D&D 5E The Barrow of the Evensong

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

B A R R O W   O F   T H E   E V E N S O N G
Note: I wrote this scenario for my niece and nephew, so it's pretty simple, but perhaps you can have fun with it in your own game. It should be suitable for four 3rd-level adventurers. One of my goals was to pump this little location with a lot of potential leads to other adventures I'd write and references to old published modules I own. (Planescape was an inspiration here.)
 
The Evensong family is an elven clan with some storied history in this part of the world, though most of them have returned to their homeland on the outer plane of Arborea. This barrow was crafted in memory of some of their more famous family members that have since departed and also hides a gate that leads back to the elven community on Grandfather Oak, a vast tree that grows on Arborea. Its planar connection and coterminous location on this world has also caused some roots of the World Ash, Yggdrasil to grow here, winding their way through the barrow in some places.
 
In the last few years, its connection to the planes has drawn a troublesome curse to its halls of petrified wood - the Iron Shadow, a strange magical effect that drains color and imagination from all that it touches, spreading like a disease. The barrow has thus become infected as will anyone who may come into contact with the curse. It has already claimed the caretaker of the barrow, who now haunts the place as a ghost. It is only a matter of time before it spreads to other parts of the world and all the planes.
 
Meanwhile, the barrow is being used as the roost for a deranged harpy and as a staging point for a conspiracy against the city of Stronghold.
The Hook
On the way to or from the city of Stronghold, the adventurers become lost when a gray mist falls upon the land. They soon encounter a blink dog, Gambol, who is known among the elves of Grandfather Oak for his love of wandering the planes. He has recently been summoned by his master, Trillamir Evensong, and so seeks to return to Arborea. He does his best to lead the adventurers to the barrow where he knows a gate can be found and where he has already dug a hole into the tomb. But Gambol needs help activating the gate...
 

 
Rising from the ground in the middle of the forest is a large hill. Supernaturally large and odd-looking trees grow from its top, their roots twisted and entangled with each other and covering the hill. The dog barks and tries to lead to you to the top of the hill for some reason, but there may be good reason for caution:
 
On the west side of the hill, you can see a dug-out entrance to a cave, dark and gloomy, with what appears to be spider's webs all over, some of which stretch into nearby trees. And on the east side of the hill is another tunnel from which comes an intermittent song that frequently breaks into birdlike shrieks and sqawks. 
 
This is an strange and unsettling place. What do you do?
 

• Follow Gambol the blink dog.
• Check out the western tunnel.
• Check out the eastern tunnel.
• Get the hell out of here because I'm a defective adventurer.

 

 
(Credit: The black and white maps were adapted from The Crooked Staff Blog with art and image tools in Roll20.)
Under the Hill We Go...
General Impressions:
 

• Washed out, gray and gloomy with occasional splashes of color (effect of the Iron Shadow)
• Intricate elven craftsmanship and design throughout the constructed areas
• Clear sense that this place is a tomb of the Evensong family
• Thick, locked doors of petrified wood at four points
• Walls and floors of strong, petrified wood

The monsters in Areas 1 and 2 have tangled with the caretaker and guardians of the barrow in the past and aren't eager to do it again. They've carved out their particular niches and are happy to leave it at that - although, there is some tension between Daddy Longlegs and Old Biddy. Neither wants the other one around and would be happy to see their foe taken out, but neither are willing to make the first move.
 
All of the monsters in this adventure are taken from the DM Basic Rules v0.1 and the Hoard of the Dragon Queen online supplement, both of which are available for free on the Wizards of the Coast website.
 
Timeline
 
There is no countdown timer on this adventure; however, taking a long rest isn't without its potential consequences. If a long rest is taken outside the barrow, check for a random event once per long rest (or 8 hour period if the adventurers linger for longer). If a long rest is taken inside the barrow, the adventurers risk becoming infected by the Iron Shadow. See "Time Passes..." for details.
 
As always, I welcome your feedback and questions. How would you approach this adventure? What would you change about it? If you play it, please let me know how it goes.
 
Have fun!
 
