Languages Terran, understands Common; can only speak in seasonal catchphrases
CR 1/4 (50 XP)
Traits
Pumpkin Spice Breath (Recharge 6). The mephit exhales a 15-foot cone of cinnamon steam and nutmeg dust. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 5 (2d4) poison damage and is distracted until the end of its next turn (sneezing/coughing, giving disadvantage on its next attack).
Death Burst. When the mephit dies, it explodes into latte foam and pumpkin seeds. Each creature within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be covered in sticky froth, reducing its speed by 10 ft. until cleaned.
Innate Magic (1/Day). Prestidigitation (only to flavor food/drink as pumpkin spice).
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.
Conjure Steamed Milk (Recharge 5–6). The mephit inhales deeply and releases a 15-foot cone of scalding milk foam with the cry “That’s a latte damage!”. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Quirks:
Obsessed with leaves, scarves, and warm beverages. Can be summoned accidentally if three people chant “It’s officially fall!” around a lit candle. Cackles whenever it lands a hit with Conjure Steamed Milk.
Suggested Level: 3–5 Quest Giver(s):Freddie, Haren Brookfell, or Cerris Fenwild (depending on prior quests completed)
Summary
The reeds whisper no longer. They scream.
After weeks of disappearances, strange signs, and eerie sightings, something has emerged from the marsh that no one can deny. Boats have been dragged beneath the water, fishers ripped from docks, and an entire reed-harvest crew vanished without trace save a blood-soaked basket.
Freddie believes it’s a marsh gator of unnatural size. Cerris feels something older has awakened, twisted by the weakening of the land’s balance. Haren suggests it’s the same creature that killed a friend he lost weeks ago.
It hunts by night. It watches during the day.
The villagers call it “The Slasher Below”—but what it truly is depends on how much corruption has spread.
Near the Lair:
You find tracks—massive, clawed, like an alligator’s but bipedal. Water drips from the reeds above, as though they’d been disturbed seconds ago.
Then a sound—thick, guttural, gurgling like mud through a throat.
Something watches.
Something waits.
Objectives
Investigate the latest attack site near the western reed bank.
Locate the predator’s den or hunting ground.
Defeat, trap, or drive off the creature.
Optional: Discover the source of its mutation.
Combat Encounter
Suggested Battlefield
Shallow water with deeper trenches (slow terrain unless players fly or use boats)
Tall reeds that provide partial cover
Optional fallen log or bog platform to use as a trap/advantage zone
Marsh Predator – Corrupted Gator-Beast
Huge monstrosity, CR 3–5 depending on corruption level – adjust for the party size.
AC: 14 HP: 68 (8d10+24) [+20 HP for L4, + 50 for L5] Speed: 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 18, DEX 12, CON 17, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 5
Bite: +6 to hit, 2d10+4 piercing + grapple
Tail Slam (Recharge 5–6): 10 ft cone, DC 13 STR save or knocked prone
Swamp Lurk: While in water or reeds, has advantage on Stealth and can Hold Breath for 1 hour
Chaos-Bitten Mutation(optional): At 50% HP, grows spiny fins and gains Reaping Lunge: once per round, makes a second Bite as bonus action.
Optional Adds
Rustjaw Scout (CR 1): Shadowing the beast to test its lethality or manipulate its kills
Bogling Minions (1–2): If previously spared or enraged, they now reappear, worshipping the beast as a “servant of the Deep Fang”
Rewards
Trophy of the Marsh: Carving the predator’s fang or eye provides a token of renown. Selling it in Hodnet or showing it to Elsbeth earns:
+25 gp
Advantage on future Charisma checks with trade leaders
Swamphide Mantle: If crafted from its hide (requires tanner or leatherworker), provides advantage on Stealth in wetland terrain
Twisted Claw Talisman (if corrupted): Grants +1 to melee damage vs creatures affected by Chaos effects, but causes 1 psychic damage on a natural 1 attack roll.
Lore Payoffs
Corruption – if the beast is autopsied, there will be signs in it’s body of strange magic brands that draw corruption possibly from the elemental or necrotic schools. (Most likely from the necromancer experimenting in WH4.1)
Rustjaw Tie-In: If the Rustjaw Circle is involved, the beast may have been lured or fed to create fear and disrupt trade routes for smuggler control.
Beory’s Judgment: If the land is restored (via WH4.5 or WH4.7), the predator’s corruption might subside—or other beasts may still stir in deeper marshes.
Aftermath & Follow-Up Hooks
If corruption is deepening, Cerris warns: “This was no predator. It was a messenger.”
If the Rustjaw were involved, a ledger, token, or ciphered note may be recovered on a scout body nearby, pointing to Hodnet’s docks or a hidden riverside cache.
