A Half-Dozen Random Tables for the Cairn Forest Jam

by Ktrey (d4caltrops.com)
 orests are full of possibilities. Exploring them
Additional Resources
as a child, I was consistently struck by the
sheer amount of exciting and intriguing things one
Magical Herbs & Plants
could discover in those wooded and wild places. They
Names for Trees
can be serene and majestic when it serves them to be,
and at other times profoundly foreboding and frankly Seasonal Weather

quite frightening should one stray from their more Remarkable Birds

well-trodden paths. Fantastical Fish

But to me at least, they are never dull.

Wilderness Hexes
Here is a modest collection of Random Tables that I
hope contain at least a few seeds or curious catkins (more under the hexes label)

that might alight to sprout and thrive, bringing some

of the wonderment and fascination I feel for these
bosky deeps to you and yours.

Usage: Roll two six-sided dice (different colors may help) or simply select something that inspires

Cover: Dark Forest (Темный лес) by Ivan Shishkin, 1890

!
Dense Bracken, thriving almost neck high, bristling with thorny twigs Glorious Gourds, bulbous and whimsically shaped, dangle from the
! ! and waxy leaves $ ! vine-laced branches here
A terrifically large Log, rotting damply and swarming with pale and Staccato Din of industrious Woodpeckers, hammering high overhead
! @ perpetually busy white termites $ @ in the canopy. Only the lucky catch a fleeting glimpse of brilliant red
Huge, weathered Boulder, resembling a pensive face, replete with a Low-slung and almost grasping: several gargantuan Boughs interrupt
! # verdant mossy beard $ # eye-level and snake out wide from their Trunks
Swollen, gnarled, and knotted Roots, protrude throughout the floor and Several sun-bleached and buckler-sized Snail Shells resting on their
! $ mischievously seek toes and ankles to stub and twist $ $ sides, stuffed with mud and frass from floods long ago
Several small turf-covered Mounds, dotted with toadstools and fringed Brown Rotting Fruits, strewn underfoot, make for a slippery and sticky
! % by fragrant piles of dead leaves $ % forest floor
Subtle showers of pale Blossoms, shedding from branches above, foul Pale grey desiccated Timber liters the ground, jutting sharp as spears
! ^ smelling but splendid to observe $ ^ in places
Darning the air in large clouds: Dense and frantic swarms of irritating, Carpeted in thick emerald Moss, this glade brims with bountiful Berry
@ ! mouth-and-nose-seeking Gnats % ! Bushes (wooly, tasteless things)
Collection of jagged, greenish-grey Granite slabs, haphazardly strewn Crowded masses of Stinging Plants clumped around trees, haloed with
@ @ about and still moist and glistening with collected dew % @ nettles
Shallow Pools and Puddles of clear water, teeming with tadpoles and Stricken with a strange Blight, large branches from the trees here crash
@ # polliwogs % # down from the canopy periodically
Deceptively deep Crags and Hollows, brimming with the wind-blown Dark and fragrant worm-writhing Soil, something large was recently
@ $ leaves and detritus of prior Autumns % $ digging here
Horrendously fractured and jagged Trunk, sheared violently by recent A roof’s worth of flat Shale shards, erratically strewn and erratically
@ % storms % % stacked in several small piles
Bright Orange shelf-like slabs of Lichen, jutting out proudly from near- Dazzlingly White Quartz peeks from beneath the leaf litter and moss,
@ ^ ly every surface % ^ like ivory molars
Muddy Creek-bed, dried to a trickle and dotted with pebbles smoothed Coiled together like Serpents, Thorned Vines as thick as a Dwarf’s arm
# ! by the former flows ^ ! intertwine
Trembling dark-green Ferns, crowded together in verdurous clumps, Overgrown Game Trail, fallen out of use and reclaimed by Saplings
# @ some as high as a Halfling ^ @ jostling for the warming rays of the sun
An Ogre-sized Stump, furry with peacock-green moss and home to Tell-tale Gouges on Trunks and tangled sheds of Antler dot the leafy
# # several Snakes and Lizards ^ # green forest floor
Impressive Knots nearly completely adorn these Ancient Trunks, if you Shimmering motes hover and sparkle, listlessly floating throughout
# $ squint, some resemble warty, glowering faces ^ $ the Trees
Felled long ago, the tumbled Timber crisscrosses, forming strange Thousands of lovely lavender flowers, shade-loving and in full bloom
# % bridges over a mulching forest floor ^ % for the Bees
Small yet sturdy Sapling Trees struggling for their share of sunlight Precariously leaning inward, and crowding the edges of a clearing, the
# ^ under the canopy ^ ^ largest primeval Oaks ever seen