Update: I wrote an actual play recap that you can read here.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Area One: Daddy Longlegs' Web

 
Impressions

• Natural light quickly giving way to darkness
• Webs clinging to every surface, crawling with tiny spiders
• Cocoons containing corpses, bones, partially digested meals
• Uneven floor with multiple changes in elevation

The Sitch
Daddy Longlegs and four doppelgangers (The Drab Men) are working together to infiltrate the power structure of the nearby city of Stronghold. Three of the people they have replaced are held captive here in case they need information out of them to carry out their plot. 
Cast
 

• Daddy Longlegs, an ettercap (impulse: to spin webs, literally and figuratively);
• Eight-Eyes, a giant spider (impulse: to hunt and breed);
• Lily Guild, a yuan-ti pureblood (impulse: to tighten her grip);
• Lady Thenorean, an elven noble (impulse: to serve her people);
• Gliff Runesigil, a dwarven rune priest (impulse: to follow the commandments of the All-Father)

Map Key
A. Crevice: 20 feet deep, three to five feet wide. Amid webs and rubble at the bottom, Daddy Longlegs hides a chest of treasure.
 
B. Thick Webs: While there is no shortage of normal spider webs in this cave, there are thick webs which are difficult terrain, and a creature trying to move through them must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failure, the creature is restrained in the webs. A snared creature can take an action each round to attempt to break free with a DC 12 Strength check, or it can try to cut its way free by using a light weapon that deals slashing damage. Each 5-foot section of webs have AC 10, 5 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.
 
C. Prisoners: These are important figures in Stronghold, kidnapped and replaced by The Drab Men. They can each attest to having been captured by "gray, faceless men," transported here, and periodically poisoned and interrogated by Daddy Longlegs.
 
Lily Guild passes for a human and is the richest guild artisan in the city and secret leader of a Snake Cult that operates in Stronghold. Lady Thenorean is an elven noble and diplomat for her people, the secretive Gray Elves whose hidden kingdom lay somewhere in the Aloof Mountains. She came to Stronghold to negotiate for military assistance in dealing with an orcish army that has recently sprung up in the East. Gliff Runesigil is a rune priest of Moradin and influential religious leader in Stronghold who is on the short list to become the next High Sonnlinor. Gliff has been infected by the Iron Shadow.
 
Without care and a long rest, they are in no shape to lend aid to the PCs' fight, but will help where they can. They are eager to get back to Stronghold, but not sure how to deal with their predicament if they've been successfully replaced by a duplicate.
 
D. Daddy Longlegs' Throne: A hideous monstrosity of bone, wood, and chitin held together with web and secretions, it is Daddy's seat of power and his prized possession. The webs holding it 20 feet above the ground sag with its weight. Hidden in its many crevices is some (but not all) evidence of the plot against Stronghold. It does confirm that there are four doppelgangers that comprise The Drab Men.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Area Two: Old Biddy's Roost

 
Impressions

• Dimly lit by a single guttering torch
• Acrid, ammonia-like smell from bird and bat droppings
• Feathers and fish bones scattered about and down fluttering in the air
• Warbling, singing, squawking, shrieking

The Sitch
Old Biddy the harpy roosts here in this cave along with a colony of bats and a school of quippers which serves as her food source. Recently while flying in the forest outside the barrow, she found an owlbear egg. A little addled due to her advancing years, Old Biddy thought she had laid the egg and has brought it back to her lair to care for it. She guards it fiercely and is paranoid that "minions of Daddy Longlegs" want to take it from her and eat it.
 
Cast
 

• Old Biddy, a harpy (impulse: to protect her egg)
• Three swarms of bats (impulse: to hang upside down by day and hunt by night)
• Swarm of quippers (impulse: to swarm and feed)

Map Key
 
A. Roost: Old Biddy's roost is a natural stone column that rises 10 feet above the surface of the water that surrounds it, which is 10 feet deep. It is stained with her droppings. The shape and height (20 feet, floor to ceiling) of the stone surrounding the column amplifies sound. Creatures within 20 feet of the column have disadvantage on their Wisdom saving throws to resist Old Biddy's luring song if she's singing while on the column.
 
