Sunday 23 October 2022

d100 Woodland Paths of Auldwood





































So when in the woods on the main roads and trails or even in wilderness you may find some of there paths. Some require a track spot rolls to find these secrets. A skilled such person can follow most paths an hour per roll. Unskilled make a roll every ten minute turn. A tracker will be able to tell what species use the path via escrement, campsites, fur or scales and other left clues.

d10 Quick Types

1 Animal 
Trails
2 Wood Folk Trails
3 Humanoid Trails
4 Demihumanoids Trails
5 Monster Trails
6 Sylvan & Faerie Trails
7 Faerie & Spirit Trails
8 Chaos Trails
9 Haunted Trails
10 Auldwood God Trails

d100 Woodland Paths of Auldwood
01 Deer Path - deer run this path between clearings and waterways
02 Wolf Track - where nightly a wolf pack has run for generations to water and hunting areas
03 Bear Path - several local bears follow this between caves, fishing streams, berry patches and beehives
04 Elk Track - lords of the wood these huge horned beasts can be aggressive when they have children or are startled
05 Cattle Track - where a herd of smallish wild cattle with several bulls protecting the herd
06 Goat Track - where herds of goats go from their cliff shelter to pastures daily, often will flee over rough rocky terrain other animals can't match them on for speed. A few billy goats will get stroppy if the herd chased
07 Bird Tracks - where various breeds of terror birds roam the woods hunting for prey. When they gallop on the tracks they often screech to stir up the game
08 Ape Tracks - where carnivorous apes travel seasonally seeking various foods
09 Lion Track - where several lions come down from their cave lairs to their hunting grounds
10 Auroc Path - where these giant wild cattle travel seasonally and will cooperate and surround to kill anything they think is a threat 
11 Trappers Path where fur trappers use to reach deep woods. Often find traps in area for small furry animals
12 Hunters Trail - intersects with various animal trails used by hunters to locate certain game animals in various seasons
13 Rangers Path - where scouts in service to the kingdom feel out frontier territories for trouble and foreign influence or monster threats
14 Woodcutters Path - neat path where logs have been dragged through and later persons gathered sticks and wood and connects areas with dead and damaged trees. Wood cutters usually leave tokens at shrines for forest folk and spirits to appease them
15 Bandits Trail - between various hideouts, caves, campsites and good roads to ambush travellers
16 Rebels Trail - survivors of a failed dynasty have become a group of rebels mostly acting like bandits and making revenge on the current local nobility
17 Wardens Path - where the noble's forest wardens travel while patrolling for poachers and bandits
18 Poachers Path - where various poachers enter the woodlands seeking a game that by law belongs to nobility. Some lead to secret campsites and caves and to premium animal locations
19 Bards Trail - sacred song trail of the druidic bard orders which bards travel on singing until they have a strange encounter test them. Some wisdom or boon is given for an oath
20 Druids way - where druids travel on the way to sacred stones and pools and hilltops and trees, some have complex patterns and are hard to follow and may have magical guardians
21 Goblin Trails - path through thorn hedges and bramble mazes leads to goblin caves and hidden villages. With giant mushrooms and bugs being common
22 Hobgoblin Path - cut through earth path with trenches and tunnels anslo usable as a defence line with some hidden barracks and supplies
23 Bugbear Trail - marked with shrunken heads and frightening dolls, bugbears enjoy hunting those who come here and scaring them as much as possible before taking their heads
24 Orc Path - stomped by hobnail boots over centuries with scraps of bones and other rubbish on paths and in many campsites. Human or animal skulls are sometimes arranged as markers
25 Troll Trail - mossy shaded path with various troll holes for them to hide from the sun. Many holes will have buried troll treasure but its always a risk robbing them
26 Ogre Path - wide trampled path with vegetation cut through and broken. Ogre camps have cracked bone fragments and stink of ogre dung
27 Hill Giant Path - wide meandering trail with pushed down trees and flattened bushes. Various cave and cliff shelters on the way where they seasonally wander for food
28 Magi Path - the territorial route of ogre magi and his goblin horde who use the trail to raid rivals and rob humans
29 Werewolf Trail - a mix of wolf and human footprints with and without boots, a family of werewolves use this trail for transforming on the way to hunting areas. Animals feel uncomfortable on this path
30 Orcish Trail - long ago a wizard settled in secret on this path and he created his own loyal orcs to watch the path for intruders who covet his magic secrets. He is a good orc keeper and they are all very satisfied in their upkeep and know the wizard is the supreme god who must be helped
31 Dwarf Path - connected several small mines and a smithy of a dwarf clan with warrior patrols
32 Gnome Path - has some spectacular giant mushrooms actually gnome houses and this is their main trade rout to another colony
33 Burrowers Path - halfling community uses this road to reach a major human road for trade
34 Elf path where scouts and traders come in secret with pleasant food plants on the way