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@
Somewhat eerie totem: flensed Skull of a large Bear, impaled on a Almost too evenly spaced and uniform in growth, Pines courteously
! ! roughly hewn pole $ ! try not to crowd
Treacherously steep, here the snowmelt has gouged out a high banked Out of scavenger’s reach, the carcass of a Ram dangles in branches of a
! @ but softly burbling Creek $ @ Lynx’s larder
Hollow from insects and rot, a still standing trunk might be large Hardy, emerald Ferns crowd closely to impressive Spruce Trunks to
! # enough to camp within $ # avoid a punishing sun
Pale cerulean Berries seem to twinkle with droplets of dew throughout Diverted upstream ages ago, an abandoned Beaver Lodge looks out-of-
! $ the branches of Junipers $ $ place in a dry gully
Unnervingly organized into piles almost knee-high , something has Low hanging branches teem with tiny, needle-lined cocoons that jostle
! % placed scores of Pinecones in pyramids $ % in the breeze
A shock of reddish titian needles erupts amidst the deeper greens, a Standing out like a sore thumb: a few white-barked Birches, huddling
! ^ dead or dying Tree $ ^ against a backdrop of oppressive Evergreens
Gnarled but thriving, a Fir seems to sprout directly from an enormous Perpetual low mist, about boot high seems to stubbornly cling to the
@ ! slab of flecked Granite % ! soggy forest floor
Doggedly growing, a nearly sideways Pine perseveres after being Some of the Tamaracks here have donned leaves of a brilliant, eye-
@ @ wrenched by winds % @ squinting yellow, maybe one in five
Festooned with gloomy, drooping lichens, a Fungus thrives on huge High water marks on the Trees, while the forest floor seems to have
@ # damp and dark logs % # been swept clean
Shed needles and crunchy cones blanket the ground, almost deep A table-sized Stump, bleached shards of snail shell show that Crows
@ $ enough to sink in slightly % $ dine here occasionally
Worn bark on the trunks here reveals a favorite place for Bears to A jumble of boulders fills an old riverbed, unperturbed lizards sun
@ % scratch their backs % % themselves on some of these
Still shimmering with morning moisture, spiderwebs crisscross over- Nostrils fill with the fragrance of Cedar from a splintered trunk of the
@ ^ head between branches % ^ smell's namesake
In dark shade, dollops of snow slightly melt/refreeze with each chilly Call & Response Howls pick up when wind dies down, you see some of
# ! nightfall ^ ! the bleached bones of the pack’s past meals
An avalanche or flashflood has passed, traces remain as large trees, A line of tall Pines forms a nearly perfect wall as it meanders along a
# @ tumbled like matchsticks ^ @ narrow Ridge
Dark/fragrant soil delineates trails here, something big was dragged up Cypress Roots snake between the rocks here, mischievously tripping
# # the slope recently ^ # the unwary
Embarrassingly bare of their bark, a Herd of hungry herbivores have Brooding old growth means there are spots that forgot the Sun’s
# $ selfishly stripped the trees here ^ $ warmth centuries ago
Lightning took a taller Tree, now its diminutive progeny vie for the Menacing Hoots permeate from every direction and the mysterious
# % newly opened sky around it’s charred and blackened trunk ^ % Owls making them remain utterly unseen
Wickedly sharp Antler Sheds strewn on the forest floor, some are large A rusty two-man Saw sill bites into a thick Trunk, victim still thriving
# ^ as an arm-span ^ ^ despite this old wound

