Recommended level: roughly 6–16. Monster strength in Wanderer rises steadily with distance east, so the west edge of a region is always gentler than its east edge.
The region
The first real region. Thornwald's canopy closes over the road and the difficulty starts to climb — wolves and creeping things around level 10 that will punish a bare-fisted traveller but fall quickly to anyone who forged or looted a starter set. Hollowbrook, the forest village on the road, is the first proof that towns are shelter: step inside its bounds and everything hostile loses interest.
Cut trees while you're here. The forest is the natural place to raise Woodcutting, and logs sold or stored now fund the pack upgrades that make every later region easier.
Settlements
Towns are safe ground — hostile creatures will not follow you past the boundary.
| Settlement | Character | Services |
|---|---|---|
| Hollowbrook | forest village | General store |
Landmarks
- The Elderheart — A colossal ancient tree at the forest’s heart.
- Forest Shrine — A moss-grown shrine in a hidden clearing.
What you'll fight
The creatures native to Thornwald, from the live bestiary. Levels shown are each creature's base strength — encounters scale with how deep into the region you've walked.
| Creature | Level |
|---|---|
| Will-o'-Wisp | 4 |
| Dusk Moth | 6 |
| Dire Wolf | 7 |
| Woodland Brigand | 10 |
| Bramblehorn | 12 |
| Marsh Lurker | 12 |
| Bramble Lurker | 18 |
Getting here
Thornwald sits east of Wanderer's Rest, with Greyfell Hills beyond its far border. Teleport scrolls (sold at Wanderer's Rest, 1,000 coins) can return you instantly to any town you have already discovered, which makes the first walk through a region the only slow one.