Surrounding the base of the southernmost stretch of the Cliffkeep Mountains is the Bramblewood, a dark and tangled forest named for its jagged, thorny-barked trees. The Bramblewood’s impenetrable canopy and thick, gnarled roots give it an ominous appearance, but its eerie boughs are populated with countless deadly beasts. It’s a grim warning to all who would dare approach Gatshadow, the mountain of despair: come no closer if you value your life.

Yet despite this, without the abundant game and plentiful timber of the Bramblewood, the nearby city of Westruun would likely not exist. A trade city with nothing to trade rarely lasts long, and the Bramblewood ensures that local carpenters, artisans, and tradesfolk always have plentiful resources. For those brave enough to venture into the Bramblewood, a pair of well-tread paths have resisted its overgrowth; one leads to the iron-rich Murdoon Mines at the base of the Cliffkeeps, while the other winds upward to Gatshadow’s storm-wreathed peak. If well intentioned, traveler’s may come upon one of the various wood elf communities with in the Bramblewood or “Alassë” as it is as known in elvish, who might offer them shelter or guidance.