Suggested Level: 3–5 Quest Giver(s):Cerris Fenwild (Druidess of Beory) Optional Catalyst: Players disturbed the Reed Maze, studied the Whispering Stones, or invoked Beory’s Harmony
Summary
After recent disruptions in the marsh—the Juniper’s wreck, the Reed Maze’s stirrings, and whispers from the bog—Beory stirs. Cerris calls it a “rippling of the Threads.” Something ancient and dreaming has shifted in the weave of nature’s memory.
She invites the party to a secluded part of the shrine known only as The Mirror Reedbank: a stillwater bend where reeds grow in eight symmetrical patterns like runes on a giant’s hand. It is a place of fate—used by Flan seers to seek glimpses of the future.
There, players may receive visions, warnings, or fragmented truths—reflections not of who they are, but who they might become. Each sees a possible self, or a choice yet to be made, tied to the Unraveling Threads of Chaos.
Hook Flavor Text
Cerris kneels by the water’s edge, head bowed. The reeds here bend without wind, tracing arcs in perfect circles.
“Eight paths twist through time,” she whispers. “But none are fixed.”
She touches the water. It stills. A perfect mirror.
“You may see yourselves… or you may see the world watching you.”
Objectives
Accept Cerris’ invitation to the Mirror Reedbank.
Step into the stillwater circle and receive a personal vision.
Optionally: Seek to understand, resist, or alter the glimpse.
Interpret the visions (Insight, Arcana, or Religion DC 13–16) for lore benefit or inspiration.
Vision Mechanics (Optional System)
Each PC experiences one of the following, or a custom vision tailored to them:
Roll d8 – Vision Threads
d8
Vision Fragment
1
You see the horizon to the north change as the mountains grow larger and larger and a great rumbling becomes almost deafening like a stampede – an avalanche falls as the mountains grow almost touching the clouds and buries the lands of the north duchy
2
You see a vision of the verdant east grasslands and as the sun sets a fire burns and moves across the hills to the west leaving ash and cinders
3
You stand at the edge of a deep chasm, its walls formed of cracked bone and root. At its center, an immense horn — severed, hollow, and steaming — pulses like a heartbeat. With each beat, a golden thread unravels from your chest, drawn toward the void. As it touches the horn, you feel part of yourself vanish — memory, voice, or name. You scream to stop it, but nothing comes out.
4
You walk among stars and stones. A woman of green light hands you a single reed wrapped in red silk.
5
You hold a blade of living water. When you strike, eight vines wither. One grows stronger.
6
A female elf archer with ebony black skin fights with a hideous shambling creature with one great eye. She buries her blade in the beast and reaches for her last arrows when they are knocked from her hand towards you feet. With desperation in her eyes you hear her call your name when the vision ends.
7
A great eye opens in a starry sky, its iris a fire as it glances across the land it starts to focus on you when the vision ends.
8
You see yourself placed in a great web, not as a fly but consuming your enemies, yet as they shrivel you see their dried shells are actually familiar faces, friends, allies.
Players may roll Insight, Arcana, or Religion (DC 13–16) to gain:
Advantage on one future check tied to their vision (DM’s call).
A permanent boon or divine favor tag from Beory (see Rewards).
A cryptic line of true prophecy (DM may customize this).
Rewards
Inspiration (all PCs who engage in good-faith roleplay/reflection)
Reed of Destiny (Wondrous Item, uncommon): A slim reed hardened like bone. May be planted to grow a single-use 10×10 ft patch of difficult terrain in marsh/swamp, or may be consumed to reroll a failed save vs a Chaos effect.
Beory’s Whisper: Once per long rest, the bearer may ask, “Is this action in balance?” and receive a vague answer through natural signs.
Foreshadow Unlock: Vision fragments unlock key lines when facing Zargon, Lareth, or the Threads of Chaos.
Quest Giver(s):Elsbeth (Hodnet trader) or Thane Alris (Bent Willow Innkeeper)
Summary
With all the chaos along the river and rumors of marsh creatures, local trade has grown strained. Hodnet traders are wary, and riverfolk avoid the shallows. That’s made simple errands far more valuable—and risky.
Elsbeth, a Hodnet merchant stranded in Reedwatch, asks the party to deliver a satchel of smoked fish, woven reeds, and sealed notes to her trading partner in a remote dock hut just downriver—an hour’s journey by flatboat. Seems simple… but she’s clearly anxious about something. Is it the route? Or the contents?
Downriver (approx 4 miles from Hodnet)
Elsbeth presses the satchel into your hands with care, her knuckles white. “It’s just a trade drop. Routine. Been doin’ it twice a month for five years.” She glances at the cloudy sky and the reed-choked bank. “…But if you hear whispering, don’t answer. Just keep rowing.”
