Odette's Survival Guide for the Wilderness Explorer

First and most importantly; if it looks dangerous, it probably is. Keep that in your head as you poke around any area at all. Getting careless is a good way to get killed, and even then you might just get unlucky. If it looks bad, don’t wait around, just run for it. Save bravery for when you’re with a group of folks who aren’t liable to pick your body clean the second you flop over.

I’ll be detailing various areas below, detailing what to generally expect, critters you’ll meet, and plants you’ll find. Don’t bother reading unless you got time, I try not to skimp on details.

Let’s start with the Ommlur Hills. You can get there by going north of Trademeet a bit, turning west at the Ponte Vella Bridge and then continuing north through the Alibakkar Grounds. The Ommlur Hills are a big, sprawling mess of uneven terrain, narrow footpaths, ponds and trees. To the north are the Small Teeth, but if you’re thinking clearly you’ll stop well before reaching their base - it only gets more dangerous the closer you get to them.

You’ll find all sorts of herbs and the like out here - it’s my favorite spot for finding bloodstaunch, which is the most valuable ingredient in making alchemical curatives. Bloodstaunch grows best in open areas with good sunlight, so you’ll find plenty in the hills. Just about any herb you can think of is up here, except maybe the more rare specimens, and you won’t find much fungi. There’s a lot of open-air ore deposits up here, too.

The bounty in raw materials comes with a price, of course - the hills are huge, so getting around can be a pain in the ass. More pressing, of course, are the dangerous animals. Longhorns, timber wolves and grizzly bears all live up in the hills. The latter two will probably not take too kindly to being intruded upon on sight, while you can usually skirt around herds of longhorn without them getting too ornery. Don’t be surprised if one comes after you, though, they do not care for folks. Longhorns will be your biggest concern out here, with wolves and bears being rarer - I still expect to see a bear or two every time I go out here, however, so don’t get lazy.

The hills wouldn’t be so dangerous if it were just animals, though. This close to the Small Teeth though, you’re bound to run across creatures you’d prefer not to. Ogres are the second most dire threat you’re liable to find - avoid them without a group if you’re not absolutely certain of victory. They, along with their compatriot half-orcan and full-blooded orcan cohorts, are more numerous the further north you go. Half-orc bandits will occasionally range further south, but full-on orcs aren’t common unless you’re real close to the Small Teeth themselves. Needless to say, all of these will attack you on sight.

As for the most dire threat, that would be the wyverns that occasionally show up up there, usually at night when it’s easier for them to swoop around unseen. Wyverns are ridiculously dangerous predators, and they will absolutely kill you if you’re not careful. Never engage them lightly.

Other than all that, you’ll find plenty of smaller critters such as goats and birds up there, but not an abundance of game animals. Longhorn horns can be utilized in certain alchemical concoctions, but they often travel in packs, so I can’t recommend hunting them without preparation or a hunting party. As always, take care to never over-hunt any animal. Prioritize sickly and older looking animals.

Some notable areas of interest up there are the Shrine to Eldath in the southwestern portion of the hills, and the burnt down settlement of Diego’s Ridge further east. Further north are some incomplete structures that have been abandoned in the wake of the Winter Horde - there’s a good camping spot for when you’re in a pinch.

Moving on. Northeast of Murann and just north of the Springwind Lake is the Birchwood Forest. The Birchwood is an old place, home to many hunters and woodsmen, most living out of Willow, the only settlement. The lands out here are typically flat, with an obvious abundance of birch trees. Smaller ponds and streams dot the landscape as well, and you’re certain to run across the occasional ruined building or locked-up tower.

As far as herbs go, moss and fungi specimens are relatively more abundant here, with plentiful wolves’ milk and indigo caps.  Most fungi are poisonous, for the record, so handle them with care. You’ll occasionally find bloodstaunch in the more brightly lit areas, but don’t be surprised if you can’t find any at all. All sorts of the more common herbs can be found here as well.

Deer are plentiful within the forest, but you’ll have stiff competition from other huntsmen who live within the woods - needless to say, do not get into pissing matches with the native hunters. Do not hunt for doe unless necessary, and you should ideally only hunt a single game animal as needed before moving on. Wolves are common in the deeper areas of the Birchwood, and sometimes assemble dangerous packs under an alpha dire wolf - these packs should be culled when encountered, as they can easily overwhelm a lone hunter or forager. Brown bears might sometimes be encountered deep within the woods, and they tend to have very valuable hides - they’re also liable to tear your guts out before you know it, so handle them with care.

