In The Lair of The Night Thing 2022-05-26

An adventure of kinetic action and primordial
horror in Planegea for 4 to 6 1st-level characters
BY DAVID SOMERVILLE
CREDITS
Author: David Somerville ® Art
Developers: Adam Beckwith, Avalon Palmer Cover (Daniel Mallada)
Daniel Gable, Fin Prindle Page 4: The Night Thing (Cory Trego-Erdner)
Page 10: Skarna in Mourning (Douglas Deri)
Cartography: Brian Patterson Page 15: Mother Hush (Douglas Deri)
Layout: David Somerville and Michelle Nephew Page 19: Waking Nightmare (Douglas Deri)
Producer: Justin Alexander Page 23: Runestones (Michelle Nephew)
Publishers: John Nephew and Michelle Nephew Page 24: Doorway to Nod (Daniel Mallada)
Page 25: Hunter Hunted (Ari Ibarra)
Special Thanks: Woody Eblom, Jenae Floerke,
WWW.ATLAS-GAMES.COM
Page 31: Gwehrsus the Boar God (Douglas Deri)
Jackie Sue Lozano, Heather O’Neill, Travis Page 33: Trader (Douglas Deri)
Winter, Justin Woodall, Casey McDonough, Back Cover: Clanfire Tales (Daniel Mallada)
Nicole Ketz, Chris Martin, and our Kickstarter
backers who made this book possible!
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2 In the Lair of the Night Thing

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.......................................................... 4 WHISPERS OF NOD....................................................17
Adventure Summary....................................................................... 4 In the Lair....................................................................................... 17
Background.................................................................................... 4 The Dread Elves.......................................................................................... 17
The Lair...........................................................................................................4 Horror in the Lair......................................................................................... 17
The Attacks....................................................................................................5 Waking Nightmares.................................................................................... 17
The Double....................................................................................................5 1. Labyrinth Chamber.................................................................................18
The Call...........................................................................................................5 2. Central Chamber....................................................................................19
Adventure NPCs.............................................................................. 5 3. Scratching Chamber............................................................................. 20
Adventure Hooks............................................................................ 5 4. Living Chamber...................................................................................... 20
Dwarvencraft Weapons..............................................................................5 5. Bone Pyre Chamber............................................................................... 21
Loyal to the Clanfire.....................................................................................5 6. Council Chamber.................................................................................... 21
A Potent Harvest..........................................................................................5 7. Door Chamber ........................................................................................22
8. Key Chamber...........................................................................................23
SUMMONS OF SKARNA............................................... 6 Purple Firelight..............................................................................23
Two-Axe Clan members..............................................................................6 Adaki..............................................................................................23
The Encampment............................................................................ 6 Transformation.......................................................................................... 24
Locations.......................................................................................................6 The Night Thing............................................................................. 24
1. Clanfire.................................................................................................... 6 Central Chamber........................................................................................ 24
2. Ancestor Tree........................................................................................7 Forest.......................................................................................................... 24
3. Encampment Gate............................................................................... 8 Chase............................................................................................................25
3. Shaman’s Tent...................................................................................... 8 Capture or Escape......................................................................................25
4. Adaki & Brakar’s Tent.......................................................................... 8 Saving Skarna................................................................................25
5. Chiefftain’s Meeting Tent.................................................................. 8 As the Tentwing Flies................................................................................ 26
5. Chieftain’s Sleeping Tent................................................................... 9 On Foot........................................................................................................ 26
6. Ensik’s Tent........................................................................................... 9 Conclusion.................................................................................... 26
7. Vom’s Tent............................................................................................. 9 After the Adventure.................................................................................. 26
8. Hunters’ Tents...................................................................................... 9
9. Gatherers’ Tents.................................................................................. 9 THE TWO-AXE CLAN................................................. 27
10. Watch Tent.......................................................................................... 9 The Chieftain...............................................................................................27
11. Storage Hut.......................................................................................... 9 The Shaman................................................................................................ 28
12. Stream.................................................................................................. 9 The Elder..................................................................................................... 28
13. Dwarfchild Quarry............................................................................. 9 Other Notables.......................................................................................... 29
14. Defenses............................................................................................ 10 Gods & Greater Powers................................................................. 30
Skarna Two-Axe.............................................................................10 Gwehrsus the Giant Boar......................................................................... 30
Setting Out.................................................................................... 11 The Secret Hallow.................................................................................30
Forest Path.................................................................................... 11 Divine Domains......................................................................................30
Cliff & Tree..................................................................................... 11 Desires of the Boar-God.......................................................................30
The Slippery Cliff........................................................................................ 12 Hu’uzba Darkpath & Other Gods.............................................................. 31
The Rotten Tree.......................................................................................... 12 The Speaking Sword..................................................................................32
Swarming Pool............................................................................... 12 Eskren’s Sanctum.......................................................................................32
Developments............................................................................................ 13 Survival Strategies........................................................................32
Skull Path....................................................................................... 13 Defensive Encampments..........................................................................32
Mother Hush.................................................................................. 13 Hunting & Fishing.......................................................................................32
Entry.............................................................................................................14 Gathering.....................................................................................................32
Inside the Hut..............................................................................................14 Crafting & Trading.......................................................................................33
Parlay & Barter............................................................................................14 Divine Rites................................................................................................. 34
Development...........................................................................................15 Raiding......................................................................................................... 34
Mother Hush’s Patron................................................................................ 15 Resources & Encampments.......................................................... 34
Brook & Willow..............................................................................16 Resources................................................................................................... 34
Mother Hush’s Departure.........................................................................16 The Dwarfchild Quarry Encampment.................................................... 34
The Black Willow........................................................................................16 The Midwalk Cave Encampment............................................................ 34
Entrances.....................................................................................................16 The Southern Stronghold Encampment................................................35
The Clanfire....................................................................................35
Morning........................................................................................................35
AFternoon....................................................................................................35
Evening.........................................................................................................35
Night............................................................................................................ 36
Clan Travel.................................................................................... 36
Preparations.............................................................................................. 36
On the Move............................................................................................... 36
Resting........................................................................................................ 36
Arrival.......................................................................................................... 36
In the Lair of the Night Thing 3

A
UTUMN IS HERE. CLANS OF THE GREAT VALLEY Background
have begun to depart southward with the herd
One short season ago, at the start of summer, Adaki was the
animals they depend on for survival. But one small
happy and beloved daughter of the chief, favorite of the clan.
clan—led by a dwarvish chieftain named Skarna
She was wise in her judgment, kind in her dealings, and a
Two-Axe—lags behind. For seven nights they have
gifted trapper and gatherer who always knew how to get the
been plagued by attacks by a terrible monster known as the
shrewd end of a deal. If she had a fault, it was that from early
Night Thing, which has killed several of their people and
childhood she resented her older brother, Brakar, who was to
wounded more. The chieftain’s son, Brakar, was killed three
take up the mantle of chief someday when their mother died.
nights ago. Her daughter, Adaki, is among the wounded. In
All that changed the day she was checking her traps by the
the last attack, Skarna was able to injure the monster, and has
river and noticed a strange curdling blackness in the water.
called for hunters from neighboring clans to help pursue it to
She followed it upstream to the roots of a rotten tree, under
its death. Little does she know that the monster is more than
which she found a hidden doorway to the Nightmare World
what it seems, and a terrible plan has been set in motion that
of Nod. She turned to flee, but was called back by the soothing
threatens to undo everything she holds most dear.
voice of a dread elf—a drow-like being native to the Nightmare
This adventure is written for four to six 1st-level characters.
World. This dread elf, whose name was never spoken, told her
If the characters complete both portions, “Summons of Skarna”
he meant her only good, and had great power to give her that
(p. 6) and “Whispers of Nod” (p. 17), they should reach
which she most longed for. She visited him many days, finding
3rd level.
reasons to journey into the forest and descend to the door in
the rotten roots. One night, the dread elf coaxed out of her the
Adventure Summary secret wish that she might rule the clan—and not someday in
the distant future, but soon. He agreed to help her if, after she
In this adventure, the party answers the call of Skarna
was chieftain, she would serve the interests of his people.
Two-Axe to hunt and kill the creature that has been attacking
It was then that their conspiracy was hatched… and the
her clan and slew her son. Starting at the clanfire, the char-
Night Thing was born.
acters will have a chance to investigate the attacks, learning
The Dread Elf Agenda. If the elves merely wanted Skarna
secrets and uncovering mysteries about the creature that can
Two-Axe dead, they could easily kill her themselves. But the
only be fully solved by tracking it to its lair.
Nightmare Throne they serve grows more powerful through
They will travel overland to the Night Thing’s lair, encoun-
sowing fear, and the elves want to terrorize the clan. More
tering traps, puzzles, and a mysterious green hag along the
than that, by forming an alliance with a mortal chieftain, they
way who is more than willing to exchange favors for secrets.
gain a foothold in the Great Valley, and have plans to use Adaki
Once they arrive at the lair, they will quickly discover that
for years to infiltrate the waking world and sow fear and chaos.
things are not as they seem. The chambers they enter are full
It is therefore important that a ruse be enacted, with Skarna
of illusions and frightening apparitions. The characters will
seeming to perish in battle and Adaki being hailed as a worthy
discover the presence of the dread elves of the Nightmare
chieftain, trusted and beloved by the clan.
World of Nod, before finally confronting the awful Night
Thing itself.
In defeating the Night Thing, the characters will realize
THE LAIR
Adaki was afflicted with a curse which, at nightfall, causes her
that it is, in fact, the transformed Adaki, daughter of Skarna
to take the horrible form known as the Night Thing. The curse
Two-Axe, who made a pact with the dread elves and the hag to
was cast by a green hag with complicated motivations named
overthrow her mother and rule the clan for herself. The char-
Mother Hush, who aided the dread elves but will gladly help
acters learn that the injured princess back at the encampment
the characters if they play into her bigger scheme. The ritual
is actually a disguised dread elf, who will assassinate Skarna at
took place at night, in the lair of the dread elves. During the
an agreed-upon time.
day Adaki has her normal shape, but at night she is a monster
The heroes must rush back to the clanfire for a final confronta-
fueled by fear and jealousy, incapable of speech. This curse can
tion, to stop the murder before it takes place, and save Skarna and
only be broken with the death of her mother and brother.
her people from the grim schemes of their cunning enemies.

THE ATTACKS
As darkness fell for the past seven nights, Adaki snuck
Adventure NPCs
outside the encampment and underwent a bone-breaking These are the main NPCs named in this adventure:
transformation to became the Night Thing. At first, her Skarna Two-Axe. The dwarvish leader of the Two-Axe clan.
attacks were clumsy, but she has grown bolder as she has A proud chieftain in mourning for her slain son, who calls for
gotten used to her monstrous form and more desperate to aid to hunt down the Night Thing.
kill her family. Three nights ago, she slew her brother. After Adaki. The chieftain’s daughter, who has made a secret pact
doing so, she was overwhelmed, and fled in horror, refusing to transform into the Night Thing. For the past week she has
to press the attack the next night, instead hiding in the forest attacked her family to take control of the clan. She is injured
in her Night Thing form. But the dread elves strengthened and recovering in the lair of the Night Thing.
her resolve and she returned last night. In this most recent Vom Root-Spear. A young dwarvish hunter who offers to
attack, she nearly killed her mother, but was beaten back and join the party and harbors a secret affection for Adaki.
injured in a last-ditch assault by all of the hunters of the clan, Suuru the Shaman. A devout godmarked (tiefling), loyal to
led by Skarna herself. the clan’s boar-god and to Skarna Two-Axe.
Encampment defenses. In her earliest attacks, the Night Thing Ensik the Caretaker. An elderly servant of Skarna and her
assaulted the weakest points of the camp’s defenses, tearing them family, who knows more than he’s letting on.
down and leaving the clan exposed to predators. The clan has been Mother Hush. A green hag who dwells in the forest. She
rebuilding the defenses as fast as they can, but the work is going cast the spell to transform Adaki, and has her own reasons for
slowly with so many injured from the Night Thing’s predations. wanting to help the Dread Elves.
The Dwarf Child. Adaki knows that the clan won’t quickly give The Assassin. The dread elf (drow) who turned Adaki to evil.
up the location and flee—they are in the middle of delicate spell- He is currently disguised as Adaki, lying in her tent ready to
work to hew a new dwarfchild from a quarry of enchanted stone. kill Skarna during the Night Thing’s attack tonight.
Adaki knows that even if they could break off the rites and continue The Dread Elves. A group of drow-like beings from the Night-
another season, her mother would be unwilling to leave the dwarf- mare World, dedicate to sowing fear in mortals. They guard a
child undefended and exposed to the Night Thing’s attacks. secret portal to their world, and are willing to die for their cause.
THE DOUBLE
Last night, when the Night Thing was injured, the dread elves
Adventure Hooks
had to think fast to salvage their plot. The elf who had struck the Although the Night Thing is fearsome, nocturnal attacks by
pact with Adaki cast a disguise self spell to take on her appearance, large predators are frequent in Planegea. Jaded characters
and acted injured while the Night Thing slunk away back to the might consider such trouble none of their concern. Use any of
lair before dawn. The plan now is for the dread elves to wait until these hooks to attract the curiosity of the players.
darkness, and then—when the injured Night Thing comes back to
create a diversion—the disguised elf will assassinate Skarna and DWARVENCRAFT WEAPONS
make a show of “slaying” the Night Thing, switching himself out Skarna is pledging dwarvencraft weapons to those who can
for Adaki in the confusion. It’s a risky plan depending on illusion kill the Night Thing. Such weapons are intricately made of
in full firelight, but given Adaki’s injuries, it’s the best idea the flawlessly carved stone and carry magical powers as blessings
dread elves have, or else this whole pact will have been a waste. by the maker’s gods. Such weapons would be of great value to
anyone… it’s not the kind of offer you turn down lightly.
THE CALL
Skarna, desperate to avenge her son and protect her clan, has LOYAL TO THE CLANFIRE
sent messengers to bring any remaining hunters in the area If a character is part of the Two-Axe clan, they know that Skarna
to aid her people to track down and slay the Night Thing in its is a good and kind leader, and that her children deserved better
lair while it’s weak. Because of her clan’s tradition, the family than this. They might have had another friend or family member
of a fallen hunter cannot hunt for three days after a death, or injured in the attacks and therefore have a personal grudge against
the ghost of the dead will wander the world forever. She seeks the creature. At the very least they owe the chief their allegiance.
any willing to engage in a hunt on her behalf, and is offering
fine dwarvencraft weapons as a reward to those who slay the A POTENT HARVEST
monster, as well as whatever they can harvest from its carcass. Strong monsters mean strong harvests. Traveling characters
Arrival of the characters. Work with your players to are often in search of monster parts with which they can craft
consider how their characters came to respond to the call. Ask weapons, armor, wondrous items or other concoctions. Skarna
them questions such as: is offering the beast’s parts as prize for those who can slay it,
• Two-Axe clan members: You have been away from the clan and with such an unusual monster, it seems likely that the
for over a week. Why? Were you on a hunt, scouting the harvest will be good.
area, or on another errand for the clan?
12
• Characters from other clans: Why have you left your
clan to help Two-Axe? Are your clans allies? Do you feel
personal loyalty or obligation?
• Lone wanderers: How did you encounter Two-Axe’s
messengers in the wilderness? Why did you decide taking
on this danger was worth it?
3 4 4 Q W O A
G J t y
Now is also the time to work with the players to decide which PCs
know each other, if any. Some existing connections between char-
acters strengthen a party’s bonds, especially early in the game.
u i o p m In the Lair of the Night Thing 5

PART 1
SUMMONS OF SKARNA
T
HE ADVENTURE BEGINS AT THE CLANFIRE, JUST You have returned to a changed clan. When you left, the
before dawn. The funeral ceremony for Skarna’s son, Two-Axe clan was strong, joyful, full of pride and happy to
Brakar, is just ending, and the characters have a few be once again at the Dwarfchild Encampment. But now
moments to explore the encampment before the cere- the encampment’s defenses are destroyed and the people
mony concludes. When you’re ready to start, read: are broken. An air of tragedy hangs over the clan. Many are
missing, and the faces that remain are horror-stricken. Suuru
The dying clanfire snaps at the sky as the stars swirl above.
the Shaman is just completing a ceremony at the clanfire,
It’s autumn, and it’s almost dawn. The shaman, an ancient
where your people are gathered around a grieving Skarna.
and crooked godmarked with a single curving horn in the
middle of his red forehead, lowers his knotty hands, and
Characters who belong to the Two-Axe clan have advantage
the wailing clan goes silent. They have been mourning the
on all Intelligence (History) checks to recall information
chieftain’s slain son for three nights. By the fire, her face
about the clan and encampment, and may have lower DCs for
frozen in a stone mask of grief, stands the dwarvish chieftain,
Wisdom (Insight) checks when interacting with other clan
Skarna Two-Axe. They say she hasn’t spoken in days, except
members they know.
to send out messengers to bring back hunters to track down
the Night Thing, a beast which injured her daughter and
killed her son. The ceremony is drawing to an end—soon it The Encampment
will be time to begin the hunt.
Read or paraphrase this text:
As you conclude this narration, tell the players that they have The old shaman speaks the final phrases of the ceremony.
gathered from far and near in response to Skarna’s call. Ask A spell seems to break, and the crowd shakes itself,
each of them these questions: murmuring and nodding, and starts to break up as hunters
• What were you doing when you received word that and gatherers move away from the fire. Skarna Two-Axe
Two-Axe needed aid against a terrible nocturnal monster? remains like a half-stone statue, staring into the smoking
• As the mourning ceremony draws to a close, are you at the embers unblinking, emerald eyes.
fireside, in the crowd, or at the back of the gathering?
The characters can now move around the encampment as the
Based on their location, each character can gain a bit of insight
clan starts to return to its daily tasks. For more detail on the
on the state of the clan:
encampment, see The Two-Axe Clan (p. 27).
At the fireside. Those by the fire have a close view of Skarna
The encampment is a rough circle built around the clanfire.
herself. She is a powerfully built dwarvish woman who is
Tents and huts of various size and shapes are scattered seem-
half flesh and half stone. Her expression is grim and rigid as
ingly at random. Some are dwelling places, others contain
she stares into the fire. She clutches a heavy axe with white
stored goods or tools, or serve as workspaces for crafting,
knuckles. The axe glows with magical power and is smeared
preparing food, or other essential labor. A small, ice-cold
with a tarry black substance—the blood of the Night Thing.
stream runs at the rear of the encampment. On the far side
In the thick of the crowd. Those in the crowd can see that the
of the stream, a high embankment rises, with exposed rock
clan is a mixture of different races—humans, elves, halflings,
where digging tools have been left unattended, abandoned in
dwarves—and that all of them look exhausted from the nights
mid-work.
of battling against this monster. Many of them are injured
The main features of the encampment are the stream, the
with broken bones or bite marks. They regard their chief with
guarded front gate, the central clanfire, a tall fern tree hung
fear and pity... this is a clan desperately in need of help.
with stones on string, and the great tent of Skarna, where her
At the back of the gathering. Those at the back can see that
daughter is in recovery from her injuries.
the huts and tents of the encampment are almost all empty, as
Allow the players a little time to explore these places if they
everyone has gathered here at the clanfire to mourn. The only
choose. Otherwise, skip to the section labeled Skarna Two-Axe.
people who aren’t at the fire are two warriors posted at the
gate of the roughly-built wall that encircles the town and a
hunter who stands watch at the tent of the chieftain’s injured
LOCATIONS
The following locations are marked on the Two-Axe Camp map.
daughter.
1. CLANFIRE
TWO-AXE CLAN MEMBERS This immense fire has burned low overnight, and will be kept
If any of the characters are members of the Two-Axe clan,
alive as coals for cooking and preparing food throughout the
begin their portion of the story as they pass the outer wall and
day. The flame represents the life of the clan itself, and is dearly
enter the encampment. Read the following:
protected at all costs.

