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  The forest of Dolmenwood lies in the little-frequented 
  northern reaches of the kingdom of _____, under the 
  rule of the Duchy of Brackenwold. Though men, with 
  their fortresses and cathedrals, now claim dominion over 
  this stretch of tangled woods, fungus-encrusted glades, 
  and fetid marsh, other powers held sway here in ancient 
  times and — some would say — remain the true masters 
  of the realm. 
  Within the forest, the magical and otherworldly are 
  always close at hand — rings of standing stones loom in 
  glades hallowed by pagan cults of yesteryear; the energy 
  of ley lines pulses beneath the earth, tapped by those in 
  possession of the requisite secrets; portals to the perilous 
  realm of Fairy allow transit between worlds, for those 
  charmed or fated by the lords of Elfland. Even the herbs, 
  plants, and fungi of Dolmenwood have developed in odd 
  directions, absorbing the magic which infuses the place. 
  Some say that the waters are enchanted. Some say the 
  stones and the earth itself. Perhaps both are right.
  For those who plan to visit this magical, monster-haunted 
  forest, the information in this short guide will prove an 
  indispensable companion on the way, elucidating the 
  most commonly known people, places, legends, monsters, 
  and races which call Dolmenwood their home.
  WELCOME TO    
  DOLMENWOOD
  contributors
  Gavin Norman [words & editing] 
  the-city-of-iron.blogspot.com
  Greg Gorgonmilk [words & graphics] 
  gorgonmilk.blogspot.com
  Matt Hildebrand [layout]
  bigbaldmatt.com
  Andrew Walter [illustrations]
  andrewwalter.co.uk
  Visit the Dolmenwood  
  community on Google+
  Dolmenwood is an enchanted forest campaign setting — creepy, 
  whimsical, and psychedelic in equal measure — for B/X and other 
  vintage fantasy games. In-depth detail on the setting, suitable for 
  referees, is furnished in the Wormskin zine. This document is a guide 
  for players taking their first footsteps under the forest's eaves.
  Dolmenwood and Wormskin are trademarks of Gavin Norman & Greg Gorgonmilk
  
  3
  Sentient Races
  Dolmenwood sits at a place where the boundary 
  between the mortal world of men and women and the 
  immortal realm of Fairy grows thin. It is thus not only 
  folk of mannish origin or kindred races who dwell there; 
  fairies of various kinds are also drawn to the forest and 
  some even make their permanent home there. The most 
  common races of sentient beings — benign, malign, and 
  indeterminate — are described below.
  Mortals
  Humans: in modern times, men and women can be 
  found throughout Dolmenwood, dwelling in a profusion 
  of woodcutter's shacks, isolated hamlets, fortified keeps, 
  and thriving towns and villages.
  Goatmen: rough-furred humanoids with the heads and 
  twisted horns of goats. Goatmen claim to have dwelt in 
  Dolmenwood since before the arrival of humans and 
  maintain the haughty belief that the wood is, in fact, 
  their own. They generally regard humans as an inferior 
  species to be used as convenient. Two main branches 
  or subspecies of goatmen are found in Dolmenwood: 
  in the north, bestial wild goatmen who live as bandits 
  and marauders; in the south, noble families of ancient 
  aristocratic lineage.
  Moss dwarfs: stunted manlings who dwell in the deepest 
  woods where tangled vines and dank fungi dominate. 
  Moss dwarfs have a kinship with such places, being 
  formed partly of mortal flesh and partly of vegetable 
  matter. The species is seemingly unrelated —  apart from 
  in stature — to the dwarfs of the mountains. Indeed, it is 
  hypothesised that they are related in some way to forest 
  gnomes or stump dryads.