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#
A cooling breeze blows through the boughs here, embellishing shade The Hardwoods thriving here are from a species that's easy to work,
! ! that's already inviting to the warm or weary $ ! and remarkably fire-repellant
A Stick, proportioned perfectly for your height and seemingly made for Owner nowhere to be found, a fine Steed nickers with tooled saddle,
! @ your hand makes an excellent Walking Stave $ @ tied inexpertly to a Tree
This glade of brash and showy Monkshood means that the Howling Soft burbling to a dull roar, Creek widens into a Waterfall above a
! # Creatures of the Night give this area wide berth $ # crystal Pool that makes for an invigorating bath
Thirsty flasks and skins a grateful for this small, clear Creek where A Massive Limestone Table, obviously built for Giants to sup at, offers
! $ every stone has a hairy green head $ $ respite from the elements
Although only the bravest beams of Sunlight pierce the boughs above, Steady Birdsong fills the air and hearts with joy, if you listen carefully,
! % they are warm enough to dry the wet $ % it's sudden cessation could signal trouble
Tamped and well-trod from Season after Season of use by Game. the Someone has carefully carved a rough but serviceable map of the near
! ^ path ahead is easy going and likely quicker $ ^ surrounds atop a large flat stone here
Wet with dew, Rubies glisten on rosy stalks at the foot of Spruces: At A small grove of hardy and stubborn Whistle Peach Trees, spritzed
@ ! least a basketful of Wild Strawberries % ! with fuzzy and juicy Fruits at the peak of ripeness
Stacked dry beneath a sturdy lean-to is a size-able pile of seasoned The strange smelling Sap from the stems of the Plants here is known
@ @ Firewood that undoubtedly burns true and long % @ by most to drive away annoying Insects
A richly decorated leather Quiver, full of finely fletched Arrows, hangs Keen eyes will note that some of the Rocks dotting the Forest Floor
@ # nonchalantly from a knotted trunk % # here are rough and ready for Whetting Blades
Fringed with charred stones, the remains of a Campfire sheltered by a Take note of this stand of Yews, for Local Lords and Ersatz Despots are
@ $ sound and safe, wind-blocking Overhang % $ always in need of wood for strong Longbows
From the sets of varied tracks and prints in the mud, all manner of Scraps of Gingham and a lovingly woven basket brimming with fresh
@ % Game frequents this place to lick for minerals % % Baked Goods, abandoned on the side of the path
Dangling on a branch from fancy laces: a pair of Brand-New Boots, Nearly every Old Wife will be quick to tell you that a crushed paste of
@ ^ sized for the svelte % ^ these fragrant leaves will sooth Blisters and aching Feet
Perfectly serviceable Woodsman's Axe, trunk-stuck in the bark of a Low Fire almost burnt out beneath the Copper Still here, Moonshiners
# ! perseverant Beech ^ ! nowhere to be found, but their Hooch is ready
Sun-warm and ripened berries weigh down a Blackberry Bush with The Stream would be difficult to ford in its flooded state, had someone
# @ surprisingly few thorns ^ @ not placed large, flat rocks across to walk upon
Handful of coins glitter in the sunlight, leading off the path. Another Possibly purloined by Bandit, a Cart with a Broken Axle looks sullen,
# # traveler's pouch must've burst ^ # loaded with heavy casks of Valuable Wine
Lullaby-like burble of a Spring of Fresh Water, winding its way down Intoxicatingly Fragrant, only by pulling away the dull browned and
# $ in tiny rivulets ^ $ dead leaves that one spies these tiny Spellflowers
Bounty of Black Walnuts has begun to rain from the branches here, Buckets gird the Trees here, someone or something is harvesting that
# % Squirrels are busy filling their hidden larders ^ % sickeningly sweet sap for Syrup
Huge Log, surface carved flat, with stump stools surrounding, set with So closely guarded was the Secret, that its location is nearly forgotten
# ^ wooden cups/plates ^ ^ now: This small Shrine has granted it's share of Miracles