If the characters choose to spend time at the clanfire, read or needed supplies. They’re afraid of being out at nightfall, with
paraphrase the following: that monster on the loose, but also afraid of being in the
camp during the next attack. One of the gatherers is whisper-
Skarna stands staring directly into the fire, the mourning
ing about running, abandoning the clan and seeking a new
ceremony having just concluded. Crafters and gatherers
community that’s less cursed. The gatherers can tell the char-
begin to assemble respectfully at the far side of the fire,
acters that a blood trail from the injured Night Thing leads
whispering about the work of the day ahead.
from the gate into the yellow wood, but none of them have
followed it or know where the monster can be found.
Characters who interact with them can learn the following:
Crafters. The crafters’ main work today will be repairing
2. ANCESTOR TREE
the weapons and defenses of the clan, shoring up the walls
and embedding spikes in the ground near the stream, in case This large fern tree is hung with many stones, tied on leather
the Night Thing comes from that direction. Characters who straps and tossed into the branches. From the fronds come
want to trade with the crafters can obtain some very simple a constant clacking of stones and whispering—more than
nonmagical supplies, but the crafters’ bartering prices are the wind could create. A basket of smooth stones and leather
high, and they’re hesitant to swap for anything except weap- cords sits by the roots. Those with a connection with the dead
ons, since the clan is in desperate need of defense right now. can speak to the souls of the clan’s ancestors in this place. An
Gatherers. The gatherers are discussing how far they’re armored saurian—a hammertail—stands in front of the tree,
willing to travel from the encampment in order to gather looking up at it sadly, his scales rippling with blues and purples.
Squareshell. The hammertail is a clan member named 4. SHAMAN’S TENT
Squareshell (LG hammertail commoner). He is communing
The shaman’s tent is hung with ritual icons and covered in
with the ancestors at the tree, and tells the party that the
streaks of bright red paint, many of which depict a great boar-
spirits are sad at the violence. This stream is a place where the
god with a single curving tusk.
clan comes to be born and buried, but the tragedy of the Night
Thing is unlike anything the clan has seen for many lifetimes.
Characters who enter the tent feel an overwhelming sense
He also invites them to remember those they have lost by toss-
of vertigo, as if standing at the edge of a cliff or next to an
ing a stone into the tree.
immense presence in darkness. There is a feeling of holiness
Ancestors. If a character is able to commune with the
and sobriety about the tent.
ancestors through such magic as the sense whispers cantrip, a
Suuru (LG godmarked shaman) makes his way slowly to the
DC 8 Wisdom check will enable them to focus on a chorus of
tent from the clanfire, and arrives there just as the characters
sorrowful voices from the tree. The voices whisper that some-
do. He is an ancient red godmarked with a single large curving
thing is wrong, that there are dark secrets at play, and that the
horn rising from the center of his forehead. He is exhausted
clan is cursed. They cannot be any more specific than that.
from leading the grieving ceremony and does not want to talk,
Stone ritual. A basket of smooth stones lies at the foot of the
but offers some of the following information on a successful
tree, with leather cords cut, ready to be tied onto the stones.
DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check, depending
A character can easily tie a cord to a stone and toss it into the
on what the characters ask about:
tree with a DC 6 Dexterity check. If the character does so in
• Local god. The Two-Axe clan reveres a god called Gwehr-
honor of someone they have lost to death, they gain advan-
sus the Giant Boar (p. 30), who dwells in a secret hallow
tage on their next Wisdom check, through the blessing of the
that only Suuru knows the location of.
ancestors.
• Personal history. Suuru was once a human, but Gwehrsus
chose him and gave him a tusk and blood-red skin as a
3. ENCAMPMENT GATE
mark of honor.
The encampment’s gate is a break in the palisade wall, • Night Thing. The monster reeked of arcane magic. What-
which is covered at night with loose brush and spikes dug ever it was, Suuru is convinced it was neither a god nor a
into the ground. These are cleared away in the daylight, to monster created by a god.
allow gatherers to pass through to collect the clan’s needed • Skarna. Suuru has known Skarna since she was a young
supplies. Currently, the gate is guarded by two hunters. hunter, and thinks very highly of her. His only criticism is
that she was blind to the faults of her children.
Quickpause. A translucent, blue-skinned elven woman stands • Skarna’s children. He says that Brakar was a remarkable
sentry. Her side is bound with a large, bloodstained leaf. She hunter, but arrogant, and that while there is no kinder
doesn’t want to talk. Her eyes are fixed on the path leading person than Adaki, she also has a streak of jealous ambi-
into the yellow wood and the trail of black blood spilled along tion that her mother never acknowledged.
it. She only responds in single word answers to any questions. • The weapon. Skarna’s axe is the clan’s only magic weapon,
If a character addresses her in elvish, she’ll answer more blessed by the power of Gwehrsus.
openly, but insists that she has been injured, and her task is to • The dwarfchild quarry. One of the dwarven couples in the
watch the path for any danger that might threaten the clan. clan decided to start a family, and Suuru is aiding them
Vom Root-Spear. An able hunter of the clan, Vom (LG male with blessings. He hopes the child will be blessed with
dwarf guard) is the only capable fighter who is not injured or divine magic and perhaps become his acolyte someday.
family to Brakar, and therefore able to join the characters on
their hunt. He is tall for a dwarf and broad-shouldered, with
5. ADAKI & BRAKAR’S TENT
wrists and elbows covered in stone as if he were wearing
This large tent was, until recently, the dwelling of the chief-
heavy bracers. He laughs easily, but has an air of fatigue. He
tain’s two children, each with their own section. Both parts
has spent the past seven nights fighting the Night Thing and
are luxurious, full of rich furs and baskets and jars full of
is terrified of it, but he holds his honor dear and hates being
woven clothing and personal belongings. Adaki’s section has
called a coward. If the characters succeed on a DC 10 Charisma
a large rack on which her many gifts from hunters are stored.
(Intimidation or Persuasion) check, they can convince him to
Since Brakar’s death and Adaki’s injury, Skarna has given
join them. If he joins them, Vom will aid the party as best he
Adaki her tent and moved into her son’s sleeping quarters.
can. He has darkvision, advantage on saving throws against
poison, and resistance to poison damage. He is not a natural
6. CHIEFTAIN’S MEETING TENT
leader and will not offer suggestions as to what the party
should do, preferring to hang back and take instructions. This large, imposing tent is decorated with rare stones and
Vom doesn’t know anything useful about the origins of antlers, as well as heavy furs dyed in unusual colors. A fire
the Night Thing, but harbors a secret affection for Adaki. He burns at the center of the tent, sending smoke up through a
noticed that she had been going on increasingly long gather- gap in the roof.
ing trips since fall began and coming back with little to show
for it, but believes that to have been because the gathering The tent is a clearly meeting space for taking counsel, but it
season has been poor. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) is currently empty while Skarna is at the clanfire. A flap in
or Wisdom (Survival) check will reveal that’s not the case and the wall leads to the Two-Axe family sleeping tent, but it is
that in fact the nearby forests are bursting with plenty. watched by a human guard who says that tent is off-limits to
anyone but the family.

FALSE ADAKI
7. CHIEFTAIN’S SLEEPING TENT
The characters may try to find a way of sneaking or forcing
Wafts of incense and quiet flute music come from the long,
their way into the sleeping tent. The tent is circular, 10’ tall
low sleeping tent of the chieftain, which is guarded at all three
with a radius of 15’. It is made of bent wood and skin, and any
entrances. The exterior is decorated with horns, antlers, and
creature of medium size or larger who attempts to climb
heavy furs.
onto it must make a DC 12 Dexterity check or fall through the
ceiling with a loud crack.
The guards posted at the entrances inform the characters that
If the characters investigate the figure in the bed further,
Skarna’s injured daughter, Adaki, is recovering inside. She was
the bed does indeed appear to hold a badly bruised female
trampled in the Night Thing’s most recent attack, and hovers
dwarf. They cannot detect the disguise self spell unless they
between life and death. If any character offers to heal her, they
succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check, at
are thanked, but told that Suuru the shaman and Ensik the
which time they uncover the truth about the dread elf assas-
caretaker have already been ministering to her, and that her
sin. In the unlikely event they discover the truth, the assas-
fate is in the hands of the spirits.
sin (a CE drow scout) will immediately attack the character
Entering the tent. If the characters manage to get into the
who discovers him and then attempt to run away, taking
tent, they find the interior pitch dark and oppressively hot,
opportunity attacks as he uses his action to dash from the
the air filled with a fog of healing incense that renders visi-
tent and out of the encampment.
bility low even if light is brought in. In the bed is a sleeping,
If the dread elf is captured, he will mock the clan for their
bandaged figure which appears to be small and female with
weakness and foolishness, and promise all kinds of horrible
dark hair.
things, hoping to create as much fear as possible. He will not
Ensik. An old man—Ensik the caretaker (NG human
reveal the true nature of the plan except under magical coer-
commoner)—is playing the flute for a sleeping figure under
cion, and even then will seek to evade a full confession.
heavy furs. Ensik looks alarmed at their entry, but does not
Ensik, who knew nothing of the deception, is horrified.
stop playing the flute, instead signaling with his eyes that they
The clan will decide that Adaki has been taken by the dread
should leave the tent. If the characters insist on disrupting
elves and must be being held prisoner by the Night Thing.
Adaki’s rest, use the sidebar labeled False Adaki.
Assassin’s rest. When her daughter was injured, Skarna
insisted that Adaki be cared for there. The chieftain’s sleep-
ing tent is therefore the location of the dread elf assassin. It is
heavily clouded with incense to heal Adaki (and hide the assas-
sin’s identity from any who might look in on what they think 13. STORAGE HUT
is a dwarf woman). The storage hut was built years ago and is repaired every year,
built a little stronger each time. It is filled with baskets, poles,
8. ENSIK’S TENT gear, and pots, and has a fenced yard next to it full of pots
Ensik, elderly caretaker of the children of the chief, dwells where wine and other fermenting food and drink are stored.
alone in this painstakingly neat tent.
14. STREAM
9. VOM’S TENT
An ice-cold stream rushes at the back of the encampment. A
Vom the hunter moved his tent between the clan’s defenses,
few gatherers stand near it, with fishing spears in hand, trying
insisting that he be first to the fight when the Night Thing
to catch some fish for the day’s first meal.
attacks next. He hopes that the chieftain might notice his
courage and he might be favored by her daughter when she
The stream is a source of food, water, hygiene, and defense. If a
maker her recovery.
clan member isn’t by the fire or at their tent, the stream is the
next best place to seek them out.
10. HUNTERS’ TENTS
Fishing. Characters who want to try their hand at fishing
These tents are the dwelling places of hunters and their imme-
may do so by making attack rolls against the fish in the quick,
diate family. They tend to have shaded awnings erected for the
cold water. The fish have 1 HP and their AC is 16, thanks to the
hunters to rest in between hunts, and are often decorated with
cover the water affords. 3 fish are equal to 1 food ration.
skins and prizes from old hunts.
Good advice. If the characters offer fish to the gatherers,
they are grateful and ask them about why they’ve come. If the
characters reveal they are here to help hunt the Night Thing,
11. GATHERERS’ TENTS
the gatherers warn them to be careful in the forest, saying the
These tents are the dwelling places of gatherers and their
Night Thing isn’t the only large beast out there. They suggest
immediate family. They tend to have baskets and clay pots for
that if the characters are facing something too big for them,
storage, and often feature drying, sorting, or husking surfaces
they shouldn’t hesitate to run.
to prepare the food gathered in the day’s roaming.
15. DWARFCHILD QUARRY
12. WATCH TENT
This tent has four openings and an opening in the ceiling. It is Across the stream, a high embankment shows exposed rock
built for four clan members to sit with their backs to a small and digging tools, which have been left unattended during
fire at the center of the tent, keeping watch in all directions at the ceremony.
once should danger come.

This is the location of the carving of new hewn dwarfchildren. across the stream to stop them, insisting this is not for the
The work is long, sometimes stretching over years, as each part characters to interfere with. If the characters have not yet
of the stone is carefully assessed and enchanted for strength spoken with Skarna, the gatherers strongly suggest that they
and wisdom. go and meet with her now. They will closely watch the charac-
Characters who cross the stream or succeed on a DC 12 ters until they leave the stream and quarry area.
Wisdom (Perception) check can see that the dirt is being care-
fully dug out around a small stone that looks almost exactly 16. DEFENSES
like a sleeping baby. The following checks reveal more infor- There are clear signs that a stronger, more permanent wall
mation, but any character who is a dwarf or has spent much was recently destroyed. Rubble, splintered wood, and claw
time with dwarves automatically succeeds on these checks: marks surround the exterior of the encampment. Since the
• DC 10 Intelligence (Nature). This is a dwarfchild quarry, Night Thing’s attacks, the clan has erected sharpened stakes
where dwarves hew new offspring from carefully as defenses against the nocturnal assaults. They won’t keep
enchanted stones. predators out, but they may slow them down long enough to
• DC 12 Intelligence (History). The nearly-complete child rally the hunters for a counter-attack.
must be part of the reason why the clan hasn’t simply fled
from the Night Thing... it will only be a few weeks now
until the baby is fully hewn from the rock, and clans rarely
Skarna Two-Axe
abandon such effort, for fear something might happen to When the characters are ready to approach Skarna Two-Axe,
the dwarfchild while they’re gone. they find her by the fire, still staring into the embers. She is
• DC 12 Intelligence (Religion). Red markings and symbols lost in thought, and must be startled from her reverie.
of a boar show that the shaman has been blessing the work When the characters interrupt her, she gathers herself and asks
with the magic of the nearby god. who they are and why they’ve come. Use this as an opportunity
• DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation). There are signs that two for the characters to formally introduce themselves—ask each one
other dwarfchildren have been hewn out here, long ago, in turn to describe their characters, if they haven’t already.
where faded holy symbols and chipped rock show earlier Once everyone has spoken or refused to speak, she thanks
excavations. It seems reasonable to assume this was where them for coming to her aid, and asks them to waste no time
the chieftain’s two children were hewn from the stone. in tracking the Night Thing down to its lair, saying that the
injured monster is surely growing stronger by the hour. If the
Development. If the characters cross the stream, they are
players wait to talk to her, she can offer the following informa-
carefully watched by the fishing gatherers (3 commoners),
tion depending on what the characters ask about.
and if they touch anything, the gatherers immediately splash
DOUGLAS DERI
• Size. The Night Thing is large—as tall as a bear on its hind
legs, but in shape more like a large carnivorous dinosaur…
Setting Out
although it certainly is not one of those. It has too many When the characters depart, Quickpause (p. 27) wishes
limbs, like a spider, terrible, noxious breath, and attacks them well at the gate, warning them to run if they encounter
without need of sight. anything too big for them out in the wilderness.
• Behavior. It feared neither fire nor warning shouts, but Read or paraphrase the following:
always charged directly into the camp, attacking where the
The day-star is low in the east, morning mist curling over
fighting was thickest.
the frost that grips the wet grass. Crows call through trees
• Injury. Skarna injured it with the axe she still holds, which
tinged with autumn color, and in the air you feel the knife’s
is black with tarry blood. The monster must still be
edge of a chill, your breath visible out in front of you as you
wounded, and its trail of blood leads from the front gate
walk into the wilderness. Ahead of you on the hunting trail is
back to wherever it rests.
a dried pool of black, tarry blood, swarming with insects.
• Mourning. She would pursue the Night Thing herself, but
honor requires her to grieve for three days without hunting.
The blood is from the Night Thing. A DC 8 Wisdom (Medicine)
• Brakar. On the night her son was killed the Night Thing
reveals that it is from the night before. A DC 10 Intelligence
seemed to be hunting him in particular, ignoring others
(Nature) check reveals it to be like no natural creature’s blood,
even as they were doing their best to bring it down.
seeming more like resin or some other sticky mass than blood
• Adaki. Her daughter, Adaki, was injured as the Night Thing
from an animal. It is flammable, and ignites quickly if touched
fled—they found her trampled and unconscious when they
by fire, emitting a foul, acrid stench. The blood is too splat-
pursued it into the dark. Adaki is now resting in Skarna’s
tered to burn in a steady trail.
tent, and is seeing no visitors until she wakes.
The blood is spattered down the trail, and can be followed
If the heroes ask for resources or supplies, she says that the clan with a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. If the characters fail
is nearly depleted after so many nights of battling this creature. that check, they can still pick up the trail with a DC 8 Intel-
If they ask for a guide or allies to help them hunt, she ligence (Investigation) check to notice how the grass has
recommends asking Vom Root-Spear, who is guarding the gate. been trampled, tree branches snapped, and blood spatters the
She commends him as a courageous and loyal fighter who will ground. From there they can pick up the trail and follow it.
do his best to avenge her son.
When the characters are done talking with her, Skarna
excuses herself, saying she is exhausted from her son’s funeral,
Forest Path
and withdraws to the Meeting Tent.
You travel into the forest, surrounded by swirling mist and
leaves of green and amber. Bothersome gnats and flies
CHIEFTAIN SKARNA TWO-AXE whine nearby as you walk along the blood trail. The land dips
and curves, crossing small creeks and old riverbeds.
Skarna Two-Axe (LG female dwarven berserker) is a powerful-
ly-built dwarvish woman whose eyes glitter with actual emer-
The characters travel for half an hour. If Vom is with them, he
ald and whose long, curly hair is streaked with true granite. She
asks about their names, their stories, and their goals. Use his
is a strong leader, a generous ally, and a good mother. When
curiosity to encourage roleplaying among your players. If they
the party meets her, she is grief-stricken at the death of her
didn’t bring Vom, ask them if they converse on the journey,
firstborn, Brakar, and anxious about her daughter, Adaki, who
giving them a chance to get to know each other’s characters.
is recovering from a terrible wound. She wields one +1 stone
great-axe and carries a second great-axe strapped to her back.
Skarna has darkvision, advantage on saving throws against Cliff & Tree
poison, and resistance against poison damage.
Personality Trait. Skarna is in shock and denial when A curve in the path reveals a sudden climb ahead—a granite
the party meets her and tends to speak in short, clipped cliff rises from the forest floor, as high as five or six hunters.
sentences, focusing entirely on practical matters. Any The steep cliff face is plastered with wet green and yellow
reference to emotion is waved away with a dismissive leaves. A huge, dead fern tree leans at an angle against the
hand gesture. All she cares about is the death of the Night cliff. Its roots are half-dug out of the earth and its crown
Thing. This is unsettling to her clan, who know her as a warm rests near the top of the cliff. The tree is sticky with the
person, quick to laugh and full of the joy of life. smeared blood of the Night Thing, which must have used
Ideal. Skarna believes that survival without honor is not this tree to reach the top.
survival at all. She has always led her people to be faithful
allies in peace, hunt, festival, and battle. This commitment The characters must climb the cliff to follow the trail of the
to honor is why she is unable to break her own taboo against Night Thing. The ascent is not easy, and the party must be
hunting before the mourning period for her son has ended. resourceful to solve the challenge of the ascent. The cliff is 30
Bond. As chieftain, Skarna is utterly committed to the feet high, and the tree leans against it at a steep angle, leaving 5
wellbeing of her clan and her surviving daughter. She will feet of exposed rock between the top of the tree and the top of
take no action that she believes will harm her people. the cliff. If a character makes it to the top, there are young trees
Flaw. Skarna is so devoted to honor that she rarely growing there which are easy to fasten a rope to, allowing a
detects treachery in others, and is willfully blind to her simple path to the top for the rest of the party.
daughter’s dark streak of jealousy. No better path. If the characters seek another way forward,
they can attempt a DC 20 Wisdom (Survival) check to find an
alternative route and relocate the trail at the top of the cliff.