35 Halfling Trail - where halflings hike and gather herbs, berries and nuts and sometimes go behind to trade
36 Wildfolk Way - where hairy wild hunting folk travel, sometimes you hear their horns or see them chasing game with bows and clubs. Sometimes you see them have rituals and dancing but best keep away and they do the same
37 Spirit Folk Trail - secret and difficult to follow as a human path used by spriritfolk to gather for secret celebrations then after they return to the human world and human form to live in secret among villagers. The site has a spring and stone circle and many unusual hermits in the area are really spirit folk related to plants or beasts or elements
38 Beast Folk Trail - a clan of beastfolk living in the area use this to cross their territory swiftly. Roll d6 for beastfolk type 1=wolf 2=goat 3=elk 4=lion 5=snake 6=badger
39 Berserkers Path - a trail where barbarian berserker gather for cult purposes and form warbands to terrorise some poor region. They are not really just human barbarians they are abhumans who look like large muscular humans and more related to beast folk than humans. They really hate wizards, spell casters and literacy and they only reluctant to fight undead
40 Cave Track - path connects a series of caves (and probably includes paths through them) where various cave people and subterranean folk live. Mostly they only come to the surface for at night and shun modern peoples and clothing unless snowing when they wear furs
41 Owlbear Track - mostly owl bears stay in their own area but in breeding season or when certain fish and berries are available they may congergate and use these paths. They really dislike humans spying on them like this and are happy to eat intruders
42 Wood Drake Path - a small draconic creature slinks along this path and it connects areas good to use its wings. It also has manyareas it can climb to safety in tree tops. It is enemies with wolves who hate it in return so eaten burned wolf remains can be found  
43 Spiders Path - dried thick bushes covered in cobwebs have tunnels that can fit a human. Millions of normal spiders are enough to scare off most people but the mummified corpses of wolves and deer bundled into webbing scares even the bravest locals away
44 Lizard Trail - where many species of peculiar giant lizards dewlled that there brought here by a lizard folk druid long ago for her people to domesticate. Many of these odd lizards have unusual abilities like the chameleon or the fire lizards or ghekkos. Even wolves fear this trail
45 Manticore Trail - winds through cliffs with caves where manticores nest
46 Bonnacon Path - worn path with an unpleasant smell, the cow-like beast roams here that can defend itself with blasts of stinking clouds or burning flames from its butt. There are burned patches of dung splattered on the train some with burned wolf bones
47 Hell Hound Trail - used by cultists attracted to the presence of hell hounds for centuries. The cults hope to find a hellgate they can worship and help devils invade our cosm
48 Night Hound Path - where on a full moon strange ghostly dog creatures travel this path and make crossing it dangerous. Locals know to keep away from the trail at night as do animals
49 Hell Cat Trail - where witches come to serve hell and learn from the devil cat who wanders this trail. Witches and willing converts come here but normal folk keep away
50 Raging Ape Trail - a circus abandoned a troop of carniverous giant apes here and faeries helped them survive. These apes have green fur and in spring grow flowers also
51 Centaurs Ramble - where seasonally centaurs gallop along the path often drunk for thrills, They may attempt to kidnap humans if they feel especially lusty which causes all sorts of trouble
52 Satyrs Path - lusty satyrs gather along this path and travel on it occasionally seeking wine or lovers to join them or troubling local dryads
53 Faun Trail - small humble woodland folk use this path to link their various homes in treestumps, caves and giant mushrooms and a few places they gather for dancing
54 Dryads Way - a trail of dryad sisters live along here and sometimes visit each other to trade gossip and old lovers. Some men have spent years captive here before being abandoned for new talent
55 Kobolds Trail - a lusty tribe of drunken kobolds live along here and trade gold and silver for wine and are much more pleasant company than normal kobolds. Occasionally some hold up travellers for alcohol and sometimes demand companions for a party 
56 Bulls Path - a labyrinthine passage through caves, thorn hedges and stone gulleys where several minotaur beast folks live. They of course are experts at navigating the path which has various hazards and dangers the minotaurs can all avoid
57 Hydras Path - a great slithering multi-headed giant snake follows this path from the water to its cave to hunting areas. It is actually aware of any on its path and is said to guard a treasure
58 Harpy Trail - with many rocky cliffs and harpy nests - they clear the path seasonally to attract victims
59 Nymphs Path has a series of pleasant springs some are hot springs others are magical. Nymphs guard them and bathe in them and people who seek to see them don't return
60 Unicorn Run - where these noble beasts roam seasonally sometimes guarded by elves and other creatures. Some come to gather magical healing unicorn poop before elves do
