TEXT: TWILIGHT
  TWILIGHT AT
  AT EVENTIDE
  EVENTIDE
  A collection of three short adventures 
  A collection of three short adventures 
  for the world’s greatest roleplaying game
  for the world’s greatest roleplaying game
  
  2
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their 
  respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
  This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters 
  Guild.
  All other original material in this work is copyright 2021 by David McDonough and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
  on the cover
  on the cover
  The blacksmith’s daughter is 
  magically compelled by the 
  darkling elder to travel to their 
  tower. As her father learns, some 
  promises to the fey, especially 
  those given in haste, can carry dire 
  consequences.
  Contents
  Contents
  Welcome to Eventide....................................3
  Overview....................................................................3
  Eventide....................................................................3
  Ch. 1 A Gem for Your Troubles...................5
  Adventure Background.....................................................5
  Eventide Inn.......................................................................5
  Wagon on the Road............................................................6
  Xvart’s Lair.........................................................................7
  Conclusion..................................................................10
  Ch. 2 The Blacksmith’s Daughter.....11
  Adventure Background...................................................11
  The Blinding Forge.........................................................11
  The Forest Maze..............................................................13
  Tower of the Darklings..................................................14
  Conclusion.....................................................................18
  Ch. 3 The Hag at Red Crag Rock.............19
  Adventure Background...................................................19
  Smiling Horse Tavern.....................................................19
  Investigation...........................................................20
  Abandoned Farm.............................................................22
  Red Crag Rock..................................................................25
  Conclusion................................................................27
  Appendix.....................................................28
  Magic Items......................................................................28
  Creatures......................................................................29
  Credits
  Credits
  Author/Designer: David McDonough
  Editing: David McDonough, Craig Sellars
  Layout and Graphic Design: David McDonough 
  Cover Art: grandfailure (istock)
  Interior Art: grandfailure (istock), DMs Guild Creator 
  Resources, Corey Johnston, Daniel Comerci
  Template: Nathanaël Roux, Laura Hirsbrunner
  Cartography: Dyson Logos 
  About the author
  About the author
  David McDonough is an editor, writer, think tanker, 
  and recovering academic in Ottawa, Canada. He has a 
  PhD in Political Science from Dalhousie University. By 
  day, he works as an editor at a think tank, and by night 
  he enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and occasion-
  ally writing for the DMs Guild. On the last point, he is 
  the author of the bestselling adventures The Priest, the 
  Witch, and the Lost Temple and Undermountain: Caverns of 
  the Many-Legged.
  
  3
  WELCOME TO EVENTIDE
  Welcome to Eventide
  Welcome to Eventide
  T
  he village of eventiDe sits in the miDst 
  of a thick forest. At first glance, it looks 
  like any other village; a small, rustic 
  settlement on the outskirts of civilization 
  populated by misfits and pioneers alike.
  Yet strange things happen here in 
  Eventide. Dark creatures worship their evil demigod in 
  hidden caves. A girl leaves her home in the middle of 
  night to walk the dark forest alone. And loggers dis-
  appear in the woods; whispers say the forest itself has 
  taken them. 
  This collection of Dungeons & Dragons adventures is 
  designed for characters of levels 1-3. Twilight at Eventide 
  also provides a setting-neutral location in the village of 
  Eventide, which can be used as a starting off point for a 
  longer campaign or as a resource in any game.
  Overview
  Each of the three chapters in Twilight at Eventide is 
  composed of a short adventure designed for characters 
  of a specific level – from level 1 to level 3. These are 
  standalone adventures but can be played sequentially (or 
  non-sequentially with some modification).
  Chapter 1: A Gem for your Troubles. The innkeep-
  er’s brother-in-law has been waylaid on the road by a 
  group of xvarts. 
  Chapter 2: The Blacksmith’s Daughter. A darkling 
  elder has returned to claim the blacksmith’s daughter, 
  who has disappeared in the night.
  Chapter 3: The Hag of Red Crag Rock. A dryad 
  has been corrupted by the machinations of a hag, and 
  together they are terrorizing the local loggers.
  To run these adventures, you need the fifth edition 
  core rulesbooks (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide, and Monster Manual).
  Eventide
  Newcomers to Eventide are frequently struck by the 
  beauty of the village. A stream meanders through the 
  settlement. Wood houses, and a few larger stone build-
  ings, sit comfortably near the surrounding forest. Farm-
  ers and loggers tend to their respective callings, while 
  some businesses cater to roadside travelers.
  A small community of less than a hundred people, 
  Eventide was established several decades ago around the 
  Eventide Inn, which traditionally catered to weary trav-
  elers. The village eventually took the name of the inn, 
  the latter of which become known to the locals simply as 
  The Inn. 
  Yet, astute observers will notice small oddities during 
  their stay at Eventide – carvings of small fey creatures on 
  the sides of houses; shrines next to trees on the outskirts 
  of the village, with offerings of food or coin; and the oc-
  casional disappearance of villagers traversing the forest 
  itself.
  Eventide carries a secret; it is situated at a crossroads, 
  in a forest where the veil between the world and the 
  Feywild is weak. And, on some days, the veil is suffi-
  ciently thin to allow for fey and other beings to cross 
  over. 
  The following locations are keyed to map 1.1. Many 
  of these locations are featured in this collection’s three 
  adventures.
  A1. Eventide Inn
  Kaelyn and Mayda Ravenwood (neutral good human 
  commoners) are the current proprietors of the Eventide 
  Inn, and they are helped by their teenage son Davnik.  
  They are recent arrivals to the village, only taking 
  over the inn after the last owner Randak Eventide – a 
  descendent of the town founder – mysteriously disap-
  peared several years ago (though some patrons say that 
  they have seen his ghostly figure crying for help in the 
  common room late at night).
  The inn itself is a large two-story stone structure. A 
  large hearth dominates the common room on the first 
  floor, with a kitchen located in the back. The second 
  floor holds guest rooms and the living quarters of the 
  Ravenwood family. Villagers are often known to go to 
  the inn for their meals and to enjoy a quiet drink. A 
  frequent patron is the blacksmith Ander, a good friend 
  of Kaelyn and Mayda. His daughter Miri is also a familiar 
  face, helping out at the inn on occasion.
  A2. Smiling Horse Tavern
  A relatively new establishment, the Smiling Horse 
  Tavern was founded three years ago by two enterprising 
  halfling twins, Corrin Goodbarrel (chaotic good stout 
  halfling scout) and his brother Lyle. It caters to a differ-
  ent clientele than the inn, being filled with loggers and 
  farmers who enjoy long nights of drinking and revelry.
  Corrin was an adventurer who found his way to some 
  treasure and decided to open the tavern with his less ad-
  venturous brother Lyle. However, Lyle soon disappeared 
  when he was walking near the woods. Whispers say the 
  treasure that Corrin found was stolen from a strange, 
  horned creature in the woods, and Lyle was mistaken for 
  Corrin and killed as a result. To this day, the remaining 
  brother refuses to leave the confines of the village itself.
  A3. The Blinding Forge
  The blacksmith Ander Brightforge (neutral human 
  scout) is a large man with a strong but quiet presence. 
  He often uses a cane, due to an old wound on his right 
  leg that otherwise makes it difficult for him to move 
  around. He lives upstairs of his smithy and shop, along-
  side his teenage daughter Miri (neutral good human 
  commoner). Ander has a good selection of weapons and 
  
  4
  WELCOME TO EVENTIDE
  armor, but nothing in stock that costs more than 75 gp 
  (see prices in the Player’s Handbook).
  Some villagers remember that Ander had once 
  disappeared in the woods for a day. He returned with 
  a thick, unkempt beard, his clothes torn and ripped, 
  and he looked emaciated and hungry – and armed with 
  a strange dagger. He rarely speaks about what had 
  happened to him.
  A4. The Water Mill
  The water mill is situated just north of the Village Hall 
  and sits along the waterway that traverses the north 
  side of Eventide. Its large water wheel is used to grind 
  the grain provided by the village farmers. It is run by 
  Tamen Helder (neutral good human commoner) and 
  his wife, a tabaxi named Echo from Caverns Deep, or 
  Echo for short (chaotic good tabaxi scout). Echo is a 
  recent arrival to the village and is enamored with the 
  stories and legends of Eventide. She is eager to add to 
  her collection by talking to adventurers.
  A5. Redleaf Provisions
  This shop provides general provisions for much of the 
  village. It is run by Lia Siannodel (chaotic good half-
  elf commoner), who lives upstairs with her brother 
  Taren. This shop does not stock weapons and armor 
  but does have most standard adventurer’s gear, except 
  those that cost more than 25 gp (see prices in the Play-
  er’s Handbook).
  Both Lia and Taren have lived in Eventide all their 
  lives and are good friends with a number of the log-
  gers and their families in the village. Taren in particu-
  lar is a frequent patron of the Smiling Horse Tavern.
  A6. Healer
  The village has a local healer in Serise Talion (neutral 
  human acolyte), who lives in a small home with her 
  adult grandnephew Malak. A former disciple to the 
  goddess of luck, Serise had a change of heart decades 
  ago. She became a healer who relies primarily on 
  herbs, ointments and other non-divine forms of heal-
  ing, though she has been known to cast the occasional 
  clerical spell, if needed. She does have three potions of 
  healing in stock that she’s willing to sell for 50 gp each.
  A7. Village Hall
  The village hall is a two-story stone building in the 
  center of town. It holds the office of the village’s elect-
  ed leader, Speaker Pavel Starag (neutral human com-
  moner). Speaker Starag was recently elected to serve 
  as the town leader. He is more skeptical about the 
  mysteries of the forest than his predecessors, though 
  there are whispers that this skepticism arises from a 
  traumatic experience with the fey in his past.
  MAP 1.1: EVENTIDE VILLAGE
  
  5
  Chapter 1: 
  Chapter 1: 
  A Gem for your Troubles
  A Gem for your Troubles
  C
  haracters finD themselves at an inn in the 
  small village of Eventide. At the request 
  of the innkeeper, they journey to find 
  his brother-in-law, who was waylaid by 
  xvarts; he will be sacrificed unless they 
  intervene. This adventure is designed for 
  characters who are level 1. 
   