THE SLIPPERY CLIFF Swarming Pool
The cliff is steep and covered in wet leaves. Climbing freehand
Once the characters have gathered at the top of the prom-
requires a DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check. If the characters
ontory, they can continue uphill just a few steps before any
succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom (Survival or Nature) check, they
character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 12 or greater
can discern that the toppled tree kept the leaves underneath
hears a high-pitched whining sound.
its length dry, and moving the tree will clear an easier path
When they hear the noise, or if no character has a sufficient
upward, with a Strength (Athletics) check of only DC 9.
Wisdom (Perception) score, all characters at the top of the
promontory must make a DC 8 Constitution saving throw or
THE ROTTEN TREE else gain the poisoned condition. Read:
The tree seems to be the obvious way upward, but climbing
it won’t be easy either. The tree is covered in sickening blood, Just ahead is a thick pool of clotted black blood. It seems the
and the Night Thing’s ascent weakened it—the tree is rotten Night Thing rested here after scaling the promontory, and
and ready to crack and break under the weight of a Medium or now its blood swarms with biting flies and mosquitoes, as
larger creature. well as two much larger insects, about the size of your fist.
The climb. A character who climbs the tree must make a You have disturbed them, and the insectile whine turns
Strength (Athletics) check. They climb a number of feet equal aggressive as they sense fresher blood.
to twice their check total. (For example, if they roll a 10, they climb
20 feet.) The tree ends just below the top of the cliff, requiring The swarm of insects and 2 stirges attack.
a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to climb or jump the final 5 The players are pinned between the cliff edge and the pool
feet to reach the top. of monster blood. At the start of each round (Initiative count
Careful or quick. Characters who climb the tree can choose 20), repeat the Constitution saving throw, increasing the DC
whether to climb carefully or to try and rush their way up the by +1. If any character fails the save, they take the poisoned
tree. Climbing carefully keeps the tree intact, but also exposes condition, which remains until the spend 1 minute at least 60
the characters to the effects of the sickening blood. feet away from the blood.
Climbing carefully. As they climb, they realize the following: Pool of blood. When a character moves or starts their turn
• The tree groans and creaks, and is clearly weak and rotten. within 5 feet of the pool of blood, have them roll a DC 12
The character can tell that rushing up the tree is likely to Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take the
cause it to break. Poisoned condition until they spend 1 minute at least 60 feet
• There is a path of dry leaves underneath the tree which away from the blood. The pool of blood, if ignited, erupts in a
would likely make the cliff much easier to climb if the tree burst of fire as if the fireball spell had been cast, centered at the
were to move (see below). point the pool was ignited. Any character trying to ignite the
• The blood of the Night thing has a sickening effect. The pool should make a DC 6 Intelligence saving throw to realize
character must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving how dangerous such an action would be.
throw or become sickened, taking the poisoned condition Something in the woods. At the end of each round (Initia-
until they spend at least 60 feet away from the black blood. tive count 0), a large predator (a tyrannosaurus rex, known in
Planegea as a tyrantmaw) in the forest makes noise. At the end
Climbing quickly. A character who chooses to rush up the tree
of the first round, read:
avoids the sickening effect of the blood, but is in danger of fall-
ing as the tree breaks under the weight of their their sudden A creature in the distance lets out a deep-bellied roar.
movement.
• A Tiny or Small creature, or a Medium or larger character If the characters succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Nature)
that weighs less than 20 pounds, is able to climb without check they can identify it as the bellow of a hunting tyrant-
breaking the tree. maw. It is 150 feet away and has full cover. At the end of the
• All other characters cause the tree to break after their second round, read:
Strength (Athletics) check to climb. Whatever height they
The bellowing sound is much closer now, and something
reached on their check is as far as they make it before the
large crashes through the trees just out of sight.
tree emits a loud crack, and starts to groan loudly as it
begins to fall.
The DC to discern the identity of the creature is a only 14
• The character on the tree can use a reaction to try and avoid
now that it’s closer. Additionally, a successful DC 18 Wisdom
damage from the fall, such as by leaping to safety, casting
(Perception) check can glimpse some large shape moving fast
feather fall, grabbing for a handhold on the cliff, and so on.
towards the party from the east. It is 100 feet away and using
Falling tree. When the tree falls, characters at the bottom its action to dash towards the characters.
of the cliff must succeed on a DC 5 Dexterity saving throw or At the end of the third round, read:
take 1d6 bludgeoning damage as the tree crashes towards them.
With an earsplitting roar, a huge beast thunders through
Once the tree falls, it reveals a much easier ascent in its
the forest, shaking the ground. The trees snap in half as a
absence. Where the tree was are dry, rough rocks without slip-
full-grown tyrantmaw bursts forth! It roars again, with jaws
pery leaves or monster blood, which can be climbed with a DC
as tall as a hunter, lined with teeth like knives, tiny foreclaws
9 Strength (Athletics) check.
raking the air and its huge tail lashing the trees.

The tyrantmaw joins the combat at Initiative count 0 no closer Victory. If the characters manage to survive combat against
than 40’ to any of the characters except Vom, if he is still with the stirges, swarm of insects, and tyrantmaw, they are to be
the party. Emphasize to the players that their characters know commended and can take a well-deserved rest... but they prob-
that this is not a beast they are capable of defeating. ably won’t want to do so beside the pool of black blood, which
If the party does not flee in time and Vom is with them, the will continue to sicken them as long as they stay near it.
tyrannosaurus rex spends it turn attacking him.
If the party does not flee in time and Vom did not accom-
pany them, the tyrantmaw attempts to use its body to herd
Skull Path
them backwards off the cliff. Once the characters have gotten away from the swarming
The tyrantmaw can be defeated by forcing it into the blood pool, they may wish to take a short rest. The forest in which
and then igniting it as an explosive or by tricking it into they find themselves now seems to be quiet and relatively safe.
charged off a cliff. In either case, it will be too injured or too Once they start traveling again, read this:
far away to continue the attack.
The yellow woods are quiet and untroubled by insects. The
spatters of blood are less frequent now, but can still be
followed through the trees. The path continues peacefully
TYRANTMAW (TYRANNOSAURUS REX) for a long time. About once every quarter hour, a marker is
Huge beast, unaligned repeated—a rodent’s skull bound to the trunk of a young
tree by a knotted cord.
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (13d12 + 52)
Speed 50 ft. At first, it appears that the characters are walking straight ahead
and seeing a series of similar skulls. But in fact they are caught in
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Mother Hush’s looped pathway. The skull marks the beginning
25 (+7) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 2 (–4) 12 (+1) 9 (–1) of a new loop, and each time they walk the same 15 minute path
straight ahead before coming across the same skull again.
Skills Perception +2 As long as they are touching the skull, any creature is able to see
Senses passive Perception 14 a new path starting at the base of the tree with the skull, which
Languages — bears right, away from the main path. Until you touch the skull,
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
the skull path is invisible and cannot by detected except by a spell
such as find the path. Once a character touches the skull, read:
Actions
Your eyes suddenly sting and you blink. As you regain your
Multiattack. The tyrantmaw makes two attacks: one with its
bite and one with its tail. It can’t make both attacks against the sight, you find the trees to your right have shifted to reveal
same target. a path that wasn’t there before. The path is crooked, and
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. zig-zags into a darker part of the wood, where the leaves are
Hit: 33 (4d12 + 7) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or brown, with more skulls of small animals are hung on either
smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple side at irregular intervals. A low, shifting mist curls along the
ends, the target is restrained, and the tyrannosaurus can’t bite path at ankle-height.
another target.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Any character standing on the skull path becomes immedi-
Hit: 20 (3d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage. ately invisible to characters who are neither touching the skull
nor already on the path.
The skull (which is a tiny object with an AC of 10 and 3
HP) is affixed to the tree with the knotted cord, which is
DEVELOPMENTS enchanted and cannot be untied or cut, dealing 1 point of
The best outcome is that during the fourth round the charac- slashing damage to any creature who tries to loosen it. The
ters will flee from the sudden appearance of the tyrantmaw. If cord can be disenchanted with a dispel magic spell, at which
they do, they will race away from it, the beast close behind. time the cord and the skull become nonmagical and the illu-
Unseen guidance. As they run, they will hear the voice of an sion ends, revealing the skull path. If the skull is shattered,
elderly woman (Mother Hush) whispering in their ears such disintegrated, or otherwise destroyed while still bound to the
phrases as, “This way! Over here! Not that way, turn right! tree with the knotted cord, the illusion ends.
Under the log, hurry, hide!” If they follow her guidance, the Nothing except invisibility prevents the characters from
tyrantmaw will lose them, but the source of the voice will following the path, and there is no other way to make progress
remain a mystery. If they don’t, it will keep pursuing them, forward or back except along the skull path.
but will be unable to catch them because they are smaller and
can get away through the underbrush.
Reinforcements. The characters also might stay and fight
Mother Hush
the tyrantmaw. This is a very bad idea, and if one or more of
The path snakes through the forest slightly downhill. The
them is killed, it should not come as a surprise. If it looks like
trees—adorned with little skulls, thick with dead leaves and
the whole party is about to die, introduce Mother Hush (a CE
overgrown in thorny brambles—press in close on both sides.
female green hag) as a deus ex machina to frighten the beast
The ankle-deep mist is cold and clammy. Somewhere in the
away. She then leads them back to her hut, and you can skip
distance a crow calls at intervals.
the Skull Path section.