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$
Mischievous Roots snake across the surface and are wont to stub toes Eye-level Elf-beard Lichen dangles lazily from branches, swarming
! ! and make footing more difficult $ ! with biting motes
Irritating Burrs cling to cloaks and leg coverings, take considerable care Raw, bloody hands from catching oneself suddenly to prevent what
! @ to remove $ @ would have likely been a horrible fall
Something jubilantly shedding sheets of pollen leads to runny eyes and Drawn to anything that glimmers in the gloam, deft Magpies even go
! # occasional sneezes $ # so far as to unbuckle straps for their thievery
That reflexive revulsion of a having a Spider's hard web-weaving work Overhead, a worm-rotted bough, big around as your waist, gives way
! $ obliterated by your face $ $ and crashes down
A profusion of path-arching Nettles, face-high seem to seek out any That sudden metallic sound. The ankle-hungry jaws of a Bear Trap,
! % exposed skin with their miniscule burning bristles $ % meticulously set by hopeful but indiscriminate Trappers
Rhyming with the uncaring heartlessness of this place: Only the heart The path forward is impeded by churning, rabidly frothing rapids as
! ^ was eaten from the carcass of a four-day old fawn $ ^ what was once a small Brook turns Cataract
Momentary distraction was all it took for that Low-Hanging Branch to Skidding down a slickened slope, straight into a welcoming bed of
@ ! knot your noggin % ! thistly furze
An aggravating Pebble plays a game of hide-and-seek with each foot- Sharp surprises 'neath the leaf litter here seem to sup on the soles of
@ @ fall in a randomly determined Boot/Shoe % @ footwear, tearing large holes
Startled Game bounds across the path, branches whip back with their Forage last found isn't sitting well, perhaps a look-a-like as Stomach
@ # passage: face high % # knots and cramps
Bushwhacking an overgrown path, vines with trefoil leaves produce a Clinging fog pools in these lower places, utterly obscuring vision and
@ $ blistering sap and rashes on contact with exposed skin % $ making paths hard to find
The mostly buried bolt hole of a Mole painfully and eagerly wrenches
@ % an unsuspecting ankle % % Bulbous blisters bejewel both feet, hot to the touch and tender

Meddlesome and avaricious twigs grasp, snaring loose items in their A claustrophobic Canopy strangles the sunbeams, cultivating only the
@ ^ wooden fingers. Who ever heard of a Pickpocket Tree? % ^ deepest of darknesses
Heavy steps as fragrant black earth seems enamored with the soles of Pervasive, Provision-seeking Flies quickly infest any foodstuffs with
# ! shoes and boots ^ ! stomach turning maggots
Huddled together here, Trunks are so close you must sidle sideways Almost as if the very Wind wishes you Lost, sweeping leaves over the
# @ sometimes, stymying any Sword-arms ^ @ places you've been, concealing the trail
Pareidolia might get the best of you yet: The knots on Trunks look like The Water seemed clear and was refreshing, but it made a happy home
# # grimacing faces and seem to change when you look away ^ # for the Parasites that are now homesteading your gut
The eerie, head-splitting Stillness seems to shatter with every step as Unbalanced load led to a spill, you're safe but one item careened down
# $ each dry twig/cone Snaps to betray your passage ^ $ into a fast-flowing creek
Intermittent Boulders slick with moistened Moss make for frequent Cunningly concealed by leaf-litter, Rotted Roots have created hollow
# % slipping ^ % spaces beneath the forest floor: Natural Deadfalls
Soaked to the skin as those high, leafy Boughs above begin to rain This. Just. Can’t. Be. The path you've painstakingly followed all day
# ^ down excess Dew ^ ^ reveals the site from which you started

