D&D 5e Beyond The Witchlight

meeting, Burly ins ists there's nothing to worry Stat blocks for Mister Witch and Mister Light ap-
about. If the carnival's mood is good, he adds that pear earlier in the chapter.
his bosses are in high spirits. Appendix D contains
additiona l roleplaying notes for Burly. Mister Light gestures toward bis scepter- the
Witchlight vane-and explains that it picks up every
If the characters follow Burly, read: nuance of emotion in the carnival. If the carnival's
mood is good, Light expresses his gratitude for the
The bugbear leads you to a circle of wagons. Leaning cheer that the characters have brought to the carni-
against a particularly ostentatious wagon is an aging val so far. If the carnival's mood is bad, he expresses
clown with a painted grin. He puffs on a bubble pipe his regret that the characters aren't having a de-
and glares at you as the bugbear, ignoring the clown, lightful time and notes that, in turn, they're spoiling
opens the wagon's door and ushers you inside. everyone's evening.

T he clown is Thaco, a human Witchlight hand (cha- Witch and Light are eager to learn the characters'
otic neutral; see the stat block earl ier in the chapter) reasons for visiting the carnival; if the characters
and over-the-hill carnival attract ion. Appendix D are motivated by the "Lost Things" adventure hook,
contains add itional roleplaying notes for Thaco. Witch a nd Light dimly remember the characters
from when they visited the carnival as children.
INSIDE THE WAGON
If the characters attack the carnival owners,
A flamboyant elf grins from ear to ear as he welcomes they're swiftly restrained by Burly and Thaco, who
you into the wagon with a theatrical bow. "Please try to knock them out and dump them outside
come in, it's a delight to meet you all! I am Mister the carnival. Characters who overcome the car-
Light, and this is my associate, Mister Witch." nival owners and their guards are begrudgingly
taught the secret incantation to reach Prismeer
He gestures to a stocky elf lounging on a bunk. Mis- (see "Through the Looking Glass" at the end of
ter Witch nods to you and doffs his top hat. the chapter).

50 CHAPTER l I WITCH LIGHT CARNIVAL QUESTIONING WITCH AND LIGHT

If the characters have come to the carnival seeking
lost things, Witch a nd Light express their regret but
make it clear that they're not respons ible for those

tosses, claiming "forces are at work on the other plotted against them, because it would cost him his -.
side that are entirely beyond our control." Mister job and his home. He also warns that he"ll see no
Witch adds, "The wheel of time turns ever on ... harm come to his bosses: they might be flawed. but
what's lost is lost, what's gone is gone." without them, the carnival will fall apart.

If they a re questioned about conversations that Over the course of the conversation. Burly shares
were overhea rd (see "Witch and Light's Wagon" the following additional pieces of information:
above and "Catching Kettlesteam" below), Witch
a nd Light admit they're not the carnival's original • "The Witchlight Monarch is chosen by Mister
owners and took over ma nagement through an hon- Light's Witchlight vane. Witch and Light have no
est pact with the owner of another carnival. control over who the mona rch will be, but it's al-
ways the guest who has contributed the most to
If asked about Kettlesteam, Witch and Light say the happiness of the carnival. The monarch is also
she's "a disgruntled guest a nd troublemaker whose given a charm that lets them fly."
fey patron, Zybilna, dwells in the Feywild domai n of
Prismeer." T hey add that Zybilna is also the patron • "Mister Witch's Witchlight watch is attached to bis
of the Witchlight Carnival, but Witch a nd Light have waistcoat by a chain. so whoever tries to steal it
had no contact with her for some time. Throughout needs something to break or unfaste n the chain."
the conversation, Witch and Light never mention the "Dirlagraun. Candlefoot. and Palasha might
Hourglass Coven. help you- they're good eggs. But stay away from
Thaco- he's untrustworthy."
MEETING'S END
If the characters suggest stealing the Witchlight
To end the meeting, Mister Witch takes a quick look vane instead of the Witchlight watch, BUily asserts
at his Witchlight watch, then nods to Burly to escort that the watch is easier to steal because it's smaller
the characters from the wagon. If the carniva l's and often tucked in Mister Witch's pocket, whereas
mood is good, Mister Light offers each cha racter a Mister Light is rarely seen without the vane in hand.
gift as they exit: a ba lloon animal of their choosing, Burly concedes, however. that the vane yields almost
crafted by Thaco, "a clown of few words but many as much leverage in negotiations with Witch and
talents." Thaco fashions each balloon into whatever Light, though he has no plan for stealing the vane.
creature is asked for. Each balloon animal is tied
with a ribbon a nd floats magically in the air. THE HEIST

BURLY1S PLAN See "Timed Events" later in the chapter for details
of the coronation. It's up to the characters to come
Following the characters' meeting with Witch and up with a plan to get close enough to Mister Witch to
Light, Burly pulls the characters aside for a hushed steal his pocket watch. Any allies they've gained go
conversation: along with their schemes but won't harm the carni-
val owners or other members of the carniva l staff.
Burly removes his jack-o'-lantern helmet, revealing
a worried expression. "Bad things have been hap- Mister Witch keeps the watch in his waistcoat
pening at the carnival for a while. People and things pocket, fastened to the ga rment with a chain. As
have been going missing. My bosses know more than an action. a character can attempt to steal the
they're telling, but their hands are tied somehow. timepiece with a DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)
You're the first people I've met who might be able to check. This check is made with advantage if Witch
set things right. Witch and Light are good guys, but is distracted during the attempt. A character needs
you'll need leverage to make them spill the beans." thieves' tools, a dagger, or a pair of scissors to snip
or detach the chain securing the watch.
Burly suggests the characters purloi n Mis ter Witch's
Witchlight watch (without which the carnival can't lf the characters rob Mister Witch of his time-
stay on s chedule) and use it to compel Witch and piece. he and Light are desperate to get it back.
Light to provide the answers they seek. He proposes They'd prefer not to cause a scene in front of the
that the best time to swipe the watch is during the guests a nd promise to s how the c haracters the way
Big Top Extravaganza, since it's the only time when to Prismeer once the wa tch is returned. \Virch and
Witch and Light are separated. Although he doesn't Light are true to their word (see ~Through the Look-
condone theft, Burly has talked himself into believ- ing Glass" at the end of the chapter).
ing that it's not really stealing if the characters give
back the watch. Burly offers to assist where he can, CATCHING KETTLESTEAM
but he doesn't wa nt Witch and Light to know that he
KettJesteam the kenku (see the accompanying stat
block) s noops around the carnival under the cover
of a diS{Juise selfspell, looking to cause trouble.
The ke nku hns stole n the voice of a human mime
named Candlefoot (sec "Hall of lllus,ons" earlier in

CHAPT ER 1 1 WITC H LICHT CAR. l\\L

KETTLESTEAM THE KENKU the chapter). While this prize remains in her posses-
sion, Kettlesteam can speak clearly in Candlefoot's
Medium Humanoid (Warlock), Chaotic Neutral
soft, silky voice.
Armor Class 13 1f Kettlesteam has not already been caught, a

Hit Points 22 (5d8) character who spends 1 hour searching for the
Speed 30 ft. disguised kenku can, with a successful DC 13
Intelligence (Investigation) check, see through
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA her disguise while moving through crowds and
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) paying close attention to suspicious-looking folks.
If discovered, Kettlesteam tries to flee from the
Saving Throws Wis +2, Cha +5 main thoroughfare, using tents and other carniva l
features to break line of sight to her. She's willing
Skills Arcana +2, Deception +5, Investigation +2, Perception +2, to cautiously parley with characters who claim they
are investigating the carnival for their own reasons.
Persuasion +5, Stealth +5
Appendix D contains additional roleplaying notes
Senses passive Perception 12 for Kettlesteam.

Languages understands Auran and Common but speaks only TALKING WITH KETTLESTEAM

through the use of her Mimicry trait If the characters corner her, Kettlesteam tells her
story in the voice she stole from Candlefoot:
Challenge l (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
• Many years ago, she made a fey pact with Zy-
Mimicry. Kettlesteam can mimic any sounds she has heard, bilna, the archfey who rules the Feywild domain
including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell of Prismeer. Recently, Kettlesteam has become
they are imitations only with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (In- convinced something is amiss with her patron. As
sight) check. a warlock, she senses that Zybilna is no longer in
touch with her-a very disconcerting thought!
ACTIONS
• Kettlesteam wants to question the carnival's own-
Multiattack. Kettlesteam makes two Dagger attacks. ers about Prismeer, but they keep giving her the
cold shoulder. She's sure they know more than
Dagger. Mt:lee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or they're letting on.
range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (l d4 + 3) piercing damage.
• During her last visit, Kettlesteam overheard Witch
Spel/casting. Kettlesteam casts one of the following spells, us- and Light talking in their wagon. She repeats the
ing Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13): conversation, using her Mimicry trait to imitate
Light's agitated voice ("Someone is going to find
At will: disguise self,friends, mage hand, minor illusion out about this! They'll shut us down!") followed
1/day each: bestow curse, faerie fire, speak with animals by Witch's calm yet firm reply ("We agreed to this
pact. Our hands were forced but our eyes were
Twilight Sleep (2/Day). Kettlesteam targets one creature she open. We let the Hourglass Coven take what it
can see within 10 feet of her. The target is engulfed in a cloud wants, and in return, we stay in business. That is
of magical, sleep-inducing gas and must succeed on a DC 13 what you want, right?").
Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 minute. A
creature put to sleep by this gas awakens instantly if it takes , Kettlesteam is causing trouble in the carnival and
damage, or if someone uses an action to shake or slap the refuses to stop until Witch and Light divulge what
sleeper awake. they know about Zybilna and Prismeer.

• Due to the terms of her fey pact, Kettlesteam can't
enter Prismeer. She urges the characters to find
out what has happened to Zybilna.

lf one or more characters are working for
Madryck (see the "Warlock's Quest" adventure
hook in the introduction) and the characters
mention Madryck by name, the kenku ruffles her
feathers and lets out a squawk, admitting that she
and Madryck are rivals who happen to share the
same patron (Zybilna). Each thinks the other is un-
trustworthy.

If questioned about the theft of Candlefoot's voice,
Kettlesteam produces a corn husk doll with a thorny
stem tied around its neck. The doll represents

52 CHAPTER I I WITCH LICHT CARNIVAL

Candlefool, and untying the stem restores the the ground. Red ha nds the characters one da ndelion
mime's los t voice. Any character who succeeds on a apiece and encourages each of them to make a wish
DC 12 Cha risma {Intimidation or Pers uasion) check and then blow the da ndelion's seeds into the air.
can convince Kettlesteam to part with the doll.
Sycamore Seeds. A creature can attempt to
KETTLESTEA M 1 Arn catch a fall ing syca more seed before it touches the
ground. doing so with a successful DC 10 Dexterity
S check. Any creature that catches a seed before it
touches the ground receives a gift. determined by
Cha racters who befriend Kettlesteam earn a valu- rolling a d8 a nd consulting the Welcome Gifts table.
A creature that receives one of these gifts can't gain
able a lly in the carnival. She can offer advice, or another one for 24 hours.

even help the characters steal Mister Witch's watch Dandelion Seeds. A cha racter can make a wish
wh ile blowing their da ndelion's seeds into the
(see "Burly's Plan" earlier in the chapter). air. The player should secretly write down their
character's wis h on a piece of paper; collect these
lf the characters miss the opportunity to meet notes and keep them somewhere safe. On the S tory
Tracker, jot down the na mes of the characte rs who
with Miste r Witch a nd Mister Light, Kettlesteam make wis hes. These wishes become relevant in
chapter 4 (see "Wish S tones~ in the "Brigganock
comes up with a plan s imilar to Burly's: s he encour- Mine" section).

ages the cha racters to stea l Mister Light's Witch light WELCOME GIFTS

vane and use it as leverage to blackmail the carnival d8 Gift
1-3 The creatu re gains the following personality trait
owners into showing them the way to Prismeer.
until dawn: "I a m eas ily am used." Any conmcting
How the characters acquire the vane is up to them, cha racter trait is suppressed in the meantime.
4 The creature gains a die. a d4. which it can add to
but Kettlesteam is happy to help. o ne ability check it makes before the next dawn.

DEVELOPMENT S-7 The seed turns into a gold piece.
8 The creature gains a die, a d8. which it can add to
If the characters reunite Candlefoot with his voice,
note this accomplishment on the Story Tracker. The one ability check it makes before the next dawn.
grateful Ca ndlefoot gives the characters an acting
lesson at the earliest opportunity, giving them a HOUR 4: BIG T OP EXTRAVAGANZA
talent that might prove useful in chapter 4 (see the
"Fey Beacons" section). Spectators file into the Big Top and 611 the rows of
seats. If the characters join them. read:
Once he regains his voice, Candlefoot seeks out
Palasha and proposes marriage to her. Reuniting The lights dim and a hush falls over the crowd. A sec-
the couple causes the carniva l's mood to rise by ond later. a spotlight illuminates a lithe. elven figure
2 steps (s ee "Tracking Mood" earlier in the chap- sitting in a s ilver hoop, suspended above the center
ter). From that point on, Palasha and Candlefoot ring by silk ropes. The elfwears a dazzling suit of d ia-
treat the characters as trusted allies, which could mond-pane mirrors and a pair of butterfly wings H,s
prove useful during the crowning of the Witchlight scepter is topped with a spinning vane.
Monarch, as they both have roles to play in the
coronation. "Welcome, one and all, to this evening's extrava-
ganza! I am Mis ter Light_ Prepare to be delighted!"
TIMED EVENTS
The extravaganza involves several of the carnival's
The following events occur at s pecific times star performers a nd attractions , with Mister Light
throughout the evening. s erving as ringmaster. Over the course of an hou r,
Burly the bugbear performs feats of strength, Pa-
HOUR 1: WELCOME GIFTS lasha the mermaid serenades the audience from a
clamshell bat hing pool, Cand lefoot the mime plays
Shortly after the carnival opens for business, read: silent games with audience members. and faerie
dragons with bright streamers tied to their tails
A twelve-foot-tall walking tree garlanded in golden rib-
bons marches down the thoroughfare. Emerald clouds CHAPTER I I WITC HLICRT C A RN I\ A L
swirl above the tree and rain down golden, spinning
sycamore seeds. Fairgoers try to catch the seeds
before they hit the ground. As the seeds gently fall , a
chatty squirrel scampers along the boughs ofthe tree,
handing dandelions to select passersby.

The tree is Northwind, a treant s apling (see its stat
block earlier in the chapter), and the squirrel is its
trusty companion, Red (see "Dragonfly Rides" ear-
lier in the chapter). As Northwind encourages on-
looke rs to catch the falling seeds before they touch

53

perform dazzling acts of synchronized flying as a If it's not appropriate for any of the characters to be
troupe of acrobats, clowns, and fire-breathers pa- crowned monarch, then a jubilant halfling bedecked
rade about. If the characters attempt to disrupt the in flowers is selected from the crowd. Mister Light
show, Mister Light deflecLs thei r interruptions wilh exudes cheerfulness and follows through with the
banter and maintains a jovial demeanor. Persistent ceremony regardless of who is chosen.
heck.ling lowers the carnival's mood by 1 step (see
"Tracking Mood" earlier in the chapter). At the end of the celebration, as the carnival be-
gins to wind down, the ceremonial crown tele ports
Near the end of the show, Mister Light asks if any back into its hatbox. Candlefoot returns the hatbox
guests would like to perform their own acts for the to the Staff Area, handing it off to Thaco the clown
crowd. Any character who accepts the offer can woo who stashes it in the wagon belonging to Mister '
spectators with a DC 14 Charisma (Performance) Witch and Mister Light.
check, raising the carnival's mood by l step on a
success. If multiple characters choose to perform to- Tumblestrum's Intervention. If the characters
gether, make it a group check instead, but raise the haven't found a way to Prismeer by the end of the
carnival's mood by 3 steps if the group check suc- evening, Ellywick Tumblestrum (see "Feasting Or-
ceeds. A character can improve the carnival's mood chard" earlier in the chapter) comes to their aid. The
only once during this extravaganza. gnome bard appears next to the characters, exclaim-
ing that it's "high time you folks were elsewhere,"
At the end of the show, Burly invites any charac- and leads them quickly to the Hall of Illusions. She
ters who took to the stage and impressed the crowd ushers them inside and whispers the following in-
lo meet with Mister Witch and Mister Light (see cantation to them: "Hither, thither, here and there;
''Meeting Witch and Light" ea rlier in the chapter). wander yonder, show me where." Using the incan-
tation, the characters can travel to Prismeer (see
HOUR 8: CROWNING THE WITCHLIGHT "Through the Looking Glass" below). If they are
being chased, Tumblestrum distracts pursuers with
MONARCH a song before disappearing as mysteriously as she
appeared.
Most of the carnival's stars have a part to play in the
coronation, which celebrates the joyous zeal of a sin- DEVELOPMENT
gle guest. The event plays out as follows:
The Witchlight Monarch gains the following charm
• As spectators take their seats in the Big Top, Dir- (see "Supernatural Gifts" in the Dungeon Master's
lagraun the displacer beast escorts Mister Witch Guide for more information) and instantly becomes
from his wagon to the coronation, leaving Thaco aware of its benefits:
the clown behind to guard the Staff Area.
Charm ofthe Monarch. You can sprout a pair of beautiful but-
• Mister Witch a nd Dirlagraun stand on the side- terfly wings. As long as you have the wings, you gain a flying
lines next to Candlefoot as Mister Light gives an speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain a +5 bonus on
opening speech and the monarch is selected (see all Charisma-based ability checks. These effects last for l hour.
"Selecting a Monarch" below). Candlefoot holds After you use this charm three times, it vanishes from you.
the hatbox containing the monarch's crown.
If one of the characters becomes the Witchlight
• Mister Witch removes the crown of golden but- Monarch, note this fact on the Story Tracker. Even
terflies from the hatbox and places it on the mon- after the charm wears off, a character retains the
arch's head; Mister Light knights the monarch title of Witchlight Monarch forever, and this title
with the Witchlight vane. Happy clowns shower all bears great weight in Prismeer. Fey creatures in the
three in glitter. domain will not attack a Witchlight Monarch unless
the monarch attacks them first. Moreover, Fey crea-
• Witch and Light escort the monarch on a circuit of tures in Prismeer treat a Witchlight Monarch with
the stage while Palasha the mermaid sings a joy- great reverence, addressing the character as "Your
ous song and pixies flutter all around her. Majesty" or "Your Highness." The characters don't
become aware of these benefits until they arrive in
• When Palasha's song concludes, Mister Light Prismeer and interact with its inhabitants.
leads the monarch on a parade through the car-
nival. with the other guests following as Burly the THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
bugbear sets off fireworks. Meanwhile, Dirlagraun
escorts Mister Witch back to his wagon. If the characters gain leverage over Mister Witch
and Mister Light, either by stealing the Witchlight
Selecting a Monarch. Mister Light's Witchlight watch or through some other scheme, the carnival
vane selects the monarch from the carnival's guests, owners lead them to the Hall of Illusions and march
spinning a thread of golden light that winds its way them inside:
to the chosen reveler. If the mood of the carnival is
positive, choose the character who improved the
carnival's mood the most, or ask the players to agree
on which of their characters should be crowned.

54 CHAPTER 1 I WITCHLJCHT CARNIVAL

As Witch and Light move through the Hall of Illusions, STEPPING THROUGH I
their reflections in the mirrors show them as gloomy
shadar-kai children, with your own youthful refl ections When a characte r recites Witch's rhyme while
following behind. Soon, they call you to a halt. The stand ing in front of their prese nt-day reflection in
mirrors now reflect everyone's true age.
the Hall of 1llus ions, read:
Mister Witch addresses you in a hushed tone. "Ev-
erything you seek and more lies beyond this mirror. If IMist swirls 1n the mirror, blotting out your reflec tion.
you mean to step thro ugh, then stand in front of the
glass and repeat this rhyme: Hither, thither, here and Any creature that touches the s urface of the mis ty
there; wander yonder, show me where." mirror is pulled through it a nd deposited in Hithe r,
one of Pris meer's three s plinter-realms (described
Witch a nd Light won't mention the Hourglass Coven in cha pter 2). If a cha racter tries 10 ta ke eithe r the
or the s plintering of P ris meer, but they s hare the Wicchlight watch or the \Vitchlighc vane through the
following information if pressed: mirror. the item drops to the floor as the cha racter
crosses the threshold. eithe r item can be ta ke n
• The la nd beyond the mirrors is called P ris meer.
whe rein dwells the carnival's secre t pa tron, the to Prismeer.
archfey Zybilna. If Mister Witch a nd Miste r Light a re both present,

• Anyone who s neaks into the carnival without a they wait until only one cha racter re ma ins a nd the n
ticke t is robbed of something precious. Whatever impart the following information to tha t cha racter:
is s tolen always finds its way to Prismeer.
Witch: "Mind the Rule ofThree: future, present, past. "
• The mirror is a one-way porta l. Once they a rrive Light· "Find the alicorn and free the dormant queen
in Prismeer, the characters must fi nd their own
way back to their world. at last ·•

Proceed with cha pte r 2 once the c haracters pass
through the magic mirror.

