Darkness Upon the Forest

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Luke Hart - The DM Lair

Free Dungeon Master Resources The DM Lair YouTube Channel – I create weekly videos with information and resources to help dungeon masters. DriveThru RPG – I publish “pay what you want” and inexpensive adventures and dungeon master resources. My Discord Server – Join a growing community of dungeon masters focused on helping each other run awesome games.

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Contact the Author Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thedmlair Instagram: @thedmlair

Copyright Notice Copyright 2019, Lucus Hart, the DM Lair, LLC, www.thedmlair.com Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, LLC. System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Creatures • • • • • • • •

Twig Blight (MM 32, CR 1/8, 25 XP) Needle Blight (MM 32, CR ¼, 50 XP) Vine Blight (MM 32, CR ½, 100 XP) Wolf (MM 341, CR ¼, 50 XP) Satyr (MM 267, CR ½, 100 XP) Giant Wolf Spider (MM 330, CR ¼, 50 XP) Guard MM 347, CR 1/8, 25 XP) Druid (MM 346, CR 2, 450 XP)

DM Notes • • •

This adventure is designed for 4 level 1 characters. Contains treasure from 2 rolls on the level 0-4 treasure horde table in DMG. Milestones for leveling up are suggestions.

Storyline The adventurers find themselves in a strange forest. They must help two young elves, Onver and Shalana, escape some plant blights, and escort them back to Lamaltee, a nearby elven village. Two elven leaders, Aelrindell and Nasair, discuss the evil plants with the adventurers, asking them to find out what’s going on. An elven druid named Avandith Stargazer has been corrupted by a Gulthias Tree and is attempting to spread the tree’s corruption throughout the entire forest.

Locations Lamaltee. An elven village in the Wood of Sharp Teeth.

NPCS Avandith Stargazer. Elven druid who has been corrupted by the Gulthias Tree in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. Motivation: spread the power of the Gulithias Tree throughout the forest and corrupt all living being by feeding them a drink made from the sap in the blisters of the Gulthias Tree. Means: uses blights, her own magic, and deception to capture elves from Lamaltee and corrupt them. Gulithias Tree. Evil tree that originated from the blood of a vampire named Gulthias. Its evil spreads through the soil of a forest, eventually corrupting all plants and animals in the forest. Onver Sourdirt. Male elven adolescent (35 years old). Child of Kurtice and Haurisha Sourdirt. Somewhat timid, a quiet troublemaker, quick to flee from problems. Shalana Oakbow. Female elven adolescent (33 years old). Child of Abigail Oakbow. Strong willed, boastful, believes she can do anything.

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Random Encounters • • •

2 skeletons (easy, 150 AXP, 100 XP) 5 blood hawks (medium, 250 AXP, 125 XP) 1 giant constrictor snake (medium, 450 AXP, 450 XP)

Inciting Action After arriving in the forest, they hear a child screaming. They find Onver, fleeing from “demons.” Onver’s Story • He and his friend Shalana were in the forest picnicking (they left Lamaltee without their parent’s permission) when demons attacked them. • Demons were thin monsters blacker than midnight. • Shalana stayed to fight them; Onver ran away. As they talk to him, corrupted plants attack them. 3 twig blights (easy, 150 AXP, 75 XP)

Finding Shalana Onver begs them to help him rescue Shalana. When they track down Shalana, they find her being carried off by blighted plants. The blights are taking Sharlana to the druid Avandith to be corrupted. 3 twig blights, 1 needle blight (medium, 250 AXP, 125 XP)

Return to Lamaltee After rescuing Sharlana, the elven children ask to be taken back to Lamaltee. However, they beg the heroes not to tell their parents about this because they weren’t supposed to have left the village. If the heroes DON’T tell the parents, the parents drag out the truth about the blights from their children. Then the parents ask the heroes to speak with Aelrindell Waterjump at Aubron Keep about the monsters. Rewards. The parents reward the heroes as follows for saving their children: • •

Kurtice Sourdit gives EACH of them 3 healing potions and 1 greater healing potion. Abigail Oakbow gives them 100 gp and 10% discount in her weapon and armor shop.

Aubron Keep Nasair ua training elves in the courtyard. He interrogates the pandas as he’s suspicious of strangers. Aelrindell will ask them to investigate the blighted plants. Her forces are spread thin currently with issues to the southwest (kobolds), southeast (goblins), and west (spider infestation). She promises to make it worth their trouble.

Milestone – Level 2 For rescuing the children, the heroes gain level 2.

