B A R R O W O F T H E E V E N S O N G
Note: I wrote this scenario for my niece and nephew, so it's pretty simple, but perhaps you can have fun with it in your own game. It should be suitable for four 3rd-level adventurers. One of my goals was to pump this little location with a lot of potential leads to other adventures I'd write and references to old published modules I own. (Planescape was an inspiration here.)
The Evensong family is an elven clan with some storied history in this part of the world, though most of them have returned to their homeland on the outer plane of Arborea. This barrow was crafted in memory of some of their more famous family members that have since departed and also hides a gate that leads back to the elven community on Grandfather Oak, a vast tree that grows on Arborea. Its planar connection and coterminous location on this world has also caused some roots of the World Ash, Yggdrasil to grow here, winding their way through the barrow in some places.
In the last few years, its connection to the planes has drawn a troublesome curse to its halls of petrified wood - the Iron Shadow, a strange magical effect that drains color and imagination from all that it touches, spreading like a disease. The barrow has thus become infected as will anyone who may come into contact with the curse. It has already claimed the caretaker of the barrow, who now haunts the place as a ghost. It is only a matter of time before it spreads to other parts of the world and all the planes.
Meanwhile, the barrow is being used as the roost for a deranged harpy and as a staging point for a conspiracy against the city of Stronghold.
The Hook
On the way to or from the city of Stronghold, the adventurers become lost when a gray mist falls upon the land. They soon encounter a blink dog, Gambol, who is known among the elves of Grandfather Oak for his love of wandering the planes. He has recently been summoned by his master, Trillamir Evensong, and so seeks to return to Arborea. He does his best to lead the adventurers to the barrow where he knows a gate can be found and where he has already dug a hole into the tomb. But Gambol needs help activating the gate...
Rising from the ground in the middle of the forest is a large hill. Supernaturally large and odd-looking trees grow from its top, their roots twisted and entangled with each other and covering the hill. The dog barks and tries to lead to you to the top of the hill for some reason, but there may be good reason for caution:
On the west side of the hill, you can see a dug-out entrance to a cave, dark and gloomy, with what appears to be spider's webs all over, some of which stretch into nearby trees. And on the east side of the hill is another tunnel from which comes an intermittent song that frequently breaks into birdlike shrieks and sqawks.
This is an strange and unsettling place. What do you do?
- Follow Gambol the blink dog.
- Check out the western tunnel.
- Check out the eastern tunnel.
- Get the hell out of here because I'm a defective adventurer.
(Credit: The black and white maps were adapted from The Crooked Staff Blog with art and image tools in Roll20.)
Under the Hill We Go...
General Impressions:
- Washed out, gray and gloomy with occasional splashes of color (effect of the Iron Shadow)
- Intricate elven craftsmanship and design throughout the constructed areas
- Clear sense that this place is a tomb of the Evensong family
- Thick, locked doors of petrified wood at four points
- Walls and floors of strong, petrified wood
The monsters in Areas 1 and 2 have tangled with the caretaker and guardians of the barrow in the past and aren't eager to do it again. They've carved out their particular niches and are happy to leave it at that - although, there is some tension between Daddy Longlegs and Old Biddy. Neither wants the other one around and would be happy to see their foe taken out, but neither are willing to make the first move.
All of the monsters in this adventure are taken from the DM Basic Rules v0.1 and the Hoard of the Dragon Queen online supplement, both of which are available for free on the Wizards of the Coast website.
Timeline
There is no countdown timer on this adventure; however, taking a long rest isn't without its potential consequences. If a long rest is taken outside the barrow, check for a random event once per long rest (or 8 hour period if the adventurers linger for longer). If a long rest is taken inside the barrow, the adventurers risk becoming infected by the Iron Shadow. See "Time Passes..." for details.
As always, I welcome your feedback and questions. How would you approach this adventure? What would you change about it? If you play it, please let me know how it goes.
Have fun!
Update: I wrote an actual play recap that you can read here.
Area One: Daddy Longlegs' Web
Impressions
- Natural light quickly giving way to darkness
- Webs clinging to every surface, crawling with tiny spiders
- Cocoons containing corpses, bones, partially digested meals
- Uneven floor with multiple changes in elevation
The Sitch
Daddy Longlegs and four doppelgangers (The Drab Men) are working together to infiltrate the power structure of the nearby city of Stronghold. Three of the people they have replaced are held captive here in case they need information out of them to carry out their plot.
