Barovia - Sullen Woods

[Iridni Ren]

Another sighting of the hooded woman, who seems unmindful of both the night and the incorporeal creatures that call the Sullen Woods home:

She was seen depositing several items on the leafy ground, including a weapon, a few gold, and an extinguished torch. As she did so, a piece of paper fluttered unnoticed from one of her pockets. Immediately thereafter, she seemed to vanish for a moment, and a sorely wounded man came tearing through the trees as though pursued by whatever had injured him. Bleeding profusely, he stooped long enough to retrieve all the artifacts the mysterious woman had strewn on the forest floor.

She reappeared as he did so and called to him to halt in a dry, raspy voice that yet carried with it much authority. The two spoke for a while thereafter in hushed tones and seemed to reach some sort of agreement as dawn broke, its rays yet failing to illuminate the damp darkness beneath the thickly over-hanging branches of twisted trees.

The man left the woods with apparent relief, and after a moment of angry keening, the woman, too, was nowhere to be seen.

[Iridni Ren]

A horrific scene greets the eyes of those hardy enough to brave the woods:

A bandit gang has been literally taken apart. One torso lies on the ground with its limbs dangling from the tree branches above. Another body has been swung repeatedly with great force against a rocky cave entrance until what remains of the one-time man resembles human sausage. The bandit leader has had his head wrung from his neck, the stump bearing the marks of inhumanly powerful strangulation.

No flesh of the victims has been consumed; whatever did this appears to have thrown a fit, rather than killed from hunger.

The evening before, late-night patrons at the Fishing Lodge reported a cloaked and hooded woman who conspicuously eyed all those who entered, before questioning a Tepestani man when she spotted him. At times the woman and her conversation seemed highly agitated, with the man's hand once reaching for the hammer he had slung across his back as though in self-defense.

As dawn broke, the woman departed into the trees, not long before the screaming began.
 

[Iridni Ren]

A feminine form clothed entirely in black moved through the Sullen Woods without harm during the night. The very shadows seemed to bend and obey her, although other creatures of the woods gave her a wide berth. At a distance the only noteworthy detail of her hooded appearance was the brightly glowing blade she bore, the light from it malevolent.

[Calad]

Various treasures have started popping around in Sullen Woods.

Stolen rings of the wives of Vallaki, gems of a merchant, necklaces of rich ladies. Nobody knows who has stolen them, and why somebody would leave them.

But if observed from a religious viewpoint, a priest or a well informed person would immediately realize that these are offerings, placed in circles around the Shadows ritualistically.

[The Milkman]

Various treasures have started popping around in Sullen Woods.

Stolen rings of the wives of Vallaki, gems of a merchant, necklaces of rich ladies. Nobody knows who has stolen them, and why somebody would leave them.

But if observed from a religious viewpoint, a priest or a well informed person would immediately realize that these are offerings, placed in circles around the Shadows ritualistically.

A swath of carnage cuts through the ritual site. Essence of shadow lay strewn in their primordial state haphazardly across thrashed foilage. At the epicenter of the circular battlefield were the offerings; now no longer.

[Calad]

Various treasures have started popping around in Sullen Woods.

Stolen rings of the wives of Vallaki, gems of a merchant, necklaces of rich ladies. Nobody knows who has stolen them, and why somebody would leave them.

But if observed from a religious viewpoint, a priest or a well informed person would immediately realize that these are offerings, placed in circles around the Shadows ritualistically.

Once again, stubbornly, more treasures appeared in Sullen Woods day after day. Bypassers could have heard a woman chanting prayers the previous night, but if one were to explore during such time, the said woman would be long gone, leaving treasures and a black mask behind.

[Gamshyd]

A lithe hooded figure enters, with an array of offerings... foci?

A scattering of delicately placed shadow essence.

A primal scream of frustration.

The few birds that dare enter, take flight startled.

[Calad]

The echoing chants of a female voice are heard from the woods, various parts of these hymns are yelled loud, while the rest fade to whispers... words such as "His Unseen Grace" and "Seek the Dark" repeat themselves. The voice travelled the woods, not staying in one place, constantly on the move. If observed, nothing but shadows can be seen in the woods... except some diamonds and jewellery, and some coin left in one tiny, small corner. And a black mask.

[Evil Watches, Evil Wakes]

Throughout the night, occasional screams of agony echoed through the Sullen Woods... No Barovian was insane enough to leave his home to investigate, and by the sound of it, the screams came from far within the dreaded place, where creatures of darkness linger.
At some point in the middle of the night, the screams stopped. The silence was deafening in its own right.

Spoiler: show

[PeleLeekpai]

Although humanoid shades often traverse the sullen woods, the ghostly shade of a woman now travels throughout, as if searching for something or someone. Muted dark tones cover her, and shadows seem to ink away from her form.

[Skelni]

Two figures might've been seen walking to the southern most part of the forest connecting to the sullen woods. A campfire set up near an old stone landmark, and lantern placed down. And corpses of wolves laid slew around it.

[_Meresankh_]

A music box placed curiously along Lake Zarovich's northern shore has been moved, to the edge of the Sullen Woods, where shadows dwell. Why was it here? To comfort? To scare? To warn away?

Or simply because it was a sick banger of a tune?

Edit: Now removed.

[aliceofthevoid]

A handful of shrines, dedicated to the Souragnian Loa known as the Lord of the Dead, are erected around the woods, often with macabre offerings left at their feet...

On a few of them, a note is left, a call to action...

[Wargtimmen]

A woman with black coat on an armor had been walking alone in Sullen Woods. She - her face covered with the black hood - might have seen carrying two scabbards while walking. Left arm of the coat was looking like it's empty as if she is missing the arm. On the path she walked, she left a body behind that a stake pierced the chest and pinned it to the ground.

[Snarling_Badger]

[in the dark shadows of the Sullen Woods, a few messages carved in the bark of trees could be found by the intrepid and brave.]

Spoiler: show

Send a message to this forum account if you find the location and stash a written letter there.