Episode 1: Once upon a time

Alright! Settle down. Once upon a time, a woodcutter, a witch, a goblin animal-charmer and bear all lived together in a wooden cabin, on the outskirts of the Forest of Frost.
Bogdan 10 Vasilly 33 Baba 15 Sergie 13 Greeb 7

Plot points/Scenes

Into the Woods

The river campsite

Setup

Katja has mauled the campsite of folklorist Alexander Afanasyev, because she doesn't like the idea of the secrets of the Old Beliefs being written down, made static and bastardised. She was trying to find and destroy his research, but when she attacked, Alexander was out exploring and took most of his notes with him.

Challenge

Katja has set up a snare trap for Alexander when he returns. A tripwire crosses the path and will cause vines to hoist him into the air by his leg. When he is incapacitated, Katja will take his notes from him and destroy them. Players must avoid trap if they try to enter campsite.
Failure: Katja's sabre-toothed tiger Sabrina, thinking that it's Alexander, will attack them. It will run away if it gets below half hitpoints.
Success: Katja will watch from a distance, allowing the players to enter the campsite. If the players try to take anything she will approach. She is not a thief, and doesn't want Alexander to think she is one before she tears him apart with her sabre teeth.

The sparkling valley

Setup

Alexander Afanasyev is interviewing Boris Mushroomcap about the War of the Mushrooms as the players approach. He doesn't speak fungus, so isn't picking up everything the mushroom leshy is trying to tell him.

Challenge

Players must mediate between mushroom leshy and Alexander, to make sure that what he records is accurate and true to the mushroom culture.
Failure: Boris will eventually be too insulted to continue. He and two of his leaf leshy companions will attack Alexander.
Success: Alexander and Boris will be delighted. Alexander starts quizzing the players on their strange living arrangements (an orc, a witch, a goblin and a bear all living together).
If she hasn't already been killed, Katja will attack in both cases. Alexander will always be on the opposite side and Boris will be on Katja's side if he has been insulted and Alexander's side if the players have mediated.

Reward

Boris will gift the players with a Mushroom Vest if he is suitably impressed.
Alexander will offer the players a signed copy of his first volume of folklore if he is suitably impressed.
Katja will provide a potential quest hook if she is suitably impressed - prevent the invasion of the Forest of Frost from outsiders.

Bonus: The Vila in the tree

Setup

Vasilly chops down a tree and is attacked by Vily.

Challenge

DC10 Perception to notice engraving on tree.

I bind you in this tomb of wood; in hopes that it will do some good. Your crystal heart will not forgive, but you must die so we can live.

Failure: If all players are made unconscious they will come too in Birch's grove.
Success: Birch will beg them not to cast the final blow.

Reward

Birch will tell them about what has been happening to the forest spirits. Winter. The forest is losing its power as more and more spirits succumb to the sickness.
Birch thinks that it is the Winter Witches who are behind this, and mentions that she sent Vasilly's wife Anna to Ash Coven deeper in the Forest of Frost to get the skills to bind the spirits into their objects.
Birch needs their help to re-bind Vily, and asks Vasilly and the party to go to the Ash Coven and request a copy of the binding spell.
She can provide them with bark from her restful birch tree, that can be made into a tea to give them better sleep. If she is particularly impressed by the players, she will also offer to make them some wooden armour from her own body, but it will take a few days to grow.

Out of the Woods

The road to Ketterpesh

Setup

A tree has fallen over in the road in front of Gotyik, Lina and Tatyana Tolstaya's carriage. They are being attacked by Timber Wolves.

Challenge

Aid either the wolves or the people. If the players don't engage with either, Gotyik will deliver a final blow to the Timber Wolf and Lina will make a perception check to spot the party in the trees. If spotted, they will approach and attempt to perform some mishkinary work.

Reward

If wolves aided, the timber wolf will lead them back to meet the cubs, one of whom was injured by the Mishkinaries.
If Mishkinaries aided, the Mishkinaries will become friendly with the party. They will still attempt to perform mishkinary work, but less pompously. They will also provide them with solid gold amulets of the Church of the White God.

Ketterpesh

Setup

Party can explore the town of Ketterpesh. It is market day, so they will be able to purchase furs, food or pottery. There is also a puppet show being shown by Kuklo. If Bogdan attempts to watch the show, one of the children will be catty to him, and Kuklo will stop the show to cheer him up. He will offer Bogdan one of his puppets.

Back in the Cabin

The Kikimora in the Cellar

Setup

When the party return, they find the Kikimora with her arms full of their stuff. She freezes and attempts to vanish.

Challenge

Roll initiative to determine the order in which they act.
First round, Kikimora tries to get away with their stuff. She will retaliate if they engage her before she has a chance to. When (/if) she is able to, she will disappear.
If she disappears the players will be able to hear scuffling behind the stove. If she is defeated they will be able to make a knowledge check to determine where she would have been hiding. If they break into the wall behind the stove, they will find the Kikimora's treasure. Included in the torn up doll of Oleg, Vasilly's lost son.

The domovoi returns

Setup

If the Kikimora is defeated and the treasure isn't found, the house's previous Domovoi will return. He will accuse Vasilly of replacing him with Bogdan. He will bestow the torn up doll.

Relations

Protagonists

Vasilly
Bogdan & Sergei
Baboushka & Greeb

Allies

Nadezhda "Naddie" Suslova Grusha Pobeg Bratva Posadnik Kaizo Agapov

Useful proverbs:

"If you're scared of wolves, don't go into the woods."
"He who does not take risks, does not drink champaign."
"The road to the church is near, but it is icy ; The road to the meadhall is far, but I will be careful."

Plot type

Episode: Introducing the Forest and Ketterpesh

Related Locations

• Forest of Frost
• Ketterpesh

Names

Forest

Boris Mushroomcap
Alexander Afanasyev
Katja & Sabrina
Birch
Vily

Road

Lina Mishkina
Gotyik Mishkinov
Tatyana Tolstaya

Ketterpesh

Nadezhda "Naddie" Suslova & Kezia
Grusha
Pobeg Bratva
Posadnik Kaizo Agapov & Masha, Viktor and Sofia

Market

Kuklo & Petrushka

Encounters

Timber Wolf Kikimora Domovoi Leaf Leshy Fungus Leshy

Useful Links

Ketterpesh
Spirits of the Old Beliefs
The War of Mushrooms