Hex 2

2.  The Woodsmen’s Clearing

About a third of this hex is cleared of large trees and several rutted trails lead toward the Whitewater River to the South. During the day, the men of the nearby village will be working in this hex, cutting down trees and hacking off limbs, which they pile up and once every other month they light these piles on fire and the bonfires burn for two days in a celebration they call the Burning Nights. While these men are experts and will typically burn on wet, windless days, on any given Burning Night there is a 2% chance that the bonfires will burn out of control, starting a forest fire that will consume 2d4 hexes of forest.

The Burning Nights are excuses for the people of Woodbridge to celebrate in drunken revelry. These two day bacchanalia are accompanied with music, moonshine, naked dancing around the fires. The debauchery typically attracts spirits from the Faerie Realms (Shemarras) who join in the carousing, but it can gain the attention of other darker spirits as well. The Woodsmen tell wild tales of winged women and nasty hags and creatures of light and all sorts of magical happenings during the Burning Nights - though most everyone was too drunk to remember any true details. Strangers are always welcome to join the festivities of the Burning Nights.

Generally, the activities of the Burning Nights attract the attention of good spirits from Shemarras, but there is a chance that some of the dark spirits take an interest as well.  For each hour of carousing, there is a 1% cumulative chance of attracting the attention of spirits from Shemarras or elsewhere (so after a full 48 hours, the chance is 48%). 

When an encounter is indicated, roll on the following table. Only one type of spirit will be attracted during any celebration of the Burning Nights:

Roll

D12      Result

1.          2d6 Sprites

2.          3d6 Leprechauns

3.          Gnome King Envoys

4.          1d6 Dryads and 2d4 Satyrs

5.          3 Elder Treants

6.          The Witch of the Wilderness

7.          Envoys of the Silver Moon

8.          1 Nymph

9.          4d4 Brownies

10.        5d4 Pixies

11.        2d6 Chitterers

12.        1d6 Faerie Dragons

1. 2d6 Sprites - Most of these creatures will join in the cavorting, but one will play nasty pranks on the revelers, his worst will be that he will try to trick someone into jumping into the fire. The other Sprites will simply ignore the ne’er-do-well unless he is threatened with harm, in which case they will turn their attention on the person(s) threatening the mischievous Sprite and use arrows dipped in sleep poison to try defend their brother. If there is a confrontation, the Sprites will disappear at the conclusion of the confrontation but will curse the Woodsmen with Bad Luck for a year. The men of Woodbridge, if they fall under the curse, will come to blame the PCs for their bad luck and the PCs will be scorned and spoken ill of in the region.

SPRITES: AC 6; MV 90’/180’; MC: B; HD 1; hp 1-8; THAC0 19; #AT 1; D by wpn; SA Invisibility, Detect Good/Evil; SD Move Silently, -4 to-hit when invisible; SZ S; Int Very; AL N

2. 3d6 Leprechauns - These spirits appear bearing goblets they claim are fine wine, but are actually potions of delusion (the goblets are tin, worth 4cp each). The effects of the potion are that everyone who drinks it will believe they are moving extremely quickly (as if under the effects of a potion of speed) for the next 2d4 hours. Save vs spells to halve the duration of the delusion. In addition, the leprechauns will use their illusion abilities to make phantom women appear, a phantom feast complete with roast pig (though the face of the pig will bear an uncanny resemblance to a random PC), roasted apples (which will scream when picked up), an unidentifiable stew (win which are what appears to be blinking eyes), roast duck (which will quack loudly when anyone attempts to cut into any of them, then fly off). The entire feast will disappear and the leprechauns will fall over themselves in peals of laughter at any of the celebrants’ antics. They will use their ventriloquism ability to make random noises behind random people (like the call of a bear or a clucking chicken or call out random names - whatever will cause them the most enjoyment). If threatened, they will turn invisible and torment the revelers with increasingly nasty (though never truly dangerous) magics. Regardless of the reception the leprechauns receive, they will remain (visible or invisible) until sunrise on the second day when the fires have nearly died out and most everyone is asleep or unconscious. Their final trick is to create a very real (and, unfortunately, very dangerous) explosion in one of the fire pits. The magical and physical explosion is mostly smoke and sound, but throws burning coals up to 20’ out from the edge of the fire causing 1 hp damage per coal that strikes a target (100% chance of being struck at 1 foot from the fire, diminishing by 5% per foot removed from the edge of the fire with a 5% chance at 20’ - 1d10 coals strike the target). The leprechauns disappear with echoing laughter, completely unaware of any carnage they have left behind.

