Scenario: The Old Dwarf Bridge

The bridge's railing caught Gregory as he collapsed. It failed, however, to catch his arm. The severed limb bounced one of the ancient, dwarven visage carved into a bridge pier before splashing into the rapidly-running river. He felt nauseous, both from shock and blood loss. The trader heard one of his caravan guard's scream, and be cut short.
Gregory sucked in a breath and fought to maintain focus. Using the rail for support he pushed along for the road. A line of gore was left across the ancient stonework. This didn't make any sense! They'd stopped and talked to the knight protecting the Old Dwarf Bridge a handful of times this season. Ser Silvercrown had been amicable every time, asked after their families, and for news of the rest of the kingdom. Now, the knight was hewing the caravan apart without as much as a word.
Gregory rolled off of the railing and hit the ground with his remaining shoulder. Pain blurred his already dimming vision. He could make out a pile of corpses sprawled near the paladin's pavilion-like carelessly discarded clothes. Grunting, he struggled on. With his remaining hand, Gregory pulled himself along the dirt. The nearby trees were withered as if autumn had come too early. Shelves of white-capped mushrooms marred many of them. Still, maybe if he could make it to some cover he could find a way to survive and from there seek out the Longnail family for aid.
The trader froze.
A tortured face of living wood watched him from the abused foliage. Within its hollow sockets red light glowed, while sticky, red go dribbled from gaping maw. The viscous crimson spattered on the wooden woman's distended chest. He'd heard stories of dryads and other fey in the area, but Gregory never imagined they would look like this.

Ser Silvercrown's greatsword plunged through Gregory, mixing it with his heart and split sternum. The fallen knight and mutilated dryad exchanged a mute, distant look before returning to their mindless duties."

Location:

The Old Dwarf Bridge spans one of the major rivers in the area. This ancient, wide construction serves as a reliable crossing point in the region and has been vital to trade for generations. A dwarven family nearby claims to be descended from the clan that built it and tend to a ox ranch. Their beef is known for its quality. During the summer months they set up a roadside stand for their smoked meats. Erected near the bridge, the stand is open through most of autumn. Travelers enjoy using this road because of its relative safety, and they can stock up on good food along the way.

Encounter Premise:

Seeking admittance into the waning court a fey outcast has made a deal with a Grinning Herald to shut down trade over the Old Dwarf Bridge. The grinning herald may want to disrupt trade in the area for the sake of fomenting strife so the waning cults can amass more power. Or perhaps, the player characters have been on the herald's trail and he wishes to slow them down as he escapes to his next destination. It is possible he merely has a loathing of dwarves and wants to see their works besmirched and demolished.

No matter the reason The Riven Gallant, the exiled fey, is desperate to fulfill its part of the bargain. The ephemeral fey has been on its own for too long. It is a bitter creature that now relishes repaying whomever it can for the torment it suffers, even if it was inflicted by its own hand. After being lavished with attention by the grinning herald, the Riven Gallant set upon the Longnail family with sadistic gusto. It also ensured local dryad groves were during into deadwood orchards or infested with sinister white-rot. As a bonus, the cursed creature has fractured the love between a local fey and valiant knight to serve its own wounded ego.

Locations:

The Old Dwarf Bridge, a vital causeway for trade in the region. The river the bridge spans is too difficult to cross most of the year as it comes rushing down from nearby mountains. The Longnail ranch surrounds the old dwarf bridge. The road through it cuts through grazing fields along gently sloped hills, dotted here and there with tree copses.

Ser Hademar Silvercrown's pavilion sits on the riverbank on the side facing the Longnail ranch. The silver and purple tent is in bad shape with torn seams and broken banners. The bodies of the bewitched knight's victims are piled on the sides of the road leading up to the causeway as a grisly warning to turn back. Ser Silvercrown stands on the Old Dwarf Bridge, awaiting fresh slaughter.

The Longnail home sits at the edge of the local mountains, though they are more glorified hills as far as any dwarf would be concerned. Stonework structures, the frame of the buildings are intact. However, its windows are busted, furniture smashed, debris scattered everywhere thanks to the Riven Gallant's attacks and the subsequent corruption of most of the dwarves. The dwarves' corpses, now strangleweed drudges, roam the immediate area.

