Somewhat eerie totem: flensed Skull of a large Almost too evenly spaced/uniform in growth,

! ! Bear, impaled on a roughly hewn pole $ ! Pines courteously try not to crowd

Treacherously steep, snowmelt has gouged out Out of scavenger’s reach, the carcass of a Ram
! @ a high banked but softly burbling Creek $ @ dangles in branches of a Lynx’s larder

Hollow from insects and rot, a still standing Hardy, emerald Ferns crowd impressive Spruce
! # trunk is large enough to camp within $ # Trunks to avoid a punishing sun

Pale blue Berries seem to twinkle with dew Diverted upstream ages ago, an abandoned
! $ throughout the branches of Junipers $ $ Beaver Lodge looks out-of-place in a dry gully

Unnervingly organized into knee-high piles, Low hanging branches teem with tiny, needle-
! % something placed Pinecones in pyramids $ % lined cocoons that jostle in the breeze

A shock of reddish titian needles erupt amidst Like a sore thumb: white-barked Birches,
! ^ the deeper greens, a dead Tree $ ^ huddle against the oppressive Evergreens

Gnarled but thriving, a Fir seems to sprout Perpetual low mist, about boot high seems to
@ ! from an enormous slab of flecked Granite % ! stubbornly cling to the soggy forest floor

Doggedly growing, a nearly sideways Pine Some of the Tamaracks here have turned a
@ @ perseveres after being wrenched by winds % @ brilliant yellow, maybe one in five

Festooned with gloomy lichens, Fungus High water marks on the Trees, while the forest
@ # thrives on huge damp logs % # floor seems to have been swept clean

Shed needles and cones blanket the ground, A table-sized Stump, bleached Snail shell
@ $ almost deep enough to sink in % $ shards show Crows dine here occasionally

Worn bark on the trunks here reveals a A jumble of boulders fills an old riverbed,
@ % favorite place for Bears to scratch their backs % % unperturbed Lizards sun themselves on some

Still shimmering with morning moisture, webs Nostrils fill with the fragrance of Cedar from a
@ ^ crisscross overhead between branches % ^ splintered trunk of the smell's namesake

In dark shade, dollops of snow slightly Call & Response Howls pick up when wind dies
# ! melt/refreeze with each chilly nightfall ^ ! down, bleached bones of past meals

An avalanche has passed, traces remain as A line of Pines forms a nearly perfect wall as it
# @ large trees, tumbled like matchsticks ^ @ meanders along a narrow Ridge

Dark/fragrant soil delineates trails here, Cypress Roots snake between the rocks here,
# # something big dragged up the slope recently ^ # mischievously tripping the unwary

Embarrassingly bare of bark, Herd of hungry Brooding old growth means there are spots that
$ $ herbivores have stripped trees here ^ $ forgot the Sun’s warmth centuries ago

Lightning took a taller Tree, now its progeny Menacing Hoots permeate the area, the eerie
# % compete for the newly opened sky ^ % Owls making them remain utterly unseen

Wickedly sharp Antler Sheds strewn on the A rusty two-man Saw sill bites a thick Trunk,
# ^ forest floor, some are large as an arm-span ^ ^ victim still thriving despite this old wound

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 1 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 A tangle of worn Nets, Lines, and rusting Waterlines around Tree Trunks reveal that the
! ! Hooks clog the area, tripping travelers $ ! Seasonal Flooding is quite high here

Crunching underfoot, rotting Fish remains Shiny green, ribbon like Algae seems to cling to
! @ litter the shore and float in the water $ @ every surface, edible but bitter

Very Sandy here, with Clear Water that tints Cliff-face carved by centuries of flowing Water,
! # everything a beautiful, refracted blue $ # studded with veins of Quartz

Large Stone Piers once supported a Bridge Stony Banks and a Boulder strewn Bed are
! $ stare at each other from opposite Banks $ $ clearly visible thanks to pristine Water

Chalky White Bank stands in contrast with Swaying gently in the breeze, colorful
! % the darker soil on most of the shoreline $ % Wildflowers crowd the water's edge

A formidable Beaver Lodge attempts to block a All Nautical traffic must take care to avoid large
! ^ fast-flowing inlet $ ^ Carved Pillars rising above water

Crude wooden Wiers constructed to corral High Mineral content makes Water taste Sour,
@ ! Fish and entice Eels into tapered baskets % ! but prized for Medicinal Bathing

Rough Waters occasionally reveal Statuary, Two different Sources meet and mingle here,
@ @ not Stones beneath the rapids % @ resulting in a clash of tinted Waters

A shoddily built Pier sags over the Water here, Smooth Granite Stacks stand watch from their
@ # the supports coated in Mussels % # watery homes, home to Bird Nests

Massive Willow Trees crowd the shores here, Bolts of Colorful Fabric lie flat to dry on the
@ $ branches drawing circles on the water % $ Rocks here

Almost eerily still, the surface of the water The crumbling Wooden Skeleton of a
@ % accurately reflects every detail of Sky % % Prospector's Sluice still barely stands

