HITHER P57

When the domain of Prismeer was divided among the hags of the Hourglass Coven, Bavlorna Blightstraw transformed her portion into the
swamp now known as Hither. It is a foreboding place, one where daylight never fully penetrates the dank mist that hangs over the land, and
where cruel and mischievous bandits prey upon stranded and lost travelers. Hither is the realm of the present, where life and decay walk
hand in hand, and where creatures live in the moment, not concerned with history or repercussions.
Deep in Hither is Downfall, a shantytown built around an ancient well. Bullywugs occupy this settlement, which surrounds Bavlorna's ghastly
cottage.

Adventurers escape in one of Bavlorna Blightstraw's swamp gas balloons

RUNNING THIS CHAPTER P57

When the characters step through the magic mirror in the Witchlight Carnival's Hall of Illusions, they arrive in Hither.
Before your first game session in this place, follow these steps to make the players' experience as entertaining as possible:
Hither is ruled by a hag named Bavlorna Blightstraw, also known as Slack-jawed Lorna. Read her description and skim her stat block in
appendix B.

Read this chapter in its entirety.

Look over the map of Hither. Locations marked on the map are described later in the chapter.

LOST THINGS IN HITHER P57

:
 If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook, check the Story Tracker to see if Bavlorna Blightstraw has anything the characters want to
reclaim. When the characters enter Hither, anyone who had something stolen by Bavlorna gets the nagging sensation that it is somewhere
in this realm, though the character doesn't know where. The feeling fades when the character either regains what was lost or leaves Hither
without recovering it. The hag keeps stolen goodies in the mouth of a bronze frog statue in her cottage (see area B19).
When you and the players are ready to run this part of the adventure, begin your narration with the "Arrival in Hither" section and proceed
from there.

NAVIGATING HITHER P57

Using the map of Hither as a reference, describe nearby landmarks that the characters can see and allow the players to choose their own
destinations. Named locations on the map are described later in the chapter.
After stepping through the mirror in the Witchlight Carnival, the characters appear atop a broken bridge called the Queen's Way, which
overlooks Hither's vast swamp. After descending to ground level, they witness a balloon crash and encounter a band of singing brigands.

Characters who search for the crashed balloon find it hanging from the top of a leaning tower. Inside the balloon's basket is a caged faerie
dragon knight named Sir Talavar, who begs for the characters' aid. To free Sir Talavar from his magic cage, the characters might have to
travel to Telemy Hill in search of a goblin who has the key to the cage. In the course of their travels, they could find themselves on the
Brigands' Tollway, being bedeviled by a notorious brigand named Agdon Longscarf.
As the characters navigate the swamp, they might have one or more random encounters, as described in the "Random Encounters in Hither"
section.

GUIDE FROM HITHER TO THITHER P57

If the characters need a guide to Thither, they can find one in Downfall—home of Bavlorna Blightstraw and the bullywugs of the Soggy Court.
This guide is an animated scarecrow named Clapperclaw, who can guide characters from Hither to Thither and back to Hither. Clapperclaw
is encountered in area D5, but you can move the scarecrow elsewhere if the characters don't visit that location.

PRISMEER OVERVIEW P57

Prismeer was a single Feywild domain until the Hourglass Coven broke it into three splinter-realms: Hither (a vast swamp), Thither (an
ancient forest), and Yon (a stormy, mountainous landscape). The only way to restore Prismeer to its former state is to free the archfey
Zybilna, who is frozen in time and trapped in her palace, which sits at the point where Hither, Thither, and Yon used to be connected.
General information about Prismeer is presented in this chapter, since Hither is where the characters take their first steps in this fractured
Feywild domain.

The Domain of Prismeer

A DOMAIN DIVIDED P58

The poster map of Prismeer shows the Feywild domain divided into four sections: the splinter-realms of Hither, Thither, and Yon, and the
Palace of Heart's Desire. These fragments are partitioned off from one another and the rest of the Feywild by walls of shimmering, silvery
mist.
The hags of the Hourglass Coven and their minions can travel freely between Hither, Thither, Yon, and the Palace of Heart's Desire simply by
walking into or flying over the border mist, whereupon they are instantly transported to the border of whichever part of Prismeer contains
their intended destination. Most other creatures—including the characters—are forbidden from leaving one part of Prismeer and entering
:
 another. Upon reaching the edge of Hither, Thither, Yon, or the palace, they find all paths forward blocked by the mist, which disorients them
and sends them back the way they came. Those who try to fly above the mist never get where they intend to go, their destination always
appearing to be miles away.

The outer borders of Prismeer are blocked by similar walls of mist through which no creature can pass without Zybilna's consent (which she
can't give while frozen in time). Even the hags of the Hourglass Coven are bound by this restriction; they must use plane shift spells to leave
Prismeer or reenter it. Other creatures capable of casting the spell can do the same.

FRIENDLY GUIDES P58

In each of Prismeer's splinter-realms, the characters can find a guide—a disloyal minion of the Hourglass Coven—who is willing and able to
lead them from one splinter-realm to another. While in the company of one or more of these guides, the characters can move through the
mist separating Prismeer's splinter-realms without being turned back. These guides are as follows:
Clapperclaw, a child-sized scarecrow, lives in Hither and can safely guide creatures from Hither to Thither or vice versa. The characters
find Clapperclaw in Downfall (described later in this chapter).

Squirt, an animated oilcan, dwells in Thither and can safely guide creatures from Thither to Yon or vice versa. Squirt is described in
chapter 3.

Amidor, a swashbuckling dandelion, inhabits Yon and can safely guide creatures from Yon to Hither or vice versa. It also knows a route
to the Palace of Heart's Desire. See chapter 4 for more information about this guide.

The Palace of Heart's Desire can be glimpsed through veils of mist from certain vantage points in all three of Prismeer's splinter-realms. To
get to Zybilna's palace, the characters must secure the help of Amidor the dandelion or other creatures in Prismeer. To leave Prismeer
entirely, they need the help of Zybilna herself, as discussed in chapter 5.

RULES OF CONDUCT P58

Although Zybilna is indisposed, three of the rules she put into place when she created her Feywild domain continue to hold weight: the rule
of hospitality, the rule of ownership, and the rule of reciprocity. These three rules are common knowledge in Prismeer, and both natives and
visitors would do well to abide by them:

Rul
R
Rule
ule
e of
of Ho
Ho
Hospita
spital
spita lity.
ity. When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger enters your home, you are expected to be gracious and accommodating to
them until such time as they prove, by their words or actions, undeserving of such hospitality.

Rul
R
Rule
ule
e of
of O
Owne
Owners
wnershi
rshhip.
ip.
p. You must not steal from a friend, an enemy, or a stranger. To take something that doesn't belong to you without the
rightful owner's permission is a crime and an unforgivable breach of etiquette.

Rul
R
Rule
ule
e of
of Rec
Re
Reci
ciproc
i proc
procity.
ity. When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger offers you a gift, you are obliged to accept it and offer something of
comparable value (be it a gift or a service) in return. Such reciprocation need not happen immediately.

When Zybilna ruled Prismeer, few of her subjects dared to violate her rules. Those who did often disappeared without a trace. Now, with the
Hourglass Coven in charge, the rules remain in force, though the circumstances are different. The hags believe strongly in hospitality and
reciprocity, but they have a self-centered view of ownership—each claims ownership of everything in her realm. (For example, Bavlorna
Blightstraw considers herself the owner of Hither and everything in it.)
Also, the hags are far less inclined to punish those who break the rules than Zybilna was, and it's not even clear to other residents of
Prismeer when a rule has been broken. For example, brigands are able to take what they want from other folk without paying for it, and
nothing bad seems to happen to them as a result, but that fact alone is not enough to encourage most others to likewise break the rules—
for all they know, the brigands might be acting in the hags' interests.

If Zybilna were to return to power, strict enforcement of the rules would resume in a heartbeat, and brigands would be wise to take their
propensity for malfeasance elsewhere.

CHILDREN OF PRISMEER P60

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 In this chapter and in later chapters, the characters might encounter children who were lured to Prismeer from the Witchlight Carnival or
who stumbled into Zybilna's domain by other means. These children have been stuck in Prismeer long enough to forget about the worlds
they came from, yet they haven't aged much at all.

Zybilna's magic protects all children in Prismeer (but not creatures disguised as children). The hags of the Hourglass Coven are aware of
this magic and unable to dispel it. Any child in Prismeer who would take damage as a consequence of another creature's actions vanishes
in a burst of multicolored light and is spirited away to a safe corner of Prismeer, unharmed and unreachable from the domain's splinter-
realms or the palace, until Zybilna wills the child to return to her. Children sequestered in this fashion are beyond the reach of everyone else
and can't be located or scried upon using magic.

TRANSFORMING THE DOMAIN P60

Prismeer, like other Feywild domains, is shaped by the emotions of the creatures that inhabit it. Even creatures of little consequence can
transform the domain in minor ways as long as no other, more powerful force is exerting its influence. For example, flowers might wilt in the
presence of a goblin who is terribly unhappy. Similarly, a satyr's laughter might cause a smile to appear on the trunk of an inanimate tree
nearby. A more powerful creature, such as a hag, can reshape a larger portion of the domain to reflect their emotional state. An archfey is so
attuned to the Feywild that their emotions can suffuse an entire domain, overriding the emotional influence of all other creatures in it. From
that standpoint, Zybilna's dormancy enables other creatures to affect Prismeer more than they could if she were still active.
As the characters make their way across the splintered realms of Prismeer, any emotional outburst or change in mood they exhibit might be
accompanied by a minor reaction in the environment, which you can determine by choosing an entry that you like from the Domain
Transformation table or by rolling on the table to determine a random result. Not every emotion felt in Prismeer is worthy of a roll on the
table; you can save these effects for occasions when emotions are running high, to remind your players that the Feywild is not like the
Material Plane. Because these effects have no impact on the story, you can forgo using the table if you want.
If Zybilna is released from her temporal stasis, the ability of other creatures to alter her domain is suppressed until she is incapacitated,
killed, or no longer in Prismeer.

Domain
Domain Transformation
Transformation
dd88 Rea
Reacti
ction
ct ion
on to
to aa Posi
Po
Possitive
itive
tive EEm
Emo
mooti
tio
tioon
nn R
Re
Reeacti
ac
acti
tio
on
onn to
to aa Ne
Ne
N eg
ggati
ati
a tive
ve
ve Em
EEmo
moti
oti
tio
on
onn
1 Birds sing or crickets chirp merrily nearby. Wood creaks and groans nearby.
2 Flowers bloom or tasty mushrooms sprout nearby. Ugly weeds or thorny, flowerless vines sprout nearby.
3 Fireflies gather and dance nearby. Flies pester you.
4 An inanimate object nearby appears to smile. An inanimate object nearby appears to frown.
Clouds shaped like little hearts appear in the sky above A cloud above you takes the form of an old woman's sad
5
you. face.
6 A gentle breeze carries a sweet scent. A chill wind carries a rotten stench.
The croak of a nearby frog sounds an awful lot like "I love A nearby raven mocks you by imitating the sound of a
7
you." baby crying.
You find a golden acorn. If you bury it in the ground, an You find a golden acorn. If you bury it in the ground, a
8 awakened shrub that is friendly toward you instantly twig blight that is hostile toward you instantly sprouts
sprouts from the ground in that spot. from the ground in that spot.

DEATH IN PRISMEER P60

Whenever a creature—including a player character—dies in Prismeer, its death has a chance of triggering one of several magical effects put
in place by Zybilna. The effect is determined by rolling a d8 and referring to the Death Effects table.

Death
Death Effects
Effects
dd88 Effect
Effect
1 The creature's corpse turns to stone.
2 The creature's corpse decays at an accelerated rate, becoming nothing but bones after 1 minute.
3-6 No additional effect.
The creature's corpse is preserved for 10 days, as though affected by a gentle repose spell. While preserved in this
way, the corpse is encased in an opalescent film like the skin of a bubble. Any further damage to the corpse breaks
7
:
 the spell.
8 The creature instantly returns to life with 1 hit point, as though affected by a revivify spell.

FORAGING IN PRISMEER P61

Any character who spends at least 1 hour searching for drinkable water in Prismeer's wilderness can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival)
check. If the check succeeds, the character finds a natural spring that can provide as much fresh water as the party can carry.
Foraging for food is even easier. Any character who spends at least 1 hour foraging can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a
success, the character finds enough food to feed the party for 1 day. A character who exceeds the DC by 10 or more also finds one or more
edible Feywild treats, determined by rolling once on the Feywild Treats table.

Feywild
Feywild Treats
Treats
dd88 Treats
Treats
1 Three gingerbread cookies shaped like elves and stacked on a wooden plate
A minty, three-leaf clover (for the next 8 hours, any creature that eats a leaf plucked from the clover can
2
communicate telepathically with another creature up to 100 feet away that has eaten a similar clover leaf)
3 A delicious orange flower that whispers, "Eat me" (the flower's head is tart, while its stem is sweet)
A white and gray eldercap mushroom (any creature that eats more than half of the mushroom has its appearance
4
magically changed so that it looks like an aged version of itself for the next 24 hours)
5 A wisp of sweet, candied mist (similar in consistency and taste to cotton candy)
A brilliantly colored sunrise flower, which, when plucked, sheds light like a lantern for 8 hours (it also tastes like
6
spicy honey)
7 A small, flaky meat pie wrapped in a colorful cloth (the pie is hearty and delicious)
A gourd shaped like a plump little dragon (any creature that eats more than half of the gourd's innards gains 2d4 + 2
8
temporary hit points)

FEATURES OF HITHER P61

The portion of Prismeer known as Hither is an enormous swamp containing huge tangles of mangrove roots, expanses of thick marsh, and
mysterious sites half-sunk in the muck. Weird and haunting creatures call Hither home, and the land is dotted with old wells that belch out
and slurp up the sludgy water that saturates the land. At its heart, the hag Bavlorna Blightstraw makes her lair in Downfall.

Hither Player Version

FLUCTUATING SWAMP WATERS P61

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 Hither's fetid waters rise and fall sporadically. In minutes, neck-deep murk might recede to reveal a soggy landscape of squelching mud and
skeletal mangrove roots, but only until the waters ooze back into the swamp to fill it once again in an hour or three. The ebb and flow have a
supernatural origin: Hither is dotted with ancient stone wells, known as o'-wells, which drink up and spew out the swamp water (see "O'-
wells" below for more information).
The denizens of Hither are accustomed to the ever-changing water level, but newcomers might find it alarming at first and then perhaps
annoying. The water level changes whenever you want it to, taking 1d10 minutes to go from high to low or vice versa.

HIGH WATER FEATURES P61

Depth.
Depth.
Depth. The water's depth is 5 feet. Creatures that don't have a swimming speed move at half speed through the water.

VViisibi
i si bill ity.
ity. Visibility underwater is 10 feet.

LOW WATER FEATURES P61

Difficult
Difficult Terrain.
Terrain. The sticky mud of the exposed swamp bottom is difficult terrain.

M
Mud
ud PPits.
its. Characters marching across the swamp might blunder into swampy terrain that contains a pit of sucking mud. Whenever you
see fit to use this hazard, have the characters make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) group check. If the group check is successful, the
characters spot and avoid the hazard. On a failed check, the character who had the lowest check result sinks into a pit of sucking mud,
which is 10 feet deep (use the quicksand rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

O'-WELLS P61

These magic wells are scattered throughout Hither. Their builders and their original purpose have been long forgotten. In the days when
Zybilna ruled over her domain, the wells served as gathering places where Fey creatures bartered and shared gossip.
When the Hourglass Coven took over, Bavlorna corrupted the wells with her magic so that vile water burbled up to saturate Hither and
transform it into a festering swamp. Today, the wells fluctuate between spewing out the foul water and drinking it back in, such that the
landscape changes from a flooded marsh to a muddy morass at irregular intervals.
Each well is ringed by hewn stone, is 10 feet in diameter, and rises 3d10 feet above ground level. Each well is inhabited by 1d4 will-o'-wisps
that float up to greet new arrivals. These will-o'-wisps are chaotic good instead of evil. They are the spirits of creatures that drowned when
Bavlorna flooded their realm. Consequently, they both fear and shun the hag. The will-o'-wisps ask the characters to identify themselves and
state their intentions. If the characters express interest in undoing the damage wrought by Bavlorna, the will-o'-wisps are cheerful at the
prospect of Bavlorna's ruin. They are unable to move more than a few hundred yards from their well, but they're eager to help strangers who
are willing and able to avenge them. These will-o'-wisps have the following additional action option, which they use to grant boons to those
who promise to oppose Bavlorna:

Magic
Magic Boon
Boon (Recharges
(Recharges after
after aa Long
Long Rest).
Rest). The will-o'-wisp grants a boon to one creature it can see within 5 feet of it
that isn't an Undead. The boon's recipient gains a d4 and can, at any time within the next 24 hours, roll this die and add the
number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw made by it. No creature can have more than one of these magic
boons at a time.