  Adventure Background
  Kaelyn Ravenwood, one of the proprietors of the Even-
  tide Inn, has just discovered that his brother-in-law 
  Daelis (neutral human commoner) had been kidnapped. 
  Daelis is a wealthy merchant, who – alongside his wife 
  Lily (who is Kaelyn’s sister) – had been traveling to 
  Eventide for a brief visit on his way to a nearby city. He 
  also carried a gem of brightness, hoping to sell the magic 
  item for a tidy profit upon his arrival.
  Yet, as the couple neared the village, their wagon was 
  waylaid on the road near the surrounding hills. Daelis 
  was captured along with his prized gem. His wife barely 
  managed to escape. She eventually found her way to her 
  brother’s inn.
  The culprits behind this act are a small band of xvarts 
  who had recently arrived in the area from the Feydark. 
  They made their home in an old, abandoned mine near 
  the main road heading towards the town. These caves 
  once belonged to goblins, but they were cleared out sev-
  eral months ago by adventurers.
  The xvart warlock had a vision of their creator 
  Raxivort, a demigod who once called Pandemonium 
  home but now wanders the planes. The warlock became 
  convinced that this location was blessed – and that the 
  demigod wanted them to capture treasure in order to 
  make a fitting offering to their fickle creator. 
  In recent weeks, they continued to add to this treas-
  ure through a variety of means, including by waylaying 
  travelers along the road. The demigod is particularly 
  attracted to magical items, and the xvarts had hoped to 
  find such items in their forays – and they finally succeed-
  ed when they stopped Daelis’s wagon and found his gem 
  of brightness. To celebrate their good fortune, they also 
  took the merchant and plan to sacrifice him to Raxivort.
  Lily is recounting the ordeal to her brother Kaelyn at 
  the inn, in the hope that he might know someone who 
  will search for her missing husband. Kaelyn sees the 
  adventurers and approaches them about this job.
  Eventide Inn
  The characters begin this encounter at the Eventide Inn. 
  It is late evening, and the inn still has several patrons 
  – mainly villagers – who are enjoying some drinks and 
  food. The innkeeper Kaelyn is talking to his sister by 
  CHAPTER 1  | A GEM FOR YOUR TROUBLES
  
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  CHAPTER 1 | A GEM FOR YOUR TROUBLES
  the bar. He notices the characters and tentatively goes to 
  them. Read the following:
  Several farmers are eating bread and stew in the inn, 
  their full mouths indicating their satisfaction at the 
  food. A lone female tabaxi is sitting by the bar, while 
  a young lad and a raven-haired girl have their hands 
  full cleaning and serving tables, including yours. Also 
  at the bar, a woman is quietly discussing things with 
  the innkeeper, an older man with gray-streaked hair. 
       The man glances in your direction before eventual-
  ly heading there. “Welcome to Eventide Inn,” he says, 
  his voice and manner showing both nervousness and 
  worry. His eyes dart to a lady by the bar. “We wanted 
  to ask you for your help.”
  Kaelyn introduces the characters to his sister Lily, who 
  begins to recount the recent misfortune that has just 
  befallen her and her husband Daelis. Characters who 
  succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check will 
  notice scratches and cuts on her arms and bruises on her 
  knuckles. If asked, she tells them that she had to fight 
  her way past some of her assailants, and proudly says 
  that she was able to stab one of them with her dagger 
  before fleeing.
  Since the attack took place at night, Lily did not ac-
  tually have a clear look at her assailants. She does know 
  that they were small creatures, and claims that they must 
  be goblins – as she’s heard rumors about goblins living 
  in the area. If questioned, Lily will also mention that 
  her assailants spoke in a strange language, which she 
  assumes must be Goblin. Characters who speak Goblin 
  can disabuse her of that notion. If any character speaks 
  Abyssal to her, she will instantly recognize that as the 
  language that the creatures had spoken.
  Characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) 
  of 10 or above will hear the tabaxi by the bar snort 
  at Lily’s claims regarding goblins. If asked, the tabaxi 
  introduces herself as Echo (short for Echo from Caverns 
  Deep) and notes that goblins had troubled the village 
  once, long ago. But adventurers had cleared them from 
  the area. While doubtful about their return, she is eager 
  to hear more about what had befallen Daelis on the 
  roadside – and she is willing to pay the characters 3 gp 
  for their story.
  Kaelyn is willing to cover the cost of the adventurer’s 
  rooms and food for the next few days if they are willing 
  to investigate the matter and rescue his brother-in-law. 
  If that doesn’t seem sufficient, Lily also offers her golden 
  brooch, shaped like a leaf (worth 15 gp). She describes 
  the location of this attack, which is easy enough to find 
  on the road leading into the village.
  Wagon on the Road
  The wagon is situated on the main road to Eventide, 
  which traverses a thick forest to reach the village. It 
  takes an hour to walk from Eventide to the wagon’s loca-
  tion. Read the following:
  The woods that surround Eventide are thick and 
  dark, with tall oaks and evergreens reaching high in 
  the air. You hear the sounds of chirping insects and 
  the rustling of leaves in the forest itself, but encoun-
  ter little else for much of the journey.
       Turning around a corner, you see a horse-drawn 
  wagon sitting on the side of the road; the horse that 
  once pulled it is lying dead. Two feral dogs are by the 
  horse, gnawing on its carcass. The animals quickly 
  turn to you.
  The xvarts ambushed the merchant wagon and killed its 
  horse, before taking Daelis captive and looting the val-
  uables from the wagon. In the hours since they’ve done 
  so, two feral dogs (use the mastiff statistics) arrived in 
  the vicinity and have been feeding on the dead horse and 
  xvart. The feral dogs will attack the characters immedi-
  ately. If one animal is killed, the other will flee.
  
  7
  The wagon itself has already been looted. Characters 
  who search the vehicle and succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check will notice a loose floorboard in the 
  corner. This can be pried open with a successful DC 15 
  Strength (Athletics) check. Inside, they will discover a 
  pouch that contains three dark green malachite gems 
  (worth 10 gp each). 
  The dead body of the xvart has already been heavily 
  mauled by the feral dogs. Aside from its small size, the 
  creature is not instantly recognizable – though charac-
  ters will notice that that the creature has distinctive dark 
  bluish skin. Characters who succeed on a DC 18 Intelli-
  gence (Arcana or Nature) check can identify the creature 
  as a xvart. In addition to the body, characters will be able 
  to find the dead xvart’s weapons – a shortsword and a 
  sling. If the characters search the body and succeed on a 
  DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they will also 
  notice a gold ring (worth 10 gp) hidden behind its belt.
  Characters will be able to see a worn path through 
  the woods; this path is used by the xvarts. They can 
  take this journey to reach the xvart’s lair in a half-hour. 
  Characters who succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) 
  check notice a number of footprints belonging to small 
  humanoids and larger animals. If they succeed by 5 or 
  more, they can determine that the same type of creature 
  as the dead xvart made the small humanoid tracks. These 
  footprints circumvent a pit trap. Characters who are able 
  to follow the tracks can avoid the trap. Otherwise, char-
  acters will need to succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom (Percep-
  tion) check to detect it. 
  The trap is a 10-foot-deep hole in the ground, con-
  cealed by canvas that is covered with leaves and dirt. 
  The first character who first steps on the canvas must do 
  a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, 
  the character catches themselves on the pit’s edge. On 
  a failed save, the character falls into the pit and takes 3 
  (1d6) bludgeoning damage from the fall. 
  Xvart’s Lair
  The xvarts have made their lair at an abandoned mine 
  located by a hillside. The xvart warlock has moved most 
  the group’s treasure into the center of the cave and the 
  xvarts are in the midst of a ritual offering to Raxivort. 
  The caverns and tunnels of the xvart’s lair are 10 feet 
  high and lack a light source, except if otherwise noted. 
  The following locations are keyed to map 1.2.
  B1. Cave entrance
  The path leads to a small clearing covered with 
  leaves and dirt. Beyond the clearing is a cave mouth 
  situated at a rocky hillside. A small, balding, blue-
  skinned creature is leaning against the wall, its eyes 
  closed.
  One xvart guards the entrance, but it has fallen asleep. 
  Characters who succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) 
  ability check will be able to sneak past it. If awakened 
  by the characters, the xvart attempts to surrender rather 
  than attack.
  This xvart is the former xvart speaker who was over-
  thrown by the xvart warlock some time ago. It has the 
  statistics of a normal xvart, but it has an Intelligence of 
  13 (+1) and knows Common. It was chosen by the xvart 
  warlock to guard the entrance as a form of punishment, 
  preventing it from taking part in the ritual, and it’s eager 
  to use this opportunity to get rid of the warlock. (This 
  xvart will hereinafter be referred to as the xvart speaker 
  to differentiate it from the other xvarts in this chapter.)
  The xvart speaker knows the following information:
  • The xvart warlock is making a ritual offering of their  
     treasure to their creator. 
  • This offering includes the gem of brightness.
  • Daelis is still alive and is a prisoner in their lair, but 
     he will be sacrificed at the conclusion of the ritual.
  The xvart speaker is willing to tell them the name of 
  their creator, Raxivort, but doesn’t reveal further infor-
  mation. Characters who succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence 
  (History or Religion) check also recognize the name as 
  belonging to a being who stole treasure from the demon 
  lord Gra’atz, the Dark Prince. He later become a demi-
  god and eventually was forced into hiding from Gra’atz 
  himself and other powerful enemies.
  The xvart speaker offers to lead the characters to the 
  xvart warlock if they promise to kill the warlock. That 
  will help it regain its position as speaker. In return, 
  the xvart speaker promises to free Daelis and let the 
  characters leave the lair peacefully. However, as soon 
  as the xvart warlock is killed, it plans on betraying the 
  characters. The xvart speaker will push the characters 
  to confront the xvart warlock in area B6; any delay by 
  exploring B4 or B5 will lead it to distrust the characters 
  and to flee to B6 to warn the others, unless stopped.
  If asked for its name, the creature points to itself and 
  says “xvart.” If asked for the name of the warlock (or any 
  other xvart), it responds by saying “xvart.” The xvart 
  makes an imperceptibly small change in inflection that 
  only other xvarts would notice. If the characters attack 
  any xvarts other than the warlock, it becomes immedi-
  ately aggressive.
  Treasure. The xvart speaker carries 10 sp in a small 
  pouch hidden in its clothes.
  B2. Stone Pillar Chamber
  The cave mouth opens up into a circular chamber, its 
  floor rough and uneven. A large, natural stone pillar 
  sits in the center of the chamber. Various carvings 
  and mineral deposits cover the pillar. Two large bags 
  are lying half empty on the floor on the north wall.
  CHAPTER 1  | A GEM FOR YOUR TROUBLES
  
  8
  CHAPTER 1 | A GEM FOR YOUR TROUBLES
       Three tunnels span out of this chamber. The west-
  ern corridor has old wooden beams providing support 
  and slopes down further into the cave complex, while 
  a foul smell emanates from the eastern passage. You 
  can hear chanting voices to the north, alongside the 
  glimmer of torchlight.
  The carvings on the pillar were made by the xvarts 
  following their arrival; they depict their journey to this 
  cave and their recent attacks against passerby. Charac-
  ters who succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check will notice some of the most recent carvings, 
  which depict a raid on a wagon and a xvart holding what 
  looks like a gem.
  Characters who succeed in a DC 12 Wisdom (Percep-
  tion) check will be able to hear voices coming from area 
  B6. If they understand Abyssal, they will hear one voice 
  exclaim: “Raxivort the Sly, He who comes from the Black 
  Sewers, our treasure is Your treasure, bless us with Your 
  presence and take what is Yours,” followed by the slow 
  chanting of “Raxivort.” 
  Characters who do not understand Abyssal will still 
  be able to recognize the term Raxivort as a name. If it 
  has not already done so, the xvart speaker tells them 
  that Raxivort is their creator but does not reveal further 
  information about the demigod. Characters who succeed 
  on a DC 18 Intelligence (History or Religion) check rec-
  ognize the name and know the information detailed in 
  area B1 about Raxivort and his relationship with Gra’atz.  
  The two bags contain grains and oats that the xvarts 
  had taken from other roadside travelers. However, the 
  bags are infested with weevils and their contents are 
  now worthless.
  Development. One xvart enters the chamber from 
  the western passage, carrying a small box of treasure for 
  the offering to Raxivort. 
  If the characters are alone, the xvart will drop the box 
  and yell a warning to the others. Unless prevented, it 
  will run down to area B5 in a panic. If the characters are 
  joined by the xvart speaker from area B1, the two will 
  discuss the arrangement to kill the xvart warlock – and 
  this creature will step aside and head down to area B5 
  until the outcome is finally decided. 
  If a warning is issued, the xvarts in area B6 are already 
  deep in the ritual and do not hear this warning.
  Treasure. The xvart is carrying a small wooden box 
  with 5 gp, 15 sp, and 150 cp.
  MAP 1.2: XVART’S LAIR
  1 square = 5 feet
  