Barely visible, a Cairn of stones crowns a Oxbow formed here by a sharp rise in Elevation
@ ^ small, eroding Island % ^ as water finds easiest path

Scuttled in the Shallows, a once brightly The Water's Surface here constantly swirls with
# ! painted Rowboat fades with each lap ^ ! eddies and small, weak whirlpools

Millions of slightly curled Leaves float on the A distinctive Rock Formation, resembling a
# @ surface here, like a diminutive Armada ^ @ Serpent's Head and Neck rises here

Sun worn Log, positively embossed with Forgotten Bridge Span periodically sheds bits of
# # small, sunning Turtles stretching necks ^ # Lumber as it creaks and groans

The large Pike that lives here makes for Teeming with skittish Waterfowl, this must
$ $ skittish Fish that jump into boats/on shore ^ $ serve as some sort of migration stop

Four sturdy Rods stand proud next to a Funneled through a narrow Gorge it has been
# % yawning Creel, but no Fisherman in sight ^ % carving for years, the Current gains speed

Fed by the steady rumble of a Waterfall, white Peering below the surface, one can make out
# ^ water splashing on slick mossy rocks ^ ^ dozens of Bent/Broken Rusty Swords

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 2 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 Tall muddy Furrows, carved by traffic, are Sweet-smelling Blossoms line either side with
! ! treacherous for Horse and Pedestrian alike $ ! splashes of incredible color

Gravel gives way to damp dirt here, changing Ancient Hedgerows along the roadside
! @ the sound of travel significantly $ @ encroach, wild and feral

Very gregarious Goats bleat and nose against a A well-built, single-file, Stone Bridge crosses a
! # fence line hoping for a handout $ # babbling stream

Large Green Flies land as you come across a An abandoned Millstone squats in the center of
! $ Horse left dead on the side of the path $ $ the route here, partially sunken in Mud

Drag-marks still visible, a massive Log, Unfenced and foraging, Cattle often create quite
! % whither-high to a Horse lies across the Road $ % a roadblock on this stretch

A large Ditch follows alongside the path here, Crumbling ancient Aqueduct nearby reveals the
! ^ filled with ankle deep, smelly water $ ^ source of the Stone for this section

Someone has set out Fresh Hay at a modest Shoulder-high dirt embankment stands on the
@ ! Hitching Post here, near a drying Well % ! leeward side, a barrier to a sharp drop off

Roughly hewn wooden Planks barely bridge a Standing Water has overtaken a low area here,
@ @ Road washed out by recent Floods % @ difficult to discern how deep

Vandalized Signage implies a destination is Several Spades stand upright in the Soil off to
@ # solely home to Thieves and Swindlers % # the side here, owner is nowhere in sight

Magpies mock passersby from perches on old Smell of Pitch, applied to bobbing Barrels
@ $ fence posts, considered lucky by locals % $ forming a crude Pontoon Bridge ahead

Cobbles have been robbed from this section to Roadside Fruit Stand, apparently on Honor-
@ % build a humble Road-side Shrine % % System; Peach, Plums, Pears for a pittance

The Road forks suddenly to accommodate a Hastily whitewashed Wall of Bricks line the
@ ^ huge Shade Tree, hundreds of years old % ^ avenue, sloppily painted with pale puddles

Route bisects a Grove of tall Cherry Trees, Road's Winding now serves little purpose: A
# ! trained to form a natural arch/tunnel ^ ! series of Stumps stand instead of Trees

Pockmarked by Puddles (some quite deep), this Arbors of beautiful Lavender Wisteria droop
# @ route requires attentive travelers ^ @ like fragrant bunches of fragile, pale, Grapes

Overturned/abandoned, a Wagon with Road-sign warns of a Sudden Hairpin that

# # shattered Axle embarrassed on the shoulder ^ # never comes

Lush grasses grow on either side, and directly All manner of Bones just out of the Dirt
$ $ down the less-travelled middle ^ $ Embankment that runs alongside this Road

Once picturesque Natural Spring was tamed Considerately laid Wooden Slats make for a
# % into a bubbling Fountain for the thirsty ^ % Mud-less, but Bumpy journey on this stretch

Wooden plank shows consistently inflated Finely Chiseled Marble: Rearing Pegasus, on its
# ^ Toll Prices for an upcoming Bridge/Ford ^ ^ side festooned with fringes of Lichen

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 3 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 Only fluttering Fabric and a few Tent Poles Snake-like shapes, formed by steady wind
! ! remain here after a recent Flash Flood $ ! produce hypnotic patterns on the sand

Cottonmouthed Wadi with steep, sandy banks Statue of an Ancient Queen, her features long
! @ gouges its way through the sand $ @ since worn away is toppled here

Almost like an Octopus, arms of a huge Spiny Window to distant past, massive hunk of
! # Succulent coil around dusty rocks $ # Limestone full of fossil Sea Shells

Several animal tracks crisscross between Maddening flat in all directions, but the ground
! $ yellowing, tufted Grass $ $ here is distinctive fine black sand