ARRIVAL IN HITHER P62

When the characters first arrive in Hither, read the following boxed text aloud:

You stand at the edge of a raised and broken causeway under a hazy, twilit sky. The causeway, which is built from pale stones
that glow faintly from within, towers over the surrounding landscape, but large sections of it have crumbled away. The parts
that remain in place are separated by large gaps where portions have collapsed.
A fog-shrouded swamp spreads out below you in all directions, and up from its murk wafts the smell of rotting plants. Also
rising from the swamp is the music of nature—a discordant symphony of croaking frogs and singing birds.
:
 The characters are on an isolated section of the Queen's Way (shown on the accompanying map of Hither), which once was an elevated
highway leading to and from the Palace of Heart's Desire. Since Zybilna became frozen in time, the Queen's Way has gradually fallen apart
so that only sections of it now remain standing.

The highway is 20 feet wide and 100 feet above the swamp. The section supporting the characters is west of Slanty Tower on the map.
Large, colorful shelf mushrooms cling to the lower half of each support pillar. The marshland surrounding the pillars is hidden under a 10-
foot-thick blanket of fog that heavily obscures all creatures inside it.
Handholds and footholds carved into each pillar lead down to the mushrooms. Characters can use the handholds, footholds, and shelf
mushrooms to descend a pillar safely, or they can accomplish the same feat using climbing gear (no ability checks required in either case).
Feather fall, spider climb, and similar spells also enable characters to reach the ground safely. Any character who tries to climb a pillar
without using handholds, footholds, climbing gear, or magic must succeed on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check or fall, taking damage as
normal.

BALLOON CRASH P62

Before the characters descend from their perch on the Queen's Way, the one with the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score notices
something:

In the distant sky, you spot a great balloon made of patchwork material. It spins out of control as though punctured, causing the
wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. The balloon plunges out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a
mile away.

The doomed balloon crashes into Slanty Tower, which the characters can't see through the fog and haze. See "The Calamitous Flight of Sir
Talavar and Wigglewog" later in the chapter for a description of the balloon and its passengers.

REACHING THE BOTTOM P62

The swamp beneath the Queen's Way is presently at a low water level (see "Fluctuating Swamp Waters" earlier in the chapter). As the last
character reaches the marshy ground, a giant crane (use the pteranodon stat block) previously hidden by the fog emerges and takes flight.
The giant crane poses no threat, but its sudden movement alerts a band of brigands lurking nearby.
After the giant crane flies off, read the following boxed text aloud:

Sticky mud squelches beneath your feet. Tangled mangroves grow out of pools of rippling water, half hidden by the thick fog,
and purple mushrooms cling to rotting logs and stumps scattered throughout the marsh. Crickets that glow like fireflies chirp
serenely before they're snatched out of the air by the tongues of hungry frogs.
Coming from one direction are several voices joined in a marching song. The singing grows louder as six bipedal rabbits
wearing clothing emerge from the fog. Two of them tug at the reins of a giant snail, and the others carry clubs and slings.

The singing harefolk are six harengon brigands (see appendix C) who delight in thievery but avoid killing. Their marching song is dedicated
to their notorious captain, Agdon Longscarf, whom the characters might encounter later in the chapter. The harengons' song is as follows:

With sticks and stones, we'll break your nose;

We'll beat you blind and steal your clothes.
But none among us can compare
To one wily, swift, and stand-up hare—
Scarf that's glorious, thief notorious,
His deeds are truly meritorious!With a wink and a grin, he'll show his cunning;
A flash of his scarf, he'll take off running.
Quick as a bolt, his long scarf trailing,
Gasping, grasping, you'll end up flailing.
You'll pout, you'll moan, you'll huff, you'll sneer;
Thanks to Agdon Longscarf, brigand prince of Prismeer!
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 Four of the brigands have their weapons drawn, and the other two browbeat their pack animal, a giant snail (see appendix C). The snail is
hostile toward its keepers and indifferent toward other creatures. Characters who participated in the Witchlight Carnival's snail race (see
chapter 1) have advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks made to win over the giant snail, turning it into a friendly ally.

ROLEPLAYING THE BRIGANDS P64

If the characters don't attack immediately, one of the brigands with weapons drawn signals the others to stop singing with a wave of her
hand. She introduces herself as Jebbek, and she says to the characters, "This is a robbery. If you resist, we'll beat you black and blue."

Jebbek has no interest in treasure. She demands that each character surrender the feeling of delight they remember from when they were
given the best gift they ever received. Jebbek produces a stoppered gourd that can hold these memories. The stopper sports a golden knob,
and any character who voluntarily touches the knob while Jebbek is holding the gourd loses the memory Jebbek wants to steal, as it is
siphoned away and trapped in the gourd. (Give each player a minute or so to think about what the character's memory could be and then to
note it on their character sheet, as a matter of record.) Removing the stopper releases all memories trapped inside the gourd, whereupon
they return to their original owners.
If all the characters comply, the harengons leave with the gourd full of happy memories, saying that "Agdon Longscarf is much obliged." If
one or more characters refuse to give up their cherished memories, the brigands threaten the characters with a beating. At this time, the
characters can make a DC 13 Charisma (Intimidation) group check. If the group check succeeds, the brigands are cowed by the characters'
resolve and retreat into the swamp rather than risk getting whomped by the party. On a failed check, the harengons try to beat the
characters unconscious and steal their weapons, though they flee if the fight turns against them.

Jebbek's gourd was a gift to Agdon Longscarf from Bavlorna Blightstraw. Although any creature can plug or unplug the gourd's stopper, only
Agdon or another creature he designates (in this case, Jebbek) can use the gourd to trap memories.

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN HITHER P64

Use random encounters to bring the swamp to life or to present the characters with more opportunities to interact with the setting. You can
also use random encounters to convey information that the players might have missed earlier in the story.
A random encounter occurs whenever you want one to. To determine what the characters find, roll a d8 and consult the Random Encounters
in Hither table. If you roll on the table, get the same result as a previous roll, and don't like the repetition, choose a different encounter that
you think would be fun.

Random
Random Encounters
Encounters in
in Hither
Hither
dd88 Encounter
Encounter
1 Abandoned raft
2 Gushing o'-well
3 Inn at the End of the Road
4 Marsh gas
5 Mud mephits
6 Stilt walkers
7 Stream of visions
8 Waterlogged battlefield

ABANDONED RAFT P64

The characters find an abandoned, 8-foot-square wooden raft that can support up to 1,200 pounds. The characters need a 10-foot pole or
similar tool to guide the raft across the water. When the water level of the swamp is at its lowest, the raft gets stuck in the mud and won't
budge unless it is carried or dragged. It weighs 300 pounds.

GUSHING O'-WELL P64

The characters hear the rush of water in the distance. If they investigate, they come to an o'-well that is 10 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. A
steady geyser of water shoots from the well, rising to a height of 30 feet above the well. Characters who have a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 13 or higher see 1d4 Feywild trinkets bobbing in the water at the top of the geyser. (Roll on the Feywild Trinkets table
in the introduction to determine each one in turn.) For each trinket, one invisible will-o'-wisp hovers within 5 feet of the geyser.
:
 The geyser is powerful enough to lift up to 300 pounds into the air, and the flow of water can be stopped if the well is covered by something
weighing more than 300 pounds. If the water is prevented from erupting, anything being lifted by the geyser plummets to the ground within
5 feet of the base of the well.

The will-o'-wisps are the spirits of creatures who owned the trinkets in life. If a character tries to take one or more of the trinkets, the will-o'-
wisps turn visible, accuse the character of being a dishonorable thief, and insist that the stolen items be returned to the well at once. The
will-o'-wisps will also accept a different trinket as payment for one that was stolen. They attack if the character fails to return the stolen
trinkets or provide worthy substitutes.

The Inn at the End of the Road

INN AT THE END OF THE ROAD P65

The Inn at the End of the Road is the only inn in Hither. It crawls through the swamp on fleshy legs and has a walking speed of 30 feet. Its
movement is not reduced by swampy terrain or water up to 10 feet deep. It crosses the characters' path as they make their way through the
swamp. Every mile, the inn stops for 10 minutes and lowers itself so that guests can enter or exit without risking injury.
The inn follows an unpredictable course through the swamp. When Prismeer was whole, the inn could travel anywhere in Zybilna's domain.
Now that Prismeer is splintered, the inn can't leave Hither.

The inn is a squat, three-story structure with a slate-shingled roof and worm-eaten wood walls. Dozens of tiny orbs of pale light buzz about
the exterior like flies. The structure rocks and heaves while in motion, but these movements cannot be perceived from inside the inn.
As the inn passes by the characters, they catch the smell of hearty stew wafting from its open windows and see smoke rising in cottony
puffs from its stone chimney.
For the inn's interior, use the inn map in appendix C of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Innkeeper.
Innkeeper. Tsu Harabax, an elderly female human druid (neutral), has been running the Inn at the End of the Road by herself since before
the Hourglass Coven seized control of Prismeer. She has heard rumors that Zybilna is trapped in her palace, but she doesn't know any
details. Tsu would love to see Zybilna restored to power, if only so she can escape the swampy morass of Hither.

Tsu despises Bavlorna. If the characters mention the hag or the Hourglass Coven, the druid spits and mutters, "In Zybilna's time, this inn was
the talk of Prismeer." She speaks about Zybilna reverently, though her tone remains morose.
Staying
Staying at
at the
the Inn.
Inn. Tsu offers free beds, hot meals, and slices of delicious plum pie to her guests, but the rule of reciprocity dictates that
:
 guests repay her kindness (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter). If the characters aren't sure what to give her, Tsu says, "Any old
trinket will do." If the characters promise to do everything possible to restore Zybilna to power, Tsu considers that recompense enough.

MARSH GAS P66

One of the hazards of Hither is marsh gas, which erupts from iridescent bubbles in the muck. When a bubble touches something edged,
such as a twig or a blade of grass, it pops, releasing its gas with a sound of stifled laughter. The gas smells like old cheese.
As the characters cross the swamp, they encounter a field of marsh gas bubbles and must make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) group check. If
the group check is successful, the characters avoid popping any of the bubbles as they wade through the field. On a failed check, a bubble
bursts within 10 feet of the character who had the lowest check result, perhaps catching other nearby characters in its area at your
discretion.
Anyone within 10 feet of a bursting bubble must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer the gas's magical effect for 1 hour.
Roll on the Marsh Gas table below to determine the effect.

Marsh
Marsh Gas
Gas
dd88 GGas
as Ty
Type
pe
Babble Gas. Whenever the character speaks, their words come out as gibberish that only the character and others
1-3 affected by the gas can understand. This effect does not impede the character's ability to cast spells that have
verbal components.
Hiccupping Gas. The character experiences a most annoying case of the hiccups. To cast a spell that has a verbal
4-5 component, the character must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check. Also, the character has disadvantage on
Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.
Warting Gas. Hideous warts erupt across the character's body. The warts are unattractive but have no harmful
6-7
effect.
Bittertongue Gas. A foul taste fills the character's mouth, and everything the character eats or drinks tastes awful.
8
Slugs appear to be the only exception; they taste like ripe cherries.

MUD MEPHITS P66

This encounter can occur when the swamp's water level is low. Five mud mephits emerge from the muck around the characters and
threaten to drag them down into it unless they can guess the mephits' favorite food. The answer, of course, is mud pie. Each character gets
one guess. If a character guesses correctly, the mephits cackle maniacally, dive back under the muck, and disappear. If no character
guesses correctly, one mephit blurts out the answer as they attack. If two or more mephits are killed in the ensuing fracas, the rest dive into
the muck on their next turn and disappear.

STILT WALKERS P66

This encounter takes place in a mist-veiled field of tall swamp grass dotted with clusters of cattails. It begins when the characters hear
rustling in the vegetation ahead of them. The sound foreshadows the arrival of six Humanoid creatures on stilts. The stilts allow these
creatures to move more easily through the muck and to stay above the water. Their walking speed on stilts is 30 feet, and this movement is
not reduced by mud or water.
:
 Stilt Walker
As the stilt walkers advance, the characters recognize them as six hobgoblins (lawful neutral) who are wearing patchwork rags and furs (AC
12). Strapped to the back of each stilt walker is a wire cage padded with straw and filled with 1d20 eggs of various sizes and colors. These
hobgoblins scour the swamp for the eggs of reptiles and birds, which they either eat or trade to the bullywugs of the Soggy Court (described
later in the chapter). The hobgoblins are not violent toward strangers.

If they are left alone, the stilt walkers pass by the characters without so much as a greeting. If the characters try to communicate, the stilt
walkers stop and regard them silently for a moment before prompting them to continue. If asked about what they're doing, the stilt walkers
explain (in Goblin or, if necessary, in Common) that they are gathering eggs for trading in Downfall. They know in which direction Downfall is
located and share that information freely. If the characters attack the stilt walkers, the hobgoblins flee.

STREAM OF VISIONS P67

When the water level of the swamp is low, the characters chance upon a 10-foot-wide stream. Unknown to them, the stream flows from
Downfall, and any character who looks into the water's reflective surface catches a glimpse of an event transpiring in Downfall at that very
moment. Each character who looks might see something different. Roll a d8 and consult the Stream of Visions table to determine what
each character sees. Each character can receive only one such vision.

Stream
Stream of
of Visions
Visions
dd88 SScceene
ne
A headless, child-sized scarecrow with metal lobster claws for hands tries on some new heads, including an upside-
1
down wooden bucket and a withered head of cabbage. It decides on a large gourd.
A bullywug bedecked in the trappings of a monarch constantly adjusts his ill-fitting crown of lily blossoms while
2
leafing through a large tome spread across his lap.
A hag with toad-like features relaxes in a pool of water while miniature versions of her ladle the water and pour it
3
over her head and shoulders.
A tall, thin figure wearing a pointy black hat and a hooded black cloak climbs a rickety staircase leading up to a
4 large, ramshackle house built on stilts. As the figure approaches the house, their shadow seems to detach from
:
 their body, move across the walls of the house, and crawl through an open window.
5 A satyr whistles to himself as he reclines in a metal cage that dangles off the end of a boom over a lake.
A short, mean-looking old woman wearing a crimson cap, a leather apron, and iron boots uses a cleaver to chop
6
meat in a drab kitchen.
7 Two merrow swim past each other in murky water.
8 Rows upon rows of severed bullywug heads, all impaled on spikes, chatter at each other.

WATERLOGGED BATTLEFIELD P67

The characters come upon a bog that was the site of a battle between elves and fomorians long ago. The area is littered with rusted and
broken weapons and armor, along with the bones of the dead. If the characters enter the area, two suits of animated armor stand up from
the detritus. The suits are clearly of elven design, their helmets shaped like stylized owl heads. Both suits are 20 feet away from the party at
the start of the encounter.
Each suit of animated armor mimics the movements of the character closest to it. For example, if the character closest to a suit of armor
swings a sword, the armor makes a similar gesture, though it wields no weapons. If the character casts a spell, the suit uses its action to
mimic the somatic component of casting a spell on its next turn, though it lacks the ability to cast spells. If one or both suits are attacked,
they stop mimicking the characters and defend themselves. Otherwise, they are harmless. They can't leave the battlefield.
A suit becomes inanimate and collapses in a heap if its helmet is removed, if it is reduced to 0 hit points, or if the characters leave the area.
Removing a suit's helmet while the armor is animated requires an action and a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.

