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The Dead Forest
Side quest
An elven pendant leads to a cursed realm where the last of an elf clan is dying.
The Pendant
In Westberg City, the dwarf Brinni Ironmight gives you an elven pendant her grandfather found. His ghost stories said it could call up the evil of the Dead Forest, to the north.
The Elven Portal
Two squares north of Westberg’s gate, the pendant opens a portal into the Dead Forest.
Feonim
You arrive in a walled elf town. Feonim, queen of clan Eldarch of the Tsaido, explains that her people were banished here three thousand years ago, though only two hundred have passed for them. The shaid Exul has cursed this realm and keeps them from going home. Their priest Varsiam died trying to defeat him, and the undead took his magic belt to their lair. Rodriam says the lair is reached by the western path through the forest; Wistiam, that Exul’s fortress lies to the south, through a passage in the mountains. Irimina gives you a free bed whenever you need one.
The Western Forest
The forest west of the town hides the lair’s entrance in its north. 647 gold (1) lies east of the middle.
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1
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1
↔ To the distorted ones' lair# Treasure
The Distorted Ones' Lair
The lair’s two levels are a maze of chambers joined by holes and ladders. From the way in, take hole A, south of the entrance. On the lower level, climb ladder B in the far south-east. Back up, go down hole C in the north-west of that part. On the lower level again, climb ladder D in the south. Cross the bridge west and take hole E. An Assassin’s Bow (1) lies in the north-west, off the route.
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A
C
E
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A
C
E
↔ To The Dead Forest (West)# TreasureA A: hole downC C: hole downE E: hole down
Varsiam's Belt
Hole E drops you beside the belt (V) on the lower level. Life Boots (1) lie in the north-east.
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B
D
V
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B
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# TreasureB B: ladder upD D: ladder upV Varsiam's belt
Back to Feonim
Feonim asks you to take the belt to Varsiam’s grave, in the south of the forest, the only place where anything still grows.
Varsiam's Grave
The grave is in the south of the forest below the town. Leave the belt at the tombstone; Varsiam’s spirit takes it and lifts the magic sealing Exul’s gate. A Ring of Extra Agility (1) lies in the north-east.
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1
# Treasure
The Southern Forest
Further south, a cave in the east of the forest leads into the mountains. A Health Elixir (1) lies in the middle.
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↔ To the mountain passage# Treasure
The Mountain Passage
The passage runs east through the mountains, along a river, toward Exul’s fortress. A Steel Helm (1) and 1214 gold (2) lie along the way.
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↔ To The Dead Forest (Far South)# Treasure
Exul's Gate
The gate (G) is magically sealed until Varsiam has lifted the seal; then it opens.
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G
G Gate
Exul
Exul waits inside his fortress with five Undead Wolves. Kill him, and pour his blood into the water there to return the life he sapped from the realm. Take some back to Feonim.
P
P
P Person
The Well
Feonim pours the blood into the town’s well, and the dead grass turns green. The curse is lifted. The Tsaido choose to stay and rebuild here, and you are always welcome.
The party's journal
Brinni Ironmight gave us a pendant she says is elven in origin. Her grandfather used to tell her ghost stories about how the pendant could call forth the evil of the Dead Forest to the north.
We met Feonim, queen of a Tsaido clan! They have been living in this realm for thousands of years, but only 200 years have passed to them. They are trapped by the magic of the shaid, Exul, and cannot escape back to Engel. We, however, are not affected because we are not elves. Still, perhaps we can help them. We must find the magic belt of their dead Gai'un, Varsiam. It was taken by undead creatures to a cave somewhere in the dead forest.
We recovered Varsiam's belt and brought it to Feonim. She seems excited that her people might finally be saved. We must take it to Varsiam's grave to the south, where his spirit can activate the magic needed to get into Exul's fortress.
Exul is dead, and his blood was used to restore the life energies to the water. The curse has been lifted, but the Tsaido have decided to stay. With the water purified, they can cultivate this land and rebuild their fallen civilization.