18 19

17
N

13 14 15 16

8 9 11 12
10

6
4 5 7

1 2 3

Map G: Hollyhock Gardens

1 hex = 1/2 mile
 HIDEOUS DAYLIGHT CAIRN EDITION
By Brad Kerr

Cover art and cover design by Matt Stikker

Interior art by Tyler Smith Owings
This page: The Garden of Eden by Erastus Salisbury Field (public domain)

Play testers: Dan Cohen, Derrick Martin-Campbell, Matt Stikker, Tyler

Smith Owings, Astrid Tanner, Billy Milburn, Cassie Hodge,
Sasha Olszewski, Tyson Lazzaro

Special Thanks: Eli Tayrien, Nathan Page, Matt Stikker, Mary Ferigno,
Ramsey Ess, Yochai Gal, Amanda P.

Cairn conversion by Yochai Gal

© Brad Kerr 2020, 2023. bradleykerr@gmail.com. ISBN: 979-8-9877617-1-7

Hideous Daylight is an adventure module for
the Cairn fantasy role-playing game. Player
What’s Really Going On
characters will navigate a hex-crawl sandbox in
a walled garden environment while uncovering
The Duke
clues towards strange phenomenon affecting the Duke Omer is a just ruler with one glaring
land and its inhabitants. deficiency: he’s in love with a shadow
demon succubus and has fathered an army
Players should have the expectation that not of demons. While strolling through his
every combat encounter can be won with a rosarium one evening, a comely voice
head-on approach and that the threat of beckoned him to climb down a rope into
character death is real. the well. There he met Sarae, a beautiful
maiden imprisoned in a mirror; she
There are a number of ways in which this enchanted him and used his blood to create
adventure might conclude based on the choices a demon horde. He’s desperate to keep this
and actions of the players. Many of these affair secret but does not fully realize the
outcomes are detailed in the Followup section scope of the danger he’s sired.
on page 25.
The Demons
Background Hidden in the caves beneath the rosarium
is a subterranean river that feeds into the
In a bucolic countryside sits Hollyhock, a garden’s central lake. Centuries ago, a
large walled garden. This land, under the strange mirror washed up on the bank of
purview of the local duke Omer, comprises this lightless river. This mirror is the
several miles of natural wonder: forests, a cursed prison of a succubus named Sarae
lake, a hedge maze and a famous rose who challenged the princes of hell and lost.
garden. An attentive staff tends to the Now Sarae bides her time, waiting for
grounds and the king himself enjoys opportunities to buy her freedom with gifts
visiting Hollyhock every year for his annual of mortal children to her abyssal lords.
birthday hunting retreat.
150 years ago, Sarae managed to lure a
Several months ago the sun abruptly noble into the well and used his royal blood
stopped setting. A hazy late-afternoon sun to sire a host of shadow demons. These
permanently shines down on the garden creatures abducted dozens of children from
grounds. What began as a harmless curios- the surrounding villages and dragged them
ity soon proved to have disquieting effects to hell as dark offerings to evil masters.
on the garden’s inhabitants. The animals Sarae’s gifts were well received but their
have grown violent. Strange and inexplica- numbers were too small; she went dormant
ble creatures have appeared and many of in her mirror prison, waiting patiently for
the duke’s knights have been killed. Duke another opportunity to serve the shadows.
Omer, desperate to restore normalcy to his
garden, posts an open bounty for 9 months ago, Sarae got her wish: her
enterprising sell-swords to end the curse of otherworldly song lured Duke Omer to her
endless sunlight. side. Together the two lovers have
spawned a new host of demons that stand
ready to abscond into the night to abduct
the children of the realm.

4
The Wizard The Visitors
The threat of the shadow demons caught What Fabien didn’t anticipate is that halt-
the ear of the duke’s magician, Fabien— ing the day/night cycle in a localized area
albeit a bit late. Fabien’s auguries showed for an extended period of time has eroded
him a vision of shadows seeping out of the away the edges of reality. “Visitors” have
earth and taking 100 children into hell. entered the garden from obscure reaches of
Sadly, the hour was late and the shadows the cosmos through portals popping up in
had already begun to slink out of the the garden. For now, 7 visitors have
garden’s well for their prizes. Desperate to crossed over (and one rabbit managed to
stop them, Fabien cast a ritual to prevent enter the portal and return, changed).
nightfall in the garden—trapping the
shadows under the earth and protecting the These alien creatures are motivated by
countryside from the hellish threat. singular compulsions. They communicate
in a form of telepathy that for all purposes
Before beginning his ritual, Fabien made “sounds” like several human voices
several quick preparations: He first sent his speaking at once. They have no under-
apprentice Muriel to the rosarium to standing of right, wrong, pain, or death,
investigate the evil presence he detected and use no names to distinguish each other.
there. He cast an enchantment spell on her Any conversation with the Visitors will be
pet rat familiar “Scampers” to grow to a extremely strained and filled with bizarre
huge size to protect her. When Muriel died questions.
in the well, the monstrous Scampers’ mind
was shattered and the giant rat now grows The only open portal currently is in the
more feral each day. hedge maze though other nearby areas are
starting to wear thin. Restoring the natural
Fabien also sent a note via carrier crow to day/night cycle will gradually close and
his close friend, the gardener Rodolphe to repair these anomalous portals. The
summon him to his secret floating atelier visitors will require some convincing to
for assistance. Rodolphe received the note return home, however.
but couldn’t interpret his friend’s riddle; he
was killed and eaten by Scampers before he
could join Fabien’s side.

Fabien still sits in his secret floating

atelier—awake, sunbaked, and deep in
meditation to maintain his spell and
protect the innocent.

5
What the PCs know • The animals have lost their minds and
are attacking people.
The duke sent in a number of his knights
to investigate—none have returned. Rather • An enormous rat of unknown origins
than expend more soldiers, he’s posted a is inside the gardens. It’s already killed
bounty of 1000 GP to any party that can two knights and should not be directly
end the curse of eternal daylight. The gates engaged.
have been sealed shut but soldiers will place
a ladder for the PCs to enter the garden in • Other sell-swords have already
area G-2. entered; none have returned. The last
ones, Charlotte and Bertrand, entered
The knights fear “sun madness” and insist 48 hours ago.
that a trained physicker inspect anyone
exiting the garden for signs of this (mostly • The general layout of the gardens in-
imagined) affliction. Because of this, sell- cluding the location of the hedge maze,
swords are only permitted to enter and rosarium, lake, stables, and gardener’s
exit the garden through area G-2. Any- cottage.
one caught hopping a fence will be
assumed to be mad and attacked by knights • Inexplicable creatures have been spot-
patrolling the perimeter. ted roaming the interior.