You’ll occasionally see a boar as well, and they tend to be very ill-tempered. Don’t get close unless you’re ready for it to charge you.

As with all hunting, take only what you need, and respect the sacrifice of your kill.

Deep within the center of the forest is a clearing of web-covered trees and ground - avoid this area unless you’re highly prepared. Dwelling within the canopy and hidden amongst the webs are giant, poisonous spiders who will not hesitate to kill any intruders. Do not venture here alone, and even if you’re with a group, think twice before going. Probably not worth the hassle. And the death.

Some notable areas include Willow, which is the hunter’s village to the southwest of the forest, and some ancient elven ruins in the deeper, northern reaches of the woods. Willow is home to, as of this writing, a master tanner, who will help you out if you have extra furs or skins on you to turn them into something a craftsman can make use of. The hunting lodge he resides in is a good place to rest and catch your breath, if nothing else.

Next up is the Willowwood. Not to be confused with the Willow in the Birchwood. Figure ‘Birch’ would be a pretty crappy name, all told, but anyway. The Willowwood is just west of Trademeet and southwest a ways. You’ll find it easy enough if you take the road west from Trademeet and then veer off east into the deeper woods as soon as you reach a wooded clearing with streams and bridges. The Willowwood is dense, though compact forest with plenty of swampy bogs and other wetlands within. The terrain isn’t flat in the slightest, and combined with the volume of trees, you can expect visibility to be very poor within.

The tree canopy is thick, so mushrooms grow well within the Willowwood. Wolves’ milk and other assorted caps are common. Redflower, as always, grows like weeds just like everywhere else, and it’s a good source of finding assorted herbs in general. Stuff like bloodstaunch doesn’t grow well at all, obviously, even worse than the Birchwood, but you’ll find it from time to time if you’re lucky. Bloodpurge plants will grow well in the marshy area, however.

Game animals are a rarity in the Willowwood, for a very good reason we’ll get to in a moment. Plenty of birds and other smaller critters, but if you’re looking for venison, go elsewhere.

Besides the occasional mist, ridiculous amount of trees and occasional pond, the Willowwood’s defining feature is the sheer volume of wolves that stalk it. You probably won’t see many upon first entering, but that’ll quickly change the deeper in you go. Packs of wolves are practically everywhere once you get far enough, and they are vicious things, constantly competing for the scarce wild life that they haven’t preyed upon yet. If you intend to hunt in the Willowwood, you’ll only find a prey that fights back, and often has friends to help it out. Wolves are a good source of furs and animal tallow, however, and their livers also have some alchemical use - and you’d be doing the forest a service by culling a few, so that gentler life can find a place. Maybe some day.

Frankly, I suspect the Beast Lord’s gaze is set upon the Willowwood these days. I don’t think it’s an accident that so many wolves have moved in, and if you linger deep within the woods long enough, it’s not uncommon to hear much more fearsome voices howling. Tread carefully.

Some notable areas within include a weird sword jammed into a rock near some water (have fun, knights). Nothing else, really, but I’ve spied a cave or two as well that seemed more like wolf dens than anything else. Again, tread carefully. Very carefully.

The Sangrue Hills lie just to the southeast of Trademeet, and it’s a pretty diverse environment, probably owing to its proximity to the Wealdath Forest. Pretty sure it takes its name from the Sangrue River, which flows through part of it on its way east into the forest proper. Anyway. If you wanna get there, just go south from Trademeet and then veer off east. The most common route will take you through the ruins of Forlorn Watch, so if you start seeing ruined buildings, you’re going the right way. Further north is where most of the elevation is - lots of densely packed trees and narrow pathways that go up and down make the northern hills a pain to traverse. Further south is the Blood Gulch, a valley between the hills. You’ll probably want to stick closer to the gulch if you’re headed into the Wealdath.

As far as herbs go, you’ll find most of the usual specimens throughout - bloodstaunch is uncommon, as are fungi, which will mostly grow in the shadows next to trees and at the base of inclines. Otherwise, it’s a good place to look for the herb you might need. Nothing particularly note-worthy.

