Wilderness Dressing: Hills II
Ancient ruins, lost mines and strange burial sites often lurk in the hilly wilderness areas bordering civilised lands. Adventure lies in such places.
Uneventful Day’s Travel
Some days, an adventurer’s life is full of danger and excitement. Other days are boring and uneventful
Clouds scud across the pale blue sky, during the morning. A cold wind begins, as the sun sets.
A rugged section of hills gives way to a grassy plateau. The trail heads ever on.
Three buzzards follow the party for much of the day, but lose interest in the late afternoon.
Light rain falls overnight and in the morning. The weather brightens in the afternoon.
Fog blankets the hills’ lower slopes, but burns off as the sun rises. It is a cold, bright day.
Dense clouds hang over the hills all day, threatening rain. It stays dry, though.
Heavy rain lashes the hills all day, making travel slow and miserable.
The characters see no other travellers or large animals this day; the hills seem empty of life.
A chill wind plucks at the characters’ cloaks for much of the day. Clouds and rain arrive at dusk.
Silence hangs over the hills. The only sound is the wind and the sound of the party’s progress.
Campsites
Travellers in the wilderness are wise to seek a good campsite.
The looted remains of an old camp are strewn about the base of the hill.
A stand of small trees, bushes and shrubs grow in a hill’s lea. The stand provides shelter from the wind and cover from prying eyes.
Fallen trees border a recent campsite. Blackened stones surround a sunken fire pit.
Tents of foreign design stand on a hillside. All are empty and show signs of hastily abandonment.
An abandoned campsite has a crude map of the local area drawn in the earth. An “X” marks a spot just over a nearby ridge.
Part of the hillside has crumbled away to reveal a strangely carved cave mouth partially filled with fallen rocks. A dry cave lies beyond.
A hollow under a hawthorn tree-covered hillside served as a wolf or worg den. It is empty, but for the bones of the predators’ victims.
A trail leads towards the sound of running water. A gurgling stream emerges from a sheltered cave.
A massive hickory tree’s roots grow out of a craggy hill, creating a protected overhang.
A narrow crevice cuts through a spur in a high hill. It leads to a sheltered valley. A tranquil pool lies at the centre of the valley.
This is an extract from Wilderness Dressing: Hills (Remastered) by Brian Gregory. This tremendously useful GM’s Resource is available in 5e, OSR and Pathfinder 1 editions.
Words Creighton Broadhurst Art Matt Morrow