Swamp Behemoth
It all began on Christmas eve, years ago, at a nearby waste water treatment facility. Because of the holiday, the plant's staff were at a minimum that night, with only an engineer and the plant manager on the job, and because of the light workload, they were drinking heavily in the manager's office. The engineer left to go analyze some sludge, and hours later was found by the plant manager floating face down in a vat of raw sewage. Apparently he had slipped or stumbled in. The manager, wanting to stay out of trouble, drug the sewage-soaked corpse into the woods behind the plant and hid it in a swamp, where he was sure no one would find it. What he could not have known is how the chemically-laden bacteria in the sewage would react with the putrefying remains mixed in swamp water. It seems obvious in hindsight; of course this mixture prompted rapid cellular division and reproduction as the DNA of the twisted heap of sludge and flesh began latching on to the DNA of every other organic thing around it. Frogs, turtles, trees, algae, fish... It wasn't long before the engineer was reborn from the swamp as a shrieking, undulating mixture of matter constantly in flux, a horrifying Lovecraftian shapeshifter, which after seeking immediate retribution on the plant manager still haunts the forest to this day. As someone who lives in this forest just upriver, I often hear the hideous shriek of the Lamareaux Shapeshifter, the Behemoth of these Swamps. On a cold, still night, it screams toward the moon, begging for solidity, for peace. But there is no peace for the undead thing, and its form is forever shifting like the tides. You might walk right past it in this park and never even know it, the only thing you can be certain of is that it's there, waiting for a chance to feed and expand its insatiable form.
Your job is to walk through the territory of this Swamp Behemoth, and add your signature to a magically endowed tome (the log book), which will help to keep this horrible creature shackled to this small area, so that it doesn't consume us all. It is also a good idea to bring a booklet of your own, and stamp it with the Symbol of the Behemoth (included with the log book) to ensure safe passage out of the creature's territory. Make sure you bring someone with some athletic ability, as you will possibly need them to fight off the foul thing, and will definitely need them to climb the one tree in the forest to which the creature has no access, where the tome is hidden.
To find this tree, begin at the posted coordinates at the parking lot along Coit avenue. Begin walking the main trail into the forest, which will shortly take a turn toward the NNE. Continue past the picnic clearing and back into the woods. You will cross one stream, and then soon another, but despite any temptation you may have to stop and drink from these streams, you must not! They have been infected by the Swamp Behemoth. So you continue your march down the main trail, which eventually forks. One fork goes left into the unknown, stay away from this one! The other goes right, into a large field/ clearing. Take that one, and continue down its main pathway. You might notice here in the distance the waste water treatment plant where this terrible story begins. Do not let yourself be drawn toward it, but solemnly continue down the main path through the field, which will lead you to the entrance of a darker portion of forest, where the beast makes its lair. Continue on this well worn pathway, worn down by the desolate footsteps of the Behemoth. You will shortly come to pass a concrete ruin on your left, next to an ancient, haunted Indian burial mound. Ignore the trail going up the mound, it is a trap! Instead, continue down the main trail. You will pass two large oaks, one on either side of the trail. This is good. Continue, and it will fork once again, just before a small lake. Stick to your right, and take that way around the lake. If you go the other way, you're probably doomed. Continue the path around the lake, which will be to your left. As you curve around the lake, you'll see a large stone set off the right side of the trail. This is a sign that you are getting close. The trail curves sharply here to the left, and then straight toward a great old tree near the lake, where it curves again sharply to the right and back into the deep woods. By this point you can probably smell the stagnating odors of the hideous shapeshifter which has been following just outside your peripheral, but you must ignore it and continue on, you're almost there! At this point the trail will dump you into another field as it turns sharply to the left once again. You must stop here and look across the field, where a notable oak tree stands aloft. Clasped tightly in its branches is the glorious Container of the Tome (you can probably see it from the trail). Carefully climb up to it, if you are able, and open it from the top. Inside you will find numerous treasures, and a bucket containing even more treasures and the tome. Sign it, and stamp your book, and be on your merry way. If you absolutely can't access it, get some proof that you were there and email me, and maybe depending on circumstances I will be merciful and grant the find at least. The Swamp Behemoth, however, is not as merciful as I, so good luck getting out of there.
Have fun!