As the characters continue down the path, read this: PARLAY & BARTER
Once the characters are interacting with Mother Hush, she
It isn’t long, not more than quarter of an hour, before the path
actively avoids a confrontation, doing everything she can to
cuts around in a hairpin turn, and the trees open in a sudden
set them at ease while still remaining obviously menacing and
clearing. It’s dark in the clearing, as on a stormy afternoon in
wicked. Roll on this table for small things she does absent-
winter, the sky gray as wolf hair. In the center of the clearing is
mindedly in the middle of conversation with the characters:
a great dead oak, twisted and towering. Built into and around
the oak is a windowless, slanted hut of mud and sticks. The hut d6 Evil fidgeting
has a muddy yard not more than 10’ wide, and a little twig fence
surrounds it. The fence is all hung with the skulls of little forest 1 Takes a leather doll stuck with bone needles off a shelf,
pulls out a needle from the leg and delicately inserts it into
animals. Smoke pours out of the hut’s chimney, and shifting light
the neck
at edge of the closed door inside suggests movement within.
2 Wanders to the stone cauldron where something green is
The hut belongs to the green hag, Mother Hush, who is boiling and grates a block of fungus into it, causing a thick
well aware of the approach of the characters. She cannot be black smoke to belch upward
surprised by their appearance, having watched them since 3 Checks a series of small cages hung near the ceiling,
they set foot on the path. Mother Hush is magically conscious sweeping little bones from inside onto the dirt floor and
of everything within the fence, and cannot be surprised or kicking them under a shelf
tricked by stealth or sleight-of-hand within her fence. 4 Stoops to peer into a mirror, where you catch the
The tree is actually a sleeping, undead treant which she can reflection of a breathtakingly beautiful elvish woman. She
awake with a touch at any time she chooses. The treant obeys snickers and adjusts her hair before straightening.
her commands and will attack at her word—although doing
5 Picks up a clay pot full of dirt and digs around, unearthing a
so will destroy the hut, so Mother Hush will avoid waking
green apple. She brushes a worm off it and carefully sets it
it except as a last resort. If a character has an ability such as on a ledge as if it might explode.
Divine Sense or can cast a spell such as detect good and evil, they
will be able to sense that Mother Hush is a fey creature and 6 Shakes powder over a shallow bowl full of what appear to
that there is a large undead creature as well—although it is not be human teeth and sniffs them, muttering ‘almost ready’
under her breath.
apparent that the treant is that creature without a successful
DC 20 Wisdom (Insight or Perception) check. Mother Hush makes it clear that she is there to help them,
and that she is responsible for the Skull Path, but she’s more
ENTRY than happy to “speak to the trees” on the party’s behalf to
Mother Hush is in no hurry. She knows the characters have allow them to continue on their way. She denies know-
nowhere to go but her hut. The skull path only leads back to ing anything about the Night Thing, but a successful DC 16
the endless loop, and there is no other exit from this clearing; Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that she knows much more
the forest all around is overgrown with black brambles that than she’s saying.
make passage impossible. She will wait until they approach She says she wants nothing more than to help the charac-
her door. The tree is 10’ in diameter, and her hut is built ters achieve their goal, and to do so she’s willing to supply
around it in a 10’ wide ring, making the entire hut 30’ from them with potions and talismans to increase their odds in the
wall to wall. The front door is the only entrance except the coming danger. She offers a deal—one potion or talisman in
chimney, which is belching out thick gray-green smoke which exchange for one secret. She means personal secrets... infor-
blinds and poisons any character who attempts to climb down mation from the character’s lives that they consider hidden
it. The roof is 8’ tall at the outer wall and slopes upward to a and valuable.
maximum height of 12’ where it meets the treant’s trunk. If the characters cooperate, she is more than happy to
Given the clear signs of evil, it is very likely that some char- supply them with any of the following items. She prefers to
acters might try unconventional means of approach to the hut. choose the items in response to the secret, so if a character
No matter how they try to enter or inspect, they are greeted says they ran from a crime in the past, she might offer a potion
with the same result: the first character to open the door or of expeditious retreat with a cruel remark about celebrating
make their way inside the hut finds themselves face to face their cowardice.
with Mother Hush. She can offer a potion or talisman of any of the following
spells (1 each): expeditious retreat, enlarge, mirror image, polymorph,
INSIDE THE HUT alter self, spider climb, hideous laughter.
The hut is shaped like a ring so you can never see the whole She refuses to “speak to the trees” for the party until at
space at once. It has a hearth with a stone cauldron, a table least one of them trades at least one secret, or until a charac-
with one chair, shelves groaning with ingredients for potions ter succeed on a DC 21 Charisma (Intimidation, Deception, or
and hexes, small cages and dried vegetables hanging from the Persuasion) check to have her let them go.
ceiling, countless clay and wood and bone dishes scattered
everywhere, most of them half-full with something uniden-
a s d
tifiable. The head of some unknown beast is mounted on the
wall like a hunting trophy, its mouth stitched jaggedly. Its
eyes roll and blink and follow the characters miserably as they
move around the space.
m c ; l k
4 2
MOTHER HUSH DEVELOPMENT
Confronted with obvious evil, the characters might try to
This green hag is old and ugly, with a long nose and chin, lank
bypass Mother Hush, searching for another exit besides her
white hair, a hunched posture, and a tendency to cackle and
hut. If that happens, after some time passes, she approaches
call the characters “my child” or “pet” or “dearie.”
them and begins her parlay.
Personality Trait. Mother Hush has a sickly-sweet
Combat. If the characters attack her, she attempts to avoid
demeanor, behaving like a doting grandmother, and what-
taking damage without dealing any damage herself. Should
ever mischief the characters get into she seems to thor-
she be near death, she will awaken the treant to fight on her
oughly enjoy and approve of. The only things that make her
behalf and attempt to slip away invisibly.
unhappy are attempts at directness, honesty, kindness, or
Cooperation. If at least one of the characters cooperate, even
generosity, which she despises outright.
if all the others refuse, she will open the way to the Night
Ideal. Misery. Mother Hush believes that mortals are
Thing’s lair. Otherwise she will continue to try and coax them
made to suffer, and the more extended and complex their
to make a trade with her.
suffering, the better.
Information. If the characters ask her for any information
Bond. She is working as an agent of a higher authority,
on the Night Thing, she rolls a Charisma (Deception) check to
and wants the players to succeed in eradicating the Dread
lie and say she’s never heard of such a beast. If they ask about
Elves so that she can use their door to Nod unsupervised, in
any other named NPC she briefly alters her appearance to take
accordance with her larger scheme, wherein she can travel
on a mockery of their appearance, with their worst features
through Nod and use its magic to accomplish her masters’
exaggerated, saying something like “who, you mean me?” ...
ends. Look through the “Threats” section in Chapter 11 of
she will then answer as suits her whim, but all with the goal
Planegea and decide which one you’d like her affiliated with...
of gaining the character’s trust enough to access their secrets
almost any of them could use quick passage through time
and send them on their way.
and space, and access to sources of great magical power.
Flaw. Arrogance. Mother Hush is supremely convinced
of her own intelligence, and will show off her power and
MOTHER HUSH’S PATRON
The hag is allied with a greater evil power, and is playing
cleverness any chance she gets.
both sides, working with the dread elves and also eager to see
them destroyed now that they’ve outlived their usefulness to
her. If you want to use this adventure as the start of a longer
campaign, figuring out who Mother Hush was working for
could be a fruitful avenue of inquiry for the characters.
k
DOUGLAS DERI
You can plant seeds for future adventures by leaving small MOTHER HUSH’S DEPARTURE
clues to her patron in the hut. Use the table here for inspira-
With that, she steps into the creek and walks forward one
tion, or invent your own clues. If the characters ask about any
step, two steps, three steps... she’s ankle deep in the water,
of these clues, Mother Hush will answer evasively, or simply
and then knee deep. She keeps walking, and it’s up to her
tell them to mind their own business.
waist, and then her neck, and then her head disappears
Patron Clue under the water. The creek—too small to swallow a
The Giant Empires A giant’s obsidian knife is hung in a person—rushes on. She does not return.
place of honor on the wall
Mother Hush has used a combination of the minor illusion cantrip
The Brood A map on the table is weighed down
along with her Invisible Passage ability to seemingly disappear
with chromatic dragon scales
into the water. In truth, she’s lying under the creek, waiting for
Kelodhros A large model of a ziggurat takes up the characters to pass on. If discovered, she will laugh off the
Ascendant one wall, with ritual markings along whole thing as a bit of showing off and wish them well as they
each side set off.
Fiendish Gods Ritual objects of fiendish worship are
arranged in a circle on the floor THE BLACK WILLOW
Vyrkha the Shepherd A finely sketched portrait shows The brook is frigid and fast, plunging downhill. You can pick
a young human warlord, riding a your way along its edge while keeping mostly dry. It leaps
sabertooth into battle and gurgles over mossy rocks and around sandbars for many
Duru Humanoid figures made of twisted minutes, before spilling out into a slower pool at the foot of
twigs and thorns and vines lie a great black willow, its long tendrils trailing in the calmer
motionless in a corner water. From its branches, you hear rustling and the cries of
The Recusance A complex arcane spell is marked on what sound like enormous birds.
one wall, drawn in ash and blood, with
tattoo supplies nearby The branches of the window are the roosting place for 5
tentwings (p. 26) who are used by the dread elves in the
The Gift of Thirst Jars of blood sit near the fire, being kept
lair as mounts. The characters must make a Dexterity (Stealth)
warm as if for expected company
check against the tentwings’ Wisdom (Perception). If the
Craven of the A tarred basket holding transparent tentwings perceive them, they will screech loudly, but will not
Kraken Coast slime sits under an open window attack unless the characters do so first.
The Crawling Awful A strange, devious black device gleams
on the table—it seems not to be made ENTRANCES
by or for humanoid hands This willow’s roots hide the door to the dread elf lair. There is
Deepthought A shelf holds the skull of each kind of also another entrance at the top of the trunk if the characters
bird that dwells in the forest, neatly climb the tree—this is much larger, 8 feet in diameter, and is
arranged into perfect rows where the Night Thing crawled into and out of its hiding place.
It’s possible to discover this by exploring the tree or by making
Nazh-Agaa A wooden stake and jar of blessed
a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check to perceive the blood trail,
water are arranged near the bed
which has been mostly scrubbed away by the dread elves.
Characters who search for the door in the roots, as Mother
Hush suggested, must succeed on a DC 8 Intelligence (Investi-
Brook & Willow gation) check to find the door, which also reveals its presence
Once Mother Hush is satisfied that everyone who is willing with the spell detect magic, glowing with evocation energy
has sold their secrets, she leads the party outside, walks to the from the trap at its handle. The door can also be found if the
clearing’s edge, and whispers to the trees. The characters hear characters spend a short rest at the tree while seeking the
the sound of running water, and the tree twists aside to reveal entrance.
a small brook traveling downhill. The dread elves in the lair are not actively keeping watch, as
The rocks at the brook’s edge are smeared with the black, they believe their lair is undetected. Therefore the characters
tarry blood of the Night Thing, but the blood trail disap- have no need of Dexterity (Stealth) checks when approaching
pears at the water’s edge. Mother Hush tells them to follow the door... but the players don’t need to know that.
the water, and that they’ll find what they’re looking for The door itself is trapped with a spell, which must be
when they see the black tree. She says the doorway is in the disarmed with a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check, or it
roots, and to be wary of tricks inside. casts magic missile at first level, targeting the three creatures
closest to the door when triggered. If more than three targets
are equally close, targets are chosen randomly.
Once either entrance is found or the lair is entered, the
characters can advance to 2nd level. This may be a good place
to end your session.

PART 2
WHISPERS OF NOD
T
HE ADVENTURE CONTINUES AS THE PARTY
Adversaries Location Notes
journeys into the lair of the Night Thing and discover
the conspiracy between Adaki Two-Axe, Mother Hush, Adaki (dwarf 2. Central Watching from inside the
and the dread elves of the Nightmare World. In this noble) Chamber ritual circle, invisible and
intangible until revealed by
section they will investigate the lair, encounter Adaki
the purple firelight
in her dwarven and Night Thing forms, and learn of the
danger back in the Two-Axe camp which they must ultimately 4 drow tribal 4. Living If aware of the characters,
rush back to confront. warriors Chamber will attack with war cries,
alerting the leaders
In the Lair 3 drow leaders:

• Zyntla (acolyte)
6. Council
Chamber
Debating their next move.
If alerted to the characters,
The lair is carved into the base of an ancient willow. Its walls are • Urxu (thug) will seek to alert the tribal
made of pulpy black wood, and the floor is dirt. The ceilings are • Itakak (tribal warriors and attack with any
8 feet high unless stated otherwise. The air smells musty and warrior) advantage possible.
damp, with a tinge of rot.
Most chambers in the lair have purple crystals mounted
on 5-foot-tall, intricately carved black poles. The crystals are
HORROR IN THE LAIR
Note that this adventure contains descriptions that are meant
enchanted and cannot be illuminated with magic such as the
to evoke a sense of horror, especially under “Waking Night-
light spell. They only illuminate when the door to the Night-
mares” and “Key Chamber.” Consider reading these descrip-
mare World is unlocked and act as a signal to the dread elves
tions ahead of time and adjusting them to suit the tastes of
as they enter and depart as to whether the door stands locked
your group. Use safety tools and good communication to
or unlocked.
ensure everyone is having fun at the table, and always be will-
ing to adjust the intensity if needed.
THE DREAD ELVES
The lair is occupied by 7 dread elves (drow), who guard the
secret entrance to the Nightmare World inside the tree. Dread
WAKING NIGHTMARES
As the characters travel into the lair, they must complete the
elves are native to that world, but travel between it and the
labyrinth in the first chamber (Area 1), or be haunted by hallu-
waking world to sow fear and increase the power of the
cinations. Every time a character who has not completed the
Nightmare Throne (Planegea, p. 255). As elves aligned with the
labyrinth passes through a doorway inside the lair, they must
Nightmare Throne, they are opposed by elves from the Dream
succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until
World of Nod, but also by other drow from the Nightmare
the end of their next turn. A character stunned in this way
World known as omenbringers.
has a vision of one of the following beings which they believe
Omenbringers stand against the Nightmare Throne and
to be real until they are no longer stunned. The first time any
seek to establish bastions of order and safety in the dark world,
character is stunned in this way, roll on the Waking Night-
often serving as guards and protectors for non-elves passing
mares table and read the result.
through their world. Dread elves and omenbringers have been
The next time the same character fails a Wisdom saving
opposed for longer than elves can remember.
throw while crossing a doorway, they have a vision of the
This band of dread elves, hiding at the threshold of the
same apparition, but it grows increasingly threatening:
waking world here in the black willow, have so far escaped
• 1st failure: The character sees the apparition. (Read the entry
detection by punishing patrols of omenbringers, and hope to
on the table.)
create a conduit for spreading fear before the omenbringers
• 2nd failure: The apparition approaches the character or
find and eradicate them. As such they are anxious and hurried,
draws them towards itself.
and more worried about what might come through the door to
• 3rd failure: The apparition appears to attack the character.
Nod than their hidden entrance.
On the 3rd failure, when they have a vision of being attacked,
the character immediately falls asleep when they would
appear to take damage. They can be awakened by any creature
who uses their action to wake them. While asleep, the char-
acter can be carried or dragged through doorways without
further hallucinations.
When a character who has been put to sleep in this way
awakens, the visions have had their full effect and the illu-
sion concludes for that character. They are immune to the
visions for the next 24 hours.

FORESHADOWING THREATS
WAKING NIGHTMARES
The nightmares presented here are designed to refer-
d6 Nightmare ence 2 or more of the dangers represented in Chapter 11 of
1 Giant. A huge, tattooed giant crouches in the room with Planegea (the “Threats” section). If you are planning a longer
its back to you, its arms and back on fire. The smoke fills campaign, use these nightmares to foreshadow the threat
the room, stinging your eyes and choking you. The giant that you are most interested in presenting as the campaign
is at least three times as tall as a human, and it is rocking villain to your party. If you do this, choose the threat that
back and forth, muttering something just below your aligns with the clue you left in Mother Hush’s hut.
ability to hear. As you enter the room, it becomes aware of Alternatively, you can roll randomly and see which threat
you and turns to look at you—and its face is not a giant’s most intrigues your players, then build the threat for the
face at all, but a blank white mask, smooth as fired clay,
longer campaign off of that interest. The threats are coded
with brilliant blue eyes that lock onto yours with a look of
greed and desire. as follows:
• Giant. The Giant Empires, the Recusance, Khelodros
2 Dragon. Rotting vines afflicted with some nameless • Dragon. The Brood, Duru
blight curl and twist together into the shape of an • War-God. Vyrkha the Shepherd, the Gift of Thirst
enormous monster that fills the room—a green and
• Cultists. Deepthought, Craven of the Kraken Coast
black dragon of roots and branches and fungus. It opens
its mouth and breathes out a miasma of corruption • Beetle. The Crawling Awful, Fiendish Gods
and death. Its hollow eye-sockets find you, and a mass • Throne. The Throne of Nightmares, Nazh-Agaa
of writhing vine-tendrils arise from all around, groping
blindly towards your legs and neck.
3 War-god. A howl fills the room, splitting your ears and
freezing your blood. The ground shakes as a glowing
warlord with the appearance of a god takes shape before 1. LABYRINTH CHAMBER
you in a blast of icy wind. His mouth and claws drip with The door between the roots leads down into a dark,
the blood of a fresh kill, splattering his wolf-pelt cloak and hexagonal chamber—an earth-and-wood chamber carved
soaking the floor with a slick sheen of red. He takes a step
into the roots of the great willow. The room is completely
towards you. You feel your pulse pounding in your neck.
The war-god licks his lips and smiles a fanged smile. dark except for a single doorway ahead, through which you
can dimly see natural light, which illuminates nothing except
4 Cultists. As you walk through the doorway, you feel a twisting pattern on the floor of this chamber.
someone walk past you. A robed figure enters the room
from behind you, and then another, and another, and
For characters with darkvision, read the following:
another. Soon the room is filled with robed figures. They
form a circle, and you see their skin is like the finest Two intricately carved black poles near the entrance, each
tortoiseshell, perfectly smooth, and their faces are 5 feet high, hold dark purple crystals. Archways room lead
glowing holes. They raise their shell-hands and chant. into a dark chamber to the left and a chamber illuminated
Saltwater rises from the floor to your ankles, your knees, with natural light ahead. To the right stands a closed
your waist. You feel something immense moving in the
wooden door to the right. On the floor, a curling, twisted
water as it rises towards your throat.
path lies in the rough shape of a circle, which takes up most
5 Beetle. A scratching and scraping sound comes from all of the chamber—a labyrinth that one might walk in ritual
around, like fingernails against stone. Suddenly, the ceiling meditation. The labyrinth starts between the two torches,
crashes downwards enormous glowing antennae whip and ends at the doorway to the chamber with natural light.
from a gigantic hole. The mandibles and many armored
legs of a huge beetle-god slither from the hole and it
falls to the ground wetly in front of you, its mouth-parts This chamber is a security measure for the dread elves. Any
clacking. As you recoil, the ground and walls all around creature who wishes to cross a doorway into the rest of the
burst as countless beetles swarm from their burrows, lair must first walk the labyrinth or be subjected to waking
erupting in unison from everywhere. nightmares. This slows down would-be intruders, making
the dread elves very lazy about their defenses, assuming most
6 Throne. In the center of the room, freshly-turned earth
intruders will be forced to walk the labyrinth or else scream
is scooped up into a mound in which you can see bits of
bone and crushed skull. On the mound stands an obsidian in terror when the nightmares appear.
throne, black chiseled edges beaded with moisture. On Crystals. The crystals in this chamber illuminate when the
the throne is—something. Something so evil, malicious, door to the Nightmare World is unlocked.
and powerful that you cannot look at it. But although you Labyrinth. A character who walks the labyrinth must make
cannot see it, you sense it. You sense it looking at you. It three successful DC 8 checks—a Dexterity check, a Constitu-
sees you. It knows you. And it reaches for you. tion saving throw (as if concentrating on a spell), and a Dexter-
ity (Stealth) check. If they succeed on all three checks, they are
able to complete the labyrinth and are immune to the waking
nightmares of the lair.
Missteps. If a character fails their Dexterity check or their
Concentration check, they step off the path and are subjected
to a waking nightmare. They must begin their walk again
from the beginning. If a character fails their Stealth check,
they complete the labyrinth, but alert the tribal warriors in
the Living Chamber (Area 4) to their presence.