Thirsty taproots must have found some water Vultures tentatively pick at the leathery skin of
! % for these knobby Olive Trees $ % an Unlucky Donkey corpse

Diminutive but very Grumpy Owls live in tall Thousands of Tumbleweeds, corralled by a
! ^ Holes within an immense Cactus $ ^ Cliff, piled up to a Giant's shoulders

Squat Black Volcanic Mesa protrude from the Through the shimmering Haze, one can almost
@ ! windswept Dunes here % ! make out a Mountain Range

An empty Offering Basket to the Rain Gods Tattered Blue Silk whips in the wind, atop a
@ @ hangs from the limb of a stubby Trunk % @ cairn of boulders, man-sized

Three twisted and wind-blasted Trees seem to Stone Eggs rest in a Stone Nest, ancient Reptile
@ # be the only thing around far as eyes see % # Mother long since extinct

Fat Violet Fruits and Magenta Flowers crown The Sands here seem hungry, having
@ $ the Cacti here % $ swallowed most of an old wooden Cart

Twist on an old Trope: Horned Gorgon Skull Formidable Arches of Sandstone make for
@ % Rusts in the Glaring Sun % % almost alien architecture here

Only the smoothed Crenelations of a Tower are Seventy-seven Stone Steps still stand here,
@ ^ barely visible in the Dunes here % ^ leading upward, to nothing but Sky

White Chalk "Mushroom" formations of rock, Fired in the steady Sun, the baked ground here
# ! lovingly carved by sand-filled winds ^ ! is full of cracks and curled edges

Comically melon shaped, spiny Cacti only From an Overlook, you can make out a Man,
# @ flower bright yellow after rains ^ @ Goat, and Bird Geoglyph below

The enormous Shell of a Tortoise, previously Someone or something has taken white Rocks
# # repurposed as a form of Shelter ^ # and arranged them in Circles here

A crude archway of Precious Wood stands Scraggly Creosote Bushes seem to be the only
$ $ here, a portal to nowhere ^ $ thing capable of sustaining life here

Stony Slopes seem to gather the sands around Palms sway as thristy Birds and Greedy Camels
# % their feet in large drifts ^ % drink deeply from an Oasis here

Lonely line of Camel Tracks ascends a distant The Lake ahead would be a welcome sight, were
# ^ Dune with no trace of the maker ^ ^ it not so incredibly salty

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 4 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 A pale green Stand of crowded Bamboo, some Lage, nest-like structures of Branches and
! ! as thick as an Elephant's Leg $ ! Leaves dot this Forest Floor here

Low, ominous Hum reveals the biggest Hive of Pale Bark is peeled from Trees, at around Elf
! @ Bees you have ever seen $ @ height, revealing Blood Red wood

Seldom seeing light from the Sky, the ground Iridescent, Mother-of-Pearl Butterflies greedily
! # here is a thick morass of decay $ # drink Sap from certain Trees

Nearly every one of the tall, sinewy Trees here Helically inter-twined, two sinuous Tree
! $ abruptly bends into a curl halfway up $ $ Trunks braid themselves together here

An eruption of Bright Tangerine Suckle, A welcome sight: A packed earth Path, blazed
! % swarms with jewel-like Hummingbirds $ % by persistent Pachyderms

Proud Palms with sharp, serrated leaves crowd Impossibly colorful Feathers litter the ground
! ^ each other for prime Sunlight $ ^ here, rivalling a Rainbow

Rainfall fed Stream meanders down Step-like Meticulously smoothed boulders, arranged in a
@ ! falls of slick, algae covered Basalt % ! Centipede Shape in this Clearing

Absolutely massive Fern-like Fronds filter all Easy to stumble over the sprawling mass of
@ @ light into verdurous shades of Green % @ Roots that radiate from the Trees here

A persistent, steamy Fog hangs in the Humid Constant piercing insect-song is punctuated
@ # air here, obscuring the Canopy % # with guttural Chirps from high in the Trees

Rotting from the inside, a Tree large enough for Brightly colored Birds gnaw on a sandy Cliff
@ $ a Halfling to make a home within % $ Face for trace minerals

Territorial Primates claim this area as their Prolific and slender Saplings quickly reclaim an
@ % own, and defend it by flinging Sticky Fruit % % area still blackened by Fire

Stout woody Vines quickly dull blades and The massive Leaves of the plants here could
@ ^ frustrate attempts to pass through here % ^ easily serve as Cloaks or Blankets

Reeking of a Charnel, a Buckler-sized flower Vibrant Blue Water shimmers in a deep,

# ! blooms, swarming with Flies ^ ! circular Cenote

A marvelous Bridge, patiently grown from still The Skeleton of an Explorer, matted in tendrils
# @ living Fig Trees, spans a rushing River ^ @ and runners, sprouts Mushrooms

Through patient centuries, strong Roots have An impassive Stone Face glowers from beneath
# # unearthed massive Boulders here ^ # the Brush, covered in Moss

