Connects to: 11.01, 36.04 and 40.06.
On their way to the Garden of Amelar (36.04) to harvest its roses, the kobolds of the Broken Spear (40.06) often stop by a great dead oak tree possessed by the spirit of an ancient goblin named Boraz. Boraz was exiled by his tribe from their mountain valley (11.01) for practicing forbidden magic and now his spirit inhabits a dead tree far from his mountain home. Those who do not bring offerings of acorns when they approach are attacked by Boraz (direct possession, having tree branches fall on their heads, etc.).
The kobolds have taken advantage of this and have turned Boraz’s tree into a bolt hole where they can hide from elven patrols, store treasure away from their home in the Broken Spear and ambush enemies. The area surrounding the tree has a number of traps and tunnels, which allow the kobolds to pop up behind enemies who have walked past the entrances to their tunnels. However, most of the kobold bunks are inside the hollow trunk of Boraz’s tree, where they consider themselves safe due to the mounds of acorns that they have paid in tribute.
One of the pieces of treasure that the kobolds have stashed here is a jeweled silver figurine of a naked woman who is kissing the severed head of a handsome youth that she is holding to her lips with one hand while a dagger marked with blood-red rubies is clutched in the other.
Hooks:
- Why does Boraz’s ghost want acorns? What is up with the goblin connection to oak trees anyway?
- What sort of forbidden magic could get a goblin exiled? Was he learning something from the nordanbjorn?
- Where did the kobolds get the silver figurine?