LOCATIONS IN HITHER P67

The following encounters are tied to locations marked on the map of Hither. Move these locations as needed to put them in the characters'
path, and chalk up any discrepancy with the map to the shifty nature of the Feywild. (The Feywild is known to play tricks on travelers,
redirecting them without their knowledge to places they are meant to go. Consequently, the characters might think they're heading toward
one part of Hither, only to find themselves arriving somewhere else.) Ideally, you should run all three encounters in the following order
before the characters arrive at Downfall:
Slanty
Slanty Tower.
Tower. The characters encounter a native of the Feywild but an outsider to Prismeer: Sir Talavar, a gallant faerie dragon knight in
the service of the Summer Queen. From Sir Talavar, the characters learn that Zybilna has been overthrown by the hags of the Hourglass
Coven.
Telemy
Telemy Hill.
Hill. This encounter serves as a cautionary tale, warning the characters about what becomes of those who are too cavalier about
bargains made with a hag. The characters meet a goblin named Jingle Jangle, who has an obsession for collecting keys.
Brigands'
Brigands' Tollway.
Tollway. The last of these encounters is with a native of Prismeer who remembers what the domain was like before the
Hourglass Coven shattered it. Agdon Longscarf, a nefarious bandit leader, can tell the characters how to reach Downfall if they get the
better of him.

SLANTY TOWER P68

Characters might travel to Slanty Tower because they headed in that direction after one of them saw the balloon crash shortly after their
arrival. Otherwise, they stumble across this location while exploring. The tower tilts severely to one side, kept from falling over by magic.
When the characters arrive, read:

A crumbling stone tower rises out of the swamp, leaning at such an angle that it threatens to keel over. Black brambles
surround the base of the tower and cling to its lower half. Hanging from the crenellations on the lower side of the tower's peak
is a large woven basket at the end of a tangle of ropes and tattered fabric. The basket dangles thirty feet above the surface of
the swamp.

The leaning tower is 50 feet tall and 20 feet in diameter, with an open door at the bottom on the side opposite where the basket is hanging.
The interior of the tower is empty except for a flight of stairs that spirals up the inside wall to an opening in the ceiling that leads to the
crenellated roof.
:
 Black brambles cover the ground within 30 feet of the tower, clustering in a dense patch around the open doorway. These brambles are
difficult terrain. Each 5-foot-square section has AC 11, 15 hit points, immunity to psychic damage, and vulnerability to fire damage.

PLEA FOR HELP P68

As the characters approach the edge of the bramble patch, they hear a whispered voice say in Common, "Psst. You there, I need your help."
The whisper comes from the basket that dangles from the top of the tower. If a character responds with anything louder than a whisper, a
quick "Shush!" cuts them off. The voice belongs to Sir Talavar, who quietly explains his predicament:

"I'm in a bit of a bind, as you can observe. I, Sir Talavar, as one of the Summer Queen's loyal servants, ask that you free me. You
see, I was in the midst of a daring escape from the vile Bavlorna Blightstraw when our balloon was set upon by an ill wind and
sent plummeting to its current unfortunate location. My pilot, the honorable Wigglewog, did not survive. I've been trapped up
here for a while now. Help me. I must tell my queen of the fall of Prismeer!"

If the characters speak in raised voices, Sir Talavar shushes them again. If asked why it's important to remain quiet, he says:

"Two serpents are asleep in the brambles, just outside the tower door. If you awaken them, they might put the squeeze on you,
or worse, devour me."

See "Snakes" below for more information about the two serpents.
The characters can't see Sir Talavar from the ground, because he is locked in a birdcage inside the basket that dangles from the tower's
peak. Characters on the roof of the tower can look down into the basket and see the corpse of Wigglewog, the balloon's bullywug pilot, who
died in the crash. At the bottom of the basket, a silver birdcage lies on its side with Sir Talavar inside. He is a violet faerie dragon who
speaks Common, Draconic, Elvish, and Sylvan. Sir Talavar carries a magic sword and has the following additional action option:

+1
+1 Tiny
Tiny Sword.
Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d4 + 6) piercing damage.

A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic around the birdcage. While Sir Talavar is in it, he can't cast spells, but he can use
his Euphoria Breath. The cage is locked and can't be destroyed, and its lock can't be picked. A knock spell or similar magic opens it,
however.

TTHHHEEE CCAAALLLAAAM
M
MIIITTTO
O
OUUSSS F
U FLLLIIIGGGHHHTTT OOOFFF SSIIIRRR TTAAALLLAVA
AVA
AVARRR A
A
ANN
NDDW
D WIIIGGGGGGLLLEEEW
W
WOO
OGG
G P69

Prior to the events of this adventure, Sir Talavar, a noble faerie dragon and emissary of Titania the Summer Queen, traveled to
Prismeer to persuade Zybilna to ally with the Seelie Court against its hated enemies, the fomorians. Sir Talavar soon discovered
that Prismeer had been seized by the hags of the Hourglass Coven. Before he could return with news of their treachery, Bavlorna
trapped him in an enchanted silver birdcage that inhibits his magic.
A sympathetic bullywug named Wigglewog stole Sir Talavar's cage and fled with it in one of Bavlorna's balloons. Soon after, the
balloon was attacked by a malicious wind (air elemental) that sent it careening into an ancient, crumbling tower in the middle of
Hither's swamp. The bullywug died in the crash, and Sir Talavar (still in his cage) has been stranded since then in the dangling
wreckage of the balloon.
A pair of serpents in Bavlorna's service caught up to the balloon, but they are too lazy to climb up the tower to reach it. They
have since fallen asleep near the base of the tower.
:
 Sir Talavar

ROLEPLAYING SIR TALAVAR P69

Sir Talavar is a knight-errant of the Seelie Court and a loyal vassal of the Summer Queen. Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Sir
Talavar.
The faerie dragon has an upbeat demeanor and is a strict observer of noble etiquette and courtesies. He knows the way to Downfall and
can point characters in the right direction. He can also impart the following useful information:
Bavlorna Blightstraw lives in a spooky cottage on stilts at the heart of Downfall, a bullywug settlement. The bullywugs of Downfall are
quite courteous and welcoming, provided one does not offend them.

Bavlorna has the ability to conjure minions that look like tiny versions of herself.

Bavlorna has two sisters whom she loathes. Together, the three hags form the Hourglass Coven. Using an artifact called Iggwilv's
Cauldron, the coven has frozen time in Zybilna's palace, trapping the archfey inside.

A goblin named Jingle Jangle has the key to Sir Talavar's birdcage. She lives atop Telemy Hill, not too far from Slanty Tower.

Sir Talavar explains that he must be set free so that he can return to his queen and report the news that Zybilna has been overthrown by the
Hourglass Coven.
If the characters are unable to open the birdcage on their own, Sir Talavar asks them to get the key from Jingle Jangle, offering them his
magic sword in return for his release (see "Development" below).

SNAKES P69

Outside the tower, about 10 feet from the door, two giant constrictor snakes lie together, asleep. Characters who have a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 15 or higher spot the snakes, which can move through the brambles with no reduction to their speed.
:
 Characters can converse with the snakes using a speak with animals spell or similar magic. In the course of any such conversation, a
character can try to change the snakes' attitude from hostile to indifferent, doing so with a successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check.
If the snakes are made to feel indifferent, they give up their mission and slither away.

DEVELOPMENT P69

If the characters free him from his cage, Sir Talavar gifts them with his tiny sword, which functions as a +1 dagger in the hands of a Small or
Medium creature. He then bids them a fond farewell, adding, "Your valor will not be forgotten!" He then flies away. As a show of her favor,
after hearing Sir Talavar's story, the Summer Queen leaves a gift for the characters on the threshold of the Palace of Heart's Desire (see
chapter 5). Note this gift on the Story Tracker.
If the characters don't save Sir Talavar, one of the frayed ropes suspending the basket snaps after a few hours, causing it to tip enough that
Sir Talavar's birdcage tumbles out and falls to the ground, where it is either swallowed by one of Bavlorna's snakes or found by harengon
brigands. In either event, Sir Talavar is returned to Downfall and handed over to Bavlorna, in which case the characters can find him in area
B5, still locked in the silver birdcage.

TELEMY HILL P70

The characters might come here after their meeting with Sir Talavar, hoping to obtain the key that will free the faerie dragon from his magic
birdcage. If the characters ignored Sir Talavar or failed to release him from his cage, Telemy Hill is merely the next stop on their journey.
Telemy Hill is an ancient fey entity, a sentient hill that travels throughout the Feywild and even to the Material Plane at times. The wandering
hill interacts with others by way of the ancient willow trees that grow on its slopes.

Some time ago, a key-collecting goblin named Jingle Jangle took residence atop Telemy Hill. The goblin and the hill became fast friends.
Three days ago, while searching the swamp for truffles, Jingle Jangle was ambushed and roughed up by brigands. She suffered no
permanent damage but has been convalescing in her den since the attack. Telemy Hill is worried for its friend and hopes the characters can
cheer up the goblin, perhaps by bringing her something to eat or drink.

ARRIVAL AT TELEMY HILL P70

Telemy Hill is skirted in mist. When the characters pass through the mist and see the hill for the first time, read:

You are greeted by the scent of sweet-smelling fruit. Damp, downy, silvery-green moss blankets a gentle upward slope before
giving way to a craggy ridge that marks the top of the hill. Dozens of enormous willow trees dot the hillside, swaying as though
in a breeze despite the absence of one.

Telemy Hill is approximately half a square mile wide. A narrow game trail leads to Jingle Jangle's den at the pinnacle of the hill. The willows
that grow on the hill are awakened trees that speak Common in low, rumbling voices. Telemy Hill uses the trees to communicate, rather than
speaking itself.
As the characters move up the hill, 1d4 + 1 awakened trees approach them, stopping when the two groups are 10 feet apart. One of them
welcomes the characters to Telemy Hill and asks how long they plan to stay.
If asked about Jingle Jangle, the awakened trees share the following information:
Jingle Jangle is friendly. She collects keys and talks about them endlessly.

She wears a coat of keys that jingle and jangle when she walks—hence her name.

Three days ago, while rooting through the swamp for truffles, she was attacked and robbed by brigands. She hasn't left her hilltop den
since returning to the hill and must be pretty hungry by now.

If the characters are hostile, the trees do what they can to drive the invaders off the hill. If the trees are not met with violence, they shepherd
the characters up the hill to Jingle Jangle's den, waving them on with their branches. Characters who stray from the path are met by 1d6
additional awakened trees. These trees don't attack but join in coaxing the characters up the hill.
At the top of the hill, the characters find Jingle Jangle's den: a cave with an entryway shaped like a keyhole.

OBTAINING THE SILVER KEY P70

If one or more characters enter Jingle Jangle's den on the hilltop, read:
:
 Worn stone steps lead down into what feels like a cellar. It's chilly in here, and you detect a subtle scent of iron in the air. From a
distant spot within the chamber, sputtering candles illuminate a multitude of keys dangling from taut strings that crisscross the
walls. Hundreds of other keys lie strewn across the dirt floor.

As you take in the scene, you hear the sound of keys jingling as a goblin emerges from the dimness. She wears a coat lined
with metal keys and carries a flail that has padlocks for heads. She manages a faint smile and says, "How might Jingle Jangle
unlock a bit of happiness in your lives today?"

The oval-shaped den is 20 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 6 feet tall, with a smaller chamber at the back where Jingle Jangle sleeps.
Jingle Jangle is a goblin (chaotic good) who refers to herself in the third person. Replace her normal weapon attacks with the following
action option:

Flail
Flail of
of Locks.
Locks. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (3d4) bludgeoning damage.

One of the keys in Jingle Jangle's collection is the silver key that unlocks Sir Talavar's birdcage. If the characters want this key, Jingle Jangle
offers it freely, saying, "Better you should have it than those long-eared brigands. First they stole Jingle Jangle's truffles. Next, they'll want
Jingle Jangle's keys. Someone ought to give them a good shaking down so they know what it feels like!"
Jingle Jangle's obsession with keys serves as a cautionary tale for those who would enter into a bargain with Bavlorna Blightstraw. The
goblin once sought the hag's help in a desperate attempt to undo what she thought was a terrible curse: wherever Jingle Jangle went, she
felt a tormenting fear of being caught on the wrong side of a locked door. When she appealed to Bavlorna for aid, the hag removed the
goblin's ability to perceive that fear and replaced it with an insatiable and overwhelming need to collect keys. So great is this obsession that
Jingle Jangle has lost her own sense of self and now refers to herself only in the third person.
Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Jingle Jangle.

JINGLE JANGLE'S TALE OF WOE P71

If the characters seem interested in hearing more about her recent altercation, or if they want to offer reciprocation for her gift of the silver
key, Jingle Jangle reveals the following information:

"Jingle Jangle was digging for truffles in the swamp when a bunch of harengons leapt out from behind the reeds and
shrubbery. They took Jingle Jangle's truffles, threw Jingle Jangle down in the mud, and whacked Jingle Jangle with their
wooden clubs."
:
 Jingle Jangle
Jingle Jangle knows that Telemy Hill is well defended, so she's not concerned about her own well-being at the moment. However, she
happily accepts any or all of the following as payment for the key to Sir Talavar's cage:
A bag of truffles or some other tasty snack

A thirst-quenching beverage

A solemn vow to avenge the abuse Jingle Jangle suffered at the hands of the harengon brigands

If the characters raise her spirits by offering her food, drink, or the promise of revenge, Jingle Jangle imparts the following useful
information:
Agdon Longscarf is the leader of the harengon brigands. He wears a bright blue scarf and moves as fast as lightning. Characters who
head toward Brigands' Tollway might encounter him there.

Brigands' Tollway is a series of old wooden catwalks that circle a giant tree stump. The brigands camp atop the stump because it
gives them the advantage of high ground.

The best guide in Hither is a pincer-clawed scarecrow named Clapperclaw. It hangs around Downfall and knows the way to the
neighboring realm of Thither, which is ruled by a hag named Granny Nightshade.

LEAVING TELEMY HILL P71

The outcome of the characters' interaction with Jingle Jangle influences how Telemy Hill regards them.
Helping
Helping Jingle
Jingle Jangle.
Jangle. If the characters lift Jingle Jangle's spirits, Telemy Hill is delighted. The awakened trees dance around the
characters in appreciation, and one of them gives the characters an iron key that Jingle Jangle dropped in the dirt. The tree mysteriously
claims the key will be useful later on (see area B19 of Bavlorna's cottage).
Harming
Harming Jingle
Jingle Jangle.
Jangle. If the characters harm Jingle Jangle, Telemy Hill commands 1d4 awakened trees to attack the characters as
:
 they emerge from the goblin's den. Whenever a tree is felled, another arrives to take its place until ten trees are killed, at which point Telemy
Hill gives up the fight.

BRIGANDS' TOLLWAY P71

The Brigands' Tollway is the headquarters of Agdon Longscarf and his gang of harengon brigands. It is also where the brigands collect tolls
from travelers trying to reach Downfall. The brigands' base is located on an enormous tree stump, 80 feet in diameter and 30 feet above the
surface of the bog. Crisscrossing causeways of wooden planks converge on the stump, bringing travelers toward the brigands from all
directions.

Agdon Longscarf, the Most Notorious Brigand in Prismeer

APPROACHING THE TOLLWAY P72

A foggy marsh stretches out before you. Rickety causeways made of wooden planks form a wide, web-like structure above the
bog. Three hundred feet away, many of these causeways converge on an enormous, ivy-covered tree stump that rises a good
ten feet above the twenty-foot-high fog bank that enshrouds it.

The wooden causeways are 5 feet wide and in poor shape. Characters who walk across the planks are assumed to be taking care to avoid
unsafe areas. If a character runs across the planks, roll a d8 at the end of the character's turn. On a 7 or 8, part of the causeway falls away
beneath the character, who must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling off the plank and into the bog. While prone in
the muck, the character is restrained. A character can use an action to try to free itself or another creature from the muck, doing so with a
successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.

MOST NOTORIOUS BRIGAND IN PRISMEER P72

As the characters make their way along one of the causeways, the character who has the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score
notices something:

An odd feeling suddenly comes over you as you become aware that somewhere along the way, a hunched, hooded figure has
joined the group.
:
 The figure is a notorious harengon brigand named Agdon Longscarf (see the accompanying stat block), who snuck in among the characters
for a laugh. He casts off his cloak with a flourish, revealing his 15-foot-long, bright blue scarf. He holds a hot branding iron in one hand and a
small round shield in the other.