LEPRECHAUNS: AC 8; MV 150’; HD 1-1; hp 2-5; THAC0 -; #AT -; D -; SA Spells; MR 80%; SZ S; Int Exc; AL N

3. Envoys of the Gnome King - 2 Long Arms with 3 goblin slaves (from the Gnome King’s Hall) - These envoys from the Gnome King’s Hall come on a reconnaissance mission for their liege lord,. They use their illusion casting abilities to appear as “good spirits” from the “realm of light” and the goblins, who have had their tongues cut out, will be disguised as “little brethren of light” (the Long Arms will appear as vaguely humanoid creatures, glowing in a blue light, speaking with a soft voice, the goblins will appear almost as will-o-wisps, balls of pale yellow light, only with tendrils that could be arms). They will try to lead as many as they can to the “Kingdom of Light”. If they convince anyone to follow them, they will take them to the Gnome King’s Hall (area 14B) as slaves for the dungeon.

LONG ARMS: AC 5; MV 90’; HD 4+1; hp 5-33; THAC0 15; D 1-10 or by wpn; SA Illusion; SD Nil; SZ L; AL NE

GOBLINS: AC 6, MV 60'; HD 1-1; hp 1-7; THAC0 20; #AT 1; D 1-6 or by wpn; SZ S; Int Low~Avg; AL LE

4. 1d6 Dryads and 2d4 Satyrs - These tree spirits (Dryads) will appear out of smoke and mist in the night and will attempt to charm any men they believe are leaders (either of the Woodsmen or among the PCs) and get them to stop cutting trees in the forest in this region (this hex). They are extremely beautiful and very persuasive, even without using their charm person ability. However, the women of Woodbridge will become jealous within 1d8 turns of the encounter with the dryads and attempt to get the men to “get rid of them.” If the men are reluctant to put out the tree spirits, the women of Woodbridge will take it upon themselves to drive off the dryads. The Satyrs will attempt to lure away women of Woodbridge with charm on their pipes. If any of the spirits are threatened, the Satyrs will use their pipes to charm, sleep or cause fear so that the dryads and satyrs can make their escape.

DRYADS: AC 9; MV 120’; HD 2; hp 2-16; THAC0 16; #AT 1; D dagger; SA Charm; SD Dimension door into tree; MR 50%; SZ M; Int High; AL N

SATYRS (Faun): AC 5; MV 180’; HD 5; hp 5-40; THAC0 15; #AT 1; D 2-8; SD Pan-Pipes of Charm/Sleep/Fear (60’); SZ M; Int Very; AL N

5. 3 Elder Treants - These spirits have been sleeping for the past three decades and are awakened by the revelry. They will lumber (ha!) into the midst of the celebration and wave their branches menacingly. They don’t speak the current human language so it will be difficult to communicate with them short of a tongues spell or some other (magical or otherwise) means. Whether or not communication is established, the Treants will say simply, in their slow and moaning language, “Consider the forest as you chop and cut. Consider the land as you break and burn. Consider the trees as you drag them away. Leave behind the children of tomorrow.” They believe they are being clear - be careful, plant new trees to replace those you are cutting down. They will repeat their message three times and to emphasize the point, each of them will pick up a bolder and throw it toward Woodbridge village. Then they will shuffle off, in search of their kin (see hex 19 - Treant Massacre - these three Elder Treants will take the place of their fallen brethren in protecting the forests and containing the Ettercaps). If the Villagers of Woodbridge persist in deforesting the region or if the fires burn out of control, these Treants will raise the forest against the Villagers and drive them out. If the Villagers practice a more balanced approach, the Treants will consider the Villagers (and by extension, the PCs) as “friends of the forest” and will contribute to protecting the village and may come to aid when called (potential allies for the PCs at some future date).

6. The Witch of the Wilderness - The revelry has attracted the notice of the Green Hag (see hex 12 for full details, including what may happen in response to this encounter). She will appear with a small explosion and a grand cloud of smoke. Prior to appearing, she will have cast changeself on herself to appear as a very tall, black haired, beautiful woman with fierce, demanding eyes.  She will raise her hands above her head and insist that everyone bow down before her. She will choose one of the strong men (randomly choose among the strong PCs and Bully, Trunk or Garn among the Villagers of Woodbridge) to cast weakness upon as a demonstration of her power. If the spell is successful, the victim will fall forward and all of the people of Woodbridge will fall on their faces in obsequiousness to her. The PCs are free to do as they please, but if they do not bow before her she will immediately attack and none of the villagers will help them (out of fear). She will attack with her claws and spells but she will not fight to the death. If she is clearly overmatched she will attempt to flee. If the party plays along and bows down before her, she will croon about how powerful she is and how weak and miserable mortals are. Eventually she will demand her offering: a child under the age of seven. If she does not receive a tribute, or feels she is being cheated in some way, she will attack and try to kill everyone, beginning with the villagers (but see above if pressed). If she receives her tribute (or at least believes she has), she will mockingly thank the simple mortals and throw some explosive stones in the fire that will cause a large (but fairly harmless) explosion and will smoke with green, sulfurous smoke for 3 turns and cover her (dimension door) escape with the child. The smoke of her departure will attract 4d6 goblins who will attack within one turn.   

