Episode Four: In the Halls of the Mountain King
It's been one day since the events at the Dead Orchard. The forest, being vastly uninhabited, is the thickest any have seen so far. Beloc has made mention of the impending undergrowth, as he has been in the area before, but further west where the Fyreworm Clan chose to homestead and cause a border dispute. Even armed with this knowledge, the massive bulk of the Badger has managed to get stuck no less than three times in muddy wallows likely rooted out by feral pigs. The pace has been an absolute crawl, and the crew have had nothing but foliage scraping against the view ports for scenery. At times, the sounds could be described as nerve wracking, if any sense of optimism could be applied to the situation.
Rest the previous night in the Badger was uneasy at best, and the humans especially are feeling the effects of fatigue the next morning. Rebort and Kallium are the exceptions to this, with Beloc more sore than tired.
It isn't until just after breakfast the next day that any sort of a break is actually felt. The wood's absurdly tangled floor slacks, and the trees become sparse, making driving considerably easier with the lack of obstacles to weave in and out of. Ahead, the sun shines brightly through the shrinking canopy and the wood itself gives way to the same rolling hills that make up the Argonette Forest, but they are instead covered in thigh high grasses that bow and sway in the crisp mid Autumn winds.
A strange looking and gnarled tree trunk sits some hundred yards in to the forest. It lacks branches, and has had the top cleaved off at about 8 foot up.
On it are carved depictions of men doing battle with large reptilian figures. Interwoven and knotted patterns encircle the artwork. It is very intricate, though time, moisture, and moss has obscured much of the carvings.