A tent-camp has popped up as a base of op- • There’s a rumor that staying in the
erations within the donut of twilight just sunlight for 24 hours will make people
outside the garden walls. PCs are welcome go insane (this is untrue).
to camp here; additionally, they have access
to a provisioner selling basic equipment
and an armorer who can repair and Running the Adventure
appraise gear. A dwarven quartermaster PCs will explore the grounds of Hollyhock
has a keg of ale and operates a sort of investigating the sunlight curse. Each hex
tavern from the mess tent. The knights represents approximately half a mile and
here are indifferent towards the PCs. will take 10 to 20 minutes to traverse. Most
hexes, with the exception of the maze
PCs can learn any of the following interior and forest, are clearly visible from
information from the tent camp: surrounding hexes. This means that the
giant rat or other threats may see and
• The sun stopped setting and no one pursue the PCs from a distance.
knows why. A reward is posted for
restoring normalcy to the garden. The garden is surrounded by a 12’ tall stone
wall embedded with glass shards at its apex
• Fabien, the king’s magician has gone to deter poachers and predators.
missing around the same time as the
start of the endless daylight. He’s a Many monster stat blocks are listed
prime suspect; it’s rumored that he has in-line within hex descriptions;
a hidden workshop somewhere in the additional monster details and magic
gardens but no one knows its location. items are listed on pages 25-29.

6
Random Encounters
When PCs enter a new hex or spend more than 10 minutes in a single area, there is a
2-in-6 chance of encountering a wandering threat. Roll 2d6 and compare the results to
the random encounter table below.

2d6 Encounter Description

2 1d4+1 bounty hunters (4 HP, 11 STR, 14 DEX, 12 WIL, weapon (d6)) are
searching for clues to end the curse. The hunters are (d4):
1) Friendly and cooperative. 2) Grumpy but willing to trade intel.
3) Delirious and sunburned. 4) Screaming and homicidal.
3 Weird voices and “scratching” sounds from the other side - Visitors from
beyond attempt to communicate through mysterious whispers. They may ask
for directions to “the white” (see area H-4).
4 Lazarus Rabbit attacks (if already discovered in hedge maze area H-7,
otherwise reroll).
5 Horse attack! “Black Beauty” from area G-8 charges, attempts to trample, then
runs away. (Page 26).
6 A lesser “Visitor” is in the area. Consult the Lesser Visitor table (page 8).
7 Scampers, the giant rat (page 9), attacks or pursues.
8 3d4 carnivorous deer are present in the area. (Page 26).
9 A swarm of crows swoops in–they may attack or present gifts depending on
the PCs choices in area H-1. Otherwise, they make a lot of noise and defecate
on the PCs. (Page 26).
10 A swarm of bees–won’t attack if PCs are calm (WIL save). Otherwise, angry
bees attack relentlessly (Page 26).
11 Wandering Fire: A little living flame wanders towards the gazebo in H-2.
Cannot be deterred from its path, speaks the language of fire.
12 Bodies of dead adventurers. They are (d4):
1) Magical! Find 1 random spell-book. 2) Rich! Find jewelry (3d6 x 10 GP).
3) Just dead. Find nothing of interest. 4) Bloated and festering. STR save or
contract corpse fever (deprived for 24 hours).

7
Lesser Visitor Table
1d4 Visitor Description
1 “Tower builder” A small, hairless person with perfectly round eyes who
feels compelled to stack rocks into little towers.
Hundreds of rock stacks fill the area.
2 “Sorter” A large, perfectly smooth human head with little arms
and legs growing from the bottom. Obsessively puts
everything around it in “order”–including player
characters who happen to be nearby. Its taxonomy is
undecipherable.
3 “Head smasher” A squat, glowing, leathery humanoid who is compelled
to smack its head against a hard surface. Screams “Ouch!
Ow!” Can offer no other explanation beyond “I just have
to take care of this real quick.”
4 “Digger” A 7’ tall humanoid with long hair and feet for hands.
Compelled to lie on its stomach in a deep hole but can’t
seem to get it “just right.” It keeps digging holes and lying
face down inside. The surrounding area is filled with
crudely dug holes.

8
Garden Locations Giant Rat, “Scampers”
A map of the garden is located on page 2. 9 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 11 DEX, 3 WIL,
bite & rend (1d10+1d10)

G-1: Hedge Maze • Does not suffer from critical damage

An elaborate and imposing hedge maze caused by mundane weapons.
constructed from tall evergreen herbs.
While the most obvious entrance is along G-3: Rot Pile
the eastern edge of the maze, a second en-
trance is found on the southern wall for Someone has stacked up a pile of dead
those who take the time to inspect the bodies and left them festering in the
outer perimeter. See Map H and page 18 sun. It’s mostly animals–horses from the
for detailed descriptions of the hedge maze. stables, deer, wild boars and also a few
humans–two dead knights are here. It’s
awful. There’s a wagon underneath some-
G-2: South Gate where but it’s hard to see it from the
An abandoned and dilapidated gate swelling bodies of the dead. A good push
house; the gate itself is now barricaded would definitely send it rolling down the
from the outside. Guards will not open the hill.
gate until the sun has resumed its normal
behavior. Inside the gatehouse are a few Those with the stomach to dig through this
simple pole-arm weapons, rope, panes of mess will find two suits of plate armor, two
glass for window replacements, and some longswords, a crossbow, and 151 GP.
carpentry tools.
Unfortunately, the giant rat is often found
A guard on watch is posted on a ladder on here nibbling on the corpses. Roll twice
the outside wall to allow PCs access in and on the random encounter table and use
out of the garden via a ladder. Guards will the worse result.
not lend aid if the giant rat or other violent
fauna are nearby.

Designer suggestion: Rather than rolling a random encounter for G-2, fudge the dice and send
the giant rat towards the PCs from a distant hiding place as soon as they’ve entered the garden.
Characters who stand and fight will quickly realize the threat imposed by the rat. This will
likely drive the PCs to hide in a nearby area like the hedge maze or rot pile. Either way, the
characters are immediately presented with driving action and short-term motivation.
Remember that the guards will not lower a ladder for the PCs to retreat if the rat is nearby.

The rat should represent a constant danger to the PCs’ safety; the threat of a persistent yet slow
moving, deadly monster will keep PCs on their toes and strategizing.

