The Near woods are the section of woods just beyond the Barreyon Ravine. The area on the Barreyon side of the ravine is referred as the Barreyon Woods.

At the main crossing of the ravine — where the original bridge is — it is 20m wide and 25m down. Throwing a 70ft rope usually requires a weight on one end to get it over.

The original bridge from The Old Guild has since fallen apart. The bridge falls 60% of the way down on the east side, and 20% on the other side. The east side has a panel broken on the bridge half-way down the ravine.

Just in front of the bridge, a sign crafted from a branch and some bark reads:

Rope Crossing to the other side of ravine, in light of broken bridge. Erected by Groford.

Tory, Melody and Groford placed three ropes to assist movement across:

• On Barreyon's side, a rope is tied to the bottom of the bridge, and reaches about 2 metres from the bottom.
• On the other side, the rope is tied to one of the bridge posts, and reaches down into the water.
• Two pitons hold a rope between each side of the water.

Just left of the bridge on Barreyon's side, a large tree trunk leans from the top of the ravine down into the water, about 40% (8m) across. It was cut down by Ephraim and Macie at the request of Kesil to create a makeshift bridge.

About 40 metres south from the bridge, there is a hole in the side of the ravine.

The goblin tribe have a camp somewhere in the forest. Lead by a brain-damaged bugbear who speaks in a low, calm voice.

The tribe have regular hunting parties, and use the traps left by the old guild.

Is possible that, after a few goblins are killed, the rest of them run away. This leaves the bugbear as a single battle

Goblin hunting parties seldom go near the bear's territory. The goblins see the bear as a big, more dangerous dog, which fuels their hatred for it.

• Chiefchief, the brain-damaged bugbear & wise sage leader of the village
• Warchief Gutworm, the military leader of the village. He wears large metal spikes on his shoulders
  • Gutworm is hiding the presence of humans in the forest from Chiefchief,
  • Incredibly bloodthirsty, Gutworm is happy about the opportunities for violence and battle against invaders, while completely disregarding the lives of the other goblins.
  • Gutworm thinks very little of the power of humans, despite many goblins losing their lives against them.

The Fraternising Three, a group of close friends who are torn between violently protecting their village and preventing the loss of goblin lives:

• Eyeball, daughter of Gutworm. Wears fur shoulder-pads, reminiscent of her father's.
• Ratters, a brownish colour goblin with a long stick with a knob on the end. The most sympathetic to humans, after the care the gifts Melody and Groford gave them, and the medical attention Kesil gave to Grahn.
• Oolywere, who wears blood-stained ribbon-like straw around his ears.
  • While initially excited about the thought of another above-ground species in the forest, the death of Oolywere's best friend, Wocky, shifted his thoughts to those of immense fear.
• Wocky, Oolywere's best friend. Now deceased, at the hands of Zaffre and Connor.