  Talking animals: aside from the goatmen and other 
  less common beast-like humanoid races which inhabit 
  the wood (sheep men, ratlings, deorlings, etc), it is also 
  not uncommon to encounter sentient, talking animals 
  of various species. The birds, reptiles, mammals — 
  and even fish — of Dolmenwood may at times surprise 
  travellers by greeting them from the wayside, spinning a 
  riddle, or cursing their intrusion. Of course, not all the 
  beasts of the Wood have the wherewithal to speak, but 
  the number that do is increasing. Such creatures are said 
  to be especially multitudinous in the northern forest.
  Fairies
  Elves: the elves of Dolmenwood are natives of Fairy, that 
  timeless realm which lies parallel to the mortal world, 
  just beyond the reach of everyday folk. They are alike 
  to humans in form, though often have some unusual 
  feature which marks them as “other”. Being fairies, they 
  are ageless and driven by desires which often seem odd 
  to mortal folk.
  Grimalkin: shape-shifting cat fairies of capricious, 
  whimsical, and vengeful nature. Grimalkin commonly 
  take the form of bipedal, humanoid felines, 3-4 feet 
  in height. According to folklore, they sometimes also 
  disguise themselves as fat moggies or take on a bestial, 
  shadowy aspect for hunting.
  Woodgrue: diminutive, furry humanoids with the faces 
  and great, sensitive ears of bats. Woodgrue prefer to be 
  active at night and have a great love of music, cavorting, 
  and capering in moonlit glades. As a fairy race which has 
  migrated entirely to the mortal world and is now subject 
  to the ravages of time (though still very long-lived), they 
  are classified as demi-fey.
  
  4
  Factions and Powers
  The Church of the One True God
  The monotheistic religion sanctioned by the Duchy and 
  widely spread throughout Dolmenwood and beyond. 
  Worship focuses on the pantheon of saints, rather than 
  on the God himself, who remains somewhat abstract. 
  The Church's presence in Dolmenwood is, in modern 
  times, somewhat diminished; many shrines and chapels 
  that once saw regular worship have fallen into ruin and 
  been reclaimed by the forest. Some within the Church —  
  in particular, the bishop of Brackenwold — wish to 
  rediscover and resanctify the lost shrines. [Note: the 
  precise details of this religion are left deliberately vague, 
  allowing the referee to tailor it to the setting in which 
  Dolmenwood is located.]
  The Duke of Brackenwold
  Ruling from the (allegedly) impregnable Castle 
  Brackenwold on the south-eastern verge of the forest, the 
  Dukes of Brackenwold trace their line back to the earliest 
  settlers in the region. All mortal folk within the Wood —  
  from the humblest beggar to the highest lord — pay 
  fealty to the Duke and the whole forest is his property, 
  at least in principle (there are those who dispute his 
  absolute rule). In recent generations, the Dukes of Castle 
  Brackenwold have taken a belligerent bent, undermining 
  (and sometimes outright attacking) the other factions 
  which hold sway over Dolmenwood.
  Fairy Lords
  The lords of Fairy have an ambiguous relationship with 
  Dolmenwood. Some have no interest in it whatsoever, 
  some view it with curiosity and tread its paths at times, 
  while others view parts of the Wood as their own 
  property and resent the trespass of mortals. According 
  to legend, the whole of Dolmenwood fell under the 
  dominion of a fairy known as the Cold Prince, long ago, 
  until he was ousted by the old kings of Brackenwold. The 
  Prince’s return and wrath are a constant source of fear 
  and folktale.
  The King of the Wood
  A wicked, trickster figure of local folklore, said to keep an 
  unholy court in the deeps of the northern woods, where 
  his armies of wild goatmen and other creatures of chaos 
  lair. The King is known by various names; common 
  epithets are the Nag-Lord and Old Shub. In tales, the 
  King is depicted as being part man, part unicorn, with 
  nine legs (nine being regarded as an especially accursed 
  number).
  The Watchers of the Wood
  A cabal of sorcerers who roam the wood, cloaked in black. 
  They claim the magical energies of Dolmenwood as 
  their own and are self-appointed masters of the ley lines. 
