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.

Putting hours of frustration into her words, Shiaran appraises the tree.  "Well, that's pretty."

Sypher's only acknowledgment of the troublesome journey is to ask to stop the Badger so he can relieve himself.  His voice is subdued and he is silently contemplative of the tree.

Beloc walks up to what's left of the tree and places a hand upon it. He sighs heavily and looks back at the group. "This tree served as a marker for the Fyreworm clan borders. Seeing it cut down in this fashion serves as both a message and as a sign of what may lie ahead. The humans that live in this area will be on high alert, so be warned, they won't be as friendly as the elves of Argonette."
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:43, Tue 19 Dec 2017.

"What are those reptilian creatures and should we be concerned about them?"

"Dragons." He glances back at the tree. "The color from the carvings have faded a bit, but these were reds. According to them, they cleaned out the last of them when Crasmar himself killed their brood mother some twenty years ago. These carvings are meant to remind all those who pass through their lands of their strength."

Shiaran's eyes go wide.  "Dragons!  I know they exist, but to see such direct evidence of it?"  She shakes her head, visibly shaken.

"Oh yes, they are very much real. Thankfully, they like to keep to themselves though. The reds, they had a nasty temper. I don't think you would have been born yet, but when I was much younger, I can recall it wasn't unheard of for the reds to make their presence known. Snatching cattle, eating people. They had a standing feud with the white dragons of the Shattered Top" he says, as he motions to the massive mountain range looming to the northwest. "Unfortunately though, with Fildegarne Walled City being just the other side, that didn't play out well as you could imagine. In the mean time, the story goes that Crasmar rallied the remainder of the broken tribes under one banner, and set forth beyond his own borders to slay and put down every last one of the reds on Fildegarne. Though, who knows how much of it is truth, and how much of it's tavern lore at this point"

World Lore - Uncommon Knowledge - White dragons rumored to live on Shattered Top. Black dragons rumored in some marshes (unconfirmed stories). Green dragons rumored to live on Green Fang Isle far to the south. Extremely uncommon to see a dragon though, and even less common to hear of a sighting from a reputable source
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Tue 19 Dec 2017.

Sypher returns from his excursion and catches the tail end of the conversation.  He grins at Shiaran.  "Don't worry, Shy, there are few dragons left in Fildegarne.  I imagine with the PCA around, they are seen even less.  Undead don't taste good."