Deer are relatively plentiful out here, though they can be pretty skittish thanks to all the predators around. Boar are a fairly frequent sight as well, though they tend to be solitary and, as usual, ill-tempered. Hawks are a pretty common sight, as are red foxes. Obviously you shouldn’t hunt either of these.

You’ll almost certainly run across wolves if you go exploring out here even a little bit off the beaten path, and I’ve seen packs consisting of four or five individuals. Brown bears are a rare, but not unusual sighting, and they will absolutely kill the shit out of you if you’re not careful. I’ve also personally seen a wyvern out here, probably hunting for deer or anything smaller than itself. The usual disclaimer applies - seek these things out at your own peril.

There’s a few interesting areas within the hills - the ruins of Forlorn Watch comes readily to mind, and it will usually serve as one of the first landmarks you’ll run across. Was probably a keep, once, but it’s long since fell apart. Further east is the Blood Gulch, of course. There’s caves down there, if you can find the way down, but I wouldn’t enter them without expecting trouble. To the north, there’s a curious glowing stone with holes in it that gives it a whistling, ‘singing’ sort of quality. Neat. East of that particular spot is a tomb build into the side of a hill. If you’re not a seasoned adventurer, I’d think twice about going inside. Best to let the dead stay dead.

Exploring the Wealdath Forest is not for the faint of heart - these woods are massive, old and dangerous for the unwary. I myself have only explored some of the most northeastern portions of it, partially due to the Sangrue River lacking a convenient crossing and mostly because I know better than to go too far. Go southeast through the Sangrue Hills from Trademeet if you want to visit it, but expect trouble. You can also reach it by going east along the Tethyr Road. At the northern bend, keep east off road. These northern stretches are filled with staggeringly tall trees, diverse flora and fauna, and plentiful areas of standing and moving water. Expect poor visibility due to trees (obviously) and uneven terrain.

Obviously the Wealdath is a treasure trove of good herbs to find, with the usual excess of fungi that you can come to expect from a heavily wooded area. Bloodstaunch is a very rare find here, you’re more likely to find moss and other common, hardier plants. One particularly rare plant you’ll find here is kanishta root, typically close to the Sangrue River - pretty sure it grows better in colder environments, and I’ve mostly found it in the shadows along the river.

Deer are common, but I’ve seen way more females than stags, so I wouldn’t choose the Wealdath as a hunting ground - the male population might be in decline, or at least more numerous further within. Smaller creatures are plentiful, including foxes, minks, badgers, skunks, and others. Shoot a squirrel if you’re lost and starving, you’ll probably find one sooner than a deer.

Predators, however, are way more common to find, which makes sense considering the forest’s reputation. Wolves of all kinds will be happy to give you a bite if you’re not careful - grey wolves and their larger, darker cousins for the most part. Black wolves typically only show themselves at night, and they’re much hardier than their smaller counterparts. Bears and boars are also common - I’ve seen both black and brown bears, though black bears are more common finds. Worgs are a very rare, incredibly mean sight, so treat them with care if you see one. Again, probably more common at night.

Wealdath giant spiders typically congregate close to the center of the Sangrue River, and are easily the most dangerous, common monster - they breed quickly and tend to hunt close to one another, meaning you might get swarmed if you’re not careful. Even solitary spiders are more than capable of killing an unwary traveler with their massive, acid-spewing jaws. I’ve heard rumors of bandits along the Sangrue River, but they’re surely less lethal than a spider.

Frankly, the biggest threats you should keep in mind are wyverns and angry elven natives. I haven’t seen any of the latter, but they’re definitely out there, and if you ever feel as if you’re being watched, well. You probably are. They do not care for visitors.

Notable sights include a shrine to the elven pantheon, tended to by an older elven fellow whose name I never got. He’s not as angry as the elves you’re not seeing. There’s also an abandoned watch tower south of the border checkpoint along the Tethyr Road, and the Serpent Pond to the west of that. The Sangrue River serves as an excellent landmark - follow it west to get back to the Sangrue Hills. Assuming you’re entering the forest east along the river, you’ll probably find a camping spot you should keep in mind.

I’ll add more to this as I explore, but that about does it for the most notable wilderness areas near Trademeet and Murann.