  What gods they worship is a matter of conjecture —  
  for they guard their secrets with their lives — but the 
  Church treats them as heathens to be eradicated. Kidnap 
  by the Watchers is the greatest fear of many rustic folk in 
  the forest.
  Witches
  Witches are mortal women who have made covenants 
  with one of the ancient wood-gods that lurk just beyond 
  the material periphery of Dolmenwood. Their aims 
  are obscure, but it is known that they gather beneath 
  the moon to conduct their strange worship and to 
  work magic. In folklore, witches play an indefinite role, 
  variously portrayed as depraved practitioners of human 
  sacrifice, lustful seductresses (for they are said to be 
  eternally shapely and young), and ministers of potent 
  charms and cures.
  Ygraine the Sorceress
  A reclusive figure, nominally the ruler of Meagre’s Reach 
  and properly called a Lady. She dwells in a many-tiered 
  manse overlooking a black lake and it’s rumored that her 
  sprawling home is haunted by fairy folk. Her guests are 
  infrequent but well-coiffed and oddly familiar, so the 
  people of the Reach say. The sorceress herself no longer 
  makes public appearances, though it is said that she is 
  a woman of patrician beauty, refined in all aspects and 
  wealthy beyond measure. 
  
  5
  Gazetteer
  Castle Brackenwold
  The power hub of the Duchy of Brackenwold and 
  ancestral home to the nobility of the line. Within the 
  castle, alongside the mighty garrison maintained by the 
  duke, is a great cathedral, making this fortress-town also 
  the centre of the Church's power in the region. Indeed, 
  the bishop of Brackenwold is said to hold equal sway over 
  Dolmenwood to the duke himself. Castle Brackenwold 
  is an ancient place whose foundations are thought to 
  have been built before the Brackenwolders came to 
  Dolmenwood. Some rumours even say that the castle 
  was originally of fairy construction.
  Dreg
  A rough port-town and fishing village on the marshy 
  banks of the Hameth. Dreg has a seedy reputation as a 
  haunt for thieves, smugglers, charlatans, and rascals of 
  all stripes, made only worse (in the eyes of right-minded 
  outsiders) by its proximity to the island of Shantywood, 
  a notorious port of ill-repute run by the seductive and 
  ruthless Madame Shantywood. Aside from its profusion 
  of public houses and gambling dens, Dreg is known for 
  its fine sausages, made from the flesh of the swine kept in 
  the bogs to the north of the village.
  Fort Vulgar
  A mostly dilapidated palisade and crude keep overlooking 
  the northern end of Lake Longmere. Occupied and 
  (poorly) maintained by Sir Osric the Gaunt and a small 
  retinue of mounted knights, boatmen, and domestic 
  servants. Osric is the Duke of Brackenwold’s vassal 
  and responsible for assessing and collecting taxes from 
  all boats and barges travelling south across the lake. 
  Its intake is not insubstantial given the popularity of 
  lawless Shantywood Isle and regular traffic with the 
  Woodcutter’s Encampment and (to a lesser extent) Dreg.
  Hag’s Addle
  A region of mazy swampland around the banks of the 
  River Hameth, as it drains from Lake Longmere into 
  southern Dolmenwood. The place is shunned not only 
  due to the natural hazards of the marsh, but also because 
  of the hag who haunts its sodden expanse. It is said that 
  she has the power to see into the past and future and to 
  raise the dead, but that the price she demands in return 
  is perilous.
  The High Wold
  A barony which encompasses the south-western corner 
  of Dolmenwood. The High Wold is noted for the ancient 
  line of aristocratic goatmen who rule in tandem with the 
  human lords of the region. (Some say that nobles of the 
  two races are even believed to have interbred.) The barony 
  has become somewhat wild of late, under the lax rule of 
  the Baron Hogwarsh: highwaymen ply the roads and 
  charlatans peddle compounds of questionable morality. 
