DMs Only: Floating City Jungle Notes

The Jungle – discovered text names it ‘Nemorlachria’ or ‘The Crying Woods’

Notes on the Jungle in general:

(adapted from module)

As soon as everyone places a foot on the ground, something strange occurs. For about half a second - EVERYTHING in the jungle goes completely silent, and then starts up again as though nothing happened.

After a Wilderness Check DC14 Everyone will feel ‘something’, but if the check is successful, they will feel it acutely. None of your senses can identify it. You can't see anything, smell anything - but coming from somewhere is a gut feeling of shock, growing hostility, and someone or something watching. 'Detect evil' tells you there is nothing particularly evil here.

Nearby, are the chewed off stumps of some plant or other. Looking beyond into the trees are similar examples. The gap left behind the missing foliage seems to create a haphazard pathway into the interior. These vague, meandering pathways are here and there, forming no particular pattern. They are created by a giant, flat-backed beetle, that wanders around eating rotting and dying vegetation, leaving the good stuff, acting like a general caretaker. Like all other creatures indigenous to the jungle, it has an aura of protection surrounding it, allowing to wander about the jungle unmolested. This of course will mean that ‘firewood’ will be hard to come by. Elsewhere, the jungle will be virtually impenetrable without a very large, very sharp machete.

Being near to, or riding on, an indigenous creature will afford a character varying levels of protection from jungle hostilities – depending on how large the creature is.

Music will have a beneficial effect on the jungle (DM discretion).

Sounds of life come through the trees - screeching, whooping, humming, a distant growl. The uneasy feeling is ever present, skin prickling, hair raising, unseen.

Everything, both flora and fauna, is different or changed in some way - bigger, or different colours.

The tree canopy is very thick, and so the light is very subdued. Everyone gets the feeling they're being watched, and occasionally it appears that some of the plant life is swiveling toward you, watching, following your journey.

It makes for a tiring journey, not because of physical exertion particularly, but maybe because everyone has had to be on their guard.

During an overnight camp - four things will become apparent - 1) Creating a fire takes a LOT of work. The wood here appears to be extremely fire resistant, the campfire continually sputters and dies, and will take a major effort to keep going. 2) The feeling of disquiet and menace fades a little, as though the jungle sleeps too, resting, waiting for dawn and the light that plants crave.

3)First watch is accompanied by an early nighttime cacophony of insect and frog sounds. Second watch, the insect noise dies down - instead, low growls of predators can be heard, there is plenty of movement out there. Occasionally, multiple pairs of eyes appear, curious, staring at the group for a few moments before disappearing once more. Final watch brings a growing awareness of the previous days hostility, as gradually the dawn light pushes its way through the tree canopy

4)Spot Checks of DC 25 (DC 20 once player are made aware) are needed if sleeping in the jungle floor - otherwise you are likely to be attacked by a tiny little blood sucking plant.

Character decides to fly above the forest? – Up in the air, he/she will feel something of a disconnect to the sentiment of the jungle, what he feels seems to be coming at him via radiation, rather than conduction, and its definitely not as bad. However – this is no guarantee of protection. The jungle may reach up and drag him back in. Also - the sky is filled with cloud, there's a sun, somewhere up there, but it’s not easy to tell where, exactly – this makes navigation difficult, unless he has visual references like the Big Float etc etc.

The Ancients

Discoveries of Ancient Life:

Sentinel Tomb of the Ancients:

Discovered within a 100 ft clearing: Instead of the natural chaos of the jungle - here is order, controlled and contrived beauty. There is a lawn, like velvet - every blade the same height, and towering at the centre - a tree, magnificent, perfect - it's trunk is maybe thirty feet across and reaching up, branches spreading upward and outward in some kind of logical pattern, foliage distributed upon the upper boughs in such a way as though someone has given it a great deal of artistic thought. At the base, the trunk is supported by roots, which hoist the entire tree aloft for about twenty feet - so it looks as though it’s on stilts. As for the surrounding jungle, those on the ground sense a change.... whatever this clearing represents, the jungle appears to dislike it far more than any stranger who has the misfortune to set foot within its boundaries. This is pure hatred. Its like the surrounding wildness is recoiling from this clearing.

Here it feels calm, pleasant - the hostility of the surrounding jungle seems to be pressing at the edges, but on the lawn, and near the tree - it's as though something is keeping it at bay. Above everyone towers the giant tree - poised on top of its roots, which are arranged at the base of the tree like a perfect, giant cage. It's possible to see inside the ‘cage’, but not enter - the space between the roots is too narrow. There looks to be something there in the gloom at the centre inside the root cage - like a rectangular tomb with a figure laid lengthways on top of it.

Comments from the young druid: “You see how perfect it is? It's too contrived. A druid would let the tree have it's way. This is either magic we know nothing about, or something cruel."

None of the jungle creatures will enter this clearing. If the tree is destroyed – the magic protection in the clearing will fade and the jungle will take over.