Persistent parade of Ants, marching down a Head-sized Pods, replete with bright Red Seeds
$ $ trunk, each bearing clipped Leaves/Petals ^ $ occasionally fall with a crash

Eerie boundary Markers: stakes topped with Strangled by Vines and Roots, a squat Stone
# % Skulls, driven firmly into the ground ^ % Shrine still stands, barely

Sudden Ridge reveals a very narrow Oxbow New Growth sprouts from a titanic Tree Stump
# ^ Lake, fed by magnificent Falls ^ ^ here, Pink and Feathery Flowers

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 5 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 The distant rumble of a Rockfall sets your teeth Looking like it could topple any moment, a Tall
! ! on edge $ ! Dolmen leans forward on a Bluff

A precarious Path abruptly ends with a sheer Dilapidated Miner's Cabin, ransacked by Bears
! @ drop, Trees growing out of the Cliff $ @ has definitely seen better days

Stone underfoot is mealy and crumbling, Teeth of blue Ice protrude from the Pebbles here,
! # making an ascent much more arduous $ # some as tall as you

Huge Red Flecks of Oxidation might be a sign Someone enormous considerately carved Giant
! $ of ancient Iron deposits $ $ Steps here, each as tall as a Spear

A prominent Promontory has been eroded over Verdant Foothills suddenly give way to a sheer-
! % time to resemble an Aquiline Nose $ % faced Dome

Sweet-smelling Purple Flowers cascade down A Brikenshaw of Birches with pale, peeling
! ^ a steep slope in a vibrant splash $ ^ Trunks contrasts with other nearby groves

Crystal Clear snowmelt forms a small Lake in Foreboding Rock Art, depicting Dragons snakes
@ ! a catchment below % ! along the wall beneath an Overhang

Hardy Walnut Trees teem with arboreal Flat peak and chunks of black Obsidian are
@ @ mammals, ground littered with Shells % @ clues to a nearby Extinct Volcano

Growing close together in a massive clonal A thick Black Stratum scars the Rock Face here,
@ # Colony, the Aspens here are very uniform % # perhaps revealing ancient cataclysm

Odd and Out Of Place geologically: A Barn- Spidery Cracks have formed across a Frozen
@ $ Sized Boulder dropped by a Glacier % $ Alpine Lake

Narrow Valley, positively carpeted with cyan Drifts of Snow cling to the shady places that
@ % colored Lichen % % never seem to see the Sun

Tussocks of tough Grass sprout from along a Rusty stains drip down from old Pitons
@ ^ low Stone Wall that has mostly collapsed % ^ embedded in the Steep Rock

A soft, dull roaring sound is the first sign of a Antediluvian Artisans chiseled this Peak into
# ! nearby Waterfall ^ ! the face of a stoic, bearded King

Centuries of use by High Altitude Grazers has Bone-dry currently, this Riverbed rages with
# @ cut a winding Trail along this Ridge ^ @ rapids on the annual snowmelt

Here the Bedrock forms tall, narrow Spires; a Almost serrated, the Peak visible from here
# # single Pine sprouts from the top of one ^ # aligns almost perfectly with a faint Star

Erosion has provided the Peak ahead a passing A distant cry for Shout echoes throughout the
$ $ resemblance to a sleeping Cat ^ $ Peaks, followed by a ear-splitting Roar

Sparkling Gypsum deposits grace a weather Cauldron-like caldera brims with noxious,
# % scarred escarpment ^ % sizzling yellow water

An impossibly old Spruce started its life Cacophonous cataracts churn and foam at the
# ^ growing sideways and still lives to this day ^ ^ treacherous ford ahead

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 6 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 Clouds of Black Dust kick up in the wind, Boulders precariously balanced on Spires,
! ! spinning in small vortexes $ ! resembling tall Mushrooms

Pebble-strewn surface over utterly lifeless A patchwork of drab colors, stitched together by
! @ Soils, greys and browns $ @ crisscrossing crevasses

Every Surface seems caked with small, pale Hand-print petroglyphs grace the cliffside here,
! # Crystals that irritate skin $ # to a startling height

Dry, cracked earth, punctuated only by a Tenacious and spiny, only one kind of sickly
! $ handful of hardy grey-green Bushes $ $ Succulent seems to grow here

Foul smelling puce Water seeps up from the Huge pile of parched driftwood, tall as a Horse,
! % ground here, steaming $ % very flammable

Hard, Black, Frozen Floes that still smell a bit Resembling serrated Teeth, wickedly curved
! ^ like Sulphur $ ^ Stone erupts from soil here

Only thing growing here is a sense of Ancient moraines provide the only topography
@ ! loneliness and unease % ! in this otherwise flat place

Odd and out of place, thousands of desiccated High winds make a keening sound as they rush
@ @ Fish litter the stony ground % @ through perforated Crags

Tall as men, spiny pale Spires of wind-worn Something carefully piled Stones into a Cairn
@ # Stone snarl at the sky % # that Lizards guard jealously

