The Forest of Grafarvidur is nearby Grafarvad, and is intended to be an adventuring site for Tier 1 5e characters. A well travelled road once connected Grafarvidur, but when Chaos reshaped the world, Grafarvidur grew over that road. Grafarvad’s citizens do harvest lumber from the edge of the wood, but even that can be fraught.
As a forest near the seat of Eilifur’s demense, Grafarvidur should evoke the themes of death, but not in your typical evil way. Nothing would vex Eilifur more than the presence of undead, so they make a great uncomplicated enemy.
Here’s a starting random encounter table for Grafarvidur (Stocked via two-rolls-and-combine from Xanathar’s pg 97 for the theme, and Forge of Foes pg 69 for the numbers appearing )
- 8 Woodcutters, CR 1/8 (Bandit or CR 1/8 Minion from Forge of Foes).
- 1d4+1 Wolves + 1 Giant Toad
- 2 Bugbears + 1 Giant Owl (Watching)
- 1 Werebadger (CR 1) + 2 Giant Badgers (CR 1/4) + 8 Badgers (CR 0)
- d4+d8 skeletons
- 1d4 Giant Spiders (CR 1)
What the random encounter table tells me about Grafarvidur (I’ll use the below as I start to stock hexes):
There is a Phesala/Strength Alone outfit in Grafarvidur (assuming these orgs haven’t been nuked in the current campaign), which is seeking the an exotic Grave Tree rumored to be in this forest.
A Druid uses wolves, owls, and toads to patrol for those who push too deep into the forest, especially Phesala/Strength Alone.
Bugbears are a new evolution of goblinoid, indicating the presence of a chromatic dragon and an entrance to the Underworld somewhere in the forest. Or perhaps we break from the previous campaign and have a goblin people no longer bound in service to dragons?
There is a Werebadger settlement somewhere in the Forest.
A necromancer is somewhere in the forest, sending skeletal patrols to gather herbs.
There is an Ettercap colony in the forest, they herd giant spiders and see the Werebadgers as an abomination an hunt them.