As Agdon throws off his cloak, the sound of a bagpipe erupts from somewhere up ahead. After a few notes, the characters recognize it as
the song sung by the harengon brigands they met earlier (see "Arrival in Hither"). Agdon sings the song as he takes off at a run, a wide grin
on his rabbit face as he bounds from one plank to another in a circle around the party. He and his fellow harengons know the causeways
well enough to avoid sections that are too weak to support their weight.
Agdon is backed up by two skiffs, each one containing three harengon brigands and a harengon sniper (see appendix C for their stat
blocks). The skiffs come from the direction of the giant tree stump. They emerge from the fog and become visible when they are 20 feet
away. Each skiff has two rowers, a lookout (the sniper), and a bagpiper. The brigands spring onto nearby causeways, advance to melee
range, and try to knock out characters and rob them without killing anyone, while the snipers stay in the skiffs. Any character rendered
unconscious by the brigands is stable at 0 hit points.

DEALING WITH AGDON P73

In days gone by, Agdon Longscarf made a name for himself as he and his band of miscreants menaced travelers throughout various Feywild
domains. It was in Prismeer, however, that Agdon's antics came to an end by Zybilna's hand. As punishment for his offenses, the archfey
demanded that Agdon give up his beloved scarf. When he refused, Zybilna cursed him so that he would never be able to remove it. She then
pinned the scarf to a young sapling with a magic nail made of gold and iron, and she bade the tree grow until its branches raked the clouds.
Agdon was thus carried into the sky, where he was stranded for a long time.
The arrival of the Hourglass Coven signaled a reversal of Agdon Longscarf's fortunes. With Zybilna trapped in temporal stasis, Agdon's loyal
gang was able to chop down his tree prison. But his scarf remained pinned to the felled trunk, and him with it, until Bavlorna struck a deal
with him—she agreed to remove the nail and free the scarf in exchange for the best prize from each of his raids thereafter.

Agdon's scarf is a bright blue length of cloth that he claims was woven from lightning bolts he stole right out from under a dark cloud. The
scarf can't be removed, even if Agdon dies. His branding iron functions for him alone, and it ceases to be hot when it leaves his hand. The
brand it makes is shaped like three bounding rabbits connected nose to tail, forming a triangle.
The brigand leader is cocky and boastful. Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Agdon Longscarf.
Aided by the magic of his scarf, he darts among the characters, using Quick Fingers to steal things as he passes. His speed and agility
make him difficult to hit; however, grabbing hold of his trailing scarf can dissuade him.
As an action, a character can try to grab Agdon's scarf. Doing so requires a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check. While a character
has him by the scarf, Agdon has a walking speed of 35 feet, and he can't move farther than 15 feet from the character. Agdon can use an
action to try to pull his scarf free; this attempt is resolved with a Strength (Athletics) contest. If he fails to free himself after one try, he
surrenders immediately, blubbering and pleading for his life like a coward.

DEVELOPMENT P73

Either the characters defeat Agdon Longscarf, or he and his brigands subdue and capture them.
Agdon
Agdon Is
Is Defeated.
Defeated. If Agdon is killed, his followers wander away, crestfallen. If Agdon lives, his former followers shun him. They regard
the characters as formidable, and they enthusiastically offer to show them the way to Downfall, providing a skiff for their use if they so
desire.

If they are asked about Bavlorna Blightstraw or Downfall, the harengons share the following information:
Agdon made a pact with Slack-jawed Lorna by which he is obligated to give her one item he steals from each victim.

Though Agdon would never admit such a thing, the harengons suspect that their leader is terrified of Slack-jawed Lorna, who moves
about on a crawling lily pad.

Downfall is home to the Soggy Court, a society of bullywugs that clings to strange, noble customs and rules of etiquette.

The
The Characters
Characters Are
Are Captured.
Captured. If the characters are knocked unconscious, they are taken to Downfall and placed in the cages that
hang outside Bavlorna's cottage (area B14).
:
 BIG STUMP P74

The harengons have set up camp atop the 30-foot-high, 80-foot-wide tree stump. Wooden skiffs are moored among the cattails and grasses
that poke up from the water surrounding the ancient stump, and rope ladders hanging off the edges of the trunk enable approaching
creatures to climb to the surface of the stump without having to make an ability check.
The brigands' encampment is a circle of twelve patchwork tents surrounding a carved wooden throne where Agdon Longscarf holds court.
Piled around Agdon's throne are scores of worthless trinkets stolen from travelers. If the characters want to examine the trinkets, describe a
few of them, using the entries in the Feywild Trinkets table in the introduction for inspiration. Lying amid the trinkets is a small bag of
truffles (the same ones the brigands stole from Jingle Jangle).
At any given time, 1d4 harengon brigands and 1d4 harengon snipers (see appendix C for their stat blocks) occupy the camp. These
harengons defend their turf only if they outnumber intruders; otherwise, they scatter and hide.

DOWNFALL P74

Downfall is Bavlorna's home in the murky swamp of Hither. The settlement consists of a collection of outbuildings and ruins surrounding
the hag's monstrous cottage. Courtly bullywugs, all beholden to Bavlorna, reside in Downfall. Bavlorna rarely leaves the confines of her
cottage, which contains her preservation pond as well as her treasures and her chimeric taxidermy creations.
The water level in and around Downfall is always high (see "Fluctuating Swamp Waters" earlier in the chapter). Thick fog hangs over all
outdoor areas, limiting visibility to 20 feet.

WHERE'S BAVLORNA? P74

The characters first encounter the hag in her study (area B10). After that, she is free to move around, though she won't leave her cottage
without good reason.

THE SOGGY COURT P74

The Soggy Court is a community of neutral bullywugs who have an overdeveloped sense of grandeur. They are preoccupied with pomp and
courtesies, and they possess an insatiable lust for courtly intrigue. A monarch presides over the group, though regime changes are frequent
and often bloody. The current leader is Gullop XIX, who won the throne by boiling his predecessor, Molubb XVI, in oil.
The community is small, but plots abound. A violent coup is always just around the corner. Whenever there's a commotion anywhere in
Downfall, bullywug courtiers clamor to find out what's happening. If a loud noise occurs, such as the clangor of combat or raised voices,
1d6 + 1 bullywugs converge on the source. These bullywugs crave gossip, not violence, and are indifferent toward strangers. They will
defend themselves and Downfall if they deem it necessary or politically advantageous.
Bullywugs of the Soggy Court speak Bullywug, Common, and Sylvan.
Use the Bullywug Names table and the Soggy Court Honorifics table to make members of the court distinctive, as you see fit.

Bullywug
Bullywug Names
Names
dd88 NNam
amee
1 Augluth
2 Bloff
3 Bultis
4 Grumple
5 Mundlemud
6 Ribble
7 Splop
8 Ufgunk

Soggy
Soggy Cour
Courtt Honorifics
Honorifics
:
 Soggy
Soggy Cour
Courtt Honorifics
Honorifics
dd88 NNam
amee
1 Croaking Sage
2 Count of Bogbottom
3 Duke of the Three Rocks
4 Earl of Stinkwater
5 Green Baron
6 Knight of the Pickled Fly
7 Mosscrown Knight
8 Pondflower Knight

DOWNFALL LOCATIONS P76

The following locations are keyed to the map of Downfall.

 Downfall Player Version

D1. CHANNEL P76

The characters will likely arrive by skiff, rowboat, or raft, by way of this channel. This waterway flows into Murky Lake (area D7).

Thick fog hangs heavy in the air, obscuring the area around you so that the world appears to have shrunk to only twenty feet in
all directions. Before you, the waterway widens and the current slows, giving the impression that you have entered a lake.
Croaking voices penetrate the fog, through which dark shapes appear, resolving into two rowboats. Manning the oars of each
rowboat are two bullywugs.

The four bullywugs (neutral) are enjoying a boat ride on the lake. All four are dressed in soiled garb typical of members of the Soggy Court.
In croaking Sylvan, they say, "Welcome to Downfall, travelers."
If the characters don't attack immediately, the bullywugs explain that their king, Gullop XIX, would be honored to make the characters'
acquaintance. They suggest that the characters head to the small dock nearby (next to area D2), then make their way across the stepping
stones (area D3), through the balloon factory (area D4), and across the bridge of chattering heads (area D5) to the gazebo where Gullop XIX
holds court (area D6). If the characters ask about Bavlorna, the bullywugs insist that the characters see the king first, saying that he'll know
how to help them.
If the characters attack the bullywugs, they croak loudly enough to alert the two guards atop the watchtower (area D19). These guards
sound the alarm with loud croaks of their own. One minute later, six armed bullywugs (neutral) rally at the base of the watchtower before
setting out to subdue the characters and bring them before Gullop XIX for questioning.
:
 SSW
W
WAA
AMMPPP G
M GAAASSS BBAAALLLLO
LO
LOOO
ONN
NSSS P76

A swamp gas balloon has two separate parts:

The wicker basket, which can carry up to 750 pounds, is a Large object with AC 11, 27 hit points, and immunity to poison
and psychic damage.

The balloon, which contains the swamp gas that provides lift, is a Huge object with AC 11, 15 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage. If the balloon drops to 0 hit points, it bursts, and the vehicle loses the ability to fly.

To rise into the air, the balloon must be filled with swamp gas. A flap at the bottom of the balloon lets the gas in, and the balloon
takes 10 minutes to fill when empty. Once filled, the balloon rises into the air. One can force the balloon to land by using an
action to open a flap at the top of the balloon, which allows the swamp gas to escape. To reach this flap, one must climb or fly
to the top of the balloon, 20 feet above the basket. The balloon's rigging makes such a climb possible.
The vehicle has no form of propulsion, instead relying on the pilot's ability to navigate air currents.
As long as the balloon or basket has at least 1 hit point, it can be repaired. Repairing 1 hit point of damage to either part of the
vehicle requires 1 day and the necessary supplies, which can be salvaged from area D4 or taken from area B3.

D2. DAMAGED BALLOON P76

Looming above a ramshackle wooden pier is a balloon anchored by four thick ropes tied around wooden posts driven deep into
the mire. The balloon's bladder expands and sags at irregular intervals as swamp gas fills it briefly before leaking out through
various tears in its patchwork fabric. A bullywug stands near the top of a ladders and is using a long silver needle and a spool
of catgut to sew up one of the openings. A second bullywug stands at the foot of the ladder to steady it. Huddled nearby are
three giant frogs whose long tongues snap up passing insects.

The two bullywugs (neutral) watch the characters warily but pose no threat. The three giant frogs are here to prevent anyone from stealing
the balloon. (Another one of Bavlorna's balloons was stolen recently. Characters encountered what was left of it at Slanty Tower earlier in
the chapter.)
If the characters strike up a conversation with the bullywugs, the one on the ground responds in Sylvan, "Hmmm. You should probably see
the king," regardless of what the characters say.
Swamp
Swamp Gas
Gas Balloon.
Balloon. This vehicle is operational, albeit damaged. The balloon itself has 10 hit points remaining (out of a maximum of
15), and the bullywugs are in the midst of repairing it. The basket and the ropes that attach it to the balloon are intact and undamaged. For
more information on Downfall's balloons, see the "Swamp Gas Balloons" sidebar.

D3. STEPSTONE CROSSING P76

A row of boulders spaced two feet apart breach the surface of the lake to form a walking path across a forty-foot-wide
waterway.

The water around the stepstones is only 4 feet deep, but the bottom is not visible through the murk.

Four of the five stepstones are boulders sunk deep in the mire. The middle stepstone is actually the top of a galeb duhr. If someone steps
on it, the galeb duhr takes offense, grumbling about ingratitude. An apology accompanied by a successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion)
check satisfies the galeb duhr. On a failed check, the galeb duhr gives the offending character one more chance, allowing the character to
repeat the check provided the apology is sung with feeling. On a second failed check or if the character refuses to sing, the galeb duhr uses
its Animate Boulders action to affect the two boulders closest to it, and the three of them move 15 feet to the west, leaving a 20-foot gap in
the path formed by the stepstones. Any character who was standing atop one of the stones is dumped into the water.
Predators
Predators Below.
Below. Two merrow lurk in the water east of the crossing. They dislike the taste of bullywugs and ignore them, but they attack
any non-bullywugs that enter the water. If the characters find themselves in battle with the merrow, 1d4 + 1 bullywugs (neutral) arrive
immediately after each merrow has taken two turns. The bullywugs hurl spears at the merrow, frightening them away (at least for a while).
These bullywugs are glad to be of help and happily point characters in the direction of their king, Gullop XIX (at area D6). If the characters
offer the bullywugs nothing in return for their help, the bullywugs take no offense. They don't expect foreigners to honor the rule of
:
 reciprocity (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter).

D4. BURNED-OUT BALLOON FACTORY P77

This wooden structure stands on stilts above the lake. It is topped by a steep, conical roof made of thatch. Smoke curls up from
a hole at its apex. Its windows are blacked out, and the air carries the smell of burned wood. A clothesline attached to one
corner of the building's exterior is hung with a variety of frayed, patchwork garments.

The garments on the clothesline aren't particularly well made or valuable. The line leads to Bavlorna's cottage (area D12), which is heavily
obscured by the thick fog. The line can support up to 200 pounds of additional weight.

The building is accessible by ramps from areas D3 and D5, as well as stairs that rise from the lake. A rickety wooden deck clings to the
outside of the structure 6 feet above the water. Use the following boxed text to describe the building's interior:

This room is a charred mess. Hazy smoke hangs over scattered piles of burned and broken shelves intermixed with whatever
those shelves contained. Wisps of smoke snake into the air from several spots where smoldering wreckage threatens to ignite.

A distressed bullywug in a leather smock scurries around the room with a bucket of water whose contents spill out over the
sides in his haste.

This is where Bavlorna's swamp gas balloons are manufactured. Two bullywugs recently set fire to the place, destroying most of the
supplies as a consequence. One of the culprits was Wigglewog, Sir Talavar's pilot (now deceased). The other was Morgort, the former
Knight of Warts, who was captured before she could make her escape and is now being held prisoner in area D9.
A bullywug (neutral) named Duke Ickrind is overseeing the repair of the factory, but new fires keep popping up thanks to the persistence of
the animated coals that were used to start the fire originally. When the characters enter the place, Duke Ickrind yells in Sylvan, "Grab a
bucket! We have to make sure the fires are out!"
A low workbench—the only piece of undamaged furniture in the room—has three wooden buckets on it. Two of them are filled with water.
If the characters help Duke Ickrind extinguish the coals, he gives them a brass brooch shaped like a fly, with wings that flutter. He tells them
to wear the brooch when they present themselves to Gullop XIX, saying it will help win the king's trust.
Animated
Animated Coals.
Coals. Typically used to heat Bavlorna's cauldron in area D18, six of these coals were brought to the balloon factory by
saboteurs who wanted to burn it down. The coals are Tiny animated objects that skip and bounce around. Each one has AC 18; 6 hit points;
a speed of 30 feet; and immunity to fire, poison, and psychic damage. A coal's Dexterity is 20, its Constitution is 10, and its other ability
scores are 1. Throwing a bucket of water on a coal requires a successful ranged attack, and the bucket is treated as an improvised weapon.
A bucket of water deals 1d6 damage to a coal. An animated coal that is submerged in water takes the damage at the start of each of its
turns until it is no longer submerged. A coal reduced to 0 hit points is inanimate and harmless.

Each coal can take the following action on its turn:

Kindle.
Kindle. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) fire damage, and the target catches fire if it is
flammable. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 2 (1d4) fire damage at the start of each of its
turns.

D5. CHATTERING HEADS P78

This flat wood-plank bridge, which spans an arm of the lake, is lined on one side by rows of bullywug heads on wooden spikes.
At the center of the bridge, a small figure sits with its feet dangling over one side. The figure appears to be talking to itself in
bemoaned tones. But then the severed bullywug heads nearby erupt in a cacophony of voices—some indignant, others
sympathetic. A few in a more distant row yell, "What? I couldn't hear what they said!"

The bridge is in decent condition and safe to cross.

Beheaded
Beheaded Bullywugs.
Bullywugs. Deposed bullywug monarchs of the Soggy Court often lose their heads during violent changes in leadership. The
severed heads are impaled on rows of spikes north of the bridge, and they verbally accost anyone who steps onto the bridge, each one
:
 speaking of its own glorious rule and how the Soggy Court has become a mockery since its reign came to an end. In conversation, a head
might share one or more of the following pieces of information:

All the heads belong to former monarchs who were deposed and killed by usurpers. Many of the former monarchs were betrayed by
others whose rotting heads now also sit on spikes.

