In a shaded dry glen near the river almost three quarters of the way through the forest, a lone dark elf ranger, has his home in a simple wooden cottage, with several coops or pens nearby. Syco'mun Rhee has dwelt in the Biyll for over two centuries, longer than he can remember, and the effect of living in the proximity of such concentrated evil for so long. has affected his sanity. Charged long ago by the evil lords who once ruled this land with the task of keeping the forest intact against intruders, Rhee is a sheriff complete with badge (an ancient and recognized unholy symbol). He also carries a powerful missile weapon (either a cartridge crossbow with multiple shots, or a rod with a missile spell and several charges).
He has been trained as a woodsman, with a respect for nature; this has combined with his evil duty to produce an unusual, somewhat unstable mentality.
Watching the eco-system of the Vitriol Tree/Vitrsects/Spike Wolves emerge, Rhee was taken with dark admiration for its evil splendor. He determined that it must be protected at all costs; his respect verges on worship. Determining that the problem was lack of food for the Wolves, Rhee has taken to raising Forlorn Hares domestically in large pens, seeing to it that enough of them survive to adulthood to supply the Wolves with predation as he releases them. Rhee spends hours a day gathering grass and fodder for his charges, and another hour checking the babies and young to see to their health. Living very simply, Rhee's only indulgence is a weekly walk through his beloved forest, reveling in and being absorbed by its malevolence. Rhee is convinced that the eco-system is natural, needing only "temporary" help from him.
The party may encounter Rhee by noticing trails from the river leading to his cottage; if they approach by day, they will observe him as he checks, his pens, and then ceremoniously releases. an armful of Hares, whistling afterwards to alert the Spike Wolves. Or they may notice him as he shadows the group after the first full day, or perhaps he may even rescue them from a large pack of Wolves (that is not in conflict with his generalgoal). Rhee is unused to human contact but hardly ungracious; if the party conceals their origins and intentions, Rhee will offerthem his hospitality and advice. If asked about the forest and its life, he will speak in general terms about the dangers, but become suspicious and more aloof.
Rhee will never attack a superior party first, even if he sees them hunting Spike Wolves. Only if the party attempts to upset the Hare pens or wantonly destroys a Vitriol Tree will Rhee retaliate, but then it will be with full force.
Alone, Syco'mun Rhee should be almost a match for any of the party's most powerful warriors. In addition, he is thoroughly skilled in outdoor survival, and has all the magical abilities of his race. If your world has no dark elves, give him spells which control darkness, self-protection, detection of alignment/hostility, and one attack spell.
He is equipped with all the tools and materials needed for outdoor survival, an iron- tipped quarterstaff, a longbow (unless he has the crossbow mentioned), excellent leather armor, and several minor magic items having to do with protection, silent movement, and camouflage. Rhee also has two minor healing potions on his person, which he has concocted from natural ingredients, and a gas bomb that causes everyone in a 10-foot radius to make a penalized check against health or fall unconscious for 1 to 3 hours.
It is possible that the party may encounter Rhee, exchange courtesies, spend a night under his hospitality and then move on. If treated well, Rhee will gladly agree to guide the party onward; if this is true, they will suffer no more of the forest's ill effects, as he is thoroughly familiar with the environment.
Any goodly party that manages to deduce what he's doing, however, should try to rectify the situation, and that will meet with Rhee's resistance. In any discussion, Rhee will stubbornly argue that he is only tending the natural process in Biyll; if pressed he will shout and begin to suspect the party's intentions. Rhee is hard to surprise in combat, and can employ his ranged weapon and protective abilities to avoid a brute melee.
If given the slightest warning, Rhee will drop back, draw his ranged weapon and invoke his ancient sheriff's authority to place the party under arrest. If attacked or approached closer than six feet, he will fire and get to cover, employing his darkness spell to mask his retreat. If the party presses the attack, Rhee will adopt a hit-and-run strategy, luring the party into gving chase, and then turning on the leading characters with ambushes from his bow or ranged weapon.
If the party gives up pursuit, Rhee will harass them verbally from a distance, shouting in anger at their intrusion into his lovely domain and promising that as long as he lives, the "natural order" of Biyll will be preserved. Essentially the party should be unable to hunt down this hunter; if their first attack is ill-timed or uncoordinated Rhee will elude it and survive to taunt them.
Yet, it is the nature of evil to provide its own undoing. If the party simply waits, their mere presence will goad Rhee to recklessness. His unstable mind will wear down his patience, and in an ill-advised attack of his own, he may be defeated.
Alternately, his ravings from a nearby hill could draw a pack of Spike Wolves; in his deranged state, Rhee will not recognize the danger, and will greet them as brothers. As the party closes up to viewing range, Rhee will begin to realize his peril too late; as he lays about him with his ranged weapon, an errant shot will strike the trunk of a nearby Vitriol Tree.
Screaming and writhing in the flood of sap, Syco'munn Rhee will perish in the collapse of the tree's branches, along with several wolves and dozens of buzzing, biting Vitrsects.
At the GM's discretion, Rhee's magic items can be destroyed in this wet holocaust, or some may survive for a difficult recovery. Rhee's hut will contain simple belongings, and a small set of herbal salve preparations, including three minor healing and one major healing potion.
If the campaign is strong on history, an artifact from the ancient period may also be found here, perhaps a map to link the party to its next adventure. In any event, with the death of Rhee, the party has broken the weak link in the ecosystem, and can continue their main quest, knowing that behind them, forest Biyll will no longer deserve the title of dread.
More The Dread Forest Biyll
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