  9
  B3. Kennel
  The xvarts keep two giant rats in this kennel. These 
  animals are used as both mounts and to help guard their 
  lair.
  A thick animal stench wafts out of this cave. Bones 
  and pieces of clothing litter the room. Sitting on 
  these discarded items are two giant rodents, their 
  bodies covered in black, matted fur and their thick 
  tails stretched behind them. Both creatures are busy 
  eating a large pile of grains and oats.
  If the xvart speaker from area B1 is with the characters, 
  the two giant rats behave docilely. Otherwise, these 
  creatures attack. Characters who give these rodents food 
  and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Animal Han-
  dling) check will convince these animals to ignore 
  the characters – at least until they harm any xvarts 
  in their field of view, in which case they become 
  hostile. Characters who are able to speak to these 
  animals have advantage on the ability check.
  Treasure. Characters who succeed on a DC 
  17 Wisdom (Perception) check notice a glint of 
  a gem half-hidden in the discarded items on the 
  ground. It is a pendant shaped like a wolf with 
  two small agates for eyes (worth 20 gp).
  B4. Xvart’s Treasure Alcoves
  A stone statue stands in each the two alcoves 
  at the bottom of the curved passageway. The 
  statues bear a resemblance to the small creature 
  than inhabit these caves – though each statue 
  stands 9 feet tall with curved horns protruding 
  from its head.  At their base sits an open stone 
  chest. The statue’s arms are crossed and folded 
  around its torso. 
       The passageway goes further east, with lan-
  terns hanging from old wooden beams along the 
  ceiling providing some light.
  Each alcove has a stone statue of Raxivort con-
  nected to an open stone chest at its feet. The 
  xvarts’ treasure is normally placed in these chests, 
  but it has since been moved to area B6. The chests 
  are currently empty.
  Characters who succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence 
  (History or Religion) check will recognize that the 
  statue depicts a demon – one that is closely associ-
  ated with the demon lord Gra’atz.  
  Any character who gives 5 gp or more in a chest 
  will receive a blessing from Raxivort – for the 
  next 12 hours, they will gain “Raxivort’s tongue,” 
  and be able to communicate with ordinary bats 
  and rats, as well as giants bats and giant rats. 
  Those who take back the offering will gain “Raxivort’s 
  silence,” resulting in both the removal of the blessing 
  and the loss of their ability to speak for 12 hours.
  B5. Xvart Warlock’s Chamber
  Tucked in the corner of the cave is an old mattress. 
  The scent of mildew hangs in the air. A small wooden 
  chest sits at the end of the bed, its lid closed. The 
  walls of this chamber are covered with brightly color-
  ed mineral deposits.
  The xvart that appeared in area B2 would have ran 
  down to this chamber, either to hide or to await the out-
  come of the plan to kill the xvart warlock, unless it was 
  prevented from doing so. It will attack any characters 
  
  10
  who enter the room, unless accompanied by the xvart 
  speaker.
  The chest is locked and trapped. Any character who 
  examines the chest and succeeds on a DC 13 Intelli-
  gence (Investigation) check discovers a poisoned needle 
  hidden in the chest’s lock. Removing the needle requires 
  a successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools. 
  A character who fails to notice the trap and attempts to 
  pick the lock or who fails in their check to remove the 
  needle takes 1 piercing damage and 1d6 poison damage 
  and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw 
  or be poisoned for 1 hour.
  Treasure. The chest contains one potion of healing and 
  an old leather-bound volume written in Common titled 
  Delving into the Deep Caverns of Pandemonium, authored 
  by Ashali Jathal (worth 10 gp). It describes the nature of 
  various planar beings that call Pandemonium home. 
  The book has a red ribbon bookmark that opens the 
  volume to a page that details the story of the demigod 
  Raxivort – from his journey as the demon lord Gra’azt’s 
  servant to his theft of Gra’azt’s treasures to his discovery 
  of the Infinity Spindle that led to his ascension to demi-
  god status. It also details Raxivort’s creation of xvarts, as 
  a way to hide from Gra’azt and other foes. Some writing 
  in Abyssal can be seen along the margin, which asks 
  “Raxivort has an eye for magical gems?” 
  B6. Temple to Raxivort
  Torches hang along the walls of this large 12-foot-
  high cave, illuminating an ominous stone figure on 
  one end of the chamber on a raised dais. The figure 
  resembles the small creatures in these caves, though 
  it stands 10 feet tall, has twisted horns jutting out of 
  its head, and its eyes are closed. The light from the 
  braziers and the candles on the raised dais has given 
  the statue a demonic reddish hue. 
       A pile of treasure is lying on the floor beside the 
  statue. Next to that is a bloody stone altar, with 
  a male human figure laying motionless atop. His 
  clothes are bloodied and tattered around him. 
       Three of the small, blue-skinned creatures are 
  prostrate before the altar, their loud voices chanting 
  “Raxivort” in unison. Another of the blue-skinned 
  creatures, appearing several inches taller due to 
  wooden lifts under its feet, is approaching the man 
  with a jeweled dagger in its hand.
  Three xvarts are lying on the ground beside the bloody 
  altar. The xvart warlock is holding a sacrificial dagger 
  and is preparing to sacrifice their prisoner, Daelis, who 
  is lying unconscious on the altar.
  Development. If the xvart speaker from area B1 is 
  with the characters, it begs them to attack the xvart war-
  lock who wields the dagger. It promises that the others 
  won’t interfere with his presence near them, and they do 
  not. If they defeat the warlock, it says to the other xvarts 
  in Abyssal: “I am now speaker, by Raxivort’s will. Hear 
  my command: kill them,” while pointing to the charac-
  ters. The xvarts, including the speaker, then proceed to 
  attack the party.
  Characters who are alone and enter this cave to inter-
  rupt the ceremony will be attacked immediately. 
  Daelis is at 0 hit points and is currently unconscious. 
  After an hour, he will gain 1 hit point and therefore 
  regain consciousness, though characters have the option 
  to heal him earlier. He will ask about his prized gem of 
  brightness and will be grateful if it is returned to him. 
  Treasure. A pile of treasure sits on the floor in front 
  of the statue of Raxivort. It includes 10 gp, 200 sp, an 
  ivory scroll case (worth 15 gp) and a gem of brightness. 
  The xvart warlock’s sacrificial dagger has a pommel 
  shaped like a rat, with two small azurites (worth 10 gp 
  each) inlaid in place for the rat’s eyes. The blade itself 
  has Abyssal writing on it, which reads: “To Raxivort 
  goes the spoils.” 
  B7. Xvart Living Quarters
  A pungent odour greets you as you enter this cave. 
  The stone floor is covered with dirty mats, tattered 
  sheets, and torn pillows, used as makeshift beds for 
  the lair’s inhabitants. One of the small creatures 
  seems to be sleeping on one of the mats, its head 
  covered with a bandage.
  The xvart was wounded from the raid on the wagon and 
  has since died.
  Treasure. Characters who search the room thorough-
  ly can, if successful on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check, notice that one of the stones is loose by the wall. 
  If they move the stone, they find a bottle of dwarven 
  brandy (worth 3 gp) and small pouch containing 8 sp 
  hidden inside the space.
  Conclusion
  Characters who rescue Daelis from the xvarts and bring 
  him back to the Eventide Inn will be greeted as heroes 
  by Kaelyn and Lily, the latter of whom proceeds to hug 
  and kiss her husband. Kaelyn offers the characters free 
  room and board at his inn for the next several days. 
  If she has not already offered it to the characters, Lily 
  is so delighted by Daelis’ return that she willingly gives 
  them her leaf-shaped golden brooch (worth 15 gp). If 
  the characters return the gem of brightness, they are very 
  grateful but don’t offer any additional reward for the 
  characters. Daelis and Lily stay at the inn for the next 
  few days, before eventually leaving the village.
   
  CHAPTER 1 | A GEM FOR YOUR TROUBLES
  
  11
  Chapter 2: 
  Chapter 2: 
  The Blacksmith’s Daughter
  The Blacksmith’s Daughter
  T
  he Daughter of the village blacksmith 
  has recently gone missing. The charac-
  ters are tasked with rescuing her from 
  a group of darklings from the Feywild 
  before she is trapped in their lair forever. 
  This adventure is designed for characters 
  who are level 2.
   