The current monarch is King Gullop XIX. All the heads agree he is a weak ruler. They've heard rumors of yet another coup in the works.

Sir Talavar, Bavlorna's escaped prisoner, had help from bullywugs of the Soggy Court. One of his accomplices languishes in prison,
awaiting trial.

Bavlorna is a distrustful shut-in who loathes her sisters, especially Skabatha Nightshade.

Bavlorna has a pool in her cottage that's very important to her. She spends a lot of time bathing in it.

In
In Search
Search of
of aa Skull.
Skull. The figure chatting with the severed heads is Clapperclaw the scarecrow (see the accompanying stat block), who
is 3 feet tall. Created by Granny Nightshade using a tormented child's soul she found in Gehenna, it ran away from home so that it wouldn't
have to perform evil tasks for her. After fleeing Thither, Clapperclaw was waylaid by Agdon Longscarf and his harengon brigands, who stole
its head, which the scarecrow describes as a most glorious stag skull. It desperately wants its head back, and it's a bit self-conscious about
its replacement head: a hollow gourd that now sits askew on its shoulders. Eight copper coins are sealed inside the gourd, causing the head
to rattle whenever Clapperclaw nods, turns, or shakes its head.

Clapperclaw knows the way to Thither from Hither and will guide the characters there if they help it recover its head. If the characters accept
its offer, the scarecrow does its best to stay out of harm's way while the characters continue to explore Hither. It fears Bavlorna Blightstraw
too much to enter her cottage, but it will patiently wait for the characters outside the cottage if they choose to enter it. The scarecrow has a
similar aversion to the other hags of the Hourglass Coven.
When the characters arrive, Clapperclaw is telling the severed bullywug heads the story of how Agdon Longscarf stole its original head and
how its current head is a poor substitute. Unknown to Clapperclaw, Agdon gave the skull to Bavlorna, who now keeps it in her cottage's
treasure room (area B19).
Clapperclaw carries a sailcloth sack filled with moldy straw. If the scarecrow gets hurt, it heals itself by stuffing itself with replacement
straw or similar plant matter.
Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Clapperclaw.
:
 Clapperclaw the Scarecrow

D6. HIS ROYAL MAJESTY GULLOP XIX P79

A grand marble gazebo stands atop a mound of soggy earth, its white stone streaked green with algae. The support pillars have
sunk into the muck unevenly so that the domed canopy now sits askew.
Short steps ring the gazebo, leading to a raised floor where bullywugs dressed in shabby clothing lounge on pillows. Among
them, a harpist sends forth delicate notes that mingle with the murmured croaking of the gathered nobles. On a dais, a flabby
bullywug wearing a crown of woven lily flowers sits on an ornate throne with his legs folded under him. He has a large leather-
bound book open across his lap and is mouthing the words he reads on the pages. Without looking up, he says, "Have you no
herald to announce your presence before King Gullop the Nineteenth?" He slams the book closed as if to punctuate his
question, regarding you for the first time.
Sleepy bullywug guards standing around their monarch snap to attention and ready their weapons.

King Gullop XIX, a bullywug royal (neutral) is accompanied by a baby crocodile (a Small noncombatant) named Snoodle and protected by
five bullywug knights (neutral; see appendix C for their stat blocks). The knights are stationed around the edge of the gazebo's interior. Eight
unarmed bullywugs (noncombatants) lounge at the king's feet, eating insects from platters as they gossip among themselves. The king
treats visitors as honored guests in accordance with the rule of hospitality (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter), but he expects a
measure of kindness in return. If a fight breaks out, Gullop XIX flees to area D11 and makes his final stand there, counting on the bullywug
knights to cover his escape. As the king flees, Snoodle and the unarmed bullywugs jump into the lake and swim to safety.
Scheming
Scheming King.
King. The king has only recently come into his position, but already his reign is a troubled one. Sir Talavar's recent escape
through the theft of one of Bavlorna's prized balloons has left many of the king's subjects questioning his ability to manage a crisis. He has
grown paranoid over the prospect of incurring the hag's wrath, a suspicion confirmed in the pages of the book in his lap—Bavlorna's Big
Book of Bad Blood—in which the hag's displeasure with her enemies is spelled out in detail. He procured the book from a darkling merchant
(see area B10), who stole it from Bavlorna a few hours ago.

King Gullop is looking for a way to avoid Bavlorna's ire, and the characters might be his way out. He wants them to return the book to
Bavlorna and assure her that Gullop didn't steal it, but merely ensured its safekeeping.
:
 If the characters portray themselves as allies (perhaps by presenting the brooch they received from Duke Ickrind in area D4), Gullop explains
that only members of the Soggy Court are allowed to speak with Bavlorna (a falsehood he knows to be untrue), and he invites the
characters to join the group. If they accept, he instructs them to proceed to the palace in area D11 to be fitted with the proper attire. Once
they are appropriately garbed, Gullop gives the characters the Big Book of Bad Blood and encourages them, as duly appointed emissaries of
the Soggy Court, to return it to the hag with great haste.
If the characters show hostility or refuse to join the Soggy Court, Gullop commands his guards to seize them. Captured characters are taken
to the holding cell in area D8.
Secret
Secret Note.
Note. As the king addresses the characters, one of the bullywug noncombatants passes a wine goblet to one randomly
determined character. Inside the cup is a scrap of parchment with words written on it in Sylvan. The message reads, "Find Illig, the Baron of
Muckstump, at once. The revolution lives!" Illig is an ambitious noble looking to take Gullop's crown by force, and conspirators are gathering
at his home in area D16. Whenever a character asks a friendly bullywug of the Soggy Court about Illig's whereabouts, roll a d8. On a roll of
1–3, the bullywug doesn't know where Illig is. On a roll of 4–6, the bullywug assumes (incorrectly) that Illig is somewhere in the Sinking
Palace (area D11). On a roll of 7 or 8, the bullywug knows and shares Illig's actual location.

King Gullop XIX and Friends

D7. MURKY LAKE P80

Downfall is built around a 20-foot-deep body of standing water called Murky Lake. A blanket of thick fog and a layer of pond scum cover the
lake's surface. Heavily obscured by the fog are 2d6 bullywugs (noncombatants) spread out across several large lily pads and relaxing in
rowboats. Some read to each other, and others nap or play music. When they see the characters, they wave in a friendly manner. If the
characters ask for directions, one of the bullywugs tries to be helpful while the others gaze about listlessly. If the characters require any
further assistance or information, the helpful bullywug suggests that they speak to King Gullop XIX and points the way to his Royal Majesty
(area D6). Each lily pad can hold up to 250 pounds without sinking.

Bavlorna's
Bavlorna's Cottage.
Cottage. The hag's cottage (area D12) looms over the middle of the lake on thick wooden stilts. The cottage is heavily
:
 obscured by thick fog, though characters within 20 feet of it can discern its shape.

D8. HOLDING CELLS P80

Rising from the soggy earth is a sturdy wooden hut with an open doorway on one side of it. At the back of the hut are two
holding cells. Thick mangrove roots serve as bars, with a small round door closing off each cell. The floor of one cell is covered
with several inches of stinking water. The other cell holds a figure in rags slumped against the back wall.

This hut is round, 12 feet in diameter, with a conical thatched roof that rises 18 feet from the floor at its apex. Prisoners of the Soggy Court
are held here while they await trial by combat in area D9. Characters brought here as prisoners are thrown into the north cell. The guards
depart after locking up the characters.
A character can use an action to try to break into or out of a cell, tearing through its root walls with a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics)
check. A cell door's lock can be picked in 1 minute with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check, provided the character making the check has
thieves' tools.

Prisoner.
Prisoner. The prisoner in the south cell is an unarmed bullywug knight (see appendix C) named Morgort, the Knight of Warts. She was one
of Sir Talavar's accomplices along with Wigglewog, and she now awaits justice. She has no regrets about helping the faerie dragon, and she
regards Bavlorna as a bitter enemy. Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Morgort.

Morgort introduces herself to the characters with a knightly bow once the guards are gone. She is dressed in the ragged and stained
remnants of an orange surcoat that bears the sigil of a great helm fashioned to resemble a frog's head.
In conversation, she asks the characters why they were apprehended and reveals the following information:
Morgort is an accomplished balloon pilot. She and her friend, Wigglewog, helped the honorable Sir Talavar escape. To delay their
pursuers long enough for Wigglewog and Sir Talavar to steal a balloon, she was forced to stay behind and got captured as a result.

It's likely that she will be battling one of the characters in trial by combat (see area D9 for details).

Bavlorna is a recluse who rarely leaves her cottage. She enjoys making foul bargains with visitors.

If the characters share the news that Wigglewog died helping Sir Talavar, Morgort grows sullen. If the characters need to get out of Downfall
in a hurry, Morgort suggests that they steal the balloon in area D2 and use it to fly to safety. (The balloon can also deliver the characters
safely to Thither if that's where they want to go, as discussed at the end of this chapter.) She follows the party's lead otherwise and tries her
best to be helpful. Once she realizes the characters have important things to do, she tries not to embroil them in bullywug politics. In any
situation, she tries to act with honor and civility.

D9. PROVING GROUNDS P81

A mangrove tree stands in the middle of a patch of heavily churned mud, where rusting and rotting bits of armor and weapons
are scattered. Two lengths of chain are anchored to opposite sides of the tree trunk, each with an iron shackle on the end.

Justice in the Soggy Court is carried out using trials by combat. Prisoners fight for their freedom here, as do those who want to challenge
the monarch for the right to rule.
The grounds are 20 feet in diameter. Combatants are shackled by one wrist or ankle to a 10-foot length of chain attached to the tree. Each
chain has AC 19, 11 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Using an action, a creature can pull a chain free of the tree with
a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check.
Combat
Combat Rules.
Rules. A trial by combat is a procedure by which wrongs can be redressed in the Soggy Court. It can also be invoked as a vote of
no confidence in the current monarch. A trial always has two combatants: the accused and the accuser, or surrogates representing them.
Once they are shackled, the combatants fight until one is dead, and justice is thereby served.
Development.
Development. One hour after the characters are imprisoned in area D9, four armed bullywugs (neutral) come to get them and Morgort.
The guards instruct the characters to choose a champion from among them to represent the group in the trial. The guards nominate
someone if the characters don't choose a champion. The champion and Morgort are each chained to the tree and given a club. The rest of
the characters are kept at the edge of the proving grounds, held at spearpoint to prevent them from interfering.
:
 King Gullop XIX presides over the trial, instructing the combatants to fight for their innocence. Morgort pretends to be slain after any
successful attack made against her, putting on quite a performance as she drops to the mud. The characters' champion is declared
victorious, and the characters are decreed to be innocent.
The characters might try to fight their way out of the situation or make a break for it. If they succeed, bullywugs who oppose the king advise
the characters to take refuge with Illig, Baron of Muckstump, who lives across the lake (see area D16). Illig is Gullop's greatest political rival.
If the characters are proclaimed innocent, they earn their freedom. Each is given the worthless honorific of "True Friend of Gullop XIX" and
permission to use the king's palace (area D11) as a place to rest. Morgort's seemingly lifeless body is dumped into Murky Lake, whereupon
she swims to area D2 and steals the swamp gas balloon there.

D10. TRINKET, BAUBLE, AND CHARM'S P81

A big black balloon floats over the lake, tugging at its moorings. Beneath it hangs a basket made of black wicker and wood,
which serves as a merchant's stall. A large pane of gray glass is drawn closed across an opening above the counter. A sign
mounted above the window reads, "Wondrous Wares & Fair Fares!"
The balloon is not made of fabric, but rather appears to be a roiling, dark rain cloud that has been contained somehow with
lines and netting.

Two darklings (see appendix C) named Trinket and Bauble look after the balloon and lurk inside the cramped merchant's stall, which is open
for business. Their boss, Charm, is a darkling elder (see appendix C) who is presently visiting Bavlorna Blightstraw in her cottage.

Charm travels around Prismeer in her "rain cloud balloon" while posing as a merchant. She is actually a burglar working for Bavlorna's sister,
Endelyn Moongrave. Charm has come to Downfall to steal treasure from under Bavlorna's nose. Trinket and Bauble guard the stall while
Charm sees to the real business of carrying out her heist (described later in the chapter).
Trinket and Bauble greet their customers with plenty of sass. Since their business is a front, they don't care whether they sell anything or
not.
Wondrous
Wondrous Wares.
Wares. A sign hanging below the counter lists the following items for sale:

AAVA
VA
VAIIILLLA
A
ABBBLLLEEE FFFO
O A LLIIIM
ORRR A
A M DT
MIIITTTEEED
D TIIIM
MEEE O
M ONNNLY
LY::
LY P82

Very good thimble (fingertip not included)

Mug of Bumble Beer (has a nice sting to it)
Duskmallow pie (with decorative bite marks)
Bundle of dry wood (great for starting fires)
Ink portraits (if we have to look at you, so should you)
Moonlight monocle (no more fumbling in the dark)

Most of the items for sale are nonmagical goods of little or no value, the exception being the moonlight monocle, which is a magic eyepiece
that Charm acquired some time ago. It has the same properties as goggles of night.
Unicorn
Unicorn Horn.
Horn. If the Story Tracker indicates that the unicorn horn is here, it is among the items available for purchase. If the characters
seem interested in conducting a transaction, Trinket produces the unicorn horn and says, "Very hard to come by, unicorn horns, and one
never knows when one might come in handy. This one recently found its way into my possession."
Payment.
Payment. The darklings make one of the following demands as compensation for any single item the characters desire:

Trinket demands the color from the buyer's eyes. If the buyer agrees to the trade, Trinket produces a small marble that drains the color
from the buyer's eyes when she utters the phrase, "Hue be mine." Robbed of their color, the buyer's irises turn transparent. Destroying
the marble restores the buyer's eye color to normal.

Bauble demands the rhythm in the buyer's step. If the buyer agrees to the trade, Bauble produces an articulated wooden marionette
and makes it dance on the countertop while repeatedly uttering, "One, two, three. One, two, three." Deprived of this rhythm, the buyer
loses all talent for dancing. Destroying the marionette restores the buyer's dancing ability, but Bauble won't give up the marionette
without a fight.
:
 Rain
Rain Cloud
Cloud Balloon.
Balloon. If the characters steal this balloon, it delivers them to area M16 of Motherhorn (see chapter 4) unless they have a
trained pilot who can fly it elsewhere. The balloon harnesses the energy of a rain cloud to stay aloft. To use the balloon, the harnessed cloud
must be charged with electrical energy. This can be accomplished by dealing more than 20 lightning damage to the cloud from a single
source, or by surrounding it with electrically charged storm clouds for at least 10 minutes. Once charged, the balloon can stay airborne for 8
hours, moving at up to 8 miles per hour. If the balloon loses its charge while aloft, it plummets to the ground.

The vessel has two separate parts: the wooden basket that doubles as the merchant's stall, and the balloon, which includes the rain cloud
plus the net and lines that hold it in place and attach it to the basket. Each part has its own statistics:

Basket.
Basket. The basket, which can hold up to 750 pounds, has AC 13, 27 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Balloon.
Balloon. The balloon has AC 11, 50 hit points, and immunity to lightning, poison, psychic, and thunder damage. If the balloon drops to 0 hit
points, the cloud dissipates, and the vehicle loses the ability to fly.

Repairing 1 hit point of damage to the basket requires 1 day and appropriate supplies, which can be salvaged from area D4 or taken from
area B3. The balloon can't be repaired, but as long as it has at least 1 hit point, it regains all lost hit points when it is fully recharged.

Trinket, Bauble, and Charm's Rain Cloud Balloon

D11. SINKING PALACE P82

The palace has two entrances: one on high ground to the northwest, the other overlooking the docks. Each entrance has two bullywugs
(neutral) and a crocodile guarding it. These sentries deny entry to anyone who doesn't have an invitation from the bullywug king.

This ramshackle hall is built around a big tree. Two of the tree's limbs reach out through the walls like enormous welcoming
arms. The interior of the hall is roomy, with an open floor plan that allows occupants of the upper story to look out over the
lower one. Bullywug courtiers crowd into the space, filling it with their guttural croaks. Their clothing is faded and stained with
mud.

