Treant's Grove
The mighty and ancient treants are the forest's guardians and the shepherd of its trees. Longer-lived than even the elves, treants rarely seek out short-lived folk.
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Outside the Lair
Dense stands of trees form an almost impenetrable barrier surrounding the treant’s grove. A profusion of small forest animals dwells therein.
The forest drops steeply away into a natural bowl-shaped depression. The treant’s grove lies in the bowl’s sheltered depths.
Deep, strangely shaped tracks in the soft forest floor show where the treant has moved about. The tracks are obvious but difficult to identify.
The utterly smashed and decomposing bodies of a small band of goblins lie scattered about the area. It appears a massive weight crushed the goblins.
What’s Going On?
A cacophony of bird song fills the air as flocks of sparrows and the like dive and wheel above the grove.
The treant wanders about its grove, examining the leaves of the surrounding trees.
The treant is using its animate tree ability to rearrange two hoary trees to give a sapling better light.
A deep voice raised in song fills the air. This is the treant singing of ancient times.
Major Lair Features
A shallow lake fills much of the grove. A few small tree-toped isles dot its placid waters.
A stand of saplings clusters along the steep banks of a meandering stream. Nearby, atop a narrow rise, the treant keeps watch.
A steep escarpment cuts the grove in half. A wide, shallow earthen ramp links the glade’s two halves.
A rocky crag rears up from the forest. A cave pierces the crag; inside, strange paintings decorate its walls.
Minor Lair Features
Squirrels infest the grove and its surrounds. Most ignore the characters and scamper about unconcerned by the adventurers’ presence.
Colourful wild flowers grow in great profusion throughout the grove.
Moss-covered boulders dot the grove. Some of the boulders are as large as wagon wheels.
Thick growths of creepers and vines twist themselves around the trees about the grove.
Treant’s Appearance
Gnarled and grizzled this treant has the bearing of a withered old man. Dead leaves fall from its boughs as it shambles about.
The white bark on this whip-thin elm tree is brilliantly white. The treant moves gracefully—for a tree.
Squirrels scamper about the treant’s boughs. If the treant makes any violent movements one or more could become dislodged.
This treant’s trunk is blackened by fire.
Treasure
This treant-wrought wooden gourd holds fresh, pure water. The gourd is so brightly polished its wood is almost good enough to use as a mirror.
A low-hanging bough of mistletoe is heavy with large, white buds. Such potent mistletoe buds may give druid spells cast with them extra power.
A hornbeam walking staff leans against a tree. The staff is the size of a quarterstaff and incredibly strong.
A cache of acorns fills a small hollow in the treant’s trunk. Eating an acorn restores one hit point and provides nourishment equal to a normal meal.
Trinkets & Trash
An old, rusting boar spear lies forgotten in a thicket.
The remains of a small sailcloth tent are snagged in a bush’s low-hanging branches. It flutters in the breeze.
An old, muddy backpack holds rotting trail rations and the remains of an illegible map.
An old walking boot sticks from a patch of dried mud. Of its mate (or owner), there is no sign.
Credit
This is a short system-neutral extract from Monstrous Lair #63: Treant’s Grove by Robert Manson.
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