Abandoned Settlement

Settlments in the Realm are sometimes abandoned and left to be reclaimed by the forest. The most common reason is a plague outbreak that either kills a signficant number of the villagers, or destroys the Oat Corn production of the village. Once abandoned, a village is rarely resettled. However, abandoned settlements are often cleared with fire spells to create a safe haven for hunters and gatherers.

Appearance / Geography

Once abandoned, the human-made structures of the settlement are quickly destroyed by beasts and reclaimed by the forest. Even recently abandoned settlements typically look many centuries old. However, any fields, roads, and terraces typically remain on the landscape, making an abandoned settlement easy to spot to the trained eye.

Cleansed ruins and infected ruins have several differences in appearance. Infected ruins will have the dark, sweet-smelling vegetation typical of infected areas, to a much greater degree than the forest at large. Infected areas will also have a higher number of beasts and other monsters than the open forest.

Cleansed ruins have thin vegetation and visible signs of fire. Cleansed areas are also more likely to have flies and mosquitoes than the rest of The Forgotten World, as most insects cannot feed on infected beasts.

Purpose / Function

Because settlements in the Realm are surrounded rivers and canals, abandoned settlements are cut off from the rest of the forest. This means that, if they are cleared of the beasts and infected plants created by the initial outbreak, they can become a safe haven for hunters or even resettlement.

While resettlement is very rare, many villages maintain nearby ruins as areas to hunt and gather firewood. Sites are cleansed by being burned during the dry season in the fall, and then by allowing the forest to regrow over several years.

Statblocks - Torchbearer 2e

Cleansed Ruin Camp Events

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Wilderness Camp Events v2

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Roll	Event	Description
0	Sinkhole	The earth subsides and takes you with it. If you set watch, they may spend a check to make a test to get the group to safety. If you didn’t set watch, enjoy your new underground home, and remain in adventure phase as camp ends.
1	Evil weather	Lightning, wind, rain or snow destroys your shelter and douses your fire. If you set watch, they may spend a check to make a test to save your gear and animals. If no watch, each character loses their pack, an animal or a companion, and remain in adventure phase as camp ends
2	Falls in the woods	A tree, rock or meteor falls onto your camp. One character must make an Ob 5 Health test. If you set watch, the watch may help the Health test. Suggested failures: injured condition or a twist that their pack is destroyed instead of their skull. Otherwise, remain in adventure phase as camp ends.
3	Gnits	Swarms of biting insects makes camping impossible. No watch can save you against the gnits. Remain in adventure phase as camp ends.
4	Wildfire	Run. This area is ravaged by wildfire. If you set watch, the watch may spend a check to make a test to save packs and gear. Otherwise, all packs and their contents burn, and remain in adventure phase as camp ends. This this area may not be used as a future camp.
5-6	Wandering monsters	Something wicked this way comes. If you set watch, the watch may spend a check to make a test or engage in a conflict to avert the attack. Otherwise, remain in adventure phase as camp ends with a stand off. Roll 1d6 for friends: 1 a Might 6 creature, 2 a pair of Might 4-5 creatures, 3-4 a gaggle of 2d4 Might 1 creatures, 5-6 a solitary Might 3 creature
7	Foul water	No clean water source to be found. If you sought water as a camp amenity, the source is dry or foul.
8	Lost	Lose your bearings while you rest. You must make a Pathfinder or Cartographer test to get back on track. Add the site to your map to find it again.
9	Vermin	Mice or other vermin crawl all over your camp and spoil 2d3 rations.
10	Wear and tear	One character breaks a piece of equipment. Roll randomly for the player. Then roll to determine what is broken or worn out: 1d6 for backpack slot or 1d3 for satchel slot. Multislot items go if either slot is rolled.
11-12	Safe camp
13	Lovely view	The site has majestic views: +1D to your next Pathfinder or Cartographer test after camp.
14	Verdant wilderness	Birds, ungulates and fish abound: +1D to Hunter, Scavenger and Fisher tests in camp.
15	Sweet water	This site has a freshwater spring or stream.
16	Game trail	You find an easy trail and are granted +2D to your next Pathfinder or Scout test after breaking camp.
17	Greens	You find a patch of edible plants. If harvested, you collect 2d6 portions of forage.
18	Out of the wind	The site you pick is sheltered from the wind and weather: +1D to recover from angry and exhausted when camping in this area.
19	Fellow traveler	Meet a helpful fellow wanderer. Their level is two higher than the highest-level character. If the highest level is 9, then this is a retired adventurer. If treated with hospitality, the wanderer will share wine, information in the form of warnings, advice relevant to the adventurers’ current endeavor or they will leave a gift (roll on Loot Table 3). Roll 1d6 for class:
20	Standing stones	You find a circle of standing stones or faerie ring. Everyone automatically recovers from the angry and afraid conditions, no tests necessary. The circle remains and may be returned to. After each use, roll 1d6 . On a roll of 1, the magic of the place is expended.