9
G-4: Hills G-5: Weird Shade
Rolling hills and shaggy grasses cover There’s a weird patch of shade in this
this stretch of lawn. area that never moves and offers no
reasonable explanation for its exis-
A small herd of 1d4+3 deer graze peace- tence. Local fauna are attracted to this area
fully on the flesh of a dead guy. The and will often cool themselves here. Roll
animals have been munching away happily twice on the random encounter table.
for some time so they’re not feeling
particularly aggressive but will stand their The secret source of this shade is the floating
ground if directly approached. Deer will sky atelier of Fabien (location G-20). A magical
not fight to the death. curtain makes it invisible from the ground. At
nearly 100 feet in the air, reaching it through
There are few distinguishable remains left conventional means is improbable. A secret
on the corpse–tatters of a black cape and staircase to this floating island is found in area
dark muddy clothing. A nearby leather G-6. A clue to its existence is found in G-19.
satchel contains a bandolier of throwing
knives, 1d6 vials of snow snake venom
(STR save to resist short term
G-6: Big Tree
petrification), an hourglass that marks the At nearly 300’, this enormous sitka
passing of 4 hours, a secret assassin guild’s spruce is the tallest point in the
signet ring, a wallet with 200 newly minted gardens by a wide margin. Ancient
gold coins, and an incriminating note druids recognized the significance of this
which reads: spruce and set 12 standing stones at
regular intervals in a ring around the tree’s
“Half payment of 200 coins rendered on trunk for use in rituals. Each granite
[yesterday’s date]. 200 coin more paid [one obelisk stands roughly 5 feet tall and is
week from yesterday] or sunset. Watch the decorated with silver druidic runes to rep-
well. Nobody in or out. Stay hidden, mind resent the numbers 1 through 12 (the runes
the knight. Destroy this note.” aren’t hard to interpret–they’re basically
tally marks). Spells are empowered in this
The body belongs to an assassin named area–range and damage is doubled while
Gormax. Duke Omer drew up a deal with the within 60’ of the tree. A wicker basket
assassin’s guild to protect the secret of the full of pinecones and a small step
rosarium’s well. Unfortunately for Gormax, he ladder lean against the tree. Canny PCs
was surprised by a pack of hungry deer and may note that no tree branches are within
eaten en route to the rosarium. reach of the small step ladder–it’s actually
intended for use with the stones.
Crazed Deer
The standing stones hold a secret–an invisible,
2 HP, 11 STR, 16 DEX, 8 WIL, hoof, tooth magical staircase leads from the top of the “9”
or horns (1d6) stone to the floating, hidden atelier of Fabien
(area G-20). Aside from Fabien himself, only
his apprentice Muriel knew of this staircase.
Area G-19 provides a clue to its existence. PCs
who linger in this area have a 1-in-6 chance
each hour of seeing a crow crash into the
invisible staircase.
10
G-7: Rosarium leave the rosarium, nor allow any harm to
come to its roses. In fact, Reinfrid passed
Note: Do not roll for random encounters in this away several months ago from heat and de-
area. The giant rat and other hostile fauna will hydration yet still patrols these grounds in
not enter. undeath. Scampers and other feral wildlife
will not enter the rosarium for fear of
A formal and intentionally designed Reinfrid’s capable magic blade. Reinfrid
rose garden comprising three major will offer assistance to honorable PCs but
subsections: will neither leave the rosarium nor enter
the well.
Walking paths and marble fountain:
Symmetrical hedges–now overgrown and If the PCs can tolerate a (benevolent)
choked with tangles of roses–radiate out in undead knight watching over them, the
circular patterns from a central marble gazebo is a rare safe-space in the garden to
fountain. Marble statues spangled with set up camp.
lichens depict idealized male forms and
look down at the garden from four elevated The old well: An old stone well stands at
plinths from the rosarium’s corners. This the south end of the garden. A sturdy
area bears a higher degree of formality than knotted rope secured to a beam descends
every other location and has suffered the into its depths. The well connects to an
most from months of neglect. Dozens of underground cave structure. See Map W and
varieties of rose bushes now thrash page 22 for a detailed description of this area.
together into a thorny concatenation and Muriel descended this rope several weeks
make the walking paths difficult to ago and has not returned; Reinfrid knows
traverse. about this and may offer information to
“honorable warriors” (he will not abide a
PCs trained in herbalism may note a num- scoundrel). He knows that the duke has
ber of rare and valuable rose varieties here. often climbed down the well but is reticent
A rare “Juliet” rosebush near the fountain to engage in “gossip” or idle speculation
would fetch 100 GP from the right buyer. about the duke’s motives.
White marble gazebo: Overlooking the
gardens at the north end of the rosarium is
a white marble gazebo. Sitting in a heap in-
side is an ancient and feeble looking knight:
Reinfrid, the Knight of Roses (10 HP,
3 Armor, 10 STR, 5 DEX, 12 WIL, magic
glowing longsword (d12)).

Reinfrid faithfully served the kingdom for

decades; as he reached his twilight years,
the king charged him to retire to these gar-
dens and defend its roses. The king meant
this as a winking, de facto retirement for
the aging knight but Reinfrid, honorable to
a fault, took his charge extremely seriously.
Until he is relieved of his duty by a member
of the ruling nobility, Reinfrid will neither
11
G-8: Stables G-9: Forest (South)
A large barn with stalls for up to 20 A patchy forest of dry coniferous trees.
horses next to a fenced-in yard. The thin canopy provides little shade. Dead
Yasmine, the head groom, has barricaded pine needles blanket the ground, obscuring
herself and 8 horses inside. Unless all PCs 3d4 spiked pitfalls--traps set by the duke’s
are moving stealthily, Yasmine will sense men to trap the sun-mad fauna of the
their approach. garden. PCs who don’t take special care in
traversing this area have a 1-in-6 chance of
Yasmine is an unfriendly leathery frontier stumbling into a trap. Each pit is 6’ deep
woman with a crossbow. She may be per- and filled with sharpened stakes which deal
suaded to admit the PCs into the barn if 1d8 damage.
they show genuine concern for the horses’
well-being. In exchange for helping her PCs who take time to explore these pit
clean up an excess accumulation of horse traps may discover the corpse of a sell-
dung, she’ll reward PCs with 10 GP, advice, sword with 39 GP and a longsword made
and a safe place to rest. of clear elven glass (page 29). The sword
has a 3-in-6 chance of breaking with every
Her favorite horse, “Black Beauty” (page strike and shatters for 3x damage.
26) escaped and runs feral through the gar- Shattered glass regrows at the sword’s
dens. Yasmine will reward 100 coins and a handle with every full moon.
jeweled saddle to anyone who can return
Black Beauty to the stables unharmed.

12
G-10: Boathouse G-12: Beehives
A barn-style boathouse made of gray, Atop a muddy slope stands 6 large
sun-baked cedar boards. An attached freestanding wicker bee boxes.
dock provides lake access. The unlocked Strangely, the bees here have not aban-
boat house contains several small rowboats, doned their hives and are, in fact, thriving.
a sloop, fishing gear, and supplies for ship Their hives overflow with gorgeous amber
repair. A barrel of highly flammable pine honey; magic practitioners may detect a
tar is tucked away behind other mundane faint magic aura emanating from within.
boating equipment. Eating a fistful of honey acts restores 1d6
lost Strength, usable once per day.
Remains of a dead magic-user lie outside
the boathouse; scraps of his spell books are As long as a PC is calm, controlled, and
scattered about the lawn. A careful search moves slowly, the bees will not attack and
will piece the books together, revealing 1 will generously share their overabundance
random spell book. Charlotte from area of honey. Unfortunately, the bees have
H-5 can identify the remains as her partner started building nests in the nearby mud to
Bertrand. escape the heat and light of the gardens–
PCs who fail to notice this must roll a
The giant rat will not pursue PCs across Dexterity save to avoid falling into a col-
the water. lapsing, bee-filled mud hole, aggravating
the colony and prompting a bee attack.
G-11: Lake (South)/Wetlands Bees!
The lake terminates here in a small 2 HP, 4 STR, 15 DEX, 3 WIL, swarm (1d8,
wetland. blast), detachment
• Only harmed by fire, extreme cold,
There’s an overturned rowboat stuck in the sleep spells, or smoke.
weeds and cattails of the shallows. Under- • A brandished torch damages the whole
neath is two shadow demons, trapped by swarm.
the sun’s rays. They were swept away by
the river in the underground well area,
deposited to the bottom of the lake, and
managed to hide under a rowboat before
the sun could destroy them. Unfortunately,
the boat’s rope is hopelessly tangled in the
weeds. The demons will mimic friendly
human voices to persuade interlopers to
untangle the boat (yet without exposing
them to the light). This will absolutely
sound suspicious. In the case that the boat
is turned right-side up, the demons will
react with violence and desperation to hide
again before perishing in a puff of black
smoke in 1d4 rounds.

