Session 1: The Weary Travelers & The Mystery Deepens (75 minutes)

Created: 2025-06-10 17:23:58 | Last updated: 2025-06-10 17:23:58 | Status: Public

Scene 1: Arrivals at The Leafy Mug Inn (20 min)

DM: “It’s late evening, the sun has just dipped below the horizon, and a chill is settling into the air. You each, independently, arrive at ‘The Leafy Mug,’ a cozy-looking inn nestled on the edge of what was once known as the Welcoming Willows, now feeling strangely quiet and dimmed. What’s the first thing each of you does upon entering the inn?”

Guide each player to describe their character’s arrival and actions
Encourage them to interact with each other at the bar/common room
Add: Gimli mentions hearing “strange singing” from the forest at night - not quite right, almost sad

The Next Morning - Breakfast Meeting (15 min):

DM: “The morning brings concerning news. Gimli approaches your table, wringing his hands. ‘The forest grows stranger by the day. The Brightbane Runes that kept Wisp Hollow bright have vanished! But worse - travelers report hearing a voice singing mournfully in the woods, and some say they’ve seen pale, glowing figures wandering among the trees. Fern the pixie sent word - he desperately needs help.’ What do you say to each other?”

Scene 2: Journey Through the Whispering Woods (15 min)

DM: “As you travel the forest path, you notice dead flowers, withered moss, and an unnatural chill. Suddenly, you hear it - a hauntingly beautiful but deeply sad song echoing through the trees. What do you do?”

Investigation Options:
- Listen to the song: DC 8 Wisdom (Perception) - “You catch words about ‘stolen light’ and ‘the deep dark calls’”
- Follow the sound: Leads to a clearing with wilted flowers arranged in a perfect circle
- Track through the woods: DC 8 Survival - Find strange footprints that seem to float above the ground

Scene 3: Wisp Hollow & Meeting Pip (15 min)

DM: “Wisp Hollow is dim and quiet. Fern zips around frantically - a small woodland pixie with acorn-cap hat and tiny dragonfly wings. ‘Oh thank goodness! The Brightbane Runes are gone, but that’s not the worst part! My friend Luna - she’s a sylph who helps tend the forest - she’s been acting so strange! She took the runes, but I don’t think it was her idea. She keeps talking about ‘whispers from below’ and ‘promises of never being alone again.’ Please help her!’”

Physical Investigation:
- Empty pedestal with strange, cold mist still rising from it
- DC 8 Investigation: Find a beautiful silver hair ribbon (Luna’s) wrapped around a withered branch
- Talking to the trees: They actually whisper back! “The pale lady weeps… something calls from the deep dark…”

Scene 4: First Possessed Creature Encounter (10 min)

DM: “Following the clues toward the Weeping Stone Well, 2 Corrupted Forest Gnomes leap out from behind twisted mushrooms! Their normally cheerful faces are pale and their eyes glow with the same eerie light you’ve been seeing. These poor creatures are clearly being controlled by something dark!”

Corrupted Forest Gnome (Possessed):
- AC: 12, HP: 5
- Attack: +3 to hit, 1d4+1 damage (tiny garden spades)
- Special: When defeated, the pale glow leaves their eyes and they become confused but grateful little gnomes again
- Reward: 25 XP each (50 XP total), 2d6 copper pieces, 1d4 silver pieces

SESSION 1 BREAK POINT OPTIONS:
- Cliffhanger A: Just as they reach the Weeping Stone Well (builds anticipation)
- Cliffhanger B: After defeating the possessed gnomes, they hear Luna’s voice echoing from below

Session 2: The Weeping Stone Well & Dark Discoveries (75 minutes)

Scene 1: Recap & The Well’s Secret (10 min)

DM: “You’ve reached the Weeping Stone Well. The constant dripping echoes strangely, and you notice something new - pale, ghostly lights floating around the well’s mouth. What’s your plan for descent?”