CHAPTER I I W ITCH LIGHT C .\ R 'l\AL 55

AovCNTURERS E~C:11PE I N ONE o~ B11vLORNII
BL1c; .. rnRAw's SWAMP c;11s BALLOON S

C HA.P1FR

HITHER

HEN THE DOMAIN OF PRISMEER WAS NAVIGATING HITHER

divided among the hags of the Hourglass Using the map of Hither as a refere nce. describe
Coven, Bavlorna 81ights traw trans formed nearby landma rks that the characters ca n s ee a nd
her portion into the swamp now known as allow the players to choose Ihe ir own desti nations .
Hither. It is a foreboding place. one where Named locations on the map a re described la ter in
daylight never fully penetrates the da nk mist that
hangs over the land, a nd where cruel and mischie- the chapter.
vous bandits prey upon stranded a nd lost travelers. After s tepping through the mirror in the Witch-
Hither is the realm of the present, where life and
decay walk ha nd in hand. and where creatures live light Ca rniva l, the cha racters appear atop a broken
in the moment, not concerned with history or re- bridge called the Queen's Way. wh ich overlooks
perc us sions . Hither's vast swa mp. After descending to ground
Deep in Hither is Downfa ll, a s hantytown level, they witness a ba lloon crash a nd e nco unter a
built a round an a ncient well. Bullywugs occupy
this settlement, which surrounds Bavlorna's ba nd of singing brigands.
ghastly cottage. Cha racters who search fo r the cras hed ba lloon

RUNNING THIS C HAPT ER find it ha nging from the top of a lea ning towe r. In-
s ide the ba lloon's basket is a caged faerie dragon
When the characters step through the magic mirror knight na med S ir Ta lava r, who begs for the cha rac-
in the Witchlight Ca rniva l's Ha ll of Illusions, they te rs' a id. To free S ir Ta lavar from his magic cage.
arrive in Hither. the characters might have to travel to Te lemy Hill
in s ea rch of a goblin who has the key Io the cage.
Before your first ga me session in this place, follow ln the cours e of their travels, they could find the m-
these s teps to make the players' experience as en- selves on the Brigands' Tollway, being bedeviled by
tertaining as possible: a notorious brigand named Agdon Longscarf.

• Hither is ruled by a hag named Bavlorna Blight- As the cha racters navigate the swa mp, they might
straw, also known as Slack-jawed Lorna. Read her have one or more ra ndom encounters. as described
description and s kim her stat block in appendix 8. in the '' Ra ndom Encounters in Hit her" s ection.

• Read this chapter in its enti rety. GUIDE FROM H ITHER TO THITHER
• Look over the map of Hither. Locations ma rked on
If the cha racters need a guide to Thither. they ca n
the map are des cribed later in the chapter. find one in Downfall- home of Bavlorna Blights traw
and the bullywugs of the Soggy Court. This guide
LOST THINGS I N HITHER is an animated scarecrow na med Clapperclaw. who
ca n guide cha racters from Hither to Thither and
If you used the "Lost T hings" adventure hook, check back to Hither. Clapperclaw is e ncountered in a rea
the Story Tracker to see if Bavlorna Blightstraw has 0 5, but you ca n move the sca recrow elsewhere if
anything the characters wa nt to reclaim. When the the characters don't visit that location.
characters enter Hither, anyone who had something
s tolen by Bavlorna gets the nagging sensation that P RISMEE R O VE RVIEW
it is somewhere in this realm, though the character
does n't know where. The feeli ng fa des when the Prismeer was a s ingle Feywild doma in until the
character either rega ins what was lost or leaves Hourglass Coven broke it into three splinte r-realms:
Hither without recovering it. T he hag keeps s tolen Hither (a vast swamp), Thither (a n ancient forest),
goodies in the mouth of a bronze frog s tatue in her a nd Yon (a s tor my, mountainous la ndscape). The
cottage (see area 819). only way lo restore P ris meer to iis forme r s tate is to
free the a rchfey Zybi lna, who is frozen in time a nd
When you a nd the players are ready to run this trapped in her palace, which s its at the point where
part of the adve nture, begin your na rration with the Hither, Thither, and Yon use d to be connected.
"Arrival in Hither" section and proceed from there.
Ge neral information about Prismeer is pre-
sented in this chapter, since Hither is where Ihe
characters take their first s te ps in this fractured
Feywi ld domain.

CHAPTER 2 I II IT II ER

A DOMAIN DIVIDED The P::ilace of Heart's Desi re can be glimpsed f-
through veils of mist from certain vantage points in
The poster map of Prismeer shows the Feywild do- all three of Pris meer·s splinter-realms. To get to Zy- ,l
main divided into four section : the splinter-realms bilna's palace. the characte rs must secure the help
of Hithe r. Thither. a nd Yon. a nd the Pa lace of of Amidor the da ndelion or other creatures in Pris- 2
Hea rt 's Desire. These fragme nts a re pa nitioned meer. To leave Prismeer e ntirely, they need the help
o fT from o ne a nothe r and the rest of the Feywild by of Zybilna herself, as discussed in chapter 5.
walls of shimmering. silvery mist.
RULES OF CONDUCT
The hags of the Hourglass Coven a nd their min-
ions can travel freely be tween Hithe r. Thithe r, Although Zybilna is indisposed, three of the rules
Yon. a nd the Pa lace of Hea rt's Desire simply by she put into place whe n she created her Feywild do-
walking into or flying over the borde r mist, where- main continue to hold weight: the rule of hospital ity,
upon they a re ins tantly tra ns ported to the border of the rule of ownership, and the rule of reciprocity.
whichever pa rt of Pris meer contains their inte nded These three rules are common knowledge in Pris-
destination. Most othe r creatures-including the meer, and both natives and visitors would do well to
cha racters-are forbidden from leaving one pa rt of abide by them:
Prismeer and entering a nothe r. Upon reaching the
edge of Hithe r. Thithe r. Yon. or the palace. they find Rule of Hospitality. When a frie nd, an enemy, or a
all paths forward blocked by the mist. which disori- strange r enters your home, you are expected to be
ents them and sends them back the way they came. gracious and accommodating to them until such
Those who try to fly above the mist never get where time as they prove, by their words or actions, un-
they inte nd to go. their destination always appearing deserving of such hospitality.
to be miles away.
Rule ofOwnership. You must not steal from a
The outer borde rs of Prismeer are blocked by friend, a n enemy, or a stranger. To take something
si m ila r wa lls of mist through which no creature can that doesn't belong to you without the rightful
pass without Zybilna's consent (which she can't give owner's permission is a crime and an unforgivable
while froze n in time). Eve n the hags of the Hour- breach of e tiquette.
glass Coven are bound by this restric tion: they mus t
use plane shift s pells to leave Prismeer or reente r Rule of Reciprocity. When a friend, an e ne my, or a
it. Other creatures capable of casting the spell can stranger offers you a gift, you are obliged to accept
do the same. it and offer something of comparable value (be it
a gift or a service) in return. Such reciprocation
FRIENDLY GUIDES need not happen immediately.

In each of Pris meer's splinter-realms, the charac- When Zybilna ruled Prismeer, few of her subjects
te rs can find a guide-a disloyal minion of the Hour- dared to violate he r rules. Those who did often dis-
glass Coven- who is v,,illing and a ble to lead the m appeared without a trace. Now, with the Hourglass
from one splinte r-realm to another. While in the Coven in charge, the rules remain in force, though
company of one or more of these guides, the char- the circums ta nces are differe nt. The hags bel ieve
acters can move through the mist sepa rating Pris- strongly in hos pitality and reciprocity, but they have
meer's splinte r-realms without being turned back. a self-cente red view of ownership-each claims
The e guides a re as follows: ownership of everything in her realm. (For example,
Bavlorna Blightstraw considers herself the owner of
• Clapperclaw, a child-sized scarecrow, lives in Hithe r a nd everything in it.)
Hithe r and ca n safely guide c reatures from
Hither to Thithe r o r vice versa. The cha racters Also. the hags are far less inclined to punish those
find Clappe rclaw in Downfall {described later in who break the rules than Zybilna was, a nd it's not
even clear to other reside nts of Prismeer when a
this chapte r). rule has been broke n. For example, brigands are
• Squirt, a n animated oilcan. dwells in Thither a nd able to take what they want from other folk without
paying for it, and nothing bad seems to happe n to
ca n safely guide creatures from Thithe r to Yon or them as a result, but that fact a lone is not enough to
vice versa. Squirt is described in chapter 3. e ncourage most others to like wise brea k the rules-
• Amidor, a washbuckling da ndelion, inhabits Yon for all they know. the brigands might be acting in
a nd can safely guide c reatures from Yon to Hither the hags' interests.
or vice versa. It a lso knows a route to the Pa lace
of Heart 's Desi re. S ec chapter 4 for more informa- lfZybilna were to re turn to power. strict e nforce-
tion about this guide. me nt of the rules would resume in a heartbeat, and
briga nds would be wise to take their propensity for
malfeasance elsewhere.

58 C HA PTER 2 I HITHER



CHILDREN OF PRISMEER As the characters make their way across the splin-
tered real ms of Prismeer, any emotional outburst or
In this chapter and in later chapters. the characters change in mood they exhibit might be accompanied
might encounter children who were lured to Pris- by a minor reaction in the environment, which you
meer from the Witchlight Carniva l or who stum- can determine by choosing an entry that you like
bled into Zybilna's domain by other means. These from the Domain Transformation table or by rolling
children have been stuck in Prismeer long enough on the table to determine a random result. Not every
to forget about the worlds they came from. yet they emotion felt in Prismeer is worthy of a roll on the
haven't aged much at a ll. table; you can save these effects for occasions when
emotions are running high, to remind your players
Zybilna's magic protects all children in Prismeer that the Feywild is not like the Material Pla ne. Be-
(but not creatures disguised as children). The hags cause these effects have no impact on the story, you
of the Hourglass Coven are aware of this magic and can forgo using the table if you want.
un able to dis pel it. Any child in Prismeer who would
take da mage as a consequence of another creature's If Zybilna is released from her temporal stasis,
actions vanishes in a burst of multicolored light the ability of other creatures to alter her domain is
a nd is s pirited away to a safe corner of Prismeer, suppressed until she is incapacitated, killed, or no
unha rmed and unreachable from the domain's splin- longer in Prismeer.
ter-realms or the palace. until Zybilna wills the child
to return to her. Children sequestered in this fashion DEATH IN PRISMEER
a re beyond the reach of everyone else and can't be
located or scried upon using magic. Whenever a creature-including a player charac-
ter-dies in Prismeer, its death has a chance of trig-
TRANSFORMING THE DOMAIN gering one of several magical effects put in place by
Zybilna. The effect is determined by rolling a dB and
Prismeer, like other Feywild domains, is shaped by referring to the Death Effects table.
the emotions of the creatures that inhabit it. Even
creatures of little consequence can transform the DEATH EFFECTS
domain in minor ways as long as no other, more
powerful force is exerting its influence. For exam- d8 Effect
ple, flowe rs might wilt in the presence of a goblin
who is terribly unhappy. Similarly, a satyr's laughter The creature's corpse turns to stone.
might cause a s mile to appear on the trunk of an
ina nimate tree nearby. A more powerful creature, 2 The creature's corpse decays at an accelerated
such as a hag, ca n reshape a larger portion of the rate, becoming nothing but bones after 1 minute.
domain to reflect their emotional state. An archfey
is so attuned to the Feywild that their emotions can 3-6 No additional effect.
s uffuse an entire domain, overriding the emotional
influence of all other creatures in it. From that 7 The creature's corpse is preserved for 10 days,
s tandpoint, Zybilna's dormancy enables other crea- as though affected by a gentle repose spell. Wh ile
tures to affect Prismeer more than they could if she preserved in this way, the corpse is encased in an
were still active. opalescent film like the skin of a bubble. Any fur-
ther damage to the corpse breaks the spell.

8 The creature instantly returns to life with 1 hit
point, as though affected by a revivify spell.

DOMAIN TRANSFORMATION Reaction to a Negative Emotion
Wood creaks and groans nearby.
d8 Reaction to a Positive Emotion Ugly weeds or thorny, flowerless vines sprout nearby.
1 Birds sing or crickets chirp merrily nearby. Flies pester you.
2 Flowers bloom or tasty mushrooms sprout nearby. An inanimate object nearby appears to frown.
3 Fireflies gather and dance nearby. A cloud above you takes the form of an old woman's sad
4 An inanimate object nearby appears to smile. face .
S Clouds shaped llke little hearts appear in the sky
A chill wind carries a rotten stench.
above you. A nearby raven mocks you by imitating the sound of a baby
6 A gentle breeze carries a sweet scent. crying.
7 The croak of a nearby frog sounds an awful lot like
You find a golden acorn. If you bury it in the ground , a twig
''I love you." blight that is hostile toward you instantly sprouts from the
8 You find a golden acorn. If you bury 1I in the ground, ground in that spot.

an awakened shrub that 1s friendly toward you in-
stantly sprouts from the ground in that spot.

60 CHAPTER 2 I HlTll ER

FORAGING IN PRISMEER FLUCTUATING SWAMP WATERS

Any character who spends at leas t l hour search- Hilher's fetid wa ters rise a nd fall s poradically. ln
ing for drinkable water in Pris meer's wilde rness minutes. neck-deep murk might recede to revea l
can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. If the a soggy la ndscape of squelching mud a nd skele ta l
check succe eds. the characte r find s a na tura l s pring ma ngrove roots. but only until the wate rs ooze back
that can provide as much fresh water as the pa rty imo the swamp to fill it once again in a n hour or
can carry. three. The ebb and flow have a s upe rna tura l or igin:
Hither is dotted with a ncient s tone wells . known as
Fora ging for food is eve n eas ie r. Any character o'-wells , which drink up a nd s pew out the swamp
who spends at least 1 hour foraging can ma ke a DC water (see "O'-wells" below for more info rmation).
10 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a s uccess . the cha r-
acter finds enough food to feed the party for 1 day. The denizens of Hithe r a re accus tomed to the
A character who exceeds the DC by 10 or more a lso ever-cha nging water level, but newcome rs might
finds one or more edible Feywild treats. determined find it a la rming a l fi rs t a nd then pe rhaps a nnoy-
by rolling once on the Feywild Treats table. ing. The water level cha nges whe never you wa nt it
to, ta king ld 10 minutes to go from high to low or
FEYWILD TREATS vice ve rsa.

d8 Treats HIGH WATER FEATURES

Three gingerbread cookies shaped like elves and Depth. The water's d e pth 1s 5 fee t. Creatu res tha t do n ' t have
stacked on a wooden plate
a swimming s p eed move a t ha lf s peed thro u gh the wa te r.
2 A minty, three-leaf clover (for the next 8 h o urs,
any creature that ea ts a leaf plucked from the clo- Visibility. Visi bility unde rwa te r is 10 feel.
ver can communicate telepa th ically with another
creature up to 100 feet away tha t has ea ten a si m - low WATER FEATURES

ilar clover leaf) Difficult Terrain. The s ticky m ud o f the exposed swam p bo t-
3 A delicious orange Aower that whispers, "Eat me"
tom is d ifficu lt terrain.
(the flower's head is tart, while its stem is sweet)
Mud Pits. Charac ters ma rching across the swamp might
4 A white and gray elderca p mushroom (any crea-
ture that eats more than half of the mushroom blu nder into swampy terrain tha t co ntains a pit of sucki ng
has its appearance magica lly cha nged so that it
looks like an age d version of itself for the nex t 24 mud. Whe never you see fit to use this hazard , h ave th e

hours) cha racters m ake a DC 10 Wisd o m (Su rvival} group check.

5 A wisp ofsweet, candied mist (similar in consis- If the group c heck is successful, the cha ract ers spot a nd
tency and taste to cotton candy)
avoid the haza rd . On a failed check, the character who
6 A brill iantly colored sunrise Aowe r, which, whe n
plucked , sheds light like a lantern for 8 hours (it h ad the lowes t check res ult si nks into a pit of sucki ng

also tastes like spicy honey) mud, which is 10 feet deep (use t he qu icksand rules in
7 A small, Aaky meat pie wrapped in a colorful cloth
the Dungeon Master's Guide).
(the pie is hearty and delicious)
O'-WELLS
8 A gourd shaped like a plump little dragon (any
creature that eats more than half of the gourd's These magic wells a re scattered througho ut Hilher.
innards gains 2d4 + 2 temporary hit points) Their builders a nd their origina l purpose have been
long forgotten. In the days whe n Zybilna ruled over
FEATURES OF HITHER her doma in. the wells served as gathering places
where Fey creatures ba rtered a nd s ha red gossip.
The portion of Prismeer known as Hither is an
enormous swamp containing huge ta ngles of ma ~- When the Hourglass Coven took ove r, Bavlorna
grove roots, expanses of thick mars h, and mys ter_•- corrupted the wells with her magic so tha t vile wa ter
ous sites half-sunk in the muck. Weird a nd haunting burbled up to saturate Hithe r a nd tra nsform it into a
creatures call Hither home. a nd the la nd is dotted festering s wa mp. Today, the wells fluctuate between
with old wells tha t belch out a nd s lurp up the s ludgy s pewing out the foul waler a nd drinking it back in.
wate r tha t saturates the land. At its heart. the hag s uch that the la ndscape changes from a flooded
Bavlorna Blights traw makes her la ir in Downfa ll. marsh to a muddy morass a l irregula r inte rva ls.

Each well is ringed by hewn s tone, is 10 feel in
diame te r, a nd rises 3d 10 feet above ground level.
Each well is inhabited by ld4 wiJl-o'-wisps that
float up to greet new a rriva ls. These will-o'-wis ps
a re chaotic good instead of evil. They a re the s pirits
of creatures that drowned whe n Bavlorna nooded
their realm. Conseque ntly, rhey both fear and s hun
the hag. The will-o'-wis ps ask the cha racte rs 10

C H APTER 2 I H I THER 61

identify the mselves and state their intentions. If the quired in either case). Feather fall, spider climb, and
characters express interest in undoing the damage similar spells also enable characters to reach the
wrought by Bavlorna. the will-o'-wisps are cheerful ground safely. Any character who tries to climb a
at the prospect of Bavlorna·s ruin. They are unable pillar without using handholds, footholds, climbing
to move more than a few hundred yards from their gear, or magic must succeed on a DC 13 Strength
well, but they're eager to help strangers who are (Athletics) check or fall, taking damage as normal.
willing and able to avenge them. These will-o'-wisps
have the following additional action option, which BALLOON CRASH
they use to grant boons to those who promise to op-
pose Bavlorna: Before the characters descend from their perch on
the Queen's Way, the one with the highest passive
Magic Boon (Recharges after a Long Rest). The will-o'-wisp Wisdom (Perception) score notices something:
grants a boon to one creature it can see within 5 feet of it that
isn't an Undead. The boon's recipient gains a d4 and can, at In the distant sky, you spot a great balloon made of
any time within the next 24 hours, roll this die and add the patchwork material. It spins out of control as though
number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from
made by 1t. No creature can have more than one of these magic it to swing wildly. The balloon plunges out of sight,
boons at a lime. disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away.

ARRIVAL IN HITHER The doomed balloon crashes into Slanty Tower,
which the characters can't see through the fog and
Whe n the characters first arrive in Hither, read the haze. See "The Calamitous F light of Sir Talavar and
following boxed text aloud: Wigglewog" late r in the chapter for a description of
the balloon and its passengers.
You stand at the edge of a raised and broken cause-
REACHING THE BOTTOM
way under a hazy, twilit sky. The causeway, which is
built from pale stones that glow faintly from within, The swamp beneath the Queen's Way is presently at
a low water level (see "Fluctuating Swamp Waters"
towers over the surrounding landscape, but large sec- earlier in the chapter). As the last character reaches
the marshy ground, a giant crane (use the pterano-
tions of it have crumbled away. The parts that remain doo stat block) previously hidde n by the fog emerges
and takes flight. The giant crane poses no threat,
in place are separated by large gaps where portions but its sudden movement alerts a band of brigands
lurking nearby.
have collapsed.
A fog-shrouded swamp spreads out below you in After the giant crane flies off, read the following
boxed text aloud:
all directions , and up from its murk wafts the smell
Sticky mud squelches beneath your feet. Tangled
of rotting plants. Also rising from the swamp is the mangroves grow out of pools of rippling water, half
music of nature-a discordant symphony of croaking hidden by the thick fog, and purple mushrooms cling
to rotting logs and stumps scattered throughout the
frogs and singing birds. marsh. Crickets that glow like fireflies chirp serenely
before they're snatched out of the air by the tongues
The cha racters a re on an isolated section of the of hungry frogs.
Queen's Way (shown on the accompanying map of
Hithe r), which once was an elevated highway lead- Coming from one direction are several voices joined
ing to a nd from the Palace of Heart's Desire. Since in a marching song. The singing grows louder as six
Zybilna became frozen in time, the Queen's Way has bipedal rabbits wearing cloth ing emerge from the fog.
gradually fa lle n apart so that only sections of it now Two of them tug at the reins of a giant snail, and the
rema in sta nding. others carry clubs and slings_

The highway is 20 feet wide a nd 100 feet above The singing harefolk are six harengoo brigands
the swamp. The section supporting the characters (see appendix C) who delight in thieve ry but avoid
is wes t of Sla my Towe r on the map. Large, colorful killing. Their marching song is dedicated to their
shelf mus hrooms cling to the lower half of each sup-
port pillar. The marshla nd s urrounding the pilla rs
is hidde n under a 10-foot-thick blanket of fog that
hea ily obscures all c reatures inside it.

Ha ndholds and footholds carved into each pillar
lead down to the mushrooms. Characte rs can use
the handholds. footholds, and s helf mushrooms 10
desce nd a pillar safely. or they can accomplish the
same feat using climbing gear (no ability checks re-

6'2 CHAPTER 2 I lltT H ER

•

-., ...