61 Faerie Trail - with many stone circles, carved menhirs and circles of mushrooms and flowers where faerie kind travel between worlds. It is dangerous to see them at night or especially full moons. They punish spies and may take humans as slaves for centuries then return them old and feeble hopelessly addicted to faerie food. Sprites, brownies and pixies are common here and will spy on travellers and make pranks on them if they don't leave cake offerings
62 Banshee Path - this clear path of dead grass and creepy scratching bushes by nigh is a route taken by a banshee who was an elfmaid murdered here by her lover long ago
63 Greenhag Gully - a winding path through a small canyon with a stream through it and several caves and many ancient trees and bogs. A greenhag has cultivated this for thousands of years and local evil elf boys and girls worship her. Humans maust leave an offering to pass 
64 Tree Folk Trail - this path apparently moves as many trees helping to form it are spirit trees who may assume human form and move around, especially for moonlight dances with other magical hidden filk
65 Oaken Path - a mossy trail through the dark ancient forest where gigantic tree folk roam. They are wary of strangers, especially ones with axes. Even elves leave offerings and ask to enter these areas if they must
66 Weird Path - time flows differently on this path and not as it should, seeing faeries is a warning that time may have slowed or sped up or gone backwards
67 Crooked Path - has odd angles and users may travel vast distances within Auldwood. Seemingly random and less useful if you can find it again. Faerie can predict its route with complex maps some humans seek
68 Dragons Path - a local spirit dragon appointed by heaven to rule the region has made this path for retainers and gifts to have easy access to its secret mountain palace. There are various spirit folk and elf courtiers and other minor faerie folk in service of the dragon. There are various points on the trail with shrines and some sort of challenge or test for mortals to continue4
69 Deathgazers Path - with dead dried grass and bushes and surprised-looking dead animals and skeletons. A cateoblas makes this path between its lair and hunting areas. Necromancers and dark elves make the animals into vicious undead and the spoiled bath grows yearly 
70 Stranglers Way - shunned path where every generation a few locals are found strangled who dared use the path alone at night. Unknown to most hangman's trees live on the path a god passed long ago. Other carnivorous plants grow here and some seem to become big enough to be a threat 
71 Hellbog Path - a route through a swamp where a malevolent land spirit dwells
72 Gloomfog Trail - foggy path with many bubbling hot mud pools. Mutants like to hide here as some strange glowing mud gives one the taint of chaos. A shrine and mutant camp are likley   
73 Fever Path - animals here have odd illnesses and vermin and mange. Any traveling through it is struck by toxic miasmas that spread disease
74 Nightfang Track - connecting several ruins and tombs between several villages. A vampire has lived here for a long time and has several emergency coffins set up so he can escape easier. Some are buried under soil or rubble. The vamp mostly kills travellers and has a human identity still locals would never expect 
75 Wayback Track - where travellers experience distorted time and most often are lost in time. Some void entity is trapped sleeping beneath the path and tries to ensnare victims to get them involved most frequently in troubles long ago. Some found no time seemed to pass but had odd dreams
76 Slime Track - a boggy path crossed by several creeks where many slime creatures are born and used. There are odd pools with disgusting macroscopic versions of pond life like hydras, tardigrades, ameobas and spores. Someone is tainting the path to make a barrier
77 Black Billy's Track - the famous devil demi-goat has made this track his on his frequent violent rampages since a cult failed to bind him
78 Demonstone Path - where there are many old standing stones which were once living mortal worshippers and larger stones were great vulture carrion bird demons. Cultists come to worship them and sometimes try to free them
79 Horsefly Track - swarms of huge stinging flies dwell around here some say is due to a curse
80 Rotbog Trail - wet stinking trail through a boggy area where bloated mutant horrors wallow in the yellow-grey mud pools. Some blame the ruins of an alchemist's laboratory near the trail
81 Bloody Maidens Trail - a local girl was murdered by werewolves and now her ghost wanters this path scaring and murdering those who remind her of werewolves
82 Phantom Path - this trail comes and goes and was once a pilgrims trail until bandits ruined the shrines and killed all the pulgrims. Now the shrine ruins are haunted by shadows
83 Headless Norman's Path - norman was a labourer killed in a sawmill and now his drunken ghost wanders the path to the abandoned mill looking for its head. SOme say another headless ghost stole the head
84 Grannyfinger Trail - often dark and misty in morning and night, people report grasping old women's hands reach from the soil in the fog grasping at anyone
85 Drowned Maidens Trail - once used more until a girl drowned herself and returned as a sad spirit who menaces travellers who dare use this path 
86 Hellbound Trail - appears and disappears often where devil cults frequent, if you follow the trail you find a village that is really a planar trap - you can only leave by going through hell
87 Sinkhole Trail - various sinkholes on this path are dangerous hazards you can fall in and many are well hidden under vegetation. Mant have been lost in these caves and many are now undead. A few use the pit as a lair and roam at night for victims, others are endlessly lost