Scene 2: The Puzzle of the Shattered Runes (20 min)

DM: “The well opens into carved stone chambers - clearly ancient. Five Brightbane Rune fragments are scattered on a stone altar, each glowing dimly with different colors. Ancient carvings show they must be placed in the correct pattern to restore their power and light your way!”

The Five-Rune Puzzle:
- Red Rune (Courage) - Depicts a sword and shield
- Blue Rune (Wisdom) - Shows an open book with stars
- Green Rune (Nature) - Carved with leaves and vines
- Gold Rune (Friendship) - Two hands clasped together
- Silver Rune (Harmony) - All the other symbols combined

The Solution: The runes must be placed in a star pattern with Silver (Harmony) in the center, representing how all virtues work together.

DM Guide for Hints:
- If they place runes randomly: “The runes pulse but don’t connect - you need to think about what each symbol means”
- If they try different patterns: “You’re getting warmer! The silver rune seems to want to be in the middle”
- If stuck: Luna’s voice echoes faintly: “Together… we’re stronger together…”

Success: Lights the path and reveals ancient murals showing the well’s history

SESSION 2 BREAK POINT OPTIONS:
- Cliffhanger A: Just as they solve the rune puzzle and see the murals
- Cliffhanger B: Right after meeting Luna (emotional moment, players will want to help)

Scene 3: The Ancient Murals & Dark History (15 min)

DM: “The murals tell a story: This was once Willowspring, blessed by forest spirits. But something was buried deep below - something that whispers and corrupts. The last mural shows hooded figures sealing ‘The Wailing Dark’ beneath layers of blessed stone.”

DC 6 Intelligence (History): “You recognize symbols of an ancient cult that worshipped things that should stay buried.”

Scene 4: Luna’s Confrontation (20 min)

DM: “In the deepest chamber, you find her - Luna, a beautiful sylph with silver hair and glowing wings, but her eyes are filled with tears and pale, unnatural light. The Brightbane Runes float around her, their light being slowly drained. She turns to you with a mix of hope and terror: ‘Please… it won’t stop whispering to me. It promised I’d never be alone again, but the voices… they’re so cold, so hungry. Help me!’”

This is roleplay, not combat!
- Players can try to comfort her, break the spell, or investigate the source
- DC 8 Persuasion: Luna reveals the whispers come from “something deep below that used to be a person”
- Success: Luna helps them reach the true source; Failure: She flees deeper, forcing players to track her

Scene 5: Corrupted Guardian Fight (10 min)

DM: “A larger figure emerges from the shadows - a Corrupted Badger Guardian, once a protector of the forest but now possessed by the same dark force! Its normally brown fur is pale gray and its eyes burn with cold light!”

Corrupted Badger Guardian (Possessed):
- AC: 13, HP: 18
- Attack: +4 to hit, 1d6+2 damage (claws)
- Special: At 9 HP, the possession breaks and it becomes an ally, warning about “the hungry ghost below”
- Reward: 100 XP, 3d6 silver pieces, 1d4 gold pieces, small potion of healing

Session 3: The Whispering Dark & Redemption (75 minutes)

Scene 1: Descent to the Sealed Chamber (15 min)

DM: “Below the ancient well lies a chamber sealed with crumbling blessed stones. As you break through (with Luna’s help), a wave of cold, hungry wails washes over you. Inside, you see the source - a spectral figure in tattered robes, bound by weakening chains of light.”

Scene 2: The Tragic Revelation (15 min)

DM: “This is the Wailing Wraith - once a lonely scholar who sought to speak with forest spirits but delved too deep into forbidden knowledge. Now it’s trapped between life and death, desperate for connection but corrupting everything it touches. It didn’t mean to hurt Luna or steal the runes - it just wanted friends, but its very presence drains life and light.”

Luna: “It’s not evil, just… broken. So very, very lonely.”

Scene 3: The Purification Ritual (25 min)

Instead of combat, this is a cooperative challenge:

DM: “The Wraith can be saved! You need to perform a purification ritual using the Brightbane Runes, but it requires perfect teamwork.”

