“Torn bark and hungry roots.” _{~ Waymaker crewhand}

Folks say Tatterbark Grove looks wrong even at noon. About two days south of Dawnspire, the trunks hang in ragged strips. The foliage is a sickly mix of ochre and olive, and the nearby road clogs with brush each week. Waymaker crews cut it clear, and by the next day the growth has started creeping forward again, inch by inch. People blame a minor Horror that stirs the wood awake and teaches plants to feed.

The overgrowth doesn't just slow down travel. Left unchecked, the encroaching plants grow bold, snatching people or livestock and dragging them off to be devoured. Only fools walk this stretch of road alone.

The Waymaker toll for the maintained section of road can be paid in coin or deed. Small lean-tos at each end hold caches of cutting tools for as-you-go trimming. Take a tool, keep the path open as you travel, and drop it at the far end. Or leave a few coins in the lockbox and pass through.