Forest of Gray Spires The Known World & Raging Swan Press The current year for our homebrewed campaign setting is set during 672 CY (Common Year). Inspired By Gary Gygax

The Forest of Gray Spires covers the plateau south of the Duchy of Ashlar, forming a formidable natural boundary to the settled lands. Its name comes from the limestone spires that rise among the trees, giving the landscape its distinctive appearance. Much of the forest remains unexplored, and knowledge of its interior is limited compared with the roads and communities of the duchy.

The combination of dense woodland and towering stone formations makes travel difficult. Routes must wind around rocky obstacles, and the trees can conceal changes in the ground until a traveler is close upon them.

The spires themselves provide striking landmarks, although reaching one through the forest may prove considerably harder than spotting it from a distance. For Ashlar’s inhabitants, the forest marks the edge of familiar country. Beyond the places regularly visited by hunters and woodland workers lie stretches for which dependable information is scarce. Stories brought back by travelers mingle with older accounts, making it difficult to distinguish an accurate description from an exaggeration repeated over generations.

Among the tales associated with the forest are accounts of demonic elves, cyclopes, and intelligent apes. Such stories contribute to its dangerous reputation without providing a clear picture of what lives throughout its vast interior. Different tellers offer conflicting explanations, and few can claim firsthand knowledge of more than a small portion of the woodland.

The Forest of Gray Spires remains one of the great uncertainties surrounding Ashlar. Its position helps isolate the duchy, while its unexplored reaches leave many questions about what lies beyond its settled borders. To those living farther north, its wooded plateau and strange limestone formations represent a wilderness whose extent is easier to appreciate than its secrets are to understand.

Notable Locations
• Valentin's Folly
• Ruined Tower of Zenopus