Cattle Bones, half buried in Ochre sands, gleam Very infrequent Flash Flooding has eroded a
@ $ a brilliant white % $ deep Gouge here

Not so much Mud as foul-smelling Sludge Frozen in time, large Clawed Tracks meander
@ % pools in low lying areas % % throughout the stone here

Baked rust-colored Clay, interrupted only by a Slate slabs, halfheartedly stacked to form a
@ ^ few twisted and dead Trees % ^ short fence length long ago

What little yellow Grass that grows here A single, determined, Yellow Blossom struggles
# ! swarms with noisy Locusts ^ ! upward through stony soil

Petrified Tree Trunks sprout near clumps of A Wooden Post, utterly surrounded by sun-
# @ brittle, grass (also stone) ^ @ bleached Caribou Antlers

Craggy Red Escarpment stands out on an A thin layer of Ash is all that's between your
# # otherwise featureless plain ^ # feet and the dark Black Bedrock

Scoured smooth by abrasive winds, Sandstone A Wake of Vultures surveys for carrion from
$ $ slabs dot the area ^ $ atop a tired and lonely Tree

For at least an Acre, earth is covered in the Fiery Red Leaves cling to the Ground,
# % millions of dead Black Beetles ^ % surrounding Lichen covered Granite

An odd phenomenon, large round Boulders Sun-scorched and thirsty, the cracked ground
# ^ with scored trails behind them ^ ^ seems to sigh for Rain

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 7 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 A Stony Scree makes ascending some of these A Pickaxe, fit for a Giant's Hands juts skyward,
! ! Hills trickier than it should be $ ! driven into one of the Hills

Soft and spongy due to run-off, the ground here Soil gives way to Sand from a prehistoric
! @ has a lot of give with each step $ @ Seabed, stone shells dot the ground

Deep Brown Furrows zigzag over and around Gnarled Trunk of an ancient Spruce clings
! # the tallest Hills here $ # precariously to an eroding slope

Blanketed with small, scraggly Bushes that Unnervingly uniform, you are unsure if these
! $ seem to be alive with Birdsong $ $ are Hills or ancient Barrows

Grass cropped close by Grazing Animals, who Remains of a recent Campfire are visible on the
! % seem to favor the sunny side $ % leeward side of a hummock

Jumbles of Granite, long since tumbled down, Gorging on the fragrant Clover here, several
! ^ form piles near the bases $ ^ Hares munch and stare

The babble of a tiny Brook is barely audible Upon ascending for a better view, you notice the
@ ! over the breeze % ! Lip; these appear to be Craters

Colorful Strata, in shades of orange and red, Carnelian-colored Berries droop from the
@ @ are visible on bare, grassless sides % @ tenacious Throned Bushes that grow here

Traces of ancient Terrace Farming techniques Piled like Firewood, the Marble Limbs of
@ # are still barely visible % # several statues are stacked atop a Tor

Scaling the slopes are lush Vines with deep Large Boulders are balanced preciously on the
@ $ green leaves and thick, woody stalks % $ squat peaks, softer stone long eroded

Dimples in one of the Hills here make it Sprinkled with Stumps, Loggers have clear-cut
@ % reminiscent of a Skull if you squint % % the once mighty Trees that stood here

What look like humungous Claw-marks form Mostly toppled, the huge lichen-scarred Stones
@ ^ deep gashes and gouges on Slopes % ^ here once formed a Standing Circle

Small Animal Bones liter the entrance to a Old Tree Roots snake out of the stubby Cliffside,
# ! disused Den of some kind ^ ! home to several Bird Nests

Near the Crest of a smaller Hill stands a Cereals sown long ago now grow feral here,
# @ wooden Grave Marker of some kind ^ @ swaying in the wind

Foundations of what may have once been a Excised into the side of the Hill here is the
# # Tower squat on the tallest here ^ # Chalky outline of a Horse

Sculpted by Wind and Weather, the bare Fissures, Spires, and Ridges appear in this
$ $ Slopes are home to tufts of stubborn grass ^ $ rough, karst-like landscape

Millions of tiny Magenta Flowers paint the A meandering Game Trail snakes up and down
# % hills here a lovely purplish red ^ % each of the Hills here

Sandstone Bluffs peek out from the Summits Low-lying areas here are inundated from recent
# ^ of these squat and stony Hills ^ ^ rainstorms, Hills are like islands

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 8 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 The Gong Farmers must avoid this Street out Scraps of Clothing float in a flooded Borrow
! ! of superstition, judging by smell $ ! Ditch alongside the Road

Woefully unmaintained, lichen and pondweed Criss-crossing overhead, Clothes-lines laden

! @ flourish in and on this Fountain $ @ with flapping Laundry

Main thoroughfare blocked by an overturned A once Religiously Significant Boulder sits in

! # Fruit Cart, sticky and sweet $ # the center of a Plaza, profaned by Birds

Weathering a sickly green, a massive copper The comforting smell of Bread, fresh from
! $ Sundial with a bent Gnomon $ $ Ovens teases nostrils here