7. Envoys of the Queen of Silver Moon – These four beautiful, ethereal spirits are known as Faedananae. They appear as wispy, gaunt, faintly-elfin women who glow with a pale, silvery light. They will enter the ring of light cast by the fire (if at night) and stop, silently surveying the revelry before them for four rounds, their gauzy gowns billowing in the breeze, even if there isn’t any wind! They will ignore any questions or accusations and anyone who physically approaches (or attacks, even with magic), they will be repelled by an invisible, impenetrable shield surrounding the envoys (nothing passes beyond about 3’ radius surrounding each of the envoys - the DM may adjudicate whether or not certain attacks, magics, artifacts etc could penetrate the shield - the purpose here is to generate mystery, not make them completely invulnerable, and persistent PCs should be rewarded with success...and the eternal enmity of the Queen of the Silver Moon, of course). The “magic shield” effect will last through their initial monologue and for 4 rounds thereafter.  

After their brief silence, the Envoys, all speaking in unison, say, “We come from the Palace of the Queen of the Silver Moon. She who rules the night and scorns the day bids you welcome to her kingdom. She bids you heed this notice: tend the land carefully. Watch your souls. Through the length and breadth of her domain you revel in your debauchery and know this: the Scorned Brethren take notice.  To remain under her aegis, make an appropriate offering or know the sting of her abandonment.” They will wait, stoically, for a response. If asked what is appropriate, they will respond (still in unison), “She who rules the night needs nothing, but desires the best offering of your hearts.” All their answers will be evasive. They will not talk about who the Queen of the Silver Moon (she who rules the night), nor will they speak again of the Scorned Brethren, though they might (DM’s choice) speak of the Shemarras interchangeably with the Scorned Brethren. It matters little what the offering made is, provided that the offering is sincere (the Envoys will detect any falsehood in the offering). A sincere copper piece is as valuable as a sincere million gp diamond. And a +2 sword given “because I don’t need it anyway” is just as offensive as “getting rid of that cursed ring.” They Envoys will wait as long as it takes for those at the party to decide what they are going to do (no matter how long it takes). Once a decision is reached, they will accept any offering made and leave. If even a single offering made is insincere, then the entire offering is considered insincere with regards to being under the Queen’s Aegis (needless to say, an attack also removes the Queen’s favor) and the revelers will experience 1d4 encounters with spirits within the next six hours (the spirits may appear at the same time, cooperate with each other, be hostile toward each other, appear at different times, whatever makes for the most confusion and difficulty for the party). Little did they know that the Queen of the Silvery Moon was watching over them.  If they simply offer an insincere offering, this is the extent of the Queen’s displeasure. If the Envoys are attacked (see below), then not only will the party experience visitations from 1d4 spirits on this list, but at the end of the Burning Nights the Queen of the Silvery Moon will appear herself and discipline those responsible for harming her Envoys (see hex ____ for more information about the Queen of the Silvery Moon).

Sincere offerings will not only fend off any other visitations of spirits for the remaining of the Burning Nights but all the party-goers will receive the effect of a bless spell for the next six months.

The Villagers of Woodbridge will decide as a group to either be sincere or insincere in their offering, but their decision will be influenced by the attitude of the PCs. In game terms they are 60% likely to offer a sincere offering influenced by the PCs in the following way: If the PCs choose to be sincere, add the highest charisma score to the 60% and roll %d to see if the Villagers concur. If the PCs choose to be insincere, subtract the highest charisma score to the 60% and do the same. If there is disagreement between the PCs and the villagers after the “vote,” the PCs can certainly force their decision on the villagers if they so choose. A single offering (yes, even a single sincere copper piece, though that would be pretty unlikely) can be made for the entire group and as long as the intent of the one making the offering is truly sincere if that is the route they choose to take (it would behoove everyone to have ______ make the offering, or a child, for example, for the entire group).