The palace has two levels:

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 UUppe
pperr LLeve
evel.l.l. The upper level is built around the trunk of a tree. Gathered here at any given time are 2d4 unarmed and unarmored bullywug
courtiers, some of them reclining on pillows. Among these noncombatants are three bullywugs (neutral) who would defend their honor if
they thought it besmirched by hostile interlopers.

Lower
Lower Level.
Level. The lower level is submerged in 3 inches of swamp water. More bullywug courtiers fill this space as a trio of bullywug
musicians play an upbeat tune on stringed instruments. These bullywugs are also noncombatants.

Clothesline.
Clothesline. A clothesline attached to the southwest corner of the building's exterior has a variety of frayed, patchwork garments draped
over it. The line leads to Bavlorna's cottage, which is heavily obscured by the fog over the lake. The line can support up to 200 pounds of
additional weight.

D12. BAVLORNA'S COTTAGE P83

Four flights of wooden steps rise out of the swamp, ending at a trapdoor in the underside of Bavlorna's cottage, which is perched atop tall,
thick wooden stilts and surrounded by dense fog. See "Bavlorna's Cottage" later in the chapter for details.

D13. BIG BARKLESS P83

Several holes dot the trunk of a gnarled old tree that grows on the shore of the lake. The tree has lost all its bark, and a few
withered leaves cling to the ends of its twisted, knotted branches. One end of a clothesline is tied to a high branch on the
northwest side of the tree. Several old garments hang from the clothesline, the other end of which disappears into the fog
hovering over the lake.

Big Barkless is a tree blight, a carnivorous, ambulatory Plant of menacing disposition (see the accompanying stat block). While it remains
motionless, it easily passes for a dead tree. Four sprites live in hollow cavities in its trunk. Their names are Bitzi, Dandy, Mintleaf, and
Timpella. The sprites are a bitter bunch, taunting those who come close by spewing forth insulting words and tiny arrows. They hope to
provoke the characters into damaging Big Barkless, thus prompting the blight to fight back. While ridiculing the characters from their
hollows, the sprites have three-quarters cover.
Big Barkless remains rooted to the spot until it's required to act in its own defense, whereupon it uproots itself and attacks all creatures it
perceives as threatening. That doesn't include the sprites, even if the sprites instigated the conflict. The blight will not chase prey into the
lake but can move on land as far as it wants.
If the sprites take any damage, they withdraw deep into the tree blight, gaining total cover. The sprites evacuate and disperse into the
swamp if the tree blight is reduced to 0 hit points.
Clothesline.
Clothesline. A clothesline attached to Big Barkless is hung with frayed, patchwork garments. The line leads to Bavlorna's cottage. If the
tree blight moves more than 5 feet farther away from the cottage, the clothesline snaps in the middle, and the garments fall into the lake.
The line can support up to 200 pounds of additional weight.

D14. TOADSTOOL PATCH P84

Your heart suddenly feels cold, filling you with a sense of loneliness that borders on despair. A haunting, melancholy tune
played on a flute reaches out to you from somewhere within a field of oversized toadstools.

If the characters follow the music to its source, read:

A slender elf with pale blue skin and black hair sits curled in the shadow of a gray, six-foot-tall toadstool, playing a somber tune
on a double flute.

The flutist is a wood elf named Octavian Meliamne, who came to Bavlorna seeking magic that would make him forget his lost loves. A deal
was struck, but when it came time for him to pay up, Octavian refused to give Bavlorna what she wanted in return: Octavian's still-beating
heart. As punishment, Bavlorna took what she wanted by force, switching out Octavian's heart for a goat's heart so that he would not die.
The process left the elf unable to feel or exhibit emotion.
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 Octavian is truthful with the characters about what happened to him. He knows what Bavlorna did was wrong, but he can't seem to get
worked up about it. He suspects the hag is keeping his heart as a trophy. Unbeknownst to Octavian, Bavlorna is using his heart to keep her
meat locker cold (see area B12).

Use the scout stat block to represent Octavian, with the following changes:
Octavian is a wood elf (chaotic good) who speaks Common and Elvish. He has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

He has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put him to sleep.

Treasure.
Treasure. If the characters return his original heart to him, Octavian reciprocates by giving them his pipes of haunting.

While Octavian and his true heart are within 5 feet of one another, any spell that ends a curse can swap the goat's heart in Octavian's chest
with his still-beating true heart. When Octavian regains his true heart, the goat's heart appears at his feet as a dead, desiccated lump of
tissue. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic around the goat's heart after it is removed from Octavian's body, and an
identify spell or similar magic reveals what it does. A creature that eats more than half of the goat's heart gains the benefit of a potion of
invulnerability.
Development.
Development. Once Octavian has his true heart and his capacity for feeling emotion restored, he skips merrily into the swamp, eventually
crossing paths with the Inn at the End of the Road (see "Random Encounters in Hither"), where he stays for the foreseeable future. His joyful
presence cheers up the inn's glum innkeeper, Tsu Harabax.

D15. BULLYWUG HUT P85

The wooden door to this dwelling is closed but not locked.

This hut has a steep thatch roof. A small wooden chest rests in the middle of the floor, and scattered around it are six fraying
silk cushions.
The air in here carries the stench of decaying fish. A lit brazier hangs from a rafter, providing the dwelling's only light.

No bullywugs are present.

Treasure.
Treasure. The small wooden chest contains cookware, spices, old fishbones, and a mummified toad. A detect magic spell reveals an aura
of evocation magic around the toad, and an identify spell or similar magic reveals what it does.

If the mummified toad is tossed into a pot or kettle of water, it disappears and produces a darkness spell that emanates from the container
and lasts for 10 minutes.

D16. BULLYWUG HUT P85

The wooden door to this dwelling is barred shut from the inside. If the characters knock on the door or otherwise announce their arrival, a
bullywug inside the dwelling croaks (first in Bullywug and then in Common), "Push the note under the door." The bullywug is referring to the
secret message the characters received in area D6. If the characters comply, the bullywug lifts the bar, opens the door, and allows them
inside. If the characters don't comply or don't have the note, a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces the bullywug to
open the door and let them in. Otherwise, a character can use an action to try to force open the door, doing so with a successful DC 13
Strength (Athletics) check.
When the characters peer inside, read:

Standing just inside the door is a jittery bullywug with a spear, and behind this guard is a wooden crate with hunting gear piled
atop it. Huddled in the back of the hut are four more bullywugs. Tension hangs heavy in the air as one of the huddled bullywugs
signals you to enter and join their conversation.

This dwelling provides shelter to a group of bullywugs that is plotting to overthrow King Gullop XIX. Their leader is a bullywug knight (neutral
evil; see appendix C) named Illig, Baron of Muckstump. The other four bullywugs (neutral evil) are Illig loyalists named Glorig, Grundelkrantz,
Gullibek, and Voolp.
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 Illig regards Gullop XIX as a witless buffoon unworthy of the crown and plans to declare himself the rightful king. He proudly shows off a
drawing on the mud floor that depicts a crude image of Gullop XIX with a dagger in his eye. Illig's plot is straightforward: he intends to
approach Gullop XIX while the king sits on his throne, pretend to trip into him, and "accidentally" stick him in the eye with the dagger. If Illig
views the characters as coconspirators, he's eager to hear what they think of his cunning plan. If they have a better one, he wants to hear it.
If the characters try to leave before Illig is ready to pull off his attempted coup, Illig and his allies become suspicious of them unless the
party succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) group check. On a failed check, the bullywugs attack the characters to
prevent them from betraying Illig to Gullop XIX.
If one or more characters force their way inside, Illig's allies try to hold the intruders back long enough for Illig to use an action to hurriedly
wipe away the plans drawn on the floor. If he succeeds in doing so, Illig feigns innocence while demanding that the characters leave the hut
at once.
Crate.
Crate. The wooden crate has Bavlorna's name scrawled on it in Sylvan. The hunting gear piled on top of it includes a heavy crossbow, six
crossbow bolts, a hunting trap, and a rolled-up cape of moss. Inside the crate are seven woodland animal carcasses, which the bullywugs
intend to deliver to Bavlorna (an amateur taxidermist) once Illig is installed as the new king of the Soggy Court.
Development.
Development. If the bullywug conspirators are not stopped or the king is not warned, the coup succeeds and Illig becomes King Illig I. If
the characters warn Gullop XIX or thwart the conspirators, the coup fails.

If the coup is thwarted because of the characters' actions, Gullop XIX rewards them with Illig's former title, dubbing each of them "Duke of
Muckstump." These titles come with no lands or holdings, but other members of the Soggy Court are envious and eager to befriend the new
nobility.

D17. KING'S MOUNT P86

The wooden door to this dwelling is closed but not locked.

A frayed rope tethers a giant toad to a wooden post in the middle of this hut. The toad looks uncomfortable as a pair of sticky,
webbed hands push their way out of its mouth. The toad's jaws open wide as it regurgitates a bullywug, who falls prone on the
floor.

The giant toad is Gullop XIX's mount. The regurgitated bullywug (neutral) is the toad's handler, Vlonk. "Swallow the guard" is a game the toad
likes to play, and Gullop has ordered Vlonk to let himself get swallowed whenever the toad wants to "play."
Vlonk and the toad are indifferent toward the characters. If the characters seem friendly, Vlonk asks them to mind the toad while he goes for
a swim to wash the toad's saliva off his skin. If the characters agree to toad-sit, Vlonk returns 10 minutes later to resume his duties. During
Vlonk's absence, the toad tries to swallow at least one of the characters. However, it can't reach anyone more than 5 feet away from the
wooden post to which it is tethered.

D18. BAVLORNA'S CAULDRON P86

A bulbous, green-black cauldron with a thick lid sits above a bed of hot coals on six sturdy iron legs that protrude from its
curved bottom like the extremities of a crab. A wooden ladle hangs from a lanyard looped around the lid's knob.

Bavlorna's cauldron is 4 feet in diameter and 3 feet tall. The cauldron is hot to the touch, because it is being heated by the coals. The
cauldron's lid is held shut by an arcane lock spell, the password for which is "spittlespew." If anyone tries to remove the lid without first
speaking the password, the cauldron scuttles away; it has a walking speed of 30 feet and returns to its spot over the coals after 10 minutes.
If the cauldron scuttles away, a magmin emerges from within the pile of hot coals. It introduces itself as the coal tender and asks the
characters, in Ignan, "You want in that cauldron?" He offers to give them the password in exchange for some dry wood (he loves the sound
that dry wood makes when it burns). If the characters give him a bundle of dry wood (which can be obtained from the darklings in area D10),
the magmin shares the password. The magmin lingers until the cauldron returns, at which point the magmin dives under the coals and
disappears.
AAni
nimmat
ateedd Coal
Coalss.. If the characters attack the magmin, eight of the coals from the bed spring to life and come to the magmin's defense.
See the "Animated Coals" section in the description of area D4.

What's
What's Cooking.
Cooking. Inside the cauldron is a bubbling, frothy, gray-black liquid that radiates an aura of transmutation magic under the
:
 scrutiny of a detect magic spell. Any creature that drinks a pint or more of the liquid is targeted by a polymorph spell (save DC 14) that lasts
for 1 hour. The creature is transformed into either a giant frog (75 percent chance) or a giant dragonfly (25 percent chance; see appendix C).
Unicorn
Unicorn Horn.
Horn. If the Story Tracker indicates that the missing unicorn's horn is here, the characters can find it amid the coals. (Bavlorna
kicked it into the coals accidentally after one of her clumsy lornlings dropped it.) The soot-stained horn is easy to spot once the cauldron
scuttles out of the way, because it tumbles into view when the magmin appears.

D19. WATCH TOWER P86

A wood plank path leads up to this location from the nearby dwellings (areas D16 and D17).

A ten-foot-high, raised wooden platform stands atop a mound of mossy earth and mud. Two bullywugs laze at their guard post
atop the platform, occasionally peering through a long spyglass mounted on a swivel.
A frayed clothesline attached to one corner of the watch tower is festooned with patchwork garments. The line stretches out
toward the nearby lake before disappearing in the fog.

The mound on which the platform is built is 10 feet above water level at its highest point. The slippery slope around the platform is difficult
terrain. No ladder or rope leads to the platform, since the bullywugs can simply leap to the top of the mound. The two bullywugs (neutral)
stationed on the platform use the swiveling spyglass to keep an eye out for danger, though the device does not help them see through the
thick fog.
Clothesline.
Clothesline. The clothesline attached to the watch tower leads to Bavlorna's cottage (area D12) and has a variety of frayed, patchwork
garments draped over it. The line can support an additional 200 pounds before snapping.

BAVLORNA'S COTTAGE P87

Bavlorna's cottage is heavily obscured by thick fog to anyone 20 or more feet away from it. Clotheslines hang from the cottage's four
corners and stretch across Murky Lake to their anchor points at areas D4, D11, D13, and D19. Each line can support 200 pounds of added
weight before snapping.
The cottage is a massive wooden edifice built on stilts, its floor 35 feet above the lake. It sits atop an well that extends up through the floor
into area B1. A rickety wooden staircase with no railing rises from the lake, wrapping around the well as it climbs to a wooden trapdoor in
the floor of area B1.
The cottage's physical features are as follows:
Ceilings
Ceilings and
and Rooftops.
Rooftops. Unless otherwise noted, ceilings are 10 feet high on the lower levels and 20 feet high on the uppermost floor.
The shingled rooftop is high-pitched, covered with moss, and too slippery to climb without magic or climbing gear.

Doors
Doors and
and Trapd
Trapdoors.
oors. All doors in the cottage are closed but unlocked, except for the door to area B19. The cottage's doors and
trapdoors are made of moldy wooden planks, many of which are swollen and warped; consequently, they often get stuck in their frames
or refuse to close properly, though this has no effect on game play.

Floors
Floors and
and SStairs.
tairs. Floors and staircases are made of mossy wooden planks that creak, groan, and bend underfoot. Crossing a floor or
using a staircase without making noise requires a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check.

Light.
Light. If a location has light sources, the text says so. Otherwise, the area is unlit.

Wa
Wall
Wallllss and
aand
nd Windows.
Windows . The cottage's walls are made of soft, mossy wood and don't burn easily due to the moisture trapped in them.
Windows are hinged to be openable but are latched shut from the inside and covered with enough grime to render them opaque. A
character can use an action to try to force open a latched window, doing so with a successful DC 8 Strength check. A character can use
an action and thieves' tools to try to unlock a latched window from the outside, doing so with a successful DC 13 Dexterity check.

BBAV
AV
AVLO
LO
LORRRN
N
NAA''SSS LLO
A O
ORRRN
N
NLLLIIIN
N
NGG
GSSS P87

Bavlorna's paranoia leads her to rely primarily on servants that she creates herself. The most common among them are her
lornlings (use the quickling stat block in appendix C). These tiny creatures look like miniature versions of Bavlorna. They are
quick and flit about the cottage at her bidding.
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 COTTAGE LOCATIONS P87

The following locations are keyed to the map of Bavlorna's cottage.

 Bavlornas Cottage Player Version

B1. PRESERVATION POOL P87

This location is accessible through the cottage's trapdoor entrance that leads up from Murky Lake.

A recessed pool lined with moldy clay tiles takes up most of this large square room. Stagnant water fills the depression to a
depth of one foot. Rising from the pool's center is the head of a stone well that gives off an unpleasant, pungent odor. In one
corner of the pool stands a tall, dirty, freestanding mirror in an oval frame, and floating on the water is a large lily pad.
Creaky wooden floorboards are arranged in a ten-foot-wide raised walkway around the pool. This walkway is crowded with
shelves, tables, and stools in all shapes and styles. Almost every available surface is littered with stacks of dirty plates, scraps
of food, and old junk. Dressing dummies are pushed together in one corner, and a wooden staircase spirals up from another
corner. Five closed doors lead from the room.

Dress
Dress Dummies.
Dummies. Seven humanoid-shaped dressing dummies stand in the corner—four of Medium size and three of Small size. Six of
them are adorned with Bavlorna's shoddy, home-stitched garments. The other one is bare except for an ugly, black pointed hat that is, in
fact, a darkmantle. It attacks anyone other than Bavlorna who touches it. If it makes a successful melee attack against a creature that
happens to be wearing a helm, a hat, or some other kind of headwear, the darkmantle grabs and removes the headwear and flees with it
rather than dealing damage to the target or enveloping its head.
Magic
Magic Mirror.
Mirror. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conjuration magic around the freestanding mirror, which acts as a portal. Touching
the reflective surface of the mirror while speaking the command word, "bandersnatch," causes the surface to become a swirling vortex of
mist. A creature that steps into this vortex is instantly transported to the Hall of Illusions in the Witchlight Carnival (see chapter 1). In the
Hall of Illusions, the portal resembles an oval doorway of swirling mist that remains active for 1 minute. While the portal is active, a creature
in the Hall of Illusions can pass through it and reappear in front of the mirror or in the nearest unoccupied space. Once the portal closes, it
can't be reopened except by touching the mirror's surface and speaking the password again.