How someone's fine feathered cap ended up on It seems almost every other Building here has
! % that pole, we may never know $ % recently suffered a Fire

The Stone Steps here have been furrowed by Denizens have taken to piling up broken
! ^ millions of footsteps over the years $ ^ Crockery here, making quite a tall Hill

Colorful Pigeons bob-march around a boarded Blood in the Street Gutters signals a nearby
@ ! up Well, covering it in Guano % ! Butcher...at least one hopes

Rubbed for luck by passersby, a life-size Some sorry looking Apple Trees don't make for
@ @ Statue's face has been worn smooth % @ a shady Boulevard

Meticulously uniform Cobblestones give way A large Rat, nailed to a Door as a Warning to
@ # to mud, dirt, and stingy gravel % # Others

Brass Bell, the size of an Ox, stuck stubbornly On Sunny Days, people love to lounge on this
@ $ in the Mud and abandoned % $ large, toppled Obelisk

Tavern's Windows boarded with its own Cemetery so crowded with Headstones; you
@ % Signs, a faded proclamation on the Door % % could practically walk on the tops

An infamous Criminal, serving sentence in A huge Bronze Horse still carries his
@ ^ Stocks even as a Zombie % ^ Decapitated Rider to Battle

Slightly faded pennants flutter from a Chalk Graffiti on the paving stones here
# ! Windmill here, each bearing a Prayer ^ ! features prominent Holy Symbols

A spot of Nature, verdant Vines cling Seven steps up the Dias here, whatever stood
# @ tenaciously to the Bricks here ^ @ here was removed long ago

Crumbling Minaret stretches high into the sky, Pervasive Wizard's Curse hangs in the air here
# # but looks to fall any moment ^ # in the form of dense violet Fog

Tumble-down Pickets do not keep the Rats out Low-Hanging Signs seem to imply this was
$ $ of a lonely Widow's Garden ^ $ once a Dwarf/Halfling Quarter

Stinking Vats of the Tanner's Trade bubble Roadside Shrine, Offering bowl brimming with
# % and boil menacingly ^ % corroded and bent Copper Coins

Tight alleyways, with barely enough room for Construction abandoned, large blocks of
# ^ Tomcats to Spar and Hiss ^ ^ Masonry stacked up high, growing mossy

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 9 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 Dense Bracken, almost neck high, covered in Glorious Gourds, bulbous and whimsically
! ! thorny twigs, waxy leaves $ ! shaped dangle from the branches here

Terrifically large Log, damply rotting, Staccato Din of industrious Woodpeckers, high
! @ swarming with pale white termites $ @ overhead in the canopy

Huge, weathered Boulder, resembling a Low-slung, almost grasping, several

! # pensive face, with verdant mossy beard $ # gargantuan Boughs interrupt eye-level

Swollen, gnarled and knotted Roots, Several sun-bleached, buckler-sized Snail

! $ protruding throughout the floor $ $ Shells resting on their sides

Several small turf-covered Mounds, dotted Rotting Fruits, strewn underfoot make for a
! % with toadstools and dead leaves $ % slippery and sticky forest floor

Showers of pale Blossoms, shed from branches Pale grey desiccated Timber liters the ground,
! ^ above, foul smelling $ ^ jutting sharp as spears in places

Dense and frantic swarms of irritating Gnats, Carpeted in thick Moss, this glade brims with
@ ! darning the air in large clouds % ! bountiful Berry Bushes

Collection of jagged, greenish-grey Granite Crowded masses of Stinging Plants clumped

@ @ slabs, haphazardly placed % @ around trees, haloed with nettles

Shallow Pools and Puddles or clear water, Stricken with strange Blight, large branches
@ # teeming with tadpoles and polliwogs % # crash down from the canopy periodically

Deceptively deep Crags and Hollows, Dark and fragrant worm-writhing Soil,
@ $ brimming with wind-blown leaves % $ something large was recently digging here

Horrendously fractured Trunk, sheared A roof’s worth of flat Shale shards, erratically
@ % violently by recent storms % % strewn in several small piles

Bright Orange Shelves of Lichen, jutting out Dazzlingly White Quartz peeks from beneath
@ ^ proudly from every surface % ^ the leaf litter and moss

Muddy Creek-bed, dried to a trickle and dotted Coiled together like Serpents, Thorned Vines as
# ! with smoothed pebbles ^ ! thick as a Dwarf’s arm intertwine

Trembling dark-green Ferns, crowded in Overgrown Game Trail, fallen out of use and
# @ clumps, as high as a Halfling ^ @ reclaimed by Saplings jostling for sunlight

Ogre-sized Stump, furry peacock-green moss, Tell-tale Gouges on Trunks and shed Antlers
# # home to several Snakes and Lizards ^ # dot the leafy green forest floor

Impressive Knots nearly completely cover Shimmering motes hover and sparkle, listlessly
$ $ Ancient Trunks, resembling warty faces ^ $ floating throughout the Trees