Cast
- Daddy Longlegs, an ettercap (impulse: to spin webs, literally and figuratively);
- Eight-Eyes, a giant spider (impulse: to hunt and breed);
- Lily Guild, a yuan-ti pureblood (impulse: to tighten her grip);
- Lady Thenorean, an elven noble (impulse: to serve her people);
- Gliff Runesigil, a dwarven rune priest (impulse: to follow the commandments of the All-Father)
Map Key
A. Crevice: 20 feet deep, three to five feet wide. Amid webs and rubble at the bottom, Daddy Longlegs hides a chest of treasure.
B. Thick Webs: While there is no shortage of normal spider webs in this cave, there are thick webs which are difficult terrain, and a creature trying to move through them must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failure, the creature is restrained in the webs. A snared creature can take an action each round to attempt to break free with a DC 12 Strength check, or it can try to cut its way free by using a light weapon that deals slashing damage. Each 5-foot section of webs have AC 10, 5 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.
C. Prisoners: These are important figures in Stronghold, kidnapped and replaced by The Drab Men. They can each attest to having been captured by "gray, faceless men," transported here, and periodically poisoned and interrogated by Daddy Longlegs.
Lily Guild passes for a human and is the richest guild artisan in the city and secret leader of a Snake Cult that operates in Stronghold. Lady Thenorean is an elven noble and diplomat for her people, the secretive Gray Elves whose hidden kingdom lay somewhere in the Aloof Mountains. She came to Stronghold to negotiate for military assistance in dealing with an orcish army that has recently sprung up in the East. Gliff Runesigil is a rune priest of Moradin and influential religious leader in Stronghold who is on the short list to become the next High Sonnlinor. Gliff has been infected by the Iron Shadow.
Without care and a long rest, they are in no shape to lend aid to the PCs' fight, but will help where they can. They are eager to get back to Stronghold, but not sure how to deal with their predicament if they've been successfully replaced by a duplicate.
D. Daddy Longlegs' Throne: A hideous monstrosity of bone, wood, and chitin held together with web and secretions, it is Daddy's seat of power and his prized possession. The webs holding it 20 feet above the ground sag with its weight. Hidden in its many crevices is some (but not all) evidence of the plot against Stronghold. It does confirm that there are four doppelgangers that comprise The Drab Men.
Area Two: Old Biddy's Roost
Impressions
- Dimly lit by a single guttering torch
- Acrid, ammonia-like smell from bird and bat droppings
- Feathers and fish bones scattered about and down fluttering in the air
- Warbling, singing, squawking, shrieking
The Sitch
Old Biddy the harpy roosts here in this cave along with a colony of bats and a school of quippers which serves as her food source. Recently while flying in the forest outside the barrow, she found an owlbear egg. A little addled due to her advancing years, Old Biddy thought she had laid the egg and has brought it back to her lair to care for it. She guards it fiercely and is paranoid that "minions of Daddy Longlegs" want to take it from her and eat it.
Cast
- Old Biddy, a harpy (impulse: to protect her egg)
- Three swarms of bats (impulse: to hang upside down by day and hunt by night)
- Swarm of quippers (impulse: to swarm and feed)
Map Key
A. Roost: Old Biddy's roost is a natural stone column that rises 10 feet above the surface of the water that surrounds it, which is 10 feet deep. It is stained with her droppings. The shape and height (20 feet, floor to ceiling) of the stone surrounding the column amplifies sound. Creatures within 20 feet of the column have disadvantage on their Wisdom saving throws to resist Old Biddy's luring song if she's singing while on the column.
B. Pile of Skeletons: Many wayward travelers have fallen victim to Old Biddy's luring song over the years and this is 5-foot-high pile of bones is all that's left of them. Scattered among the bones is pouch treasure. The pile of skeletons is difficult terrain.
C. Quipper Pool: This 10-foot-deep pool of water pools here due to the elevation of the ground. It is the home to a swarm of quippers that feeds on anything that breaks the surface of the water. Bats live among the ceiling above and defend themselves if disturbed by attacks or loud noises. At the bottom of the pool at about its midpoint is a silver key that can be used to unlock all the doors in the barrow. It is hard to spot given how it is tarnished and the water is murky.
