Welcome to the Feywood - A One-Shot Adventure

If you are interested in playing in this One-Shot, please leave a COMMENT on this article with your timezone. More than one session will be run if there is enough interest and if logistics permit putting groups together!

Welcome to the Feywood! Now go home!!!

— thoughts of many a Gremlin, and perhaps a few Nymphs, when encountering a newcomer

Welcome to the Feywood is designed to introduce new players and their characters to a magic-filled region of the World of Cartyrion - a region whose core remains much as it was when the gods first created it. The adventure begins as the characters are all on their way to a regional celebration they've heard rave reviews about: the Spudbarrow Strawberry Festival. Travelling individually, they all find themselves among the crowd staying at the Bugbear's Head Inn - a roadside inn deep in the forest and two day's journey from Spudbarrow. Thrown together by chance, they find themselves in the middle of a mystery -- a situation that, for at least one of their number, is a matter even more important than life or death!

None of the characters were raised in the Feywood, and learning to live among Berdea's creatures here usually takes a while. The characters won't have the luxury of time, but the players will get a chance to see what future adventuring in the Feywood can be like. This adventure is also designed to introduce many of the skills and game mechanics needed for what most systems call the Exploration aspect of the game. Players will learn how investigation and looking for clues works, how recalling things one may have learned in their past is handled, and how to use their skills to read and affect the demeanors and intentions of those they interact with.

Currently, this adventure is written to be compatible with Pathfinder, 2nd Edition game rules, but in the future, it will be adapted to support other game systems, beginning with Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition.

If you need a quick run-through of the Pathfinder 2nd Edition rules to get started

There are many "tooltips" included in this script that provide additional information about people, places, and events of Cartyrion for those who are interested. None of the information in these popups, or the articles they may point to, is necessary for the playing of this adventure. They exist purely to provide additional flavor and lore for those who wish to explore more of the World of Cartyrion.

Article blocks, on the other hand, are links to handouts that should be considered part of the Adventure. They are provided in separate articles to facilitate distribution to players.

Preparing to Play

This adventure is designed for four or five player characters, which should be selected from the set of six provided. The only requirement is that at least one of the Dwarf characters provided is selected. These pre-generated characters represent a cross-section of the playable races, cultures, backgrounds, and classes available in the Cartyrion setting. All are Level 1 characters, just starting out on their life of adventure. Each of these characters is provided with enough backstory for this adventure. All characters contain at least one unique trait or tendency that could be important during the course of play, so make sure players have enough time to read, absorb, and ask questions before the game session begins.

Hovering over the buttons below gives a very brief description of each character. Clicking a button brings you to a full backstory and play guide, as well as a downloadable, printable PDF character sheet.

Awkwana {Birdfolk}
Sorcerer {Fey-blood}

Chittiki {Ratfolk}
Alchemist

Elf
Rogue {Thief}

Dwarf
Rogue {Ruffian}

Halfling
Fighter

Dwarf
Monk

Information for Players

The following handout (or article link) should be provided to players in advance of the game session:


To reduce or eliminate the need to delay play while looking up a rule or definition in the (rather extensive) rulebooks, the following article should be made available to players in electronic form. (The Gamemaster has similar information provided here in the side panel.

If you think you will be participating in this adventure as a player, you may wish to stop reading now!
Don't spoil the fun of discovery!

Maps

The following maps are used during the course of this adventure.

The Bugbear's Head Inn and its Environs (Players and GM)

The Inn is a two-story structure, with the common room and kitchens on the ground floor, and a number of rooms for travelers on the upper floor. There are a few large rooms, a number of double-occupancy rooms, and four rooms "community rooms", each with four individually rented beds (the cheapest accomodation possible).

The Stables have capacity for at least 12 horses (or other similar mounts), though up to 18 could be accomodated short term if necessary. There is also room to bring two wagons in out of the weather.

The Pinnman Home is the residence of Theodric and Branwyne Pinnman - the owners of the inn. Their four children: Ellabeth (server/entertainer), Ranulf (stable boy), Joline (child), and the youngest, Bartlebert also live there.

