Defenders of the Forest - Liber Fanatica

Ot h e r w o r l d Po r t a l s
Misty Hollow (Tree): By eating a Limillin Apple, travellers can
emerge from the mist at a Damsel academy in the Otherworld.
Misty Hollow (Castle): By holding a branch, leaf or petal while
submersing oneself in the lake beside the castle, travellers can
return from the Otherworld to the forest location from which
the ingredient was taken.
Sacred Yew Grove: Several of the yew trees are song portals to
the Otherworld. One of them leads to the Lost Boys’ Grove
if the correct fable-song is known. Any Wood Elf can attempt
to recall the Aria of the Faerie Child by passing a Common
Knowledge (Athel Loren) Test.
Lost Boys’ Grove: A giant rabbit hole in the woods leads to
Strangle Wood. Characters can also return to the Sacred Yew
Grove through the song portal.
Strangle Wood: A giant rabbit hole located 3 miles from Bhati’s
Grove leads to the Lost Boys’ Grove.
human Damsels who snap under the pressure of their magical
training.
Castle: If Marianne is present, she pleads with PCs to hurry:
“you aren’t supposed to be here!” If any PCs advance within
20 yards of the castle, three angry Spellsingers appear on the
parapet and attempt to Grapple them from range using the Fury
of the Forest spell (pg. 32). Marianne flees into the lake with
Jean-Michel. Subdued PCs are bound and escorted through the
lake to the House of Enreth (3).
6. Sa c r e d Ye w Gr o v e
Elves gather from miles around to dance and meditate in this
clearing among the yew trees. The yew grove counts as a Sacred
Glade with the Inspiration and Sanctuary Auras (pg. 16). Playful
Spites flit about the grove and converge around characters
with magical ability. One of the grove’s hidden secrets is an
Otherworld portal through a large yew, leading to the Lost Boy’s
Grove (7).
Arriving With Marianne: Marianne can open the Otherworld
portal by singing the Aria of the Faerie Child, which she learned
from the Elves of Enreth. Opening the portal requires a Sing or
Musicianship Test that can be repeated every 10 minutes.
Wardancers: An hour after the PCs’ arrival, a troupe of 7
Wardancers led by Radulan arrives from the House of Enreth to
dance among the magical yews. Unless a Wood Elf is present,
they will evict PCs from the grove.
Cerulan: If Cerulan previously guided the PCs, he accompanies
his brother’s Wardancer troupe. Cerulan insists that Jean-Michel
must stay in Athel Loren, and will use force to detain him if
necessary. The Wardancers support Cerulan in a violent confrontation
and defiant PCs are removed to the House of Enreth
(3) for confinement.
Chapter XII: Revolutions
in Progress
7. Lo s t Bo y s ’ Gr o v e
This Otherworld realm is contained within a large ravine nestled
between a cliff and a wooded hill. Twenty-odd human boys
(aged 3-12) armed with wooden swords scramble over rocks and
plank bridges amidst a heated battle with illusory goblins. Several
sullen-looking boys with branches for limbs watch the fracas
from the opposite side of the ravine. In a nearby clearing stands
an egg-shaped structure covered in bells, whistles and gemstones.
A patched, saggy hot air balloon is staked to the ground
just beyond. The sun radiates only a pale nimbus of light, which
fades to twilight on the horizon.
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Battle Boys: These Bretonnian rascals might mistake PCs for
illusionary foes. After a round of the PCs being whacked with
wooden swords, a whistle blows from the egg, causing the boys
to stand down and gather around the egg for “story time”. Each
boy has a random Fay Aspect (pg. 28). Most of them wish to
remain in the Otherworld, although four of the younger ones
would prefer to return home.
Branch Boys: These boys can only speak Fan-ba-larin, a simplified
dialect of spirit-tongue. They spend most of their time with
forest spirits, and will flee into the woods if approached.
Wonder Egg: Examining this strange contraption reveals
a hatch that’s locked from the inside. If damage is inflicted
upon the egg, the hatch flips open, and a little old man named
Ambrose Zarathusius emerges to plead for mercy. Otherwise,
Ambrose will wait quietly inside the egg until the PCs go away.
Ambrose Zarathusius
The boys’ silver-haired guardian is a former circus illusionist
from Bretonnia known as “Uncle Oscar”. Many years ago, his
hot air balloon was carried into Loren by an autumn storm
during an astral conjunction. If PCs arrive without Jean-Michel,
Ambrose offers them the use of his balloon. Although he claims
the conveyance will carry them home on a westward wind, it
only drifts as far as the Scrying Pool (4) before running out of
air. You can describe a vast field of stars engulfing the balloon
before it passes through the Space Between Worlds back into the
Forest. Though the PCs may invite Ambrose along, he enjoys
the children’s company and has no plans to leave.
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