13
G-13: Forest (West) • Breaking the curse: A “Remove
Curse” spell or a convincing, heartfelt
A patchy forest: pine trees with brown plea to an alien creature incapable of
and dying needles. The floor is over- understanding its own actions will
grown with blackberry bushes and banish the Visitor from the spoon for
knotweed. Suspended in the air in a 10 minutes. If it is attacked and de-
bright patch of sunlit forest is a feated in this timeframe, the curse will
wooden kitchen spoon. It levitates end. Alternatively, if all spoons are
through seemingly magical means. Touch- destroyed simultaneously, the Visitor
ing this spoon will bind it to a PC through will be briefly expelled and made vul-
a powerful force. This spoon is haunted by nerable to attack/persuasion. Spoons
a “Visitor” with a strong compulsion to multiply quickly and they carefully
multiply (see page 28 for more details). hide themselves in any piece of worn
Curse details: clothing so PCs will need to take spe-
• Immediately: The PC will not notice cial considerations to ensure that no
any immediate change; the spoon spoons are capable of remaining
appears to be completely mundane and hidden on their person.
will no longer levitate after first being
touched. If the PC does not take the
spoon with them, they will regardless “Spoons”
soon find a wooden spoon somewhere 11 HP, 10 STR, 10 DEX, 17 WIL
in their inventory. • Though attacking “Spoons” will
• Soon: The PC may begin to notice an eventually disable its bodily and
increasingly heavy backpack or trouser reproductive functions, it will switch
pocket. The wooden spoons will to an incorporeal state and slowly
multiply at a rate of 1d6 spoons per regain its physical form at a rate of 1
turn until the PC is completely STR/day.
encumbered. • Its body can only be permanently
• In a few hours: Extraneous physical destroyed with magic.
exertion (e.g. attacking or being
attacked) will cause wooden spoons to
“pop” into existence around the PC
and clatter to the ground.
• In a few days: Minor or mundane
physical exertion (e.g. walking on hard
surfaces, speaking above a whisper,
eating crunchy foods) causes spoons to
explode into existence around the PC.
• In a few more days: Breathing,
drinking, or swallowing will further
multiply the spoons.
• Finally: unless extraordinary
precautions are taken, the spoons will
multiply so quickly that the PC will be
crushed to death under a surging chug
of hundreds of thousands of spoons
multiplying exponentially.

14
G-14: Lake (West) “Mermaid”
12 HP, 16 STR, 5 DEX, 1 WIL, Extremely
A large, peaceful lake. large, crushing arms that want to hug but
In the deepest, coldest part of the lake lies don’t know their own strength (1d8)
the Visitor, “Mermaid” (see page 28 for • Injuring Mermaid will eventually
more details). The light radiating from disable its arms, freeing its trapped ball
Mermaid is visible from any point on the of detritus.
lakeshore. This Visitor’s compulsion is “to • On a critical damage fail, it switches to
hold.” She will walk along the lake bottom an incorporeal state and slowly regains
to any creature, boat, or object that she its physical form at a rate of
spots in the water and encircle them in her 1 STR/day.
extremely long arms that can grow up to • Critical Damage: Huge arms grab and
100 feet long. Anyone rowing a boat across entrap its victim.
the water (or worse–swimming) will need
to make a Strength save or risk the
Mermaid grabbing and pulling them be-
neath the waves. The Visitor is currently
holding every fish, several deer, two
sell-swords, and a boat in a giant ball of
compressed trash. Like the other Visitors,
Mermaid has no concept of death and does
not understand the harm in following her
compulsions.

15
G-15: Lake (East) G-17: Forest (North)
A cool, clear lake; thick swathes of sea- Even at its densest, the forest here
weed are visible from the surface and offers little shade. The sun-scorched
may tangle in oars. canopy provides a mesh of treacly
Anyone paddling a boat must succeed at a shadows across the overgrown forest
Strength save or be held in place. A bright floor. Prickly vines from wild black-
light from below the water shines in the berry bushes make this area difficult
west and will quickly grow closer to any to traverse.
who enters the water here. See area G-14 A silent hunter stalks this area. Perceptive
for more details on this threat. characters may notice a dark pair of eyes
observing their movement through the
G-16: Orchard brush. These belong to the Duke’s dog,
Bijou–a tall, long-eared hunting dog
The apples and pears of this orchard similar to a Great Anglo-French White and
have long ago ripened and fallen from Black Hound. Bijou has somehow retained
their branches. The stench of spoiled her sanity although she’s jumpy and badly
fruit and the constant buzz of insects infested with fleas. She poses no threat to
makes this an unpleasant place to PCs and will run away if attacked by threats
linger. beyond her fighting capabilities. If the PCs
manage to earn Bijou’s trust (especially
Poorly hidden beneath a wooden hatch on with gifts of food), they will find a loyal
a hillock is Rodolphe and Fabien’s secret companion and a very good girl.
dugout where they craft magical fruit-
wines. PCs have a 3-in-6 chance of
randomly stumbling onto this hatch. Bijou, Dog
3 HP, 10 STR, 12 DEX, 10 WIL, bite (d6)
The shelves contain the following stock: • Well trained: Obeys basic commands:
• 1d2 bottles of Pale Gold Cider. attack, heel, stay, sit, roll over, shake,
Slightly carbonated, induces a state of play dead, drop it, dance, fetch.
near-weightlessness for 1d6 turns.
• 1d4 bottles of White Riesling.
Slowly drains the pigment from the
imbiber’s hair, skin, and eyes, inducing
a state of albinism that lasts for 1d6
days. 1-in-6 chance of becoming
completely transparent (granting
advantages on attempts to hide).
• 1d4 bottles of Spiced Mead. Super-
naturally delicious mead, immediately
induces extreme nausea and vomiting
(Strength save to resist).
• 2 bottles of Black Wine. Users hear
the whispers of the nearby dead. Any-
one who drinks this wine may ask
three questions to a corpse and it must
answer truthfully.

16
G-18: Sculpture Park G-20: Flying Atelier
This neglected section of the hunting A twisty invisible staircase leads from the
grounds is home to an overgrown sitka spruce to a flying island. Fabien’s
sculpture park. These statues were workshop sits upon a flying puck-shaped
erected 150 years ago by the previous rul- platform of enchanted stone, 50’ in diame-
ing dynasty. They are not well maintained ter, 90’ in the air. This floating island is
by the garden’s current disinterested custo- completely invisible from the ground yet
dians. The statues depict children standing still casts a shadow. Soft grass, clover, and
on marble platforms. Several are damaged wildflowers adorn the yard; a modern,
enough that they could be easily toppled angular workshop is perched on the far
over (inflicting 3d6 crushing damage). edge of the flying.

