Blighted Grave Yard

Deep in the woods lie the rotted foundations of a town that no longer exists. Blood of horrors long past seeped into the roots and corrupted the land, leaving the few surviving to flee the horrors of what was created. Now only the unfortunate animal or unsuspecting travels fall prey to what remains, hidden in the dark of the woods.

The Lore:

Long ago this was the town of Oakhaven, a small town of lumberjacks and hunters. A group of raiders came through and massacred all but one person from each home. Many of the bodies were hung from the branches of the great oak tree in the graveyard/churchyard; the blood and sorrow saturating the ground turning this once calm oak into a sentient creature of grief.

This encounter can be placed in many worlds and ttrpg settings with some creativity and re-working of the monster stat blocks. The current writing and stat blocks are for a 5th edition D&D adventure.

It was also written to be used anywhere that there is dense forest.

Description to read to the party:

The forest grows dense, the canopy closing above blocking the last of the light of the moon. Foliage now blocks the stars above, no longer able to guide your way. The crunching of leaves chorused with the snapping of trees breaks the silence of the woods as you continue on this path. Overgrown brush makes it difficult yet not impossible to find the rocky path below. Large rocks and timber surround the sides of the path, creating eerie shadows that darken the already dim forest.

Perception checks:

Dc 10: There are large rotting timber pieces that are near the edge of the pathways.

DC 15: There are what once was lamp posts that stand erect near the edge of the pathways. There are no animal or bird sounds in this area, though there are some animal bones and long faded prints of creatures in the dried dirt.

DC 20+: There are fragments of broken pottery, some skeletal

remains hidden below on the ferns and brush.

The large rotting timber pieces outline

what once were houses.