Overview
The top of Yester Hill inside a ring of standing stones: a black, twisted tree that drinks what it is given, a fire, and a great earthen effigy of the lord of the valley, lying on its back with a stone in its heart.
The crown of the hill is flat and bare inside its ring of stones. In the middle stands a tree with bark like a burnt hand and roots that go into the ground the way fingers go into a wound. Beside it lies a man made of earth and timber, forty feet long, cloaked, with a face you have seen before.
Resting: no Nobody sleeps in reach of those roots. Nobody who wants to wake up.
Getting here
Ways in
- From Yester Hill: Up to the crown of the hill
- From Yester Hill: The head of the gully
Ways out
| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Down the hill path |  Yester Hill |
Map
Key: gold, people; red, containers; purple, hidden finds; teal, skill checks; white, exits; orange, traps. The numbers match the lists on this page.
Close up
Among the roots, the black tree, a staff grown into the heartwood
People
Who turns up at points in the story (3)
- Mother Ruxandra, Inside the ring (#2, #3): when not yester hill resolved; or when yester hill resolved and not yester druids fate; or when quest.the druid who came back and not ash effigy slain and yester druids fate is “spared”
- Kostin, Inside the ring (#3): when quest.the druid who came back and not ash effigy slain and kostin doubts and not yester druids fate is “spared”; or when ash effigy slain and kostin doubts and not yester druids fate is “spared”
- Zorica, Inside the ring (#3): when quest.the druid who came back and not ash effigy slain and not kostin doubts and not yester druids fate is “spared”
What to find
| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Among the roots | Dagger, Shortsword, 41 gp | open it |
| 5 | the druids' offerings | Herbalism Kit, Potion of Healing ×2, Druidic Focus (Wooden Staff), 25 gp | open it |
| 6 | a staff grown into the heartwood (hidden) | Staff of Withering (Quarterstaff) | Search: Investigation DC 16 |
Tarokka treasure spots. If the reading hid one of the treasures here, it's in: Yester Hill Gulthias Tree (gulthias_roots)
The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 7 the first time you come (Random Treasure). Hidden finds need a Search (F) nearby; the party's best roll counts.
Fights
- The humming breaks into a shout. The effigy's chest splits like a log in frost, and out of it, unfolding,…, in The Crown of Yester Hill: Tree Blight, Twig Blight, Druid, Berserker, Vine Blight. Scales with your level.
By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when yester druids fate is “fled”: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), 6 × Twig Blight (3050 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when yester struck first: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), Mother Ruxandra (Druid), 2 × Druid of Yester Hill (Druid), 4 × Twig Blight (4350 XP; surprise: enemies)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when yester circle broken: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), Mother Ruxandra (Druid), 6 × Twig Blight (3500 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when kostin fled and not kostin doubts: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), Mother Ruxandra (Druid), Kostin (Druid), 2 × Druid of Yester Hill (Druid), 4 × Twig Blight (4800 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when level ≥ 7: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), Mother Ruxandra (Druid), 2 × Druid of Yester Hill (Druid), Warden of the hill (Berserker), 2 × Vine Blight, 4 × Twig Blight (5000 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when level ≥ 6: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), Mother Ruxandra (Druid), 6 × Twig Blight (3500 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill: Wintersplinter (Tree Blight), Mother Ruxandra (Druid), Druid of Yester Hill (Druid), 4 × Twig Blight (3900 XP)
- The ash of the whole crown stands up round the thing in the turned earth, grey and smoking, twice a man's…, in The Crown of Yester Hill: The Ash Effigy, Druid, Twig Blight. Scales with your level. Part of The Druid Who Came Back.
By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when yester druids fate is “spared” and level ≥ 8: The Ash Effigy, Mother Ruxandra (Druid), 4 × An Ember (Twig Blight) (4450 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when yester druids fate is “spared”: The Ash Effigy, Mother Ruxandra (Druid), 3 × An Ember (Twig Blight) (4425 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when not kostin doubts and not zorica stood down and level ≥ 8: The Ash Effigy, Zorica (Druid), 4 × An Ember (Twig Blight) (4450 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when not kostin doubts and not zorica stood down: The Ash Effigy, Zorica (Druid), 3 × An Ember (Twig Blight) (4425 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill, when level ≥ 8: The Ash Effigy, 4 × An Ember (Twig Blight) (4000 XP)
- The Crown of Yester Hill: The Ash Effigy, 3 × An Ember (Twig Blight) (3975 XP)
Quests and lore
- The Druid Who Came Back: Davian's pickers watch a lantern go round and round the crown of Yester Hill at night, where the Gulthias tree burned, like somebody…
- The Son Who Didn't Fly: Davian Martikov has never forgiven his son Adrian for coming home alone from Yester Hill, where his youngest, Elvir, was taken.