88 Bone Path - trails used by a death cult to connect several ruins where a necromancer order hid for years and the path is still scattered with bones and undead especially skeletons still roaming the trail  
89 Weeping Willow Path - a series of willows each home to a spirit of a sacrificed maiden. They all crave male lovers but are jealous, paranoid, possessive and never want they chosen to leave. Some drown their lovers rather than let another get them. Some hope these males will be their lovers forever but this has never happened
90 Little Lord Track - where a lord's child disappeared in his finest suit. He was never found and they hung a woodsman they blamed. That was the first two spirits here, over the years more tragic spirits are discovered as more die here. Some have come from the woods with a new soul and the old ones left in a sealed bottle buried or sunk in a river
91 The Green Path - a strange new path that moves and seems to be a shorter path the way you need. Windchimes and bone flutes can be heard and other strange noises can be heard and vision becomes blurry. The path leads you into an otherworldly faerieland. The path is a enigmatic spirit sent to bring mortals to the otherworld
92 Bleak Path - moving dark path of spooky old trees and shadows. People passing here may encounter shadow creatures and some who passed its haunted route found things from their childhood nightmares enter the waking world to hunt their creators here and the dreams will return
93 Burning Path - a burned trail that seems fresh but in fact moves with ash and glowing coals and a few small spot fires. Elemental fire creature are attracted to this route often connecting planar portals or elemental nodes
94 Winter Path - seems to have frost or some snow in summer and a road of ice in winter. Connects planar portals and elemental nodes. Creatures from air, water and ice planes or winter spirits use this trail and keep it cooler than other paths
95 Snake Track - area rich in snake magic but also fruit and berry trees that attract vermin that the snakes eat. Many large constrictors, venomous reptiles or even swarms of small snakes. Some say there are caves and prehuman temples in the rocky gullys. An ancient land spirit serpant guards this repository of serpentine power and civilisation
96 Shamblers Trail - a trail through woods made by heaps of ambulant rotting humanoid heaps of vegetation from forest floor and bogs. These creatures are peaceful but protect the area from exploitation. If several guardians die thegrreat spirit of the path puts all the sleeping shambler spores into production to make an army of vegetal horrors. They are colonies of organisms part plant and part fungus and don't really have minds. Some druids and faerie folk work with them and comune with the spirit
97 Heroes Path - a tribal initiation path that appears in a new location daily rotating over a year. Tribes have long used it to test initiates into the secrets of druids, bards and warrior schools. The path goes through 12 hills each really a earth mound in the shape of a druidic zodiac sign. Each hill has a stone monument and a guardian spirit that operates a test based on sylvan magical creatures. Each success receive a blessings each fail receives a curse. Gods may take an interest in this ancient challenge 
98 Mothers Path - a moving path that often appears to aid women and children and guide them too the secret goddess grotto. Unfortunaltly a wold demon has found the way into her spirit world and eats a few suplicants who hesitate to accept her aid. She may send an animal guide and tries to appear as a large old woman
99 Verdant Path - a verdant trail that comes and goes seasonally and has sprouting vegetation that attracts deer and goats. Druids and hunters used to perform a ritual here to the lord in green the great spirit of Auldwood. Others who accidently travel this path will confront various prehistoric mega beasts and their is a chance if the ritual is successful they may bring a lost species back from the spirit world. The Forest god will send to smite the unworthy a wild wood lord hunter in a mask with stag antlers. Will ride a chariot pulled by giant elk followed by a band of faerie & sylvan beings, cultists, wild folk and tree folk. Some have fled until the sun came up and were saved and never returned to Auldwood. Modern church shuns this path
100 The Forbidden Path - this path moves and is a trap from a malevolent evil hunter god long forgotten. They exterminated species, plundered the wild and hunted other gods to devour them. The bloody berserker hunter god was son of the chaos earth god Bangarigor and one of his captains. The good gods hunted and killed this vile god who took 3 days to die leaving a trail of blood. The lost god is shattered but enough of its essence survived as this path. All kinds of violent chaotic evil psychopaths wander this path to fight each other, hone their skills and join bands under a charismatic leader to destroy and plunder as they please. As some new cults seem attracted the numbers of killers decimating the weak has proliferated. Some say the old god seeks to come back as a lord of murder. Various camps of maniacs camp on this path and several secret temples. By soaking enough blood into the land they hope to help heal the master and help them return. His cults go by many names until they can agree and unite under one new name for his evil

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