Developments. If alerted by a failed Stealth check, the tribal This central chamber leads directly to all other chambers in
warriors will make a contested Dexterity (Stealth) roll versus the lair. During the day the dread elves avoid it, preferring the
the party’s passive Perception. If they succeed, they will throw darkness of the other chambers.
their spears in a surprise attack on the party. If they fail, they Ritual circle. The ritual circle is the main feature of this
will rush the party in a full assault. In either case, they will room, aside from the sunlight from above. It appears to be
raise the alarm, and both Adaki and the enemies in the Coun- recent in construction, singed with fire from the transforma-
cil Chamber (Area 6) will become aware of the party’s pres- tion of Adaki seven nights ago. The characters can investigate
ence. Adaki will remain in the ritual circle in the Central it with various checks, which reveal:
Chamber (Area 2), but the enemies in the council cham- • Wisdom (Religion), DC 12: This appears to have been created
ber will dash through the bone pyre chamber and the living to cast some kind of ritual curse.
chamber to join the combat as soon as possible, being unwill- • Intelligence (Arcana), DC 11: The geometry of the magic
ing to cross the circle of sunlight in the central chamber. circle suggest some kind of transformation magic was at
work here.
2. CENTRAL CHAMBER • Intelligence (Investigation), DC 8: The scorch marks, though
recent, are probably about a week old (lining up with the
Gray autumn sunlight illuminates the center of this
time when the Night Thing’s attacks started).
hexagonal chamber. Willow branches spread above, from
• Intelligence (History), DC 14: The nature of the markings
which come the rustling and screeching of flying beasts.
appears fey in origin, calling to mind various symbols and
Gouges on the wall to create a rough ladder leading up
aesthetics of Nod.
and out of the trunk, onto the willow’s boughs. The floor is
• Wisdom (Perception), DC 11: If the character who makes this
scattered with yellow leaves and smeared with stinking
check saw the inside of Mother Hush’s hut, the lines look
black blood, which looks like it has been scrubbed at but
like magic carvings and symbols glimpsed in her dwelling.
not completely removed. Four of the six walls have arched,
open doorways. One wall has a closed wooden door, and Adaki. The injured dwarf, transformed into her own form in
the final wall is marked with a scratched and charred ritual daytime, lies bandaged, intangible, and invisible in the ritual
circle—half on the wall, half on the floor, full of mystic marks circle. She is awake and watching everything that takes place
and strange geometries. The circle is empty. which she can see without moving. The enchantment of the
circle means that she cannot be seen, felt, or heard unless
DOUGLAS DERI
illuminated by the purple light of the crystals. No matter If the PCs have darkvision or bring light into the chamber, read:
what happens, she will remain still and quiet until revealed.
This appears to be a living area. Eight straw mattresses
Consider how the characters’ words affect her—she watches
covered in fur blankets are pushed close to the walls with a
and judges everything they say and do within her sight.
scattering of half a dozen clay pots. There is a tall wooden
Blood. The blood in the center of the chamber does not lead
rack where fish and various types of fungus are being dried
anywhere, since Adaki transformed back into herself once
and prepared for preservation, and one 5-foot-tall black pole
she reached the lair. It has since been scrubbed by the dread
on which is mounted a large purple crystal.
elves to remove its stench, so there are no tracks that can be
detected in it.
The party may have already alerted the 4 dread elf tribal
Ladder. The ladder up the trunk leads to the crown of the
warriors to their presence. If they haven’t (and enter the cham-
tree, but there is also a side passage just out of sight from the
ber without light), read:
main chamber, 15 feet above the floor, which leads to a similar
ladder down into the Door Chamber (Area 7). Crouched on some of the mattresses, their voices low in
Listening in. If the characters have managed to avoid alert- earnest conversation are four elves. Their skin is translucent,
ing the enemies in the Council Chamber (Area 6) to their like ink in water, and they blend into the shadows. Long
presence, they can hear three muffled voices (two female, one spears rest beside them. They glance frequently with
male) through the door on the northwest wall. They are speak- worried eyes toward the doorway behind them.
ing softly but urgently in Undercommon. Any character who
speaks Undercommon can listen at the door and overhear the The dread elves are speaking in Undercommon. They are
council’s debate (see sidebar, p. 22). discussing the sudden change in plans, with their leader
Developments. If the characters have not attracted the having disguised himself as Adaki, and are uncertain what the
attention of the tribal warriors yet, noisy behavior in the coming evening will hold. They are the lowest in status and
central chamber will summon them. They prefer to fight in await the outcome of a debate in the Council Chamber (6). Two
total darkness, and three of them will make Dexterity (Stealth) of them think that their leader’s plan will work out fine, while
checks to hide from the characters until they can ambush the other two believe the plan has already failed and that they
them, while the fourth will make a Dexterity (Stealth) check should all return to Nod and try again another season.
to sneak through the bone Pyre Chamber (Area 5) and alert Developments. As soon as they become aware of the charac-
their allies in the Council Chamber (Area 6), who will also try ters, they will attack them with war-cries that will alert their
to instigate a surprise attack on the party. allies in the Council Chamber (Area 6). They will attempt to
surround the characters if possible, using their pack tactics in
3. SCRATCHING CHAMBER the darkness for greatest advantage.
Loot. Each tribal warrior carries a spear, hide armor, bone
This chamber is dark and empty, except for a purple crystal
jewelry worth 1 ps, and a cooking knife.
mounted on a 5-foot-tall black pole, and an elaborate carving
Mattresses. The mattresses are where each of the dread
that has been scratched with rough blades into the wall and floor.
elves keeps their personal effects, and can be searched with a
successful DC 8 Intelligence (Investigation) check. In the two
If the PCs examine the carving, read or paraphrase the following:
mattresses on the northeast wall are hidden a dagger and 3
Near the ceiling of the chamber, you see a carving of a door crossbow bolts. In the four mattresses on the southeast wall
standing open, and from this door emerge six figures—a are hidden four carved icons of a door, one for each mattress.
masked giant, a dragon bound in vines, a wolf-skinned One mattress also holds a small clay figure with a feminine
war-god, a circle of hooded figures with empty faces, a shape. The mattress on the southwest wall conceals a potion of
huge beetle, and a throne full of darkness. These figures healing, and the mattress on the northwest wall hides a vial of
are depicted flying down towards countless tiny human basic poison.
silhouettes scratched near the floor and into the ground, as Pots. The pots hold various liquids. Roll on this table for
if they were soaring down from the door to wreak terrible their contents:
destruction on the mortals below.
d8 Pot contents
The dread elves spend much of their time elaborating this 1 Waste
terrifying carving of nightmares descending from their world
2–4 Water
to maraud the mortal realms. The order of these figures is the
order in which figurines must be placed to unlock the night- 5–7 Oil
mare realm in the Key Chamber (Area 8).
8 Wine
There is nothing else in this chamber. The ceiling is 10 feet
high, and the only doors are to the Central Chamber (Area 2)
Rack. On the large wooden rack is raw fish and unsorted
and the Labyrinth Chamber (Area 1).
mushrooms equal to 2 rations (once cooked) and 5 cooked
rations. There are also 10 portions of salt in a small woven bag
4. LIVING CHAMBER and a strange purple vegetable that gives off a biter smell. A
This low-ceilinged chamber is almost entirely pitch black, DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check suggests it might be a plant
illuminated only by the daylight spilling from the next room native to the Nightmare World. Eating it gives a creature dark-
and the low glow of coals in a small cooking hearth near the vision for 4 hours and produces vivid dreams during sleep for
center of the room. 24 hours after consumption.
Hearth. On the hearth are cooked fish equal to 1 ration.

with a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The
5. BONE PYRE CHAMBER pile in the east corner is home to a giant centipede, which will
An enormous fire pit is piled high with fuel, ready to ignite. attack if the pile is disturbed.
However, what’s piled in the pit isn’t wood, but bones— Listening in. If the council is still in session in the Coun-
small bones of rodents for kindling, humanoid bones in the cil Chamber (Area 6), they can be overheard through the
center, and the bones of large animals on top, arranged in a door on the west wall with a successful DC 8 Wisdom
pyramid 5 feet tall. Two corners of the room are filled with (Perception) check (see sidebar, p. 22). A character who
cast off bits of skeletons and unwanted offal. The other two listens in must know Undercommon to understand what is
corners, closest to the central chamber, have intricately being said.
carved black torches on 5-foot-tall poles, each mounted
with a purple crystal. There is a closed door on the west wall. 6. COUNCIL CHAMBER
The only feature of this low-ceilinged, wedge-shaped room
These crystals and pyre can’t be lit by any means except
is a purple crystal mounted on a 5-foot-tall black pole, and
the purple light that signals the door to the Nightmare
a circle of six low hexagonal stones, about 6 inches high,
World is unlocked.
set into the ground, with a seventh stone in the center. In
In the bones. The bone pile in the north corner conceals a
the corner is a large sack of strange purple fruit and a pile of
gem-encrusted dwarf skull worth 100 ps, which can be found
lumpy leather objects.

DREAD ELF LEADERS Council seats. The seven stones of the council seats act as
a clue to the purpose of each chamber in the lair. In the past,
If the characters interact with the leaders of the dread elves
these seats had been used ceremonially for different rites
or listen in on their debate, they are as follows:
concerning the different chambers. Each stone has a symbol
• Zyntla (CE female drow acolyte). Zyntla wears a head- carved into it, pictured here. These stones are simply
dress made of bones and dried flowers, a long dark robe, carved pedestals and do not have any hidden properties or
and has a thick cord around her next from which hangs a anything hidden underneath. The stones can be moved with
stone six-pointed star about 3 inches across. She carries a DC 10 Strength check, but they are not identical and each
a ceremonial club whose head is carved in the shape of a one only fits into its own groove in the floor, suggesting that
beetle. She believes that their leader’s plan can still work, it’s not a rearrangement puzzle to be solved.
and is trying to argue the other two into following their
leader’s orders and waiting until nightfall before urging 7. DOOR CHAMBER
the Night Thing to attack again, no matter how injured it If the players ascend the ladder in the Central Chamber
might be. If combat breaks out, Zyntla will try and remain (Area 2), read:
in the back and heal her allies as long as possible.
The vertical passage of the hollow tree continues upward,
• Urxu (NE male drow thug). Urxu is a grim tower of
but as you ascend, at 15 feet off the chamber floor, you
muscle dressed in thick leather armor. He has a mace
notice a side tunnel carved into the roots of the tree at
studded with shards of sharpened stone and a heavy
its thickest. The tunnel is just under 5 feet in diameter,
crossbow which never leaves his side. He believes that
and is perpendicular to the vertical passage, with a flat,
the plan is a lost cause and that even if the assassin
downward-sloping floor that leads back down into the earth,
manages to pull off the deception, Adaki is too weak to be
deeper into the enormous tree’s root system.
a useful ally. He has low status in the group as a male, but
is pressuring them to make a full retreat back into Nod to
If the characters make this climb without the purple fruit
regroup for another attempt next year. If combat, breaks
from the Council Chamber, the tentwings in the tree above
out, he will hang back to try and protect Zyntla and fire
will screech, hiss, and beat their wings at them, driving the
with his crossbow at any enemy Itakak attacks.
characters into the side tunnel. If the characters have the
• Itakak (LE female drow tribal warrior). Itakak is dressed
purple fruit, they will approach hungrily, eager to be fed with
simply, with hide armor on her torso and a long spear that
their favorite treat.
she made herself from the tooth of a monster from the
Following the side passage for 30 feet leads to a small verti-
Nightmare World. She represents the band of warriors
cal passage with a ladder made of bones bound with leather. If
sent to protect the door and believes the plan has
the characters descend this passage, read or paraphrase:
exposed it to too much scrutiny. She is arguing that they
go further than the plan and slaughter the Two-Axe clan The main feature of the narrow chamber is an elaborate
altogether, raiding them for gear and supplies and trying arched door on the eastern wall. The door is closed and
to corrupt someone else next year. If combat breaks out, locked or barred from the other side. Two purple crystals are
she will immediately make a melee attack, trusting Zyntla set on poles on either side of the carved door. On the west
to heal her and opening an opportunity for Urxu to use his wall, opposite the carving, is a shallow depression about
crossbow against her target. 1 inch deep scratched into the wall at chest height in the
shape of a six-pointed star.
The characters can make their way through this chamber by

force or by using the star pendant carried by Zyntla.
If the characters haven’t disturbed the council, also read: By force. The door (AC 12, 30 HP) can be battered down, but
doing so will alert any surviving dread elves, who will attack
Three dread elves sit on the seats in a triangle, their faces
the players immediately.
close together as they whisper urgently, locked in some sort
Star pendant. If the players have the star pendant carried
of fierce debate.
by the dread elf leader named Zyntla, they can fit it into the
depression. When they do so, before they take their hand away,
If combat breaks out, the council will call for aid from the
they will hear a click and the sharp rasp of something being
four tribal warriors in the Living Chamber (Area 4). They
drawn back. A trap has just been set, but it is not sprung until
will attempt to cut the lights and surround the characters in
the character releases the star.
darkness, targeting any characters without darkvision first.
Unless the trap is disarmed with a DC 14 Intelligence (Inves-
Interrogation. If any of the council are captured, they
tigation) check, six poison darts fire from the walls as soon as
are unwilling to talk without a successful DC 18 Charisma
the star is released. Each dart targets a random character in
(Intimidation, Persuasion, or Deception) check. Even then,
the chamber, has a +3 to hit, and deals 1d4+1 poison damage.
they will only reveal that they have plans to harm the
The character must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw
Two-Axe clan and that they are from the Nightmare World
or become poisoned. At the end of their next turn they can
of Nod. They will not willingly reveal the presence or loca-
repeat the saving throw. On a successful save, the poisoned
tion of the door or the secret of Adaki’s transformation.
condition ends.
Fruit and saddles. The fruit and six saddles in the corner
At the same time the trap springs, the wall with the star
are for training and riding the tentwings in the willow
rumbles and slides 15 feet to the left, opening to reveal the Key
above. A DC 12 Intelligence (Nature, History, or Investiga-
Chamber (Area 8).
tion) check allows a character to make the connection and
realize these elves must ride the tentwings as mounts.

8. KEY CHAMBER Purple Firelight
The western wall is covered in an intricate carving of circles and The characters may recall the purple stones throughout the
swirls with radiating lines. On the floor in front of the carving sit lair and seek to investigate. Exploring the lair with the door
six ivory bowls. On a low shelf on the southern wall stand six unlocked will reveal that all the crystal torches are now lit.
statuettes carved from black stone: a warrior, a crouching giant, They are affixed to their poles and cannot be moved, but any
a throne, a trio of hooded figures, a beetle, and a dragon. flammable object such as a mundane torch or a piece of cloth
dipped in the purple fire will ignite with the same fire.
The statuettes must be placed in the bowls in the order shown Area 1 - Labyrinth Chamber. The purple firelight reveals a
on the wall of the Scratching Chamber (Area 3): giant, dragon, shortcut through the labyrinth—a quick, zigzagging path that
warrior, hooded figures, beetle, throne. allows the maze to be completed in only a few steps.
Once the statuettes are all in the correct order, read: Area 2 - Central Chamber. Any purple firelight that shines
on the ritual circle will reveal Adaki, making her both visi-
As the last statuette is placed into the bowl, the bowls begin
ble and tangible. Torchlight will only reveal her as long as the
to tremble and smoke. A terrible wail, as of a creature being
light is on her, but if the pyre is lit, it will burn bright and
tormented, comes from the gems atop the black torches.
long enough that she cannot escape notice. If she leaves the
They burst into life with purple fire that emits a thick, oily,
ritual circle, she becomes permanently visible—the conceal-
black smoke. Illuminated by their light, the door reveals a
ing enchantment only works within the circle as long as it is
purple glass handle in the shape of curled spider legs. The
untouched by the purple firelight.
seams of the door glow purple, and wind howls behind it.
Area 5 - Bone Pyre Chamber. No secrets are revealed by the
purple firelight in this chamber, but it should be self-evident
The door is now unlocked, and the purple crystals on the black
that the pyre is intended to be lit with the purple fire.
torches throughout the lair ignite simultaneously. If any dread
elves were unaware of the party, they immediately realize
something is wrong, sound the alarm, and rush to the door Adaki
chamber, weapons drawn.
The purple firelight reveals Adaki (LE female dwarf noble). She
Opening the door. Any character who touches the handle of the
is the red-headed image of her mother, her proud green eyes
door must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or imme-
identical to those of the chieftain. Her temples are studded with
diately release the handle and become frightened of the door for
small varicolored gems. She is unarmed, and her neck and side
24 hours. If a character succeeds on the save or turns it without
are bandaged. Her demeanor depends on how the party has
touching it, the door swings open easily on heavy hinges. Read:
behaved where she can see and hear them. She may be:
Ahead lies the Nightmare World: a twisted and cursed • Friendly. If the party has acted clumsily but kindly and
land—a dark and rugged place, where winged things flap seemed concerned for her welfare, she may judge that they can
with leathery menace across a lightning-splintered sky. A help her get the best of both worlds. She wants to rule the clan,
river of snakes writhes venomously in eternal struggle and if she can do so with no surviving dread elves to blackmail
towards a poison sea. In the distance, you see a mountain— her, so much the better. She thanks the party, telling them she
and then the mountain lifts its hairy, many-jointed legs and was kidnapped but the dread elves killed the Night Thing, and
drags its bloated abdomen over the horizon. The sun is a tries to keep her forthcoming transformation a secret, perhaps
crescent of blood, forever eclipsed by a madly pulsating suggesting they all depart at once, so that she can attempt to
moon. A band of hunched figures, their claws dragging slip away from them in the forest and transform.
furrows in the coal-black earth, move up the landscape • Neutral. If the party has not made a strong impression on
towards you. They haven’t seen you—yet. her, she thanks them but remains detached, telling them she
was kidnapped and the dread elves killed the Night Thing.
If the characters choose to cross the threshold into the She tries to get them to split up so that when her transfor-
Nightmare World, they are almost certainly forfeiting their mation occurs she can kill them individually before heading
lives—it’s no place for a band of 2nd-level characters. Try to back to camp to finish her final task.
build the menace so that they are eager to shut the door again. • Hostile. If the party has acted in a way that she considers
As it closes, there is a strong sucking sound and the feeling disrespectful or has shown any particular loyalty to her
of a magical latch swinging shut. The character who shuts it mother or marks of true courage and heroism, Adaki sees
feels certain that it cannot be opened forcefully them as a threat to her goal, and tries to intimidate
from the other side. The purple glow, however, them into leaving, saying they don’t understand
remains until the figures are rearranged or what’s happening and they must leave while they
removed from the ceremonial bowls. can. She baits them until her transformation,
Locking up. The characters can lock but if they try to attack her before then she will
the door again by removing any immediately act feeble and wounded in
figure from its bowl. As soon as an attempt to win their pity.
the door is locked, all purple fire
Adaki’s plan is to kill her mother and
in the lair extinguishes. The
anyone who stands in her way. She
characters can also lock the Key
knows that she is still wounded in
Chamber by removing the star
both her own form and as the Night
from its slot. The Key Chamber
Thing, and will in most cases try to slip
and the door to the Nightmare
away, split up the party, or in other ways
World can be locked or unlocked
increase her own odds.
independently from each other.