  Adventure Background
  The blacksmith at Eventide, Ander Brightforge, has 
  discovered that his teenage daughter Miri disappeared 
  overnight. Earlier last evening, Miri had found a mys-
  terious jeweled bracelet; once placed on her wrist, she 
  found herself drawn towards a tower in the wilderness. 
  When her father was fast asleep, she left their home and 
  headed there alone.
  The bracelet belongs to a group of darklings, led by an 
  elder named Préachán Geárr. His boggle servant left the 
  bracelet in the blacksmith’s home for the girl to find. His 
  reason stems from an ill-conceived promise the black-
  smith had made many years before.
  When he was an apprentice blacksmith, Ander had 
  found himself lost in the Feywild. Once there, he only 
  managed to escape by making a deal with Préachán 
  Geárr, who knew a way to pass back to their world. Yet 
  the deal had come at a cost.
  The darkling elder had asked for the right to eventual-
  ly claim Ander’s finest creation in return for aiding the 
  blacksmith. Ander, thinking that those words meant a 
  suit of armor or a sword, had readily accepted the price. 
  Little did he know at the time that Préachán Geárr had 
  meant to claim his daughter. 
  Miri is now trapped and is on the verge of having her 
  soul imprisoned. 
  The blacksmith has been looking for his daughter all 
  morning in the village. Having no luck, he has gone back 
  to his home and smithy, the Blinding Forge. He asks for 
  the characters help, thinking that they might be the only 
  hope for Miri to escape.
  The Blinding Forge
  The characters begin this adventure heading towards the 
  Blinding Forge. It is early in the morning, with the sun 
  still peaking out along the horizon, and the village of 
  Eventide still reasonably quiet. Yet there is commotion 
  in the shop. Read the following to the characters:
  The door to the blacksmith’s shop is ajar, and the 
  sound of heavy footsteps of someone pacing loudly 
  can be heard inside. Rows of farming tools, weapons, 
  and other items are neatly stored in the shop. A large 
  CHAPTER 2  |  THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  12
  man with a cane is pacing in the back room, shouting 
  “Miri, Miri, where are…”
       The man stops, suddenly seeing you. His shoulders 
  slump, and he says, “My daughter, she’s gone miss-
  ing.”
  Ander has arrived back to his home and shop after 
  searching the village for his daughter. His damaged leg, 
  an injury from his time in the Feywild, makes it difficult 
  for him to search outside the village confines – a fact 
  that he freely tells the characters. He hopes the party 
  might be willing to search for his daughter. If they show 
  interest, the blacksmith offers the characters 20 gp and 
  a magical dagger (weapon of warning) with a hilt shaped 
  like a dryad. Characters who examine the dagger can, if 
  successful on a DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check, sur-
  mise that the dagger was crafted in the Feywild. Ander 
  had found it during his foray into the Feywild and is 
  willing to confide to them about that fact.
  The blacksmith informs the party that his daughter 
  disappeared in the middle of the night. He was asleep at 
  the time and didn’t hear anything that night. Characters 
  who succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check notice 
  that Ander seems to be hiding some worry. If pressed, 
  he admits that Miri wore a strange looking bracelet that 
  evening – a golden bracelet shaped like twisted branches, 
  with strange markings on it, though he can’t recall all the 
  details. After a long day working the forge, he just didn’t 
  have the energy to ask about it. He begins to rub his leg 
  at this point, and he tells them that it has been more 
  sensitive than usual these past few days. 
  If Ander tells the characters about the bracelet, read 
  the following:
  “But it wasn’t just about the bracelet,” says Ander. 
  He moves slowly towards a window at the back of 
  the shop, limping on what looks like a bad leg, and 
  opens the curtain, his broad frame partially blocking 
  the view of the nearby forest outside. “She seemed 
  preoccupied that night.  And she kept looking outside 
  at the woods, as if expecting to see something...”
  As Ander finishes his story, the sharp sound of a glass 
  shattering can be heard upstairs in the family home 
  above the shop. Characters who succeed in a DC 15 Wis-
  dom (Perception) will be able to make out faint words 
  in Sylvan coming from upstairs. If the character under-
  stands Sylvan, they hear the following: “Dark crow, give 
  me more luck than this.”
  Ander starts walking upstairs immediately. Characters 
  are free to follow, in which case read the following:
  You follow the blacksmith upstairs and enter a small 
  bedroom. The thick scent of perfume wafts from 
  inside the room, drifting from a glass vial that lay in 
  pieces on the ground. Near the window beside the 
  broken vial, you see strange sight: a purple-skinned 
  creature, hunched over, its large hands dragging 
  across the floor, its body shaped liked a twisted old 
  man but no larger than a halfling. What looks like oil 
  covers the ground around it, the sticky black sub-
  stance excreting from its pores.
  The creature is a boggle, a servant of Préachán Geárr. 
  It has a personal interest in collecting valuables and was 
  searching Miri’s room until it accidentally broke a vial of 
  perfume. The creature created a puddle of slippery oil on 
  the floor in the room. It is not interested in fighting the 
  characters and, at first opportunity, it plans on using its 
  dimensional rift ability by the window to escape. 
  Characters may have an opportunity to kill or capture 
  the boggle. If characters are able to speak Sylvan and 
  succeed in capturing the boggle, it is willing to share the 
  following information:
  • The darkling elder has taken Miri and plans on 
     trapping her in his lair deep in the forest.
  • Ander’s agreement with the darklings to escape   
     the Feywild was in return for his daughter Miri.
  • Breaking the agreement by rescuing Miri will entail 
     consequences.
  Ander is familiar with boggles, remembering that the 
  darkling elder from the Feywild had boggle servants. As 
  a result, he now suspects Préachán Geárr may be behind 
  his daughter’s disappearance. Characters who have a 
  passive Wisdom (Perception) of 12 or more will hear 
  Ander mutter under his breath, “Boggles? Could this be 
  Préachán Geárr?” If pressed, Ander admits that he rec-
  ognizes the creature that was in the room and suspects 
  the darklings might be involved in what happened to 
  Miri. He provides further detail of his agreement with 
  the darkling elder to escape, as detailed in the Adventure 
  Background.
  Characters who investigate the window in the room 
  will noticed a lanky male teenager, Davnik Ravenwood, 
  from across the street looking intently at the Blinding 
  Forge. He is the son of Kaelyn and Mayda, the propri-
  etors of the nearby Eventide Inn. He also has a crush 
  on Miri and noticed her departure in the middle of the 
  night. 
  Characters can head outside to speak to him. If they 
  don’t look outside the window or choose not to talk to 
  him, he heads towards the shop in order to ask about 
  Miri. Those who succeed on DC 10 Wisdom (Percep-
  tion) check will notice his cheeks flush when he talks 
  about Miri. They can find out the following information 
  from him:
  • Miri left in the middle of the night into the woods.
  • Her bracelet glowed a strange greenish light
  • Davnik had only chanced upon Miri when he looked   
     outside his room in the Eventide Inn.
  Characters who investigate the road out of the village 
  and who succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check 
  CHAPTER 2 | THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  13
  will be able to track Miri’s footprints going from the 
  main road into the woods. Those with backgrounds or 
  classes that would give experience or knowledge with 
  tracking footprints can roll with advantage. If the char-
  acters fail the roll, Davnik offers to show the path Miri 
  had taken out of the village. Either way, characters will 
  be able to track the blacksmith’s daughter into the forest 
  going forward.
  The Forest Maze
  Characters are able to follow the path from the dirt road 
  into the woods. After two hours, they eventually come 
  within sight of their destination. Read the following:
  The tracks lead deep into the woods, eventually snak-
  ing their way up a large hill thick with trees, brambles 
  and other greenery. Ripped pieces of a nightgown can 
  be seen sticking on some the thorned bushes. 
       You finally see what you imagine to be your des-
  tination, an old stone tower sitting lonesome up on 
  the hilltop. As you see the tower, your environment 
  suddenly seems different – the woods have grown 
  dark, the once morning sky looks more like twilight, 
  even the narrow path itself seems twisted. A narrow 
  path traverses up what now looks to be a maze of 
  overgrown trees, vines, and shrubs.
  The tower sits at a place where the barrier to the Fey-
  wild is particularly thin, allowing for magic from that 
  plane to seep directly into the world. As a result, the 
  forest surrounding the tower has been transformed into 
  a maze; the characters are now magically trapped in its 
  confines. Characters who cast detect magic will find the 
  aura of conjuration magic in the trees surrounding them. 
  If they attempt to turn back around, they will find that 
  the path leads them back to the hillside with the tower.
  Characters should roll a d6. On a 6, they reach the 
  tower unhindered. If they roll any other number, their 
  path takes them to a dead end with an encounter. Each 
  encounter can only occur once. Roll on the Forest Maze 
  Encounter table. Following the encounter, characters can 
  roll a d6 again to try a different path.
  Blink Dogs
  Two blink dogs are resting in this part of the maze. 
  They were promised to the darklings to guard their 
  home, but their arrangement soon fell apart. While no 
  longer bound to defend the darklings, they are still com-
  pelled to stay in the vicinity for a few more years. 
  The creatures were gifted with telepathy as a means 
  to communicate. They are not hostile to the characters 
  and are willing to share information, though they will 
  defend themselves if attacked. They have not seen Miri 
  but know the darkling elder has trapped people in the 
  past. They tell them the darklings live under the tow-
  er, accessible by a trap door outside.
  Boggle
  The characters see a confused boggle that had gotten 
  lost in the maze. It will try to flee from them. This is not 
  the same boggle as the one encountered earlier, but it 
  does know the same information. It reluctantly shares 
  that information, if captured.
  Dead Body
  The characters discover the remains of a recently dead 
  hunter who had gotten lost in the maze around the 
  darkling’s tower. Characters who succeed on a DC 10 
  Intelligence (Medicine) check will know that the body 
  has been dead for two days. The body is covered in claw 
  marks, and her face is twisted in fear. 
  Treasure. If the characters search the body, they find 
  studded leather armor, a short bow, ten arrows, and a 
  leather pouch containing 5 gp.
  Meenlock
  A meenlock is sitting in a burrow of a large oak tree. It 
  senses the characters and crawls out of the tree in order 
  to attack them. Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check for the 
  meenlock and compare it to the passive Wisdom (Per-
  ception) scores of the party. Any character whose score 
  equals or exceeds the meenlock is not surprised.
  Quickling
  A quickling had just sneaked near the darkling’s lair 
  to steal a silver amulet from the boggles. It is currently 
  fascinated by the item. It is not immediately hostile, but 
  it is very prickly and rude – and any attempt to take the 
  amulet will result in hostility. If characters succeed on 
  a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check, the quickling is 
  willing to tell them about the amulet – that it was taken 
  from a human girl by a boggle near the tower. If asked, 
  the quickling describes the girl as being unharmed. 
  Treasure. Miri’s amulet is shaped like a small anvil 
  and was given to her by her father (worth 5 gp).
  Forest Maze encounters
  d12 
   
  Encounter
  1–2 
   
  Blink Dogs
  3–4 
   
  Boggle
  5–6 
   
  Dead Body
  7–8 
   
  Meenlock
  9–10  
  Quickling
  11–12 
  Shadow
  CHAPTER 2  |  THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  14
  Shadow
  The shadow is a ghostly remnant of a female human 
  hunter who had gotten lost in the maze and was killed by 
  the meenlock. The shadow now wanders the maze itself. 
  It is hostile to the characters.
  Tower of the Darklings
  Before you sits the squat stone tower, a dark, crum-
  bling building overgrown with vines and moss. A 
  small amount of smoke billows out from a chimney 
  peaking out of the thatched roof.
       A door is visible in the wooden extension connect-
  ed to the tower itself. Large trees surround the old 
  building, some so large and so close to the structure 
  that they have worn away the walls on the upper 
  floors, creating another opening of sorts.
  The darklings had long ago abandoned the tower, 
  preferring instead the darkness of the lair that they had 
  built underground. The tower later fell into ruin, with 
  the partial exception of the first floor.
  The rooms and corridors in the tower and under-
  ground lair are 12 feet tall and lack a light source. The 
  locations listed below are keyed to map 1.3.
  Access to the tower can be found through the shed 
  (area C1) or the second floor (area C5). Characters who 
  succeed on a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check can climb the tree to reach area C5. 
  The entrance to Préachán Geárr’s lair is outside the 
  tower and accessible by a secret trap door. Characters 
  who examine the ground around the tower can, with a 
  successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check, see the 
  faint outline of the trap door. If the characters are unable 
  to find it, a darkling will enter the lair from the forest – 
  this darkling can be used in the encounter in C9.
  C1. Entrance
  A large oak door sits solidly in the wooden extension 
  of the tower, serving as the only visible entrance to 
  the tower itself. A large carving of a crow covers the 
  door, with stars above it and Elvish script beneath.
  The door is magically locked and cannot be opened using 
  thieves’ tools or by brute strength. Characters who know 
  Elvish can read the following on the door: “When you 
  have more of it, you see even less.” If the Elvish word for 
  darkness is uttered, the door magically opens. A detect 
  magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic on the 
  door.
  C2. Foyer
  The wooden shed serves as a foyer to the tower 
  itself, with stairs on one end rising several feet 
  before stopping at the door to the tower itself. 
  The wall paneling is carved with vibrant images of 
  crows.
  The carvings are designed to stop anyone from car-
  rying light sources into the tower. Characters who 
  carry any light source, magical or mundane, into 
  this chamber will trigger the trap. Once activated, 
  black smoke will emerge from the crow carvings, 
  coalescing into 2 swarms of crows (use the swarm 
  of ravens statistics). A detect magic spell reveals 
  an aura of conjuration magic radiating from the 
  carvings.
  C3. Main Hall
  The main hall of the tower features a staircase 
  in the corner, alongside two doors on opposite 
  ends of the western wall. A suit of black armor 
  stands guard next to each door. A painting hangs 
  in a small alcove along the southern wall, and an 
  ornate rug lays on the floor, depicting the tower in 
  better days, the sun shining bright behind it.
  