8. Nymph - This spirit appears, her appearance obscured in billowing chiffon, calling herself the Queen of the Forest and demanding that the men cease their desecration of the wilderness. If confronted with hostility, she will uncover her face in an attempt to blind her opponents. If seriously threatened, she will use her dimension door ability to escape. Her spells are:

9. 4d4 Brownies - These curious spirits appear bearing acorns and wild pears as an offering. In exchange they want milk. If a deal is struck, they will entertain the revelers through the night with their dancing lights and mirror image spells, using them in whatever creative ways they can. If their offer is rejected, they will cast confusion and ventriloquism to cause mayhem and then disappear, with a curse on the revelers: “May the oaks of the forest be your enemies!” The woodsmen will be unable to cut down an oak tree (unbelievable events will happen, axes will break, other trees will fall on the woodsmen, lightning strikes from a clear sky) for six months.

10. 5d4 Pixies - These woodland spirits enter the area invisible and watch the bacchanalia for a time using their Detect Alignment (or Know Alignment) abilities to detect any evil intent among the partiers before one of their number will make herself visible and say something like: “We bring greetings from the Valley of the Silver Mother, offering her welcome and a gift.” She will spread her arms and all but two of the remaining Pixies will appear along with an illusion of a great chest of gold. The chest will seem to always be out of reach: whenever someone approaches it, it seems to be just a bit farther away than that person thought it was. Even if two characters come from opposite directions, they will run into each other with the chest always seeming just out of reach. Depending on how the interactions with the Pixies go, they may introduce “The Silver Mother,” an illusion of a huge, elder silver dragon. If there have been greedy, selfish actions on the part of the people of Woodbridge or the PCs, the Silver Mother will roar into camp in a rage, demanding, “You sniveling mortals bow and scrape before the might of the Silver Mother. Know your place you dirty beggars!” If things have gone well between the pixies and the mortals, the Silver Mother will appear and complement them, “Know, O mortals, the blessing of the Silver Mother.” She will then breathe a fine mist onto all the humans in the area. The net effect of this encounter is that anyone “blessed” by the Silver Mother will be under the effects of a Bless spell for two weeks. If all goes well, when the Silver Mother and her Pixie envoys leave, each human in the clearing will find a silver piece on their person somewhere (with a dragon head on one side and a pixie on the reverse).  If things go poorly, the Pixies will use their magic arrows (sleep and forgetfulness) and spells to cause as much difficulty for the humans as possible as they turn invisible and flee.

11. 2d6 Chitterers - These mischievous spirits pop out of thin air around the fire with the intent of startling the revelers. They will then swoop around the heads of everyone, making their chittering sound, diving in and out of people’s food and drink, tangling hair, diving into backpacks and baskets, generally making a nuisance of themselves. If attacked, they will form into a single mass and attack the weakest victims they can find (starting with children) unless killed or driven off (swatting at them doesn’t constitute an attack). After two hours of harassment and nuisance they will simply vanish. If allowed to vanish, the Chitterers will report to the Gnome King (see Hex 14) everything they discovered about the PCs and the rest of the people of Woodbridge. The Gnome King will then dispatch 2 long arms and 3 goblin slaves to try to lure some celebrants back to his hall (see encounter 3 above).

12. 1d6 Faerie Dragons - These playful spirits will join in the festivities invisible at first, using their breath weapons to cause disarray among the partiers. If invited and treated well, they will join in the feast, eating and drinking with their “mortal cousins.” There is a 30% chance per Faerie Dragon that the creature will become drunk and begin to play increasingly nasty tricks on the humans in attendance including suggestion, distance distortion and animate rock, to cause the most difficulty (and perhaps some damage) possible. The sober Faerie Dragons will not encourage their inebriated companion(s), nor will they do anything to discourage the behavior. Rather, they will laugh and watch with interest at the reactions of the party-goers. If things turn violent, all the Faerie Dragons will defend themselves and flee. If the people of Woodbridge and the PCs take even the drunken behavior of the Faerie Dragons in stride (it’s okay to “give as good as they get” as Faerie Dragons can appreciate a good prank, whether they are the victim or the perpetrator), at dawn the Dragons will vanish, but two silver chalices will be left behind (The Chalices of St Baynard). If filled with wine and concentrated upon for a round, the chalices will function as linked crystal balls - that is, visual and audible communication between the two items is possible (a shimmering image of the communicator appears on the surface of the wine in each chalice). The chalices are worth 1500 gp as a set.

TO FINISH: Tie ins with Woodbridge

NOTE - these could be pulled and reworked as general random encounters, with maybe 1-4 being the variables for the Burning Nights... I got on a roll :)