One can follow a game trail up through the hills to Bissy Lichenclaw's lake. The vegetation along the way has suffered from The Riven Gallant's continual passage, leaving it wilted and rotting as a clear path. The climb is steep though and would be treacherous on its own. The cursed dryads make it even more so. The top of the lake is dotted with slick, lichen-covered stones. Lilypads and patches of orange algae carpet most its opaque surface. Wilted wildflowers and drooping trees ring the river's borders. Usually, Lichenclaw's lake is quite picturesque, but for now, it is sinister thanks to the Riven Gallant's influence.

Antagonists:

The Riven Gallant. Brume. The Riven Gallant was reduced to a collection of forest floor debris and hate thanks to a deal gone sour with a Night Hag. To make matters worse the former knight's name was stripped and they were tossed out of its feywild court to haunt the material world. It has been seeking a way back into the good graces of any fey circle. The Riven Gallant loathes humanoids also as much as it does hags, seeing them as vermin its forced to spend time with as a further insult to its broken honor. This is why the love between Bissy Lichenclaw and Ser Hademar Silvercrown disgusts it so. It not only wants to break up that love, it strives to make Bissy suffer as much as possible. While Bissy is not a hag exactly, her nature is close enough to bolster the Riven Gallant's hatred.

That is why it used the seeds and spores the grinning herald gifted it to litter the region with mossy zombies, mad cows and infested dryads. It assumes that adventurers will come along and blame Bissy for all that has gone wrong. Either she'll be forced to kill those that might help her, or they'll murder the lake-bound fey. Either is just fine for the Riven Gallant.

Throughout the adventure the incorporeal fey will keep tabs on the player characters, but not attack directly. It will delight in pitting them against befouled obstacles and use them to goad them toward a confrontation with Bissy Lichenclaw. This constant attention can be used to put the heroes on edge with feelings of being watched, hints that someone or something was there just before an attack begins. If heroes try and sneak past an encounter with the hexen or other horrors the Riven Gallant could ruin it all from its stealthy state.

Dwarven Zombies - Reskinned Strangleweed Drudges. The zombies are not technically undead but plant monsters. At first blush they are just vine-covered corpses intent on tearing the living apart and the heroes will likely attack them as they would zombies. A dozen or so roam the immediate area around the Longnail home, with more inside.

Gloom Blooms - The Riven Gallant seeded the edges of the Longnail property with several patches of Gloom Bloom. The fungal clouds cast a dreadful fog and writhing shadows along the border of the usurper's domain. Besides keeping away unwanted animals, the gloom bloom instills gnawing anxiety of those that pass through the Longnail ranchlands. Likewise, the spores ensure interlopers arrive at the heart of all the chaos already enervated.

Hexen Herd - The Longnail's cattle were infected with direfly larva early on and their transformation into a hexen herd directly lead to the dwarves' downfall. After a few of stout folk were unexpectantly trampled by the crazed oxen, and then more trying to cull them, the Longnails and their staff decided to hold up in their home until helped arrived. The Riven Gallant had already smuggled strangleweed spore into the halls, however, leading to carnage instead.

Now the hexen freely roam the pastures and road. They can be encountered in any concentration and are very loud. A hexen herd should be something the heroes see and have to plan around, or heard/spotted a long way off perhaps leading to an exciting chase. A druid or ranger may attempt to soothe the savaged beasts, and while that may work for a while their destructive and insane nature will always return.

Armillaria and Deadwood Dryads - Many trees throughout the Longnail ranch are now tainted with direflies as often is the case when the waning court is involved. The Riven Gallant went out of its way to ensure that trees belonging to local dryads who always shunned it were seeded with larva or fey-enchanted rot to teach the ladies of a wood a deadly lesson. Now twisted into evil creatures the dryads patrol the outskirts of the forest, with a few guarding the trail up to Bissy Lichenclaw's lake. The Riven Gallant assumes the infected nature of the dryads will further implicate Bissy as the creature behind the land's affliction. This also means the dungeon master has lesser deadwoods at their disposal to pit against their players.

Swarm of Direflies - Because if there are hives, there will be swarms of the blighted insects plaguing the area. The swarms of direflies can help herd the heroes in the right direction as needed. If the clouds are too thick they may avoid an area, and consequently if they are thin the heroes will likely choose that path. As with any waning princes scenario, the glowing bugs should be ever-present if not always at swarm strength. In addition, a swarm or two make a fine addition for an encounter using lesser deadwoods or deadwood dryads against a higher level party.