Breaking the mirror renders it nonmagical and closes the portal instantly. The mirror is a Medium object with AC 13, 4 hit points, and
immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Pool.
Pool. Stairs lead down into the pool from one corner of the surrounding walkway. Bavlorna tries to bathe in the pool once a day to keep her
skin from drying out and cracking, but the well that supplies the water has stopped working. Characters who peer into the well can see that
it is filled with calm water almost to the brim. Bavlorna doesn't know it, but the cause of the faulty well is a 10-foot-high gelatinous cylinder
(use the gelatinous cube stat block) that's blocking the normal flow of water. The creature's presence has also contaminated the water
above it, rendering it mildly acidic—not enough to cause damage, but enough to make one's skin tingle uncomfortably. A character who
experiences this tingling can, with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check, ascertain that something akin to a gelatinous cube has
lodged itself in the well.
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 The gelatinous cylinder lurks 10 feet down inside the well and is invisible in the water. It attacks any creature and dissolves any organic
material that comes in contact with it. If a creature lowers itself into the water, attacks the ooze from above, and then exits the well, the
gelatinous cylinder squirms up the shaft in pursuit, emerging from the well and thus unplugging it. The cylinder is 10 feet high and 10 feet in
diameter. When it is lured out of the well or killed, the flow of water resumes in a torrent, filling the pool to a depth of 3 feet in 1 minute.
Treasure.
Treasure. The lily pad floating on the water is a magic item called a bobbing lily pad (see appendix A). Bavlorna is attuned to it currently.

B2. TAXIDERMY WORKSHOP P89

A horse's head leers at you with glossy eyes, its lips drawn back from pointed yellow teeth. The head is affixed to a large, eight-
limbed armature made of wicker and wire, situated so that it faces the doorway where you entered. Near it is a wooden crate.
Flies buzz about this disordered room, landing occasionally on animal carcasses that lie strewn in small piles. On a low table
rests an assortment of tools—saws, knives, scrapers, a hand-cranked drill, sewing thread and needles, and awls—around several
taxidermic subjects in various stages of completion. A shelf that looks on the verge of collapse leans against the wall between
two windows and bears the weight of dozens of stuffed horrors. Each one is an artless combination of two or more animals.

This area is where Bavlorna stuffs dead creatures and stitches them together to create chimeric horrors.
Crate.
Crate. Bavlorna's name is scrawled on one side of the crate. Lifting the lid releases a harmless swarm of flies. The crate contains the
carcass of a curled-up, eight-legged reptile with spikes running down its back. With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check, a
character can determine that it's the carcass of a basilisk.
Worktable.
Worktable. Along with the tools and specimens, the table has a small box with drawers that contain glass eyes. One of the eyes is made
of wood, and it belongs to Bavlorna's sister, Skabatha Nightshade (see chapter 4).

B3. FABRIC STORAGE ROOM P89

Scraps of cloth and bundles of yarn are piled throughout this small room.

This is Bavlorna's fabric storage closet, where she takes lost and forgotten garments and cuts them into lengths of cloth from which she
creates her own clothes. Characters who search the room find two 1-foot-tall pincushions sewn into humanoid shapes. One of the
pincushions is mounted on a tiny wooden rocking horse; the other has a pair of wooden wings. The pincushions represent Bavlorna's
sisters, Skabatha and Endelyn.

B4. RICKETY STAIRS P89

A flight of stairs runs along the outside wall of the cottage, with wooden doors at the top and bottom of it. A rickety railing hugs
the edge of the staircase, which looms above the foggy lake. A steady droning sound comes from a shadowed corner above
the door at the top of the stairs.

This outdoor stairway connects area B1 on the first floor with area B13 on the second floor, but the steps are in bad shape. A character who
examines the stairs and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers that the second and third steps from the bottom are
rotted and incapable of supporting much weight. If more than 40 pounds of weight is applied to either one, both steps give way. When that
happens, any creature standing on them must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature stops short of falling
through the gap. On a failed save, the creature plunges 35 feet into the 20-foot-deep lake surrounding the cottage, taking no damage. A
character who falls into the lake while wearing heavy armor sinks to the bottom but can, on their turn, swim to the surface with a successful
DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.

Wasp
Wasp Nest.
Nest. A 7-foot-long, 5-foot-wide wasp nest clings to a shadowy corner above the door at the top of the stairs, outside area B13. The
nest is a Medium object with AC 11, 12 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. It holds a swarm of insects (wasps) that is
incapacitated and remains so until the nest is disturbed or damaged. Part of the nest overlaps the door, and opening the door disturbs the
nest.
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 While the wasps are in the nest, any damage dealt to the nest applies to the swarm as well. Once it emerges from the nest, the swarm is
hostile toward all other creatures on the stairs. The swarm pursues creatures that flee into the cottage, but not creatures that jump or fall
into the lake.

B5. TROVE OF LESSER GOODIES P90

The door to this room creaks loudly when opened.

A large cupboard stands alone in this dark room. Fine scrollwork frames the cupboard's two doors, which are bridged by a
circular panel of dark wood. The panel is inlaid with a silver hourglass sigil.

If Sir Talavar the faerie dragon was recaptured and brought here, he remains trapped in his cage, which hangs from a hook protruding from a
wall next to the cupboard.
The cupboard is locked but can be unlocked by rotating the circular panel so that the hourglass sigil is turned upside down. Characters who
examine the sigil can ascertain, with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check, that it can be manipulated safely.
The inside of the cupboard is divided into rows of small compartments, each one stuffed with pouches or other tiny containers. One of the
containers is a teacup-sized ceramic cauldron, inside which is a scrap of paper with the word "spittlespew" written on it in Common. (This is
the password to open the cauldron in area D18.)
Bavlorna keeps various mementos and trinkets in the cupboard, including:
Loose buttons of various shapes, colors, and materials

Stray cutlery (all from different sets)

Unopened love letters (not written or addressed to Bavlorna, but to long-dead people with whom Bavlorna has had dealings)

Old, frayed, coiled-up belts

Pressed flowers and loose dried petals

A horseshoe

Feathers from various birds

A chipped teacup

B6. BALCONY P90

This ten-foot-wide balcony runs almost the length of the cottage and is covered from end to end with living frogs. At each end
of the balcony, attached to one corner of the cottage just beyond easy reach, is a clothesline draped with patchwork garments.
The two lines stretch out over the lake and disappear into the thick fog.

If anyone steps onto the balcony, the hundreds of harmless frogs on the balcony croak in unison, alerting Bavlorna wherever she happens to
be in the cottage. If one or more of the frogs are killed, the rest leap into the lake below.
If she hears the croaking frogs, Bavlorna sends three of her lornlings (use the quickling stat block in appendix C) to investigate and report
back to her. They avoid combat.

B7. HALLWAY P90

The spiral staircase in area B1 leads up to this hallway on the second floor.

The walls of this dank hallway are covered with scores of portraits depicting grumpy, sad, frightened, and angry people. The
figures include humans, elves, halflings, bullywugs, and goblins, among others. The portraits are rendered in a variety of
mediums, including paintings, etchings, and sketches. All are displayed in gaudy, gilded frames.

A framed oval mirror two feet wide and five feet tall hangs in the middle of one wall.
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 The hall has closed doors leading to areas B8, B10, and B16.
Oval
Oval Mirror
Mirror and
and Secret
Secret Door.
Door. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of transmutation magic around this mirror. The mirror's frame is
stuck to the wall with sovereign glue, and the mirror can't be removed without destroying it. The mirror alters the reflection of any creature
that gazes into it, rendering the reflection bereft of expression or emotion, except if a creature smiles into the mirror. In that case, the
creature's reflection also smiles, and a secret door in the wall holding the mirror swings inward, revealing a hidden passage (area B9).

Any character who examines the wall behind the mirror and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check sees the edges of the secret
door, which can also be forced open with a knock spell or similar magic. Bavlorna can open the secret door without having to smile or use
magic.

B8. GUEST ROOM P91

This is a dusty, uncluttered room. Several shadow boxes hang on the wall to either side of a modest bed with moldering linens. Most of the
shadow boxes contain mummified pixies pinned to boards like a collection of butterflies. The glass on one of the shadow boxes has been
broken, and its contents are missing.

B9. SECRET PASSAGE P91

Bavlorna has forgotten about this secret passage, which connects areas B7 and B10.

A moldy scent hangs in the air in this dark, L-shaped hallway.

The secret door leading to area B7 is easily spotted from this side but requires a knock spell or similar magic to open. Only Bavlorna can
open the secret door without using magic.
Shrinking
Shrinking Effect.
Effect. Creatures and objects in the hallway magically shrink in size as they get closer to area B10. They are normal size at the
end of the hall closest to area B7, one-half their normal size at the bend in the hallway, and one-twentieth their normal size at the end of the
hall closest to area B10. Shrunken creatures have disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and their weapons deal 1d4
less damage at one-half to one-tenth size, or 2d6 less damage at smaller than one-tenth size (minimum damage of 1 in either case).

One minute after a creature or an object leaves the tunnel, the shrinking effect on it ends, whereupon it returns to its normal size.
Tiny
Tiny Door.
Door. A solid wall seems to block access to area B10, but closer inspection reveals a 2-inch-wide, 4-inch-tall mouse hole at the base
of the wall. This mouse hole is blocked by a tiny wooden door that is barred on this side by a steel needle. Lifting the needle allows the tiny
door to be pulled open easily, revealing a moldy stretch of floor underneath the potion cabinet that stands against the wall in area B10.
Development.
Development. Shrunken creatures that pass through the tiny door have 1 minute to move out from under the cabinet into area B10 before
they return to their normal size. If a creature is under the cabinet when it enlarges to Small or Medium size, it is pinned underneath the
cabinet. While pinned in this way, the creature is prone and restrained. On each of its turns, it can use an action to try to free itself, doing so
with a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check.

B10. STUDY P91

Two creatures are having a conversation over tea in the middle of this room. The first figure is seated in a timeworn armchair.
She is a tall, lean woman of gray complexion, dressed in black with a wide-brimmed hat obscuring her eyes. The other figure is
a toad-like creature with bulging eyes and cracked skin. It is clad in a shapeless garment and sits on one end of a love seat with
its legs pulled up beneath it. Flies flit into and out of its mouth, which hangs agape when it isn't speaking. Two tiny versions of
the creature cling to it like pets.
The room is filthy. Dirty dishes and bits of discarded food lie everywhere. The furniture was perhaps once of fine quality, but
now stains of mysterious origin mottle every surface, and the upholstery has been patched numerous times. Set with its back
to the wall in one corner is a hulking wooden cabinet. Sturdy legs support the bottom of the cabinet six inches above the floor.
A decrepit wooden staircase climbs up the wall in another corner.

The toad-like creature is Bavlorna Blightstraw (see appendix B), and she is joined by two of her lornlings (use the quickling stat block in
appendix C). Bavlorna has not submerged herself in her preservation pool in some time, and her skin is brittle and cracked. If she has been
warned about intruders, Bavlorna fixes her bulging eyes on the characters as they come into view:
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 The toad-like creature speaks to you in a low croaking voice. "What act of desperation compels you to enter my home, little
darlings?"

See "Dealing with Bavlorna" below for advice on how to run an encounter with the hag, keeping in mind the rules of hospitality, ownership,
and reciprocity to which she adheres (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter).
Bavlorna has an iron key tucked in one of the pockets of her garment; this key unlocks the door to area B19.
The tall, slender figure in black is Charm, a darkling elder (see appendix C) who works for Endelyn Moongrave as a thief but poses as a
traveling merchant. When the characters arrive, Charm is gossiping with Bavlorna about the hag's sisters, Endelyn and Skabatha. The
conversation is a distraction, buying time for Charm's shadow to perpetrate a heist in area B19. Characters who have a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 13 or higher notice that the black-clad figure doesn't cast a shadow. This is not a trait that darklings possess, but
rather the result of Endelyn's using her scissors of shadow snipping (see appendix A) to cut loose Charm's shadow and transform it into a
separate creature. See chapter 4 for more information on Endelyn and her magic scissors.

Charm, a darkling elder, sips tea in Bavlorna's cottage

Dealing
Dealing with
with Bavlorna.
Bavlorna. Before she'll agree to help the characters in any way, Bavlorna demands that they complete the following three
chores:

Fix
Fix the
the P
Pre
rese
serrvation
vation Pool.
Pool. Bavlorna's preservation pool (see area B1) won't fill with water. It seems the well that supplies it is plugged.
Bavlorna wants the characters to fix the problem. (If the characters have already defeated the creature that was plugging the well, she
considers this chore complete.)

Find
Find the
the Missing
Missing Book.
Book. Bavlorna's Big Book of Bad Blood has gone missing. It contains copious notes on everyone who has wronged
her. She assumes the book hasn't been taken far and wants the characters to search Downfall for it. (The book is currently in the hands of
Gullop XIX, the bullywug king in area D6. If the characters have already dealt with Gullop and are returning the book to Bavlorna, she
considers this chore complete.)

PPiick
ck UUpp aa Packag
Packagee.. Bavlorna fancies herself an expert in taxidermy, and a bullywug hunter has filled a crate with animal carcasses for
Bavlorna to stuff. The crate can be found in one of the bullywug dwellings (area D16), and Bavlorna wants it brought to her.

When all three chores are complete, Bavlorna insists on taking a short rest in her preservation pool to moisten her skin. Only then will she
consider bargaining with the characters.
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 While the characters are busy performing one or more of Bavlorna's unfinished chores, the darkling elder and her elusive shadow find what
they were after and return to their balloon (area D10). The darklings then unmoor their balloon and drift away toward Yon. If the darklings
escape, the characters might encounter them again in chapter 4.

If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook and the Story Tracker indicates that Bavlorna has one or more things in her possession that
the characters desire, she agrees to give up these items on one condition: she wants the characters to steal a portrait of her older sister,
Skabatha, and deliver it to Bavlorna's cottage within eight days. Bavlorna provides three pieces of information before spitting into her hand
and requiring the characters to shake it, thus sealing the bargain:
Loomlurch is a giant, hollowed-out tree located deep in the forest of Thither. Skabatha uses it as a lair.

Skabatha's portrait is displayed in a circular room in the heart of Loomlurch, alongside portraits of her three sisters: Bavlorna, Endelyn,
and Tasha. (Bavlorna won't add anything about Tasha if the characters press for more information about her.)

To reach Thither, the characters need a guide. There's a scarecrow in Downfall who knows the way (she can't remember the
scarecrow's name).

If Skabatha's portrait is brought to Bavlorna on time, the hag fulfills her end of the bargain. If the characters fail to deliver Skabatha's portrait
within the agreed-upon time, each character who agreed to the bargain must succeed on a DC 19 Charisma saving throw or be cursed.
While cursed in this way, the character loses one cherished possession (chosen by you). This possession disappears and is not regained
until the curse ends. Bavlorna can end the curse on a character (no action required), as can any spell that ends a curse.
If the characters were drawn to Prismeer by the "Warlock's Quest" adventure hook, they can strike a different bargain with Bavlorna, but she
won't deal with anyone who claims to be searching for a way to help Zybilna and thereby weaken the Hourglass Coven. First and foremost,
Bavlorna wants Skabatha's portrait (with the same time restrictions as the "Lost Things" bargain above) and is willing to trade for it. Once
she has the portrait, her greed might focus on something else in Skabatha's possession, at your discretion.
If Bavlorna feels threatened, or if a fight turns against her, she flees to Thither on her bobbing lily pad (in area B1) and reluctantly takes
refuge with her older sister, Skabatha (see chapter 3 for details).
If she has no option but to fight, Bavlorna doesn't hesitate to swallow one of the characters. If she is later forced to regurgitate the
character, she also expels a small iron key. The key unlocks the potion cabinet in this room.