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%
Bog Kettle: Fibrous nodules found on the bark of Dead Trees. Food for Candlenut: Keep out of the fire because they burn readily. Taste a lot
! ! the desperate, rarely filling $ ! better cold, less waxy that way
Horn Potato: Lumpy, mishappen things that never seem to soften. Like Magebare Mushrooms: Like tiny wizards (with pointy caps), vomiting
! @ chewing Rope, but nourishing $ @ may occur if the consumer recently cast any Magic Spells
Flea Thorn: Red pith from stems tastes an awful lot like a cut lip, or Wolf-Root: Said to sometimes heighten the sense of smell. Fang
! # perhaps that's just pricked fingers from picking $ # shaped Rhizomes taste best fermented
Curly Plum: Leathery skins are hard to bite through, but a knife makes Bloodpith Peaches: Filled with sticky, bright red juice, stains almost
! $ quick work. Cubic stones often dried for dice $ $ everything for days. Delicious though
Nightcaps: Tender, dew coated Toadstools taste vaguely of sweetened Droughtwarden: Refreshingly succulent stems also eliminate thirst in
! % Milk, too many and one might grow quite drowsy $ % addition to hunger
Horse Cherries: Sour and Juicy, can be tricky to get a Steed to leave the Spear Buds: Sharp cruciferous vegetables, gloves recommended for
! ^ Tree until all in reach are eaten $ ^ harvesting. Bit of a horseradish kick
Princemeat: Watermelon-sized fleshy fruits with wooly skins. When Beakprikle Olives: Grow on Trees usually well guarded by feisty &
@ ! roasted, taste eerily like mutton % ! loud Birds, chewy beware of the thorny pits
Cat's Bean: Fronds of this fern grow into Paw Shapes; small clumps of Rotfolly Mulberry: They don't smell very good, but pinching your nose
@ @ pink spores are edible on the ends % @ makes them bearable
Knotleaf: Can sometimes cause stomach aches in the faint of heart, a Fairy Sumac: Purple Bunches on high stalks, almost sickeningly
@ # peppery, bitter salad green % # sweet, but provide a lot of energy
Sunberry: Golden drupes grow on low bushes with sharp leaves, make Buckbalm: Lemony leaves with hint of Anchovy. Old wives swear it’s
@ $ tongues glow faintly yellow % $ paste helps with Saddle Soreness
Elderbread: Loaf shaped Mushrooms, grow in sets of a baker's dozen, Starshoe Limes: Named for their strange shape and stellate seeds,
@ % taste of Asparagus and Menthol % % puckeringly sour unless perfectly ripe
Sheepsuckle: White Billowy Florets are edible if a bit plain. With some Bluehood: After removing the cerulean caps and drippy gills of these
@ ^ salt and butter though, they can be quite delicious % ^ Mushrooms, the stems are lovely
Cough Apple: Occasionally made into a Cider for Throat Ailments, Priest Mallow: Tap Root often forms into shapes suspiciously like Holy
# ! mealy Brown Fruits taste of Honey/Cinnamon ^ ! Symbols, they melt in your mouth
Red Cap Acorns: Only eat if the cap is bright, blood, red. Crunchy and a Penny Grass: Copper colored in all seasons, grows in sunny spaces.
# @ bit like grapes with a metallic tinge ^ @ Not very filling, but better than starving
Giant's Finger: Tubers that sometimes grow quite large, best peeled Jewel Figs: Come in several twinkling colors with slightly different flavors
# # and boiled to remove a funky aftertaste ^ # (on the same tree!) gelatinous and cloying
Goat Hood: Namesakes can't get enough of the stuff, positively packed Bladderseal Seeds: Don't peel and eat too many or suffer the namesake for
# $ with nutrition, some Sages swear one could live off this alone ^ $ an excruciating day. Pair dangerously well with Ale
Kinewattle Beans: Growing in pods of seven, they peel easily. Can be Lemon Rods: Woody stalks with chewy ends, live up to their name,
# % eaten raw or dried for a travel-friendly snack ^ % very good for skewering Fish
Witch Tea: The bark is boiled, and a few cups can stave off hunger for Dwarf Pepper: Not for the meek, heat from these Salmon colored Chilis
# ^ a little bit. Long term use not recommended ^ ^ sometimes sticks around for a day or so

