Leaning Tree

Leaning Tree was a roadside camping spot located near the intersection of the Tethyamar Trail and the Northride in Shadowdale, circa the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR.

Geography
Leaning Tree was located southeast of the heart of the Spiderhaunt Wood, where the Northride came up from the Tilverton Scar on its way to the town of Shadowdale and the Tethyamar Trail split off toward Dagger Falls to the north. This area had dark, rich soil, but it was a relatively thin layer over mostly solid bedrock. The terrain was characterized by gently rolling tree-covered hills that were sometimes interrupted by narrow ravines that cut deep into the landscape, or outcrops of stone jutting out of the ground. Many loose stones littered the ground. This, combined with the twisted shallow tree roots, made off-road travel difficult.

Geographical Features
The area known as Leaning Tree had a prominent finger of rock, called Beacon Fang, that rose above the ground about 80 feet (24 meters). It was set back from the crossroads and required a short hike to reach its base. Beacon Fang was a sheer cliff on the southeast, south, and southwest sides, but was an easy climb when approached from the other directions. This spar had standing room for up to three human-sized creatures, and gave a magnificent view of the surrounding area because it over-topped most trees by twelve feet (3.6 meters) or more. Lookouts could see the surrounding countryside for about a mile (1.6 kilometers) in all directions, and about three miles (almost five kilometers) down the Northride.

A small spring with drinkable water was located a short walk behind the campsite. The water emerged from the rocks and filled a small pool known as "Alath's Hole". The pool was deep enough that even in winter a determined seeker could break through ice up to a foot (30 centimeters) thick and find clean water. The tiny rivulet that ran from Alath's Hole eventually became Daggerstill Stream.

The presence of water and the thick tree canopy ensured that the Leaning Tree area was wreathed in mist at dawn and dusk, whenever weather conditions permitted it.

Notable Locations
This campsite featured a makeshift lean-to, a drover's ditch, and pair of old wells that no longer served their original purpose.

Peddler's Palace
This ironically named shelter provided little more than a windbreak, but was better than sleeping on the open ground. Two tall tree stumps were notched to form forks that held up a crossbar made of another, smaller tree trunk. More thin tree trunks were laid diagonally to rest on the crossbar, forming an angular space with a leaky roof.

History
The Harpers kept a signal fire ready to ignite at the top of Beacon Fang. It was a six-foot (almost two-meter) high stack of branches and limbs that formed a hutch over some kindling stored inside an old greathelm that was blackened by multiple fires. The Harpers checked on this beacon every few days, rebuilding it when necessary.