Elm's Farm

Goal: More lower level areas should be available to choose from when learning the ropes. Currently goblin village and the elves/orcs/sprites of Firnville are the only areas near a starting city that are in tune with what a newbie could use to gain experience. This area is designed as a twist on the commonplace notion of farming, and gives a nod to what I understand was at one point a prominent player (and/or demigod). Should I be wrong about that player, the name is always changeable while keeping the area's concept similiar.

Premise: Farms are a common notion, but recently a follower of Nelea and Iislea has nutured a wild area into a producing farm. This follower happens to be an Ent, and the farm happens to grow woodland mammals for consumption by the nearby gnoll hovel, which provide the lands protection in exchange.

The hovel is of middling size, providing a home for ten or so gnolls, the largest and most dangerous of which should be on a level with Gobbla the Squigg in goblin village. Occasionally one of the gnolls will exhibit potential with magic, but it's infrequent at best. The size of Elm's Farm is fairly vast, but not particularly easy to get lost in since the gnoll patrols use the same routes always.

Iconic Encounters: Elm - An ent elementalist of some significant renown. Should be most practiced in wind, water, and earth elements and their kin, and shy away from fire and its kin entirely. He should spawn occasionally, and assist the gnolls in protection, but not get directly involved if any of the crops are attacked outside of their breeding areas, which should be clearly marked.

Ideas: This low level area should allow for things like berry picking and actual hunting; both of which are painfully similiar in function. Some time is spent in the pursuit, and in the case of berry picking some amount of edible materials should be obtained, based on the season. In the case of hunting the time is spent and a mob is possibly spawned - grouse, rabbit, deer, or a wolf if you're unlucky.

There should be a plentiful supply of low level mobs, and their corpses consumable by anyone after being prepared at a fire pit, which will be found just outside the gnoll's hovel. The gnolls are nonaggressive unless their patrol comes across someone fighting in a breeding area. The area is set as one of the few ideal places left, with a babbling brook running through it with drinkable water and friendly (if uncommunicative) denizens.
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