Area Three: The Chamber of the Gate
If the adventurers have followed Gambol the blink dog to top of the hill, read the following:
At the top of the hill, you can now see where Gambol was leading you - a hole he has dug that appears to go straight down into the hill. It'd be a squeeze to get down it and it's unclear how far it goes, but there's another complication. One of the large trees next to the hole is home to a number of stirges - tiny rust-colored, four-winged nightmares that pierce flesh with sharp probosces and drain unlucky creatures of their blood. Ten of them roost in the tree and appear to be dormant, but any loud disturbances may awaken them.
What do you do?
The stirges attack if they are disturbed in any way. The tunnel is 30 feet to the floor of Area 3 and three to four feet wide.
(This is what the gate looks like when fully activated.)
Impressions
- Solemn, quiet
- Air fairly "hums" with latent arcane energy
- Dimly lit by a shaft of light due to hole in ceiling (or dark if night)
- Intricately carved walls showing elves living among the branches of an immense oak tree
The Sitch
Gambol the Blink Dog is known among the elves of Grandfather Oak for his love of wandering the planes. He has recently been summoned by his master, Trillamir Evensong, and so seeks to return to Arborea. The gate is beyond his ability to activate, however, so he has dug a hole through the top of the barrow and into the ceiling and has sought out the help of adventurers to activate the gate so he can go home.
Cast
- Stavros and Stamatis, satyrs (impulse: to party like it's 1999, to protect the gate)
- Soluac and Ulneht, elven skeletons (impulse: to defend their resting place)
Map Key
A. Gate to Arborea: The gate is an archway atop a dais, carved with a vine motif and covered in magical runes that indicate its purpose and how it is activated. Once deciphered, it's clear that the pillars in the chamber power up with magical energy when a particular song is sung, at which point the Dial of Evensong must be spun to point to the right pillars in order. What song must be sung and the proper sequence for the dial is not mentioned. Once the gate is open, travel to the plane of Arborea is possible for a short time before the gate closes once more.
B. The Tuning Pillars: Four pillars in this chamber light up in four colors - red, green, blue, and yellow - when the song inscribed upon the Roots of the World Ash is properly sung. The Dial of the Evensong does not work until the pillars are activated.
C. The Dial of Evensong: Exquisitely crafted of the rarest of wood from across the planes, this dial is used to activate the portal to Arborea. It spins only clockwise with some effort and the tension inherent in its design causes it to spin counter-clockwise back into its original position when released. After the tuning pillars are activated, the dial must be spun to red, then released, green, then released, and finally blue, then released. As the dial spins to point at the portal once more, it flares to life with the bright light of Arborea.
D. Summoning Portals: Should the gate, tuning pillars, or dial be damaged in any way or if the dial is made to point at the yellow tuning pillar, the summoning portals draw a pair of satyr to the barrow. Under an ancient fey pact with the Evensong, they are obligated to defend the gate from anyone seeking to destroy or deactivate it. While acting in defense of the gate, the satyrs have advantage on all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. They have no problem with people using the gate - just harming it.
E. False Door: This door is rather obviously not like the others in this barrow. That is because it is a trap. From the north side, it's very clear it's a false door and is just carved to match the engravings on the walls. From the south side, it looks like a barred door with the bar being on the south side. When the bar is lifted, it pulls a pin out of the floor which causes the 10 ft x 10 ft section of the floor to break away revealing a 20-foot-deep pit trap (DC 13 Dexterity save to avoid falling in, 2d6 damage and prone on a failed save). Once it opens, the skeletons in the sarcophagi on either side of the pit trap emerge and attack anyone in the area, using their bows to shoot down into the pit or pushing people in.
Area Four: Genealogy of the Evensong
Impressions
- Dimly lit by the roots of the World Ash
- Smells of rot and compost
- Air heavy with spores
- Occasional ripples of planar energy like heat waves
The Sitch
A root for the Yggdrasil, the World Ash, is coterminous with this spot on the Material Plane and its innate magic has been harnessed to create a network of leafy vines that marks the genealogy of the Evensong and related families. Periodically these vines bear fruit which the violet fungi have been feeding on to sustain themselves.
