D&D Solo Adventures
Tanglewood Grove (Southeast)
Last Action Taken:
You have told the ghostly figure, you would like to know the true story of how Tanglewood Grove was formed..
Dialogue
Without saying a word the old women quietly shuts the door on you. You wait patiently outside. After a few moments, the door reopens. The ghostly figure is holding a small ragged book in her left hand. She holds out the book to you and says "Go to page 135 and read that chapter."
You glance at the cover, which reads "A short history of Faircrescent" and is dated over 400 years ago!
You flip through the pages until you reach page 135 and read the tale:
History: The Forming of Pyrlanth's Grove
In our fair town of Dragonshores recent past, the village was once only a small farmers community, at about a quarter of its current size. In those days the town was known as Faircrescent, due to its mild weather and the shape of the surrounding mountain ranges. It wasn't until later in its history, did the town become known as Dragonshore. For over 100 years, Faircrescent thrived, growing in size, and becoming a popular stop over for passing merceneries and merchants of all kinds. However, unbeknownst to the citizens of this small expanding village, a great dragon was hibernating nearby. It had been in a deep sleep, ever since the first settlers built their houses near the shoreline.
When Pyrlanth, the great red dragon, first emerged from his deep slumber, he surveyed the countryside with interest. He was greeted with the sight of a thriving town by the coast, a short distance from his cloud top lair. Pyrlanth bellowed in fury at this encroachment of his land and the entire town came to a halt as they heard the dragons roar echo across the plains.
In an uncontrollable fit of rage, Pyrlanth brought down a rain of fire on faircrescent, burning houses, and devouring men, woman, and children indiscriminately. After a full day of terrorising and carnage, Pyrlanth retreated to his lair to regain his strength. Knowing very well the dragon would return, all of the remaining men of faircrescent took to arms, gathering all the weapons they could muster. The mayor of faircrescent knew this would not be enough to take down a gargantuan beast such as this. Using all of the towns accumulated wealth in their coffers, the mayor commissioned the close by village of Whitebirch to ready 100 of its archers and rangers for an assault on Pyrlanth and to bring down the savage beast. Within 4 days the army was ready to strike and was mustered in a field close by to Pyrlanth’s cave.
Krysvyre, A young Elven girl ran from the direction of the dragons lair across the field and up to the mayor, falling at his knees and begging for him to reconsider, but the mayor, pointing into the distance at his now smoldering and ravaged town explained there was no choice. The Elven girl told him she would promise Pyrlanth would not return, but the mayor would not listen and pressed ahead with the attack. The dragon roused, and flew down from its lair scorching the ground around the archers, burning them with its fiery breath. After a long and bloody battle, and many casualties, the army claimed triumphant over the dragon. The archers sent a cloud of arrows into the dragons flight path. Pyrlanth, mortally wounded, fell through the sky, plummeting into Tanglewood forest like a comet. Upon its collision with the earth, Pyrlanths body ignited in a burst of flames, burning the surrounding trees, and in the heat of the now raging inferno, the dragon’s skeleton fused with the earth.
Tanglewood forest has never recovered fully and still lays bear of shubbery and undergrowth. This area is known as Tanglewood Grove, or as some of the previous generations used to call it Pyrlanth's Grove.
As anyone who has visted the grove will tell you, it’s not like any normal forest grove you would think it to be. The air of the grove feels noticeably warmer. Some of the plants have transformed over the years, into species not seen anywhere else. The leaves of the plants and trees are tinged with red, making the grove appear to be permanently in autumn. Some say the blood of the dragon, soaked into the earth and fused with the wildlife here, creating this curious place.
You gently close the book
As you finish reading the book, you look up at the ghostly figure and say: "You were the elven girl?"
Almost startled by your preceptiveness she responds: "Yes...i was...I told that stubborn man I would deal with the dragon, but he just would not listen. Pyrlanth was not like any other ruthless dragon you may know of. Yes he was fericious beast! But he was also very wise and he was my friend. I visited him regularly each day, during the few waking hours of his hibination. I would bring him gifts of food and whatever valuables i could find, and he would tell me tales of this land some stories stretching back a thousand years. After the battle, in my haste and distress, I ran to where Pyrlanth had fallen, but by the time I had entered the forest, it was a blaze! I couldn't escape...my fair beauty, disfigured for life...now i stay here, in the warmth of his soul which fills this place. I feel I will be The Keeper of Pyrlanths Grove, in this life and the next..."
Showing interest in Krysvyre's story has allowed you to re-roll one failed skill challenge attempt