Potion
Potion Cabinet.
Cabinet. The cabinet in the corner is made of wood that is still covered with bark and patches of moss. There's a lock in the
middle of the right panel, but it's obscured beneath hanging moss. (Bavlorna swallowed the key for safekeeping but can regurgitate it as
needed.) A character can use an action and thieves' tools to try to pick the lock, doing so with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.

The cabinet contains two shelves:

The bottom shelf holds three magic potions with labels in Elvish: a potion of diminution labeled "Shrink," a potion of growth labeled
"Grow," and a potion of invisibility labeled "Vanish."

The top shelf holds a stuffed cat that shambles to life when the cabinet is opened. The cat formerly belonged to Bavlorna's sister,
Endelyn. (She suspects Bavlorna stole the cat, but she has no proof.) The cat, Gloam, is hostile toward all creatures except Bavlorna. It
uses the cat stat block, except it is an Undead, has immunity to poison damage, and is immune to exhaustion and the poisoned
condition. On its first turn in combat or when it is reduced to 0 hit points, the cat expels a cloud of dust that acts as dust of sneezing
and choking.

Tiny
Tiny Door.
Door. Characters who look underneath the potion cabinet see a tiny door built into a 2-inch-wide, 4-inch-tall mouse hole at the base of
the wall. The door is barred on the other side, but a character can use an action to try to force open the door, doing so with a successful DC
10 Strength check. The door opens into a secret passage (area B9).

B11. AVIARY P93

Slivers of light enter through cracks in the shutters that cover three tall windows. The light reveals the shapes of several
pedestals. On each one rests an object with a patchwork cloth draped over it. Wilting ferns in crumbling clay pots give the room
its earthy smell. The floor is covered in a layer of straw.
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 This is Bavlorna's aviary, where she uses taxidermy birds to send and receive messages from her coven sisters. Outside two of the room's
windows are small wooden balconies, each one corresponding to a sister. The word "Thither" is scrawled above the window to the east
balcony, while the word "Yon" is scrawled above the window to the north balcony. Messages meant for a particular sister are sent from the
corresponding balcony.
On the pedestals are cages that hold seven birds, each of which has the head of one avian species and the body of another. They squawk
and flutter about anxiously if the drapes covering their cages are removed. Each bird uses the hawk stat block, except it is an Undead, has
immunity to poison damage, and is immune to exhaustion and the poisoned condition.

B12. MEAT LOCKER P94

The door to this room is closed and cold to the touch.

This room is freezing. Chunks of frozen meat dangle from the ceiling on hooks and chains. Along the walls, more meat is
stacked in piles on metal racks.
A small, frost-covered wooden coffer sits in the middle of the floor. The cold seems to be radiating from it.

The cold isn't likely to harm the characters unless they spend an hour or more in the room, in which case the rules for extreme cold apply
(see the Dungeon Master's Guide).
The wooden coffer is frozen shut but can be pried open with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. This check is made with
advantage if a crowbar or similar tool is used. The coffer contains the still-beating heart of an elf named Octavian Meliamne (see area D14).
If the heart is removed from the coffer or the room, the spell that cools the room is broken, and everything in the room begins to thaw as the
room slowly warms up.

B13. KITCHEN P94

Any character who listens at one of the doors hears a loud ruckus coming from inside.

In this gore-spattered kitchen, a stout figure with a stained apron, iron boots, a crimson cap, and a bloody meat cleaver chases
a pair of vultures around a butcher's block while the squawking birds fight over a scrap of meat.

The butcher's block is a slab of blood-encrusted wood that occupies the middle of the kitchen. Dirty cutlery and mismatched plates and
pots balance in precarious piles in and around a wooden wash basin.
The small figure is a female redcap (see appendix C) named Bloody Toes. She was carving up some meat when two vultures flew in through
the door to the balcony (area B14). The characters' presence doesn't alarm or bother her. In fact, she asks the characters for help in getting
rid of the vultures.
Bloody Toes serves Bavlorna as a chef and butcher. The hag has forbidden the redcap from attacking or murdering guests, so Bloody Toes
fights only in self-defense. The redcap despises everyone and everything, but she hates Bavlorna most of all. If the characters claim to be at
odds with Bavlorna, the redcap reveals that Bavlorna has a weakness: she is allergic to seeing anyone run widdershins (in tight
counterclockwise circles) near her. Such a sight causes the hag to sneeze uncontrollably.

B14. CAGES P94

If the characters are offered to Bavlorna as prisoners, they are locked up here.

Three large iron cages hang from wooden beams that extend out from this balcony over the lake below. Trapped inside one of
the cages is a smiling satyr. "Hello there!" he says.

These iron cages are used to store soon-to-be-butchered meat. Each cage can hold up to two Medium creatures, and each beam can be
hoisted up over the balcony using a crank that is attached to the railing. A character can use an action to try to bend the bars of a cage,
doing so with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check, or use thieves' tools to try to pick a cage's lock, doing so with a successful DC
15 Dexterity check.

The satyr, Vansel, is not wearing any clothes. Harengon brigands stole his clothes while he was bathing. When he chased them, he ended up
trapped in a net and was brought to Bavlorna. He's in good spirits despite his current situation, believing everything will work out and he'll
have quite a story to tell afterward. If the characters release him, he searches the kitchen (area B13) for something to wear and finds a
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 grease-stained tablecloth he can use as a robe. He also finds a bottle of wine and guzzles it down. Appendix D has additional roleplaying
notes for Vansel.
Treasure.
Treasure. Vansel stays close to his rescuers until he's clear of Bavlorna's cottage, at which point he thanks the characters and bids them
adieu. Then, suddenly remembering the rule of reciprocity (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter), he picks up a stick, whispers to it,
and hands it to one of the characters. If a character accepts the gift, a tiny flower blooms at one end of the stick. Until this flower wilts and
falls off 24 hours later, the stick has the properties of a stone of good luck that doesn't require attunement.

B15. PANTRY P94

This room contains dozens of pickling jars on wooden racks. Most of the jars are filled with pig snouts, toads, small birds, onions,
mushrooms, and other cooking ingredients. One of the jars contains a campestri (see appendix C) that bursts into song if released.

B16. DINING ROOM P95

This room has two exits. Above each door, mounted on a wooden plaque, is a severed goblin head with its mouth agape. Other
furnishings include a sideboard, two cupboards with doors made of wood-framed glass, and a large banquet table covered with
plates of half-eaten food and a swarm of feasting flies. A chandelier hangs above the table, its tallow candles filling the room
with dim, flickering light. Six mismatched chairs flank the table—three chairs per side.

Two of Bavlorna's lornlings (use the quickling stat block in appendix C) hide in the mouths of the severed goblin heads mounted above the
doors. Any character who peers into one of these gaping mouths spots the lornling hidden in it. The lornling stares back at the character but
doesn't attack.
These lornlings know that Bavlorna has a magic mirror (in area B1) that can transport creatures to the Witchlight Carnival, and they trade
this information in exchange for their lives. Each of them has overheard Bavlorna speak the mirror's command word ("bandersnatch"), but
they can't remember or pronounce the word accurately. Instead, they say phrases such as, "blunder scratch," "bangle stash," "banter catch,"
"bandy crasher," "bumble snatch," and "babble scrabble."

B17. HOOCH DISTILLERY P95

A contraption made of entangled copper tubes connects to a pot-bellied boiler and a dozen cylindrical containers, which in turn
sprout even more tubes that feed into buckets. Barrels are clustered in the southeast corner, and a worktable in one corner of
the room has bits of copper and metalworking tools strewn across it. Light filters in through the green, diamond-shaped panes
of glass set into the window.

Bavlorna distills her supply of mushroom-based alcohol here. The complex network of copper tubes takes up much of the room. Six buckets
collect the stinking alcohol. The barrels are filled with this homemade brew, and each one weighs 250 pounds.
The still's structural integrity is on the brink of failure. Any creature that disturbs the distillery must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving
throw or knock something loose or out of alignment. On a failed save, roll a d8. On a 1, the still explodes, blowing out the glass window but
leaving the barrels intact. When the explosion occurs, each creature in the room must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6)
fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

B18. BAVLORNA'S BEDROOM P95

The stairs in area B10 lead up into this room.

A ball of light bobs above the rafters, casting shadows over this room, in which the owner's messy habits are on full display.
Rumpled and moldering rugs share floor space with food scraps, stacks of dirty dishes, and tipped-over clay pots whose plants
have long since died.
A bed that occupies one corner of the room has a pile of straw in place of a mattress. In the opposite corner stands a squat
chest of drawers with a watering can resting atop it. The only other furnishing of note is a stocky wooden chest with a sturdy
iron padlock. It sits in another corner between two closed doors.
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 The ball of light floating near the 20-foot-high ceiling is a will-o'-wisp, which drifts down toward the characters if they move into the room. It
attacks only if they try to remove the chest or any of its contents from the room without first opening the chest using the proper key (see
"Thirsty Plants" and "Treasure" below). If reduced to 10 hit points or fewer, the will-o'-wisp turns invisible and tries to flee; if it escapes, it flies
to Bavlorna and warns her about the intruders in her bedchamber.
Chest
Chest of
of Drawers.
Drawers. This chest contains folded dresses and other garments that Bavlorna wears occasionally. None of them were made
for her, but she has adjusted them to fit her toadish form. All of the garments are discolored from age and neglect.

The watering can on the chest is rusty and contains a gallon of water.
East
East Door.
Door. This door leads to Bavlorna's trove of greater goodies (area B19), where she keeps her most prized items.
South
South Door.
Door. This door leads to a small, empty balcony that looks out over Murky Lake (area D7).
Thirsty
Thirsty Plants.
Plants. There are four dead plants in tipped-over pots. Each one is a twig blight with a speed of 0 feet because it is rooted to its
pot. The twig blights are thirsty but unable to reach the watering can resting on the chest of drawers. If the characters help the twig blights
by standing them upright and watering them, one of them pulls a black-enameled iron key out of the dirt in its pot and gives it to the
characters. This key unlocks the wooden chest in this room (see "Treasure" below).
Treasure.
Treasure. The padlocked chest has clawed iron feet and the initials B.B. crudely carved into its lid. It takes 1 minute and a successful DC
15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools to pick the padlock. On a check that fails by 5 or more, or if the lock is smashed off, the chest
transforms into a Small animated object and attacks whoever tried to open it (see the animate objects spell for its statistics).

The chest contains the following items:

A 12-inch-tall marionette that Bavlorna stole from her sister, Endelyn. It has faces on opposite sides of its head. One face is a moon,
and the other is a sun. As an art object, the marionette is worth 25 gp.

An unpunched ticket from the Witchlight Carnival. The ticket is signed by Isolde, the carnival's original owner.

Three spell scrolls of identify tied together with a lute string.

B19. BAVLORNA'S HOARD P96

The door to this room is locked, and Bavlorna has the key on her person. The characters might have a key as well, if they acquired one from
the awakened tree on Telemy Hill or Bavlorna. As an action, a character using thieves' tools can try to pick the door's lock, doing so with a
successful DC 20 Dexterity check. Alternatively, a character can use an action to try to break down the door, doing so with a successful DC
17 Strength (Athletics) check.

This musty room looks like a miser's attic. Lying in tall heaps are discarded blankets, quilts, cushions, and clothing of all shapes
and sizes, not to mention musical instruments, toys, dolls, jewelry boxes, flower vases, child-sized caskets, and broken
furniture.

Among the heaps of junk are a few oddities, including a stag's skull hanging on one wall, a white porcelain jar with chicken legs
standing on a table, a fancy helmet placed on the faceless head of a wooden mannequin, and a five-foot-long bronze statue of
a giant frog squatting in a corner, its mouth agape and filled with impenetrable darkness. A weak croaking sound calls your
attention to a tiny, shriveled figure lying on the floor. It lets out one final gasp before dying.

The tiny figure is one of Bavlorna's lornlings. It was killed by the shadow of the darkling elder in area B10. The shadow has detached from
the darkling and roams freely. If the characters arrive here while Bavlorna is entertaining the darkling elder, they interrupt a heist being
carried out by the shadow:

A shape moves in the gloom—a dark humanoid figure lurking among the junk. It clutches a large spool of thread in one hand as
it heads for the door.

The shadow is a Fey, not an Undead. It tries to slip past the characters into area B18, using its Amorphous trait to slip underneath the door if
a character closes it. It then moves onto the balcony in that area and jumps in the lake, where it waits to rejoin the darkling elder. The
shadow doesn't attack, and it drops the spool of thread if it can't escape with it. The spool, unlike the shadow, is too wide to fit under the
door.
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 Bavlorna's sister, Endelyn Moongrave, covets the spool of thread and has sent Charm to steal it. The thread is the color of frustration and
self-doubt, as perceived by the beholder (meaning that each creature sees the thread's color as the hue it associates most with such
emotions), and it confers these feelings on anyone who wears garments sewn with it. Even touching the thread evokes these negative
emotions.
Junk.
Junk. Bavlorna's "treasure hoard" consists of worthless junk and the following special objects:

A stag's skull hangs on a wall hook 5 feet above the floor. This skull is Clapperclaw's missing head (see area D5 for details).

A porcelain jar made of varnished white clay rests on a wooden table. The jar has legs that have been painted to look like the legs of a
chicken. Inside the jar are two broken pieces of a wishbone. If the characters touch the two pieces together, they hear Bavlorna's voice
in their heads say, "Skabatha forgets the first creature she sees when she wakes up, although her memory of it returns each night
when she sleeps. A creature forgotten by Skabatha in this manner is invisible to her."

A wooden mannequin wears a helm of telepathy. If the helm is removed from the mannequin, the mannequin animates and tries to get
the helm back by attacking whoever has it. The mannequin uses the animated armor stat block but has AC 15. If it reacquires the
helm, the mannequin dons the helm and reverts to its inanimate state until the helm is removed again. Placing a different piece of
headgear on its bare head has the effect of rendering the mannequin inanimate permanently.

Bronze
Bronze Frog
Frog Statue.
Statue. Magical darkness fills the inside of this statue's gaping mouth, allowing no light to enter. The mouth leads to an
extradimensional space. If a character reaches into the statue's mouth, read the following boxed text, addressing that character's player:

Your limb disappears into the darkness, and it feels as though your fingers were pushing through cool mud with eels swimming
through it.

To grab hold of something and pull it from the statue's mouth, a character must say the name of what they desire. If the desired thing is in
the extradimensional space, it materializes in the character's hand. If you're using the "Lost Things" adventure hook and Bavlorna has turned
one or more of the characters' long-lost possessions into magic items, these items can be retrieved from the statue's extradimensional
space.

The bronze frog statue weighs 750 pounds and is a Medium object with AC 19, 32 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
If the statue is destroyed, the extradimensional space collapses, and everything once contained there becomes lost in the Astral Plane.
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 What treasures are hidden in the mouth of the bronze frog? There's only one way to find out!

Development.
Development. If the characters follow Charm's shadow on its escape attempt, it leads them to the stairs under Bavlorna's cottage, where
it waits briefly. When Charm leaves Bavlorna's cottage, the darkling elder and her shadow make a beeline to their balloon (area D10) and
depart Downfall with all haste, whether the shadow's heist succeeded or not.

If Charm escapes with the spool of thread, the characters can use it as an enticement in their negotiations with Bavlorna, offering to retrieve
it and trade it to her for something in return.
If the characters thwart Charm's shadow and prevent the darkling elder's escape, Bavlorna attacks the darkling elder and tries to swallow
her. Then, adhering to the rule of reciprocity (see "Rules of Conduct" earlier in the chapter), Bavlorna agrees to negotiate with the characters
even if they have not yet performed any chores for her.

FROM HITHER TO THITHER P97

The characters might travel to Thither to fulfill the terms of a bargain they struck with Bavlorna, in which case the hag grants them
permission to use the balloon in area D2. (If that balloon was destroyed, an undamaged one just like it arrives in Downfall, piloted by a
bullywug knight named Dumphrey Frogart.) Either Dumphrey or Morgort is happy to serve as a balloon pilot, though the bullywug parts
company with the characters once they are safely delivered to Thither.
To reach Thither, the characters need Clapperclaw the scarecrow (see area D5) to guide them. If Clapperclaw is unable or unwilling to help
the characters, substitute another helpful creature, such as Morgort the bullywug knight or Vansel the satyr.
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