C H APTER 2 I II ITHER

notorious captain. Agdon Longscarf, whom the group check succeeds. the brigands are cowed by
characters might encounter later in the chapter. The the characters' resolve and retreat into the swamp
harengons' song is as follows: rather tha n risk getting whomped by the party. On
a failed check, the harengons try to beat the charac-
With sticks and stones. we'll break your nose; ters unconscious and steal their weapons, though
We'll beat you blind and steal your clothes. they flee if the fight turns against them.
But none among us can compare
To one wily, swift, and stand-up hare- Jebbek's gourd was a gift to Agdon Longscarf from
Scarfthat's glorious, thiefnotorious, Bavlorna Blightstraw. Although any creature can
His deeds are truly meritorious! plug or unplug the gourd's stopper, only Agdon or
another creature he designates (in this case, Jebbek)
With a wink and a grin, he'll show his cunning; can use the gourd to trap memories.
A flash ofhis scarf, he'll cake offrunning.
Quick as a bolt. his long scarftrailing, RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN HITHER
Gasping, grasping, you'll end up flailing.
You'll pout. you'll moan, you·11 huff, you'll sneer; Use random encounters to bring the swamp to life
Thanks to Agdon Longscarf, brigand prince or to present the characters with more opportuni-
ties to interact with the setting. You can also use
ofPrismeer! random encounters to convey information that the
players might have missed earlier in the story.
Four of the brigands have their weapons drawn, and
the other two browbeat their pack animal, a giant A random encounter occurs whenever you want
snail (see appendix C). The snail is hostile toward one to. To determine what the characters find , roll
its keepers and indifferent toward other creatures. a d8 and consult the Random Encounters in Hither
Characters who partkipated in the WitchJight Car- table. If you roll on the table, get the same result as
nival's snail race (see chapter 1) have advantage on a previous roll, and don't like the repetition, choose
Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks made to win a different encounter that you think would be fun.
over the giant snail, turning it into a friendly ally.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN HITHER
ROLEPLAYING THE BRIGANDS
d8 Encounter
lf the characters don't attack immediately, one of the
brigands with weapons drawn signals the others Abandoned raft
to stop singing with a wave of her hand. She intro-
duces herself asjebbek, and she says to the charac- 2 Gushing o'-well
ters, ''This is a robbery. lf you resist, we'll beat you
black and blue:· 3 Inn at the End of the Road

Je bbek has no inte rest in treasure. She demands 4 Marsh gas
that each character surrender the feeling of delight
they remember from when they were given the best 5 Mud mephits
gift they ever received. j ebbek produces a stoppered
gourd that can hold these memories. The stopper 6 Stilt walkers
s ports a golde n knob, and any character who volun-
tarily touches the knob whilejebbek is holding the 7 Stream ofvisions
gourd loses the memory Jebbek wants to steal, as
it is siphoned away and trapped in the gourd. (Give 8 Waterlogged battlefield
each playe r a minute or so to think about what the
characte r's memory could be and then to note it on ABANDONED RAFT
their character sheet, as a matter of record.) Re-
moving the stopper releases all memories trapped The characters find an abandoned, 8-foot-square
inside the gourd, whereupon they retu rn to their wooden raft that can support up to 1,200 pounds.
original owners. The characters need a 10-foot pole or similar tool
to guide the raft across the water. When the water
If all the characters comply, the harengons leave level of the swamp is at its lowest, the raft gets stuck
with the gourd full of happy me mories. saying that in the mud and won't budge unless it is carried or
"Agdon Longsca rf is much obliged." If one or more dragged. It weighs 300 pounds.
c haracters refuse to give up their cherished mem-
ories, the brigands threaten the characters with a GUSHING 0'-WELL
beating. At this time, the characters can make a
DC 13 Charisma (lmimidation) group check. If the The characters hear the rush of water in the dis-
tance. If they investigate, they come to an o'-well that
64 C HAPTER 2 ( HITH ER is 10 feet tall and 5 feet in diamete r. A steady geyser
of water s hoots from the well, rising to a height of
30 feet above the well. Characters who have a pas-
sive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher see
ld4 Feywild trinkets bobbing in the water at the top
of the geyser. (Roll on the Feywild Trinkets table
in the introduction to determine each one in turn.)

For each trinket, one invisible will-o'-wisp hover s inn stops for 10 m inutes and low ers itself so that
within 5 feet of the geyser. guests can en ter or exi1without r isking inju ry.

The geyser is p owerful enough to lift up to 300 T he i nn fo llows an unpr edic1able course through
pounds into the air, and the flow o f water can be the swamp. When Prismeer 'vvas whole, 1he inn
stopped if t he w ell is covered by som ething weigh- could travel any wher e in Zy bilna·s domain. Now tha1
ing more than 3 00 pounds. If the water is prevented Prismeer is spl inter ed. the i n n ca n·1leave H ither.
from erupting, anything being l i fted by the geyser
plummets to the ground within S feet of the base T he i n n is a squat, th ree-s1ory struc1ure wi1h a
of the well. slate-shingled roo f and worm-eaten wood w alls.
Dozens of 1iny orbs of pale light buz.z about 1he
The w ill-o'-w isps ar e the spirits of creatures w ho ex terior l i ke flies. The structure rocks and heaves
owned the tr i n kets in life. If a character tri es to take while in motion, but these movements ca nnot be
one or mor e o f the trinkets, the w ill-o'-wisps turn perceived from inside the in n.
visible, accuse the char acter of being a dishonorable
thief, and insist that the stolen items be r eturned to As the i nn passes by 1he charac ter s. they catch
the well at once. The will-o'-wisps w ill also accept a the smell of hearty s1ew wafti ng from its open win-
different t rinket as paym ent for one that was stolen. dows and see smoke r ising in cottony puffs from its
They attack if t he ch aracter fails to r eturn the stolen
trinkets or provide w orthy substi tutes. scone chimney.
For t he i nn's i nterior, use the inn map in appendix
INN AT THE END OF THE ROAD
The Inn at the End of the Road is the only inn in C of the Dung eon 1\tlaster s Guide.
Hither. It crawls through the swamp on fleshy legs Innkeeper. Tsu H arabax, an elderly fem ale hu-
and h as a walking speed of 30 feet. Its movem ent
man druid (neutr al). has been runni ng 1he Lnn at
is not reduced by sw ampy terrain or w ater up to JO 1he End of the Road by hersel f si nce before the
Hourglass Coven seized control of Prismeer. S he
feet deep. It crosses the characters' path as they has heard ru mors t ha1Zybilna is trapped in her
make their w ay through the sw amp. Every mile, the palace, but she doesn·1know ::iny details. Tsu would
love to see Zy bilna restored to pow er, if on ly so she
ca n escape t he swam py morass of H ither.

C HAPTER 2 I HITHER 6S

the character who had the lowest check resull, per-
haps catching other nearby characters in its area at

your discretion.
Anyone within 10 feet of a bursting bubble must

succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or
suffer the gas's magical effect for 1 hour. Roll on the
Marsh Gas table below to determine the effect.

Tsu despises Bavlorna. 1f the characte rs me ntion MARSH GAS
the hag or the Hourglass Coven. the druid spits and
mutters, "In Zybi lna's time, this inn was the talk d8 Gas Type
of Pris mecr.'' She s peaks about Zybilna reve rently,
though her tone remains morose. 1-3 Babble Gas. Whenever the character speaks, their

Staying at the Inn. Tsu offers free beds , hot words come out as gibberish that only the charac-
meals, a nd s lices of delicious plum pie 10 her guests, ter and others affected by the gas can understand.
but the rule of reciprocity dicta tes tha t guests repay This effect does not impede the character's ability
her kindness (see "Rules of Conduct" earlie r in to cast spells that have verbal components.
the chapte r). If the characters aren't s ure what to
give her. Tsu says, '"'A ny old trinket will do." If the 4-5 Hiccupping Gas. The character experiences a
cha racters promise to do everything possible to most annoying case of the hiccups. To cast a spell
restore Zybilna to power, Tsu considers that recom- that has a verbal component, the character must
pense e nough. succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check. Also, the
character has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
M A RSH GAS checks made to hide.

One oft he hazards of Hit her is marsh gas, which 6-7 Warting Gas. Hideous warts erupt across the
erupts from iridescent bubbles in the muck. When a character's body. The warts are unattractive but
bubble touches some thing edged. such as a twig or a have no harmful effect.
blade of grass, it pops, releasing its gas with a sound
of stifled laughte r. The gas s mells like old cheese. 8 Bittertongue Gas. A foul taste fills the character's
mouth, and everything the character eats or
As the cha racters c ross the s wamp. they e ncoun- drinks tastes awful. Slugs appear to be the only
ter a field of marsh gas bubbles a nd must make a exception; they taste like ripe cherries.
DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) group check. 1f the group
check is successful, the cha racters avoid popping Muo MEPHITS
any of the bubbles as they wade through the field.
On a failed check, a bubble burs ts within 10 feet of This encounter can occur when the swamp's
water level is low. Five mud mephits emerge from
the muck around the characters and threaten to
drag them down into it unless they can guess the
mephits' favorite food. The answer, of course, is
mud pie. Each character gets one guess. If a char-
acte r guesses correctly, the mephits cackle mania-
cally, dive back under the muck, and disappear. If no
character guesses correctly, one mephit blurts out
the answer as they attack. If two or more mephits
are killed in the ensuing fracas, the rest dive into
the muck on their next turn and disappear.

STILT WALKERS

This encounter takes place in a mist-veiled field of
tall swamp grass dotted with clusters of cattails.
It begins whe n the characters hear rustling in the
vegetation ahead of them. The sound foreshadows
the arrival of six Humanoid creatures on stilts. The
stilts allow these creatures to move more easily
through the muck and to stay above the water. Their
walking speed on stilts is 30 feet, and this move-
ment is not reduced by mud or water.

As the stilt walkers advance, the characte rs rec-
ognize the m as six hobgoblins (lawful ne utral)

66 C HAPTER 2 I HIT H ER

who are wearing patchwork rags a nd furs (AC 12). d8 Scene
Strapped to the back of each s tilt walker is a wire
cage padded with s traw and filled with ld20 eggs 5 A satyr whis tles to himself as he reclines In a
of various sizes and colors. These hobgoblins scour
the swamp for the eggs of reptiles and birds, which metal cage that dangles off the end of a boom
they eithe r eat or trade to the bullywugs of the
Soggy Court (described later in the cha pter). The over a lake.
hobgoblins are not violent towa rd s trangers .
6 A s ho rt . mean-looking old wom an wearing a
If they are le ft a lone, the stilt wa lke rs pass by the
characte rs without so much as a g reeting. If the crimson cap, a leather apron, and iron boots uses
characte rs try to communicate, the s tilt walkers
stop a nd regard them s ilently for a moment before a cleaver to chop meat in a drab kitchen.
prompting them to continue. If asked about what
they're doing. the stilt walkers explain (in Goblin or, 7 Two m errow swim pas t each othe r in murky
if necessary, in Common) that they a re gathering
eggs for tra ding in Downfall. They know in which di- wa ter.
rection Downfall is located and s hare that informa-
tion freely. If the cha racters a ttack the stilt walkers, 8 Rows upon rows o f severed bullywug heads, all
the hobgoblins flee.
impaled on spikes, chatter at each other.
STREAM OF VISIONS
WATERLOGGED BATTLEFIELD
When the water level of the swamp is low, the
characters chance upon a 10-foot-wide s tream. Un- The cha racters come upon a bog Lhat was the s ite of
known to the m, the stream flows from Downfall, a ba ttle between e lves a nd fomorians lo ng ago. The
and a ny character who looks into the water's reflec- a rea is littered with rusted a nd broken weapons a nd
tive surface catches a glimpse of an event transpir- armor, a long w ith the bones of the dead. If the char-
ing in Downfall at that very mome nt. Each character acters ente r the a rea. two suits of animated armor
who looks might see something different. Roll a d8 stand up fro m the detritus . The s uits a re clearly of
and consult the Stream of Visions table to deter- e lven design. their helmets s haped like stylized owl
mine what each character sees. Each character can heads. Both s uits are 20 feet away from the party at
receive only one such vision. the s tart of the encounte r.

STREAM OF VISIONS Each suit of a nima ted a rmor mimics the move-
me nts of the cha racter closest to it. For example.
d8 Scene if the character closest to a s uit of a rmo r swings a
sword, the armor ma kes a s imila r gesture. though it
A head less, child-sized scarecrow with metal wie lds no weapons. If the character casts a spel l. the
s uit uses its action to mimic the somatic component
lobster claws for hands tries o n some new heads, of casting a s pell o n its next turn. thoug h it lacks
including an upside-down wooden bucket and a the a bility to cast spells. If o ne or bot h su its a re
attacked. they s top mimicking the characters a nd
withered head of cabbage. It decides on a large de fend the mselves. Otherwise. they a re ha rmless.
They ca n't leave the ba ule fie ld.
gourd.
A su it becomes ina nima te and collapses in a
2 A bullywug bedecked in the trappings of a mon- heap if its he lmet is removed. if it is reduced 10 0 hit
points, or if the characters leave the area. Re moving
arch constan tly adjusts his ill-fitting crown of a suit's helmet while the armor is an imated requires
an actio n and a s uccessful DC 10 Dexterity (Sleig ht
lily bloss oms while leafing through a large to me of Ha nd) check.

spread across his lap. LOCATIONS IN HITHER

3 A hag with toad-like features relaxes in a pool of The following e ncounters are tied to locat ions
water while miniature versions of her lad le the wa- ma rked on the map of Hithe r. Move these locations
as needed to put them in the cha racte rs' pa th. a nd
ter and pour it over her head and shoulders. cha lk up any discrepancy with the map to the s hifty
nature of the Feywild. (The Feywild is know n to play
4 A tall, thin figure wearing a pointy black hat and tricks on travelers, redirecting them without the ir
knowledge to places they a re meant to go. Conse-
a hooded black cloak climbs a rickety s taircase que ntly. the characte rs might think they're heading
toward one part of Hithe r, only to find themselves
leading u p to a large, ramshackle house built on arriving somewhe re else.) Ideally, you s hould run a ll
three encounters in the following orde r before the
stilts . As the figure approaches the house, their characte rs a rrive at Downfa ll:

shadow seems to detach from their body, move
across the walls o f the house, and crawl through

an open window.

C HAPTER 2 I HITHER

Slanty Tower. The characters e ncounter a native of of 1he tower. If a cha racte r responds with a nything
the Feywild but a n outside r lo Pri mecr: Sir Tala- loude r tha n a whisper, a quick ''Shush!" cuts them
va r. a galla nt fae rie dragon knight in the ervice of off. The voice belongs 10 Sir Talava r, w ho qu ietly ex-
the Summe r Queen. From Sir Ta lavar. the charac- plains h is predica ment:
te rs learn that Zybi lna has been overthrown by the
hags of the Hourglass Coven. "I'm in a bit of a bind, as you can observe. I, Sir Ta-
lavar, as one of the Summer Queen's loyal servants,
Telemy Hill. This e ncounter e rves as a cautiona ry ask that you free me. You see, I was in the midst of
talc. wa rning the c haracte rs about what becomes a daring escape from the vile Bavlorna Blightstraw
of tho e who a re too ca a lie r about ba rgains when our balloon was set upon by an ill wind and
m ade with a hag. The cha racte rs meet a goblin sent plummeting to its current unfortunate location.
named j ingle j a ngle. who has a n obsession fo r My pilot, the honorable Wigglewog, did not survive.
collecting keys. I've been trapped up here for a while now. Help me. I
must tell my queen of the fall of Prismeer!"
Brigands' Tollway. The last of these e ncounte rs is
with a native of Prismecr who reme mbers what If the cha racte rs speak in raised voices , Si r Talavar
the domain was like before the Hourglass Coven shus hes the m again. lf asked why it's important to
sha tte red it. Agdon Longsca rf. a nefa rious ba ndit remain quiet, he says:
leade r. ca n tell the characters how to reac h Down-
fa ll if they get the bette r of him . "Two se rpents are asleep in the brambles, just outside
the tower door. If you awaken them , they might put
S LANTY TOWER ] the squeeze on you , or worse, devour me."

Characte rs might travel to S la nty Tower because S ee "Snakes" below for more in formation about the
they headed in that direction a fter one of the m two serpents .
saw the balloon c rash s hortly a fte r their a rrival.
Othe rwise, they s tumble across this location while The cha racte rs can't see Sir Talava r from the
e xploring. The towe r tilts s eve rely lo one s ide. ke pt ground, because he is locked in a birdcage inside
from fa lling over by magic. Whe n the cha racte rs the basket that da ngles from the towe r's peak. Char-
arrive, read: acters on the roof of the tower can look down into
the basket a nd see the corpse of Wigglewog, the
A crumbling stone tower rises out of the swamp, ba lloon's bullywug pilot, who died in the cras h. At
the bottom of the basket, a silver birdcage lies on
leaning at such an angle that 11 threatens to keel over.
Black brambles surround the base of the tower and THE CALAMITOUS FLIGHT OF
SIR TALAVAR AND WIGGLEWOG
cling to ,ts lower half. Hanging from the crenellations
Prior to the events of this adventure, Sir Talavar, a no-
on the lower s,de of the tower's peak is a large woven ble faerie dragon and emissary ofTitania the Summer
Queen, traveled to Prismeer to persuade Zybilna to ally
basket at the end of a tangle of ropes and tattered fab- with the Seelie Court against its hated enemies, the
fomorians. Sir Talavar soon discovered that Prismeer
ric. The basket dangles thirty feet above the surface of had been seized by the hags of the Hourglass Coven.
Before he could return with news of their treachery,
the swamp. Bavlorna trapped him in an enchanted silver birdcage
that inhibits his magic.
The lea ning tower is 50 feet ta ll a nd 20 feet in di-
a me te r. with a n ope n door a t the bottom on the side A sympathetic bullywug named Wigglewog stole
o ppo ite whe re the basket is hanging. T he inte rior Sir Talavar's cage and fled with it in one of Bavlorna's
of the towe r is e mpty except for a fl ight of s ta irs tha t balloons. Soon after, the balloon was attacked by a
malicious wind (airelemental) that sent it careening
pira ls up the inside wa ll to an ope ning in the ceil- into an ancient, crumbling tower in the middle of
ing that leads to the c re nellated roof. Hither's swamp. The bullywug died in the crash, and
Sir Talavar (still in his cage) has been stranded since
Black bra mbles cove r the ground within 30 feet then in the dangling wreckage of the balloon.
of the towe r, clus te ring in a dense pa tch around the
ope n doo rway. These bra mbles a re difficult te rra in. A pair of serpents in Bavlorna's service caught up to
Each 5 -foot-s qua re section has AC 11 , 15 hit points, the balloon, but they are too lazy to climb up the tower
immunity to psychic damage. a nd vulnerability to to reach it. They have since fallen asleep near the base
fi re da mage. of the tower.

P LEA FOR HE LP

As the cha racte rs approach the edge of the bra mble
pa tch, they hear a whis pe red voice say in Common,
- Psst. You the re, I need your help."' The whis per
comes from the baske t that da ngles fro m the top

68 C H A PTER 2 I HITiiER

its s ide with Sir Talavar inside. He is a viole t faerie Soq TAL IWAll
dragon who speaks Common, Draconic. Elvish. and
Sylvan. Sir Talavar carries a magic sword a nd has try to cha nge the snakes' attitude from hostile to
the following additional action option: indifferent, doing so with a s uccessful DC 12 C ha-
ris ma (Pers uasion) check. lf the s na kes a re made
+1 Tiny Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one to feel indiffere nt. they give up their mission and
target. Hit: 8 (ld4 + 6) piercing damage. s lither away.

A detect m agic spell reveals an aura of abjuration DEVELOPMENT
magic a round the birdcage. While Sir Talavar is in
it, he can't cast spells, but he can use his Euphoria If the cha racters free him from his cage. Sir Ta la-
Breath. The cage is locked and can't be destroyed. var gifts them with his tiny sword, which fun ctions
and its Jock can't be picked. A knock spell or s imilar as a +I dagger in the hands of a Small or Medium
magic opens it, however. creature. He then bids the m a fond farewell. add-
ing, "Your valor will not be forgotten!" He then
ROLEPLAY1NG SIR TALAVAR flies away. As a s how of he r favor. a fte r hearing Sir
Sir Talavar is a knight-erra nt of the Seelie Court Talavar·s story, the Summe r Queen leaves a gift
and a Joyal vassal of the Summer Queen. Appendix for the characters on the threshold of the Palace o f
D has additional role playing notes for Sir Talavar. Heart's Desire (see chapter 5). Note this gift on the
Story Tracke r.
The faerie dragon has a n upbeat demeanor and is
a strict observer of noble etiquette and courtesies. If the cha racters don't save S ir Talava r. one of the
He knows the way to Downfall and can point cha r- frayed ropes s uspending the bas ket s na ps a fte r a
acters in the right direction. He can also impart the few ho urs, causing it to tip e noug h that Sir Talavar's
following useful information: birdcage tumbles out and falls to the ground, where
it is e ither swallowed by one of Bavlorna's s na kes
Bavlorna Blightstraw lives in a spooky cottage or found by harengon brigands. In e ither event. Sir
on stilts at the heart of Downfall, a bullywug Ta lava r is re turned to Down fa ll a nd handed over to
settlement. The bullywugs of Downfall are quite Bavlorna. in which case the cha racte rs can find him
courteous and welcoming, provided one does not in a rea 85. s till locked in the silver birdcage.

offend them. C H A PTER 2 I HITHER
• Bavlorna has the ability to conjure minions that

look like tiny versions of he rself.
• Bavlorna has two s is ters whom s he loathes. To-

gether, the three hags form the Hourglass Coven.
Using an artifact called Iggwilv's Cauldron, the co-
ve n has froze n time in Zybilna's palace, trapping
the archfey inside.
• A goblin named Jingle Jangle has the key to Sir
Talavar's birdcage. She lives atop Telemy Hill. not
too far from Slanty Tower.