  15
  The rug is a rug of smothering that attacks any 
  non-darkling that steps on it  Characters who study it 
  can, if successful with a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check, notice that the image on the rug shows a trap 
  door open outside the tower. 
  The painting depicts what looks to be a gray-skinned 
  elf wearing a gold amulet shaped like an inverted tri-
  angle, with a small ruby in the center. Characters who 
  succeed on DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notice 
  that the portrait of the elf is perfectly done, lacking 
  even the marks of a brushstroke. The painting houses a 
  trapped soul. Characters who examine the painting can, 
  if successful on a DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check, 
  surmise that such portraits are likely magical in nature. 
  Destroying the painting releases the trapped soul to the 
  afterlife. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of necro-
  mancy radiating from the painting.
  C4. Gallery
  Two paintings hang from the wall in this chamber. 
  Each depicts a gray-skinned elf. Interestingly, both 
  seem to be wearing the exact same necklace – a gold 
  amulet shaped like an inverted triangle, with a small 
  ruby set in the center.
  Each painting has a soul trapped inside. Characters who 
  inspect the paintings can, with a successful DC 10 Wis-
  dom (Perception) check, notice that the portraits lack 
  the telltales signs of brushstrokes. Characters who suc-
  ceed on a DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check deduce that 
  such portraits are likely magical in nature. Destroying 
  the paintings releases the trapped souls to the afterlife. A 
  detect magic spell reveals an aura of necromancy radiating 
  from the paintings.
  MAP 1.3: TOWER OF THE DARKLINGS
  1 square = 5 feet
  CHAPTER 2  |  THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  16
  C5. Second Floor
  You step onto the second floor of the tower. In one 
  corner, the thick branches of a tree had finally broken 
  through the crumbling wall. The room is quite barren, 
  with a large stone pillar sitting squarely in the middle 
  of the rubble-strewn chamber. Intricate shapes of 
  crows can be seen on the pillar’s surface. A circular 
  staircase climbs further up the decaying old building, 
  while stairs in the corner lead further down.
  This room is largely empty. Rubble from the broken 
  wall remains scattered on the floor, while vines and 
  moss have climbed through the walls into the chamber 
  itself. Characters who succeed on a DC 10 Perception 
  (Wisdom) check will notice oily residue on the circular 
  staircase.
  The pillar depicts a murder of crows, with what 
  looks like stars shining above them. Characters who 
  succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check will 
  see faint words written using Elvish script at the base: 
  “May the dark crow shield us from summer’s light.”
  C6. Third Floor
  Much of the walls on this floor have crumbled 
  away, leaving the room exposed to the elements. A 
  non-descript square pillar sits in the middle of the 
  chamber. Small animal bones litter the ground near 
  the circular staircase going to the tower’s roof. 
  The boggles in area C7 eat small animals that they catch 
  in the woods and throw the remaining bones on this 
  floor. Characters who succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom (Per-
  ception) check will notice oily residue around the bones 
  and on the circular staircase.
  C7. Boggle Lair
  The top of the tower is enclosed with an old, wood-
  en conical roof. A door is on one side of the room, 
  while a fireplace burns on the other. The ground 
  itself is covered in a sticky oily substance. Gems 
  and coins glitter in the flickering light of the fire.
  CHAPTER 2 | THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  17
       Three small creatures – purple-skinned and mis-
  happen, none taller than a halfling, one with overly 
  large hands and eyes, the other two with large feet 
  and ears – are warming themselves by the fire.
  Three stray boggles have made a home in the rooftop. 
  They are immediately hostile to characters and fight to 
  protect their home rather than flee. 
  Treasure. Characters who spend time searching the 
  floor find 2 pp, 5 sp, and 23 cp.
  C8. Rooftop
  The rooftop is empty, except for dirt and debris.
  C9. Storage Room
  This room is the first area that character encounter after 
  entering the underground lair using the trap door. The 
  darkling elder stores painting supplies here. The door 
  is half open. A darkling, currently in the room, attacks 
  any intruders.
  C10. Wall of Paintings
  An octagonal inner wall divides up this otherwise 
  square chamber, with two passages leading to a 
  dark cavern to the east. A painting hangs on seven 
  of the octagon’s eight sides. Each one is masterful-
  ly done. Most depict what looks like gray-skinned 
  elves, though one dragonborn and one eladrin 
  can also be seen. Each is smiling widely, and each 
  wears the exact same necklace – a gold amulet 
  shaped like an inverted triangle, with a sparkling 
  ruby in the center. Opposite the northern part of 
  the octagonal wall are burial niches. Only one side 
  of the wall, facing the south, lacks a painting.
  Préachán Geárr has trapped a soul in each painting. 
  Characters who succeed on a successful DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check see that the paintings of the people 
  on the canvas lack signs of brushstrokes or other mark-
  ings. Characters who succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check deduce that such portraits are likely 
  magical in nature. Destroying any painting releases the 
  soul to the afterlife. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of 
  necromancy radiating from the paintings.
  C11. Crypts
  Ancient burial niches line this wall, each holding 
  black metal urns. Elvish script can be seen above 
  the niches. 
  Each of these urns holds the remains of a darkling who 
  died, after their body and possessions turned to ash. A 
  total of 20 urns sit on shelves in these niches. Each urn is 
  worth 2 gp. Characters who understand Elvish will read 
  the following message along the wall: “The dark crow 
  leads his people to rest.”
  Characters who search the niches and are successful 
  on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check will find a rod 
  of the pact keeper +1 next to an urn. Any character who 
  removes the magic item or an urn from the hallway is 
  cursed. Until the curse ends, the character has disad-
  vantage on attack rolls and ability checks. Putting the 
  items back in their place or casting a remove curse spell 
  (or a similar spell) on the character ends the curse.
  C12. Sleeping Quarters
  This cavern holds four small cots and a wooden 
  chest. Three small creatures are also visible; they 
  are quietly sharpening their daggers. They look like 
  small, wizened elves, with gray, mottled skin, their 
  bodies covered in leather and pitch-black clothing.
  Three darklings are currently in this cavern clean-
  ing their weapons. They attack any intruders on sight.  
  Characters have the option of trying to sneak past them 
  through area C13, but they must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity (Stealth) check.
  Treasure. The chest is unlocked. It contains 22 gp, 50 
  sp, 130 cp, a deep blue azurite gem (worth 10 gp), and a 
  bloodstone (worth 50 gp).
  C13. Dining Room
  This spacious cavern features a table covered with 
  plates and glasses, all neatly arrayed, with five chairs 
  are spread out around the table. A small underground 
  pool stretches out deeper into the cave. 
  The darklings use this cavern as their dining room. The 
  pool itself is 10 feet deep and connects to area C14. The 
  pool is empty.
  C14. Darkling Elder’s Bedchamber
  The passage opens up into a cavern. A bed sits along 
  the eastern wall, while to the north stands a dark fig-
  ure in black. The figure’s hood is pulled down, reveal-
  ing what looks like a gray-skinned elf, with arcane 
  symbols tattooed on his face, neck, and hands. 
       The elf figure is busy painting on a stretched can-
  vas. On a stool to his right is a gold amulet, shaped 
  like an inverse triangle, with a ruby at the center. On 
  his other side is a large stone block. A black-haired 
  teenage girl is lying still on the stone.
  CHAPTER 2  |  THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  18
  Préachán Geárr, the darkling elder, is in the 
  midst of painting. His amulet of soul trapping 
  (see Appendix) is on the stool. He attacks 
  intruders on sight and calls for help from the 
  three darklings in area C12.
  Miri is currently lying unconscious (albeit 
  full health) on the table. The magic brace-
  let that had guided her to the darklings had 
  drained her life before finally leaving her 
  unconscious; the item has become blackened 
  and rusted in the process, but still glows a 
  faint green. Removing the bracelet ends the 
  unconscious condition and destroys the item. 
  The darkling elder intends to put the amulet 
  around Miri’s neck once the painting is done, 
  resulting in her soul being trapped in the 
  portrait. He therefore does not use it against 
  the characters. 
  The amulet of soul trapping is currently 
  linked to the painting. Characters who suc-
  ceed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check 
  can surmise that the amulet is designed to 
  trap a soul in the painting. They can choose 
  to force the amulet on Préachán Geárr, which 
  requires a successful grapple contest between 
  the character’s Strength (Athletics) check 
  against the darkling elder’s Dexterity (Acro-
  batics) check. If successful, the darkling elder 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving 
  throw or have his soul trapped in the paint-
  ing. The amulet is destroyed once used in 
  such a manner.
  Treasure. The darkling elder’s amulet of 
  soul trapping, if it is not used and destroyed, 
  is now permanently linked to the painting. 
  He also has a leather pouch with 5 pp, 15 gp, 
  two green agates (worth 10 gp each) and one 
  amethyst (worth 50 gp). A potion of healing is 
  next to his bed.
  Conclusion
  The darkling elder’s death ends the magical 
  maze around the tower. Once back in the 
  village, the characters discover the blacksmith 
  has since disappeared. Observers say a strange 
  light emanated from the blacksmith’s home 
  before his disappearance. Miri is devastated 
  to learn this news and ends up staying with 
  Kaelyn and Mayda Ravenwood. She also 
  agrees to honor her father’s promise of 20 
  gp and his weapon of warning (dagger). Miri 
  informs the characters that her father had left 
  a note detailing the possibility that rescuing 
  her from the darklings could have conse-
  quences, including his return to the Feywild. 
  He promises to find a way to return.
  CHAPTER 2 | THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
  