B. Pile of Skeletons: Many wayward travelers have fallen victim to Old Biddy's luring song over the years and this is 5-foot-high pile of bones is all that's left of them. Scattered among the bones is pouch treasure. The pile of skeletons is difficult terrain.
 
C. Quipper Pool: This 10-foot-deep pool of water pools here due to the elevation of the ground. It is the home to a swarm of quippers that feeds on anything that breaks the surface of the water. Bats live among the ceiling above and defend themselves if disturbed by attacks or loud noises. At the bottom of the pool at about its midpoint is a silver key that can be used to unlock all the doors in the barrow. It is hard to spot given how it is tarnished and the water is murky.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Area Three: The Chamber of the Gate
If the adventurers have followed Gambol the blink dog to top of the hill, read the following:
 
At the top of the hill, you can now see where Gambol was leading you - a hole he has dug that appears to go straight down into the hill. It'd be a squeeze to get down it and it's unclear how far it goes, but there's another complication. One of the large trees next to the hole is home to a number of stirges - tiny rust-colored, four-winged nightmares that pierce flesh with sharp probosces and drain unlucky creatures of their blood. Ten of them roost in the tree and appear to be dormant, but any loud disturbances may awaken them.
 
What do you do?
 
The stirges attack if they are disturbed in any way. The tunnel is 30 feet to the floor of Area 3 and three to four feet wide.
 

 
(This is what the gate looks like when fully activated.)
 
Impressions

• Solemn, quiet
• Air fairly "hums" with latent arcane energy
• Dimly lit by a shaft of light due to hole in ceiling (or dark if night)
• Intricately carved walls showing elves living among the branches of an immense oak tree

The Sitch
Gambol the Blink Dog is known among the elves of Grandfather Oak for his love of wandering the planes. He has recently been summoned by his master, Trillamir Evensong, and so seeks to return to Arborea. The gate is beyond his ability to activate, however, so he has dug a hole through the top of the barrow and into the ceiling and has sought out the help of adventurers to activate the gate so he can go home.
 
Cast

• Stavros and Stamatis, satyrs (impulse: to party like it's 1999, to protect the gate)
• Soluac and Ulneht, elven skeletons (impulse: to defend their resting place)

Map Key
A. Gate to Arborea: The gate is an archway atop a dais, carved with a vine motif and covered in magical runes that indicate its purpose and how it is activated. Once deciphered, it's clear that the pillars in the chamber power up with magical energy when a particular song is sung, at which point the Dial of Evensong must be spun to point to the right pillars in order. What song must be sung and the proper sequence for the dial is not mentioned. Once the gate is open, travel to the plane of Arborea is possible for a short time before the gate closes once more.
 
B. The Tuning Pillars: Four pillars in this chamber light up in four colors - red, green, blue, and yellow - when the song inscribed upon the Roots of the World Ash is properly sung. The Dial of the Evensong does not work until the pillars are activated.
 
C. The Dial of Evensong: Exquisitely crafted of the rarest of wood from across the planes, this dial is used to activate the portal to Arborea. It spins only clockwise with some effort and the tension inherent in its design causes it to spin counter-clockwise back into its original position when released. After the tuning pillars are activated, the dial must be spun to red, then released, green, then released, and finally blue, then released. As the dial spins to point at the portal once more, it flares to life with the bright light of Arborea.
 
D. Summoning Portals: Should the gate, tuning pillars, or dial be damaged in any way or if the dial is made to point at the yellow tuning pillar, the summoning portals draw a pair of satyr to the barrow. Under an ancient fey pact with the Evensong, they are obligated to defend the gate from anyone seeking to destroy or deactivate it. While acting in defense of the gate, the satyrs have advantage on all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. They have no problem with people using the gate - just harming it.
 