TRANSFORMATION • 4th round: The smoke begins to choke the characters. All
As the party talks with Adaki, the day-star sets, with the light breathing creatures in the lair must make a DC 12 Constitu-
that streams into the central chamber dimming and growing tion saving throw or take 1d4+1 poison damage.
orange. Adaki is vitally aware of the time, knowing that as • 5th round: The air is unbreathable. All breathing creatures
soon as darkness falls, she will turn into her monstrous form. begin to suffocate.
Adaki will do anything to prevent combat until nightfall.
But as soon as the sun sets, she can feel the change begin-
ning. Her tone changes to ominous confidence, and she THE NIGHT THING
begins showing small signs of transformation such as loom- Large monstrosity, chaotic evil
ing slightly larger, the ends of her hair turning black, and her
voice growing deeper and more gravelly. As she transforms, Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
she gleefully reveals three truths: Hit Points 64 (6d10 + 40)
• This was her plan all along. She may boast about her power, Speed 30 ft.
bemoan her brother, mock her mother’s grief, or make
grand claims about leading the clan. What she makes clear STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 7 (–2) 9 (–1) 7 (–2)
is that the transformation that is beginning is her intent,
and that she is the malevolent force behind everything.
• Mother Hush transformed her. She will mention “that hag” Skills intimidation +2
who the dread elves called to transform her, how much Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
it hurt and how dear the price was, but now she has the Languages None
power to finally get what she wants. Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
• The assassin is in the camp. No matter what, it’s already
too late. Even if they kill her, the leader of the elves is in Staggering Wound. The Night Thing has a gaping wound in its
the camp, playing her part, and at midnight he will kill her side and staggers as it moves, giving it disadvantage on Dexterity
mother and end the curse whether she’s there or not. If she saving throws.
can’t rule the clan, no one will!
She finishes her speech as her mouth melts away, and then she
Actions
is incapable of speaking. She has fully transformed into the Multiattack. The Night Thing makes three attacks: one with its
tentacle tongue and two with its bite.
jealousy-fueled Night Thing, and will stop at nothing to get
through the party to kill her mother. Tentacle Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
one creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until
the grapple ends, the target is restrained. The grappled creature
The Night Thing is dragged 10 ft. into the Night Thing’s mouth. If the Night Thing
already has a creature in its mouth it cannot use Tentacle Tongue
again until its mouth is free.
The Night Thing towers over you, a greasy-skinned monster
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10
born of jealousy. It looks like a cross between a tyrantmaw
(2d6 + 3) piercing damage.
and a great black frog, with a gaping, fanged mouth, a long,
lashing tail, and insectile forelimbs like a roach. It reeks like
death, and any trace of higher intelligence or language is
Legendary Actions
gone, swallowed up in the feral hatred in its bulging eyes. The Night Thing can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the
options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at
a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Night
The Night Thing single-mindedly tries to get past the heroes, Thing regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
kill Skarna, and claim leadership of the clan. It will do its best
Leap. The Night Thing jumps 15 feet in any direction.
to keep the combat on the move. At the start of each round,
consider if there’s any way the Night Thing can use its environ- Tail Lash. The Night Thing whips its tail at a creature it can see.
The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be
ment to get away. If not, it will attack whatever it believes is the knocked prone.
weakest party member until they fall.
Savage. The Night Thing makes a bite attack against a prone
If the characters kill the Night Thing, her body reverts to creature.
that of Adaki, but she still bears the wounds sustained by the
Night Thing.
FOREST
CENTRAL CHAMBER If Adaki or the Night Thing manage to get away from the party
If the encounter is taking place in the central chamber, at the
and the encounter occurs in the forest, the noise of combat
end of each round at initiative 0, the oily black smoke from the
attracts the attention of nocturnal animals. At the end of each
bonfire fills up the chamber as shown:
round at initiative 0, the forest reacts to the combat as shown:
• 1st round: The smoke fills the central chamber, and the
• 1st round: The party notices glowing eyes of small animals
chamber is lightly obscured.
in the forest watching the combat.
• 2nd round: The smoke spreads through the rest of the lair as
• 2nd round: A swarm of bats enters combat at initiative 0,
well as into the crown of the willow, and the entire lair is
targeting a random creature.
lightly obscured.
• 3rd round: The party hears a crash and roar in the distance.
• 3rd round: The smoke thickens and the lair is heavily obscured.
• 4th round: The tyrantmaw the party encountered earlier
(p. 13) reappears, and immediately challenges the Night
Thing as an apex predator.

CHASE If the chase draws to a halt in any of these environments,
If the Night Thing gets away and is truly on the run, introduce use the end-of-round complications from the Forest section to
a new obstacle for the party and the Night Thing to navigate show the wilderness reacting to the combat.
each turn. Roll on the following table for complications, roll-
ing twice if you get the same result twice: CAPTURE OR ESCAPE
If the party somehow manages to capture or escape the Night
d6 Chase complications Thing, the curse continues as long as Adaki and Skarna are
1 Thick underbrush with briers and tangling vines impede both still alive. At dawn, the Night Thing turns into Adaki,
your progress. The terrain is difficult and creatures and at nightfall, Adaki becomes the Night Thing, until one of
have disadvantage on saving throws to avoid being them dies.
knocked prone.
2 The chase leads to a narrow gorge, 10 feet wide and 30 Saving Skarna
feet deep. Creatures must leap across or find a way to
bridge the gap. The last thing Adaki said before her final transformation was
that Skarna would die anyway by the hand of the dread elf
3 Large spiderwebs are spun all across the train. Creatures
assassin. If the party forgets this or is unable to return to the
must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be blinded
until they use a bonus action to clear their faces of Two-Axe camp by midnight, the assassin (drow scout) carries
webbing. out the plan, but changes his disguise from Adaki to that of
Skarna. Masquerading as Skarna, he will lead the clan for a day
4 The chase interrupts a confrontation between a or two while he waits for word from his people. If he doesn’t
manticore and a bouldertail (ankylosaurus). Both make
hear anything, he will sneak away under cover of darkness,
opportunity attacks at creatures who come in range.
leaving the clan none the wiser about what really happened to
5 A herd of 10 woolly rhinoceroses are grazing in the path their chieftain’s family.
of the chase. When they are startled, they stampede in a If the party remembers, they can return on foot or—if they
random direction, and make a charge attack towards all put the pieces together, ride the tentwings from the willow’s
creatures in their path.
crown to arrive much sooner.
6 A waist-deep pond is in the path of the chase. The pond is
difficult terrain for all creatures without a swim speed, and
any creature who doesn’t move on their turn must make a
DC 10 Strength saving throw or be restrained in the mud.
AS THE TENTWING FLIES ON FOOT
If the players climb the willow with the purple fruit and offer If the party rushes back to save Skarna on foot, they arrive
it to the tentwings with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Animal almost exactly at midnight. Skarna is in the watch tent,
Handling) check, they can use the tamed reptiles as mounts. preparing for the nightly attack, and the assassin (a drow scout
Affixing the saddles, they are able to ride the beasts, who disguised as a hunter) has just left the tent to murder her. The
can each carry 1 Medium and 1 Small creature in flight. The assassin is extremely dangerous and can easily kill the charac-
tentwings will provide transportation for the characters, but ters in direct combat. However, if they raise the alarm and the
they will not fight for them, and will flee if endangered. entire camp comes to confront the assassin, he will drop his
The tentwings can make the distance to the camp much disguise and attempt to flee, realizing the plan has been foiled.
more quickly than the party can travel by foot. When they
arrive, the assassin is still biding his time in the tent where
Adaki was resting, and is unaware that his conspiracy has
Conclusion
been discovered. If confronted with an overwhelming show of When the party brings back the report to the clan, Skarna is at
force, he will try to escape, but is much easier to capture and first horrified. Then, as she comes to understand the situation,
question when surprised. she accepts the actions of the party. Skarna’s ideal is honor,
and Adaki committed an unforgivable betrayal.
If the characters were promised a dwarvencraft weapon,
TENTWING Skarna will offer her own +1 stone greataxe to them. If this is
Medium beast, unaligned
refused, Suuru will use clan magic to imbue a +1 weapon of
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) the heroes’ choice (see “Clan Magic” in Chapter 2 of Planegea).
Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) The characters are rewarded with the promised weapons.
Speed 25 ft., fly 50 ft., swim 10 ft. Since the Night Thing’s body transformed into Adaki and isn’t
harvestable, Suuru offers to introduce the party to Gwehr-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA sus the Giant Boar, who he says will grant them a boon as
13 (+1) 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 2 (–4) 12 (+1) 8 (–1)
a reward for their aid to the clan. Additionally, the party is
asked to lead a return expedition to the lair, to further investi-
Saving Throws Dexterity +6 gate it and see if there is a way to permanently seal the door.
Skills Athletics +3, Perception +3, Stealth +6
The characters can advance to 3rd level.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 1 (200 XP) AFTER THE ADVENTURE
In the Lair of the Night Thing leaves a number of loose ends
Evasion. If the tentwing is subjected to an effect that allows it open for the characters to explore in future adventures.
to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the
tentwing instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving What did Mother Hush want with their secrets, and who
throw, and only half damage if it fails. is she working for? What will she do now that the door to
Flyby. The tentwing doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it Nod stands unguarded?
flies out of an enemy’s reach. Those waking nightmares in the lair had the ring of truth
to them even in their hallucinatory quality. If a player’s back-
Keen Sight. The tentwing has advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
checks that rely on sight. story connects to any element of those visions—giants, cultists,
dragons, warlords—they may wish to go back and investigate
Swooping Strike. If the tentwing is flying and dives at least 20
feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a beak attack, the the connection farther. Did the dread elves know something
target takes an additional 4 (1d8) piercing damage, and the target that could lead to a deeper understanding of those threats?
must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked As for the party’s invitation to meet Gwehrsus, meeting a
prone. If the target is knocked prone, the tentwing can make a beak god is no simple matter. What preparations will they need to
attack against it as a bonus action.
undergo to enter his hallow? Once they encounter him, what
Actions boons will he offer, and what tasks will he have for a band of
newfound heroes?
Multiattack. The tentwing makes two beak attacks.
Your characters’ story in Planegea has hardly begun!
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8
(1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Bonus Actions
Quickflight. The tentwing moves up to half its fly speed.

PART 3
THE TWO-AXE CLAN

A
S THE ADVENTURE CONCLUDES, A WORLD OF
new possibilities for Stone Age adventures are only
Leadership
Most clans rely on three types of leaders: a chieftain to see to
beginning. Use this section as a guide for your own
the physical needs and protection of the clan, a shaman to deal
adventures in Planegea. The characters can continue
with gods and magic, and one or more elders who safeguard
their travels with the Two-Axe clan, set out on other
tradition and teach the young. Each is often supported by
journeys, or you can simply use what’s written here to inspire
a network of apprentices or immediate family who seek to
a clan of your own creation.
strengthen their influence and serve their interest.
This section guides you through a typical clan, with the
following parts:
Leadership. An overview of the Two-Axe clan’s leadership
THE CHIEFTAIN
Skarna Two-Axe, as described in the adventure, is a well-liked
revisits the NPCs met in the adventure as well as a few new
authority figure. Before these attacks she was proud, confi-
faces, explaining their duties and responsibilities—as well as
dent, and never questioned herself or her choices. After the
the tensions between them.
adventure concludes, Skarna may begin to seek a more worthy
NPCs & secrets. Learn the names of the rest of the Two-Axe
successor, fading from leadership so that she can focus on
clan, and a bit of their secrets and interconnected lives, to
carving a new child from stone and humbling herself to learn
inspire deeper adventures among their numbers.
why her daughter fell so far from grace.
Gods & greater powers. Take a deeper look at Gwehrsus the
Much of her reaction depends on the characters’ actions and
Giant Boar, and learn about the local network of powers in the
attitude towards her. If they encourage her, she may rally and
rough and raw world of Planegea.
continue to lead the clan for many years. However, should she
Survival strategies. Learn how the Two-Axe clan survives
decide to step aside, there are a few possible successors to her
in a hostile environment, and how the leadership of the small
role. Skarna may ask the characters if they have suggestions
community butt heads as they seek to protect themselves from
for who should take her place:
the dangers of the wild.
Vom Root-Spear. This young dwarvish hunter (if he survived
Resources & encampments. Dig into the resources that the
the adventure) is likable, direct, and well-versed in the ways
Two-Axe clan gathers here at Dwarfchild Quarry and else-
of the clan. He lacks confidence in himself, but if given time
where, and learn a bit about the other encampments they visit
and encouragement, he could mature into a good leader for
year after year.
the clan. He had a long-held, unrequited love for Adaki, before
Clanfire. Find out who can be found at the clanfire at each
her betrayal of the clan, and may become more guarded and
time of day, and a bit about what they might have to say,
closed-off then before.
should the characters ask the right questions.
Clan travel. When the clan is ready to move on, there is d4 Vom’s adventure hooks
much to be done—learn how Two-Axe travels, and venture
into the wilderness with a careful eye on the sky and horizon 1 Seeking to prove himself, Vom embarks on a dangerous
hunt for the local manticore, and asks for your help.
for all the danger and adventure the world holds.
2 Vom is making strange, erratic decisions and won’t tell
anyone why. Find out what’s wrong and help.
STOP!
3 Hunters say that a much more defensible encampment
The information in these pages is additional, going beyond site is nearby. Accompany Vom to scout it out.
the boundaries of this adventure to provide more quest
4 The local troublemaker, Eskren (p. 29), has vanished.
hooks, background information, and interactions which you
Vom decides to seek him out, and asks for your help.
can use to construct further adventures in the wake of the
encounter with the Night Thing. Quickpause the elf. This capable, but aloof elven hunter is
You do not need to read beyond this point to run In the Lair a natural choice for leadership. She is swift in her judgment,
of the Night Thing. But should you enjoy the adventure and trusts her intuition, and commands respect from all who
want to continue the story of the Two-Axe clan in the future, interact with her. For all that, her command of languages
the NPCs, world information, and resources offered here other than elven is shaky, and her demeanor can be off-put-
should help you take the game a few steps forward into the ting, causing others to feel looked down upon.
wilds of Planegea.

d4 Quickpause’s adventure hooks Wikwik. A halfling woman of uncertain age, who appeared
one day in the camp and has served Suuru without expla-
1 A hunt led by Quickpause intrudes on the forbidden
territory of ghosts, awakening an undead scourge. nation. Nobody in the clan knows her story, only that she
has journeyed with them for several seasons and does what-
2 Quickpause leads the clan on a shortcut through Nod, but ever she’s told by Suuru and Tojabur without comment or
things go awry when they step off the path.
complaint. Tojabur has noticed that Wikwik seems jumpy, and
3 A band of elven hunters arrive from Nod and try to take looks around as if being followed, especially on cold nights
Quickpause away by force, refusing to explain why. when the wind blows in a hiss through the tall grass.
4 The clan is grumbling about Quickpause’s imperious ways,
d4 Wikwik’s adventure hooks
and Riga says there might be a rebellion brewing.
1 Wikwik arrives in camp with deep wounds on her arms
Fisher Uldush. This taciturn human was away during the and legs, and refuses to say what happened.
adventure, fishing downriver for eel. Fisher Uldush is a pale,
2 One night, when alone by the fire, Wikwik starts to speak
sunken-cheeked man with long, lank gray hair and a habit of and joke loudly—in a voice that’s not hers.
sighing and rolling his eyes at everything. Uldush is generally
disliked throughout the camp, yet is one of Skarna’s best coun- 3 Suuru sends you with Wikwik on a secret errand for
selors. She insists that Uldush is right in whatever he says—if Gwehrsus: the recovery of divine ivory from a dead god.
he could say it without grimacing, people might even listen. 4 Every time Wikwik passes the ancestor tree, all the stones
in its branches clack and smash angrily together.
d4 Uldush’s adventure hooks
1 In the middle of a particularly good hunting season, Uldush Little Blue. Several summers ago, Gwehrsus entrusted a
moves the clan, sparking outcry and dissent.
young blue sharpfang saurian to Suuru’s care, telling him that
2 Uldush leads a fishing trip into dangerous territory, his duty was to raise the creature in shamanic ways. Little
swearing that the river told him it would be worth it. Blue has a quick, bright spirit, an intuitive grasp of divine
3 A long windfall of good hunts and gatherings makes magic, and is often whispering to things unseen—spirits of
Uldush suddenly liked, which he doesn’t deal with well. the dead, beasts and birds, other magical beings only she can
see. Suuru nurses a secret fear that her talents are actually
4 Everyone is shocked when Uldush announces they will be
druidic, and that someday he and his foundling child might
merging with an orc-led clan come winter.
find themselves on opposite sides of an unbridgeable divide.
THE SHAMAN d4 Little Blue’s adventure hooks

Suuru the Godmarked is ancient and experienced, well- 1 Suuru asks the heroes to take Little Blue on a hunt, to
versed in the ways of his god and crafty enough to lead the show her how dangerous and hostile nature is.
clan when they have to journey through the territories of
2 When Little Blue starts speaking to plants and animals,
other, less-friendly deities. Recently, however, Suuru’s guid- Suuru sends you for help to his mentor in another valley.
ance has become more scattered, and there are those that say
his brain has become addled by too much time in his god’s 3 A powerful druid comes to the encampment’s edge,
hallow. He is aided in his duties by three acolytes: demanding that Little Blue be given to her.
Tojabur the Devout. This religious dwarf (who was born to 4 Little Blue learns to wildshape, and tries to run away from
the clan, not carved from the quarry) has spent her whole life camp. Suuru asks the heroes to find her at all costs.
in training under Suuru. She knows the rites and ceremo-
nies of Gwehrsus better than anybody, and is exacting in her
obedience to every detail of tradition. The expectation is that
Tojabur will inherit Suuru’s role when the old shaman can
THE ELDER
Ensik the Caretaker has long served as the guiding spirit of the
no longer carry out his duties, yet some worry that she is too
clan, keeping tradition alive and teaching the young in the ways
rigid in her thought and speech.
of the Two-Axes. He is more in tune with the youth of the clan
d4 Tojabur’s adventure hooks than anyone else, and carries their secrets close to his heart.
A few senior members of the clan, while not formally elders,
1 Tojabur wants to show her knowledge of the rites of comprise Ensiks’ circle of trust:
Gwehrsus by leading a ritual she’s not ready for.
Squareshell. This slow-moving bouldertail has traveled
2 When Gwehrsus calls for a new shrine in the wilderness, with the clan for many seasons, but always seems to keep
Tojabur asks for help to build it. others at arm’s length. Ensik relies on Squareshell for his
3 A minor offense committed by Eskren (p. 29) arouses objectivity, and turns to him for advice from the ghosts of
Tojabur’s ire, and she insists on a cruel punishment. ancestors or memories of long ago. If anything, Squareshell
is a little too objective, remaining impassive even in the face
4 Tojabur says Suuru is lying about Gwehrsus insisting on his
of tragedy, as though the suffering of others were beneath his
hallow being secret, and asks for your help to find it.
slow-moving notice.