Objectives
Deliver the satchel to Tarn Visk, Elsbeth’s contact, at the remote dock hut.
Avoid conflict or disruption along the river.
Optionally: Uncover what’s really going on with the satchel or Tarn.
Return safely with confirmation (or questions)…
Route & Encounters (Roll or Choose One)
While boating or walking the river’s edge, the party faces one event:
d6
Encounter
1
Fogbound: The river mists rise unexpectedly. DC 13 Survival or Perception to stay on course. Failure results in delay or minor hazard (exhaustion check or river hazard).
2
Whispers in the Reeds: A minor echo of WH4.5. Creeping sense of dread. DC 11 Wis save or gain 1 level of unease (Disadvantage on first combat check in next hour).
3
Bogling Shadows: One Bogling Lurker is watching from the bank. If approached, it flees—unless the party chases.
4
Fishers in Trouble: Two Reedweavers’ cousins are stuck in a flatboat caught on submerged roots. Help them, and they share gossip (about WH4.7 or WH4.8).
5
Saboteur’s Sign: The party notices bootprints and a knife stuck in a tree—someone’s been watching the trail. May hint at smuggling.
6
Tarn’s Not Alone: When the party arrives, Tarn Visk is in tense conversation with a cloaked stranger. Is it a smuggler? Cultist? Or rival trader?
NPCs
Elsbeth – Trade partner, worried. She plays it off as concern for the marsh—but she knows more.
Tarn Visk – River trader and go-between. Suspicious of newcomers. If questioned, he may hint: “Some things cross the river that aren’t on any manifest.”
Optional Combatants
Only if the route turns hostile or the party investigates a threat.
Bogling Lurker (see WH4.2–WH4.3)
AC: 13 HP: 18
Claw x2 or Harpoon Toss (1/day)
Ambusher in reeds, flees if outnumbered
[Optional tie in to Zumkergrod] Rustjaw Smuggler (Human Scout)
AC: 13 HP: 16
Shortbow +4 (1d6+2) or Scimitar +3 (1d6+1)
Has river tattoos or a secret Rustjaw token
Rewards
Successful Delivery: 10 gp from Elsbeth, plus favor
Extra Reward: If players discover something suspicious (e.g., cult documents or smuggling ties), they may earn a new hook or a hidden coin pouch (+15 gp)
Favor from the Reedweavers: If they assist the stranded cousins (Encounter #4), they’re gifted a woven charm that provides advantage on the next Navigation check in marsh terrain
Lore Payoffs
Foreshadowing: The cloaked figure or strange conversation with Tarn may directly tie into WH4.8 – Marsh Predator or hint at cult/smuggler entanglement.
Faction Development: Rustjaw Circle may be using this route as a minor supply line.
Option 1: Neutral Smuggler – Tied to Rustjaw Circle The smuggler is from the Rustjaw Circle and is negotiating a gray-market trade route—not malicious, but secretive. Tarn: “…I said not during daylight. I run honest business when the sun’s out.” Smuggler (low voice): “No one honest uses the east bend landing anymore. Not with fishers snooping. You want it quiet, you pay double.” The smuggler pulls a small pouch and something flat—wrapped in oilskin—from his cloak. It clinks softly. You can’t make out the symbol pressed into the wax seal. Tarn: “If this gets back to Elsbeth—” Smuggler: “It won’t. Unless you grow a conscience.”
Players who interrupt may spook the smuggler.
Players who eavesdrop (DC 12 Stealth or Perception) can learn of the Rustjaw route.
Option 2: Cult Courier – Echoes of the Eye This conversation is tied to EEG cult activities—quiet chaos spreading via mundane routes. The smuggler may be an acolyte or courier for cultist Varag Thul’s operations. Smuggler: “…and the tide-carver said it should arrive tonight. Three bundles. No tampering.” Tarn: “What the hell is a ‘tide-carver’? This wasn’t part of the deal. You said incense and coin.” Smuggler: “There is no deal. There is only the offering.” The cloaked figure turns slightly—you glimpse a faint swirl of red embroidered into the hem of their cloak. Not local craft. Something older. Something deliberate.
This ties directly into WH4.8 – Marsh Predator or even WH4.7’s chaos foreshadowing.
Interruption leads to a threat and possibly combat. Tracking them could lead to a riverside altar or offering site.
Option 3: Coin and Threat – Simple Greed with Tension Tarn may be ferrying illicit goods, and the smuggler is pushing harder than he wants. Smuggler: “You’ll take the crate. Tonight. You know the path.” Tarn: “I said no more runs. Too many eyes in Reedwatch now.” Smuggler (smirking): “Then we’ll pay someone else. And you’ll still owe us the toll.” He places a small carved stone on the table. Shaped like a fishhook, but twisted at the neck.