The Cabins are available for rent. Usually, they are rented by small groups (adventurers, for example) who wish to use the Inn as a base of operations for a time - long term rentals are available. They may also be used if all of the upper-floor regular rooms at the inn are booked. This happens once or twice a year (and this game session happens to be one of those times!) The three cabins to the south are large, have three rooms each, and can accomodate a party of six comfortably. The smaller cabins along the river are one-room, and can accomodate four comfortably.

The Oakbraid Home is the residence of the Dwarf Tugreth Oakbraid, his wife, and son. They run the smithy/forge that is adacent to the house and offer services to travelers.

The Knunkett Home is the residence of the two Gnomes that run the grain mill, and the brewery/distillery that supplies the Inn.

Not shown on the map, there are a few small vegetable and herb garden patches behind (south of) the large cabins. The home of the Halflings Agilbert (the gardener) and Clotilde Oldbuck (the cook) can be found there as well.

The Bugbear's Head Inn (Players and GM)

The Inn is a two-floor building. The entrance from the road is in the northeast (upper right) corner; a small vestibule has pegs on the walls for wet cloaks, heavy outer jackets, backpacks, and the like.

by DinosaurBob (DungeonFog)

The common room itself takes up the bulk of the ground floor. Two hearths are usually burning brightly on the east and west walls. Above the hearth on the west (left) wall, a mounted trophy head of a large bugbear is displayed. The inn's owner, Theodric Pinnman rescued Daphinia the Naiad (who lives in the nearby stream) from this very bugbear over 20 years ago. You will find Theodric behind the bar in the common room.

Two comfortable, stuffed leather easy chairs face the west hearth, but are often removed to make room for entertainers (musicians, typically) to perform on busy nights. You are told that on most nights, the Innkeeper's daughter, Ellabeth, provides this entertainment.

The kitchen is run by Clotilde Oldbuck, a Halfling woman. Night and day, the kitchen is the source of tempting aromas of fresh-baked bread, herb seasoned soups and stews, and perfectly roasted joints of meat.

At the extreme south, there is a kitchen storage area. Off the common room in the southeast corner are small storerooms for extra tables, chairs, tankards, and the like. Additional small tables and chairs can be brought out from these storage rooms in a pinch (and probably have for the evening when you arrive at the Inn.

A stairway near the back (south) exit of the Inn leads to the rentable rooms upstairs.

A Small Cabin at the Inn (Players and GM)

The cabins that run alongside Daphinia's Stream are designed to accomodate four persons, and are usually rented for periods of weeks to (occasionally) months by groups such as adventurers that plan on coming and going frequently. Typically, they are quieter and more private than the rooms on the Inn's upper floor as well.

The small cabins are single room affairs with four beds, four nightstands, and a central round table with four chairs. At the foot or side of each bed, there is a lockable chest as well where guests can store property securely. The keys to the four chests are provided when a cabin is rented. In a pinch, a fifth or even sixth bed can be moved into a cabin, but groups this large are usually better off in a larger cabin (if one is available).

As a nod to comfort for cold feet in the mornings, there is a small throw rug placed beside each bed as well. The fireplace provides warmth during colder periods of weather as well.

The Gremlin Lair

The actual underground lair is beneath the jumble of rocks on the right side of the map -- note the black entrance hole between the largest boulders.

The action will not take place inside the lair, however, so its configuration is not shown.

The party approaches the lair area by entering from the left side of the map.

The tree canopies are partially transparent so the branch structure is visible. The Gremlins - particularly the Mitflits - are capable of rapidly climbing the trees and dropping onto foes during combat. This can be a fun tactic that will make player characters think. The canopies themselves are not obstacles in any way to either players or gremlins - they are provided for aesthetic purposes only.

The Gamemaster has discretion as to whether or not tree trunks are obstacles that must be moved around. It is suggested that no more than one square be designated as the trunk. Most VTT systems allow "walls" to be erected to prevent movement or line of sight that can be used to facilitate managing this.