…and then AAAAiiieeeeeeeee. Gurgle, gurgle, plop.
The Doclopedia #1,459
The Alphabet: O is For…Old Woman Of The Forest
On several Fantasy Earths, you will hear stories about the Old Woman of the Forest. These are never happy stories, but are instead stories of murder and robbery and, in some cases, cannibalism. They scare everyone who hears them and they are almost all based upon truth.
Now, the first thing to realize is that in about 80% of the cases, the Old Woman is a hag of some sort, usually an annis or a greenhag. They are often dealt with by adventurers hired to do so.
About 15% of Old Women of the Forest are just terrible old human women, often back up by a family of robbers and/or cannibals. These women may be hedge wizards with some small knowledge of illusion or befuddlement spells, or they may possess a magical item that has similar powers. Regardless, they are often dealt with in the same manner as the hags.
The remaining 5% of Old Women of the Forest are a force to be reckoned with, even by a large band of experienced adventurers. These old women are, in fact, manifestations created by a cursed part of a forest. Perhaps many unjust killings took place there, or beings aligned with dark forces lived there. Whatever the case, at some point that bit of forest itself becomes evil and creates an Old Woman to do it’s foul bidding.
Such an Old Woman is a very powerful creature, tough, strong and able to call upon the forest itself for aid. They are very difficult to destroy and doing so often requires a complete burning of that part of the forest, followed by a powerful blessing from a cleric or druid. Even then, the evil part of the forest may regrow in a century or two.
The Doclopedia #1,460
The Alphabet: O is For…Orc’s Doom Cavern
“Listen up, bucko, and listen well. We do not go to Orc’s Doom Cavern. EVER! Nobody in their right mind goes there.”
“Drundar tell the truth, lad. Those orc’s who died there did so in the thousands. They were Bloodfang orcs, the largest and most feared of the orc clans. It was a mere 300 Bloodfangs that laid low an army of 2,500 Tellian Avengers. By the end of that battle, 250 orcs stood triumphant and not a Tellian was left alive. And yet, 3,000 Bloodfangs ventured into that cavern in search of treasure beyond reckoning, but not a one came out. Their bones lie bleached white and piled at the cavern entrance. Now you think on that. Whatever lives in that cavern is too strong and deadly for ten thousand like us.”
“Aye, bucko, think on it. I know the lure of great treasure pulls at you, but this is one you must pass on. If Sister Bomia were here, she’d tell you the same, as would Anista. Now, how about we discuss that recently abandoned castle over in Yeven? I hear it swarms with goblins and bugbear, but those are things we can deal with, right?”
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