d4 Squareshell’s adventure hooks OTHER NOTABLES
Although the power of the Two-Axe clan is cemented in the
1 After a long talk with the ancestors, Squareshell
announces to the clan that they’ll all be dead by winter. office of chieftain, shaman, and elder, there are a few others who
stand out as well-known and influential (for better or worse).
2 Squareshell entrusts you with a bone fragment, and asks Drinkmaster Fulgadoro. A pleasant, informal dwarf who brews
for your help resurrecting one of the ancestors.
strong drink. Fulgadoro excels at his knowledge of berries and
3 Tired of the secrets held by the clan, Squareshell starts herbs, and seems to know just the right time to preserve them in
divulging hurtful information given to him by the spirits. sealed jars to bring out the best of their potency and flavor.
4 After an injury by a predator, Squareshell demands a
d4 Fulgadoro’s adventure hooks
dangerous rite to allow his spirit to join the ancestors.
1 When Fulgadoro’s latest batch of wine makes everyone
Riga Wolfknife. A human woman who was once a power- sick, the drinkmaster accuses Thullum (p. 29) of
ful hunter, but took ill long ago. The illness weakened her and souring it.
left her with a permanent cough. She now serves as a gatherer 2 Fulgadoro brews a batch of wine he claims is so powerful,
near the camp. Riga has a sharp, observant eye and is one of it will let one travel by spirit to other places.
the first to notice trouble brewing, inside the camp or out of it.
She is fond of spying problems—perhaps a bit too fond, because 3 Something about Shasha the fisher’s sudden obsessive
interest in wines makes Fulgadoro uneasy.
Riga has been known to sniff out trouble where none exists.
4 Fulgadoro buys a rare jar of wine from a trader—then
d4 Riga’s adventure hooks something inside it starts shouting “let me out!”
1 Bored and cantankerous, Riga stirs up trouble, provoking Hesher & Bar. Human twins known for their exceptional
two sides of the camp to open hostility.
beauty and sorcerous magic. Neither of them do much work
2 Riga sows accusations that Dokh is unfaithful, Randa has a around camp, which is a constant source of frustration to
hidden past, and Eskren is mixed up in dark magic. others, but their striking faces and arcane gifts often get them
3 Riga is totally at peace, even cheerful. Those who know what they want without too much effort.
her best suspect she’s cooking up some awful disaster.
d4 Hesher & Bar’s adventure hooks
4 A rare healing herb restores Riga’s vigor, but at a terrible
cost, souring her instinctive spite into violent rage. 1 Hesher is concerned when Bar starts spending too much
time around the local troublemaker, Eskren.
Thullum. An old human crafter who rarely leaves the fire, Thul-
2 When Hesher’s arcane power suddenly leaps ahead of
lum is a deft hand with stone, seeming to know just the right place Bar’s, the twins begin a destructive magical rivalry.
to strike a piece of flint for the sharpest edge. Thullum likes to chat
with anyone who comes near the fire, and in his quiet, easygoing 3 Hesher and Bar insist that something has caused them to
way, acts as a hub of information for the rumors and opinions of swap bodies, but nobody can tell if they’re joking.
the clan. People trust Thullum because he doesn’t pass judgment, 4 Bar wakes up one day with no memory of Hesher, who is
accepting all news with an open, interested expression. But Thul- gone, insisting that there never was any such person.
lum is more wily than he looks, and has been known to pass on
Eskren. A human troublemaker who skulks at the edge of
bits of knowledge that serve his purposes when it suits him.
the encampment, making himself useful by doing the work
d4 Thullum’s adventure hooks nobody else wants to do. He dabbles in spellskin magic, but
he’s generally seen as far too untrustworthy to pursue for any
1 Thullum insists that if they find the right place to shape a counsel or aid beyond the most demeaning of labor.
rare green flint, the stone will unleash powerful magic.
2 One afternoon, Thullum confides that he suspects some d4 Eskren’s adventure hooks
of the younger hunters might overthrow Skarna. 1 Trying to prove himself to the clan, Eskren attempts a
3 Thullum hints that Fulgadoro (p. 29) once poisoned powerful enchantment that goes badly wrong.
someone with a bad batch of wine, and might do it again. 2 After a nasty confrontation with Riga (p. 29), Eskren
4 Working on an especially clever item, Thullum asks help in storms away from camp, promising everyone will be sorry.
retrieving rare vines from a dangerous cliff. 3 Eskren wakes you, asking urgently for help to cast a spell
at his sanctum that will save the clan.
4 A dark spirit possesses Eskren, covering his body in
tattoos of incredibly evil magic he does not know.
m o s h
r n x 1 7
3 8 c In the Lair of the Night Thing 29
NPCS & SECRETS
THE SECRET HALLOW
The Two-Axe clan can be any size and have any NPCs you As a lesser god, Gwehrsus remains hidden from the world,
wish to introduce. The members listed here are offered as lest some enterprising greater god or magic user attempt
suggestions, to quickly provide names and identities, as to kill him and take his divine ivory. Gwehrsus dwells in a
well as some intriguing secrets to propel further adven- secret hallow—a great muddy gulch that dips down suddenly
tures. However, you should consider this list a starting place, between two hills. Gwehrus has made the gulch undetectable
and alter it however you see fit for the stories you want to with his divine power, except to those he wills to find it.
explore at your table. A sense of pride. When entering the hallow, Gwehrsus’s
divine influence causes one to feel an immense sense of pride
MEMBER ROLE SECRET and satisfaction, realizing all the things one has achieved and
Skarna Two-Axe. . . Chieftain. . . . . . . . . . Loved Brakar most done right in the world.
Suuru . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shaman. . . . . . . . . . . Afraid of Little Blue Short-term thinking. It’s hard to form long plans in Gwehr-
Ensik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Knew Adaki’s secret sus’s hallow. The god’s influence makes fixed ideas about the
Vorn Root-Spear. . . Hunter. . . . . . . . . . . . Loved Adaki
future difficult to consider, and the past seems largely irrel-
Quickpause. . . . . . . Hunter. . . . . . . . . . . . On the run from Nod
Uldush . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Fisher. . . . . . . Still mourns dead wife evant. Gwehrsus is focused on the here-and-now, and those
Tojabor. . . . . . . . . . . . Shaman’s Aide. . . . Resents Suuru who enter his sway have trouble taking anything else seriously
Wikwik. . . . . . . . . . . . Shaman’s Aide. . . . Haunted while in his gulch.
Little Blue. . . . . . . . . Shaman’s Aide. . . . Druidic powers Magical gifts. Gwehrsus is generous and impulsive, and will
Squareshell. . . . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . In love with ancestor happily enchant objects or give short-term boons to those who
Riga Wolfknife. . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . Causes trouble for fun ask. These boons and enchantments rarely last long, but they
Thullum . . . . . . . . . . . Crafter. . . . . . . . . . . . Hates Fulgarodo can serve a useful purpose for their short duration, if used
Fulgarodo. . . . . . . . . Drinkmaster. . . . . . Hates Thullum before the magic runs out.
Hesher. . . . . . . . . . . . Sorcerer. . . . . . . . . . Despises Bar
Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sorcerer. . . . . . . . . . Fascinated by Eskren
DIVINE DOMAINS
Eskren . . . . . . . . . . . . Outcast. . . . . . . . . . . Exploring dark magic
Hekeshu . . . . . . . . . . Hunter. . . . . . . . . . . . Plans to marry Zaulga Gwehrsus is a NG celestial god of the here-and-now, and his
Randa. . . . . . . . . . . . . Hunter. . . . . . . . . . . . Murderer divine domains include nature, life, and war. The warlike side
Amash . . . . . . . . . . . . Crafter. . . . . . . . . . . . Prophetic dreams of Gwehrsus rarely arises, as he prefers to remain hidden from
Dokh Daslas. . . . . . .Crafter. . . . . . . . . . . . Hides sorcerous power conflict. But when cornered, or when his pride is threatened,
Zaulga. . . . . . . . . . . . . Crafter. . . . . . . . . . . . Plans to leave the clan Gwehrsus is capable of flying into a destructive rage that
Pethgami . . . . . . . . . Caretaker. . . . . . . . . Steals supplies makes the forest and hills tremble.
Klebos . . . . . . . . . . . . Caretaker. . . . . . . . . Dying of hidden illness
Uekyu. . . . . . . . . . . . . Fisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . In love with Shasha DESIRES OF THE BOAR-GOD
Shasha. . . . . . . . . . . . Fisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . Mixes poisons Above all else, Gwehrsus desires to be left alone, allowed
Khuad. . . . . . . . . . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . Afraid of the dark
to enjoy his proud pleasure in his own divinity and the
Etadulath . . . . . . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . Can talk with insects
Muchless . . . . . . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . Secret blood-dancer gulch-hallow he’s sealed off from the world. But every now
Baros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . Private stash of food and then his mind will turn to other concerns, such as:
Humhum. . . . . . . . . . Gatherer. . . . . . . . . . A child of Kraia Divine ivory. Although Gwehrsus is a good god and not
Ant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reincarnated hero inclined to send his followers against another god, like most
Tiegi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fathered by Dokh deities he covets more power. He knows that there are other
gods nearby, and should one of them ever die, he would
be happy to be brought their divine ivory, so that he could
consume it and become stronger. He recognizes doing so is
morally questionable among other gods, but is proud enough
to believe that—as long as he doesn’t raise a tusk against the
Gods & Greater Powers dead god himself—nobody could blame him for taking advan-
tage of an opportunity.
Like most clans, the people of Two-Axe live in a network of
Local druids. Gwehrsus is aware that there is a small circle
powerful magical beings, relying on the patronage of a god to
of druids somewhere in his domain. He suspects no more than
protect them. Suuru has long been devoted to Gwehrsus, the
two or three of them exist, but feels the drain on his divine
Giant Boar-God, but there are other entities that must be dealt
power sometimes when they’re enacting their rites and ritu-
with as well in the wilderness, especially when the cold bite of
als. He is afraid to mention them, concerned that raising the
winter forces the clan to travel southwards.
sword against them might incur their wrath and send them
into this hidden hallow. However, if they ever grow in power
GWEHRSUS THE GIANT BOAR or threaten him, his wrath might be aroused and he could
The secretive Gwehrsus has been the divine power protecting
send those who will do his bidding to root them out.
the clan for many years. Gwehrus is a first-strata god, meaning
Shrine-building. Since the consumption of divine ivory is
his power is localized to a small area. Although only Suuru has
unlikely, Gwehrsus is passively interested in other ways of
seen him, Gwehrsus appears in the form of a giant red boar,
expanding his power, including the construction of shrines to
with a single curving tusk protruding from his mighty snout.
himself. Occasionally he asks Suuru to erect a new monument
Gwehrsus is proud and short-sighted, but genuinely good and
somewhere in the wilderness, usually at a high place so it can
desires nothing but the wellbeing of those who serve him.
be seen from a distance. Such shrines focus his divine magic,
and expand his influence a bit farther. Of course, the construc-
tion of these shrines is dangerous work, attracting attention

from anyone who can see the laborers stacking stones, but hates being bound to its service. But Hu’uzba needs them as
every now and then Gwehrsus deems it to be worth the risk to much as they need it, and will offer warmth and push hunting
enlarge his reach. game their way as long as they clear the icy landscape of any
The Speaking Sword. Somewhere near the river is an arcane other shrines, tall trees, or other barriers to utter emptiness.
relic that Gwehrsus cannot see or feel, but knows must exist, The clan has worked with Hu’uzba for many years, and they
because it creates a hole in his divine magic that makes him have a grudging co-dependence that enables them to eke out
deeply uncomfortable. He has learned that it is called the Speak- survival each winter—though whether the god or the clan is
ing Sword, and appears to be an intelligent weapon, capable of more glad to see the other go at the start of spring is a question
bestowing gifts to those who serve its will. Gwehrsus has asked as yet unanswered.
Suuru to look into training a warlock to find and make a pact Luumlu of the Encircling Vine. Between Gwehrsus in the
with the sword, so that they might discover what it wants and north and Hu’uzba in the south, three other gods are well-
ensure it means the boar-god no harm. known to the Two-Axe clan. First, Luumlu of the Encir-
cling Vine, a plant-god who deals blessing and death in equal
HU’UZBA DARKPATH & OTHER GODS measure, is a dangerous but rewarding deity to interact with.
Although Gwehrsus and Suuru work closely together and trust Luumlu dwells in a vine-covered hallow at the edge of a wide
each other implicitly, the Two-Axe clan cannot stay in the reach forest. Her vines creep and slither throughout her domain,
of the boar-god forever. The bitter winter forces the clan to and may bloom with magical gifts or sneak in through tent
move southwards for the winter, and when they do, they must flaps at night and strangle. She is a strange god, whose moods
seek other patronage, much to Suuru’s regret. While they are are difficult to read. Only Wikwik the halfling seems to have
gone, Gwehrsus descends into a divine torpor, hibernating and the ability to predict her ways.
feeling sorry for himself until the clan returns in the spring. Krigget the Echoer. A tiny god with a huge reach, Krigget
These are the gods who the clan deals with as they travel the Echoer can be heard throughout a vast stretch of land. This
away from their beloved Gwehrsus: diminutive manylegs deity is full of opinions, and gives tire-
Hu’uzba Darkpath. The Two-Axe clan’s main southern patron some speeches and makes constant proclamations. Sometimes,
is Hu’uzba Darkpath. This winter god (a CN demon of empti- these endless words are useful, but more often than not they
ness) occupies a hallow that is no more than a bare stretch of drive would-be worshipers away. The Two-Axe clan moves as
path between two valleys in a snow-swept plain. Hu’uzba is quickly as they can through Krigget’s land, gritting their teeth
harsh, cruel, and unjust to those who serve it, and the clan at the mind-numbing voice of the little god.

Aspects-of-the-Air. A mysterious and colorful wind-deity • Natural defenses such as stone outcroppings, encircling
whose hallow is high above the ground, unreachable by water, or thick plant growth.
mortals incapable of flight. Aspects-of-the-Air is worshiped by • Materials for building fortifications, like trees to be cut into
a flock of bird folk, who fly down to speak their god’s will to pole-walls or loose stone that can be piled into bastions.
the people below. Aspects-of-the-Air is wise and powerful, but • Sheltering rocks, caves, or hollow trees which can be used
since only their bird-shamans can reach them, the Two-Axe as defensible shelters in case of emergency.
clan is dependent on the birdfolks’ good will and hefty tithes
to gain the benefit of the god’s knowledge and benevolence.
HUNTING & FISHING
The clan relies on hunting and fishing to provide much of the food
THE SPEAKING SWORD on which they subsist. Typically, Skarna leads the hunts, or—if she
Upriver from the Dwarfchild Quarry encampment and the
is unable—she previously would have entrusted leadership to her
hallow of Gwehrsus, in a hidden grotto half-submerged in
son, Brakar, supported by Vom or Quickpause. After Brakar’s death,
rushing water, a stone sword waits and emanates power. This
Vom and Quickpause will take up the mantle of hunt-leaders, each
ancient blade was shaped by the will of a powerful dao many
with a very different style of pursuing their game.
lifetimes ago, and through the magic of that genie and the
• Large game such as mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, or
many acts of its long history, the Speaking Sword gained a
dinosaurs, are favored by Quickpause, who loves the thrill
cunning soul of its own. This legendary blade is embedded
of an active chase. The bigger the beast, the bigger the
in the rock, and is capable of bestowing arcane gifts to those
reward when it is slain—but also the more danger to the
willing to enter its service.
hunter and greater risk of the quarry escaping, leaving the
A creature who engages in a pact with the speaking sword will
hunters with nothing after days on the trail.
become its warlock, and will be given certain powers that, once
• Small game such as deer, rabbits, or lesser reptiles are
bestowed, cannot be taken away. But the sword always demands
favored by Vom, who believes consistency is better than
more of those who follow it, and will teach them secrets even
the high-risk, high-reward pursuit of large beasts. Vom is
across incredible distances, for the carrying out of its wishes.
in the habit of returning every day with at least some game
to contribute to the pot, and his reliability is appreciated by
ESKREN’S SANCTUM the clan’s elders, while Quickpause’s dramatic announce-
Half a day’s walk from the Dwarfchild Quarry encampment,
ment of some huge kill to be hauled back is the favorite
Eskren the Outcast has painted strange symbols onto the bare
event of the young folk in the clan.
rock of a shear cliff. Eskren is a naturally-gifted spellskin, who
• Fishing is the most plentiful meat source of all, but is
sees the magic of the world in the shapes of clouds and beasts
regarded as little more than “gathering with spears.” Uldush
and water. He is working out ever-more powerful spells on the
leads the fishers with skill and intuition, standing for hours
stone walls. Yet recently, he’s begun to stumble upon darker
over the flowing water, his eyes trained on the dark eddies
magic, and swears that something has been whispering to him
where the large, fat game likes to gather. Fishers are patient
in the night, teaching him strange patterns and unnatural
and methodical, and use spears and nets to bring back
shapes that he must paint when he awakes.
much-needed food for the clan.
Eskren has become more paranoid lately, erecting magical
defenses that will alarm him when creatures come within
sight of his work, and hold them in place for interroga- GATHERING
tion. Should any intruders prove a real threat, Eskren hasn’t Before Adaki’s turn to darkness, she had been a celebrated
decided yet what to do with them... but the voice in his head gatherer of the clan, known for her daring as she ventured
whispers terrible ideas and experiments he might perform. farther from the encampment than almost anyone—which led
to her eventual discovery of the dread elves and her downfall.
Gatherers must strike a delicate balance, orbiting the camp in
Survival Strategies large loops to find food or useful resources, while not stirring
Staying alive in Planegea is an act of creativity and willpower, up trouble or attracting the attention of wandering predators.
to say nothing of physical strength and endurance. Almost Risk & reward. The art of gathering is deciding exactly how far
every clan uses a diverse array of strategies to keep ahead of you dare to travel in a single day, pushing the limits of personal
starvation or becoming a larger predator’s meal. These are safety to get a little bit more to support the clan. Although gather-
some of the key ways the Two-Axe clan survives, which are ers are rarely held in high esteem, among their own numbers they
fairly typical for clans in their region: have a clear idea of who risks their lives for the good of the clan,
and who barely leaves the encampment for fear of danger.
DEFENSIVE ENCAMPMENTS Food. The primary work of gatherers is to find and bring
Being led by a dwarf who embraces tradition, the Two-Axe back food, usually in the form of edible plants, berries, and
clan has a preference for fortified encampments, well-shel- easily-caught insects. Many gatherers also lay traps and snares,
tered from the elements. Part of the reason the Night Thing which they check in a loop, bringing back whatever small
was able to carry out such devastating attacks was the exposed game is caught in them.
nature of the Dwarfchild Quarry encampment, where the clan Supplies. Gatherers are also prepared to haul back wood,
was located when the monster struck. Typically, the clan seeks useful stone, and other raw materials to be used by the craft-
out encampments, whether permanent or temporary, with one ers or other members of the clan. Antler, bone, shell, feath-
or more of the following features: ers, and vines are all prized as useful, as well as any unusual
objects that might be inspected by the elders and the shaman
for rare or magical properties.