Sir Talavar explains that he mus t be set free so
that he can re turn to his queen a nd re port the news
that Zybilna has been overthrown by the Hour-

glass Coven.
If the characte rs a re unable to open the birdcage

on their own, Sir Talavar asks the m to get the key
from Jingle Jangle, offering them his magic sword in
re turn for his re lease (see "D evelopment'' below).

SNAKES

Outs ide the tower, about 10 feet from the door.
two giant constrictor snakes lie toge ther, asleep.
Characters who have a pass ive Wisdom (Percep-
tion) score of 15 or higher spot the s nakes, which
can move through the bra mbles with no reduction to

their s peed.
Characters can converse with the sna kes using

a s peak with animals s pell or s imilar magic. In the
course of any s uch conversation, a cha racter can

6g

TELEMY HILL brigands. She hasn·t le ft her hilltop den since
returning to the hill and must be pretty hun-
The characters might come here after their meeting gry by now.
with Sir Talavar. hoping to obtain the key that will
free the faerie dragon from his magic birdcage. If If the characters are hostile. the trees do what they
the characters ignored Sir Tala\'ar or failed to re- can 10 drive the invaders off the hill. If the trees are
lease him from his cage. Telemy Hill is merely the not met with violence. they shepherd the characters
next stop on their journey. up lhe hill toJingle Jangle's den, waving them on
with their branches. Characters who stray from
Telemy Hill is an ancient fey entity. a sentient hill the path are met by ld6 additional awakened trees.
Lbat travels throughout the Feywild and even to the These trees don't attack but join in coaxing the char-
Material Plane at times. The wandering hill inter- acters up the hill.
acts with others by way of the ancient willow trees
that grow on its slopes. At the top of the hill, the characters find Jingle
]angle's den: a cave with an entryway shaped like
Some time ago. a key-collecting goblin named jin- a keyhole.
gle Jangle took residence atop Telemy Hill. The gob-
lin a nd the hill became fast friends. Three days ago. OBTAINING THE SILVER KEY
while sea rching the swamp for truffies,JingleJangle
was ambushed and roughed up by brigands. She If one or more characters enterJinglejangle's den
suffered no permanent damage but has been con- on the hilltop, read:
valescing in her den since the attack. Telemy Hill is
worried for its friend and hopes the characters can Worn stone steps lead down into what feels like a
cheer up the goblin, perhaps by bringing her some- cellar. It's chilly in here, and you detect a subtle scent
thing to eat or drink. of iron in the air. From a distant spot within the cham-

ARRIVAL AT ThLEMY HILL ber, sputtering candles illuminate a multitude of keys
dangling from taut strings that crisscross the walls.
Telemy Hill is skirted in mist. When the characters Hundreds of other keys lie strewn across the dirt floor.
pass through lhe mist and see the hill for the first
time, read: As you take in the scene, you hear the sound of
keys jingling as a goblin emerges from the dimness.
You are greeted by the scent of sweet-smelling fru it. She wears a coat lined with metal keys and carries a
flail that has padlocks for heads. She manages a faint
Damp, downy, silvery-green moss blankets a gentle smile and says, " How might jingle jangle unlock a bit

upward slope before giving way to a craggy ridge that of happiness in your lives today?"

marks the top of the hill. Dozens of enormous willow The oval-shaped den is 20 feet wide, 30 feet long,
and 6 feet tall, with a smaller chamber at the back
trees dot the hillside, swaying as though in a breeze whereJinglejangle sleeps.

despite the absence of one. Jingle Jangle is a goblin (chaotic good) who refers
to herself in the third person. Replace her normal
Telemy Hill is approximately half a square mile weapon attacks with the following action option:
wide. A narrow game trail leads tojinglejangle's
den at the pinnacle of the hill. The willows that grow Flail ofLocks. Mele,: Weapon Attack: +S to hit, reach S ft., one
on the hill are awakened trees that speak Common target. Hit: 7 (3d4) bludgeoning damage.
in low. rumbling voices. Telemy Hill uses the trees
to com municate, rather than speaking itself. One of the keys injinglejangle's collection is the

As lhe characters move up the hill. ld4 + 1 awak- silver key that unlocks Sir Talavar's birdcage. If
ened trees approach them, stopping when the two
groups are 10 feet apart. One of them welcomes tJ1e the characters want this key,Jinglejangle offers it
characters to Telemy Hill a nd asks how long they freely, saying, "Better you should have it than those
pla n to stay. long-eared brigands. First they stole jingle jangle's
truffles. Next, they'll wantJingleJangle's keys.
If asked about Jingle Jangle, the awakened trees Someone ought to give them a good shaking down
share the following information: so lhey know what it feels like!"

• Jin gle j a ngle is fri endly. She collects keys and Jingle Jangle's obsession with keys serves as a
ta lks about them e ndlessly. cautionary tale for those who would enter into a
bargain with Bavlorna Blightstraw. The goblin once
• She wears a coat of keys that jingle and jangle sought the hag's help in a desperate attempt to undo
when she walks-hence her name. what she thought was a terrible curse: wherever
Jingle Jangle went, she felt a tormenting fea r of be·
• Three days ago, while rooting through the swamp
for truffles. she was attacked and robbed by

70 CHAPTER 2 I H 1TH ER

,,~I
1

ing caughl on the wrong s ide of n locked door. Whe n •
s he appeale d to Bavlornn for a id. the hng removed
the goblin's ability lo perceive tha t fear nnd replaced
ii with a n ins atia ble a nd over whe lming need Lo
collect keys. So great is this obsession thnt j ingle
Ja ngle has losl he r own sense of self and now refers
to he rself o nly in the third person.

Appendix D has addi tiona l role playing notes for

Jingle J a ngle.

jINGLEjANGLE'S TALE O F W OE

If the c ha racters seem inte reste d in hea ring more
a bout he r recent a lte rcation, or if they want to offe r
reciprocation for he r gift of the silver key.Jingle J a n-
gle reveals the following informatio n:

"Jingle Ja ngle was d igging for truffles in the swamp
whe n a bu nch of ha rengons leapt out from behind the
ree ds and sh rubbery. They took Jingle )angle's truffles,
threw Jingle Ja ngle down in the mud , a nd whacked Jin-
gle Ja ngl e w ith their wooden clubs."

Jing le Ja ngle knows th at Te le my Hill is well de- JINGLE J ANGLE
fende d, so s he 's not concerned about he r own
we ll-being at the moment. However, s he ha ppily ac- Helpingjinglejangle. If the characte rs lift J ingle
cepts a ny or a ll of the following as payment for the J a ngle's s pirits, Telemy Hill is delighted. The awak-
key to S ir Ta lavar's cage: ened trees da nce around the characters in appreci-
ation, a nd one of them gives the characters an iron
• A bag of truffles or some othe r tasty s nack key that jingle Ja ngle d ropped in the dirt. The tree
• A thirst-que nching beverage myste riously cla ims the key will be useful later o n
• A sole mn vow to avenge the abuse Jingle J a ngle (see a rea B19 of Bavlorna's cottage).

s uffe red a t the ha nds of the ha rengon briga nds Harmingjinglejangle. If the characters harm
Jingle j a ngle, Telemy Hill comma nds l d4 awakened
If the cha racters raise he r s pi r its by offering her trees lo attack the characters as they emerge from
food, drink, or the promise of revenge, Jingle j a ngle the goblin's den. W henever a tree is felled , anolhe r
impa rts the following useful informa tion: a rrives to take its place un til te n trees a re killed. a t
which point Te lemy Hill gives up the fight.
• Agdon Lo ngscarf is the leade r o f the ha re ngon
brigands . He wears a bright blue scarf a nd moves BRIGANDS' TOLLWAY
as fas t as lightn ing. Cha racters w ho head toward
Brigands' Tollway m ight e ncounter him the re. The Brigands' Tollway is the headqua rte rs of Agdon
Longscarf a nd his ga ng of harengon br igands. It is
• Brigands' Tollway is a series of old woode n cat- a lso w here the brigands collect tolls from travelers
walks that circle a gia nt tree s tump. T he brigands trying to reach Downfall. T he brigands' base is
camp a top the s tump because it gives the m the located on a n e normous tree stump, 80 feet in d iam-
advantage of high ground. eter a nd 30 feet a bove the s urface of the bog. Criss-
crossing causeways of wooden pla n ks converge on
• The best g uide in Hithe r is a pincer-clawed scare- the stump. bringing travelers toward the brigands
crow na me d Clappe rclaw. It ha ngs a round Down- from a ll di rections.
fall a nd knows the way to the ne ighboring realm
of Thither, whic h is rule d by a hag na med Granny

Nights hade.

L EAVING ThLEMY HILL

The outcom e of the cha rac teYs· interaction with J in-
gle Ja ngle influe nces how Tele my Hill rega rds the m.

C HAPTER 2 I HITHER 71

A PPROACHING THE TOLLWAY MOST N OTORIOUS BRIGAND IN PRISMEER

A foggy marsh s tretches out be fo re you. Rickety As the characters ma ke their way along one of the
causeways made o f wooden pla nks form a wide, we b- causeways, the cha racte r who has the highest pas-
like s t ructure above the bog. Th ree hund red feet away, sive Wisdom (Perception) s core notices something:
many of these causeways converge o n an e normous,
ivy-covered tree s t ump t hat rises a good te n feet IAn odd feel ing sudde nly comes over you as you
above the twenty-foot-high fog bank that enshrouds it. become aware t hat somewhere along the way, a

T he wooden causeways a re 5 feet wide a nd in poor hunched , hooded figure has jo ined the group.
s ha pe. Characte rs who walk across the pla nks a re
assumed 10 be ta king care to avoid unsafe a reas. If The figure is a notor ious harengon brigand named
a cha racter runs across 1he planks , roll a dB a t the Agdon Longscarf(see the accompanying stat
e nd of the cha racter's turn. On a 7 or 8, pa rt of the block), who s nuck in a mong the cha racters for a
causeway falls away be neath the cha racte r, who laugh. He casts off his cloak with a flourish, reveal-
mus ! s ucceed on a DC 10 Dexte rity saving throw to ing his 15-foot-long, bright blue scarf. He holds a hot
avoid fa lling off the plank a nd into the bog. While bra nding iron in one ha nd and a sma ll round s hield
prone in the muck, the cha racte r is restra ined. A in the other.
cha racte r can use a n action to try to free itself or
a nothe r creature from the muck. doing so with a As Agdon throws off his cloak, the sound of a bag-
s uccessful DC 10 Stre ngth (Athletics) check. pipe erupts from somewhe re up ahead. After a few
notes, the cha racte rs recognize it as the song s ung
• by the ha re ngon brigands they met earlier (see '"Ar-
rival in Hithe r"). Agdon s ings the song as he takes
72 CHAPTER 2 I HITH ER off at a run, a wide grin on bis rabbit face as he
bounds from one pla nk to a nother in a circle a round
the party. He and his fellow hare ngons know the
causeways well e nough to avoid sections that a re
too weak to s upport lheir weight.

Agdon is backed up by two skiffs, each one con- scarf free; this attempt is resolved with a Strength
taining three harengon brigands and a harengon (Athletics) contest. [f he fails to free himself after
sniper (see appendix C for their stat blocks). The one try. he surrenders immediately. blubbering and
s kiffs come from the direction of the giant tree pleading for his life like a coward.
stump. They emerge from the fog and become visi-
ble when they are 20 feet away. Each skiff has two DEVELOPMENT
rowers, a lookout (the s nipe r), and a bagpiper. The
brigands spring onto nearby causeways, advance to Either the characters defeat Agdon Longscarf, or he
melee range, and try to knock out characte rs and a nd his brigands s ubdue and capture them.
rob them w ithout killing a nyone , while the snipers
stay in the skiffs. Any character rendered uncon- Agdon Is Defeated. If Agdon is killed. his follow-
scious by the brigands is stable at O hit points. ers wander away. crestfalle n. If Agdon lives, his
forme r followe rs shun him. They regard the charac-
D EALING WITH AGDON ters as formidable. a nd they enthusiastically offer to
show them the way to Downfall, providing a skiff for
In days gone by, Agdon Longscarf made a na me for their use if they so desire.
himself as he a nd his band of miscreants menaced
travelers throughout various FeywiJd domains. It AGDON LONGSCARF
was in Prismeer, however, that Agdon's antics came
to an end by Zybilna's hand. As punishment for his Medium Fey (Horengon), Chooric Evil
offenses, the a rchfey demanded that Agdon give up
his beloved scarf. When he refused, Zybilna c ursed Armor Class 19 (studded leather, sh ield)
him so that he would never be able to re move it. Hit Points 36 (8d8)
She then pinned the scarf to a young sapling with Speed 35 ft., o r 70 ft. w hile wea ring his sca rf
a magic nail made of gold and iron, and she bade
the tree grow until its bra nches raked the clouds. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Agdon was thus carried into the sky, where he was 11 (+0) 20 (+S) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
stranded for a long time.
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis + 4
The arrival of the Hourglass Coven signaled a re-
versal of Agdon Longscarfs fortunes. With Zybil.na Skills Acrobatics +7, Perception +6 , Sleight of Hand +7,
trapped in temporal stasis, Agdon's loyal gang was
able to chop dow n his tree prison. But his scarf re- Stealth +7
mained pinned to the felled trunk, and him with it,
until Bavlorna struck a deal with him-she agreed Senses passive Perception 16
to remove the nail a nd free the scarf in exchange for
the best prize from each of his raids thereafter. Languages Common, Sylvan

Agdon's scarf is a bright blue length of cloth that Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
he claims was woven from lightning bolts he stole
right out from under a dark cloud. The scarf can't Evasion. If Agdon is subjected to an effect that allows him to
be removed, even if Agdon dies. His branding iron make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he in•
functions for him alone, and it ceases to be hot stead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw and
when it leaves his hand. The brand it makes is o nly hal f damage if he fails, provided he isn't incapacitated.
shaped like three bounding rabbits connected nose
to tail, forming a triangle. Standing Leap. Agdon's long jump is up to 20 feet and his high
jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start.
The brigand leader is cocky and boastful. Appen-
dix D has additiona l roleplaying notes for Agdon ACTIONS
Longscarf.
Multiattack. Agdon makes two Branding Iron or
Aided by the magic of his scarf, he darts among Dagger attacks.
the characters, using Quick Fingers to steal things
as he passes. His speed a nd agility make him dif- Branding Iron. Melee Weapon Allack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
ficult to hit; however, grabbing hold of his trailing target. Hit: 10 (3d6) fi re damage, and the ta rget is magically
scarf can dissuade him. branded. Agdon is invisible to creatures branded in this way.
The brand disappears after 24 hours, or it can be removed from
As an action, a character can try to grab Ag- a c reature o r object by a ny spell that ends a curse.
don's scarf. Doing so requires a successful DC 17
Strength (Athletics) check. While a character has Dagger. Me/ee or Ranged Weap on Allack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or
him by the scar f, Agdon has a walking speed of 35 ra nge 20/ 60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) piercing damage.
feet, a nd he can't move farther than 15 feet from the
character. Agdon can use a n action to try to pull his BONUS ACTIONS

Quick Fingers. Agdon targets o ne creature with in 5 feet of him
that he can see and makes a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check,
with a DC equa l to l + the target's passive Wisdom (Percep•
tion) score. On a s uccessful check, Agdon pilfers one object
weighing l pound or less that the target has in its possession
but not in its grasp, without the target noticing the theft.

REACTIONS

Uncanny Dodge. Agdon halves the damage that he takes from
an attack that hits him . He must be able to see the attacker.

C HAPT E R '2 I HITH ER 73

If they are asked about Bavlorna Blightstraw WHERE'S BAVLORNA?
or Downfall, the harengons share the fo llowing
informa ti o n : The characters first encounter the hag in her
study (area BIO). After that, she is free to move
• Agdon made a pact with Slack-jawed Lorna by around, though she won't leave her cottage without
which he is obligated to give her one item he steals good reason.
from each victim.
THE S O GGY COURT
• Though Agdon would never admit s uch a thing,
the harengons s uspect that thei r leader is terri- The Soggy Court is a community of neutral bully-
fied of Slack-jawed Lorna, who moves about on a wugs who have an overdeveloped s ense of grandeur.
crawling lily pad. They are preoccupied with pomp and courtesies,
and they possess an insatiable lust for courtly in-
• Downfall is home to the Soggy Cou r t, a society of trigue. A monarch presides over the group, though
bu1lywugs that clings to strange, noble customs regime changes are frequent and often bloody. The
a nd rules of etiquette. current leader is Gu1lop XIX, who won the throne by
boiling his predecessor, Molubb XVJ, in oil.
The Characters Are Captured. If the characters
are knocked unconscious, they are taken to Down- The community is small, but plots abound. A
fall and placed in the cages that hang outside Bav- violent coup is always just around the corner. When-
lorna's cottage (area B14). ever there's a commotion a nywhere in Downfall,
bullywug courtiers clamor to find out what's hap-
BIG STUMP pening. If a loud noise occurs, such as the clangor
of combat or raised voices, ld6 + 1 bullywugs con-
The harengons have set up camp atop the 30-foot- verge on the source. These bullywugs crave gossip,
h igh, 80-foot-wide tree stump. Wooden skiffs are not violence, and are indifferent toward strangers.
moored among the cattails a nd grasses that poke They will defend themselves and Downfall if they
up from the water s urrounding the ancient stump, deem it necessary or politically advantageous.
a nd rope ladders hanging off the edges of the
trunk enable approaching creatures to climb to the Bullywugs of the Soggy Court speak Bullywug,
surface of the stump without having to ma ke an Common, and Sylvan.
ability check.
Use the Bullywug Names table and the Soggy
The brigands' enca mpment is a circle of twelve Court Honorifics table to make members of the
patchwork te nts s urrounding a ca rved wooden court distinctive, as you see fit.
throne where Agdon Longscarf holds court. Piled
around Agdon's throne are scores of worthless trin- B ULLYWU G NAMES
kets s tolen from travelers. If the characters want to
examine the trinkets, describe a few of them , using d8 Name
the entries in the Feywild Trinkets table in the in-
troduction for inspiration. Lying amid the trinkets is Augluth
a s mall bag of truffles (the same ones the brigands
s tole fromjin gle jangle). 2 Bloff

At any given time, ld4 hareogon brigands and 3 Bultis
ld4 harengon snipers (see appendix C for their stat
blocks) occupy the camp. These harengons defend 4 Crumple
their turf only if they outnumber intruders; other-
wise, they scatter and hide. s Mundlemud

DOWNFALL 6 Ribble

Downfall is Bavlorna's home in the murky swamp 7 Splop
of Hither. The settlement consists of a collection of
outbuildings and ruins surrounding the hag's mon- 8 Ufgunk
strous cottage. Courtly bu11ywugs, a11 beholden to
Bavlorna, reside in Downfall. Bavlorna ra rely leaves So c c v COURT H O N O RI FI CS
the confines of her cottage, which contains her
preservation pond as well as her treasures a nd her d8 Name
chimeric taxidermy creations.
Croaking Sage
The water level in and around Downfall is a lways
h igh (see "Fluctuating S wamp Waters" earlier in 2 Count of Bogbottom
the chapter). Thick fog hangs over all outdoor areas,
limiting visibility to 20 feet. 3 Duke of the Three Rocks

4 Earl of Stinkwater

s Green Baron

6 Knight of the Pickled Fly

7 Mosscrown Knight

8 Pondflower Knight

74 CHAPTER 2 I HITH ER

C HAPTER 2 I H ITH ER 75

DOWN FA LL LOC ATIONS of chattering heads (area D5) to the gazebo where
Cullop XIX holds court (area D6). If the characters
The following localions are keyed to the m ap ask about Bavlorna, the bullywugs insist that the
of Down fa ll. characters see the king first, saying that he'll know
how to help them.
01. CtiANNEL
If the characters attack the bullywugs, they croak
T he characters will li kely a rrive by s kiff. rowboat, loudly enough to alert the two guards atop the
o r ra ft. by way of th is cha nnel. This waterway flows watchtowe r (area D19). These guards sound the
into Murky Lake (area D7). alarm with loud croaks of their own. One minute
later, six armed bullywugs (neutral) rally at the base
Thick fog hangs heavy In the ai r, obscuring the area of the watchtower before setting out to subdue the
characters and bring them before Cullop XDC for
around yo u so that the world a ppears to have shrunk questioning.
to o nly twe nty feet in all directions . Before you , the
D2 . D AMAGE D B A L L O ON
wate rway wide ns a nd the current slows, giving the im-
pression that you have entered a lake. Croaking voices Looming above a ramshackle wooden pier is a balloon
pe ne trate t he fog , th rough which dark shapes appea r, anchored by four thick ropes tied around wooden
resolving into two rowboats. Mann ing the oars of each posts driven deep into the mire. The balloon's blad-
rowboat a re two bullywugs. der expands and sags at irregular intervals as swamp
gas fills it briefly before leaking out through various
The four bullywugs (ne utral) are enjoying a boat tears in its patchwork fabric. A bullywug stands near
ride o n the la ke. All four are dressed in soiled garb the top of a ladders and is using a long silver needle
typical of members of the S oggy Court. In croa king and a spool of catgut to sew up one ofthe openings.
Sylva n, they say, "Welcome lo Downfall, travelers: • A second bullywug stands at the foot of the ladder to
steady it. Huddled nearby are three giant frogs whose
If the cha racters don't attack immediately, the bul- long tongues snap up passing insects.
lywugs expla in that their king, Cullop XIX, would
be honored to ma ke the cha racters' acquaintance. The two bullywugs (neutral) watch the characters
They s uggest that the cha racters head to the small warily but pose no threat. The three giant frogs are
dock nea rby (next to a rea 02), then make their way here to prevent a nyone from stealing the balloon.
across the stepping s tones (a rea D3), through the (Another one of Bavlorna's balloons was stolen re-
balloon factory (area D4), a nd across the bridge cently. Characters encountered what was left of it at
Slanty Tower earlier in the chapter.)
SWAMP GAS BALLOONS
If the characters strike up a conversation with
A swamp gas balloon has two separate parts: the bullywugs, the one on the ground responds in
Sylvan, "Hmmm. You should probably s ee the king,"
, The wicker basket, which can carry up to 750 regardles s of what the characters say.
pounds, is a Large object with AC 11, 27 hit points,
and immunity to poison a nd psychic damage. Swamp Gas Balloon. This vehicle is operational,
albeit damaged. The balloon itself has 10 hit points
• The balloon, which contains the swamp gas that pro- remaining (out of a maximum of 15), and the bully-
vides lift. is a Huge object with AC 11, 15 hit points, wugs are in the midst of repairing it. The basket and
and immunity to poison and psychic damage. If the ropes that attach it to the balloon are intact and
the balloon drops to O hit points, it bursts , and the undamaged. For more information on Downfall's
vehicle loses the ability to fly. balloons, see the "Swamp Gas Balloons" sidebar.

