Borderlands Wierdery

Found linked from another blog. Will modify the entries for my own purposes at some point.

20 Things: Borderland Landmarks — Raging Swan Press

20 Things: Borderland Dressings — Raging Swan Press

20 BORDERLAND LANDMARKS

Much of the borderland is still unmapped. Some notable features have become local landmarks and serve as waymarkers or meeting places.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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?
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.

20 BORDERLAND DRESSINGS

The world is dangerous out on the borderlands. Looming threats and mysteries lurk behind every cliff and tree.

1. A boar limps out of the underbrush, snorting and whining. The arrow protruding from its hind legs is of strange design, and seemingly carved of stone. Black veins radiate from the wound, indicating infection or worse.
2. Two brown rabbits are caught in a hunter’s trap. Judging by the rabbits’ emaciated condition, they have been here for some days. Strangely, no larger predators have come along to claim this prize. A sense of foreboding surrounds the area.
3. A deaf old man invites the party to share his fire. Beyond this simple gesture, he makes no attempt to communicate or provide food. Indeed, he grows increasingly erratic the longer the party stays, culminating in a violent fit of silent anger.
4. A terrified stallion bolts across the party’s path, oblivious to its surroundings. If the horse is caught and calmed, its saddlebags provide some coins and food, but no clues as to the owner’s fate. A strange brand is seared into the horse’s jaw, and it is fresh.
5. A rider dressed in unusual clothes emerges from the brush, waiving an ornate bronze dagger above her head. She speaks an incomprehensible language, but shouts at the party with some urgency. Cold sweat drips from her face. Frustrated, she runs off down the road.
6. A fresh corpse sprawls on the side of the road. No injuries are apparent, but her expression is one of extreme shock. The eyes within her head have turned to bronze, and the coins within her purse are iron. She holds a blank scrap of parchment in a curled hand.
7. A discarded doll lies face down on the ground. It is of fine make, and well loved, but has been discarded for some time. Burn marks line the doll’s dress, and lice crawl through its hair. The toy is warm to the touch, and oddly soft.
8. The party passes a rough-hewn statue of a crying woman. Judging by the quality of the work, this may have been the passion project of an unskilled labourer. Trees and vines partially cover the stone, drinking life from the dew collecting on the statue’s face. Despite its hurried craftsmanship, the statue conveys a sense of utter loss.
9. A haunting song is warped by the breeze. The lyrics are of a dead language, but the tone is obviously mournful. The tune distorts as the party approaches, until it is nothing but a discordant howl of wind through a shattered stone. As the party leaves the stone, the song begins again.
10. A nervous merchant approaches the party and offers his wares—mostly torn clothing and cheap jewellery. He displays these in frenetic bursts, scratching his skin and chattering incessantly. While he offers many items, he does not offer his name. As the encounter drags on, the man grows increasingly agitated, eventually fleeing from the party in terror.
11. An emaciated woman stands in a field, arms outstretched to the heavens. She recites funerary hymns and stares unblinkingly at the sun. She is blind and deaf to the party, and lapses into brooding silence if restrained.
12. Three hangman’s nooses dangle from a tree. There’s no sign of a scuffle, only a feathered cap discarded on the ground. Further down the road, the ground is sprinkled with green arrows. None have found their mark.
13. Three riders approach. They are armoured as if for war, and their mounts are barded. They give the party a wide berth as they pass, too far for any sort of detailed scrutiny. Should the party approach, the riders draw their weapons and bolt.
14. Wolves howl in the distance. Judging by their calls and cadence, they are stalking injured prey. The chase continues for several minutes, until an abrupt about face. From over the horizon echo the whimpers and whines of wolves in pain.
15. Throughout the night, torches and campfires refuse to stay lit. Strong gusts blow them out, sudden deluges extinguish them or they simply gutter and die of their own accord. Even magical lights seem to flicker, uncertain of their strength.
16. Giant tracks of some beast or humanoid cross the party’s path. The markings are unusual—seven toes, claws and an uneven number of legs. The creature was dragging something nearly as large as itself; tarry black blood obscures some of the tracks.
17. A fresh corpse hangs from a tree, riddled with arrows. Flies feast in the various gashes of its skin. Many mutilations took place after the unfortunate victim’s passing. This is clearly a warning for other travellers.
18. Hot, stifling mist rolls over the landscape, smelling of sweetness and sharp lye. The air is deadened into silence, but blood pounds in the party’s ears. Even flowers wilt and insects go silent. The feeling of suffocation is near unbearable, and the mist does not pass for several hours.
19. By morning, dusty cobwebs festoon the camp. They infest armour, packs and even the inside of tents. Shrivelled spiders litter the ground, but no living arachnids survive in camp.
20. Ragged horns sound in the distance. By the time the party arrives, they find boar hooves, blood splatters and stone weaponry of unknown make. Was this a mere hunting party? Or something far worse?