Allies:

Bissy Lichenclaw is an exiled and solitary fey as well, at least she used to be. The river-bound woman claims the mountain lake and the river it feeds as her own. She's patrolled the waters for several mortal generations, and tolerated the construction of bridge and dwarven neighbors because they leave her well enough alone. Sure, they saw her as a sign of ill omen and occasionally an adventurer would try and ride the area of its 'hag' but Bissy endured. She didn't mind the solitude.

That is until she laid eyes on Ser Hademar Silvercrown. Charged by the kingdom to protect the bridge as part of one oath or another the knight set up a colorful pavilion at the river's edge. When not patrolling the area and defending the road from bandits Hademar indulged in simple pastimes; fishing, singing to himself, and whittling. He was caught up in another everyday routine, bathing in the river, when Bissy came across him. The human knight was surprised to say the least by the fey and quite embarrassed as they talked. After a time Ser Silvercrown's concerns eased and their talk dragged on.

It wasn't long before Bissy came to visit Hademar often. She found his singing delightful. He found her stories of local history enthralling. They shared a common interest in protecting the land, its animals, and people, along the bridge. Soon, they shared a bedroll in that bright pavilion with fluttering banners. Things were going great for the once-lonely Lichenclaw.

Until the grinning herald and the Riven Gallant caught the lovers unaware. The accursed brume beat the unclothed Hademar near to death. The grinning herald expressed supreme disgust with a fey loving a mortal. Sure, they were fine to fornicate with, but care for them? It made the grinning herald sick to his stomach. He bewitched the injured Ser Silvercrown and had the Riven Gallant haul Bissy back to her lake home.

Weeks have passed since the grinning herald moved on. The stage is set for heroic intervention.

Bissy is a full-bodied woman with legs and arms a bit longer than an average human. Her skin is a rich, green color like the mossy bottom of a lake, with patches of vibrant orange lichen here and there. The greatest concentration of the fungus is on her claws and forearms, as one might expect from her surname. Bissy is not classically attractive by human standards; her nose is a bit too sharp, and fine-boned features bordering on cadaverous. Her black hair is often tangled with lake debris and her eyes glow orange in the dark. Bissy wears a stained gown Hademar bought for her. It's been dyed muddled color by her habitation and is usually sodden and clinging to her figure. It would be easy for some to mistake Bissy Lichenclaw for a hag by the ignorant, but she is neither hideous nor wizened enough for that. However, if the player characters fall for The Risen Gallant's ruse and attack Bissy she will defend herself. Uses a hag's stats appropriate to the party's level, though even in bloody conflict Bissy will try to defuse the situation and go out of her way not to kill the heroes outright. She needs help in saving her lover and knows it.

Ser Hademar Silvercrown is what most people would expect for a knight; tall, dark, and handsome. He certainly turned heads in noble courts and even had a few dalliances, but never gave his heart to anyone fully. That was until he met the river fey aligned with the bridge he was charged to protect.

Sick of courtly politics, the broad-shouldered champion asked for a simple country duty for a change of pace. He'd recently lost a few adventuring companions as well and hoped someplace quaint and quiet would help heal his soul. After checking in with the Longnail family, Ser Silvercrown pitched a pavilion beside the Old Dwarf Bridge. He caught and cooked fish for some of his meals, meditated in the serene environment, and chatted with travelers who stopped at the causeway from time to time. Now and then, the paladin traveled a day or two away to deal with bandits or beastly terrors, but for the most part, he found the peace he craved. Then, he stumbled onto the love of his life.

He was washing in the water when he spotted the strange-colored woman. It took him a moment to realize he was dealing with a fey. While instinct bade him make a run for his sword, Hademar engaged in the woman, Bissy, in conversation instead. Despite Lichenclaw's appearance, she wasn't a hag but a guardian spirit of the woods. It wasn't long before Hademar came to anticipate Bissy's visits. Shortly after that, they began a tryst. Despite some misgivings, Ser Silvercrown gave himself fully into being part of an odd coupling.