To rise into the air, the balloon must be filled with D3. STEPSTONE CROSSING
swamp gas. A flap at the bottom of the balloon lets
the gas in, and the balloon takes 10 minutes to fill A row of boulders spaced two feet apart breach the
when empty. Once filled, the balloon rises into the surface of the lake to form a walking path across a
air. One can force the balloon to land by using an forty-foot-w ide waterway.
action to open a flap at the top of the balloon, which
allows the swamp gas to escape. To reach th is flap, The water around the stepstones is only 4 feet deep,
one must climb or fly to the top of the balloon, 20 feet but the bottom is not visible through the murk.
above the basket. The balloon's rigging makes such a
climb possible.

The vehicle has no form of propulsion, instead rely-
ing on the pilot's ability to navigate air currents.

As long as the balloon or basket has at least l hit
point, it can be repaired. Repairing l hit point of dam-
age to either part of the vehicle requires l day and the
necessary supplies, which can be salvaged from area
04 or taken from area B3.

76 CHAPTER '2 I HI THER

Four of the five ste pstones are boulde rs sunk This room is a charre d mess . Hazy smoke hangs over
dee p in the mire. The middle s te pstone is actually
the top of a galeb duhr. If some one ste ps on it, the s ca ttered piles of burned and broken shelves inter-
galeb duhr takes offense , grumbling about ingrati-
tude. An apology accompanie d by a success ful DC mixed with w hatever those shelves containe d. Wisps
12 Cha ris m a (P e rsuasion) c heck satisfies the galeb
duhr. On a faile d check, the galeb duhr gives the of smoke snake into the air from several s pots where
offe nding ch a racte r one more c ha nce, allowing the
cha racter to re pe at the c heck provide d the apology s moldering wreckage threatens to ignite.
is s ung with feeling. On a second failed check or if
the cha rac te r refuses to sing, the ga leb duhr uses its A d istressed bullywug in a leather s mock scurries
Anima te Boulde rs a ction to affect the two boulde rs
closest to it, a nd the three of them move 15 feet to around the room with a bucket ofwater whose con-
the west, leaving a 20-foot gap in the pa th formed
by the s te pstones. Any characte r w ho was s ta nding tents spill out over the sides in his haste.
atop one of the s tones is dumpe d into the wate r.
This is where Bavlorna's swamp gas balloons a re
Predators Below. Two merrow lurk in the wa- manufactured . Two bullywugs recently set fire to
ter east of the crossing. They dislike the taste of the place, destroying most of the supplies as a con-
bullywugs and ignore the m, but they attack a ny sequence. One of the culprits was Wigglewog, S ir
non-bullywugs that e nter the wate r. If the characters Talavar's pilot (now deceased). The o the r was Mor-
find the mselves in ba ttle with the m e rrow, ld4 + 1 gort, the forme r Knight of Wa rts, who was captured
bullywugs (ne utra l) a rrive immedia tely a fter e ach be fore she could m a ke he r escape a nd is now be ing
me rrow has ta ke n two turns. The bullywugs hurl he ld prisoner in area D9.
s pears at the m e rrow, frightening the m away (at
lea s t for a while). These bullywugs are glad to be of A bullywug (ne utra l) na m ed Duke Ickrind is
help and happily point charac te rs in the direction of ove rseeing the repa ir of the factory, but new fires
the ir king, Gullop XIX (at area D6). If the cha racte rs keep popping up tha nks to the pe rs is te nce of the
offer the bullywugs nothing in r e turn for the ir help, anima te d coa ls tha t we re used to s ta rt the fire orig-
the bullyw ugs ta ke no offe nse. They don't expe ct ina lly. Whe n the cha racters e nte r the place. Duke
fore igners to honor the rule of reciprocity (see Ickrind yells in Sylvan, "Grab a bucke t! We have to
"Rules of Co nduc t" earlie r in the ch a pte r). m ak e sure the fires are out!"

D4. BURNED-OUT BALLOON F ACTORY A low w orkbench- the o nly piece of unda m a ge d
furniture in the room- has three woode n buckets on
This wooden struc ture s tands on s t ilt s a bove the la ke. it. Two of the m are fille d w ith wate r.

It is topped by a steep, conical roof ma d e of thatch. If the cha rac te rs he lp Duke Ickrind extinguis h

Smoke curls up fro m a hole at its a pex. Its windows the coals, he gives them a brass brooch s ha ped like
a fly, with wings that flutte r. He te lls the m to wear
a re blacked out, and the air c arrie s the s m e ll of the brooch whe n they present the mselves to Gullop
XlX, s aying it w ill he lp win the king's trus t.
burned wood. A clothesline attached to one corner of
Animated Coals. Typically used to heat Bavlor-
the building's exte rior is hung with a variety of frayed , na's cauldron in a rea D18, s ix of these coals were
brought to the ba lloon factory by sabote urs w ho
pa tchwo rk garme nts . wa nte d to burn it down. The coa ls a re Tiny a ni-
mated objects that s kip a nd bounce a round. Each
The ga rments on the clothesline a re n't pa rticularly one has AC 18; 6 hit points; a s peed of 30 feet; and
we ll m ade or valuable . The line leads to B avlorna 's immunity to fire, poison, a nd psychic da m age. A
cottage (area D12), which is heavily obscure d by the coal's Dexte rity is 20, its Cons titution is 10, and
thick fog. T he line c an support up to 200 pounds of its othe r ability scores a re 1. Throwing a bucke t of
additiona l we ight. wate r on a coa l requires a s uccessful ra nged attack.
a nd the bucke t is treated a s a n improvised weapon.
The building is a ccessible by ra mps from a rea s A bucke t of wate r deals ld6 da mage to a coal. An
D3 a nd D5, as we ll as s ta irs tha t rise from the la ke. a nima ted coal that is subme rged in wa te r takes the
A ricke ty woode n deck clings to the outs ide of the da m a ge at the s tart of each of its turns until it is no
s tructure 6 feet a bove the wa te r. Use the following longer submerged . A coal reduced to O hit points is
boxed te xt to describe the building's inte rior: ina nima te a nd ha rmless.

Each coa l can take the following action o n its turn:

Kindle. Mlllee Weapon A ttack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 2 (ld4) tire damage, and the target catches tire ifit is flam-
mable. Until a creature ta kes an action to douse the tire, the
target takes 2 (l d4) tire damage at the sta rt of each o f its turns.

CHAPTER 2 I HITHER 77

D5. CHATTERING HEADS

This flat wood-plank bridge, which spans an arm of
the lake, is lined on one side by rows of bullywug
heads on wooden spikes.

At the center of the bridge, a small figure sits with
its feet dangling over one side. The figure appears to
be talking to itself in bemoaned tones. But then the
severed bullywug heads nearby erupt in a cacophony
of voices-some indignant, others sympathetic. A few
in a more distant row yell, "What? I couldn't hear what
they said!"

CLAPPERCLAW THE SCARECROW The bridge is in decent condition and safe to cross.
Beheaded Bullywugs. Deposed bullywug mon-
Small Construct, Lawful Neutral
archs of the Soggy Court often lose thei r heads
Armor Class 12 (natural armor) during violent changes in leadership. The severed
Hit Points 14 (4d6) heads are impaled on rows of spikes north of the
Speed 25 ft. bridge, and they verbally accost anyone who steps
onto the bridge, each one speaking of its own glo-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA rious rule and how the Soggy Court has become a
14 (+2) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) mockery since its reign came to an end. In conversa-
13 (+1) 11 (+0) tion, a head might share one or more of the follow-
ing pieces of information:
Skills Stealth +3, Survival +2
• All the heads belong to former monarchs who
Dam age Vulnera bilitie s fire were deposed and killed by usurpers. Many of the
former monarchs were betrayed by others whose
Da mage Immunities poison rotting heads now also sit on spikes.

Condition Immunities c harmed, exhaus tion, frightened , • The current monarch is King Gullop XIX. All the
heads agree he is a weak ruler. They've heard ru-
paralyzed, poisone d, unconscious mors ofyet a nother coup in the works.

Senses d arkvision 60 ft., passive Pe rception 10 • Sir Talavar, Bavlorna's escaped prisoner, had help
from bullywugs of the Soggy Court. One of his ac-
Languages Common, Sylva n complices languishes in prison, awaiting trial.

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficie ncy Bonus +2 • Bavlorna is a distrustful shut-in who loathes her
sisters, especially Skabatha Nightshade.
Unusual Nature. Cla pperclaw doesn't require air, food, drink,
o r s leep. • Bavlorna has a pool in her cottage that's very
important to her. She spends a lot of time
ACTIONS bathing in it.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +S to hit , reach 5 ft ., one target. In Search ofa Skull. The figure chatting with
Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. the severed heads is Clapperclaw the scarecrow
(see the accompa nying stat block), who is 3 feet tall.
Stuffing. Clappe rcl aw stuffs s traw o r other dead p lant matter Created by Gra nny Nightshade using a tormented
into itself a nd regai ns 2d4 + 4 h it points. Roll a d6; on a 1 or 2, child's soul s he found in Gehenna, it ran away from
Cla ppe rcl aw run s out o f s tuffing a nd mus t s pe nd 8 hours forag- home so that it wouldn't have to perform evil tas ks
in g for more before it can use this action ag ain. for her. After fleeing T hither, Clapperclaw was way-
laid by Agdon Longscarf and his harengon brigands,
BONUS A CTIONS who s tole its head, which the scarecrow describes
as a most glorious stag skull. lt desperately wants its
Unsettling Presen ce (Recharge 6). Clappercl aw targe ts one c rea- head back, and it's a bit self-conscious about its re-
ture it ca n see within 15 feet o f it. The ta rget mus t s ucceed on placement head: a hollow gourd that now sits askew
a DC 11 Wisd o m s avin g throw o r be ma gically frighte ned until on its s houlders. Eight copper coins are s ea led in-
th e e nd of Cla ppe rclaw's next turn. side the gourd, caus ing the head to rattle w henever
Clapperclaw nods, turns, or shakes its head.

78 C H A PTER 2 I H I T H E R

Clapperclaw knows the way to Thither from guests in accordance with the rule of hospitality 79
Hither and will guide the characters there if they (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter), but
help it recover its head. If the characters accept he expects a measure of kindness in return. If a
its offer, the scarecrow does its best to stay out of fight breaks out, Gullop XIX flees to area D11 and
harm's way while the characters continue to explore makes his final stand the re, counting on the bully-
Hither. It fears Bavlorna Blightstraw too much to en- wug knights to cover his escape. As the king flees.
ter her cottage, but it will patiently wait for the char- Snoodle and the unarmed bullywugs jump into the
acters outside the cottage if they choose to enter it. lake and swim to safety.
The scarecrow has a similar aversion to the other
hags of the Hourglass Coven. Scheming King. The king has only recently come
into his position, but already his reign is a troubled
When the characters arrive, Clapperclaw is telling one. Sir Talavar's recent escape through the theft of
the severed bullywug heads the story of how Agdon one of Bavlorna's prized balloons has left many of
Longscarfstole its original head and how its current the king's subjects questioning his ability to manage
head is a poor substitute. Unknown to Clappe rclaw, a crisis. He has grown paranoid over the prospect
Agdon gave the skull to Bavlorna, who now keeps it of incurring the hag's wrath, a suspicion confirmed
in her cottage's treasure room (area B19). in the pages of the book in his lap- Bavlorna·s Big
Book ofBad Blood- in which the hag's displeas ure
Clapperclaw carries a sailcloth sack filled with with her enemies is spelled out in detail. He pro-
moldy straw. If the scarecrow gets hurt, it heals it- cured the book from a darkling merchant (see area
self by stuffing itself with replacement straw or simi- B10), who stole it from Bavlorna a few hours ago.
lar plant matter.
King Gullop is looking for a way to avoid Bavlor-
Appendix D has additional roleplayiog notes for na's ire. and the characters might be his way out.
Clapperclaw. He wants them to return the book to Bavlorna and
assure her that Gullop didn't steal it, but merely en-
D6. Hrs ROYAL MAJESTY GULLOP XIX sured its safekeeping.

A grand marble gazebo stands atop a mound of soggy If the characters portray themselves as allies (per-
earth, its white stone streaked green with algae. The haps by presenting the brooch they received from
support pillars have sunk into the muck unevenly so Duke Ickrind in area D4), Gullop explains that only
that the domed canopy now sits askew. members of the Soggy Court are allowed to speak
with Bavlorna (a falsehood he knows to be untrue).
Short steps ring the gazebo, leading to a raised and he invites the characters to join the group. If
floor where bullywugs dressed in shabby clothing they accept, he instructs them to proceed to the pal-
ace in area D11 to be fitted with the proper attire.
lounge on pillows. Among them, a harpist sends forth Once they are appropriately garbed. Gullop gives
delicate notes that mingle with the murmured croak- the characters the Big Book ofBad Blood and e n-
ing of the gathered nobles. On a dais, a flabby bully- courages them, as duly appointed emissaries of the
wug wearing a crown of woven lily flowers sits on an Soggy Court, to return it to the hag with great haste.
ornate throne with his legs folded under him. He has
a large leather-bound book open across his lap and is If the characters show hostility or refuse to join
mouthing the words he reads on the pages. Without the Soggy Court, Gullop commands his guards to
looking up, he says, "Have you no herald to announce seize them. Captured characters are taken to the
your presence before Ki ng Gullop the Nineteenth?" holding cell in area D8.
He slams the book closed as if to punctuate his ques-
Secret Note. As the king addresses the charac-
tion, regarding you for the first time. ters, one of the bullywug noncombatants passes a
Sleepy bullywug guards standing around their mon- wine goblet to one randomly determined character.
Inside the cup is a scrap of parchment with words
arch snap to attention and ready their weapons. written on it in Sylvan. The message reads. -Find
Illig, the Baron of Muckstump. at once. The revolu-
King Gullop XlX, a bullywug royal (neutral) is tion lives!" Illig is an ambitious noble looki ng to take
accompa nied by a baby crocodile (a Small non- Gullop's crown by force, and conspirators are gath-
combatant) named Snoodle and protected by five ering at his home in area 016. Whenever a char-
bullywug knights (neutral; see appendix C for their acter asks a friendly bullywug of the Soggy Court
stat blocks). The knights are stationed around the about Illig's whe reabouts, roll a d8. On a roll of 1- 3.
edge of the gazebo's interior. Eight unarmed bul- the bullywug doesn't know where Illig is. On a roll
lywugs (noncombatants) lounge at the king's feet, of 4- 6, the bullywug assumes (incorrectly) that Il-
eating insects from platters as they gossip among lig is somewhere in the Sinking Palace (area D11).
On a roll of 7 or 8 , the bullywug knows and s hares
. ~. themselves. The king treats visitors as honored lllig's actual location.

-:_4,{_ C HAPT ER 2 I HITH ER

- .... ~---,( ; \'•

K1NG GuuoP XI X /I ND F RI END S DB. HOLDING CELLS

D7. MURKY LAKE Rising from the soggy earth is a sturdy wooden hut
with an open doorway on one side of it. At the back of
Downfall is built around a 20-foot-deep body of the hut are two holding cells. Thick mangrove roots
standing water called Murky Lake. A blanket serve as bars, with a small round door closing off
of thick fog and a layer of pond scum cover the each cell. The floor of one cell is covered with several
lake's s urface. Heavily obscured by the fog are inches of stinking water. The other cell holds a figure
2d6 bullywugs (noncombatants) spread out across in rags slumped against the back wall.
severa l large lily pads a nd relaxing in rowboats.
Some read to each other, and others nap or play This hut is round, 12 feet in diamete r, with a conical
music. When they see the characters, they wave in a
frie ndly manner. lf the characters ask for directions, thatched roof that rises 18 feet from the floor a t its
one of the bullywugs tries to be helpful while the
others gaze about listlessly. If the characters require apex. Prisoners of the Soggy Court are held here
a ny further assis ta nce or information, the helpful
bullywug s uggests that they speak to King Gullop while they await trial by combat in area D9. Charac-
XIX a nd points the way to his Royal Majesty (area
D6). Each lily pad can hold up to 250 pounds with- ters brought here as prisoners are thrown into the
out sinking.
north cell. The guards depa rt after locking up the
Bav/orna's Cottage. The hag's cottage (area Dl2)
looms over the middle of the lake on thick wooden characters.
stilts. The cottage is heavily obscured by thick fog,
though cha racters within 20 feet of it can discern A character can use an action to try to break into
its shape.
or out of a cell, tearing through its root walls with a
80 C H A PT ER 2 I HITH E R
successful DC 17 Stre ngth (Athletics) check. A cell

door's lock can be picked -in 1 minute with a suc-

cessful DC 12 Dexterity check, provided the charac· ;
.:.,;~_;f~i,ter making the check has thieves' tools.
:;~~:--:· ..

.,,,

" ~-;,
·-: . -~...

Prisoner. The prisoner in the south cell is an AC 19, 11 hit points, and immunity to poison and
unarmed bullywug knight (see appendix C) named psychic damage. Using an action, a creature can
Morgort, the Knight of Warts. She was one of Sir pull a chain free of the tree with a successful DC 17
Talavar's accomplices a long with Wigglewog, and Strength (Athletics) check.
she now awaits justice. She has no regrets about
helping the faerie dragon, and she regards Bavlorna Combat Rules. A trial by combat is a procedure
as a bitter enemy. Appendix D has additional role- by which wrongs can be redressed in the Soggy
playing notes for Morgort. Court. It can a lso be invoked as a vote of no confi-
de nce in the current monarch. A trial always has
Morgort introduces herself to the characters with two combatants: the accused and the accuser, or
a knightly bow once the guards a re gone. She is s urrogates re presenting them. Once they are s hack-
dressed in the ragged and stained remnants of an led, the combata nts fight until one is dead, and jus-
orange surcoat that bears the sigil of a great helm tice is thereby served .
fashioned to resemble a frog's head.
Development. One hour after the characters
In conversation, she asks the characters why a re imprisoned in area 09, four armed bullywugs
they were apprehended and reveals the following (neutral) come to get them and Morgort. The guards
information: instruct the characters to choose a champion from
among them to re present the group in the trial. The
• Morgort is an accomplished balloon pilot. She guards nomina te someone if the characters don"t
and he r friend, Wigglewog, helpe d the honorable choose a champion. The champion and Morgort are
Sir Talavar escape. To delay their pursuers long each chained to the tree and given a club. T he rest
enough for Wigglewog and Sir Talavar to steal a of the characters are kept at the edge of the proving
balloon, she was forced to stay behind and got cap- grounds, held at spearpoint to prevent them from
tured as a result. inte rfering.

• It's likely that she will be battling one of the char- King Gullop XIX presides over the trial, instruct-
acters in trial by combat (see area D9 for details). ing the combatants to fight for their innocence. Mor-
Bavlorna is a recluse who rare ly leaves her gort prete nds to be slain after any successful attack
cottage. She enjoys making foul bargains made against her, putting on quite a performance as
with visitors. she drops to the mud. The characters' champion is
declared victorious. and the characters a re decreed
If the characters share the news that Wigglewog to be innocent.
died helping Sir Talavar, Morgort grows sullen.
If the characters need to get out of Downfall in a The characters might try to fight their way out of
hurry, Morgort suggests that they s teal the balloon the situation or make a break for it. If they s ucceed.
in area 02 and use it to fly to safety. (The balloon bullywugs who oppose the king advise the charac-
can also de live r the characters safely to Thither if ters to take refuge with Illig, Baron of Muckstump,
that's where they want to go, as discussed a t the who lives across the lake (see area D16). Illig is
end of this chapter.) She follows the party's lead Gullop's greatest political rival.
otherwise a nd tries he r best to be helpful. Once s he
realizes the characters have important things to do, If the characters are proclaimed innocent, they
she tries not to embroil them in bullywug politics. In earn their freedom. Each is given the worthless hon-
any situation, she tries to act with honor and civility. orific of "True Friend of Cullop XIX-' and pe rmis-
sion to use the king's palace (area Dl 1) as a place to
D9. PROVING GROUNDS rest. Morgort's seemingly lifeless body is dumped
into Murky Lake, whereupon s he swims to a rea D2
A mangrove tree stands in the middle of a patch of and s teals the swamp gas balloon there.

heavily churned mud, where rusting and rotting bits DlO. TRINKET, BAUBLE, AND CHARM 'S

of armor and weapons are scattered. Two lengths of A big black balloon floats over the lake, tugging at its

chain are anchored to opposite sides of the tree trunk, moorings. Beneath it hangs a basket made of black

each with an iron shackle on the end. wicker and wood, which serves as a merchant's stall.

