Tyre’Negoth: The Forests of Alknor

One day under the swelt’ring sun remained in journey

To the shadowed woods that spanned farther than sight,

All rode on with new-born intensity, battle ready,

For even Gimnal, the mis’rable wretch who was blind

To all occurrences save the ones that plagued his mind,

Cringed at the sight and knew, darkness dwelled within.

Monmoth drove the pack on at unerring and steady rate,

Behind, all followed preparing for any sudden attack,

All were so deep in preparation they were cast afright,

By Gimnal’s sudden piercing scream as he began his babble

Once more: “Hunger subsides before the shade arrives!

Futility, such futility wraps cloak round all hope!”

The phrases were repeated time and again til Acumenius,

Skilled in many forms of easement of the mind, calmed

The terrified Gimnal to whisper to himself alone.

Dallimier, Heregal, Vergent, and Ladrius, Andaras’ men,

Drew their blades and steadied their glimmering shields,

Yet nothing came for sev’ral hours thus they eased

Their defense and Dallimier, always ready for story,

Turned to Mordius, Acumenius’ pupil who had not said word

Since leaving Baelorik’s fort, rather sat and brooded

Over the neglect of his master in favor of Gimnal.

“Mordius! Tell us tale, silent man! You seem bright,

For great Acumenius would not bring fool upon this trip!

Don’t waste our time man, pass the day, don’t hold lip,

Let loose your eloquent tongue and regail us with tale.”

Mordius broke from his idle brooding and gazed with eyes

Filled with harmless mischief, he smiled nastily,

“A tale you desire and I’ll satisfy your every wish,

With tale that shall make you regret shouting out

And breaking my concentration, I shall indeed tell tale,

See the forests far ahead? I shall speak upon them well,

I shall tell you tale that shall chill your bones!”

Mordius gave a small chuckle and cleared his throat.

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Lumberjacks and woodsman of utmost skill had long heard

Of the Forests of Alknor, stretching out from Mt. Zeras

For miles further than the eye could see, rumors ran

That Tyre’Negoth’s presence made the trees magic,

Thus, fearless men of lumber trade would march into them

Without a care, yet few returned the same, tis true.

Some more brave souls would build from the magic timber,

Huge cabins where they would reside while they worked,

Such a cabin exists within that haunting wood, now empty

Of all occupants, though at one time six men dwelled

Within it’s thick log walls and dined on deer and boar

On it’s thick oak tables, built all by their massive hand

And secured with steel, over all doors and each window

Bars crossed to barricade from the demons their wives,

Sharp in tongue, had warned them of so long before.

The leader of the crew was Ugido, a man of seven feet,

As big as our dear Boneshredder I’d hazard a guess,

Thick in bristling blonde beard and hair, tan skin,

Hairy from top to toe was this master woodsman whose men

Were of equal stature but less brains and balls, indeed.

Forgive my vulgarity, this tale needs it thus, for Ugido

Was foul in tongue despite his habit of hungry reading.

He had read occult tomes from far and wide and knew

With certainty how to slay all the beasts of myth.

Yet Ugido believed not in them, for none had he ever seen

Or heard and none had his men encountered for five years.

Now days grew late and ale and beef accompanied them

Upon their work days, thus it was often that one man

Would fall asleep within the woods and return late morn,

Further this did bolster Ugido’s denial of foul beasts.

It was one foul night, when a storm began to crackle

That Ugido noticed Bjorain, the youngest of the crew,

Missing from the dining table and hearing thunder roaring

Stood and urged his companions to set out and find him:

“He took extra ale for our trip is over and we go home,

Celebration should not be taken lightly, nor heavily!”

Ugido gave wink and all laughed heartily at his jest,

Thus all wrapped themselves in thick bear skin cloak

And marched deep into the whistling trees as rain poured.

The wind grew mightier and soon a tornado would appear,

Thus Ugido and his men hastened their search, calling

With deep voice for Bjorain, marching towards his post.

Yet Bjorain was gone from his stead and his ale, too.

Nothing remained of him, no supplies nor waste of meal.

“How odd he would go deeper into the wood to cut trees,

Let us search quick, I feel the storm nearing its peak!”

On they searched in circles round Bjorain’s post but no

Man found sign, yet, just as Ugido decided to give in,

Lightning cracked through sky and lit upon footprints

Leading towards the stacked lumber far from camp,

Ugido called his men, bid three go back and marched off

With Bjorain’s cousin, Doffrin, the two following tracks

Til they reached the lumber. Now the lumber crew would,

For sake of profit, spend months within the wood and thus

They found need to make garden and plant seed for all

Desired fresh vegetables to devour to spice the boredom

Of beef and ale, thus a grand garden had been hoed,

And Ugido’s wife had made scarecrow to scare the birds.

It was here, within the garden that the tracks did end.

Baffled Ugido stared til Doffrin, being bright lad,

Shown lantern closer to the tracks vanishing and found

The ground to be disturbed in wide pattern for many feet,

Doffrin moved to investigate but Ugido shouted out,

He’d found the ale spilled and half empty along with axe,

No sign remained, but that was not what made Ugido shout,

Twas the wild marks of axe blade within the nearby logs,

“These strikings have no order nor purpose, collateral

Blows I believe them, as if from hap-hazard swinging.

At what I wonder,” Ugido queried as he turned round.

Lightning shattered the sky and Ugido’s eyes grew wide,

“Come Doffrin! We must hurry back to our cabin’s safety!”

Doffrin had not the time to demand explanation, Ugido

Grabbed him with rock hard grip and drug him off hastily.

Behind the scarecrow ripped out of the garden and rolled,

The sound of cracking bones dulled by the the thunder.