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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gray Shade" data-source="post: 2656562" data-attributes="member: 32340">The Twisted ForestCamping within view of the Twisted Forest, it should be noted, is a most disagreeable thing to the digestion of one's dinner and the calming of one's nerves.  I believe that if not for the quality wine and company, both the Master and I would have been quite upset by the proximity of what has been called "The Undead Woodland," and, as astounding as it sounds, could have had trouble sleeping.  Not that we had any trouble, mind you--no, no, nothing threatened us, and, in fact, no noise whatsoever issued from the black trees all night.In fact, by the next morning, as we rode closer, the absence of sound became even more obvious, and if not for the sun shining warmly on our shoulders I don't think either of us would have willingly went any closer than a catapult's throw from the place.  However, with the sunlight at our backs, we rode in close to the forest, the dew on black leaves making an eerie speckled glow about the tall line of trees.  The forest began abruptly, in sudden contrast to the rolling hills all around us, which were bare of any sort of growth other than knee-high weeds and prairie grass.As we rode, I kept a keen eye, glancing back and forth between the sun and the Black Keep.  Finally, I said, "This is it, sir.  We're directly southwest of the Keep.  If the fey is to meet us, it will be here."Being that Grigs are only about 2 feet tall, on average, and we had thus far been riding parallel to the line of trees still a couple hundred feet out, Dongle nodded and steered his horse in closer to the forest so that we would be able to see the small creature if he were there.  The breeze we had been enjoying most of the trip here died away and the air became as still as the sounds.As we got closer, we could see the trees more clearly as individual entities instead of as part of a mass.  They were quite unlike most trees, which tend to reach branches as straight as possible toward the life-giving sun.  These trees, indeed, were twisted.  Their branches inter-twined and curled through each other.  Most also showed roots which wrapped and knotted in similar fashion as the branches.  It was as if the plants here paid no mind to the sun.  The bark of the trees varied from one kind to another, as there did seem to be quite a range of oaks, maples, birches, ashes, and so on, but all of them had darker coatings than their usual cousins.  Their bark was not black but did seem to pull in light so that their shadows were long, even on the side of the forest here that faced the rising sun.  The leaves of all the plants, regardless of type, were all black.  But once up to the forest, it must be noted, the black of the leaves was a vibrant, shiny ebon, slick and cold . . . very beautiful in its way.*     *     *OOC: any actions to take?  It is rather difficult to see very far into the forest.</blockquote>

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