Lurkwood

The Lurkwood, also known as Vurykvudd to the dwarves, was a great, temperate hardwood forest located south of the Spine of the World. It was one of the woodlands that were collectively called the Moonwoods by some in the North.

Geography
South of the forest was the village of Grunwald, where the Thunderbeast tribe dwelled within the wood.

To the east of the wood lay the Frost Hills and Mithral Hall, the mining community of Mirabar was west, and the town of Nesmé was to the south-east. The edges of Lurkwood were logged by humans, but its shadowy depths were largely mysterious; plagued with legends of bottomless bogs and deadly quicksand. Beneath the Lurkwood, in the upper Underdark, lay the region called the Wormwrithings and many tunnels connecting to the Underdark could be found within the forest.

Trade
A sleeping salve, known as haedrar, was made by the Thunderbeast tribe from herbs and roots found within the forest. Though the tribe did not sell haedrar, theft of the salve proved profitable.

History
In ancient times, the Lurkwood was part of the High Forest, but it and many other woodlands were split off by the conflicts of the Crown Wars.

In the late 1350s DR, a variety of unusual monsters were sighted around the Sword Coast North and were tracked back to the Lurkwood, where they'd seemingly emerged. Meanwhile, across Faerûn, similar monsters appeared aroundn the Dragon Reach and apparently originated in the Border Forest. Among these were flying troll-like things; winged undead capable of flight; smoky clouds with multiple retractable arms ending in clam-like jaws and which hunted silently; intelligent two-headed snakes with tentacles and magical powers—all previously unknown both to local hunters and forest-dwellers and to wider Faerûn. Too big and too numerous to all be supported by forest food sources, and emerging at a steady rate, the monsters were theorized to have been spawned by unidentified magical sources within their respective forests.

In Eleint of the, the gnoll tribe that called themselves the Hoar Fang were destroying large parts of the Lurkwood. The recently empowered Chosen of Mielikki, Jeryth Phaulkon; prominent Harper Bran Skorlsun; a pair of mercenaries; and a force of woodland animals killed all but the tribe's leader and one lieutenant.

Also in the mid-to-late 1360s, the numerous Urlbluk tribe of kobolds attempted to migrate from the Fell Pass to tunnels beneath the Lurkwood. However, at last report, the kobolds had run into violence in the attempt.

Inhabitants
A bad reputation lay over the forest because of its inhabitants. The southern area of Lurkwood was safe and attracted loggers, hunters, and woodsmen from the neighboring communities of Mirabar, Nesmé, and Longsaddle. The rest of the wood was overrun with evil creatures, such as orcs. Other monsters preyed on those who entered the forest, like ettins and giants. Several Uthgardt barbarian tribes lived within the forest as well, such as the Elks, Griffons and Sky Ponies. In the eastern parts of Lurkwood toward Fell Pass, the Gray Wolf tribe lived and hunted, numbering more than fifty lycanthropes. Worshipers of Vhaeraun were also known to conduct holy rites in the forest on the night of the new moon.

Notable Locations

 * Chill Tower, headquarters of the Chill, a nonhuman mercenary company.
 * Dungeon of Death, located just within the southern border of the forest, beneath a grassy hill.
 * Vintner's Keep, a keep and winery located just south of the forest.