E. False Door: This door is rather obviously not like the others in this barrow. That is because it is a trap. From the north side, it's very clear it's a false door and is just carved to match the engravings on the walls. From the south side, it looks like a barred door with the bar being on the south side. When the bar is lifted, it pulls a pin out of the floor which causes the 10 ft x 10 ft section of the floor to break away revealing a 20-foot-deep pit trap (DC 13 Dexterity save to avoid falling in, 2d6 damage and prone on a failed save). Once it opens, the skeletons in the sarcophagi on either side of the pit trap emerge and attack anyone in the area, using their bows to shoot down into the pit or pushing people in.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Area Four: Genealogy of the Evensong

 
Impressions

• Dimly lit by the roots of the World Ash
• Smells of rot and compost
• Air heavy with spores
• Occasional ripples of planar energy like heat waves

The Sitch
A root for the Yggdrasil, the World Ash, is coterminous with this spot on the Material Plane and its innate magic has been harnessed to create a network of leafy vines that marks the genealogy of the Evensong and related families. Periodically these vines bear fruit which the violet fungi have been feeding on to sustain themselves.
 
Cast

• Four violet fungus (impulse: to rot and feed)

Map Key
A. The Root of the World Ash: Large, strong, and impressive, these roots grow from floor to ceiling, eventually disappearing back into the planes. Runes in Elvish are carved upon its bark, surrounded by musical notes: "The red leaves tumble from Grandfather Oak..." This is the first line of the lyrics that must be sung to activate the tuning pillars in Area 2. The reference to "red" in the first verse of the song is a clue that the red pillar is the first stop of the dial.
 
B. Family Vines: These vines crawl across the ground, attached to the root of the World Ash. Each leaf is marked with an Elvish rune signifying a member of the Evensong family or related families. Anyone who takes the time to study the vines in detail can reference them when dealing with the Evensong or Thenorean families and gain advantage on interaction checks.
 
Two glowing crabapple-like fruits grow from the vine. When eaten, they act as a potion of healing. The violet fungus react violently to anyone trying to take the fruit and pursue relentlessly anyone that remains within 30 feet of them. They otherwise do not attack unless disturbed.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Area Five: Coda of the Evensong (West)
 

 
Impressions

• Quiet, dignified with a floral scent in the air
• Dimly lit by the roots of the World Ash in some places
• Occasional ripples of planar energy like heat waves

The Sitch
The honored dead of the Evensong rest in this place as does a famous sword which awaits a new hero to claim it.
 
Cast

• Irutahs, Nabirehl, Bunatdem, elven skeletons (impulse: to defend their resting place)
• Lensoun, elven mummy (impulse: to defend its resting place)
• Eye-Closer, a flying sword (impulse: to be wielded by a true hero)

 
Map Key
A. The Root of the World Ash: Large, strong, and impressive, these roots grow from floor to ceiling, eventually disappearing back into the planes. Runes in Elvish are carved upon its bark, surrounded by musical notes: "Dolorous blue for a fine mourning cloak..." This is the second line of the lyrics that must be sung to activate the tuning pillars in Area 2. The reference to "blue" in the second verse of the song is a clue that the blue pillar is the second stop of the dial.
 
B. Sarcophagi: Each of these upright sarcophagi contains the corpse of a departed member of the Evensong family. Three are skeletons and one is a mummy (Lensoun). They are marked and decorated to honor them and tell the story of their lives. They stir only to defend themselves or the barrow, if it is in danger of being defaced or destroyed.
 
C. Circle of Life: This circle of flowers and leaves never wilts and is a shrine to the Seldarine (the elven pantheon of deities). If a suitable offering and prayer are offered to the gods of the elves at this location, there is a chance they will hear it (DC 15 Religion check) and offer their blessing: The characters regain a hit die and gain the benefits of a bless spell for 10 minutes. This boon can only be earned once and doesn't stack with other bless spells. On a failure, the fickle Seldarine curse the adventurers for their insult, causing them to spend a hit die (for no gain) and suffer disadvantage on their next ability check.
 
D. Sepulcher of Egelann Evensong: The finest warrior of the Evensong line was laid to rest in this spot and the carvings and tapestry hanging on the wall marks her as such. Resting atop her final resting place is her sword, a longsword of the finest quality. Called "Eye-Closer" for its role in defeating the legendary orcish army, the Host of the One Eye, it is a +1 longsword that does +1d6 extra damage to orcs. Eye-Closer will not submit to being stolen, however: Its magic will only work if the hero who hopes to wield it can defeat it in single combat.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Area Six: Coda of the Evensong (East)
 

 
Impressions

• Quiet, dignified
• Unsettling cold spots that cause hair to stand on end
• Dimly lit by the roots of the World Ash in some places
• Occasional ripples of planar energy like heat waves

The Sitch
The honored dead of the Evensong rest in this place, but one - Sinasooh Evensong, the barrow's caretaker - is quite restless. She succumbed to the effects of the Iron Shadow some years ago and having failed in her duties to protect the barrow is bound to the area where her corpse still lay. 
 