Cast
- Four violet fungus (impulse: to rot and feed)
Map Key
A. The Root of the World Ash: Large, strong, and impressive, these roots grow from floor to ceiling, eventually disappearing back into the planes. Runes in Elvish are carved upon its bark, surrounded by musical notes: "The red leaves tumble from Grandfather Oak..." This is the first line of the lyrics that must be sung to activate the tuning pillars in Area 2. The reference to "red" in the first verse of the song is a clue that the red pillar is the first stop of the dial.
B. Family Vines: These vines crawl across the ground, attached to the root of the World Ash. Each leaf is marked with an Elvish rune signifying a member of the Evensong family or related families. Anyone who takes the time to study the vines in detail can reference them when dealing with the Evensong or Thenorean families and gain advantage on interaction checks.
Two glowing crabapple-like fruits grow from the vine. When eaten, they act as a potion of healing. The violet fungus react violently to anyone trying to take the fruit and pursue relentlessly anyone that remains within 30 feet of them. They otherwise do not attack unless disturbed.
Area Five: Coda of the Evensong (West)
Impressions
- Quiet, dignified with a floral scent in the air
- Dimly lit by the roots of the World Ash in some places
- Occasional ripples of planar energy like heat waves
The Sitch
The honored dead of the Evensong rest in this place as does a famous sword which awaits a new hero to claim it.
Cast
- Irutahs, Nabirehl, Bunatdem, elven skeletons (impulse: to defend their resting place)
- Lensoun, elven mummy (impulse: to defend its resting place)
- Eye-Closer, a flying sword (impulse: to be wielded by a true hero)
Map Key
A. The Root of the World Ash: Large, strong, and impressive, these roots grow from floor to ceiling, eventually disappearing back into the planes. Runes in Elvish are carved upon its bark, surrounded by musical notes: "Dolorous blue for a fine mourning cloak..." This is the second line of the lyrics that must be sung to activate the tuning pillars in Area 2. The reference to "blue" in the second verse of the song is a clue that the blue pillar is the second stop of the dial.
B. Sarcophagi: Each of these upright sarcophagi contains the corpse of a departed member of the Evensong family. Three are skeletons and one is a mummy (Lensoun). They are marked and decorated to honor them and tell the story of their lives. They stir only to defend themselves or the barrow, if it is in danger of being defaced or destroyed.
C. Circle of Life: This circle of flowers and leaves never wilts and is a shrine to the Seldarine (the elven pantheon of deities). If a suitable offering and prayer are offered to the gods of the elves at this location, there is a chance they will hear it (DC 15 Religion check) and offer their blessing: The characters regain a hit die and gain the benefits of a bless spell for 10 minutes. This boon can only be earned once and doesn't stack with other bless spells. On a failure, the fickle Seldarine curse the adventurers for their insult, causing them to spend a hit die (for no gain) and suffer disadvantage on their next ability check.
D. Sepulcher of Egelann Evensong: The finest warrior of the Evensong line was laid to rest in this spot and the carvings and tapestry hanging on the wall marks her as such. Resting atop her final resting place is her sword, a longsword of the finest quality. Called "Eye-Closer" for its role in defeating the legendary orcish army, the Host of the One Eye, it is a +1 longsword that does +1d6 extra damage to orcs. Eye-Closer will not submit to being stolen, however: Its magic will only work if the hero who hopes to wield it can defeat it in single combat.
Area Six: Coda of the Evensong (East)
Impressions
- Quiet, dignified
- Unsettling cold spots that cause hair to stand on end
- Dimly lit by the roots of the World Ash in some places
- Occasional ripples of planar energy like heat waves
The Sitch
The honored dead of the Evensong rest in this place, but one - Sinasooh Evensong, the barrow's caretaker - is quite restless. She succumbed to the effects of the Iron Shadow some years ago and having failed in her duties to protect the barrow is bound to the area where her corpse still lay.
Cast
- Irasish, Hanighed, Narlain, elven skeletons (impulse: to defend their resting place)
- Sinasooh Evensong, a ghost (impulse: to fulfill her duties)
Map Key
A. The Root of the World Ash: Large, strong, and impressive, these roots grow from floor to ceiling, eventually disappearing back into the planes. Runes in Elvish are carved upon its bark, surrounded by musical notes: "Thoughts of greener days may our songs evoke..." This is the third line of the lyrics that must be sung to activate the tuning pillars in Area 2. The reference to "green" in the third verse of the song is a clue that the green pillar is the third stop of the dial.