  19
  Chapter 3: 
  Chapter 3: 
  The Hag of Red Crag Rock
  The Hag of Red Crag Rock
  T
  he loggers at eventiDe are afraiD; sever-
  al of their number have disappeared in 
  the forest. They ask the characters to 
  investigate. As the characters discover, a 
  corrupted dryad and an evil hag are be-
  hind things. This adventure is designed 
  for characters who are level 3.
  Adventure Background
  Eventide has grown quite prosperous thanks to the hard 
  work of its loggers. Yet many have grown afraid, with 
  several of their number disappearing. A group are in the 
  Smiling Horse Tavern, hoping to find some adventurers 
  who might investigate the issue on their behalf.
  The disappearances began several days earlier, when 
  the logger Luth Helder had gone into the woods never to 
  return, leaving behind his wife Kethra and their young 
  daughter. Others had soon followed suit. 
  Behind the disappearances is a dryad named Meliae, 
  who had lived quietly and peacefully in the forest for 
  many decades. Yet that quickly changed when her tree 
  was destroyed by Luth and other loggers – the destructi-
  on of her tree, which was her home and roots her to the 
  world, has left her twisted and vengeful.
  Meliae quickly took revenge on Luth but remained 
  unsatisfied. Soon she found herself in the company of a 
  forest hag by the name of Black Morwen and has conti-
  nued to lure loggers deep into the forest, where they are 
  taken and killed by the hag.
  Yet there is more to this story, as Luth had not des-
  troyed the dryad’s tree by accident, but rather at the 
  behest of the very same hag. Luth’s child was sick with 
  an illness, and the hag had supplied the cure – but at the 
  cost of the destruction of the dryad’s tree. 
  Since that time, Black Morwen had been facilitating 
  the corruption of Meliae even further, enjoying the 
  knowledge that she is the cause of the dryad’s current 
  predicament. 
  The loggers just lost their friend Taren to the dryad’s 
  charms the previous evening, but haven’t found much 
  support from the village speaker, who has asked for their 
  patience. Seeing a group of adventurers at the tavern, 
  they decide to hire them to investigate the matter.
  Smiling Horse Tavern
  The characters begin this adventure in the Smiling Horse 
  Tavern. Nearby, a group of loggers have been talking 
  quietly and occasionally glancing at the characters, until 
  one of them finally approaches. Read the following:
  The tavern is busy this night. Local farmers and 
  loggers crowd around the nearby tables, enjoy-
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  20
  ing a drink or two after a hard day’s work. The 
  halfling innkeeper seems particularly pleased by 
  the bustling full house. The pungent smell of pipe 
  smoke hangs heavy in the air, while the loud din of 
  laughter and conversation fills it, almost drowning 
  out the lone elvish musician playing a fiddle in the 
  corner.
      Yet not everyone seems so celebratory. A small 
  group of locals are sitting nearby, their faces glum 
  and serious, their voices quiet, and they occasionally 
  look in your direction. One of the men suddenly gets 
  up and heads towards your table.
      “Begging your pardon,” he begins, one hand nerv-
  ously rubbing the other. “But you look like you can 
  take care of yourselves. We’re being hunted, you see. 
  And we have some coin we’d be able to pay if you’d 
  be willing to help.” 
  The speaker is Edith, a logger from Eventide, and he in-
  troduces the characters to his companions – Dorn, Helm, 
  and Bran (neutral human commoners). He explains that 
  loggers in the village have become increasingly worried 
  about a spate of disappearances in the forest. In total, 
  three people have disappeared in the past several days.
  Edith has gone to the village speaker, Pavel Starag, 
  who seems concerned but says he isn’t able to spare 
  people to investigate – at least without direct evidence 
  of foul play or a dead body. Edith hopes that the char-
  acters might be able to investigate. Together with his 
  companions, he has been able to pool together 10 gp. 
  That is all they can afford. If it doesn’t seem enticing, he 
  does suggest they might want to talk to the speaker, who 
  might have additional funds available. The speaker can 
  be found in his office in the Village Hall.
  Edith thinks that the forests are haunted and assumes 
  ghosts must have taken the loggers, and he freely shares 
  that with the characters. Those who succeed on a DC 
  14 Wisdom (Insight) check realize that not all of Ed-
  ith’s companions look convinced, especially Bran. If 
  pressed, Bran explains that he was with the last person 
  who disappeared, a logger named Taren, right before it 
  happened. Read the following:
  “Taren seemed normal that day,” explains Bran. 
  “But he started talking to himself out of the blue. 
  Then he started walking deeper into the forest, 
  with nary a glance back. And, before I lost him, I 
  swore I saw a tree move to grab him.” He visibly 
  shivered at the thought. “A tree! It was the forest, 
  not a ghost.”
  The loggers are willing to offer details of the three men 
  who disappeared. Taren was the last person who went 
  missing. He lives with his sister Lia, who also runs the 
  supply shop in Eventide, called Redleaf Provisions. Their 
  home is above the shop itself. Malak was the second 
  person to go missing. He lives with his great aunt, Selise. 
  The first person who went missing was Luth, who had 
  left a young wife Kethra and their young daughter. 
  The loggers are happy to direct the characters to the 
  homes of any of them. Bran also offers to show them the 
  place where Taren had last worked.
  If the characters go to Speaker Starag in the Village 
  Hall, he does seem concerned about the situation, but 
  explains that he can’t afford to send his men to inves-
  tigate. Characters who offer to investigate the matter 
  can, if successful on a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) 
  check, convince him to pay 40 gp for their services in the 
  matter.
  Investigation
  Characters are free to investigate the disappearances of 
  Taren, Malak, and Luth by going to their homes and ask-
  ing questions. They can also take up Bran’s offer to show 
  them the site where Taren had disappeared, though he is 
  only willing to do so during the day.
  Taren
  Taren’s sister Lia is a half-elf who runs the village supply 
  shop Redleaf Provisions. She is either working at the 
  shop during the day or is in her living quarters above it. 
  If the characters go to her shop, read the following:
  A sign hangs above the front door of the shop, 
  depicting a backpack with a red leaf on it. As you 
  enter, you are greeted by a female half-elf cleaning 
  the store, surrounded by all manner of supplies. She 
  smiles at you, though her eyes are red and teary.
  Lia is still in some disbelief at Taren’s disappearance 
  from a few days ago. She approaches the characters as 
  potential customers. Characters who succeed on a DC 
  12 Charisma (Persuasion) convince her to talk about 
  Taren’s recent disappearance; characters who mention 
  Bran will gain advantage on the check.
  Lia admits that Taren had acted strangely in the days 
  leading up to the disappearance. As she explains, Taren 
  had gone on a trip deep into the forest with Luth and 
  a few loggers. This had happened late at night and he 
  arrived back early in the morning – and he frequently 
  complained about Luth in the days ahead. Characters 
  who succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check will 
  notice that she seems displeased about Taren’s attitude. 
  If pressed, read the following:
  “It’s not right, to complain about someone like that. 
  Not when Luth and Kethra’s child was, well, so unwell 
  at that time. By the gods, we all thought she wouldn’t 
  last the season. But she surprised us, that little one.” 
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  21
  Her smile deepens, and for a brief moment, the pall 
  of sadness around her seems lessened.
  She doesn’t have any information about the forest, but 
  she has heard rumours of ghosts, fey and other supernat-
  ural forces in the woods. 
  If they go with Bran to scout the location where Taren 
  disappeared, the journey takes around an hour. Charac-
  ters will see a small clearing close to the road, where the 
  nearby trees are particularly thick, though several are 
  now just stumps. A hungry brown bear is in the area 
  searching for food. It sees the party and moves close to 
  see if they have anything edible. Character can attack the 
  bear, throw some of its rations at the bear, which it takes 
  and soon leaves, or scare it away with a successful DC 15 
  Charisma (Intimidation) check.
  Characters who search the area for tracks will, if suc-
  cessful on a DC 16 Wisdom (Survival) check, be able to 
  identify and follow Taren’s tracks from the tree that he 
  had been cutting before his departure. His tracks can be 
  followed briefly before they become obscured by the dirt 
  and vegetation. Yet characters who follow the tracks will 
  notice a second pair near the end – these appear right 
  next to a tree. 
  Malak
  Malak’s great aunt, Selise, lives in a small home on the 
  north side of the village near the stream. She often acts 
  as the midwife and healer for the village. She is happy to 
  talk to strangers who show politeness in their inquiries, 
  though she has little patience for rudeness – and is quick 
  to kick anyone displaying such attitude from her home.
  If the characters mention Luth, she suddenly becomes 
  angry, but tries her best to hide it. Characters who 
  succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check will realize 
  that her tone has suddenly shifted at the mention of his 
  name. If they ask about him, read the following:
  “Malak always had a soft spot for Luth,” she says. 
  “Foolish boy. Oh, he was nice enough, I admit. And 
  his child’s sickness, well, that was a terrible ordeal. 
  But there’s something not right about that. I saw the 
  child – the girl was dying of gutroot sickness, and 
  there was nothing anyone could do for her. She was 
  too far gone. 
       “But now the child is fine, and people are disap-
  pearing, including Luth. Including my Malak. No, 
  something’s not right about this.”
  She is uncertain what could have happened. Yet she 
  suspects Luth must have made a deal with something 
  dark to find a way to save his son. If characters inquire 
  about that, or if they ask about what she knows about 
  the forest, read the following:
  “Oh, there are dark things in the forest, of that I 
  have no doubt. I have felt the eyes of creatures there 
  staring at me, long ago. Then again, I’ve also seen 
  some strange things fairer to the eyes and softer to 
  the touch. But that was long ago.”
  Characters who succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Per-
  suasion) check will convince her to tell them about a 
  strange being whom she met when she was just a girl – a 
  fey woman, who looked like an elf, but with fine antlers 
  twisting up from her midnight hair. She met her several 
  times and they even developed feelings for each other, 
  but she suddenly disappeared. 
  Unbeknownst to either Selise or the characters, the 
  fey woman that she saw was actually the dryad before 
  her transformation – as she was forbidden to fall in love 
  with a mortal by the Lord of the Hunt, a powerful arch-
  fey who led her clan, and was bound to a tree as a dryad 
  as punishment. The dryad had caught glimpses of Selise 
  long ago, but she soon stopped as it was too painful.
  Luth
  If characters go to Luth’s house, they will find his wife 
  Kethra taking care of her and Luth’s two-year old daugh-
  ter Amafrey. She is open to talking to strangers who 
  show an interest in her husband’s whereabouts. While 
  fearful for her husband, and growing increasingly de-
  spondent about his return, she does try to put on a brave 
  face – responding to any questions about Luth by saying 
  that she’s sure he’ll return at any moment. Characters 
  who succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) will notice 
  that she doesn’t look entirely convinced herself. She 
  refuses to go into any further detail on that point.
  Kethra does not mention anything about her daugh-
  ter’s sickness, unless asked, in which case she responds 
  truthfully. Questions about how her son was cured 
  leaves her stone faced, but she admits that Luth found 
  someone that could help her son – a healer from a near-
  by town who was able to make a cure with her husband’s 
  help. Asking about that help leads to this response:
  “Oh, he had to find a special ingredient deep in the 
  woods. I’m not sure what exactly it was. Some flower 
  or plant, I think. Said he had to do it at night, and 
  took his friends for protection: Malak and Taren.” She 
  pauses for a moment, mouthing those two names 
  again briefly. “Oh dear…”
  She is willing provide additional details about her hus-
  band’s trips – that he seemed nervous at first, about both 
  his trip to the other town, then to find the ingredient. 
  But he seemed back to his old self when he went to get 
  the cure. Characters who press her on the other disap-
  pearances will leave her flustered; if successful on a DC 
  14 Charisma (Persuasion) check, she admits she believes 
  it’s a strange coincidence, but nothing more. 
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  22
  Kethra doesn’t have information about the healer. But 
  she says she’s been going through Luth’s belongings and 
  they are welcome to take a look to see if they can glean 
  any hints from them. Most of his belongings are clothes 
  and the tools for a logger, and don’t provide any fur-
  ther information. But characters who succeed on a DC 
  14 Wisdom (Perception) check notice that one of the 
  floorboards looks loose, as if it could be removed. Those 
  who open it find a small journal. Most of it details Luth’s 
  thoughts and fears about being a new father. But, if the 
  characters spend some time reading it, they come across 
  the following passage:
  “What choice do I have! My girl is dying. By the gods, 
  the crone might not even be real. Still, I have to take 
  the risk, even if she wants my soul – as Black Mor-
  wen has been wont to do. According to legend, says 
  Echo. But maybe the hag can help little Amafrey...”
  The name Black Morwen means nothing to Kethra, but 
  she does know of a tabaxi named Echo (short for Echo 
  of Caverns Deep), who has made a point of collecting 
  stories and legends from this area. She runs the mill 
  alongside her husband Taman Helder. Kethra tells them 
  that they can find her at the water mill during the day. 
  At night, she often enjoys a drink and listens to stories at 
  either Eventide Inn or the Smiling Horse Tavern.
  From Echo, they can learn about stories concerning 
  an old hag in the forest who had been known to make 
  bargains with people. She is known to live at an old ruin 
  deep in the woods, near a large red rock outcropping 
  – one so large that the villagers call it Red Crag Rock, 
  which they avoid and claim is a place of bad luck. She is 
  willing to provide verbal instructions in how to reach 
  the landmark, which is a 3-hour journey. However, she 
  does ask them if they’d offer her a story of what they find 
  at that location upon their return.
  Special Encounter
  Characters who investigate the disappearances will 
  eventually hear commotion outside – this can take place 
  at any time (especially if the characters have investigated 
  all leads and the players seem uncertain on where to go 
  next). At that point, read the following:
  You hear the sound of loud voices. Turning, you see 
  Edith and his friends coming towards you. They are 
  talking amongst themselves, clearly agitated, and 
  as they come closer, Edith yells: “Another one! the 
  woods have taken another one!” His eyes are darting 
  all around, scared, as if expecting a shadow to take 
  him.
  Edith informs the characters that another logger had dis-
  appeared, his friend Helm, who was in the woods with 
  some others before he too disappeared. He offers to take 
  them to the place – a journey that takes over an hour. 
  Once they arrive, characters who search the area for 
  tracks can, if successful on a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) 
  check, identify and follow Helm’s tracks. If they fail the 
  save, Edith will have seen the tracks and directs them 
  to it, though he does not go with them, preferring to 
  leave this place as soon as possible. They will also notice 
  a second set of tracks – one that comes out of a tree and 
  walks close beside the other. Both tracks are fresh and 
  characters can follow them to Red Crag Rock and the 
  hag’s lair.
  Characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 
  12 and above will hear some rustling from the woods. 
  Suddenly, four twig blights emerge from the woods, 
  a remnant of Meliae’s corruption, which is accelerating 
  with each person taken to Black Morwen. They attack 
  the party.
  Abandoned Farm
  The trail goes straight to the ruin that Black Morwen 
  calls home. Yet, on the edge of the clearing, it goes near 
  some old, abandoned farms. The hag’s servant, a spiteful 
  redcap named Kneecutter, lives in one of these farms. 
  He was created in this area, arising from blood that had 
  been spilled by the farmers living here – an act that the 
  hag had been instrumental in facilitating. He joyfully 
  attacks any characters who walk near the farm. 
  Once the characters reach this area, read the following
  The trail goes around an old, abandoned farmstead. 
  A small house – its door wide and thudding against 
  the wall – is situated in a small clearing in the forest. 
  Behind the house is the half-collapsed shell of an 
  empty barn. 
   
