20 Things: Borderland Landmarks
Much of the borderland is still unmapped. Some notable features have become local landmarks and serve as waymarkers or meeting places.
Split Tree: The trunk of this massive oak splits at the base, forming an enormous “V”. Ancient charred wood and twisted splinters suggest some act of violence broke the tree in twain.
Burbling Pond: This clear and inviting pond sits at the base of a rocky ravine. A constant stream of bubbles provides the only clue that something is amiss. The water is deadly poison, though the effects can take hours or even days to manifest.
Merry Skeleton: Nobody knows who the corpse was, or where he came from. Now, the merry skeleton sits on the side of the road, limbs twisted in a macabre pose. Travellers festoon the corpse with red string and flowers, and some even leave coppers to pay for his continued good health.
Greyflower Fields: Large patches of grey flowers dot the hills. No bees or animals frolic in these fields, and the flowers’ scent is of ash. Wanderers who camp in the fields experience leaden, dreamless sleep.
Black Cairn: This strange obelisk looks neither natural nor carved. The stone is shimmering black, and reflects moonlight into rainbow prisms. By day, the stone radiates a silent heat. By night, crystalline frost spirals down its spine. Tiny animals are found impaled by its barbs, though none know if they are trapped or placed here.
Forgotten Shrine: A small stone shrine lies in peaceful ruin by the road. Broken pieces of coloured glass from its once-fine windows suggest a cheerful patron god or spirit, but no symbol of divinity remains. Now, travellers leave their own tokens and prayers. The forgotten shrine holds a variety of statuettes and icons dedicated to an entire pantheon upon its tiny, crumbling pedestal.
Icewhip: The Icewhip comprises three jagged bluffs protruding violently from the earth. Each bluff ends in a sharpened edge upon which the wind splits and wails. These low peaks are the first to see winter’s touch, and the last to thaw. Even in summer, they can smoke with icy frost.
Widower’s Hut: The widower is old beyond reckoning, and consumed by grief beyond reason. He emerges from his wooden shack to ask passers-by for news of “Valenta,” but barely comprehends their responses.
Witching Tree: Carven runes from ages past decorate the red-hued Witching Tree. Rumour holds the bark is stained from human blood. In any case, the thin black leaves rattle in the wind, and its creeping branches scrape the ground.
Moss Walls: On either side of a stream, a grid of charred stones poke from the mud. A weary traveller might be too hurried to see the pattern, but the Moss Walls are all that remains of a sprawling settlement. Charcoal and shattered stone speak to a violent end to the place.
Ruvian Column: A rough bas relief decorates this towering black marble obelisk. While wind and rain have eroded the details, the broad strokes are clear. The relief tells the story of the three-armed warriors, bearded and bristling, and their conquest of the region. The heroes face monsters and armies, and finally die upon uniting the realm.
Echoing Well: This dizzying pit is just wide enough for a skinny man, but it splinters as it twists into the dark. Rough stones punctuate the walls, and some fearless explorer has carved handholds down one side. Shouting down the well yields an echo after several seconds, but the returning voice has a hollow, frightened tone.
Barrow Hills: These large, even hills extend for hundreds of meters in every direction. Red and orange flowers catch the light between pale blades of grass. Beneath the layers of fertile soil, chunks of granite are heaped together into mounds. What lies beneath the granite, who can say?
Broken Cage: This ruined web of iron bars was once a massive cage. Now, it sits broken and uneven at the base of a small ravine. Weather has worn and rusted the bars, reducing some to mere spikes. Judging by the cage’s size, the prisoner must have been twice the height of a man.
Blinding Waterfall: This waterfall is little more than an orange stream trickling between two rocks. However, the liquid is extremely caustic, and burns through cloth and flesh. While the plants around have withered and died, desperate animals still try their luck. Bones litter the ground.
Giant’s Pool: Out in the wastes, a grinning skull the size of a horse guards a small pool of water. Scattered nearby are a few vertebrae, teeth and other miscellaneous bones. Uneven horned growths riddle the skull, but the creatures who drink at this pool don’t seem to mind.
Teetering Tower: The Teetering Tower should have fallen years ago. It leans heavily to the west, finding some purchase on a sickly willow that sprung up beside it. The remains of the top of the tower lie in a broken heap beyond the tree.
Lost Battleground: This empty field yields nothing upon first glance. A careful traveller, perhaps resting on the soft earth or setting up camp, may begin to notice signs of war. Arrowheads, rusted mail and fragmented bones poke up from the slick mud. To the west, hastily dug trenches and latrines marked the boundary of one army’s camp. The longer the party stays on the battleground, the more the slimy ground feels like rotting flesh.
Crosswise: Two cobbled roads meet at the bottom of a rolling valley. A round stone marks the juncture. However, chisel-wielding vandals have erased any text on the stone, and the roads fade into nothingness after a dozen meters.
Rhycliff: This rocky ledge extends far over a deep gorge. From below, the Rhycliff looks like it should have fallen centuries ago. From the top, the uncertain slope threatens to lure unwary explorers over the edge.
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The material in this article appears in 20 Things #59: Shadowed Borderlands by Jeff Gomez.
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