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Hungry Wolves As they search and investigate the forest, they hear howling in the distance, and a pack of wolves descend on them. Allow animal handling checks to make the wolves leave them alone (the wolves are hungry; there is little game in the corrupted part of the forest). 5 wolves (medium, 500 AXP, 250 XP)

A Song and a Dance Later on as they continue to travel in the forest, the heroes hear music (panpipes) playing off in the distance. A drunken satyr named Zhaiket is playing panpipes in a small glade. Several empty wine flasks lie about him. Zhaiket Interactions. • He is initially surprised by the heroes. • He’s getting drunk because his wife Vufu has been missing for days and he can’t find her. • After some banter, he asks if they have any wine. • If they don’t give him wine, he begins playing his panpipes, trying to put them asleep. If he succeeds, he’ll steal all their coins and gems, and then run off. • If the heroes best him or make friends with him somehow (perhaps by promising him wine), he’ll assist them as he’s able, including showing where the blighted part of the forest begins. • He can tell them about a diseased tree at the center that he believes is causing the corruption. • The tree lies in the center of a ravine. 1 satyr (trivial, 100 AXP, 100 XP)

Entering the Blight The diseased, blighted part of the forest is very dark. Corrupted trees and undergrowth are all about. Thick vines cover much of the ground. As they walk, the shrubs and vines come to life and attack them. 2 vine blight, 4 twig blights (hard, 600 AXP, 300 XP)

The Ravine The trail leads them to a long ravine, some 50 feet deep. As they travel along it, needle blights ambush them from atop the ravine. 3 needle blights (easy, 300 AXP, 150 XP)

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Corpses There are the corpses of 3 goblins and 1 hobgoblin in the ravine. The monsters were attacked and killed by the blights several days ago. The monsters came from the south, scouting out new territory for expansion. Goblin Loot. Scimitar x3, leather armor x3, shield x3 (all weapons and armor poor quality) Hobgoblin Loot. Chainmail, shield, longsword, longbow, 20 arrows (all good quality in good repair) Monetary Loot. The creatures have a total of 1500 cp, 750 sp, and 10 gp on them.

Clearing in the Ravine The ravine widens and in the center of the area is a massive, diseased tree covered in rotted vines and red, bulbous blisters. Four cloaked humanoids (corrupted elves) with sickly gray skin and sunken, dark eyes stand about the clearing. They carry swords and shields, and wear chain shirts. The corrupted elves attack if they notice the intruders. It might somehow be possible to uncorrupt the elves. 6 guards (corrupted elves) (easy, 300 AXP, 150 XP) Corrupted Elves Loot. Longsword x 2, scimitar x 1, shortsword x 1, chain shirt x 4, shield x 4. Destroying the Gulithias Tree. The tree can be destroyed by various means. See what the heroes try. Knowledge checks reveal that perhaps chopping the tree down, pulling out the stump and roots, and then burning them should destroy it.

Captive Cells Thick roots form a barrier that holds captive 3 elves (Dalyor, Fadithas, and Cellica, a hunting party from Lamaltee) and 1 satyr (Vufu, Zhaiket’s wife). The captives have but their clothes on them.

Brewing Chamber Cauldron is brewing over a fire, cooking more of the Gulithias potion to corrupt the captives with. Shelving holds 14 empty jars. Final Battle Notes. • A giant wolf spider is in the Wolf Spider Lair area. Avandith is in her room. • Making too much noise in the brewing chamber or touching the webbing causes the giant wolf spider to rush out and attack intruders. The druid joins the battle in round 2. • Opening the door to Avandith’s room causes the druid to shout out a warning and possibly attack, depending on what the adventurers do. The giant wolf spider joins the battle in round 2. 1 druid, 1 giant wolf spider (hard, 750 AXP, 500 XP)

Wolf Spider Lair A dense funnel of webbing leads into this room. Bits of clothing and flesh stick to parts of the webbing. www.thedmlair.com

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In the webbing are the remains of the spider’s meals: bones, leather scraps, and bits of clothing.

Avandith’s Room Locked Door. Thick oak door. DC 10 to pick; DC 15 to break down. This large stone chamber contains a bed made of roots woven together, a large wardrobe, a chest, a table, and two chairs. The furniture is simple but functional. A large maul, plated in silver, rests in one corner of the room. Maul. A silver maul. Wardrobe. Contains 5 plain robes and 2 sets of black leather sandals. Table. Contains a plate of warm food (turnips, potatoes, and sliced pears) and a glass of mulled wine. Shelves. Contains various containers full of food (mostly vegetables) and 3 bottles of fine wine. Chest. (trapped, see below) Contains 1100 cp, 300 sp, 20 gp, spell scroll (locate object), spell scroll (charm person), spell scroll (good berry), spell scroll (animal messenger), 4 flasks of holy water, 3 vials of perfume, 1 healer’s kit, 10 candles.

Poison Trap Simple trap (level 1-4, setback) Opening the lid of the chest causes a cloud of poison to spill out and fill the room. Trigger. When the lid of the chest is opened. Effect. 1d6 poison damage, DC 10 Constitution save for ½ damage. Countermeasures. A DC 10 Perception check reveals an odd mechanism on the hinges that suggests a trap. A DC 15 Investigation check reveals that when the lid is opened, the trap is triggered. A DC 12 Thieves’ Tools check disarms the trap.

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Resolution Returning Vufu to Zhaiket. The satyrs are very grateful and reward them with 6 moss agate gems (10 gp each) Aelrindell’s Reward: potion of healing x4, potion of climbing, 10 moonstone gems (50 gp each), 100 gp Faction Increase. Elves of Lamaltee +1

Milestone – Level 3 For destroying the corrupted druid and the Gulithias tree, the heroes gain level 3.

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