Justice in the Soggy Court is carried out using trials A large pane of gray glass is drawn closed across an
by combat. Prisoners fight for their freedom here, as
do those who want to cha llenge the monarch for the opening above the counter. A sign mounted above the
right to rule. window reads, "Wondrous Wares & Fair Fares!"

The grounds are 20 feet in diameter. Combatants The balloon is not made of fabric, but rather ap-
are shackled by one wrist or ankle to a 10-foot
length of chain attached to the tree. Each chain has pears to be a roiling, dark rain cloud that has been

contained somehow with lines a nd netting. 8!

C H A PTE R 2 I HITH ER

Two dark.lings (see appendix C) named Trinket "One, two, three. One, two, three." De prived of
and Bauble look after the ba lloon and lurk inside this rhythm, the buyer loses all talent for dancing.
the cramped me rcha nt's stall, which is open for Destroying the marionette restores the buyer's
business. Their boss, Charm. is a darkling elder dancing ability, but Bauble won't give up the mari-
(see appendix C) who is presently visiting Bavlorna onette without a fight.
Blighlstraw in her cottage.
Rain Cloud Balloon. If the characters steal this
Charm travels around Prismeer in her "rain cloud balloon, it delivers them to area Ml6 ofMotherhorn
balloon" whi le posing as a merchant. She is actually (see chapter 4) unless they have a trained pilot who
a burglar working for Bavlorna's sister, Endelyn can fly it elsewhere. The balloon harnesses the en-
Moongrave. Charm has come to Downfall to steal ergy of a rain cloud to stay aloft. To use the balloon,
treasure from under Bavlorna's nose. Trinket and the harnessed cloud must be charged with electri-
Bauble guard the stall while Charm sees to the real cal energy. This can be accomplished by dealing
business of carrying out her heist (described later in more than 20 lightning damage to the cloud from a
the chapter). single source, or by surrounding it with electrically
charged storm clouds for at least 10 minutes. Once
Trinke t a nd Bauble greet their customers with charged, the balloon can stay airborne for 8 hours,
plenty of sass. Since thei r business is a front, they moving at up to 8 miles per hour. If the balloon loses
don't care whether they sell anything or not. its charge while aloft, it plummets to the ground.

Wondrous Wares. A sign hanging below the The vessel has two separate parts: the wooden
counter lists the following ite ms for sale: basket that doubles as the merchant's stall, and the
balloon, which includes the rain cloud plus the net
AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: and lines that hold it in place and attach it to the
basket. Each part has its own statistics:
Very good thimble (fingertip not included)
Basket. The basket, which can bold up to 750
Mug of Bumble Beer (has a nice sting to it) pounds, has AC 13, 27 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage.
Duskmallow pie (with decorative bite marks)
Balloon. The balloon has AC 11, 50 hit points, and
Bundle of dry wood (great for starting fires) immunity to lightning, poison, psychic, and thun-
der damage. If the balloon drops to O hit points,
Ink portraits (if we have to look at you , so should you) the cloud dissipates, and the vehicle loses the abil·
ity to fly.
Moonlight monocle (no more fumbling in the dark)
Repairing 1 hit point of damage to the basket re-
Most of the items for sale are nonmagical goods of quires 1 day and appropriate supplies, which can be
little or no value, the exception being the moonlight salvaged from area D4 or taken from area B3. The
monocle, which is a magic eyepiece that Charm ac- balloon can't be repaired, but as long as it has at
quired some time ago. It has the same properties as least 1 hit point, it regains all lost hit points when it
goggles ofnight. is fully recharged.

Unicorn Horn. lf the Story Tracker indicates that D11. SINKING PALACE
the unicorn horn is he re, it is among the ite ms avail-
able for purchase. If the characters seem interested The palace has two e ntrances: one on high ground
in conducting a transaction, Trinket produces the to the northwest, the othe r overlooking the docks.
unicorn horn and says, ''Very ha rd to come by, uni- Each entrance has two bullywugs (neutral) and a
corn horns, a nd one never knows when one might crocodile guarding it. These sentries deny entry
come in handy. This o ne recently found its way into to anyone who doesn't have an invitation from the
my possession." bullywug king.

Payment. The darklings make one of the follow- This ramshackle hall is built around a big tree. Two
ing de ma nds as compensation for a ny s ingle item
the characters desire: of the tree's limbs reach out through the walls like

• Trinke t de mands the color from the buyer's eyes. enormous welcoming arms. The interior of the hall
If the buyer agrees to the trade, Trinket produces
a s m all ma rble that drains the color from the is roomy, with an open Aoor plan that allows occu-
buyer's eyes when s he utters the phrase, "Hue be
mine." Robbed of their color, the buyer's irises pants of the upper story to look out over the lower
turn transparent. Destroying the marble restores
the buye r's eye color to normal. one. Bullywug courtiers crowd into the space, filling it

• Bauble demands the rhythm in the buyer's step. with their guttural croaks. Their clothing is faded and
If the buyer agrees to the trade, Bauble produces
a n a rticulated wooden marionette and makes it stained with mud.
dance o n the countertop while re peatedly uttering,

82 C HAPTE R 2 I HIT HER

The palace has two levels: D13. BIG BARKLESS

Upper Level. The upper level is built a round the Several holes dot the trunk of a gnarled old tree that
trunk of a tree. Gathered he re a t any given time grows on the sho re of the lake. The tree has lost all its
are 2d4 unarmed a nd una rmored bullywug court- bark, and a few withered leaves cling to the ends of its
iers, som e of them reclining on pillows. Among twisted, knotted branches. One end of a clothesline
these noncombatants a re three bullywugs (neu- is tied to a high branch on the northwest side of the
tral) who would de fe nd the ir honor if they thought tree. Several old garments hang from the clothesline,
it besmirched by hostile inte rlopers. the other end of which disappears into the fog hover•
ing over the lake.
Lower Level. The lowe r level is s ubme rged in 3
inches of swamp water. More bullywug courtiers Big Barkless is a tree blight, a carnivorous . ambu-
fill this s p ace as a trio of bullywug mus icia ns play latory Plant of menacing disposition (see the accom-
a n upbeat tune on s tringe d instrume nts. These panying stat block). While it remains motionless.
bullywugs are also noncombatants. it easily passes for a dead tree. Four sprites live in
hollow cavities in its trunk. Their na mes are Bitzi.
Clothesline. A clothesline attached to the south- Da ndy, Mintleaf. and Timpclla. The sprites a re a
west corner of the building's exterio r has a variety bitter bunch. taunting those who come close by
of frayed, patchwork garme nts draped over it. The spewing fort h insulting words and tiny arrows. They
line leads to Bavlorna's cottage, which is heavily ob- hope to provoke 1he characters inlo damaging Big
scured by the fog over the lake. The line can s upport Barkless, thus prompting the blight 10 fight back.
up to 200 pounds of additional weight. While ridiculing the characters from their h ollows.
the spri tes have three-quarters cover.
D12 . BAVLORNA'S COTTAGE
Big Barkless remains rooted to the s pot until it's
Four fli ghts of wooden steps rise out of the swamp. required to ac1 in its own defense, whereupon it up-
e nding at a trapdoor in the unde rs ide of Bavlorna's
cottage, which is perched atop ta ll, thick wooden .
s tilts and s urrounded by dense fog. See .. Bavlorna s
Cottage" la ter in the c hapter for deta ils.

C H ,\ PT ER 2 I H 1TH ER 83

roots itself a nd a ttacks all creatures it pe rceives as D14 . TOA DSTOOL PATCH
threatening. That doesn't include the sprites, eve n if
the s prites ins ligated the conflict. The blight w ill not Your heart suddenly feels cold , fill ing you with a sense
chase prey into the la ke but can move on la nd as fa r
of lone liness that borders on despair. A haunting, mel-
as it wants.
lf the s prites ta ke a ny da mage, they w ithdraw ancholy tune played on a flute reaches out to you from

deep into the tree blight, gain ing total cover. The somewhere w ithin a field of oversized toadstools.
s prites evacuate a nd dis pe rse into the s wa mp if the
tree blight is reduced to O hit points. If the cha racters follow the music to its source, read:

Clothesline. A clothesline a ttached to Big Ba rk- lA s lender elf with pale blue s ki n and black hair sits
less is hung with frayed, patchwork garme nts. The c urled in the shadow of a g ray, six-foo t-tall toadstool,
line leads to Bavlorna's cottage. If the tree blight
moves more tha n 5 feet fa rther away from the cot- playing a somber tune on a double flute.
tage, the clothesline s naps in the middle, a nd the
ga rments fall into the la ke. The line can s upport up The flutist is a wood elf na med Octavian Meliamne,
to 200 pounds of additiona l weight. who came to Bavlorna s eeking magic that would
m a ke him forget his lost loves. A deal was s truck,
TREE BLIGHT but when it came time for him to pay up, Octavian
refused to give Bavlorna what she wanted in return:
Huge Plant, Typically Neu tral Evil Octavian's s till-beating heart. As punishment, Bav-
lorna took wha t s he wanted by force, switching out
Armor Class 1S (natural armor) Octavian's heart for a goat's heart s o that he would
Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60) not d ie. The process left the elf unable to feel or ex-
Speed 30 ft. hibit emotion.

STR DEX CO N INT WIS CHA Octavian is truthful with the cha racters about
23 (+6) 10 (+O) 20 (+S) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 3 (- 4) what happe ned to him. He knows what Bavlorna
did was wrong, but he can't seem to get worked up
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened about it. He s uspects the hag is keeping his heart
as a trophy. Unbe knowns t to Octavian, Bavlorna is
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), using his heart to keep he r meat locker cold (see
a rea B12).
passive Perception 10
Use the scout s tat block to represent Octavian,
l anguages understands Common and Druidic but doesn't w ith the following changes:

speak • Octavia n is a wood elf (chaotic good) who speaks
Common a nd Elvish. He has da rkvision out to a
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 ra nge of 60 feet.

False Appearance, If the blight is motionless at the start of • He has adva ntage on saving throws against being
combat, it has advantage on it s initiative roll. Moreover, if a c harmed, a nd magic can't put him to sleep.
creature hasn't observed the blight move o r act, that creature
must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (I nvestigation) check to Treasure. If the characters return his original
discern that the blight is animate. heart to him, Octavia n reciprocates by giving them
his pipes of haunting.
Siege Monster. The blight deals double damage to objects and
structures. While Octavia n a nd his true heart a re within 5
feet of one anothe r, a ny spell tha t e nds a curse can
ACTIO NS swap the goat's heart in Octavian's chest with his
s till-beating true heart. When Octavia n regains his
Multiattack. The blight makes one Branch attack and o ne true heart, the goat's heart appears at his feet as
Grasping Root attack. a dead, desiccated lu mp of tissue. A detect magic
s pell reveals an aura of abjuration magic a round
Branch. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit , reach 1S ft., one target. the goat's heart after it is re moved from Octavian's
Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. body, a nd a n identify spell or s imila r magic reveals
w hat it does. A creature tha t eats more than half of
Grasping Root. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft ., the goat's heart gains the be nefit of a potion ofinvul·
one creature not grappled by the blight. Hit : The target is grap• nerability.
pied (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the ta rget takes 9
(ld6 + 6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its tu rns.
The root has AC 15 and can be severed by dealing 6 or more
slashing damage to it on one attack. Cutting the root doesn't
hurt the blight but ends the grapple.

BO NUS A CTION S

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach S ft ., one creature
grappled by the blight. Hit : 19 (3d8 + 6) piercing damage.

84 C H APTER2I HIT H ER

Development. Once Octavian has his true heart This dwelling provides s helter to a group of bully-
and his capacity for feeling emotion restored, he wugs that is plotting to overthrow King Cullop XIX.
skips merrily into the swamp, eventually crossing Their leader is a bullywug knight (neutral evil: see
paths with the Inn at the End of the Road (see "Ran- appe ndix C) named Illig, Baron of Muckstump. The
dom Encounters in Hither"), where he stays for the other four bullywugs (ne utral evil) a re Illig loyalis ts
foreseeable future. His joyful presence cheers up
the inn's glum innkeeper, Tsu Harabax. named Clorig, Crundelkrantz, Cullibek, and Voolp.
Illig regards Cullop XIX as a witless buffoon un-
Dl5. BULLYWUG HUT
worthy of the crown a nd pla ns to declare himse lf
The wooden door to this dwelling is closed but the rightful king. He proudly shows off a drawing on
not locked. the mud Aoor that depicts a crude image of Cullop
XIX with a dagger in his eye. Illig's plot is straight-
This hut has a steep thatch roof. A small wooden forwa rd: he intends to approach Cullop XJJC while
the king sits on his throne, prete nd to trip into him,
chest rests in the m iddle of the Aoor, and scattered and "accidentally" stick him in the eye with the dag-
ger. If Illig views the characters as cocons pirators,
around it are six fraying silk cushions. he's eager to hear wha t they think of his cunning
pla n. If they have a better one, he wa nts to hear it.
The air in here carries the stench of decaying fi s h. A
lit brazier hangs from a rafter, providing the dwelling's If the cha racters try to leave before Illig is ready
to pull off his attempted coup, rtlig a nd his allies be-
only light. come s uspicious of them unless the party succeeds
on a DC 13 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion)
No bullywugs are present. group check. On a failed check, the bullywugs at-
Treasure. The s ma ll wooden chest conta ins cook- tack the characters to prevent the m from betraying
Illig to Cullop XIX.
ware, spices, old fishbones. and a mummified toad.
A detect magic spell reveals a n a ura of evocation If one or more characters force their way inside, JI.
magic around the toad, and an identify spell or simi- lig's allies try to hold the intrude rs back long enough
lar magic reveals what it does. for Illig to use a n action to hurriedly wipe away the
plans drawn on the Aoor. If he s ucceeds in doing
If the mummified toad is tossed into a pot or ket- so, Illig feigns innocence while demanding that the
tle of water, it disappears and produces a darkness cha racters leave the hut at once.
s pell that emanates from the contai ne r and lasts for
10 minutes. Crate. The wooden crate has Bavlorna's na me

D16. BULLYWUG HUT scrawled on it in Sylvan. The hunting gear piled
on top of it includes a heavy crossbow, s ix cross-
The wooden door to this dwelling is ba rred s hut bow bolts, a hunting trap. and a rolled-up cape of
from the inside. If the cha racters knock on the door
or otherwise announce their a rriva l, a bullywug moss. Ins ide the crate are seven woodla nd a nimal
inside the dwelling c roaks (first in Bullywug a nd carcasses, which the bullywugs intend to deliver to
the n in Common), "Pus h the note under the door." Bavlorna (a n a mateur taxidermist) once Illig is in-
The bullywug is referring to the secret message the stalled as the new king of the Soggy Court.
characters received in area D6. If the characters
comply, the bullywug lifts the ba r, opens the door, Development. If the bullywug conspirators a re
and allows them ins ide. If the characte rs don't not s topped or the king is not warned. the coup
comply or don't have the note, a s uccessful DC 15 s ucceeds a nd Illig becomes King Illig I. If the char-
Charis ma (Persuasion) check convinces the bully- acters warn Cullop XIX or thwart the conspirators,
wug to open the door a nd le t the m in. Otherwise, a the coup fails.
cha racter can use an action to try to force open the
door, doing so with a s uccessful DC 13 Strength If the coup is thwarted because of the charac-
(Athletics) check. te rs' actions, Gullop XIX rewa rds them with lllig's
former title, dubbing each of the m ·'Duke of Muck-
Whe n the cha racte rs peer ins ide, read: stump." These titles come with no lands or holdings,
but other members of the Soggy Court are envious
Standing just inside the door is a jittery bullywug with and eager to befriend the new nobility.

a spear, and behind this guard is a wooden crate with

hunting gear piled atop it. Huddled in the back of the

hut a re four more bullywugs. Tension hangs heavy in

the air as one of the huddled bullywugs signals you to

enter and join their conversation.

C HAPT£R 2 I HITH ER 85

D17. KING'S MOUNT Animated Coals. If the characters attack the
magmin, eight of the coals from the bed spring to
The wooden door to this dwelling is closed but life and come to the magmin's defense. See the "An-
not locked. imated Coals" section in the description of area D4.

A frayed rope tethers a giant toad to a wooden post in What's Cooking? Inside the cauldron is a bub-
the middle ofthis hut. The toad looks uncomfortable bling, frothy, gray-black liquid that radiates an aura
of transmutation magic under the scrutiny of a de-
as a pair of sticky, webbed hands push their way out tect magic spell. Any creature that drinks a pint or
of its mouth. The toad's jaws open wide as it regurgi- more of the liquid is targeted by a polymorph spell
(save DC 14) that lasts for 1 hour. The creature is
tates a bullywug, who falls prone on the Aoor. transformed into either a giant frog (75 percent
chance) or a giant dragonfly (25 percent chance;
The giant toad is Gullop XIX's mount. The regur- see appendix C).
gitated bullywug (neutral) is the toad's handler,
Vlonk. "Swallow the guard" is a game the toad likes Unicorn Horn. If the Story Tracker indicates
to play. and Gullop has ordered Vlonk to le t himself that the missing unicorn's horn is here, the charac-
get swallowed whenever the toad wants to "play." ters can find it amid the coals. (Bavlorna kicked it
into the coals accidentally after one of her clumsy
Vlonk and the toad are indifferent toward the char- lornlings dropped it.) The soot-stained horn is
acters. If the characters seem friendly, Vlonk asks easy to spot once the cauldron scuttles out of the
them to mind the toad while he goes for a swim to way, because it tumbles into view when the mag-
wash the toad's saliva off bis skin. If the characters min appears.
agree to toad-sit, Vlonk returns 10 minutes later to
resume his duties. During Vian.k's absence, the toad Dl9. WATCH TOWER
tries to swallow at least one of the characters. How-
ever, it can't reach anyone more than 5 feet away A wood plank path leads up to this location from the
from the wooden post to which it is tethered. nearby dwellings (areas 016 and 017).

D18. BAVLORNA1S CAULDRON A ten-foot-high, raised wooden platform stands atop a

A bulbous, green-black cauldron with a thick lid sits mound of mossy earth and mud. Two bullywugs laze

above a bed of hot coals on six sturdy iron legs that at their guard post atop the platform, occasionally
protrude from its curved bottom like the extremities
peering through a long spyglass mounted on a swivel.
of a crab. A wooden ladle hangs from a lanyard looped
A frayed clothesline attached to one corner of the
around the lid's knob.
watch tower is festooned with patchwork garments.
Bavlorna's cauldron is 4 feet in diameter and 3 feet
tall. The cauldron is hot to the touch, because it is The line stretches out toward the nearby lake before
being heated by the coals. The cauldron's lid is held
shut by an arcane Jock spell, the password for which disappearing in the fog.
is "spittlespew." If anyone tries to remove the lid
without first speaking the password, the cauldron The mound on which the platform is built is 10
scuttles away; it has a walking speed of 30 feet and feet above water level at its highest point. The slip-
returns to its spot over the coals after 10 minutes. pery slope around the platform is difficult terrain.
No ladder or rope leads to the platform, since the
If the cauldron scuttles away, a magmin emerges bullywugs can simply leap to the top of the mound.
from within the pile of hot coals. It introduces it- The two bullywugs (neutral) stationed on the plat-
self as the coal tender and asks the characters, in form use the swiveling spyglass to keep an eye out
Ignan, "You want in that cauldron?" He offers to give for danger, though the device does not help them
them the password in exchange for some dry wood see through the thick fog.
(he loves the sound that dry wood makes when it
burns). If the characte rs give him a bundle of dry Clothesline. The clothesline attached to the watch
wood (which can be obtained from the darklings tower leads to Bavlorna's cottage (area 012) and has
in area 010), the magmin shares the password. a variety of frayed, patc hwork garments draped over
The magmin lingers until the cauldron returns, at it. The line can support an additional 200 pounds
which point the magmin dives under the coals and before snapping.
disappears.

-...

