fredag 3. januar 2020

Graveyard of the Weeping Willow encounter

Graveyard of the Weeping Willow encounter

This is an idea that have grown in the back of my head. Feel free to discuss consequences, use your own take on it, or suggest variations of ideas.

As the party wanders through the forest they will begin to hear a voice singing in sylvan during night. It is beautiful in tone, yet carries with it feelings of sadness.
If the party wishes to follow this voice they will they will come upon a forest clearing with a pond. In the midst of the pond is a great weeping willow and below it sits a woman in white kneeling before a man lying on the ground. The man appears to pale, badly hurt, yet peaceful in his face expression.
If the party pays attention to their surroundings they will notice that there are several overgrown rocks, both on land and in the pond. A closer overation will reveal that these are dead soldiers wrapped in vines and overgrown in moss. Several of these will appear to have died from arrow wounds, but not all of them.
How the encounter can go:
- If anyone in the party speaks sylvan, they will recognize the song of someone lamenting a lovers death, the bravery of a man standing against many, a sacrifice to protect the dryad against soldiers seeking to harvest her magic. A warning against those who come to despoil her glade.
-If anyone in the party speaks elven (or if they are a bard), they will recognize the song as one of sadness, but failing to grasp the direct words.
-The woman will not be hostile towards the party, but will gesture for them to stay back unless the party manages a diplomacy check.
If they continue forwards she will be frightened and disappear into her tree.
(Depending on character level, consider having a Wood Woad appear as a guard. Alternatively nixies in the water.)
-If the party stops the woman from singing, all the overgrown rocks will awake as undead which will attack the party. They are not controlled by the woman.
Suggestion depending on character levels: Skeletons, led by a wight.
-If the party uses detect good or evil, they will know that the mounds are undead and the woman in white is a fey.

Aftermath of battle:
-If the party used turn undead or holy water on the undead before talking to the woman, she will recognize you as friendly. She will allow you to observe her lover. (Human/elven man. Appears as a soldier. Carries with him a sword and bow. He is as if someone had cast gentle repose on him.)
-If the party killed the woman in the process, the willow will wilt, the glade will turn black and the party earns the hatred of a treant.
-If the party scared the woman, but used revivify on the dead body, the man will ressurect and the woman will consider the party as friendly. Consider giving the party a great boon.
Background:
A hundred years ago a man fell in love with a dryad. He told his friends about it, but they misused his trust and wanted to use her magic for their own. They went out to kill her, but they had not accounted for the mans martial provess.
The fight was hard and brutal and the man was dealt many fatal wounds, yet at the end of battle he was the only one standing only to perish in the arms of his beloved.
Yet, many years later, the hatred of the soldiers still inger, only kept in check by beautiful song of the dryad.

Characters:
Deidre: Dryad of the weeping willow. Her song has a calming effect and thus her grove is untouched.
Tristian: A man who fell in love with a dryad. He is a good man, though with a terrible choice in friends.
Marcus: Leader of the band of soldiers. Possibly turned into a wight.

The Ogre Inn - Encounter

This is just an idea I've been bouncing around in my head. It is open for discussion and further work:
As the party travels along the road, they come to realize that it is getting dark/bad weather etc.
A quick search around the area reveals an odd collection of very large rocks in the shape of a house.

If the party ventures closer they will see that a tree with its bark peeled off has been placed above a cave entrance. Upon the tree someone has carved deep with a crude tool (or a large fingernail) the word "in" and what appears to be a bed.
Within the "house" they see a fireplace, and some piles of moss that is supposed to be makeshift beds.
Upon the side of the wall they see another crude sign: "Pay fod." A crude wooden table seems to be the place to leave anything of value.

How the encounter can go:
- Players leave rations or saved food upon the table. (Create food spell or good berry will count as well.)
if the food is over a certain amount (discretion of DM) the night pass without trouble. The party wakes up rested and sees that the food is gone.
-If one of the players is awake, hold guard or pretends to sleep, they might notice that a boulder will shift and a hand will reach out and grab the food.
-If the players didn't leave any food and didn't have anyone stay awake to guard, a boulder will shift, an ogre will step and begin murder and eat the party.
I suppose a battle can be avoided if the party wakes up, dodges and gives the ogre their food with a good diplomacy check. A mediocre result can turn into one of the party being held hostage while the others have to find food, (or sneak in during night and save their friend while the ogre sleeps.)

Character:
Mashie the ogre. A female ogre with a broken arm. Figured out that it was easier to make food come to her than to chase down after sheep etc.
(Doesn't have to be an ogre. Can also be an ettin, hill giant or some other large creature.)
Inn:
The inn consists of a large open space, an enclosed hidden space and a refuse pile inside the hidden
room where discarded bones and items are placed.
Items:
Some merchants might have gone missing over time and thus some bags of gold,+items of minor value can be expected.