From the Journal found alongside a very, very old skeleton in the clearing –

The Journal First Mate Eli Rothren XXX13 At last! We reach the forest shore after months and months, trailing across the mountains and sailing across the endless blue of Caerumyria. A good thing too, for our supplies are almost gone. Fame and riches await, as we begin our search. What mysteries await us? What wonders? The legends tell of great things to be discovered in the jungle of Nemorlachria. XXX14 The 'Crying Woods' have been well named. Tragedy has struck. Our captain somehow became entangled in a peculiar vine that strangled and killed him. I feel uneasy, and so do my two remaining comrades. It's not just the captain. There is something here - I can feel it - something lurking in the subconscious. None of us slept last night. Its like we all heard whispers in our minds. XXX14 Oh woe! This afternoon, we were attacked again by what looked like some kind of strange plant. My hand is shaking, I feel sick. Have I been poisoned? I ran and ran, and so have lost my comrades. Where are they? Are they sick, like me? Are they even alive? I wish we had never decided to explore Nemorlachria. It may hold untold riches and the key to wondrous powers, but our legends never warned us of this. XXX15 I am alone. I have slept, and in my dreams there was a voice - go away, go away, go away, it said. IT DOES NOT WANT US HERE!! As I awoke, I found tiny tendrils wrapped around my ankles and neck, and as I pulled them away I saw how engorged they were - with blood - my blood. I feel so weak. I have been crawling, and I cannot crawl any more. Another plant - fired spines and shattered my leg. I don't know how I managed to drag myself away. And so here I rest. I'm afraid I am going to die here. This tree - a special place - I feel safe here, but so weak. I have even prayed to whatever God lies here. But it stays silent. Unmoving. It cares not for my plight. Are these the mysterious ones? The ones that hold the key to what our legends foretell?

I am delirious - it moved - or maybe not. I cannot trust my senses. I need to sleep. Maybe if I throw my book toward it. Can it read? So sick –

Inside the root cage – on top a dais made of solid wood – lies a living sarcophagus. If disturbed, it will awaken and protect what lies within it.

Excerpt from play – Then - just about the time Clangden is waking up - something happens. Part of the root cage begins to shift. It's very dark, but perhaps something is moving inside. There is a rustle, a blur, and then a rattle of branches high above in the tree in the clearing.... it's that fast - over in an instant. Clangden's dark vision will tell him that the vague figure laid on top of the tomb isnt there anymore. Addinein can see that some of the roots have been pushed aside - well, not pushed exactly - they look as though they've been reshaped, or re-grown to allow someone passage out of the interior.

Suddenly, something sharp and nasty fires down from directly above – see Living Sarcophagus in Jungle Monster Manual

The real creature within – one of The Ancients –

Excerpt from play –

Suddenly there is a loud *CRACK* - and the creature falls to the ground, its torso splitting wide apart. Everyone hears a long, desperate sigh, without really knowing where it came from. It is accompanied by a feeling of intense sorrow.

• • WILL SAVE DC 19. Failure brings a tear to your eye and a great sense of loss**

The entire jungle has gone completely silent. Examination of the fallen creature proves very surprising, for it appears it was merely a shell, protecting what lay inside.

Partially shielded by the dead things remains, lies a humanoid with smooth, leaf green skin. It appears to be a slender, more beautiful and elegant replica of the thing that protected it. This creature has a face - beatific in repose, its eyes closed in rest. It's three tails are curled about its lower limbs, and its arms lay crossed over it's torso.

It looks dead. It looks as though it might have been dead while it's outer protective shell had lived, and fought, and died. It’s been dead for a long, long time.

Natural Treasures

As these things are new discoveries to the ‘civilized’ Wold – some could be in great demand and fetch high prices. Supply and demand should take precedence on value.

Items found and seen so far:

Vanilla pods – brown, about 6” long, carrying a beautiful aroma of rich vanilla.

Parrot - Squat, about a foot long, its feathers are jet black, its short beak is bright red. It sits there watching you all, and then for no apparent reason at all, it throws up a brilliant blue crest on the top of its head, and starts bobbing up and down. Looks like a black cockatoo with a blue crest. Excellent mimic. Be careful what you say!! Very friendly. Very curious. Will follow you everywhere.

Tiny, white-furred monkeys sat huddled together on topmost branches; their black eyes, as big as saucers, are blinking at everyone curiously.

Hanging from a bush - fat, dull-grey caterpillars, about 3 inches long are seen spinning an extremely fine cocoon around themselves from a secreted black, shiny thread, and if you look at the cocoons a certain way, it looks almost like they've disappeared.

Bog mud – specifically from bogs where the spine shooting sunflower plant grows. VERY beneficial to the skin. Makes it softer, smoother.

Flower spines – strong as steel, varying in length. Would make good arrows, crossbow bolts etc.