The Shroud

Overview

The Shroud is the forest north of Odrun Fell that changed after the titan’s greatclub fell. It is not a normal woodland. Titan-magic altered its trees, soil, insects, and predators. The canopy blocks most daylight. The air holds traces of strange power. The guilds treat the Shroud as a live hazard zone. Delvers enter only with good maps, spare masks, and clear exit plans. The Shroud’s border shifts over time as roots push outward and old paths close. It stands between the city and the open north, and it is the origin point for many threats and resources that shape daily life in Odrun Fell.

Origins and Nature

When Odrun’s greatclub struck the earth, it created a wound that never healed. The ground absorbed magic and bled it into the region. Trees grew to extreme size. Insects became oversized and more cunning. The first Hollowmask appeared here in the centuries following the Fall. These facts define the Shroud’s baseline risk. The land remembers the impact, and it still produces effects that reach the city.

Boundaries and Access

The Shroud begins where the city’s northern walls and the Barley Fields end. Patrols mark the safer fringe trails with silk pennants tied to low limbs. The interior is not regulated by a standing road network. Most crews rely on updated route slates from the Threadspire Archive before they go. The Regent does not issue general travel bans for the Shroud, but The Cudgel may block entry during outbreak events, large predator migrations, or seasonal hatch times. The Promissory will insure some permits and cargo, but premiums rise sharply for any path that leaves the fringe.

Terrain and Weather

The terrain is dense and uneven. Roots form arches, steps, and drop-offs. Fallen trunks often hide burrows. Stagnant pools collect under low boughs and can hold larvae or spores. Wind at the canopy is strong but rarely reaches the ground. The common hazards are slick sap, concealed pits, sudden root shifts, and wasp or mite swarms. At night the forest emits low glow from moss and insect glands, but delvers should not trust it as a light source. Storms shake loose nests and can trigger localized swarms the next day.

Creatures

Insect life is the main threat. Ant packs the size of hounds strip carrion fast. Wasp strains hunt warm blood and defend their combs with organized stings. Beetles can crush armored delvers with weight alone. Spiders drift on near-silent lines and can block a corridor in minutes. The most feared enemy is the Hollowmask. They are chameleon-born predators changed by the club’s curse. They wear stolen faces and can copy voices. They stalk crews, separate them, and remove targets with clean strikes. The guilds advise retreat on first confirmed Hollowmask sign. Fire is the only reliable deterrent in close quarters, but it brings other risks.

The Spirals Beneath

Beneath the Shroud lies a sub-region called the Spirals. These are root-formed caverns that twist into loops and stacked chambers. Resin, sap, and stagnant magic gather there. Entire insect colonies build permanent structures along these roots. The Spirals are the birthplace and current breeding grounds of the Hollowmask. They also hold high-value materials like smokeless oils, fast-knit spores, and illusion-scattering petals. Entry is considered a major delve and is not recommended for crews under Cudgel Tier III. Most crews that vanish in the Shroud were last tracked slipping into a Spiral pocket.

Resources

The Shroud is dangerous but valuable. Common pulls include chitin plates, spinner silk, venom sacs, and bioluminescent glands. Rare pulls include hardened mandible scythes, resin nodules used in seals, memory-quiet pollen, and stable silk suitable for Ashcoat armor cores. Spirals produce high-grade oils and spores that command premium prices. The Barleys use approved breeders to stabilize strains for city use, but wild-caught stock remains stronger in some traits. The Promissory manages contracts for legal sale. Waspjaw Way handles the illegal side when buyers want bypassed tariffs or unregistered glands.

Travel Protocols

Standard crew size is four to six. Each crew records a route plan with the Threadspire Archive before departure and checks in on return. The Emberhook Hall wall lists active crews and expected windows. No one enters without masks, line reels, smoke pots, cutting hooks, and at least one signal horn. Silence discipline is strict at the border. Crews maintain low light and move on hand signs until they clear the first mile. If a Hollowmask mimic call is detected, all members switch to confirmed-sign protocol and reply only with pre-arranged taps. If a member goes missing, crew retreats to the last marked anchor and reports.

Guild Roles

The Cudgel leads suppression runs, rescue attempts, and burn lines. The Ashcoats design cutting gear, smoke pots, and chitin armor rated for swarm hits. The Barleys manage capture, transport, and controlled breeding of safe strains. The Promissory sets tariffs, writes contracts, and conducts sealed auctions for rare pulls. During crises, guild rivalries pause, but they resume once the threat is contained. This balance keeps the Shroud from overrunning the walls and keeps the markets supplied.

Known Sites

• Fringe Ladders: Short, reinforced climbs that bridge deep root cuts near the city line. Ashcoat crews inspect them weekly.

• Old Tine Spur: A shallow iron vein exposed by a tree fall. It draws beetles and prospectors. The Promissory posts rotating claim markers.

• Mothglass Hollows: Pockets where moths cling to ceilings with glassy eyes. Light use is limited here to avoid panic flights.

• Veinbreak Pools: Sap-stained ponds that hold larvae. Harvesting requires sealed gloves and Barley oversight.

• Maskfall Rim: A drop above a Spiral entrance where Hollowmask ambushes are common. The Cudgel maintains a warning stake ring.

Superstitions and Warnings

Barrows families teach children to avoid anyone calling them by a private nickname in the Shroud. Delvers wear tally cords to spot swaps during a mimic event. Some crews pin a small chitin shard to the tongue for an hour before entry; it cuts speech and discourages unplanned talk. In the Hallowcrawl, some performers refuse Shroud masks unless they know the maker. These practices arise from repeated losses and reports of mimicry. None of them replace discipline and retreat.

Law and Enforcement

No guild claims ownership of the interior. Harvest is “take and keep” if the crew logs it on exit and pays the appropriate rate. Poaching from active crew lines is a chargeable offense handled by The Cudgel. Sale of live Hollowmask is banned. Sale of Hollowmask parts is restricted and must go through sealed Promissory lots. Any unregistered Hollowmask item found in a shop leads to confiscation and contract fines. The Span holds violators until a guild court assigns labor or payment.

Interaction with the City

The Shroud shapes Odrun Fell’s economy and culture. It supplies material for Ashcoat work, Barley brood improvements, and Promissory trade. It also sends threats to the gates and names to the Wall in Emberhook Hall. Most memorials for lost delvers mention the Shroud or the Spirals. Public festivals often feature lantern lines and silent walks that honor crews who never returned. The city’s growth plans always factor the Shroud’s movement. No expansion goes north without Cudgel sign-off.

Current Concerns

Reports show the interior pushing closer this season. Root shifts have buried two fringe markers. Hollowmask activity near the Maskfall Rim has increased. The Cudgel is running more patrols and limiting single-day foraging. The Barleys have flagged a new brood behavior that may affect hauling animals. The Promissory has raised tariffs for Spiral-grade oils until the routes stabilize. Citizens should follow current advisories posted at the Gate of Tines and Emberhook Hall.