  Locals fear that the avaricious hand of the Watchers is 
  creeping out of the forest and into the High Wold, taking 
  advantage of the baron’s laxity.
  Lake Longmere
  Known colloquially as “the heart of the wood”, the great 
  lake Longmere — twelve miles broad at its widest 
  point — is said to be the seat of an ancient magic in 
  Dolmenwood. The bold anglers and barge-men who 
  frequent the shores and waters speak fearfully of strange 
  beasts in the waters and of the mind-melting wailings of 
  the Big Chook — a water monster said to be as large as 
  an island. Other legends speak of the ruined fairy keep —  
  Castle Lily-white — which stands upon the lake’s 
  western shore. The castle is believed to have belonged to 
  the Cold Prince, who once ruled the Wood, and to hold 
  many secrets of the past.
  Lankshorn
  The largest settlement in the High Wold region of 
  Dolmenwood, the market town of Lankshorn lies 
  within a bowshot of the forest’s border, acting as one of 
  the two main “thresholds” into Dolmenwood (the other 
  being Castle Brackenwold, in the east). Rumours talk 
  of the odd culture of Lankshorn, as the traditions of the 
  civilised south meld with the quaint, superstitious ways 
  of Dolmenwood. The respect held by the Lankshorners 
  for the goat-lords of the wood is an apt example of the 
  cultural melange in this border-town. On a different 
  note, it is also said that the finest bladesmith in the High 
  Wold makes his home in Lankshorn.
  
  6
  Prigwort
  The largest settlement within Dolmenwood proper (that 
  is, beneath the eaves of the forest). The town of Prigwort 
  is the centre point of trade in the region, being located at 
  the crossing of the main north-south and east-west roads. 
  Prigwort is especially famed, even in the wider region of 
  the Duchy, for its breweries and distilleries. Fine Prigwort 
  spirits, flavoured with the wild herbs of the forest, are to 
  be found on the tables of connoisseurs far and wide. Of 
  interest to adventurers, it is also known that a wizard of 
  commercial bent makes his home within the town.
  The Ruined Abbey of St Clewd
  East of Lake Longmere, in the depths of Dolmenwood, 
  a great monastery was founded, of old. A nighttime 
  raid of unknown provenance brought about the utter 
  destruction of the abbey, some centuries ago. The Church 
  has endeavoured, on several occasions (if rumour is 
  to be believed), to resanctify the ruin, but to no avail. 
  The place is commonly believed to be haunted. Indeed, 
  many say that the Wood itself rejects such ostentatious 
  doings of men. Still, stories of the treasures which may lie 
  untouched in the chapel crypts abound.
  The Valley of Wise Beasts
  In the northern reaches of the forest, this long valley, 
  though uninhabited by men, is said to be ruled by a 
  strange consortium of speaking beasts. The origin of 
  these creatures is unknown, but their numbers appear to 
  be ever increasing. There are those who fear that the valley 
  may come to overflow and the whole of Dolmenwood be 
  taken over by sapient animals.
  The Witching Ring and Maghswold
  Those who wander far in the western reaches of 
  Dolmenwood speak of a vast ring of stones, spread so 
  widely that the connection between them is almost 
  imperceptible. Yet the ring is possessed of an arcane 
  force which binds the stones so strongly together that 
  the area which they encircle has supernatural qualities 
  quite distinct from the rest of the forest. Modern folk 
  know these sister-stones as the “summerstones”, the great 
  ring which they demarcate as the “witching ring”, and the 
  woods contained within as “Maghswold”. The purpose 
  and arcane function of the ring is unknown and a topic of 
  much myth and speculation.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Old School Revival (OSR(ic))/Old-School Essentials; BX Essentials/BX Essentials Adventures & Settings/Dolmenwood; Wormskin (BXE)/Welcome to Dolmenwood (Basic,BX).pdf