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^
Stormcoat Sheep: Lost flock of Ewes and Lambs, surely their shepherd
! ! won't miss a few
Teeming Termites: Nutty flavor with a slight hint of pineapple and
! @ easily harvested by the handful
Murkwater Minnows: Darting in multitudinous schools in shallow,
! # tannin-tinted pools
Clutch of Speckled Eggs: Fist-sized, alone, and apparently abandoned
! $ in a moss-lined Nest
Greybelly Grubs: Sometimes the size of small Yams, not altogether
! % appetizing, but they taste of deep, roasted Beef Marrow
Canzonet Frogs: Wily jumpers, seeming to enjoy a humorous chase.
! ^ Well developed Jumping Legs are delicious
Silvernape Snake: Sluggish and slow in the cooler, shady areas. Meat
@ ! is somewhat stringy, and one must take care for all the rib bones
Godless Ants: Even work on Holy Days! Repel invaders with a churn-
@ @ ing tsunami of mild stings, grape-shaped Larder Workers are tastiest
Flicktail Squirrel: Susceptible to simple baited Snares, not much meat
@ # but better than going hungry
Lowbough Opossum: Hisses a big game but might just as easily faint.
@ $ Greasy, dark meat needs to be cooked very thoroughly
Tenflower Bees: Hovering around their honey-dripping home in the
@ % trunk of a dead Eyebark Tree
Gardenbane Rabbits: Coaxing them out of their comfy Warrens can
@ ^ take patience, but they stew up very nicely
Tonsured Crayfish: Languidly waving their Claws among the Algae,
# ! quick to scurry 'neath rocks to their jealously guarded dens
Raspberry Mussels: Terrestrial, but only in the dampest of Fern-laden
# @ Places. Cling to stalks and slurp up spores
Sharpfin Perch: A Pack darts to-and-fro between the shadier places in
# # the shallows. Sweet tasting with a firm but crumbly texture
Hammerhead Eels: A knot nearly clogs the evaporating creek here,
# $ writhing and wriggling in their sticky slime
Bevy of Shako Quail: Darting single-file through dappled clearings,
# % worth the work with all those tiny bones
Purpleshank Partridges: A Brace of these birds, beaten from bushes,
# ^ are at their peak of excellence roasted with Bacon and Pears
Flush Of Snake Neck Ducks: Tufted Tails aloft as they dive for plants
$ ! in a pond, the Drakes have particularly lovely plumage
Bouquet of Saddlestripe Pheasants: Braving the Woods for nutritious
$ @ morsels cached in the leaf litter
Husk of Pinhorn Hares: Tiny nubs on the foreheads of these muscular
$ # Hares help with digging. In times of abundance, they grow quite large
Drumming of Jester Grouse: These brightly colored birds practically
$ $ run into Nets. A bit gamier than chicken
Dole of Lullaby Doves: Cooing softly to themselves as they settle onto
$ % their perches, sometimes the flocks resemble feathered foliage
Rangale of Dewhorn Deer: Greedily gorging themselves on abundant
$ ^ Prueberries, fattening up for breeding season
Skein of Barnacle Geese: Honking and flapping mid-migratory route,
% ! on the lookout for logs to seed their sessile Chicks
Tufted Bear: High on hind legs, gouging scratches in trunks to mark
% @ their territory from interlopers
Rafter of Longwattle Turkey: Corralled together by an enormous Male,
% # puffed up with all his feathered finery on display, guarding his Lek
Variegated Ptarmigans: Covey sprouting some tell-tale white feathers
% $ of Winter plumage, making them somewhat easier to spot
Mob of Fanged Stag: Sparring with an awful ruckus with Antlers that
% % seem hopelessly interlocked
Bramble Boars: This sounder noisily snuffles among the leaves of the
% ^ forest floor, gulping down eyeball-sized Cradlewood Acorns
Flower-Collared Capercaillies: Tails fanned out and noisily clicking,
^ ! this Tok can be heard for miles around
Parcel of Hinds: Skittish and wary, scanning their surroundings while
^ @ munching mouthfuls of Mossy Grasses
Bind of Firefin Salmon: Shimmying in the Shallows, exhausted from
^ # their struggles up-stream
Grandfather Elk: Lichen hanging from their impressive antlers, they
^ $ seem to fear neither beast nor man
Brushtip Woodcocks: Prized for their delectable meat, and by painters
^ % for their Feather tips, finding a fall of these is quite lucky
Auroch: Smaller Trees and Saplings stand little chance against the
^ ^ grazing of these huge, horned beasts