B. Sarcophagi: Each of these upright sarcophagi contains the skeleton of a departed member of the Evensong family. They are marked and decorated to honor them and tell the story of their lives. They stir only to defend themselves or the barrow, if it is in danger of being defaced or destroyed.
C. Scrying Pool: With some effort and focus, anyone looking into this scrying pool of sapphire blue water has a chance to see any location within the barrow and the surrounding environs. It can also be used to look through the gate to Arborea, where a bustling elven city among the branches of an impossibly large tree can be found.
D. Remains of Sinasooh Evensong: The skeleton of an elven female lay here on the stone cold floor, dead for some time. It belongs to Sinasooh Evensong, the caretaker of the barrow, who has risen as a ghost after her death. She is frustrated, but not malicious unless provoked. She very much desires to rid the barrow of Old Biddy and Daddy Longlegs and his giant spider, but cannot travel more than 40 feet away from the place she died. She would be indebted to anyone who can do this for her, offering information on the barrow, how to activate the gate to Arborea, the Evensong family, and what she knows about the Iron Shadow in exchange for help.
Time Passes...
If the adventurers take a long rest in the forest outside the barrow, roll a d20. On a result of 17-20, roll another d20 on the table below to see what happens.
- 1-2. A mother owlbear, crazed and looking for her stolen egg. If someone has her egg, she attacks that person relentlessly and with advantage.
- 3-4. Four orcs, a scouting party for the army that is assembling in the East. They are looking for the legendary sword, Eye-Closer, on the order of their warlord, Grimgaunt the Orc-Wight.
- 5-6. Guy Lyrique, a wandering minstrel that was attacked on the road by a wolf and has wandered delirious through the forest for days. That was no normal wolf though - it was a werewolf and Guy has been infected with lycathropy. His change begins at an inopportune moment for the adventurers.
- 7-8. A bugbear and four goblins that have been tracking Gambol the blink dog. They think they can gain his power of teleportation if they eat him.
- 9-10. A centaur and a giant owl on their way to a fey wedding. They know of the barrow and suspect the adventurers might be tomb-robbers, so they're hostile until the adventurers prove otherwise.
- 11-12. A yuan-ti malison (type 1) following the pheromone trail left by Lily Guild. He knows the truth of her capture, but cannot reveal her true identity or the presence of the Snake Cult to unbelievers like the adventurers.
- 13-14. A band of mercenaries (a berserker and three bandits) working for The Drab Men who have now turned on their unreliable ettercap co-conspirator. They're here to kill Daddy Longlegs and the prisoners he's keeping and destroy any evidence of the plot.
- 15-16. A will-o'-wisp that tries to lure adventurers into an area of quicksand.
- 17-18. Three swarms of insects, nasty biting flies, that descend upon the adventurers' location to feed.
- 19-20. An ogre with a craving for fresh halfing or gnome for dinner. But any adventurer will do to sate his appetite for flesh.
If the adventurers take a long rest in the barrow or spend 8 hours in contact with someone already infected by the Iron Shadow, they run the risk of becoming infected themselves. At the end of the long rest, each adventurer must make a DC 11 Intelligence saving throw. With a successful saving throw, the Iron Shadow is resisted for now. On a failed save, the creature is affected by the Iron Shadow and suffers the first stage of exhaustion (Basic Rules v0.2, page 107) as his or her imagination and creativity is slowly drained away. A creature infected by the Iron Shadow can attempt another Intelligence saving throw at the end of each week with a +1 to the DC for each week since infection. Success means that the disease remains as it is; failure means another step on the exhaustion track. The Iron Shadow can only be remedied through spells like greater restoration or more powerful magic. Remove curse only transfers the Iron Shadow to the caster with no saving throw permitted.
Dang!
Im liking area 1. What's the XP value in area 1 overall? And how does the encounter building break down? (If you got into that).
Also love the blink dog hook and the "I'm a defective adventurer, get me out of here!"
You really need to do candy land next.
Definitely loving this and had to laugh at the link embedded for the 'defective adventurer' option ha ha!! 
bawylie wrote:
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iserith wrote: