"Avoiding the Dangers of Elanthia"
by Jolebin Swordstaff, Elemancer of Riverhaven

Elanthia is, of course, a land of great beauty and limitless wonder. It is also, unfortunately, a land of many undocumented perils. I must confess that in the earlier days of my adventures in these lands, I suffered numerous deaths. Naturally I have also died during more recent excursions, but never with a frequency as intense as during those days of my youth. To be honest, some few of those early deaths were ignominious in the extreme, and the empaths and clerics who restored me to vigorous life did, I suspect, find some humor in the details of my unfortunate condition. It is my fervent hope that this cautionary letter will prevent the young adventurers of today from succumbing to some of the more embarrassing demises that might await them in some of the more frequently visited Elanthian locales.

First, I address what I consider to be the most dreadful death possible in Elanthia, for it leaves its prominent mark upon every victim. I speak of none other than the dastardly, luminescent mushroom that grows in the dark, unsavory shadows of our lands. I do not believe that I would be presumptive to suggest that most young Elanthians are quite familiar with the rural road that originates at the Western Gate of the Crossing, and which extends far to the west of the city. Not far from the gate, there is a southern offshoot of the road, and this trail divides as well. If one is inclined to follow the more southerly path upon reaching this fork, he or she will discover a ruined farmhouse at its terminus.

I myself had looked upon this decrepit building many times, whilst battling cruel-eyed goblins, odiferous musk hogs, and gibberingly crazed madmen, before I ventured inside. After a brief survey of the structure's interior, I discovered a means of entering the abandoned cellar. In the chamber's dank recesses, I discovered clusters of the selfsame fungi against which my intention is to warn. Noticing their phosphorescent property, I reached out my hand to take hold of a single mushroom, hoping to use it as a torch to light my way in exploration of the cold, clammy depths. But instead, the seemingly inanimate protrusion belched forth a putrid stream of thick sputum, which enveloped my right hand and much of that arm. Immediately I could feel it burning the very flesh off my bones.

I scrambled out of the forgotten basement, and rushed headlong out of the blasted ruin. Already, the accursed ichor had spread to my chest and neck, devouring my skin all the while and leaving only hideous open sores and blistered flesh in its path. The toprightmost quarter of my body might as well have been set aflame. I finally succumbed to my wounds not far from the Western Gate, dropping dead on the spot. Luckily a passing group of hunters discovered my body and dragged me to the safety of the Cleric's Guild, where the kind ministrations of the empaths and clerics returned my life to me. Therefore, if ever you see any sort of plant which casts light upon it surroundings, know that it most likely harbors carnivorous ambitions, and should be avoided at all costs.

This is another great peril not far from the Crossing, and I know that it has claimed the lives of many of my fellow Elanthians as well as myself. Outside of the Northeastern Gate of the city, one finds the Northern Trade Route. This well-traveled highway forms the backbone of commerce between the Crossing and fair Riverhaven to the north. A short distance to the north of the Crossing there is a picturesque bridge, and just past it lies a shaded forest path that leads into the woods on the west side of the road. It is along this path that one finds the stomping grounds of the faenrae reavers and the dens of the wind hounds. The thin trail turns towards the north and ends at the entrance to the Silverwater Mine.

In the deepest reaches of the mine, one finds a passageway down into its abandoned depths. A strange trick of the light (what little there is) makes it appear to be nothing but a shallow, gently sloping depression. However, in actuality it is a sheer mineshaft, hundreds of feet deep. There is no aid to climbing, save a single knotted rope. But once one has committed oneself to attempting the climb, there is no other possible course of action. The only way to advance upwards or downwards is to continue to climb. I have it on good authority that this is one of the most difficult ascents or descents known to exist in Elanthia. I can certainly believe that, for I myself fell to my death when I sought to explore the lower levels of the mine. My screams echoed against the cruel walls of the shaft, and my body was shattered by the impact. Though that body had been good to me, I had no choice but to abandon it. In the course of recovering my possessions from my grave, I learned that there is a much safer way to explore the mine's depths, and it involves a mobile platform which, to my chagrin, sits in plain sight not twenty feet away from the shaft.