86 CHAPTER 2 I HITHER

BAVLORNA'S COTTAGE COTTAGE LOCATIONS

Bavlorna's cottage is heavily obscured by thick fog The following locations a re keyed to the ma p of Bav-
to a nyone 20 or more feet away from it. Clotheslines lorna 's cottage.
ha ng from the cottage's four corners and s tretch
acros s Murky Lake to the ir anchor points a t a reas Bl. PRESERVATION POOL
0 4, 011 , 013. a nd 019. Eac h line ca n s upport 200
pounds of adde d we ight be fore s napping. T his loca tion is access ible th rough the cottage's
tra pdoor entra nce tha t leads up from Murky La ke.
The cottage is a massive wooden edifice built on
s tilts, its fl oor 35 feet above the la ke. It s its atop a n A re cessed pool lined with m old y clay tiles takes up
well tha t exte nds up through the floor into a rea Bl.
A ricke ty wooden sta ircase with no railing rises mos t of this large squa re room . Stagnant water fills
from the la ke. wrapping around the well as it climbs
to a woode n trapdoor in the floor of a rea Bl. the depression to a d e p th of o n e foot. Rising from

The cotta ge's physical fe atures a re as follows: the pool's center is the head o f a s tone well that gives

Ceilings and Rooftops. Unless otherwise noted , off an unpleasant, pungent odo r. In o ne corner of the
ceilings a re 10 feet high on the lower levels
a nd 20 feet high on the uppe rmost floor. The p ool s tands a tall. dirty, freesta nding mirror in a n oval
s hingled rooftop is high-pitche d. covered with
moss, and too s lippery to climb w ithout m agic or frame, and Aoat ing o n the water is a large lily pad.

cl imbing gear. Creaky wooden Aoorboards are arranged in a ten-
Doors and Trapdoors. All doors in the cottage a re
foot-wide ra ised walkway a round th e pool. This walk-
closed but unlocked, except for the door to a rea
B19. The cottage's doors and tra pdoors a re made way is crowded with shelves, tables. and stools in all
of moldy woode n pla nks, ma ny of w hich a re s wol-
le n a nd warped ; conseque ntly, they ofte n get stuck s h a p es and styles. Almost every available surface 1s
in their fra mes or refuse to close prope rly, though
this has no e ffect on game play. littered with stacks of d irty plates, scraps of food, and
Floors and Stairs. Floors a nd s tairca ses a re ma de
of mossy wooden pla nks that creak, groan, a nd o ld junk. Dressing dumm ies are pushed together in
bend unde rfoot. Crossing a floor or us ing a s ta ir-
case w ithout maki ng noise requires a s uccessful o n e co rne r, and a wooden s taircas e s p irals up from
DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Light. If a location has light sources , the text says a no t her corner. Five clos ed doors lead from the room.
so. Othe r wise, the a rea is unlit.
Walls and Windows. T he cottage's wa lls a re m ade Dress Dummies. S even humanoid-s hape d
of soft, m ossy wood a nd don't burn easily due dressing dummies sta nd in the corne r-four of
to the mois ture trapped in the m. Windows are Medium s ize a nd three of S ma ll s ize. Six o f the m
hinged to be openable but a re la tched s hut from a re adorne d with Bavlorna's s hoddy, home-s titched
the inside a nd covere d with e nough grime to re n- garme nts. The othe r one is ba re except for a n ugly,
de r them opaque. A c ha racter can use a n action to black pointed hat that is, in fact. a darkmantle. It
try to force o pen a la tched w indow, doing so w ith a attacks a nyone othe r tha n Bavlorna who to uches
s uccessful DC 8 S tre ngth check. A cha racter can it. If it makes a s uccessful me lee a ttack agains t a
use a n action a nd thieves' tools to try to unlock a creature tha t happens to be wearing a he lm. a hat,
latched w indow from the outs ide , doing s o with a or some othe r kind of headwear. the darkmantle
s uccessful DC 13 Dexterity check. grabs a nd removes the he adwear and flees with it
rathe r tha n dea ling dama ge to the ta rge t or e nvelop-
BAVLORNA1S LORNLINGS ing its head.

Bavlorna's paranoia leads her to rely primarily on Magic Mirror. A detect magic s pe ll reveals a n
servants that she creates herself. The most common aura of conjuration magic around the freesta nd-
among them are her lornlings (use the quickling_stat ing mirror. which acts as a portal. Touching the
block in appendix C). These tiny creatures l~ok like . re flective s urface of the mirror while speaking the
miniature versions of Bavlorna. They are quick and A1t comma nd word, "ba nders natch," causes the s urface
to become a s w irling vortex of mis t. A c reature that
about the cottage at her bidding. s teps into this vortex is ins ta ntly tra ns ported to
the Ha ll of Illus ions in the Witch light Ca rnival (see
cha pter 1). In the Ha ll of Illus ions. the porta l resem-
bles a n oval doorway of s w irling mis t that r ema ins
active for 1 m inute. While the porta l is active , a
creatu re in the Ha ll of Illus ions ca n pass through it
a nd reappear in front of the mirror or in the neares t
unoccupied s pace. Once the porta l closes, it ca n't
be reopened except by touching the mirror's s urface
a nd s peaking the password aga in.

C H A PTER 2 I HI T H ER 87

88 CHAPTER 2 I HITHER

Breaking the mirror renders it nonmagical and This area is where Bavlorna stuffs dead crea-
closes the portal instantly. The mirror is a Medium tures and stitches the m together to create
object with AC 13, 4 hit points, and immunity to poi- chimeric horrors.
son and psychic damage.
Crate. Bavlorna's name is scrawled on one side
Pool. Stairs lead down into the pool from one of the crate. Lifting the lid releases a harmless
corner of the surrounding walkway. Bavlorna tries swarm of flies. The crate contains the carcass of a
to bathe in the pool once a day to keep her skin from curled-up, eight-legged re ptile with spikes running
drying out and cracking, but the well that supplies down its back. With a success ful DC 15 Intelligence
the water has stopped working. Characters who (Nature) check, a character can dete rmine that it's
peer into the well can see that it is filled with calm
wate r almost to the brim. Bavlorna doesn't know the carcass of a basilis k.
it, but the cause of the faulty well is a 10-foot-high Worktable. Along with the tools and specimens,
gelatinous cylinder (use the gelatinous cube stat
block) that's blocking the normal flow of water. The the table has a small box with drawers that contain
creature's presence has also contaminated the wa- glass eyes. One of the eyes is made of wood. and it
ter above it, rendering it mildly acidic- not enough belongs to Bavlorna's sister. Ska batha Nightshade
to cause damage, but enough to make one's skin tin- (see chapter 4).
gle uncomfortably. A character who experiences this
tingling can, with a successful DC 15 Intelligence B3. FABRIC STORAGE ROOM I
(Nature) check, ascertain that something akin to a
gelatinous cube has lodged itself in the well. IScraps of cloth and bundles of yarn are piled through-
out this small room.
The gelatinous cylinder lurks 10 feet down inside
the well and is invisible in the water. It attacks any This is Bavlorna's fabric storage closet. where s he
creature and dissolves any organic material that takes lost and forgotten garme nts a nd cuts them
comes in contact with it. If a creature lowers itself into lengths of cloth from which s he creates her own
into the water, attacks the ooze from above, and clothes. Characters who s earch the room find two
then exits the well, the gelatinous cylinder squirms 1-foot-tall pincushions sewn into humanoid shapes.
up the shaft in pursuit, emerging from the well and One of the pincushions is mounted on a tiny wooden
thus unplugging it. The cylinder is 10 feet high and rocking horse; the other has a pa ir of wooden wings .
10 feet in diameter. When it is lured out of the well The pincushions re pres ent Bavlorna's s is ters, Ska-
or killed, the flow of water resumes in a torrent, fill- batha and Endelyn.
ing the pool to a depth of 3 feet in 1 minute.
B4. RICKETY STAIRS
Treasure. The lily pad floating on the water is a
magic item called a bobbing lilypad (see appendix A flight of stairs runs along the outs ide wall of the cot-
A). Bavlorna is attuned to it curre ntly. tage, with wooden doors at the top an d bottom of it.
A rickety railing hugs the edge of the s taircase, which
B2. TAXIDERMYWORKSHOP looms above the foggy lake. A s teady dron ing sound
comes from a shadowed corner above the door at the
A horse's head leers at you with glossy eyes, its lips top ofthe stairs.

drawn back from pointed yellow teeth. The head is af- This outdoor s tairway connects area Bl on the firs t
floor with area B13 on the s econd floor, but the
fixed to a large, eight-limbed armature made ofwicker steps are in bad shape. A character who examines
the stairs and succeeds on a DC IO Wis dom (Per-
and wire, situated so that it faces the doorway where ception) check discovers that the second and third
ste ps from the bottom are rotted a nd incapable of
you entered. Near it is a wooden crate. supporting much weight. If mo re tha n 40 pounds of
weight is applied to e ither one, both s te ps give way.
Flies buzz about this disordered room, landing When that happens , any creature s ta nding on them
must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a
occasionally on animal carcasses that lie strewn in successful save, the creature s tops s hort of falling
through the gap. On a failed save, the creature
small piles. On a low table rests an assortment of plunges 35 feet into the 20-foot-deep lake s urround-
ing the cottage, taking no damage. A character who
tools- saws, knives, scrapers, a hand-cranked drill, falls into the lake while wearing heavy armor s inks

sewing thread and needles, and awls-around several

taxidermic subjects in various stages of completion. A

shelfthat looks on the verge ofcollapse leans against

the wall between two windows and bears the weight

of dozens of stuffed horrors. Each one is an artless

combination of two or more animals.

C H APT ER 2 I HIT H ER 8g

to the bottom but can. on their turn. swim to the • Unope ned love le tte rs (not written or addressed 10
s urface with a s uccessful D C 10 Stre ngth (Athlet- Bavlorna, but to long-dead people with whom Bav-
ics) check. lorna has had dealings)

Wasp Nest. A 7-foot-long, 5-foot-wide wasp nest • Old, frayed, coiled-up belts
clings to a s hadowy corne r above the door at the • Pressed flowers and loose dried petals
top of the s ta irs , outside a rea B13. The nes t is • A horseshoe
a Medium object with AC 11, 12 hit points, and • Feathers from various birds
immunity to poison a nd psychic damage. It holds a • A chipped teacup
swarm ofinsects (wasps) tha t is incapacitated and
re ma ins so until the nest is dis turbed or damaged. B6.BALCONY
Pa rt of the nest overla ps the door, and ope ning the
door dis turbs the nest. This ten-foot-wide balcony runs almost the length
of the cottage and is covered from end to end with
While the wasps a re in the nest, a ny damage living frogs. At each end of the balcony, attached to
dealt to the nest applies to the swa rm as well. Once one corner of the cottage just beyond easy reach, is a
it e me rges from the nes t, the s warm is hos tile to- clothesline draped with patchwork garments. The two
wa rd all othe r creatures on the stairs. The swarm lines stretch out over the lake and disappear into the
purs ues creatures tha t flee into the cottage , but not thick fog.
creatures that jump or fall into the la ke.
If anyone steps onto the balcony, the hundreds of
B5. TROVE OF L ESSER GOODIES ha rmless frogs on the balcony croak in unison,
alerting Bavlorna wherever she happe ns to be in the
The door to this room creaks loudly whe n ope ned. cottage. If one or more of the frogs are killed, the
rest leap into the lake below.
A large cupboard stands alone in this dark room . Fine
If she hears the croaking frogs, Bavlorna sends
scrollwork frames the cupboard's two doors , which three of he r lornlings (use the quickling stat block
in appendix C) to investigate and report back to her.
are bridged by a circular panel of dark wood. The They avoid combat.

panel is inlaid with a silver hourglass sigil. B7. HALLWAY

If Sir Ta lavar the fae rie dragon was recaptured a nd The s piral staircase in area Bl leads up to this hall-
brought he re, he re mains trapped in his cage , which way on the second floor.
ha ngs from a hook protruding from a wall next to
the cupboard. The walls of this dank hallway are covered with scores
of portraits depicting grumpy, sad, frightened, and
The cupboard is locked but can be unlocked by angry people. The figures include humans, elves,
rotating the circular panel so that the hourglass sigil halfl ings, bullywugs, and goblins, among others. The
is turned upside down. Characte rs who e xamine the portraits are rendered in a variety of mediums, includ-
sigil can ascertain, with a successful DC 10 Intelli- ing paintings, etchings, and sketches. All are displayed
gence (Investigation) check, that it can be manipu- in gaudy, gilded frames .
la ted sa fely.
A framed oval mirror two feet wide and five fe et tall
The inside of the cupboard is divided into rows of hangs in the middle of one wall.
s mall compa rtments , each one stuffed with pouches
or other tiny containe rs . One of the containers is a The hall has closed doors lead ing to a reas B8,
teacup-s ized ce ra mic cauldron, inside which is a B10, and B16.
scra p of pa pe r with the word "spittlespew" writte n
on it in Common. (This is the password to ope n the Oval Mirror and Secret Door. A detect magic
cauldron in a rea D18.) s pell reveals a n aura of trans mutation magic around
this mirror. The mirror's fra me is s tuck to the wall
Bavlorna keeps various meme ntos and trinke ts in with s overeign glue, a nd the mirror ca n't be re-
the cupboard, includ ing: moved without destroying it. The mirror alters the
reflection of any creature tha t gazes into it, render-
• Loose buttons of va rious s ha pes, colors, ing the reflection be reft of expression or e motion,
a nd materia ls except if a creature s miles into the mirror. In that

• S tray cutlery (all from differe nt sets)

90 CHA PTER 2 I HITHER

case, the creature's re fl ection also smiles, and a re turn to their normal s ize. If a c reature is unde r the
secret door in the wall holding the mirror swings cabine t when it e nla rges to Small or Medium size, it
inwa rd, revealing a hidden passage (area 89). is pinned underneath the cabinet. While pinned in
this way, the c reature is prone a nd restra ined. On
Any character who examines the wall be hind the each of its turns, it can use an action to try to free
mirror and s ucceeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (P ercep- itself, doing so with a s uccessful DC 16 Strength
tion) c heck sees the edges of the secret door, which (Athle tics) check.
can a lso be forced open with a knock s pell or si mi-
la r magic. 8avlorna can ope n the secret door with- BlO. STUDY
out having to s mile or use magic.
Two creatu res are having a conversation over tea in
B8. GUEST ROOM the m iddle of thi s room. The first figure is seated in a
timeworn armc hair. She is a tall, lean woman of gray
This is a dus ty, uncluttered room. Several s hadow complexion, dressed in black with a wide-brimmed
boxes hang on the wall to either side of a modest hat obscuring her eyes. The other figure is a toad-like
bed with moldering linens. Most of the shadow creature with bulging eyes a nd cracked skin. It is clad
boxes contain mummified pix ies pinned to boards in a shapeless ga rment a nd s its on one end of a love
like a collection of butterflies. The glass on one of seat with its legs pulled up beneath it. Flies flit into
the shadow boxes has been broken, a nd its contents and out of its mouth, which hangs aga pe when it is n' t
speaking. Two tiny versio ns of the creature cling to it
are missing.
like pets.
B9. SECRET PASSAGE The room is filthy. Dirty dishes and bits of d isca rded

8avlorna has forgotten about this secret passage, food lie everywhere. The furniture was perhaps once
which connects areas B7 and B10. of fine quality, but now stains of mysterious origin
mottle every surface, and the upholstery has been
lA moldy scent hangs in the air in this dark, L-shaped ] patched numerous t imes . Set with its back to the wall
hallway. in one corner is a hulking wooden cabi net. Sturdy legs
The secret d oor leading to area 87 is easily s potted support the bottom of the cabinet six inches above
from this s ide but requires a knock spell or s imilar the floor. A dec repit wooden staircase climbs up the
wall in another co rner.
magic to open. Only Bavlorna can open the secre t
The toad-like creature is Bavlorna Blightstraw (see
door without using magic. a ppe ndix 8), a nd s he is joined by two of her lorn-
Shrinking Effect. Creatures and objects in the lings (use the quickling stat block in appendix C).

hallway magically shrink in s ize as they get closer 8avlorna has not s ubmerged herself in her preser-
to area B10. They are normal s ize at the e nd of the vation pool in some time, a nd he r skin is brittle a nd
hall closest to a rea 87, one-half their normal s ize a t cracked. lf s he has been warned about intrude rs,
the be nd in the hallway, and one-twentieth their nor- Bavlorna fixes he r bulging eyes on the characte rs as
mal size at the end of the ha ll closest to area 810.
Shrunken creatures have disadvantage on Stre ngth they come into view:
checks a nd Strength saving throws, and their weap-
ons deal ld4 less damage at one-half to one-tenth IThe toad-like creature speaks to you in a low croaking I
s ize, or 2d6 less damage at s ma ller than one-tenth voice. "What ac t of desperatio n compels you to e nte r
my home, little darlings?"
size (minimum damage of 1 in either case). S ee "Dealing w ith 8 avlorna" below for advice o n
One minute afte r a c reature or a n object leaves the how to run an encounte r with the hag, keeping in
mind the rules of hospitality, ownership. a nd rec-
tunnel, the s hrinking e ffect on it e nds, w he re upon it iprocity to which s he adheres (see "Rules of Con-

returns to its normal size. duct" earlie r in the c hapter).
Tiny Door. A solid wall seems to block access 8avlorna has a n iron key tucked in one of the

to a rea 810, but closer inspection reveals a 2-inch- pockets o f her garment: this key unlocks the door
wide, 4-inch-tall mouse hole at the base of the wall.
This mouse hole is blocked by a tiny wooden door to area 819.
that is barred on this s ide by a steel needle. Lifting
the needle allows the tiny door to be pulled open
easily, revealing a moldy stretch of floor unde rneath

the potion cabinet that stands against the wall

in area 810.
Development. Shrunken c reatures that pass

through the tiny door have 1 minute to move out
from under the cabine t into a rea B10 before they

CHAPTER 2 f HITHER gr

The ta ll, s lender figu re in black is Charm, a dark- Find the Missing Book. Bavlorna's Big Book ofBad
ling elder (see appendix C) who works for Endelyn Blood has gone mfasing. It contains copious notes
Moon grave as a thief but poses a s a traveling me r- on everyone who has wronged her. She ass umes
cha nt. When the characters arrive, Charm is gossip- the book hasn't been take n far and wants the char-
ing with Bavlorna abou t the h ag's siste rs, Endelyn acters to search Downfall for it. (The book is cur-
a nd Skabatha. The conversation is a distraction, re ntly in the hands of Gullop XIX, the bullywug
buying time for Cha rm's shadow to perpetrate a king in are a D6. If the characters have already
he ist in a rea Bl9. C ha racte rs w ho have a pass ive de alt with GuUop and a re returning the book to
Wisdom (P erception) score of 13 or higher notice Bavlorna, s he conside rs this chore complete.)
that the black-clad figure doesn't cast a shadow.
This is not a tra it that da rk.lings possess, but rathe r Pick Up a Package. Bavlorna fancies herself an
the result of Ende lyn's us ing her s cissors ofshadow expe rt in taxidermy, and a bullywug hunter has
snipping (see appendix A) to cut loose Cha rm's filled a crate with animal carcasses for Bavlorna
s hadow and tra nsform it into a s eparate creature. to stuff. The crate can be found in one of the bul-
S ee chapte r 4 for more information on Endelyn and lywug dwe llings (area 016), and Bavlorna wants it
her magic scissors. brought to her.

Dealing with Bavlorna. Before she'll agree to When all three chores are c omplete, Bavlorna in-
help the cha racters in a ny way, Bavlorna demands sists on taking a short rest in her preservation pool
that they complete the following three chores: to moisten her skin. Only then will she consider bar-
gaining with the characters.
Fix the Preservation Pool. Bavlorna's preservation
pool (se e a rea Bl) won't fill with wa te r. It seems While the characters are busy performing one or
the well tha t s upplies it is plugged. Bavlorna more of Bavlorna's unfinished chores, the da rkling
wa nts the cha racte rs to fix the proble m. (If the elder and her elusive shadow find what they were
characters have a lready defeated the creature that after and return to their balloon (area 010). The
was plugging the we ll, s he cons ide rs this chore darklings then unmoor the ir balloon and drift away
comple te.) toward Yon. If the darklings escape, the characters
might encounter them again in chapter 4.

CHA PTER 2 I H I THElt

If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook and (Bavlorna swallowed the key for safekeeping but
the Story Tracker indicates that Bavlorna has one can regurgitate it as needed.) A character can use an
or more things in her possession that the characters action and thieves' tools to try to pick the lock, doing
desire, s he agrees to give up these items on one con- so with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.
dition: she wants the characters to steal a portrait
of her older sister, Skabatha. and deliver it to Bav- The cabinet contains two shelves:
lorna's cottage within eight days. Bavlorna provides
three pieces of information before spitting into her • The bottom shelf holds three magic potions with
hand and requiring the characters to shake it, thus labels in Elvish: a potion ofdiminution labeled
"Shrink," a potion ofgrowth labeled ..Grow." and a
sealing the bargain: potion ofinvisibility labeled "Vanish."

