Main
Log Stacks
Something Rooted Among the Timber
Rows of stacked logs form narrow lanes across the eastern yard. Some are freshly cut, others stripped and ready for shipment. Black stains mark only a handful of them.
A hooked branch slowly curls around the edge of the nearest stack.
Infernal Blightling
An Infernal Blightling (Creature 2) has rooted itself among the timber and attacks when the party enters the lanes or begins examining the corrupted logs. It uses the stacks for cover and elevation, forcing characters to move through narrow passages rather than simply surrounding it.
For a larger party, add one blight-touched wolf or another low-level creature only if needed for the encounter budget.
The blightling's roots contain the same oily black sap found in the timber. Beneath the bark, thin ember-red and reddish-gold lines form hooked, repeating angles that match the markings found on other blighted roots.
Nature or Religion DC 17: The creature is not a normal forest species. Something has transformed a plant growth with an infernal influence that does not belong in the natural Palakar. Religion identifies the repeating marks as infernal in origin.
Important: An Infernal Blightling is a mobile offshoot of the corruption, not the buried source of a blight zone. Killing it removes the creature but does not cleanse the surrounding roots or soil.
The affected logs in this pile carry several different collection marks. This supports Karland's conclusion that the problem is not confined to one cutting crew or one isolated grove.