Magna Arbor Murus - Wood Elves Great Tree Wall
While the Druid's gate was constructed of stone, and required clearing trees (much to the pain of the Druids), the Elves actually use magic and the trees themselves as a barrier.
The gate tree is a huge coniferous redwood, nearly 40' wide, and hundreds of feet tall, with a portalway through the center of it.
Squeezed against it to either side are various hardwood trees, with no spaces between them, grown magically into a nearly solid wall of hardwood, averaging over 100' higher than most of the surrounding trees (averaging around 50-100' in this area), and anywhere from 10' to 40' thick.
A mile before getting to the Tree Wall, there are lookouts high in the treetops. They can send messages quickly down the line to the wall within minutes, with a latticework of branches making a quick pathway between the watch posts and the Tree Wall.
The Elves are hostile, though will not attack unless provoked. They will keep insisting that any travelers should go back where they came from.
Lady Dranara will point out that she is from the Eastern lands, and that for her to do so, requires they allow her and her party through. This will cause a little confusion for the guards, and there will be some debate and then silence for a few minutes while they fetch the guard officer.
The officer will allow Lady Dranara to pass since it is clear she is not of these lands, and maybe the Cleric as well. But the others will not be allowed without paying a toll.
They will want a horse as toll to pass.
If the PC's will not do so, then they are given the option to do any of the following:
- Go back the way they came.
- Bring the one of their saves, or the head of one of the ranking Druids, they are in an ongoing struggle over these woods. While the Druids are willing to just remain in the woods they are in, the Elves claim that the woods should all belong to the Wood Elves, and not the Druids or the Centaurs.
- Bring the head of one of the Centaurs in the northern part of the Druids' woods. The Druids have a tentative peace with the Centaurs, but not with the Wood Elves.
- Bring the head of one of the Northrons on the north road. The Northrons are very much the enemy of the Wood Elves. The Northrons periodically invade the Woodelf realm to slaughter elves for sport.
- Or the head of one of the cave-men from the Wild Woods.
- If no one has the taste for any of the above, the officer will state that they could do the Elves a favor then. They have had to ward off the occassional attacks of an Ogre-mage named Borloth to the southeast a few miles into the Wildwoods (They can provide directions to the approximate location of his cave). He is known to have enslaved a small handful of orcs (6). The Elves aren't allowed to leave their posts, else they would deal with him directly. Provide proof that the PC's have ended his troublesome ways, and they will not only have passage, but have future friendship with these Woodelves, without picking sides in the battle with the other forces (Druids, Centaurs, etc.).
Elf Treegate Garrison female commander – Arboria Maximus
Second in command, male commander – Lignus Silvatus