  Characters who are wary of this abandoned farmstead 
  may choose a different path to get to the ruin. If so, they 
  may go straight to Red Crag Rock and the hag’s lair in 
  area E1. But, even if they choose not to go through the 
  abandoned farm, the special encounter at the end can 
  take place at any point before they reach Red Crag Rock.
  The following locations are keyed to map 1.4.
  D1. Living Area
  This room is strewn with broken chairs and a table 
  lying on its side. The wrecked remains of a cabinet 
  are lying in the corner. What looks like slash marks 
  can be seen on some of the destroyed furniture.
  Blood stains the ground around the remains of the chairs 
  and cabinet. Any characters who succeeds on DC 12 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check will discern that the 
  slash marks seem to belong to some sort of sharp sickle.
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  23
  D2. Kitchen
  This room has pots and pans lying on the ground. A 
  door on the east side of the house is closed. Next to it is 
  a large hole in the wall.
  D3. Bedroom
  Read the following to the players when they reach the 
  entrance to the bedroom:
  This bedroom is still in relatively good shape. A thick 
  layer of dust covers the bed and furnishings, and a 
  human skeleton wearing a nightgown is lying under 
  the covers in the bed. A pillow partially covers the 
  skull.
  This room hasn’t been touched 
  in many years. Musty clothes 
  still sit in the cabinets.
  Treasure. Characters who 
  succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check will notice 
  a small jewelry box lying 
  behind a cabinet. It holds 2 
  agate earrings (10 gp each), 
  a silver brooch inlaid with 2 
  azurite gems (30 gp), and gold 
  necklace with a small pendant 
  shaped like a horse (50 gp), 
  which matches the one in area 
  D4. 
  D4. Nursery
  A crib sits barren and lifeless 
  in this room. Lying beside the 
  crib, next to a large hole in 
  the wall in the corner of the 
  room, is a crumbled human 
  skeleton wearing shreds of 
  clothing. The skeleton has 
  a blood-stained dagger still 
  grasped in its hand.
  If anyone touches the skele-
  ton, a spectre awakens in this 
  room and attacks. The spectre 
  is all that remains of the family 
  who lived here.
  Treasure. Characters who 
  search the body will discover 
  a gold necklace with a small 
  pendant shaped like a horse 
  (worth 50 gp). It matches the 
  one in area D3.
  D5. Barn Entrance
  This room is empty, except for a skeleton lying in the 
  corner. Two open doors go deeper into what remains of 
  the barn.
  Characters who examine the skeleton can, if successful 
  on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check, notice 
  nicks on two of the rib bones – as if something sharp had 
  gone through the ribcage.
  D6. Animal Pen
  This room used to hold the animals, but the back of the 
  barn has collapsed. No animals are inside.
  MAP 1.4: ABANDONED FARM
  1 square = 5 feet
  
  24
  D7. Grain Storage
  This room used to hold the grain on the farm. The back 
  of the room has collapsed.
  D8. Trap door
  The burned remains of a building can still be seen 
  around a poorly shut trap door. Large, heavy foot-
  prints are visible on the dirt ground, particularly 
  between the trap door and some barrels filled with 
  water outside of the partially collapsed barn. 
       Suddenly, the trapdoor opens and a small, beard-
  ed creature emerges, looking like a small gnome but 
  with sharp teeth, spiteful eyes, and wearing heavy 
  iron boots. It carries a jagged sickle and its pointed 
  hood is glistening red. It smiles when it sees you.
  The redcap lives in the cellar of this burned down 
  building, and frequently drinks water from barrels near 
  the barn. Its hood has recently been dipped in the blood 
  of the captured logger Helm. The creature immediately 
  attacks the characters.
  D9. Redcap’s Living Quarters
  A dirty mat sits on one side of the cellar floor, cov-
  ered with some blood-stained clothes. A whetstone 
  lies on the side of the mat. A few bones are scattered 
  around it, the flesh on them picked clean.
  The redcap sleeps on the mat in this chamber.
  D10. Bones
  The redcap discards the bones of its victims in a small 
  mound in the middle of this room. There is nothing of 
  value in the mound.
  D11. Storage Room
  The redcap keeps its valuables in a bag in this storage 
  room, taken from the remains of its many victims. The 
  bag itself is stained red with blood.
  Treasure. The bag contains  33 gp, 70 sp, 105 cp, 
  2 malachite gems (worth 10 gp each), 2 
  amber gems (worth 50 gp each), a finely 
  sculpted stone figurine of a horse with 
  agates for eyes (worth 25 gp), and a stone 
  of good luck.
  Special Encounter
  This special encounter can take place at any time during 
  the character’s time at the abandoned farm or even if 
  they choose to avoid this location altogether on their 
  way to Red Crag Rock.
  A lithe figure steps out of an old, gnarled tree. Her 
  form is a blend of brown and green, wood and leaves, 
  like the forest itself. But, at closer inspection, you 
  notice that the leaves look dark and wilted and some 
  of the wood looks rotten. Her eyes are dark and cold.
       “You shouldn’t be here,” she says in Common, her 
  voice beautiful and melodious, but without a hint of 
  humour or kindness. “It is dangerous to walk so close 
  to Red Crag Rock.”
  Meliae, the dryad, asks the party about their purpose 
  in the woods. If they explain their investigation into the 
  missing loggers, Meliae becomes immediately angry. 
  Read the following:
  Her eyes glint with violence for a moment. “You think 
  these loggers are innocent. Tell that to the trees, who 
  have felt each swing of their axes,” she spits, one 
  hand unconsciously rubbing her torso. “Tell that to 
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  25
  those who have lost their roots. The loggers deserve 
  their fate. They all do.”
  Characters who are successful on a DC 14 Charisma 
  (Persuasion) check are able to calm her down. On a fail, 
  she uses her tree stride ability to leave – and if they fail 
  by 5 or more, her anger leads to two vine blights and 
  three needle blights emerging from the nearby woods 
  to attack the characters. On a success, read the following:
  “But I suppose not all mortals are bad,” she says, her 
  anger rapidly melting away. “I met someone once in 
  these woods. A mortal girl. A lovely creature.” She 
  suddenly smiles, and for a moment the darkness 
  around her lessens, if only briefly. “But it was not 
  to be. The Lord of the Hunt does not take kindly to 
  relations with mortals. And he punishes such trans-
  gressions.”
  The dryad is referring to her initial encounter with 
  Serise before her transformation. Characters who have 
  met Malak’s great aunt and have figured out this con-
  nection can inform her that Serise is alive in Eventide, 
  though any mention of her grandnephew Malak as a 
  victim would make her leave using her tree stride ability. 
  Characters who have read Luth’s journal can also tell her 
  about his dealings with Black Morwen. That confuses 
  her and will lead her to use her tree stride ability as well.  
  Once she gains enough information from the charac-
  ters, she leaves. If she is attacked during this encounter, 
  she tries to escape using her tree stride ability – and 
  two vine blights and three needle blights emerge 
  from the woods to attack the characters. Unless killed, 
  she will reappear in area E7, though her disposition to-
  wards the characters depends on what they eventually 
  tell her.
  Red Crag Rock
  Black Morwen lives underneath an abandoned ruin 
  in a large open clearing next to Red Crag Rock. After 
  many years of living here, the hag’s corruption has be-
  gun to seep into the ground – the area around the ruin 
  is dead and barren, the trees on the clearing’s outskirts 
  have become dark and twisted, while a foul smelling 
  fog has begun to encircle her home. Various types 
  of blights have also emerged from this corruption to 
  serve the hag.
  Read the following:
  The massive shape of Red Crag Rock sits in barren 
  field, the reddish hue of the stone looking like dried 
  blood and the rock itself resembling nothing so much 
  as a blade jutting out of the ground. Sitting alone in 
  its shadow is the small shape of an old ruin, the top 
  of its towers having been long since destroyed. 
       The surrounding area is bleak and barren, with 
  little vegetation and only a few twisted trees grow-
  ing from the ground’s soil. A foul-smelling fog drifts 
  around the ruin.
  The rooms and corridors in the ruin and underground 
  lair are 10 feet tall and lack a light source, unless other-
  wise noted. The following locations are keyed to map 
  1.5.
  E1. Entrance 
  A doorway provides the only entrance into the ruin. 
  Standing next to the door, hidden from view by the 
  ruin’s partial wall, are the twisted shapes of walking 
  vegetation. Some have conifer-like needles growing 
  from them, others are made up of twisted branches 
  made to look like a head and limbs.
  Three twig blights and two needle blights guard the 
  entrance to the ruin. They attack intruders immediately. 
  The door itself is unlocked.
  E2. Foyer 
  A small room sits largely empty. There is a closed 
  trapdoor on the right and a doorway to the left. Small 
  figures, carved from bone, sit on some shelves.
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  26
  The hag’s underground lair (E6 and E7) can be accessed 
  through the trap door. The door opens up to the ruin.
  E3. Stairway 
  A spiral staircase goes to the upper levels of the tower. 
  E4. Second Floor 
  This floor is covered in fresh blood, with two hatchets 
  leaning against a barrel in the corner. Two shapes are 
  standing by the barrel, their forms made up of vines 
  wrapped into a humanoid form. Blood drips from 
  their torsos, as they shamble towards you.
  Victims of the hag are butchered in this room, their 
  parts thrown in the barrel. Helm was recently killed and 
  his remains are now inside it. Two vine blights, which 
  were storing the remains, attack any intruders.
  E5. Third Floor 
  This floor is littered with bones, some having been 
  picked clean, while others still have some of their 
  rotting flesh still hanging on them. Part of the wall 
  is missing, with only rubble on the ground next to it. 
  At this height, the fog on the ground outside spreads 
  out in all directions.
  Black Morwen leaves the bones of some of her victims 
  on this level. It’s a 25 feet drop from the opening to the 
  ground. 
  E6. Storage Room
  The trap door opens into a room with a large pillar in 
  the middle. Dirty crates filled with clothes block the 
  corridor to the south. The western corridor opens up 
  into a small chamber with a narrower pillar support-
  ing the stone ceiling. Shelves and cabinets line the 
  walls. The foul odor of rotting eggs lingers in this 
  place. A corridor heads further east, though reaching 
  it seems to require heading west around the large 
  pillar.
  The hag stores her clothes and those of her victims in 
  the crates. Characters can move the crates to head south, 
  but it requires a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) 
  check to avoid making noise that would alarm the hag. 
  The shelves hold several books and little figurines made 
  of humanoid bones; these depict grotesque scenes of 
  killings and murders.
  Treasure. The books are all written in Elvish script. 
  A few are recipe books for how to cook various types 
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  MAP 1.5: RUIN AT RED CRAG ROCK
  1 square = 5 feet
  
