Connects to: 10.12 and the Duchy of Thring.
Dryads killed by vampires become corpse trees. Corpse trees are as hideous as dryads are beautiful. Their gnarled trunks are twisted and stunted, and their branches writhe like bony arms. A strange cavity below their roots digests their victims. Since they cannot walk, they rely on followers to bring them prey. In exchange for corpses, corpse trees produce acorns that grant temporary magical abilities to those who consume them. The specific ability depends on the season in which the acorn is produced. Most are necromantic in nature.
Five corpse trees form a blighted ring here. A goblin clan called the Bloodworts serves the grove, providing meals of kobolds (10.12) and the occasional woodsman. The Bloodworts are led by a shaman named Fughol the Ageless, who has eaten so much corpse acorn pemmican that he is becoming undead. He has lived more than twice as long as any known goblin and no longer requires food or drink, but his grip on reality is weakening. He believes the corpse trees want to eat human maidens in order to restore their former beauty, and has sent a kidnapping party into Thring to snatch some.
Hooks:
- Which vampire killed these dryads?
- Where are some other corpse trees?
- Who else uses corpse tree acorns?
- What kind of undead creature will Fughol the Ageless eventually become?
- How long do goblins usually live? How old was the second-oldest goblin?
- Do corpse trees really prefer certain types of prey?
- Where is the kidnapping party now?