Cast

• Irasish, Hanighed, Narlain, elven skeletons (impulse: to defend their resting place)
• Sinasooh Evensong, a ghost (impulse: to fulfill her duties)

 
Map Key
A. The Root of the World Ash: Large, strong, and impressive, these roots grow from floor to ceiling, eventually disappearing back into the planes. Runes in Elvish are carved upon its bark, surrounded by musical notes: "Thoughts of greener days may our songs evoke..." This is the third line of the lyrics that must be sung to activate the tuning pillars in Area 2. The reference to "green" in the third verse of the song is a clue that the green pillar is the third stop of the dial.
 
B. Sarcophagi: Each of these upright sarcophagi contains the skeleton of a departed member of the Evensong family. They are marked and decorated to honor them and tell the story of their lives. They stir only to defend themselves or the barrow, if it is in danger of being defaced or destroyed.
 
C. Scrying Pool: With some effort and focus, anyone looking into this scrying pool of sapphire blue water has a chance to see any location within the barrow and the surrounding environs. It can also be used to look through the gate to Arborea, where a bustling elven city among the branches of an impossibly large tree can be found.
 
D. Remains of Sinasooh Evensong: The skeleton of an elven female lay here on the stone cold floor, dead for some time. It belongs to Sinasooh Evensong, the caretaker of the barrow, who has risen as a ghost after her death. She is frustrated, but not malicious unless provoked. She very much desires to rid the barrow of Old Biddy and Daddy Longlegs and his giant spider, but cannot travel more than 40 feet away from the place she died. She would be indebted to anyone who can do this for her, offering information on the barrow, how to activate the gate to Arborea, the Evensong family, and what she knows about the Iron Shadow in exchange for help.

 

[iserith]

Originally posted by iserith:

Time Passes...
 
If the adventurers take a long rest in the forest outside the barrow, roll a d20. On a result of 17-20, roll another d20 on the table below to see what happens.
 

• 1-2. A mother owlbear, crazed and looking for her stolen egg. If someone has her egg, she attacks that person relentlessly and with advantage.
• 3-4. Four orcs, a scouting party for the army that is assembling in the East. They are looking for the legendary sword, Eye-Closer, on the order of their warlord, Grimgaunt the Orc-Wight.
• 5-6. Guy Lyrique, a wandering minstrel that was attacked on the road by a wolf and has wandered delirious through the forest for days. That was no normal wolf though - it was a werewolf and Guy has been infected with lycathropy. His change begins at an inopportune moment for the adventurers.
• 7-8. A bugbear and four goblins that have been tracking Gambol the blink dog. They think they can gain his power of teleportation if they eat him.
• 9-10. A centaur and a giant owl on their way to a fey wedding. They know of the barrow and suspect the adventurers might be tomb-robbers, so they're hostile until the adventurers prove otherwise.
• 11-12. A yuan-ti malison (type 1) following the pheromone trail left by Lily Guild. He knows the truth of her capture, but cannot reveal her true identity or the presence of the Snake Cult to unbelievers like the adventurers.
• 13-14. A band of mercenaries (a berserker and three bandits) working for The Drab Men who have now turned on their unreliable ettercap co-conspirator. They're here to kill Daddy Longlegs and the prisoners he's keeping and destroy any evidence of the plot.
• 15-16. A will-o'-wisp that tries to lure adventurers into an area of quicksand.
• 17-18. Three swarms of insects, nasty biting flies, that descend upon the adventurers' location to feed.
• 19-20. An ogre with a craving for fresh halfing or gnome for dinner. But any adventurer will do to sate his appetite for flesh.

