Located about 12 miles away, along the road north of Oakhurst, this Harrow Mound is one of many entrances to the Druidic Ways of the World, a demiplane allowing druids and their allies to travel quickly across the world.
- 1. Harrow Mound - This bare mound, maybe 20 yards across, rises sharply a dozen feet from the patchy grass in this large scrubby clearing in the pine forest. (Some sound of insects or animals are almost always noticeable in the clearing.) A six foot tunnel leads into the dirt mound, turning left and curving clockwise down into the earth.
- 2. Chamber of the Guardian Galeb - After a full rotation, the tunnel emerges into a large dirt-roofed chamber hewn from stone. (40' across) Lining the walls of the chamber are two dozen natural boulders, each roughly 5' across. (DC 15 perception notices that to the north, there is a 10' cubbyhole behind two of the boulders, with another boulder within, and to the west is a passage behind another boulder.) Investigating the chamber discovers that a message is carved into the boulders concealing the openings. The message is in Druidic, so it is unlikely that most characters are able to read the message, which reads "Request passage to the Ways of the World." Named Lios.
If passage is requested, the Galeb Duhr (who speaks Druidic and Primordial) can be convinced (DC 15) to animate the boulder blocking the eastern passage and order it to move out of the way for one minute before moving back and sealing the passage. It will converse laconically with those it can understand, explaining vaguely the purpose of the chamber and its own purpose to guard the mound. However, this mound has not been used in many many years, and the safety of the ways is not guaranteed. A DC 20 Int(Nature) check recalls information about the Ways.
If combat occurs, the Galeb is able to roll the boulders blocking its niche, although it will only fight if it or the harrow mound are being attacked.
- 3. Descent into the Ways - Beyond the boulder is a passage guarded by a subterranean version of an assassin vine (use animated rug stats, although anti-magic does nothing although plant-affecting magic might.)
- 4. Misty Bridge - Further, the stone passage opens into a misty expanse, fading into misty darkness in all directions. The path continues along a 10' stone bridge. There are no handrails, although the rough stone is flat and not slippery despite the mist. As the party leaves the tunnel, it is attacked by a pair of vargouilles (Volo's Guide pg. 195), many of which have taken to haunting the Ways. (Those falling from the bridge will eventually fall into the elemental plane of air)
- 5. Location Stone - After a quarter mile / five minutes or so (time and distance seem a bit distorted) the gently winding bridge leads to a 25' stone platform hanging in the air, with two other bridges leading off into the distance. In the middle of the platform is a rough obelisk about 15' tall. The obelisk is carved on each side with a complicated Druidic symbol. It serves as a beacon for those traveling from other parts of the ways. If the symbol for another location isn't known, after a day of wandering the ways lead back to the starting obelisk. 6x/day, there is a 1 in 12 chance of being attacked by 1d3 vargouilles. One day of travel is required to reach the location of almost any other known obelisk.