The affair continued and flourished until the lovers were set upon by dark fey. Nude and unarmed, Ser Silvercrown was easily overcome by the Riven Gallant. In his weakened state, a grinning herald laid a curse upon him. Now bewitched, Ser Silvercrown doesn't protect the bridge but murders anyone who attempts to cross it. He lingers near the bridge, clad in gore-encrusted armor, and wielding a battered great sword.

Fighting Ser Silvercrown in his bewitched state should be something the heroes are encouraged to avoid or have to plan extensively to succeed. If they go directly for the bridge slow them down with various monster encounters from the list above and then have Uta Bronzebuckle intercept them before they get to the bridge itself. They should be forewarned, and be able to use her looking glass, to see the peril they'd face there. Ser Silvercrown should easily outclass the heroes in combat, and hopefully, force them to retreat in the face of death. Use a Champion's stats (VGM page 212.) If the enchantment on him is lifted, Ser Silvercrown will find his abilities severely diminished by the ordeal and the unfortunate paladin has much to atone for. This way he won't outshine the heroes, his stats becoming closer to a Knight (MM page 347.)

Khandra Meadhorn and Uta Bronzebuckle. The two surviving dwarves on the ranch are the Longnail's eldest daughter, Khandra, and its stablemaster, Uta Bronzebuckle. The two defied the patriarch Longnail's quarantine order as trouble began and left to get help along with three other daring comrades. Unfortunately, they attempted the cross the Old Dwarf Bridge with the intention of recruiting Ser Silvercrown along the way. They weren't ready for the bewitched paladin's fury.

Khandra escaped but lost the use of one of her arms in the process. Uta sacrificed her favorite horse to knock Ser Silvercrown into the water and pull Khandra to safety. By the time the exhausted pair returned to the Longnail estate the rest of their family and friends had succumbed to the strangleweed. Despite their injuries, they managed to evade the zombie-like creatures.

For now, they've hunkered down at one of the hunting cabins at the edge of the property. Located in the shadows of the foothills and amid rocky, barren ground, the cabin serves as a refuge from the hexen, infested dryads, and strangelwood drudges for the time being. Their plan is to wait for Khandra's arm to heal before striking out in the other direction.

Khandra Longnail's right arm is in a sling and covered in ruddy bandages. While she's loath to admit it, her fingers have been numb for the last day and she's worried she might have to have it amputated. Her chain armor is just as battered. For the time being the auburn-headed dwarf wears a simple shirt, untied vest, and sturdy pants. Khandra's heart is just as wounded as her body. A month ago she spied Ser Silvercrown flirting with the 'mountain lake hag' but had allowed the romance of it to cloud her good judgment. She's convinced that Bissy Lichenclaw is behind all this horror, though she doesn't know the fey's name, only a description. She is sure if Bissy is dealt with then Ser Silvercrown will return to his own self.

Uta hangs out in her studded leather armor during waking hours, her nerves frayed and senses strained. She wants to make sure that Khandra makes it out of this alive and as healthy as possible. Her old friend is the only real bit of her life the blonde dwarf has left. Uta is almost as good of a shot as she is a horseback rider and carries a heavy crossbow. She also has her grandfather's spyglass, a useful antique she's been watching the house, fields, and road with. It is likely that Uta will spot the player characters long before they know there are any survivors. Desperate to fetch aid for Khandra, she'll sneak out at some point while the injured woman is sleeping to make contact with the heroes.

Ambiance:

Make sure the pall on the land around the Old Dwarf Bridge is ever-present and oppressive. Like any place the Waning Court touches everything withers, rots and takes on a gloom-soaked tint. Most of the trees in the area are overcome with direfly hives or white-rot mushrooms. The call of the infected oxen sound through the rolling hills and valley with the building menace of rolling thunder. No matter the season, brittle, dead leaves litter the landscape and crunch under feet like hundreds of tiny bones.

Over it all the Longnail estate looms at the edge of a nearby mountain rage akin to a festering corpse. Its broken windows stare like a multitude of hungry, empty eyes. Give glimpses now and again of shambling figures at the dwarven home to build tension. The sanguine glow of direflies is constant, growing stronger at night. As mentioned in the Riven Gallant's section the feeling of being watched never leaves the heroes throughout the scenario as the exiled fey can watch them more or less unseen. All and all the players should feel they've stepped into a dark fairytale, where survival is uncertain.

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