 
If the adventurers take a long rest in the barrow or spend 8 hours in contact with someone already infected by the Iron Shadow, they run the risk of becoming infected themselves. At the end of the long rest, each adventurer must make a DC 11 Intelligence saving throw. With a successful saving throw, the Iron Shadow is resisted for now. On a failed save, the creature is affected by the Iron Shadow and suffers the first stage of exhaustion (Basic Rules v0.2, page 107) as his or her imagination and creativity is slowly drained away. A creature infected by the Iron Shadow can attempt another Intelligence saving throw at the end of each week with a +1 to the DC for each week since infection. Success means that the disease remains as it is; failure means another step on the exhaustion track. The Iron Shadow can only be remedied through spells like greater restoration or more powerful magic. Remove curse only transfers the Iron Shadow to the caster with no saving throw permitted.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by bawylie:

Dang!

Im liking area 1. What's the XP value in area 1 overall? And how does the encounter building break down? (If you got into that).

Also love the blink dog hook and the "I'm a defective adventurer, get me out of here!"


Originally posted by Wuzzard:

You really need to do candy land next.


Originally posted by Akeisha:

Definitely loving this and had to laugh at the link embedded for the 'defective adventurer' option ha ha!!


Originally posted by iserith:

bawylie wroteang!

Im liking area 1. What's the XP value in area 1 overall? And how does the encounter building break down? (If you got into that).

Also love the blink dog hook and the "I'm a defective adventurer, get me out of here!"

Thanks! Credit goes to you for the term "defective adventurer" and where the link points to! (I was going to put it as Chutes and Ladders.) I figured the blink dog would appeal to youngsters.

The XP value in area 1 of antagonists is 650 XP. The multiplier for a "pair" is 1.5, which means the "adjusted XP" is 975. That makes this a Hard encounter plus 75 XP for 4 PCs of 3rd level. So I guess it's somewhere between Hard and Deadly. Eyeballing it, it doesn't seem like it'd be all that hard though. I didn't add Lily Guild into the mix because she's not an antagonist... yet.


Originally posted by iserith:

Wuzzard wrote:You really need to do candy land next.

You know, it's not a bad goal for an adventuring party - find the lost king of Candyland. And there are lots of locations and NPCs - the Molasses Swamp and the Duke of Swirl. The villain is Lord Licorice.

It might make for a really fun campaign.


Originally posted by abs1nth:

iserith wrote:

• Three swarms of bats (impulse: to hang upside down by day and hunt by night)

That's a really cool idea having enemies that can be seen by the adventurers but only end up attacking them during the night. They'd probably think you are just scene dressing when you say that several bats are hanging sleeping from the ceiling and then later BAM.


Originally posted by iserith:

Akeisha wroteefinitely loving this and had to laugh at the link embedded for the 'defective adventurer' option ha ha!!

Thanks!

I may have started working on an idea called "A Hex on Candy Land" last night - a hex crawl game set in Candy Land after Lord Licorice has taken over...

abs1nth wrote:

iserith wrote:

• Three swarms of bats (impulse: to hang upside down by day and hunt by night)

That's a really cool idea having enemies that can be seen by the adventurers but only end up attacking them during the night. They'd probably think you are just scene dressing when you say that several bats are hanging sleeping from the ceiling and then later BAM.

Thanks - and imagine that clever players might decide to raid that area at night when the bats aren't around. That'd make it a bit easier to deal with the swam of quippers and get that key or get over to that door.


Originally posted by Akeisha:

iserith wrote:Thanks!

I may have started working on an idea called "A Hex on Candy Land" last night - a hex crawl game set in Candy Land after Lord Licorice has taken over...

If you do follow through on that, I have no doubt but that it should be quite interesting ha ha!

 

[RealAlHazred]

Originally posted by iserith:

Barrow of the Evensong
 
Starring
 
Don Coyote, human paladin (noble)
Red Creek Rufus, human ranger (outlander)
Madame Fortuna, half-elf wizard (sage)
Sergeant Brickyard, dwarf cleric (soldier)
 
[I ran a game I wrote and posted here a while back this past Sunday at the grand opening of a local gaming store. This is the tale of that adventure.]
 