PCs who spend enough time to clear away Fabien himself sits in front of his workshop
the brush will find a memorial plaque that spinning steel meditation balls through his
commemorates a tragedy from 150 years long fingers, deep in concentration. He’s
ago when dozens of children disappeared terribly sunburned–his bleached clothes
from nearby villages. See page 4 for addi- hang off of his skinny frame and his eyes
tional information about this tragedy. PCs are crusted shut with pus. He looks terrible.
educated in local lore know that the crime
was blamed on an evil duke from the last Protecting Fabien is a stone golem cut from
dynasty who was hanged for witchcraft. slabs of white marble (see page 29). The
construct will allow no one to approach the
G-19: Gardener’s Cottage wizard and only attacks if intruders show
blatant hostility. Its mouth is enchanted
A small, tasteful cottage stands here with a permanent “detect lies” spell–the
amidst an orchard of pear trees heavy golem shouts “falsehood!” if any lie is
with rotten fruit. spoken aloud in its presence.
Rodolphe the gardener lived and served
here for decades. The door is simple unre- Fabien is focused on maintaining his
inforced wood and locked with a poor eternal daylight spell; willpower alone
quality padlock. Inside is a wooden bed keeps him alive. If PCs try to converse with
frame and hay-stuffed mattress, writing him, he will speak a few pleading words
desk, several pairs of muddy boots, a wood through the side of his mouth: “Shadows...
stove and cooking tools, a wooden treasure coming through the ground...under the
chest, and various farming and gardening well…” He will only end his spell if his
implements. Inside the chest is an golem verifies that the threat of demons
enchanted Shovel Blade (see page 29 for has been completely eradicated. Once the
weapon description). spell ends, Fabien will immediately die. He
is unable to defend himself while focusing
Sitting on the desk is a hastily-scribbled on his spell though his golem will defend
note from Fabien, delivered by crow just him and block any missile weapons.
before the ritual began.
When the spell ends or Fabien dies, the sun will
“Dearest Rodolphe, immediately set. Fabien’s death will cause the
Trouble, urgent. My atelier: Sitka spruce, 9 o giant rat to revert to its original size. See the
clock topside. Sand may help find your path. “Followup” section on page 25 for additional
Consider bringing a bottle of pale gold? -F” details.
17
Hedge Maze Crow Swarm
A map of the hedge maze is located on page 30. 3 HP, 4 STR, 14 DEX, 3 WIL, pecking
beaks (1d4, blast), detachment
The walls of this large maze are crafted from • Only harmed by fire, extreme cold,
evergreen boxwood shrubs. Player characters sleep spells, or smoke.
are able to hack their own paths through the
brush but fire will not burn the hedges (see H-2: Gazebo
area H-2 for details). If the giant rat is in pur-
A gazebo sits amidst a clearing in the
suit, PCs are easily able to lose him in the twist-
hedge maze. In the center of the struc-
ing paths here. The small tower in area H-10 is
ture is a whirling conflagration of
visible from all points of the garden. The maze
living flame–a large fire elemental.
is located in area G-1 of the garden. There is a
This primordial creature is incapable of
1-in-10 chance of a random encounter every
leaving the gazebo or harming plant or
turn within the hedge maze using the same
animal life within the garden.
table from page 6.
Fabien has protected the hedge maze with a
H-1: Bird Bath powerful ritual–any fire occurring within
An elaborate marble bird bath sits in a the garden sprouts feet and walks
small clearing–a detachable stone bowl innocuously to this gazebo where it
rests atop a 3’ marble pedestal remains trapped until Fabien can safely
embellished with floral motifs. Fabien banish it. Note that any fire-based attack or
enchanted this bird bath to create and spell by a PC will work normally before the
purify water in its bowl once per day. fire animates and wanders off towards the
gazebo. Unfortunately, it’s been several
A murder of crows have claimed this water months since Fabien’s attended to his traps
feature as their own; their squawks are and the fires have consolidated into a huge
audible throughout the maze. The crows elemental.
collect shiny baubles and deposit them in
the fountain. Cautious PCs are able to take The elemental will appeal to PCs in its
fresh water or curios so long as they follow native fire language to release it. It senses
the unwritten crow rule of “take a penny/ that Fabien is “in the air” somewhere and
leave a penny.” Greedy PCs who fail to will offer the PCs a favor if they can
leave coins or other shiny objects behind release its wards by washing away the
and steal from the fountain will be attacked runes inscribed within the gazebo.
by the swarm. Conversely, the crows will
be appreciative towards generous adven-
turers; particularly magnanimous PCs may
find themselves with a new crow
companion perched upon their shoulder.

Contents of the fountain:

• 6d6 GP
• 2d4+1 silver arrowheads
• A silver, jeweled hand mirror (25 GP)

18
H-3: World Garden H-5: Shrine
A large raised garden bed dominates a An altar, baptismal fount, pulpit, and
clearing within the maze. A bronze pews adorn this circular clearing.
plaque commemorates a “World Garden” A small locked box in the altar contains
with plant samples taken from many for- communion wafers, a small bottle of wine,
eign locales. Among the ferns, vines, herbs, and holy water.
and succulents are several notable plants:
Hiding behind the shrine is an injured
• Woolly Mitten Stachys - A curative huntress, Charlotte (2 HP, 5 STR, 13 DEX,
herb that removes poison. 11 WIL). When the many-armed Visitor
• Pink Nightshade - If ground to a wounded her leg, she retreated here, wait-
pulp and administered orally, induces ing for her partner Bertrand to return with
sleep (Strength save to resist). help. It’s been over 24 hours so she’s not
• Tosscobble Cashews - A shelled nut. hopeful for his success.
Unroasted, causes terrible vomiting
(Strength save to resist). If roasted, a She knows that strange visitors have
single nut provides the emerged from a portal in the garden; she’ll
nutritional equivalent of a full meal. share basic details about “Limbs” and the
“Mermaid” to PCs who discover her and
H-4: the White offer to parley. She originally wanted to
investigate the gardener’s cottage because
The green hedges and brown soil of the she’s heard that he’s friends with Fabien.
hedge maze fade to pale the closer the She will lend her services (or a bag of 6d6
PCs draw to this area. A bright white coins) to helpful PCs who heal her wound
“rip” hangs in the air and produces an and agree to help search for her comrade.
ultra-high frequency hum.
Note: Bertrand was killed by the rat; his
The radiation ejected from this phenome- remains are found outside the boathouse in
non can harm PCs who linger too close area G-10.
(Strength save or take 1d6 damage; causes
red peeling skin, vomiting, ringing in ears).

When the natural cycle of day and night

was broken in the gardens, an itchy little
tear began to form between our reality and
an alien realm. The White is a gate into
that distant world. Anyone entering the
white will be bombarded with radiation
(1d6 damage/round, Strength save for half
damage). Only restoring the natural cycle
of day/night will close the gate.

Fastidious PCs will note old footprints and

handprints leading out of the portal and
rabbit tracks leading in and out of the area.

