The Great Forest of Demaal
Know what to expect before you venture into the forest.
Like an unconquerable fortress, the Great Forest of Demaal has been guarding its treasures for millennia. Stores of gold, mined by forest elves eons ago, hidden in its darkest depths. Be sure that you know what to expect before you venture too far in.
Campfire
A hunter's campfire at the edge of the great forest is the only safe place for the pack to rest and to stash its gold. Bright flames keep away the predators but the rising smoke signals an opportunity for plunder. A pack that leaves its loot unprotected for too long risks losing it to sneaky rivals.
Empty Forest
A deserted patch of forest. A chance to take a break from the dangers lurking around. But stay on guard; enemies may use the forest to strike from afar, sending the canine fleeing out of the forest and back to its hunter.
Gold Nuggets
A shimmer of light in the dark forest. A well-hidden gold nugget… or two… or even three. Another elven secret prized open by a lucky canine. Now for the hard part – sneaking it out of the forest while avoiding its innumerable dangers and the other packs lurking in the shadows nearby.
Mole Tunnels
Deep under the trees of the great forest, giant moles run an underground kingdom of their own. Tunnels stretch for miles in all directions under the forest floor; moles move around them, oblivious to life on the surface. Tunnel entrances are usually well concealed, but a canine lucky enough to discover one, gains a safe shortcut to other parts of the forest, avoiding the dangers lurking above.
Forest Bees
Forest bees can be just as deadly as any predator, so intruders beware. Come a step too close to a beehive, even by accident, and be prepared to run fast and far to avoid hundreds of penetrating and venomous stings that can pierce the thickest of furs. As you navigate the forest, keep your ears open for that familiar humming of a beehive.
Lynx
Stealthy. Powerful. Lynx is the apex predator of the forest and a canine’s sworn enemy. Only the hunters are strong enough to stand up to a lynx and come out alive; a canine will pay with its life for the encounter.
Wolf Den
Superbly concealed, an abandoned wolf den offers a place to hide from other canines and any forest predators lurking around. But there’s a price to pay for safety – gold nuggets cannot be taken inside and must be left outside, in plain sight, for other packs to see and to steal.
Bear
Solitary and reclusive animals, the bears roaming the great forest get a wide berth from other animals intimidated by their size and power. No hunter or canine can match the strength and the ferocity of a bear. The only option is a speedy retreat.
Forest Serpent
Whether slipping along the forest floor or slithering through the tree branches above, the giant forest serpents are a deadly menace to all but the biggest of the forest inhabitants. Should a canine fall into the grip of one of these silent predators, another member of the pack must come to its rescue.
Wily Red Fox
If anyone knows all there is to know about the forest, it’s the wily and sneaky red fox. Ask for directions and the fox will point its tail. Is it the right way? No one knows. But in the depths of the forest, it’s the only option available.
Hare
What canine or hunter can resist the temptation to take off after a passing hare? The zig zagging prey may lead to a hidden treasure or to an inglorious end in the jaws of a more ferocious predator. But in the heat of the chase, the only thing that matters is the white tail darting between the trees and the bushes.
Elven Signs
Secret signs, carved into the trees by elves, helped them navigate the forest eons ago. Now their stealthy forest paths lie abandoned, the signs barely visible to a sharp eye. Some guide to treasures. Others lead away or, legends have it, towards dangers. Good judgement, and plenty of luck is needed to thread one’s path through the great forest.
Hunter's Call
Rising high above the treetops and ringing all through the forest, a hunter's horn signals a canine to return. Precisely tuned to each of the hunter's canines, it summons the canine to make its way back to its master as fast as it can.
Swamp
If ever there was a place to strike fear into the bravest of hearts, it would be the swamps of Demaal. Scattered throughout the forest, they lure the unsuspecting with mysterious lights that are easily mistaken for the glow of hidden treasures. One wrong step and the poor soul is seized by an unyielding grip that pulls down until the last gasp of air bubbles up and disappears, leaving not a trace of the ghastly demise; just a pristine black surface, waiting, for its next victim.