While on the way to the city of Stronghold to find an answer to a question Madame Fortuna has long sought, the adventurers became lost in a sylvan forest known to be home to the secretive Fey Folk. Chance would have them come across a blink dog - Gambol, according to the medallion on his collar who followed them - who played fetch with them and led them to a hill that seemed quite out of place in the otherwise flat land. Strange trees grew from the top of the hill and from a tunnel on its east side came the sounds of singing which varied from haunting melodies to dissonant screeches and squawks. Gambol appeared to want them to go to the top of the hill.
 
After some investigation, they also found a tunnel on the west side of the hill, this one dark and ominous with bones and spider's webs strewn about the foliage outside it. Cautiously, they approached the eastern tunnel. Don Coyote concentrated and sensed evil coming from within; Sergeant Brickyard surmised that this was the lair of a harpy, a monster he had encountered in the war. Madame Fortuna placed Don Coyote under a shroud of invisibility so that he might go in to take a closer look. He followed the sound of warbling to indeed find the lair of a harpy. Old Biddy herself sat atop a natural rock column at the far side of the cave, singing to her overlarge egg. A pile of skeletons - past victims - lay at the center of the place, not far from a set of large double doors intricately carved with elvish runes.
 
It was Gambol that gave away the adventurers' position, barking and whining about wanting to go to the top of the hill rather than enter the harpy's lair. Old Biddy demanded to know who was trespassing, flying over to land on the pile of bones. That's when the adventurers rushed in: Red Creek Rufus netted her while Don Coyote and Sergeant Brickyard assailed her with blade and maul. Some well-placed magic missiles did the harpy in before her luring song could affect anyone at all. Some gold and silver was found in and around the pile of bones, quickly making its way into their belt pouches, as Sergeant Brickyard set about dismantling the barred door. Don Coyote and Red Creek Rufus were able to determine from the runes on the door that this was a tomb for the honored dead of the Evensong clan, a family of elves that lived in both this world and the mysterious realm of Arborea.
 
As the door was taken down, a stench of rotting plant matter and a cloud of spores assailed them. Within, a chamber constructed of petrified wood was before them, a tangle of roots growing from the ceiling and disappearing seamlessly into the floor. Creepers crawled across the floor, golden fruit hanging from some of the vines. Four pillars that supported the ceiling were covered in slimy purple fungus which seemed to be nourished by piles of compost at the pillars' bases. A door on the western side of the chamber led elsewhere as did an arch to the north. Concerned about the spores here, the adventurers decided to leave the barrow and follow Gambol to the top of the hill.
 
At the top of the hill, they finally saw what Gambol wanted to show them: A hole the blink dog had dug in the ground leading straight into another chamber of the tomb. A tree loomed above the hole - and it was home to a dozen or so stirges that slept fitfully. Any loud noises would surely wake them up so the adventurers had to be careful. As they lowered some ropes down, Gambol vanished, teleporting into the tomb using his fey magic. Madame Fortuna create a cloud of fog to hide their efforts as they all worked as quietly as possible to lower themselves down into the tomb. Luck was on their side and the stirges were not awakened (just barely passed a group Stealth check).
 
They stood in a strange chamber with intricately carved walls portraying a scene of elves living among the branches of an immense oak tree. An archway dominated the northern end of the chamber. A wooden dial of some kind was constructed in the center of the room, surrounded by four petrified wood pillars. Tapestries hung on the east and west walls. A false door was set into the south wall. The adventurers took some time to fully explore this strange chamber, deciphering the glyphs on the archway to discover that this was an arcane device used to open a portal to Arborea - only they didn't have the know-how to activate it just yet.
 
That knowledge was offered by the ghost of the caretaker of this barrow after the party encountered her as they explored east of this chamber. As they had proven themselves to be respectful explorers trying to help a blink dog and not tomb-robbers or necromancers, the caretaker told them she would explain the use of the arcane dial if they would rid the barrow of intruders that had vexed her of late: Old Biddy the harpy and Daddy Longlegs and his spider minions. The adventurers agreed and were already halfway complete with their task. The caretaker told them how to reach Daddy Longlegs lair through the western side of the tomb and off they went.
 
