title: Woodland Hall
book_ref: THOTW-96
entry_id: '79'
summary: Woodland Hall — Wuduseld in the language of the Vales of Anduin — is the youngest but also the largest of the Woodman settlements in Mirkwood.
type: place
Campaign: La Caza del Ojo Rojo
location:
- 1052
- 1287
mapmarker: map_place_r
tags:
- not_visited
- knownWoodland Hall
[ 79 / THOTW-96 ]
Woodland Hall — Wuduseld in the language of the Vales of Anduin — is the youngest but also the largest of the Woodman settlements in Mirkwood.
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The folk of Wuduseld are the friendliest and most open of the Woodmen. They have the most contact with the Beornings and the Elves, and are somewhat sheltered from the worst evils of the forest. However, without the protection of powerful allies like Radagast, they are especially vulnerable to the threat of the Shadow.
Woodland Hall: The proper Wuduseld, the Great House stands on a steep-sided hill. Generations of work by the Woodmen cut away the sides of the hill, so now there is only a single path leading up to the flat top, making it very easy to defend. Woodland Hall is a magnificent structure, more than twice as large as any other Great Hall and richly decorated with all manner of carvings and tapestries.
Hedge and Stockade: The intricate hedge surrounding the village is the tallest the Woodmen have ever raised west of the forest. It is reinforced by an ancient stockade, raised atop an earthen rampart. The older stakes composing the wooden barrier are intricately wound with carvings, and are considered to magically protect the hall.
Caves: These caves at the base of the cliff are cool even in the height of summer, and so are used to store meat and other perishable goods. The eastern caves become partially flooded at times, and the River- maidens have been seen sporting there.
Watchposts: Platforms atop these tall trees provide advance warning of any approaching threat. The thick forest canopy hides most movement, but the Woodmen are adept at spotting shaking leaves or the sudden flight of birds that signal the presence of an intruder. Each look-out is trained to imitate the whistles and calls of various birds so they can communicate with each other secretly, and each watchpost has a horn to sound to alert the town below.
Tree Houses: The big oak trees in this forest support a small number of very old tree-houses of considerable size, built by the early settlers of Woodland Hall. A few solitary individuals still inhabit them, as they believe that in Mirkwood you are safer in the treetops than on the ground. Some of these Woodmen boast that they were ten years old before their feet ever touched the ground.
Docks: North of this point, the Dusky River becomes too narrow and swift to be easily navigable, but there is a wide and still pool here for the boats to dock.
Woodland Road: In years past, ambitious Woodmen dreamed of cutting a path through the forest to the north-west, to emerge close to the Old Ford. The elders of the Woodmen objected — they feared that if such a road was opened, enemies could easily follow it into the forest and the protection of Mirkwood would be lost. Instead, the Woodmen cut several sections of the road, leaving forested gaps between each section. Each section was a smooth, well-maintained path through the forest along which a traveller or even a horse and cart could move quickly, but it ended abruptly.
Mapa general