Felled long ago, tumbled Timber crisscrosses, Thousands of lovely lavender flowers, shade-
# % forming strange bridges ^ % loving and in full bloom for the Bees

Small yet sturdy Sapling Trees struggle for Precariously leaning inward, and crowding a
# ^ their share of sunlight under the canopy ^ ^ clearing, the largest primeval Oaks ever seen

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 10 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 Chest-high, warm foggy chartreuse Miasma Incessant, high-pitched whine of Mosquitos
! ! with a distinctively medicinal Smell $ ! makes concentrating on footing difficult

Honed to points, the Knees of Mangrove like Remnants of an ancient Corduroy Road peek
! @ root systems stab at the sky from the water $ @ out from beneath the spongy ground

Thick black Mud cakes Trunks at least waist- Flowing down from the treetops, strangling
! # high here, recent flooding perhaps? $ # Woody Vines form pools at the water's edge

With a loud Cry and Splash, cloud of Feathers Resembling large Mussels, a peculiar kind of
! $ is all that remains of a Crane $ $ Fungus clings to the rotting Stumps

Bright green Duckweed seems to shudder on Surrounded by Water, a shock of pale, damp
! % the surface of otherwise still waters $ % Sand, garnished with a few hardy weeds

Forming treacherous bridges, large moldering Some bigger than Wagon Wheels, shiny round
! ^ Tree Trunks across pools $ ^ Lily-pads pockmark the mire

Bright Red Beetles swarm in Beard Mosses Scores of Trumpet like plants strain upwards,
@ ! that dangle down from Tree limbs % ! struggling to appeal to insects

Muddy Furrows and Rivulets snake around Darting rapidly to-and-fro, Dragonflies as long
@ @ tufts of sun-starved grasses % @ as your hand with jewel-like bodies

Wilting as you pass, strange Dew-Covered A very brave Bird, picking at the Teeth of a
@ # plants quiver and flex as if hungry % # contented Crocodile

Clinging to trunks of sickly Trees, large Tall reeds sway as the air suddenly fills with
@ $ Mounds of debris form dry patches % $ loud, throaty croaking frog-song

Cattails, taller than an Elf, sway back and forth Venerable Tupelo Tree, every inch covered in
@ % in even the most minor of breezes % % thick, shimmering strands of spider-web

Utterly unperturbed, a Turtle the size of a In branches above a Bird screeches as a Snake
@ ^ Buckler lounges on a floating Log % ^ slithers languidly toward her Nest

A Sepia Haze in the air contrasts with pea- Vigilant as smaller Does drink, a Stag with
# ! soup-colored Algae on the water's surface ^ ! Moss-draped Antlers surveys the bank

Bright garnet Berries bob on the surface of still Shattered, weatherworn barrel, Halfling bones
# @ water as Birds gorge themselves ^ @ peek out among the rusty iron bands

Despite a fetid smell, the water here is Ankle-deep, sucking mud fills rapidly with
# # surprisingly clear and bubbles occasionally ^ # water after every laborious step

What looked like Mossy Ground quickly gives Girded in the greenest of moss, Trees grow close
$ $ way to stagnant black Water ^ $ together here, merging at the roots

Sinewy Saplings woven together, forming an Surprisingly uniform blocks of Peat lie in large
# % almost fence-like structure on islets ^ % piles, carved, stacked and abandoned

The rotting Ribcage of a Rowboat, beached and Enormous Timber Jam of limbs and branches,
# ^ battered among a crude dam of Logs ^ ^ maybe the work of a busy Beaver?

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 11 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 The Herd Animals that passed through here Torn bit of gingham and an overturned basket
! ! recently left large, stinking traces underfoot $ ! of Wildflowers, sized for an Ogre

Like fingers, Pike-high columns of dry mud Hand-deep furrows run parallel in sunbaked
! @ rise above the grass: Termite Mounds $ @ mud, making for a bumpy journey by cart

At least a dozen weed-choked grave markers Three dilapidated Gibbets creak in the breeze,
! # play hide-and-seek in the flowers here $ # each containing Human skeletal remains

Knee-high and golden, tall grasses undulate Frequent flooding has revealed low chalky
! $ and roil like the Sea after a Storm $ $ white cliffs, bristling with ancient shells

Pale-pink and bright yellow Blossoms Rust-riven and pitted, an old-fashioned

! % advertise to clumsy fat Bees $ % Breastplate hangs low on a Scarecrow

Easy to twist an ankle in the numerous vermin Scarred by lightning, a gnarled Pine still
! ^ holes that pepper the ground here $ ^ defiantly sprouts tufts of needles

Lonely and wind-sculpted, a single pale- Strange, sword-resistant Sunflowers tower

@ ! trunked Tree pines for the Forest % ! above even the tallest among you

Faded, pale, pitted from years of sky, a Barn- Likely cached by a Large Cat, a Goat carcass
@ @ sized Rib Cage lies half-buried in the soil % @ sprawls on the branches of a solitary Tree