• Loom lurch is a giant, hollowed-out tree located • The top shelf holds a stuffed cat that shambles to
deep in the forest of Thither. Skabatha uses it life when the cabinet is opened. The cat formerly
belonged to Bavlorna's sister, Endelyn. (She sus-
as a la ir. pects Bavlorna stole the cat, but she has no proof.)
• Skabatha's portrait is displayed in a circular room The cat, Gloam, is hostile toward all creatures
except Bavlorna. It uses the cat stat block, except
in the heart of Loomlurch, alongside portraits of it is an Undead, has immunity to poison damage,
her three sisters: Bavlorna, Endelyn, and Tasha. and is immune to exhaustion and the poisoned
(Bavlorna won't add anything about Tasha if the condition. On its first turn in combat or when it is
characters press for more information about her.) reduced to Ohit points. the cat expels a cloud of
To reach Thither, the characters need a guide. dust that acts as dust ofsneezing and choking.
There's a scarecrow in Downfall who knows the
way (she can't remember the scarecrow's name). Tiny Door. Characters who look underneath the
potion cabinet see a tiny door built into a 2-inch-
If Skabatha's portrait is brought to Bavlorna on wide, 4-inch-tall mouse hole at the base of the wall.
time, the hag fulfills he r end of the bargain. 1f the The door is barred on the other side. but a character
characters fail to deliver Skabatha's portrait within can use an action to try to force open the door, doing
the agreed-upon time. each character who agreed so with a successful DC 10 Strength check. The
to the bargain must succeed on a DC 19 Charisma door opens into a secret passage (area B9).
saving throw or be cursed. While cursed in this way,
the character loses one cherished possession (cho- BIL AVIARY
sen by you). This possession disappears and is not
regained until the curse ends. Bavlorna can end the Slivers oflight enter through cracks in the shutters
curse on a character (no action required). as can any
spell that ends a curse. that cover three tall windows. The light reveals the

If the characters were drawn to Prismeer by the shapes of several pedestals. On each one rests an
"Warlock's Quest" adventure hook. they can strike a
different bargain with Bavlorna, but she won't deal object with a patchwork cloth draped over it. Wilting
with anyone who claims to be searching for a way to
help Zybilna and thereby weaken the Hourglass Co- ferns in crumbling clay pots give the room its earthy
ven. First and foremost. Bavlorna wants Skabatha's
portrait (with the same time restrictions as the smell. The Aoor is covered in a layer of straw.
"Lost Things" bargain above) and is willing to trade
for it. Once she has the portrait, her greed might fo- This is Bavlorna's aviary. where she uses taxidermy
cus on something else in Skabatha's possession, at birds to send and receive messages from her coven
your discretion. sisters. Outside two of the room's windows are
small wooden balconies. each one corresponding to
If Bavlorna feels threatened, or if a fight turns a sister. The word "Thither'' is scrawled above the
against her, she flees to Thither on her bobbing lily window to the east balcony, while the word "Yon"
pad (in area Bl) and reluctantly takes refuge with is scrawled above the window to the north balcony.
her older sister, Skabatha (see chapter 3 for details). Messages meant for a particular sister are sent from
the corresponding balcony.
If s he has no option but to fight. Bavlorna doesn't
hesitate to swallow one of the characte rs. 1f she is On the pedestals are cages that hold seven birds.
later forced to regurgitate the character. she also each of which has the head of one avian species and
expels a small iron key. The key unlocks the potion the body ofanother. They squawk and flutter about
anxiously if the drapes covering their cages are re-
cabinet in this room. moved. Each bird uses the hawk stat block, except
Potion Cabinet. The cabinet in the corner is made it is an Undead, has immunity to poison damage,
and is immune to exhaustion and the poisoned
of wood that is still covered with bark and patches condition.
of moss. There's a lock in the middle of the right
panel. but it's obscured beneath hanging moss.

CHAPTER 2 I HITHER 93

Bl2. MEAT LOCKER the redcap reveals that Bavlorna has a weakness:
she is allergic to seeing anyone run widdershins
The door to this room is closed and cold to (in tight counterclockwise circles) near her. Such a
the touch. sight causes the hag to sneeze uncontrollably.

This room is freezing. Chunks of frozen meat dangle Bl4. CAGES
from the ceiling on hooks and chains. Along the walls,
more meat is stacked in piles on metal racks. If the characters are offered to Bavlorna as prison-
ers, they are locked up here.
A small , frost-covered wooden coffer sits in the
m iddle of the floor. The cold seems to be radiating Three large iron cages hang from wooden beams that

from it . extend out from this balcony over the lake below.

The cold isn't likely to harm the characters unless Trapped inside one of the cages is a smiling satyr.
they spend an hour or more in the room, in which
case the rules for extreme cold apply (see the Dun- "Hello there!" he says.
geon Master's Guide).
These iron cages are used to store soon-to-be-butch-
The wooden coffer is frozen shut but can be pried ered meat. Each cage can hold up to two Medium
open with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athlet- creatures, and each beam can be hoisted up over
ics) check. This check is made with advantage if a the balcony using a crank that is attached to the
crowbar or simila r tool is use d. The coffer contains railing. A character can use an action to try to bend
the still-beating heart of an elf named Octavian Me- the bars of a cage, doing so with a successful DC 25
liamne (see area D14). If the heart is removed from Strength (Athletics) check, or use thieves' tools to
the coffer or the room, the spell that cools the room try to pick a cage's lock, doing so with a successful
is broken, and everything in the room begins to DC 15 Dexterity check.
thaw as the room s lowly warms up.
The satyr, Vansel, is not wearing any clothes.
Bl3. KITCHEN Harengon brigands stole his clothes while he
was bathing. When he chased them, he ended up
Any character w ho listens at one of the doors hears trapped in a net and was brought to Bavlorna. He's
a loud ruckus coming from inside. in good spirits despite his current situation, believ-
ing everything will work out and he'll have quite a
In this gore-spattered kitchen, a stout figure with story to tell afterward. If the characters release him,
a stained apron, iron boots, a crimson cap, and a he searches the kitchen (area B13) for something to
bloody meat cleaver chases a pair of vultures around a wear and finds a grease-stained tablecloth he can
butcher's block while the squawking birds fight over a use as a robe. He also finds a bottle of wine and guz-
scrap of meat. zles it down. Appendix D has additional roleplaying
notes for Vansel.
The butcher's block is a s lab of blood-e ncrusted
wood that occupies the middle of the kitchen. Treasure. Vansel stays close to his rescuers until
Dirty cutlery and mismatched plates and pots bal- he's clear of Bavlorna's cottage, at which point he
ance in precarious piles in and around a wooden thanks the characters a nd bids them adieu. Then,
wash basin. suddenly remembering the rule of reciprocity (see
"Rules of Conduct" earlie r in the chapter), he picks
The sma\1 figure is a female redcap (see appendix up a stick, whispers to it, and hands it to one of the
C) named Bloody Toes. She was carving up some characters. If a character accepts the gift, a tiny
meat when two vultures flew in through the door flower blooms at one e nd of the stick. Until this
to the balcony (area B14). The characters' presence flower wilts and falls off 24 hours later, the stick has
doesn't a larm or bother her. ln fact, she asks the the properties of a stone ofgood luck that doesn't
characters for help in getti ng rid of the vultures. require attunement.

Bloody Toes serves Bavlorna as a chef and Bl5. PANTRY
butc he r. The hag has forbidden the redcap from at-
tacking or murdering guests, so Bloody Toes fights This room conta ins dozens of pickling jars on
only in s elf-defense. The redcap despises everyone wooden racks. Most of the jars are filled with pig
and everything, but s he hates Bavlorna most of all. s nouts, toads, small birds, onions, mushrooms, and
lf the characters claim to be at odds with Bavlorna, other cooking ingre dients. One of the jars contai ns
a campestri (see appendix C) that bursts into song
if released.

C HA PTER 2 I HI T H E R

Bl6. DINING ROOM throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save,
or half as much damage on a successful one.
This room has two exits. Above each door, mounted
on a wooden plaque, is a severed goblin head with its Bl8. BAVLORNA'S BEDROOM
mouth agape. Other furnishings include a sideboard,
two cupboards with doors made ofwood-framed The stairs in area BlO lead up into this room.
glass, and a large banquet table covered with plates of
A ball of light bobs above the rafters, casting shadows
half-eaten food and a swarm of feasting Aies. A chan-
delier hangs above the table, its tallow candles filling over this room, in which the owner's messy habits are
the room with dim, flickering light. Six mismatched
chairs flank the table-three chairs per side. on full display. Rumpled and moldering rugs share

Two of Bavlorna's lornlings (use the quickling floor space with food scraps, stacks of dirty dishes,
stat block in appendix C) hide in the mouths of the
severe d goblin beads mounted above the doors. and tipped-over clay pots whose plants have long
Any character who peers into one of these gaping
mouths spots the lornJing hidden in it. The lornling since died.
stares back at the character but doesn't attack.
A bed that occupies one corner of the room has a
These lornlings know that Bavlorna bas a magic
mirror (in area Bl) that can transport creatures to pile of straw in place of a mattress. In the opposite
the Witchlight Carnival, and they trade this infor-
mation in exchange for their lives. Each of them has corner stands a squat chest of drawers with a watering
overheard Bavlorna speak the mirror's command
word ("bandersnatch"), but they can't remember or can resting atop it. The only other furnishing of note
pronounce the word accurately. Instead, they say
phrases such as, "blunder scratch," "bangle stash," is a stocky wooden chest with a sturdy iron padlock. It
"banter catch," "bandy crasher," "bumble snatch,"
and "babble scrabble.'' sits in another corner between two closed doors.

Bl7. HOOCH DISTILLERY The ball of light floating near the 20-foot-high ceil-
ing is a will-o'-wisp, which drifts down toward the
A contraption made ofentangled copper tubes con- characters if they move into the room. It attacks only
nects to a pot-bellied boiler and a dozen cylindrical if they try to remove the chest or any of its contents
containers, which in turn sprout even more tubes from the room without first opening the chest using
that feed into buckets. Barrels are clustered in the the proper key (see "Thirsty Plants" and "Treasure"
southeast corner, and a worktable in one corner of below). If reduced to 10 hit points or fewer, the will-
the room has bits of copper and metalworking tools o'-wisp turns invisible and tries to flee; if it escapes,
strewn across it. Light filters in through the green, dia- it flies to Bavlorna and warns her about the intrud-
mond-shaped panes of glass set into the window. ers in her bedchamber.

Bavlorna distills her supply of mushroom-based Chest ofDrawers. This chest contains folded
alcohol here. The complex network of copper tubes dresses and other garments that Bavlorna wears oc-
takes up much of the room. Six buckets collect the casionally. None of them were made for her, but she
stinking alcohol. The barrels are filled with this has adjusted them to fit her toadish form. All of the
homemade brew, and each one weighs 250 pounds. garments are discolored from age and neglect.

The still's structural integrity is on the brink of The watering can on the chest is rusty and con-
failure. Any creature that disturbs the distillery tains a gallon of water.
must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw
or knock something loose or out of alignment. On a East Door. This door leads to Bavlorna's trove
failed save, roll a d8. On a 1, the still explodes, blow- of greater goodies (area Bl9), where she keeps her
ing out the glass window but leaving the barrels most prized items.
intact. When the explosion occurs, each creature
in the room must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving South Door. This door leads to a small, empty
balcony that looks out over Murky Lake (area D7).
95
Thirsty Plants. There are four dead plants in
tipped-over pots. Each one is a twig blight with a
speed of O feet because it is rooted to its pot. The
twig blights are thirsty but unable to reach the wa-
tering can resting on the chest of drawers. If the
characters help the twig blights by standing them
upright and watering them. one of them pulls a
black-enameled iron key out of the dirt in its pot
and gives it to the characters. This key unlocks the
wooden chest in this room (see "Treasure" below).

Treasure. The padlocked chest has clawed iron
feet and the initials B.B. crudely carved into its lid.
It takes 1 minute and a successful DC 15 Dexter-
ity check using thieves' tools to pick the padlock.

C HAPTER 2 I HITH ER

On a check that fails by 5 or more, or if the lock is The shadow is a Fey, not an Undead. lt tries to slip
smashed off, the chest transforms into a Small an- past the characters into area B18. using its Amor-
imated object and attacks whoever tried to ope n it phous trait to slip underneath the door if a character
(see the animate objects spell for its statistics). closes it. It then moves onto the balcony in that area
and jumps in the lake, where it waits to rejoin the
The chest conta ins the following ite ms: darkling elde r. The shadow doesn't attack, and it
drops the spool of thread if it can't escape with it.
• A 12-inch-tall marione tte tha t Bavlorna stole The spool, unlike the shadow, is too wide to fit un-
from he r sister, Endelyn. lt has faces on opposite der the door.
sides of its head. One face is a moon , and the
other is a sun. As an art object, the marionette is Bavlorna's sister, Endelyn Moongrave, covets the
worth 25 gp. spool of thread and has sent Charm to steal it. The
thread is the color of frustration and self-doubt,
• An unpunched ticke t from the Witchlight Carnival. as perceived by the beholder (meaning that each
The ticket is signed by Isolde, the carnival's orig- creature sees the thread's color as the hue it associ-
ina l owner. ates most with such emotions), and it confers these
feelings on anyone who wears garments sewn with
• Three spell scrolls of identify tied together with a it. Even touching the thread evokes these nega-
lute s tring. tive emotions.

Bl9. BAVLORNA1S HOARD Junk. Bavlorna's "treasure hoard" consists of
worthless junk and the following special objects:
The door to this room is locked. and Bavlorna has
the key on he r pe rson. The characters might have • A stag's skull hangs on a wall hook 5 feet above
a key as well, if they acquired one from the awak- the floor. This skull is Clapperclaw's missing head
e ned tree on Tele my Hill or Bavlorna. As an action, (see area DS for details).
a character using thieves' tools can try to pick the
door's lock, doing so with a successful DC 20 Dex- • A porcelain jar made of varnished white clay rests
te rity check. Alternatively, a character can use an on a wooden table. The jar has legs that have been
action to try to break down the door, doing so with a painted to look like the legs of a chicken. Inside
successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check. the jar are two broken pieces of a wishbone. If
the characters touch the two pieces together, they
This musty room looks li ke a miser's attic. Lying in hear Bavlorna's voice in their heads say, "Ska-
tall heaps are discarded blankets, quilts, cushions, batba forgets the first creature she sees when she
and clothing of all shapes and sizes, not to mention wakes up, although her memory of it returns each
musical instruments, toys, dolls, jewelry boxes, flower night when s he sleeps. A creature forgotten by
vases, child-sized caskets, and broken furniture. Skabatha in this manner is invisible to her."

Among the heaps of junk are a few oddities, includ- • A wooden mannequin wears a helm oftelepathy.
ing a stag's skull hanging on one wall, a white porce- 1f the helm is removed from the mannequin, the
lain jar with chicken legs standing on a table, a fancy mannequin animates and tries to get the helm
helmet placed on the faceless head of a wooden man- back by attacking whoever has it. The mannequin
nequin, and a five-foot-long bronze statue of a giant uses the animated armor stat block but has AC
frog squatting in a corner, its mouth agape and filled 15. If it reacquires the helm, the mannequin dons
w ith impenetrable darkness. A weak croaking sound the helm and reverts to its inanimate state until
calls your attention to a tiny, shriveled figure lying on the helm is removed again. Placing a different
the floor. It lets out one final gasp before dying. piece of headgear on its bare head has the effect of
rendering the mannequin inanimate permanently.
The tiny figure is one of Bavlorna's lornlings. It was
killed by the shadow of the darkling elder in area Bronze Frog Statue. Magical darkness fills the
810. The shadow has detached from the darkJing inside of this statue's gaping mouth, allowing no
and roams freely. If the characters arrive he re while light to e nter. The mouth leads to an extradimen-
Bavlorna is entertaining the dark.Jing elder, they in- sional s pace. If a character reaches into the statue's
terrupt a heist being carried out by the shadow: mouth, read the following boxed text, addressing
that character's player:
A shape moves in the gloom-a dark humanoid figure
lurking among the junk. It clutches a large spool of Your limb disappears into the darkness, and it feels as
thread in one hand as it heads for the door.
though your fingers were pushing through cool mud

with eels swimming through it.

96 C H APTER 2 I HITH ER

To gra b hold of something a nd pull it from the s tat- If the characters thwa rt Charm's s hadow and pre-
ue's mouth, a character mus t say the name of what vent the da rkling e ider's escape , Bavlorna attacks
they desire. If the desire d thing is in the extradime n- the darkling e lde r a nd tries to swallow her. Then,
s ional s pace, it mate ria lizes in the cha racte r's h a nd. adhering to the rule of reciprocity (see "Rules of
Ifyou're using the "Lost Things" a dve nture hook Conduct" earlier in the chapter). Bavlorna agrees 10
and Bavlorna has turned one or more of the cha rac- negotiate with the characters even if they have not
ters' long-los t possessions into magic items, these yet pe rforme d a ny chores for he r.
ite ms can be retrieved from the statue's extradime n-
FROM HITHER TO THITHER
sional space.
The bronze frog s tatue weighs 750 pounds a nd is The characters might travel to Thithe r to fulfill
the terms of a ba rgain they struck with Bavlorna.
a Medium object with AC 19. 32 hit points , and im- i.n w hich case the hag gra nts them permission to
munity to poison and psychk damage. If the statue use the balloon in a rea 02. (If tha t ba lloon was
is destroyed , Lhe extra dime nsiona l space collapses, destroyed, an unda maged one just like it a rrives
and everything once conta ined there becomes lost in Downfall, piloted by a bullywug knight na med
Dumphrey Frogart.) Either Dumphrey or Morgort
in the Astral Pla ne. is happy to serve as a ba lloon pilot, though the
Development. If the characters follow Charm's bullywug pa rts compa ny with the characters once
they a re safely delivered to Thither.
s had ow on its escape a tte mpt, it leads the m to the
stairs under Bavlorna's cottage, where it waits To reach Thither, the characte rs need Clapper-
brie fly. Whe n Charm leaves Bavlorna's cottage, claw the scarecrow (see a rea OS) to guide the m. If
the darkling e lder a nd h er s h adow ma ke a beeline Cla pperclaw is unable or unwilling to help the cha r-
to their ba lloon (area 010) a nd de pa rt Downfall acte rs. s ubs titute a nothe r he lpfu l creature, s uch as
with all haste, whe the r the s h adow's heist s uc- Morgort the bullywug knight o r Vansel the satyr.

ceeded or not. C H A PT ER 2 I 1-1 ITH E R
If Charm escapes with the spool of thread. the

characters can use it as a n e nticeme nt in their ne-
gotiatio ns with Bavlorna, offering to retrieve it a nd

trade it to he r for some thing in return.

97



r':JJAPTrR 3

THITHER

vG'\o~.- ""'Iii~•· HITHER IS A SPRAWLI NG FEY WOODLAND provide directions to other locations in Thithe r. As
the characte rs make the ir way through Thithe r's an-
with a decaying core. With each pass ing cient forest, they might find a fairy ring or a wanted
day, Gra nny Nightshade's presence eats pos te r (see "Features of Thither") or have a random
away at the forest's trees and taints its e ncounte r (see "Arrival in Thithe r ~).
de nize ns. The rot worsens the closer one
gets to Loomlurch, Granny Nightshade's lair. At Little Oa k, the characters meet the Getaway
Gang, a gaggle of los t childre n led by a ra pscallion
RUNNING THIS CHAPTER na med Will of the Feywild. The Getaway Gang can
teach the characte rs how to reach Wayward Pool, an
In this chapte r, the c haracte rs explore the forests idyllic lake protecte d by a unicorn named Lamorna.
of Thithe r. They could be searching for their lost who knows important information about Zybilna's
things or questing for a mea ns to overthrow the fall and explains the importance of findin g the horn
Hourglass Coven. Deep in the forest, they can con- that belongs to he r los t ma te, Elidon.
front Granny Nightshade in her lair.
Characte rs who have bus iness or grievances with
Before your first game session in Thither, follow the pe rfidious Granny Nightsha de can ve nture 10
these s te ps to help ma ke the playe rs' experience as Loomlurc h (an enormous. hollowe d-out tree tha t
entertaining as possible: houses the hag's workshop) and seek her out. A
bargain they struck with Bavlorna Blightstraw in
, Thithe r is ruled by Skabatha Nightshade, also chapter 2 might also require the c haracte rs to pay
known as Granny Nightshade. Read her descrip-
tion and skim he r stat block in appe ndix B. Loomlurch a visit.
Read this chapter in its entirety, and reacquaint
yourself with the "Pris mee r Overview" in GUIDE FROM THITHER TO YON

chapte r 2. Squirt, an animated oilcan, can guide c harac te rs
• Look over the map of Thither. Locations ma rked from Thither to Yon a nd back to Thithe r. Squirt
resides at Little Oak (see "Locations in Thither"). If
on the map are described later in this c hapte r. you choose not to run the Little Oak e ncounte r, you
can place Squirt in another location that the cha rac-
LOST THINGS IN THITHER
ters are likely to visit.
If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook, check
the Story Tracker to see if Skabatha Nightshade FEATURES OF THITHER
has anything the cha racters want to reclaim. When
the cha racters e nte r Thither, anyone who had some- The following physical features can be found across
thing s tole n by Skabatha gets the nagging sensation the realm of Thither.
tha t it is somewhe re in this realm, though the char-
acter doesn't know where. The feeling fades when FAIRY RINGS
the character e ithe r regains what was lost or leaves
Thither without recovering it. To find what they've When Zybilna ruled Pris meer, the forests of Thithe r
lost, the characters mus t travel to Loomlurch. Ob- were home to a host of fairy rings tha t functioned
jects tha t Granny Nightshade created using things as fey crossings to diffe re nt worlds in the Ma teria l
she s tole from the characters can be found in he r Plane. Granny Nightshade has corrupted as many of
dollhouse (see area Ll6). the rings as she could find , making them da ngerous
to visitors.
NAVIGATING THITHER
Fairy rings are depicted on the map of Thithe r.
Using the map of Thithe r as a refere nce, desc ribe Each ring is a 20-foo t-diame te r c ircle of colorful,
what the cha rac te rs see as they forge the ir own path 6-inch-tall toadstools located in a s mall clearing pro-
through the splinte r-re alm. Named locations on the tected by the thick forest canopy. It radiates a n aura
map are described later in the cha pter. of conjuration magic whe n scrutinized with a detect
magic spell.
Shortly a fte r a rriving in Thither, the charac te rs
come upon a cave tha t is the home of a miser who To determine whethe r a fairy ring is uncorrupted
s pins gold into magic ite ms. The miser, Nib, can or corrupted, roll a dB. On a roll of 3 or highe r, the
fa iry ring is uncorrupted; o the rwise, it is corrupted.

CHAPTER 3 I THITHER 99