19
H-6: Secret Tent
Lazarus Rabbit
A yurt-like permanent tent structure is camou- 2 HP, 4 STR, 9 DEX, 11 WIL, bite (1d4)
flaged and hidden beyond a layer of evergreen • Effectively immortal. If the rabbit is
shrub in a conspicuous dead-end corridor. killed, it will come back to life after 10
minutes +1 STR, and a more powerful
Since maintenance of the elaborate hedge bite (e.g. 1d6).
maze demanded a huge time commitment, • Takes impaired damage from the type
Rodolphe the gardener secreted this small of attacks that previously killed it.
shelter here so as to not disrupt the care- Currently, arrow or bolt missile
fully maintained aesthetic of the garden. attacks are impaired.
Inside is a simple cot, dried food stores,
garden implements, and a pair of magical
hedge boots gifted to him by Fabien. He’s
been fearful to try out this “gift” so they’ve H-8: Supply Shed
been hidden under his cot for some time. A simple unlocked supply shed. It
See page 29 for more details. contains tools for maintaining the hedge
maze, a coil of hemp rope, and a bucket of
PCs who wander down to the end of this valuable silver paint.
dead-end path have a 3-in-6 chance of
noticing the secret tent. It is camouflaged Weapons covered in this paint count as
from the observation tower in area H-10. silver for purposes of damage reduction;
however, there is a 4-in-6 chance of the
H-7: Pond paint flaking off after each combat en-
counter in which that weapon is used.
A man-made pond complete with lily
pads and decorative water flowers
occupies this area. Several stone
benches provide a place to rest.

The pond is surrounded by a score of dead

frogs. The lazarus rabbit
is here, shaking frogs
to death for fun; it at-
tacks the PCs on sight.
This arrow-pierced
rabbit has entered the
White (see area H-4)
and survived, now
warped into an immor-
tal and blood-thirsty
abomination. When
the lazarus rabbit is
slain, it will rise again
within one turn,
resistant to that which
previously killed it.

20
H-9: Long Corridor H-10: Observation Tower
A long unbroken stretch of path A simple stone tower comprising a
within the maze. The ground is covered staircase that rises 20 feet to a 10’ square
by immaculately organized petals from observation platform where one may
evergreen shrubs and the feathers, bones, view the full scope of the hedge maze.
and organs of a crow. An alien visitor from PCs can view a full layout of the maze from
the “white” seemingly composed of 20-30 the observation platform. The secret yurt
arms wanders here–it will shout a friendly (H-6) is camouflaged but partially visible
greeting and pursue PCs out of curiosity. here. “Limbs” will spot anyone on this
Despite “Limbs’” polite and inquisitive de- tower and start moving towards them,
meanor, its perpetually active hands will shouting a friendly greeting of “Yoo-hoo!”
strip nearby PCs of armor, clothing, hair, (see area H-9 for more detail).
skin, and bones. Its compulsion is to
“disassemble” and it has no understanding
of pain, death, right, or wrong. Treat
H-11: Statues
“Limbs” as an actively hostile opponent Large valuable metallic statues depict-
though its naive and innocent mind is ing the Duke’s ancestors are covered
completely at odds with the destruction with crow droppings. The statues appear
enacted by its hands. See page 27 for more to be made of silver; unfortunately, they’re
information. “Limbs” will follow PCs but only painted silver from the paint in area
will not leave the garden until it has H-8.
“studied it sufficiently.”

“Limbs”
7 HP, 12 STR, 11 DEX, 16 WIL, A dozen
curious hands disassembling your living
body (1d8)
• Switches to an incorporeal state and
slowly regains its physical form at a
rate of 1 STR/day. Injuring “Limbs”
will eventually disable its arms.
• Its body can be permanently destroyed
with powerful magic.

21
Under the Well Three human-like effigies made out of mud
stand in the center of the room facing west.
A map of the well is located on page 31. One has real human hair. These crudely
assembled decorations were crafted by
A series of caverns connects to a subterranean shadow imps out of boredom. They serve
river beneath the well. Secretly, an army of no purpose other than looking creepy.
shadow demons is trapped here, waiting for the
sun to set so they can climb out and set to work On the western edge of the room is a large,
abducting children. The well is accessed from funnel shaped hole roughly 5’ in diameter.
area G-7. Dangling in its central hole is a small hook
and an iron key which unlocks the door to
There are no random encounters under the room W-7. Next to the hole is a saw and a
well. Demons will generally be aware of PCs dry pool of blood.
who enter their caverns but will not launch a
full assault until they reach area W-3. The Two bored shadow imps hide in the hole
demons die in sunlight and thus will not pursue and hope that a foolish trespasser will stick
PCs into the water of the cistern or up the rope an arm near enough for them to grab. The
to the rosarium. imps will grab anything placed by the hole’s
opening and hold it with their combined
strengths. They’ll attempt to manacle a
W-1: Cistern hand to a mounted chain if they grapple an
A knotted rope leads 40 feet down into arm for at least 2 rounds.
the water of a large cistern (Marked as
“X” on the map). The cold, fresh water here If PCs linger in this room for more than 10
is 25’ deep. The pool terminates at a silty minutes or if they’re particularly loud,
ledge to the north and east. Huge boulders additional imps will sneak in from W-3
and miscellaneous rubble accumulate in the and attempt to shove PCs towards the hole
western edge of the cistern. A wide, before attacking. Imps are cowardly and
rounded natural tunnel leads north; a will retreat if necessary.
large and locked stone door leads east.
The western rubble hides a small, partially Shadow Imps
submerged tunnel leading west. 3 HP, 1 Armor, 12 STR, 13 DEX, 11 WIL,
barbed tail (1d6)
10d6 GP rest at the bottom of the cistern • Demonic Toughness: Damage from
for curious PCs who wish to explore its weapons that are not magic or silver
watery depths. are impaired.
• Mischief Makers: Able to perfectly
mimic human voices and environmen-
W-2: Mud Room tal sound effects.
A rounded cavern with low 6’ ceilings. • Born of Darkness: Concealment in
The floor is covered in fresh wet mud. low- light (50% miss chance).
A tunnel leads south to the cistern. The • Direct sunlight instantly destroys
sound of rushing water is heard from a Shadow Demons.
cavern to the east. A small 1’ hole leads
north. Most PCs would need to wriggle on
their stomachs to get through this winding
and claustrophobic passage.

22
W-3: Cavern W-4: Beach
A natural cavern connects to a cold A fast, cold river flows north.
subterranean river. Stalactites and Characters or creatures who are swept
stalagmites punctuate 8’ ceilings and away will emerge at the bottom of the lake
muddy floors which slope towards the (location G-11) in 1d6 minutes.
east. A large formation of basalt-like
crystal bars passage to another cham- A narrow lip runs along the western edge
ber to the north. These crystals can be de- of the cavern. Player characters may
stroyed with blunt weapons and 1d6 min- attempt a Dexterity save to traverse the
utes of manual labor. Sunlight instantly river passage between areas W-3 and W-7.
shatters the crystal. Shadow demons may
pass harmlessly through these crystalline
structures.
W-5: Crystal Chamber
A wide, dark cavern choked with
Shadow demons lurk in this chamber; they spiky basalt-like crystal formations. A
are extremely bored and eager for a fight. goblet filled with the Duke’s blood sits in a
Unless the PCs have been particularly magic circle in the middle of the chamber.
quiet, 4 imps and 3 shadow hogs attack Shadow leeches slither out of the goblet to
with gusto from their hiding spots. A incubate within the crystal formations and
demon hulk and 1d4 hog reinforcements grow over time into shadow demons.
arrive in 1d6 rounds from room W-5. The Spilling the blood or destroying the circle
demons will pursue fleeing PCs but will not will halt the creation of new demon life.
give chase beyond the outer perimeter of
the cistern (location W-1) due to the sun- A shadow hulk lurks here to protect the
light pouring in from above. enchanted blood. If PCs enter this
chamber, a combination of 3d4 imps and
hogs (with half of their maximum hp)will
Shadow Hogs emerge screaming from the crystals within
4 HP, 13 STR, 11 DEX, 5 WIL, bite (1d6) 1d6 rounds.