Scouting & rumors. Gatherers are also expected to keep
their eyes open for game and the movement of other mortals,
reporting on any potential quarry for the hunters or signs
of threat in the wilderness. The word of a gatherer is often
the first sign of trouble or opportunity on the horizon, and
listening to their returning chatter at the end of the day is an
important part of the work of clan leaders.
Windfalls. Occasionally, gatherers will stumble upon incred-
ibly lucky finds, such as unoccupied dwarvish ruins, a large
dead beast that can be harvested for parts or meat, or a huge
trove of natural resources, such as edible fungus or a pool
brimming with life, ready for the harvest. Such windfalls are
sometimes significant enough that the whole clan relocates to
harvest the good fortune, and windfall camps are quickly set
up to take advantage of the opportunity while it lasts.
CRAFTING & TRADING

The Two-Axe clan must craft goods and weapons in order to
survive, and relies on infrequent but valuable trade as a way of
expanding their resources.
Crafting. Using the raw materials brought in by the gather-
ers, crafters (led by Thullum) construct tools, weapons, cloth-
ing, armor, and shelter, depending on the needs of the clan. It’s
not uncommon for crafters to call for a hunter or gatherer to
go out and seek a particular resource required for construc-
tion, although the Two-Axe crafters, like most of their kind,
are skilled at making do with what they have at hand. d4 They travel...
1 On the back of a bouldertail heavily laden with goods
d4 Crafting adventure hooks
2 Leading a pack of farlopers, with several assistants
1 One of the gatherers brings in a rare bone—hollow, yet
hard, Thullum thinks it could make a masterwork sword, 3 On foot, draped with bags of holding and magic charms
but he requires a few more materials... 4 With a trio of grim and heavily armed guards
2 When a leather-devouring insect blight descends on
the camp, the crafters must work furiously to repair the d4 They offer...
damage, asking you to find and stop the source. 1 Standard goods such as stone, wood, antler, and so on, but
3 One of the crafters has been working in private on a of unusually high quality
special project, guided by the hand of none other than the 2 Many small trinkets of extraordinary beauty and no
hag, Mother Hush. practical value
4 A flock of translucent birds from Nod with shimmering 3 Magical talismans and potions, as well as a handful of
feathers prompts a wild hunt to bring back as many as mundane weapons and bits of armor
possible to craft a cloak of elvenkind.
4 Unusual materials such as glass, gemstones, rare feathers,
Trading. The Two-Axe clan does not have a trader of its own, chitin, tentacles, and other monster parts.
and it usually falls to the chieftain or her proxy to speak with
d4 They want...
traders from other clans. The arrival of a trader is an exciting
opportunity for unusual goods and rumors from other clans. 1 Objects imbued with divine magic
Many adventures have been launched with a wink and a smile
2 Salt and gemstones
and a tale carried by a trader.
3 Local curiosities unique to the area
d4 The trader is...
4 Food, especially if preserved for long travel
1 A one-eyed elf
d4 The rumor they carry is...
2 An orc who shouts everything she says
1 A warlord in the open lands to the west is gathering forces
3 A gnome with hair every color of the rainbow and building an impressive stronghold.
4 A dreas whose long, leafy hair swishes 2 More dinosaurs and leatherbeasts than ever have been
with no breeze crawling up out of the Venom Abyss
3 Strange mushrooms with curious properties have been
popping up everywhere these days
4 The Water Clan mysteriously vanished, and worried
chieftains are offering a reward for news of them

DIVINE RITES Resources & Encampments
Serving the will of the local god is a key part of survival for
The Two-Axe clan travels over the course of the year, but
most clans. Each god has its own traditions and whims, and
unlike some clans they do not constantly turn over new
for those who furnish them with their desires, gods can
encampment sites. They prefer to remain in one location as
offer great blessings. Should the god’s support falter or their
long as possible, only moving on when forced to do so by
demands not be met, these blessings are often withdrawn,
weather or other circumstances.
which can lead to disaster for the exposed clan.
Holy days and ceremonies. Gwehrsus requires a feast to be
prepared each spring, summer, and fall, and brought by Suuru
RESOURCES
When deciding whether to move, the Two-Axe clan is often
and blindfolded bearers to a place of his choosing, about an
guided by its need for key resources. These include:
hour’s walk from his hallow. From there, Gwehrsus requires
Fresh water. Drinkable water is always of first importance
Suuru alone to carry the feast to him, an act of devotion
to any mortal clan. The community will move on if the water
that usually takes an entire day. Gwehrsus also requires the
is befouled by disease or magic.
construction of shrines to his glory, and that each child born
Game & gather. There must be ample hunting and gathering
to or hewn by the clan must be dedicated to him with a rite of
in a region to support the encampment. When quarry runs
honor that lasts a day and a night.
short or the bushes go dry, the clan must move on.
Blessing of provision. If the clan honors these traditions,
Wood & common stone. Wood for the fire and crafting, as
Gwehrsus causes the land around the clan to bloom plentifully.
well as common stone such as granite or flint is always useful.
Gatherers find that berries replenish themselves quickly, the river
Even if a region has little else to offer besides food, ample
never seems to run out of fish, and quarry wanders into the hunt-
wood and stone is a reason to remain for a while.
ing ground with striking regularity. Gwehrsus is a generous god,
Bone or antlers. The crafters of the Two-Axe clan prefer to
although he sometimes forgets or takes offense at small slights.
find a campsite near an antler shed, or where sufficient beasts
Suuru can usually set things to rights, however, if the land starts
have died to harvest workable bone for new tools.
to wither.
Wineberries. Drinkmaster Fulgadoro is always happy to find
Blessing of protection. Gwehrsus does not promise his
berries suitable to be pressed into wine, and the clan will often
followers that they will be free from harm, but he does
stay where they can find a good wineberry harvest, for their
what he can to protect them from the worst of menaces. The
own pleasure and to offer to traders.
Two-Axe land surrounding Gwehrsus is unthreatened by evil
Fine stone. Many of the dwarves in the Two-Axe clan are
gods and the largest of predators. Undead rarely threaten
familiar with their people’s traditions in the use and working
the clan, and disease is rare (though not unheard of) in their
of stone. Exceptional stone is a reason by itself to stay long in
encampments.
a place that offers little else in the way of suitability, as is the
case for the Dwarchild Quarry encampment.
RAIDING
Skarna has led the Two-Axe clan for a long time, and there
were days in the past when she was not above taking what
THE DWARFCHILD QUARRY ENCAMPMENT
This encampment offers a unique resource difficult to find
she needed from other clans by force. Many years ago, when
elsewhere—ideal stone for hewing new dwarfchildren,
Brakar was freshly-hewn and Adaki was not yet carved from
exposed beside the stream. The particular stone needed to
the quarry, a raid went badly wrong, leading to the death of
quarry dwarfchildren is rare and fragile, and its presence
half of the clan at that time.
has been enough to draw the Two-Axe clan to this relatively
The vow of peace. After the bloody raid, Skarna shattered
exposed location, year after year. Because of Gwehrsus’s
her second axe, and swore that from that day forward, the clan
protection, they have rarely had to worry about serious
would raid no more. She has kept that vow, even when it cost
threats—until the arrival of the Night Thing.
her the lives of some of her people in times of extreme hunger.
The Dwarfchild Quarry encampment is considered by many
Battle-hunger. There are those that question Skarna’s vow—
of them to be the clan’s favorite home. The ancestor tree
some of the older clan members believe that the Two-Axe clan
was begun to honor death when the work of excavating new
lost its fire and its heart when it gave up raiding, and some of
dwarfchildren began, and holds a special place in the heart
the wild young have heard the tales of the old warlike days
of the clan. For many years, the Two-Axe people have talked
and crave battle-glory and conquest. But as long as Skarna
about erecting more permanent defenses, and after the Night
leads the clan, the raiding drums will stay silent.
Thing’s death, doing so may quickly become foremost in their
Old grudges. Even though the clan has given up the raiding
minds, since the quarry is too valuable to abandon altogether.
way, some of those they had attacked long ago still live, and
they and their children have ample reason to carry a grudge
against Skarna and her people, and plot revenge somewhere
THE MIDWALK CAVE ENCAMPMENT
About halfway to Winterjaw, on the southward road, the
out in the misty wild.
Two-Axe clan often spends half a season in a place known to
them as the Midwalk Cave encampment. These caves are chilly
and dark, but have been shaped by the dwarves of the clan over
many seasons into an otherwise comfortable home where the
clan can regroup in their southern journey.

The Midwalk Cave encampment is built from a vertical cave AFTERNOON
system, with each chamber positioned directly below the next In the afternoon, the gatherers return and begin working
(although some side corridors and smaller caves spread out with the shaman’s aides to prepare the meal and magic for the
laterally). The youth of the clan especially love this encamp- night’s gathering. Roll on this table 1d4 times to discover who
ment, always finding a new cavern to wriggle into and explore. might be at the fire:
The Midwalk Caves are safe enough from external preda-
tors, but have been known to expose the clan to occasional d12 At the fire Conversation
dangers rising up from deep underground. A guard is posted 1 Tojabor “How old do you think Suuru is?”
at the edges of each deeper cave, and Skarna is always quietly
2 Wikwik (Stares nervously at the darkness.)
relieved when the clan moves on, although she dreads awaits
them at the end of their journey south. 3 Little Blue “I talked to a bird today!”
4 Squareshell “The ancestors think we should tarry
THE SOUTHERN STRONGHOLD ENCAMPMENT here a little longer this season.”
In the domain of Hu’uzba Darkpath lies an old dwarvish ruin
known to the Two-Axes as the Southern Stronghold. It’s the 5 Riga Wolfknife (Hints at a clan member’s secret.)
only structure that breaks the bleak horizon of Hu’uzba’s 6 Uekyu “I wrote a love song. It’s not for anyone
empty domain for miles in any direction, and is almost always in particular but... well, do you want to
covered in ice and snow. The Southern Stronghold is incredi- hear it?”
bly safe, fortified against all challengers, and has in its heart a 7 Shasha “How long do you think it takes fish to go
warm and well-decorated center, painted with colorful scenes really, really rotten?”
of summertime and joy.
That central chamber is necessary to keep the spirits of the 8 Khaud “I haven’t slept well since... well, ever.”
clan up as they wait out the long winter, serving the bleak will 9 Etadulath “Tomorrow I might check west of camp.
of Hu’uzba as it growls and mutters over every offense against Something tells me there might be a
its frigid emptiness. large, decomposing beast out there.”
10 Muchless “How much do you know about Nod?”
The Clanfire 11 Baros “Oh, no, none for me, thanks. I don’t
mind going without for others’ sake.”
For any clan, the fire at its heart is the gathering place for all,
the epicenter of social life, of rumors and romance, of grudges 12 Humhum “What do you think of our chieftain?”
and grievances, of ceremonies and magic. Use this section to
inspire who might be found at the clanfire at any given time of
day, as well as a few rumors or bits of conversation that might
EVENING
Come evening, the entire clan gathers at the fire, to eat
be passed around the fire.
and talk of the day’s labor and tomorrow’s dangers. Suuru
performs magic as the clan has need, and stories are told as the
MORNING strongdrink is poured. Everyone can be found here, and it’s
As the day-star gathers strength, the clan drifts towards the
the best time to find the clan’s leaders in a talkative mood. Roll
fire for early assignments and a bite of food before beginning
on this table 1d4 times to learn which of the more influential
the day’s work. After that, the crafters, elders, and children
or elusive people in the clan might be willing to engage in
are most commonly found by the fire, talking of things that
conversation:
concern the internal life of the clan. To find who’s at the fire
and what they have to say, roll on this table 1d4 times: d8 At the fire Conversation
d8 At the fire Conversation 1 Skarna “Who here would you trust if your life
depended on it?”
1 Ensik “I’m worried about Skarna. She’s not
herself since... well, you know.” 2 Suuru “Gwehrsus has called for a new clifftop
shrine to be constructed.”
2 Thullum “Fulgadoro’s getting careless with the
wine. Wouldn’t be surprised if we all 3 Ensik “Adaki was such a sweet child...”
wind up poisoned one day.”
4 Fulgadoro “Thullum talks a lot, but what does he
3 Amash “I had the strangest dream last night...” actually do for the clan?”
4 Dokh Dalsas (Hides magical spark cupped in hands.) 5 Hesher “Where’s Bar? Off being a disgrace,
no doubt.”
5 Zaulga “I swear this clan is smaller every day...”
6 Bar “Have you seen Eskren anywhere?”
6 Pethgami “I think a rat is breaking into the berries. I
found a hole in the baskets.” 7 Eskren “Why are you talking to me?”
7 Klebos (Trying to stifle a cough and smile.) 8 Uldush “Have you ever really been in love?”
8 Ant & Tiegi (Playing a loud game of hunt-the-tiger.)

NIGHT Drifting watch. For each hour on the move, it becomes harder
As the fire burns low and most go to sleep, the hunters stay up for the clan to defend itself against potential attacks, requiring
late, swapping stories of dangers they’ve known and dreams of more attention by practiced adventurers such as the characters. Use
glorious hunts in the days ahead. Roll 1d4 times on this table the table below to determine the clan’s state at any given moment
to find out who stays by the fire: as they travel, based on the last time the clan took a short rest:
d8 At the fire Conversation Hours Passive Stealth

Since Rest Perception Checks
1 Vom “How can you know if a person is bad or
good?” 1 2d10 + 10 Adv.
2 Quickpause (Ignores you unless addressed in 2 2d10 + 8 —
elvish, then speaks happily and at
3 2d8 + 8 —
length about any topic.)
4 2d8 + 6 —
3 Hekeshu “Do you think you could find out
Zaulga’s favorite color?” 5 2d6 + 6 Disadv.
4 Randa “You ask too many questions. Leave me 6 2d6 + 4 Disadv.
alone.”
7 2d4 + 4 Disadv.
8 2d4 + 2 Fail
Clan Travel
Morale & mishaps. More hours on the road often leads to a
Some clans move constantly, but Two-Axe is hesitant to relo-
decrease in morale, and a greater likelihood of trouble such as
cate, shifting encampments only when forced to by outside
breaking sleds, twisted ankles, or wandering clan members.
circumstances. This is partly due to their limited strength of
Every 2–4 hours of travel, roll 1d20. If a 1 is rolled, an unfortu-
hunters for protection, and partly because Skarna follows the
nate occurrence befalls the clan, such as a squabble, an injury,
dwarvish tradition of preferring secure, stable locations to a
a setback, or a missing clan member.
constantly changing home.
Carrying the fire. The clanfire must never be allowed to go
out. A member of the clan must carry the fire at all times, often
PREPARATIONS
by torch or in a clay pot full of burning embers. This is one of
When the clan gets ready to move, there is much to be done:
the most essential duties of the journey, and a quenched fire can
Securing supplies and tents. The crafters, caretakers, and
represent disaster, completely demoralizing the entire clan.
children must work at length to pack and secure all the goods
the clan owns. Whatever can be left behind is buried deep
under the earth until the clan’s return. Everything must be
RESTING
Even resting is hard work when the clan is on the move,
distributed so it can be carried on the clan’s backs or dragged
requiring such labors as:
on sleds. As the day of departure draws near, the clan sleeps
Foraging food and water. There is never enough packed that
outside or in as few tents as possible with the rest of the tents
gathering food or water nearby isn’t a better option.
struck and packed away.
Posting a watch. As the exhausted hunters collapse, finally
Final excursions. Hunters, gatherers, and fishers travel far
allowed to let down their vigil, others take their place at
and wide to bring back the last of what the land has to offer.
the edge of the temporary camp, keeping sharp eyes on the
Any game brought back is dried, smoked, or salted as quickly as
wilderness in case of danger.
possible to make it ready for travel. Gatherers mark the land to
Unpacking essentials. Those who carefully prepared the
help them recognize the place on their return, and seek any final
clan’s goods for travel must watchfully unpack only what is
windfalls they might have missed during their encampment.
absolutely needed... an unraveling of tightly-packed goods
Scouting and rituals. The magic-workers of the camp engage
could mean hours wasted in rebalancing the clan’s bundles.
in spells and rites to secure the favor of the gods and spirits
Tending minor injuries. Long journeys aren’t kind to mortal
they are leaving, as well as those that await further down the
bodies, and there’s usually work to be done tending scrapes, cuts,
path. Anyone capable of casting messages forward attempts to
bruises, or other lesser injuries absorbed by the clan since setting out.
contact those the clan knows in lands beyond, and Suuru seeks
Scouting ahead. A pair of gatherers is chosen by lot to travel ahead,
any information nearby gods can offer about the state of the
getting a sense of the road, with strict instructions to return in the
path they hope to take.
time it takes for the day-star to move a handspan across the sky.
ON THE MOVE ARRIVAL
While traveling, the Two-Axe clan prefers to move slowly,
Upon arrival at the final destination, the clan must take
attempting to make as little noise as possible. All eyes are turned
possession of their home once again, camping outside it for
outward, watching for danger, with hunters in the front and back
a short time while the hunters clear it of any creatures who
of the clan, weapons at the ready. Travel is wearying, however,
have made their homes there since they last arrived. Then
and even the most watchful clan will let its guard down over the
the work of settling in begins in earnest, and the clan’s life
course of a long and uneventful journey...
returns to a kind of equilibrium, for a time.

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An adventure of kinetic action and primordial

horror in Planegea for 4 to 6 1st-level characters

OPEN GAME LICENSE VERSION 1.0A

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In the Lair 3 drow leaders:

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The characters can make their way through this chamber by

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THE TWO-AXE CLAN

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THE SHAMAN d4 Little Blue’s adventure hooks

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CRAFTING & TRADING

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d8 At the fire Conversation Hours Passive Stealth

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