Travel: Abandoned Hut¶
To reach the Abandoned Hut from the Oak-That-Strayed area is fairly simple; merely head in a westerly direction twice. If you didn’t discover the Oak-That-Strayed, however, the full route from Oleg’s Trading Post is as follows:
- South
- West
- West
- Southwest to reach landmark: empty node east of Oak-That-Strayed
- West
- Southwest
Exploring the Abandoned Hut¶
From the southwestern edge of the area (where you arrive) head east to find the Guardian of the Bloom, ghostly as ever. Follow her as she solemnly walks to the northwest and continue past her to witness a ghostly, father-son bonding scene play out. After the scene ends, pass a [Perception 8] check to look a nearby crate, inside of which you’ll find a Potion of Enlarge Person and some trinkets.
Continue northwest until the path forks, at which turn southwest, then south to find a pair of Ferocious Wolves. Cut them down, then search a nearby well to find Nugrah’s Old Notes - the writings of the Stag Lord’s father - which reveal some insights into their history. Another treasure trove can be looted with a successful Perception (DC 17) check; just be sure to save before you continue south, as it’s a rather high check and success is by no means guaranteed. If you miss it, never fret - it only contains An Ancient Rostlandic Coin.
Return back north to the fork, and this time continue north to witness another scene. The power balance has clearly changed abruptly, and one has to wonder where the Stag Lord received this newfound power from. Loot a sack and a chest to obtain some more valuables, including a Potion of Vanish a Masterwork Dwarven Urgrosh and a Masterwork Earth Breaker.
When you’re done looting, turn southwest to reunite with the Guardian of the Bloom and ask about the Stag Lord’s troubled past, and about what steps to take next. When you’re done chatting, continue south to reach the ruins of the dwelling which gives this location its name. Southwest of the nymph’s projection you can find a poorly hidden stash [Perception 6] containing a Token of the Dryad, and beyond that a crate full of baubles. Next, head over near the house and search some herbs to score some Edible Moss, then muster the depths of your perception to pass a [Perception 1] check to reveal a stash containing Nugrah’s Lost Note near some stonework. Seems this note mentions a “Temple of the Elk”, or the Temple of the Stag God. Surely no connection to this Stag Lord, right? In any event, it’s your next destination, but you’ll get no help from the nymph, as the location lies outside her domain.
You can go looking for this temple shortly, but first, let’s finish up this area. Continue east along the house to reach its eastern end, then turn south to reach the ruined interior. One has to wonder why the Stag Lord even cares to waste an act of arson on the crumbling ruins of the hut. Evict the Ferocious Wolf dwelling inside, then note an apparently empty chest. If you read Nugrah’s Old Notes, however, you may be rightly suspicious that this chest holds more than air. Make sure you have an Herb, which you can find just northeast of this area’s southern area transition (where you entered the area), and place it in the chest to cause a Shortsword +1, two Shambletus mushrooms and the book Of Transmutations and Bodily Poisons, Part I, as it’s part of the quest An Ancient Formula to appear. It’ll be a while before the aforementioned quest begins, so just hold onto this book until then.
With that, you’re done with this area. Time to head to this Temple of the Elk, which appeared on your map after finding Nugrah’s Lost Note. The Temple of the Elk is south of here, although working your way around the edge of the Thorn River will add time to your journey, and almost certainly ensure you encounter the Technic League, if you haven’t already.
While the Temple of the Elk is your next destination, story-wise, it has a rather difficult encounter in it, and you’ll want as much power at your disposal as possible before you go there. To that end, consider heading back to Oleg’s Trading Post (perhaps exploring the Boggard Hunting Grounds area on the way back for some XP and magical plunder), resting, then seeking out this Technic League Encampment. Not only is it near the Temple of the Elk, but you could use the experience and treasure you’ll find there, among other things…
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