Three Stubborn Fence posts seem to glare Rain must have come; scorched grass abruptly
@ # defiantly, their Rails long gone % # stops before a blackened expanse

Thirsty soil has left this shallow creek bed dry Almost unrecognizable, Vultures and Ravens
@ $ as the fish bones that lie at the bottom % $ squabble over choice bits of Carrion

Startled by any noise, a nervous family of The Crunch below your feet reveals that the
@ % Rabbits scamper for cover in a thorny Bush % % ground is strewn with Shards of old Pottery

On a large slab of Sandstone, a Raven raps her A drumming of colorful Lyre-tailed Grouse
@ ^ beak, breaking open Snails to sup % ^ squabble to impress hens on their Lek

Utterly stripped of grass, several small circles Chirping a warning to playful pups, a Vixen
# ! reveal colonies of very territorial Ants ^ ! glares from atop their Den

Feigning a broken wing, a Ground Nesting Bird A ghoulish sight: Impaled on Thorny Brambles
# @ tries to distract from a nearby Nest ^ @ are dozens of Insects and Lizards

The stridulating din of insects rings in ears, as Periscoping from burrows, charismatic Ground
# # they leap and cling to cloaks and clothing ^ # Squirrels yip & yelp disapprovingly

Dragged here by ancient Glaciers, an ungrateful Bluish-Grey and Golden Lichen clings to the
$ $ Boulder pouts alone ^ $ Rocky outcrops that dot the meadow here

Blackened bones of a small burnt building Dull brown Spheres, about the size of Melons
# % verge on complete collapse ^ % punctuate the Prairie: Puffball Mushrooms

Old stone Boundary Marker, covered in crude Spiny Lizards perform Push-Ups on the Rocks
# ^ Goblin Graffiti ^ ^ revealing brilliant Sapphire Bellies

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 12 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com

 Musty, ammonia-heavy Smell and small Completely blind, ivory colored Fish swim
! ! Snow-like drifts of Bat Guano underfoot $ ! oblivious within a small, shallow Lake

Icicles of stone droop down at eye level here, so Low rumble briefly before a Spurt of scalding
! @ fragile even breath could break them $ @ Water shoots up from a small Geyser

Slight hissing sound as harmless Fungus Like melted Wax, the buildup of minerals forms
! # wheezes out small spore-puffs periodically $ # an almost Throne-like Lump

A warm breeze, a Sulphur smell wafts from a Even the slightest sound echoes for what seems
! $ yawning crack, wide as an arm $ $ like ages, mocking every movement

Water trickles down the walls in determined Suspended from the ceiling, a Squid-Shaped
! % rivulets, forming bitter puddles $ % structure of curling Stalactite tentacles

Slick floors, coated in acrid water a coin high Dainty white strands of Slime dangle from the
! ^ make everything feel very clammy here $ ^ roof, sticky and mostly harmless

Any light bounces off sparkling inclusions in Replete with pointy parapets, the formation
@ ! the walls and floor, almost like starlight % ! here looks almost like a Sultan's Palace

Aggravatingly arrhythmic dripping echoes After centuries, pointy Tips met, and now
@ @ from above, making dry necks nervous % @ dozens of thin Columns have formed

Covered in mineralized lumpy accretions, a Looking eerily like an elderly married couple,
@ # mostly intact ancient Skeleton sprawls % # two Stalagmites face each other tenderly

Nacreous mineral swirls on the ceiling are Strange disc shapes protrude from the wall
@ $ almost distractingly beautiful % $ here, darker color than the surrounding rock

The black stone Femur of some gargantuan, A Waterfall of stone, petrified in place, partially
@ % prehistoric Beast juts out from the wall % % conceals a small, dark alcove

Worthless purple Crystal shimmers Gradual mineralization somewhat resembles

@ ^ throughout, like the inside of a Geode % ^ the head of a furious Bull on its side

Submerged Stalagmites, their growth stunted, Soft blue glow emanates from the algae that
# ! stand at the bottom of a clear pool ^ ! cake the ceiling above, not enough to read by

High on the cavern wall is an Epitaph in older The gradual Decline gives way to Bubbling,
# @ Dwarf Runes: Grues Be My End ^ @ Lifeless Waters and a narrow natural bridge

Over millennia, minerals have made eerily Sharp Stalactites here bring to mind a
# # hand-like formations grasping at darkness ^ # Crocodile's mouth, surely just coincidence

Almost petrified with age, mostly burnt What secrets could be gleaned if these huge,
$ $ Torches lie in a pile here ^ $ open-book-shaped formations had writing?

Sublimely kinetic depictions of ancient Herd Double take reveals that formations here are
# % Animals grace the wall in ochre pigment ^ % not, in fact, Gnomes stacked atop each other

Unceremoniously broken waist-high, the huge A breathtakingly beautiful Mineral Filigree, like
# ^ trunk of a pale Spire is all that remains ^ ^ finest Elf-lace, fans out, upright, ahead

Wilderness Encounter Vignette Tables 13 Draft Version: d4caltrops.com