Welcome Contributors to submission round 14! The Mournwood!

The Mournwood lies due east of the city of Darkenhaven, just across the mighty Mystrune River, where its twisted trees and strange mists give sway to all manner of fearful lore. Long ago, it was the site of the first resettlement of the area following the Woe of Ruin. But something happened some 1,200 annums past that caused the location to be abandoned. In those days, a number of ill-advised magists attempted to harness the powers of the lost high magicks without regard to the corruption that had come to infest the Everflow. It is said their spell-castings caused a great conflagration that destroyed the newly reborn city and slew most of those living there. Worse still, they unleashed corrupted magicks in the territory which fouled the lands and have caused all manner of strange and horrific happenings in the area since that time.
Today, the Mournwood is widely regarded as a place to be avoided. Horrible creatures skulk about in the brume, and many dangers lie hidden amongst the ruins of the long dead city. A few hardy... and some say foolish... individuals have tried to resettle the territory, but save for the very western fringe of the woodland, these efforts have been futile. And even those in the sites close to the banks of the Mystrune must always be on their guard for the many terrors that abide beneath the Mournwood’s jagged canopy. One of these places is named the Shallow Grave Distillery; a place where ruffians and outlaws may be found, along with adventurers seeking lost treasures in the ruins.

Your assignment is an interesting locality (small) such as an intriguing little meadow area… a strange stream… a dark ruin… a bandit camp… a haunted trail arear… a fearful cave… a strange tree… a dark hole in the ground… an odd obelisk… or other such locality that a party might discover as they travel about in the strange forest.

Important: this submission is for a localized place in the Mournwood. Something you can write about in a single page of content or a bit less. Please do NOT create significant lore with your submission.

As always… original work only please.

The format should be as follows:

1. Name of the location
2. Exterior Description
3. Interior Description (if required)
4. Any associated NPC or Monster (stats are not necessary but the monster must be one that is useable under the SRD rules… most “standard” monsters are… but check if you are unsure)
5. Short info on legends and lore about the locality
6. One small secret that might lead to adventure.

We’re very stoked to begin our exploration of the Mournwood with all of you. Your reward for this is one of the oversized pieces of artwork we will be producing for the materials from the Kickstarter in a size that is suitable for framing. The value of such is about $20 and as such, please do not do more than a single page of content (less than 500 words).

And, as always, this is all about fun and giving our gooey friends a chance to be a part of helping shape the world. Please only provide a creation that you do not mind giving up as the locality will be owned by Gooey Cube going forward per the Contributor’s Agreement.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the Goo Crew if you have any questions!