• Demonic Toughness: Damage from

weapons that are not magic or silver Shadow Hulks
are impaired. 6 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 8 DEX, 2 WIL,
• Born of Darkness: Concealment in open-handed slap (1d4+1d4), headbutt
low- light (50% miss chance). (1d8)
• Direct sunlight instantly destroys • Demonic Toughness: Damage from
Shadow Demons. weapons that are not magic or silver
are impaired.
• Born of Darkness: Concealment in
low- light (50% miss chance).
• Direct sunlight instantly destroys
Shadow Demons.

23
W-6: the Long Hallway
Designer’s note: This area is left open to expand
the dungeon further. The warden may want to
provide a larger, campaign sized threat by
populating a labyrinthine dungeon with legions
of demons or omit this hallway entirely for a
more easily resolved adventure.

W-7: Mirror Room

Hewn stone walls frame a large rectan-
gular room. It smells like mildew and
stale wine. A large freestanding mirror
faces away from the door in the middle
of the chamber; it sits on an old mold-
ruined rug and faces a wooden rocking
chair. In the south-western corner of
the room is a soiled hay-stuffed mat-
tress surrounded by the dregs of open
wine bottles. Educated PCs can identify
the wine as particularly valuable and
imported from abroad.

Looking in the mirror will summon Sarae,

a shadow demon succubus. She will appear
as an idealized sexual partner of the first
person who gazes into the mirror (and
obviously may not appear female). PCs can
feel her touch, hear her voice, and see her
reflection but cannot see her physically
except within the mirror. Destroying the
mirror is impossible without powerful
magic; PCs may smash its glass but it will
magically become whole again as soon as
PCs look away. Sarae remains an immortal
prisoner so long as the mirror exists.

Sarae is impatient for the sunlight curse to

end and is happy to provide assistance to
the PCs. She has scried the general location
of Fabien and understands that he’s the
responsible party for the curse. Sarae will
appeal to the player’s sympathies to end the
sunlight and “help free her”–if PCs grow
suspicious, she’ll attempt to dominate
weak-minded PCs to do her bidding.

24
W-8: Flooded Hollow If the goblet of blood in area W-5 has
been spilled and a sizable portion of
Hidden behind a pile of debris is a short, demons defeated:
partially submerged tunnel and a damp • The demon threat will be halted (at
cavern chamber. Fabien’s apprentice least for now).
Muriel met her end here–her corpse is • Sarae will seek vengeance; the duke
missing an arm and shows signs of will secretly arrange for the PCs to be
advanced decomposition. Muriel descended kidnapped and sent to the castle
into the well to investigate Fabien’s vision dungeon.
of “evil seeping out of the earth” but was
ambushed and killed by shadow demons. If Sarae is somehow defeated or if her
mirror is moved to a location where
Muriel clutches a stack of 3 random spell- the duke cannot find it:
books. Her backpack contains a lantern, a • The demon threat will be halted (at
bottle of black wine (see area G-16), a least for now).
quarterstaff with a silvered tip, and a silver • The duke will suspect the PCs’
locket with an illustration of her rat involvement; he will investigate,
familiar, “Scampers.” through magical means if necessary.

Followup If the duke’s crimes are exposed with

sufficient compelling evidence:
There are many ways in which the adventure • He will be removed from power and
may conclude. executed by a citizen uprising. The
power vacuum will bring unrest to the
If Fabien dies or if his ritual is other- countryside.
wise disrupted:
• The sun sets.
• The giant rat reverts to its original size Expanding the Adventure
(if it’s still alive). At the warden’s discretion, the hallway in
• The “White” closes within 1d6 days. area W-6 could lead to further demon-
• The visitors will not return to their infested dungeon encounters.
world of their own volition and may
become trapped. The contents of Fabien’s Atelier in area
• The PCs are rewarded with 1000 GP G-20 are fully detailed in Wyvern’s Songs,
when they return to the basecamp and available now from Swordlords Publishing.
lauded as heroes.
While the followup adventure Fabien’s
If the demon threat has not been Atelier provides a puzzle dungeon experi-
addressed: ence, other alternatives to its contents
• Demons will emerge from the well could include:
within 1d6 hours of sunset to stalk the • A cache of treasure, spellbooks, and
lands, steal children, and take them to magic items protected by magical traps
hell through a secret nearby hell-gate. and a crystal golem.
Rescue is unlikely but not impossible. • An extra-dimensional, endlessly
• If this occurs, Sarae will be freed from sprawling stygian library.
her prison and will be free to sow • Controls for piloting the invisible
further evil across the land. flying island, critically low on fuel.

25
Monsters
Animals
Bees
Hollyhock bees work overtime to produce magical honey. They’re anxious and quick to anger.
2 HP, 4 STR, 15 DEX, 3 WIL, swarm (1d8, blast), detachment
• Only harmed by fire, extreme cold, sleep spells, or smoke.
• A brandished torch damages the whole swarm.

Crow Swarm
The crows of Hollyhock Gardens, undeterred by wall or gate, should really leave and seek out
shade. They don’t. Thick swarms of mad, sleepless crows circle the gardens and attack at random.
3 HP, 4 STR, 14 DEX, 3 WIL, pecking beaks (1d4, blast), detachment
• Only harmed by fire, extreme cold, sleep spells, or smoke.

Deer
The deer of the hunting grounds were the first to turn feral due to the destruction of their
circadian rhythms and the subtle, maddening influence of the other world beyond the White.
These blood-hungry creatures have have adopted a strange vocal affect--a sheeplike bleating that
sounds like “meaaat.”
2 HP, 11 STR, 16 DEX, 8 WIL, hoof, tooth or horns (1d6)

Giant Rat, “Scampers”

Scampers is the enlarged familiar of the apprentice magician Muriel. An enormous rat standing
7’ tall and 12’ long. The rat will slowly lumber towards any living creature and attempt to eat it.
9 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 11 DEX, 3 WIL, bite & rend (1d10+1d10)
• Does not suffer from critical damage caused by mundane weapons.

Horse, “Black Beauty”

A single surviving war horse escaped from the stables and developed a taste for blood. The horse
will approach its victims from a distance, charging at its top speed and attempting to trample as
many targets as possible in a straight line. The horse will not stop to engage in melee combat,
preferring to wear its victims down slowly for hours at a time--charging in whenever it seems
most inconvenient for its prey.
3 HP, 5 HP, 12 STR, 15 DEX, 6 WIL, hooves (1d6+1d6)
• Critical damage: stomps its victims and continues running in a straight line. Re-
quires a clear run of at least 20 feet.