The Ritual (4 stages, each player gets a role):
1. Rune Placement: DC 8 Investigation to arrange runes in correct pattern
2. Barrier Maintenance: DC 8 Constitution to withstand the cold wails
3. Spirit Calming: DC 8 Persuasion to speak kindly to the Wraith
4. Light Channeling: DC 8 Arcana/Religion to focus the rune’s power

Success: The Wraith transforms into a peaceful spirit who thanks them and fades away happily
Partial Success: Still works, but Luna must sacrifice some of her own life force to complete it
Failure: Combat with a Wailing Wraith (AC 13, HP 25, drains 1d4 max HP per hit, but can still be redeemed mid-fight)
Reward: 200 XP for the purification (300 XP if they save the Wraith without combat), 1d6 gold pieces each, Luna gives each character a small Brightbane Crystal (gives advantage on one saving throw, single use)

Scene 4: Restoration & New Beginnings (15 min)

DM: “With the Whispering Dark finally at peace, the Brightbane Runes blaze with renewed light! Luna, free from the whispers, helps you carry them back to Wisp Hollow. As you place them on their pedestal, waves of warm light wash through the forest. The Welcoming Willows bloom again!”

Scene 5: Celebration & Future Hooks (5 min)

DM: “Gimli throws a celebration feast! Fern declares you honorary guardians of Wisp Hollow! But Luna looks thoughtful: ‘There were other places in the whispers… other buried things that might awaken. Would you help me watch over them?’ The goblins, no longer possessed, offer to help guard the forest too.”
Final Reward: 50 bonus XP each for completing the quest, free room and board at The Leafy Mug for a week, title of “Guardians of Wisp Hollow”

Mechanical Adjustments Summary:

Lowered DCs: Most checks are now DC 6-8
Partial Success Options: Players always get something useful
Cooperative Challenges: Focus on teamwork over individual rolls
Reduced Combat: More roleplay and puzzle-solving
Flexible Pacing: Each scene can expand if players are engaged
Clear Victory Conditions: Multiple ways to succeed in each encounter

Future Campaign Hooks:

Other sites where ancient things are buried
Luna as a recurring ally/guide
Reformed goblins as forest guardians
The scholar’s research notes leading to new mysteries

DM Guidance: Managing Skills, Checks & Headstrong Players

How to Guide Without Railroading:

When Players Want to Do Something:
1. Say “Yes, and…” - “You want to climb the tree? Great! Roll an Athletics check to see how quickly you get up there.”
2. Ask clarifying questions - “How exactly are you searching the room?” (This helps them think about what skill to use)
3. Offer options - “You could try to sneak past (Stealth) or maybe convince them you belong here (Deception/Persuasion)”

Common 5e Skills & When to Use Them:

Investigation vs Perception:
- Perception = noticing things passively (“You hear footsteps”)
- Investigation = actively searching/analyzing (“You examine the footprints and determine they’re goblin tracks”)

The Big 6 Skills for This Adventure:
- Perception - “Do you notice anything unusual?”
- Investigation - “You want to search the room thoroughly?”
- Persuasion - “You’re trying to convince them?”
- Athletics - “That requires climbing/jumping/physical effort”
- Survival - “You’re tracking/navigating in the wilderness?”
- Arcana/Religion - “This seems magical/spiritual - want to try to understand it?”

Keeping Players on Track:

When They Go Off-Course:
- Use NPCs to redirect: “Fern flutters anxiously - ‘But what about Luna? She’s in terrible danger!’”
- Environmental cues: “You hear that sad singing again, coming from the direction of the well…”
- Consequences: “While you’re debating, the forest grows dimmer…”

When They’re Stuck:
- Lower the DC: “Actually, that’s clever - you get advantage on this roll”
- Offer hints through NPCs: “Fern squeaks: ‘Maybe the runes go together like we do - stronger as a team?’”
- Give partial information: “You don’t solve it completely, but you notice the silver rune seems special…”

Keeping Players on Track:

Timing Management:
- If running long: Skip travel descriptions, move directly to action
- If running short: Add more roleplay between characters, let them plan their approach
- Always end on a “what do you do?” moment