Infested Ruin Camp Events

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Ruins Camp Events

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Roll	Event	Description
0-1	Collapse	This ancient structure can bear no more grief. It collapses with a mournful sigh. Nothing can be done to prevent this. Camp ends, remain in adventure phase.
2	Pits of despair	The flooring has eroded and gives way under your weight. The party is dumped into a dungeon or natural cave system below. The watch cannot prevent this disaster. Camp ends, remain in adventure phase.
3	Terror	This place is haunted by screaming terrors which emerge howling from your nightmares. What could the watch possibly do to prevent this? Test Will against Ob 8 to remain sane. Suggested failure result: afraid. Camp ends, remain in adventure phase
4	Lair	This entire ruin is the lair for some indescribable fell entity— and you are perched in its maw. If you set watch, the watch may spend a check to make a test to escape before being swallowed or engage in a conflict to avert the disaster. Otherwise, remain in adventure phase as camp ends and your packs, sacks and animals slide to their doom.
5	Cursed	One of your number becomes entangled in evil magic: They suffer -1s to all actions until the curse is removed. The one affected is: the first to enter, the first to eat or drink, the first to speak, or the first to leave (game master’s choice).
6	Wild magic and strange gods	Memorizing a spell in this place will burn the spell out of your spell book. If an attempt at purification fails, it will backfire and increase Immortal burden by margin of failure instead of decreasing it. Also, theurges and magicians suffer a +1 Ob penalty to cast spells and perform invocations during this camp phase.
7	Strange corrosion	One piece of gear rusts, rots or crumbles away in the night. Roll randomly to select the player. Roll 1d6 to determine gear from one of the following inventory locations: 1 Torso 2 Belt 3 Head 4 Pouch 5 Pack or satchel 6 Feet
8	Pestilence	Your food bursts with maggots, water turns to piss and wine turns to blood.
9	Whispers	Strange voices speak to those who close their eyes: +1 Ob to recover from afraid and exhausted during this camp.
10	Penetrating chill	The air of the ruin—and the very stone itself— emanates a sharp chill: +1 Ob to recover from sick and injured during this camp phase.
11-12	Safe camp
13	Rare herbs	The flora of this place can be harvested to make healing poultices that grant +1D to Healer tests.
14	Mirror font	Drinking the cool water from this glass-like font grants +1D to recover from angry and afraid. Roll 1d6 for every draught taken. On a 1, the font’s potency is expended.
15	Ancient engravings	You may spend a check to make an Ob 6 Scholar test to decipher these ancient engravings. If successful, roll on the Tome of Ancient Lore Loot subtable.
16	Shrine of the Immortals	Behold an ancient shrine, untouched by the ravages of time and chaos. Magicians do not need to spend a check to memorize spells; shamans and theurges do not need to spend a check for purification rituals.
17	Sanctuary	This ruin still holds ancient magic and will shelter up to eight from weather and cold: +1D to recover from all conditions when camping in this sanctuary.
18	Votive statues	You discover lost treasures. Roll on the Works of Art Loot subtable in the Lore Master’s Manual.
19	Artifact	Hidden within this forgotten place is a welter of ephemera. Roll on the Magic Loot subtable
20	Impossible distances	Stepping into an inky black portal within this ruin will transport you to another doorway from your past. However, one item on your person always disappears before you emerge from the other side.

RUINED STRUCTURE
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Parent Location

The Forgotten World

Related Conditions
Corruption