There are also places in Elanthia which are characterized by moderate danger, but unexpectedly harbor much greater peril somewhere within. Disembarking from the ferry on the southern bank of the great Segoltha River, one finds oneself standing upon the Southern Trade Route, which leads southwards to Leth Deriel and beyond that to Shard, jewel of Ilithi. Along this well-worn trail one can find the elusive Forest of Night, inhabited by bloodthirsty dryads and nyads. These wild female elementals are vicious but not particularly hardy. Even a young adventurer can usually dispatch them without much difficulty. However, in the shadowed depths of these woods, thick patches of fog envelop the path. Chillingly, an explorer may hear voices emanating from the mist, desperately calling out for help. Often, the voices will seem to be those of his or her friends and loved ones, and the adventurer will be tempted to enter the shrouded heart of the forest. But, if you do, then beware! These dark trails are haunted by the hideous "death spirits." They will hack the limbs from your body if you have not the skill to defend yourself. They are formidable foes indeed, and extreme caution should be exercised before attempting to do battle with them. If you find yourself trapped in their demesnes, do not panic. It is not possible to pass back through the mist the way you came, but you can reach safety by carefully examining the massive pile of leaves that sits there, and finding an appropriate method of pushing through it.

Similarly, there is great peril hidden in the heavily forested Zaulfung Marsh, just outside of Riverhaven. This wilderness provides a buffer between the city and the Trackless Swamp, home of the reviled swamp trolls and the stone-slinging lesser sluaghs. The Zaulfung itself, however, is inhabited only by virtually harmless wild boars and boobries. Young adventurers should not let themselves be lulled into inattention here. In the southernmost reaches of the marsh, one may hear a woman's soft weeping and be tempted to investigate. It is of the utmost importance that you set aside your chivalric or sympathetic concerns and refrain from pursuing the sound, unless you have fully prepared yourself for what awaits you in the deepest groves of the Zaulfung. For there you will find a secluded trail, infested by the spiny dyrachis who have established their lair in those dark shadows. These freakish creatures have the unnatural ability to project deadly spines out from themselves, imbedding them deep in the flesh of their victims. This area is also home to the same sluaghs that inhabit the nearby swamp. A single dyrachis or sluagh may be resisted and its attacks evaded, but they tend to appear in groups of two or three, making them all the more dangerous.

On the occasion of my accidental trespass of their domain, I encountered a pair of dyrachis, and their quills penetrated my arm and my chest, dropping me on the spot. The mysterious magic of that area resulted in my corpse vanishing from where I had fallen and reappearing at the Standing Stones, whence I was eventually retrieved and brought to the clerics. I had already discovered that after one has entered this small enclosure, one cannot immediately find the exit; the undergrowth that conceals the path only permits passage in one direction. I made a point of a further study, and I eventually learned that one must instead walk east and north, all the while hounded by the dyrachis and sluaghs, until one reaches a small egress, hidden by some bushes.

I hope that my writing of this article will not prove to be in vain. My intention has been to convey to my fellow Elanthians a respect for the dangers that may often be present in the most innocuous-seeming situations. Elanthia is, of course, a land of many perils, and most of those dangers are fairly evident when approached. But others, such as those that I have discussed here, are in fact quite well hidden. This article describes only four pitfalls to which Elanthians might find themselves subject, all of them near the Crossing. Elanthia as a whole harbors countless other unexpected dangers, and I would urge all explorers to conduct careful studies of any regions which they plan to visit, prior to actually doing so. Such a study should include consultation of books, as well as discussions with adventurers who have already traveled to those destinations.

Safe Paths.
Jolebin Swordstaff, Elemancer of Riverhaven