It was a pitched battle against Daddy Longlegs and his two giant spider minions. Almost all of the adventurers were bitten with poisonous fangs, slashed with jagged claws, or bound in sticky silk. But with teamwork and perserverance, they prevailed! What's more, not only did they rid the barrow of the spider menace, they also saved three captives - Lily Guild, Gliff Runesigil, and Lady Thenorean - all important figures in the city of Stronghold. As the adventurers looted the chamber of any valuables, Don Coyote's retainers took these captives, weak from their ordeal, to safety to a campsite outside the barrow. Among the valuables, the adventurers uncovered some clues that pointed to a nefarious conspiracy that involved Daddy Longlegs and a mysterious group called "The Drab Men" to kidnap important people in Stronghold for purposes unknown.
 
Having held up their end of the bargain, the adventurers met again with the caretaker who thanked them for their service and told them how to activate the portal: Find the lyrics and melody to a song on the roots that grow through the barrow, sing it to activate the arcane pillars, and then use the dial to point at the proper sequence of pillars to open the gate to Arborea. The caretaker also warned them of what killed her: The Iron Shadow, a curse that had robbed her of her motivation and imagination, causing her to lose her will to live. The adventurers surmised this was also the cause of the gray, washed-out look of much of the barrow and the appearance and demeanor of Gliff Runesigil.
 
From here it was a matter of gathering the lyrics and melody from the roots. Two of these roots were no problem to get to at all, but the third was in a chamber they hoped to avoid - the one that smelled of rot and was clouded by spores. Cautiously they entered, taking care not to breathe in the foul air. Their efforts attracted the attention of animate patches of violet fungus that slowly moved into attack. A battle followed that saw Don Coyote nearly fall, but his comrades protected him while he got the final verse they needed.
 
Back in the chamber of the gate, Don Coyote sung the song they pieced together with Rufus provided backup with his harmonica. The pillars flared up with brilliant colors - red, green, blue, and yellow. Figuring the lyrics gave them the necessary clues to dial the proper sequence, they selected red, green, and blue. The gate to Arborea opened with a brilliant flash of white light. Gambol barked twice as if to say "Thank you," before leaping through...
 
And this is where we ended our adventure. All told, we played for just under 2.5 hours. I asked the players what they would see their characters doing if this were a continuous campaign. Red Creek Rufus and Madame Fortuna were very interested in seeing what Arborea was like; Sergeant Brickyard and Don Coyote felt a duty to unravel the conspiracy in Stronghold and/or deal with the orcs that were plaguing Lady Thenorean's people. So it would have been interesting to see how they would resolve that split.
 
It was a fun little adventure and we all had a good time. It was nice to support the local gaming store by running games there for players I didn't know, only one of whom had any experience with D&D 5e. Most had backgrounds in 3.5e and 4e and were pleased with the simplicity of the system and not needing to use a grid. (I didn't pull out a battlemap for this game.)


Originally posted by bawylie:

All that in 2.5 hrs? That's pretty tight play. 


Originally posted by pukunui:

Sounds like a fun little dungeon. Do you have a map you could share?
 
I'd also like to know more about Daddy Longlegs. It sounds as though he wasn't a spider himself.


Originally posted by iserith:

bawylie wrote:All that in 2.5 hrs? That's pretty tight play. 

 
Yeah, we kept up a fast pace.
 

pukunui wrote:Sounds like a fun little dungeon. Do you have a map you could share?
 
I'd also like to know more about Daddy Longlegs. It sounds as though he wasn't a spider himself.

 
Yes, I posted the adventure in its entirety here: Barrow of the Evensong.
 
Daddy Longlegs is an ettercap.


Originally posted by pukunui:

iserith wrote:Yes, I posted the adventure in its entirety here: Barrow of the Evensong.

Cool. Thanks. I must have missed that. 

Daddy Longlegs is an ettercap.

Aha.

Originally posted by josephhawk:

I played Red Creek Rufus in this session and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We did keep things moving very quckly. 2 of the players in the group are members of my weekly home game and they were still talking about it last night. 


Originally posted by iserith:

Cool! Pretty much the best result I can hope for as DM is that somebody is talking about my game while playing someone else's game. So take that!


Originally posted by sleypy:

Nice recap. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.