26
Visitors
Lazarus Rabbit
A normal rabbit that wandered into the visitors’ portal and survived--now hopelessly changed into
something weird. The lazarus rabbit is criminally insane and kills for sport. When first encoun-
tered, the rabbit has an arrow sticking out of its side (having been killed by an arrow once
already) This cursed creature, if left unchecked, is capable of eventually destroying the world.
Banishment from this reality, a wish spell, or creative long-term imprisonment is likely the best
option.
2 HP, 4 STR, 9 DEX, 11 WIL, bite (1d4)
• Effectively immortal. If the rabbit is killed, it will come back to life after 10 minutes
+1 STR, and a more powerful bite (e.g. 1d6).
• Takes impaired damage from the type of attacks that previously killed it. Currently,
arrow or bolt missile attacks are impaired.

“Limbs”
This creature resembles a dense bouquet of 20+ human arms suspended on two elongated arms
that serve as legs. Limbs’ compulsion is to disassemble. This naturally curious creature enjoys con-
versation and will eagerly ask questions about this world but all the while its legion of hands
quickly and effectively disassemble anything in front of it: be it ripping the leaves off of a shrub or
peeling the skin and bones out of a still living human. It does not understand the concept of death
and will not easily understand why its actions are harmful.
7 HP, 12 STR, 11 DEX, 16 WIL, A dozen curious hands disassembling your living body
(1d8)
• Switches to an incorporeal state and slowly regains its physical form at a rate of 1
STR/day. Injuring “Limbs” will eventually disable its arms.
• Its body can be permanently destroyed with powerful magic.

“Mermaid”
“Mermaid” looks vaguely human with a perfectly round face, a permanent smile, and no nose. Its
body glows with an intense radioactive green light and her arms extend to any length. Mermaid’s
compulsion is to affectively caress everything within arm’s length. It will hold any creature or
object close to it, eventually crushing it to death in an endlessly expanding mass of detritus. Like
Limbs, It does not understand the concept of death and will not easily understand why its actions
are harmful. It has human-like legs but prefers the cool of the water.
12 HP, 16 STR, 5 DEX, 1 WIL, Extremely large, crushing arms that want to hug but
don’t know their own strength (1d8)
• Injuring Mermaid will eventually disable its arms, freeing its trapped ball of detritus.
• On a critical damage fail, it switches to an incorporeal state and slowly regains its
physical form at a rate of 1 STR/day.
• Critical Damage: Huge arms grab and entrap its victim.

27
“Spoons”
The most alien of the visitors; typically takes on the form of a wooden spoon but in its natural
state, resembles a doughy humanoid with no visible orifices. It’s compulsion is to duplicate. The
stats provided below are for its natural form; see area G-13 for a detailed description about
interacting with this creature.
11 HP, 10 STR, 10 DEX, 17 WIL
• Though attacking “Spoons” will eventually disable its bodily and reproductive func-
tions, it will switch to an incorporeal state and slowly regain its physical form at a
rate of 1 STR/day.
• Its body can only be permanently destroyed with magic.

Lesser Visitors
Strange but harmless creatures compelled to follow their compulsions (stacking rocks, digging
holes, smashing their own heads, sorting objects). These creatures will not defend themselves and
don’t understand traditional cause and effect.
6 HP, 10 STR, 10 DEX, 10 WIL

Shadow Demons
All demons share the following abilities:
• Demonic Toughness: Damage from weapons that are not magic or silver are
impaired.
• Born of Darkness: Concealment in low- light (50% miss chance).
• Direct sunlight instantly destroys Shadow Demons.

Shadow Imps
Diminutive demonic humanoids with skin the color of pitch and matte yellow eyes. Shadow imps
are cruel, sadistic, and impatient creatures--they will giggle and abuse their victims until their
dying breaths.
3 HP, 1 Armor, 12 STR, 13 DEX, 11 WIL, barbed tail (1d6)
• Mischief Makers: Able to perfectly mimic human voices and environmental sound
effects.

Shadow Hogs
Small, stumpy demonic quadrupeds without ears or necks--vaguely similar in appearance to black
rain frogs. Shadow hogs have pitch black skin and matte yellow eyes. These are singular minded
creatures who only intend to destroy and sow disorder.
4 HP, 13 STR, 11 DEX, 5 WIL, bite (1d6)

Shadow Hulk
Rotund, lurching 10’ tall men with pitch colored skin and matte yellow eyes. Hulks move slowly
and intentionally with no wasted or unnecessary movements. These creatures lack any personal-
ity and seem more akin to empty puppets manipulated by a terrible greater intelligence.
6 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 8 DEX, 2 WIL, open-handed slap (1d4+1d4), headbutt (1d8)

28
Sarae, Shadow Succubus
A shape-changing demon from the shadowy pits of the abyss; the succubus attempts to lure mortal
men to ruin and to spread sin and wickedness through the land.
8 HP, 11 STR, 13 DEX, 16 WIL, mysterious scratches (1d4+1d4)
• Immortal Prisoner So long as Sarae’s mirror prison is whole, Sarae will revive
within 1 turn. The mirror can only be destroyed by a Disintegrate spell.
• Magic Powers: Cause darkness in a 10- foot diameter (twice per day), Summon 1d3
shadow imps (once per day), Change shape (at will), Charm Monster (as the spell,
once per day), Scry (once per week)
Other
Marble Golem
8 HP, 3 Armor, 16 STR, 4 DEX, 18 WIL, huge fists (1d10+1d10)
• Can only be harmed by magical attack & unaffected by Charm and Sleep.
• Intercepts all missile attacks or melee attacks made against its ward if within 10’.
Shouts “falsehood!” if any lies are spoken in its presence.

Magic Items
Shovel Blade
At first glance, resembles a common garden shovel. Closer inspection reveals a sharpened edge
that functions as a sword.
• 1d8 damage, magical, bulky, two-handed melee weapon
• Plant bane: deals an extra 1d8 damage to plants
• Wielder may cast “burrow” 2x /day. The ground suddenly parts under the shovel’s
edge to create an instant tunnel up to 60’ long which lasts for 10 minutes.

Hedge Boots
Strange living boots that resemble tree stumps and roots.
• Roots dig into the soil: The wearer can’t be forcibly moved while standing on dirt or
grass.
• If wearer of boots stands in sunshine for 1 hour, no other food is required for 24
hours.
• Wearer can siphon nutrition from the soil. If the wearer stands in sunlight for 10
minutes, the wearer may recover 2 STR (1x/ day)
• After using each of these abilities once, the wearer becomes part plant and is unable
to remove the boots or eat normal food.

Glass Sword
An elven blade crafted from magical glass.
• 1d10 damage, magical melee weapon
• The sword has a 3-in-6 chance of breaking with each strike and shatters for 3x
damage.
• Shattered glass regrows at the sword’s handle with every full moon.

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Map H: Hedge Maze

1 Square = 5 ft.
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MAP W:
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EN T E R A
ENTER AG A RD
GARDEN E N
OF OF
E A R TH LY DE L IG H T
EARTHLY DELIGHTS...S . . .