  27
  of humanoids, written by other hags. Others reveal the 
  crazed writings of Black Morwen herself, though these 
  are written using a cypher and are unintelligible to the 
  characters. One book is titled The Ways of Ceithlenn of the 
  Crooked Teeth (worth 15 gp), which provide information 
  about the powerful archfey that many hags worship and 
  rituals meant to please the entity.
  E7. Hag’s Lair
  If the characters enter without alerting the hag to their 
  presence, read the following:
  The stairs end in a small cave that holds a black caul-
  dron and a dirty mat next to it. Flames crackle from 
  underneath the cauldron. Standing in front of the pot 
  is a hideous figure, her skin slimy and covered with 
  pus-filled boils, her nose long and crooked, her dirty 
  black hair hanging lifeless around her. 
       The figure is garbed in a blood-stained garments. 
  Hanging from her wrist is a bracelet made of chil-
  dren’s teeth. The other hand holds a wooden cane 
  covered in arcane symbols. 
  Black Morwen is a forest hag (use the green hag statis-
  tics, but with the following modification: hit points are 
  70 and AC is 16). She’s armed with cane of the tree spirit 
  (see Appendix). She’s currently preparing a soup made 
  from the choicest cuts of the logger Helm. Characters 
  who made significant noise entering her lair will have 
  alerted her to their presence, leading her to turn invisi-
  ble to speak to them.
  While open to talking with the characters, the hag has 
  no intention of letting them leave. If asked, she informs 
  them that the loggers are gifts from the dryad; they have 
  been killed and used as food, ingredients for eldritch 
  rituals, or offerings to Ceithlenn of the Crooked Teeth.
  If the dryad wasn’t killed earlier, Black Morwen uses 
  the cane to summon her as a bonus action – either near 
  the end of their conversation or on the first round of 
  combat. Black smoke comes out of the cane, eventually 
  forming into Meliae. She joins with Black Morwen in 
  attacking the party, with a few exceptions (see below). 
  Development. If Meliae is informed about Malak’s 
  relationship to Serise from her past or Luth’s dealings 
  with Black Morwen, she refrains from attacking the 
  characters. Any character can also, if successful on a DC 
  15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, persuade her to attack-
  ing the hag – they have advantage if they provided this 
  information in their first encounter with her. In either 
  case, once the hag is defeated, read the following:
  The dryad’s shoulders are slumped, as she stares 
  long and hard at the fallen hag. “I should never have 
  trusted one of Ceithlenn’s followers. What have I 
  done.” She turns her gaze to you, looking cold and 
  hard but resigned as well. “You do not have to worry. 
  My time here is done. I go to the Lord of the Hunt for 
  judgment.” She looks up, and suddenly she’s gone.
  Treasure. Characters are free to take the cane of the 
  tree spirit, though its ability to summon the dryad has 
  now been used and is permanently gone. The hag also 
  has four pieces of jewelry in a small bag next to her mat 
  (worth 20 gp each).
  Conclusion
  Edith and the other loggers are saddened by the loss of 
  Helm but they do pay the characters the promised 10 gp. 
  Once he is informed about the fate of the loggers, Speak-
  er Starag goes to the characters and pays them 40 gp as 
  well – he does so even if the characters didn’t receive the 
  promise of that payment earlier. Edith holds a ceremony 
  for the lost loggers and invites the characters to join at-
  tend. If the dryad is not killed, the next day, a large tree 
  suddenly appears in the field where the ceremony took 
  place. Some say they can see the outlines of a face frozen 
  in a scream on the tree trunk.
  CHAPTER 3 | THE  HAG OF RED CRAG ROCK
  
  28
  Appendix 
  Appendix 
  Magic Items
  The following new magic items appear in this collection 
  of adventures.
  Amulet of Soul Trapping
  Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
  Powerful archfey like the Summer Queen are known to 
  trap the souls of mortals who displease them in paintings 
  and other objects of art. This magic is known to be care-
  fully guarded, and acquiring such power risks the wrath 
  of such beings. Those who do learn such power, and 
  who survive the consequences, are able to fashion magic 
  items such as the amulet of soul trapping. 
  A creature who attunes to the amulet can connect it to 
  a specific piece of art – one that can hold the likeness of 
  a person, such as a painting or a sculpture. Once done, 
  it cannot be reversed. And, at that point, the magic item 
  loses its attunement requirement. The next person who 
  wears the amulet triggers the soul trapping. A creature 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or have 
  their soul trapped in the piece of art. The body of a crea-
  ture trapped in such a manner would be incapacitated, 
  eventually dying in three days time. Destroying the piece 
  of art releases the soul to the afterlife, though the body 
  needs to be alive if the creature is to be revived.
  The magic of soul trapping is unstable in this form, 
  however. Once an item is used in such a way, it is im-
  mediately destroyed – irrespective of whether the soul is 
  successfully trapped or not.
  Cane of the Tree Spirit
  Weapon (club), rare (requires attunement)
  A dryad’s tree serves as the fey spirit’s home and root 
  to the world. Once it is destroyed, the dryad becomes 
  unhinged or mad. Yet some dark fey creatures, such as 
  hags, have been known to use the wood from the dryad’s 
  tree to craft magical items. The cane of the tree spirit in 
  one such item.
  This cane can be wielded as a magic club that grants a 
  +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The 
  cane has 7 charges and regains 1d6 + 1 expended charg-
  es daily at dawn. If you expend the cane’s last charge, 
  roll a d20. On a 1, the cane crumbles into ashes and is 
  destroyed.
  Spells: You can use an action to expend 1 or more 
  of the staff’s charges to cast one of the following spells 
  from it (spell save DC 14): barkskin (2 charges), entangle 
  (2 charges), goodberry (1 charge), speak with plants (3 
  charges).
  Summon dryad. The cane also retains a connection to 
  the dryad whose tree was used to create it. This can lead 
  to corruption seeping unknowingly into the dryad, when 
  wielded by a hag, for instance. This connection can also 
  be triggered one time to summon the dryad as a bonus 
  action. The dryad must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma 
  saving throw or be teleported within 30 feet of the cane. 
  Once used in this manner, the cane loses the connection 
  – and it is no longer able to summon the dryad. The cane 
  still retains its other properties.
  A CANE OF THE TREE SPIRIT CAN BE 
  FASHIONED OUT OF A DRYAD’S TREE
  
  29
  Creatures
  Creatures that are not described in the Monster Manual 
  but appear in this collection are presented in this ap-
  pendix in alphabetical order. See the Monster Manual to 
  interpret a stat block.
  APPENDIX
  
  30
  
  31
  APPENDIX
  
  32
  In the village of Eventide, the 
  In the village of Eventide, the 
  walls separating the settlement 
  walls separating the settlement 
  from the Feywild are weak. And 
  from the Feywild are weak. And 
  strange creatures stalk the 
  strange creatures stalk the 
  surrounding forest.
  surrounding forest.
  Dark forms worship their demi-
  Dark forms worship their demi-
  god in hidden caves. A darkling 
  god in hidden caves. A darkling 
  elder has returned to take what 
  elder has returned to take what 
  was promised to him. And people 
  was promised to him. And people 
  enter the woods never to return.
  enter the woods never to return.
  The village is in need of heroes. 
  The village is in need of heroes. 
  Will you answer the call?
  Will you answer the call?
  A 
  A Dungeons & Dragons
  Dungeons & Dragons  
  collection of three short adventures 
  collection of three short adventures 
  for characters of levels 1-3
  for characters of levels 1-3
  For use with the fifth edition 
  For use with the fifth edition Player’s 
  Player’s 
  Handbook
  Handbook, , Monster Manual
  Monster Manual, and 
  , and Dungeon 
  Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide
  Master’s Guide
  Explore 
  Explore 
  the Tales of 
  the Tales of 
  Eventide
  Eventide
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Twilight at Eventide v3.pdf