symbols that come from a wide range of languages. The secrets of their magic are lost to the Mortal Realm, but they are rumored to glow with soft blue light when the eyes of the ancient gods turn upon this Sablewood meadow. Travelers

THE CLARAVALE MARKET

Unlike the spiritual practices that take place within the Open Vale, there is one celebration with a focus on the material world. Once a year there is a market established within the meadow and all who know how to find their way are invited to come, trade, and celebrate. It takes place over three nights, during which time no gold or coin of any kind is permitted to change hands. Traders are expected to give one another a fair deal, and those who do not follow the tenets of the Claravale Market are removed from the premises.