Players might recognize the symbol later in a Rustjaw hideout or cult lair.
Tarn may beg them not to tell Elsbeth if confronted—offering them hush money or trade favors.
Quest Giver(s):Cerris Fenwild, druidess of Reedwatch
Summary
South of Reedwatch lies a fetid bog where ancient standing stones, half-submerged in muck, form a ring. In recent weeks, villagers have reported whispers drifting on the wind—mocking, eerie voices that taunt, threaten, or speak in riddles. Most dismiss it as swamp gas or nerves… but Cerris Fenwild believes something older is at work.
In truth, a crack beneath the bog has opened, allowing Mud Mephits to slip through. These minor elemental beings are drawn to the chaotic seepage leaking from below—a faint, buried pulse of Zargon’s ancient corruption. The mephits echo its madness without understanding it, twisting elemental mockery into prophetic fragments.
Reaching the Bog…
The bog yawns wide, silent but for the bubbling of stagnant pools. Green slime clings to the edges of ancient stones like rot to bone.
Then, faintly, a whisper: “A god forgotten… hungers still…”
A ripple breaks the water’s surface. Something giggles… and sinks.
Objectives
Investigate the source of the whispers in the bog.
Defeat or banish the Mud Mephits causing the disturbance.
Optionally: Consecrate the stone ring (DC 14 Religion or Nature).
Study the whispers (DC 15 Arcana or History) to uncover fragments of primordial prophecy.
Scaling Combat Encounters
Party Level
Enemies
1–2
1 Mud Mephit
3
2 Mud Mephits
4
2 Mud Mephits + 1 Quasit (chaos-warped minion)
Condensed Stat Blocks
Mud Mephit
Small elemental, CR ¼
AC: 11 HP: 27 Speed: 20 ft., fly 30 ft.
Claws: +3 to hit, 1d4+1 slashing
Mud Breath (Recharge 6): DC 11 Dex save or blinded 1 round
Death Burst: DC 11 Dex save, 2d4 bludgeoning (mud splash)
Quasit (Chaos-Aligned)
Tiny fiend, CR 1
AC: 13 HP: 7 Speed: 40 ft.
Claws: +4 to hit, 1d4+3 slashing
Shapechanger: Turns into bat, centipede, or toad
Scare (Recharge 4–6): DC 10 Wis save or frightened 1 min
Rewards
If banished (not slain): Beory’s Harmony — Each party member gains advantage on one Nature or Survival check per day for 1 week.
If prophecy is studied: Players learn cryptic fragments tied to Zargon’s resurgence and the Unraveling Threads of Chaos. May grant inspiration or future insight.
Optional Treasure: One of the stones has a small petrified charm embedded in its roots:
Stone-Tethered Fetish: When dropped in water, points toward Reedwatch like a compass. Once per long rest, grants advantage on saves vs fear in swamp terrain.
Prophecy Fragment Table (Roll d6)
d6
Whispered Fragment
1
“The Horn stirs beneath the stone… broken, yet never silenced.”
2
“Roots wither, waters curdle, balance shatters when veins run red.”
3
“A god forgotten hungers still. Feed it fear, and it wakes.”
4
“When stone splits and silver bleeds, blood will follow in its wake.”
5
“Eight veins unravel, threads of chaos through earth and soul.”
6
“The river carries more than water… it carries whispers, waiting.”
Lore Payoffs
❖ Flan Faith Connection:
“The earth remembers,” Cerris tells the party. “And it grieves when the veins of the world are split. We do not dig into the root unless we ask permission first.” This reflects the Flan reverence for balance and stewardship, and stands in contrast to the miners of Cragford/Highmere.
❖ Zargon / EEG Foreshadowing:
The whispered phrases from the mephits can be recalled much later during cult encounters or visions:
“You remember what they said in the bog… the Horn stirs… the veins run red…”
❖ Political Intrigue:
Rumors may be twisted by anti-mining agitators or EEG cultists masquerading as druids.
Cragford merchants might try to use this as proof that “the land curses us for digging,” furthering paranoia until the truth is uncovered.
Quest Giver(s): Thane Alris (if worried about Perrik), or Freddie (if players ask about the maze)
Summary
After the ferry Juniper was found wrecked and half-sunken near East Bend (WH4.2), most assumed the halfling passenger was drowned or taken. But last night, someone swore they heard a voice—Perrik Tanglefoot’s—calling faintly from the tall reeds west of the crossing. A carved reed-weaving token tied with green string was left on the edge of the path, half-soaked but intact. It’s one of the good-luck charms the Reedweavers give only to family.
The signs all point to one dreaded possibility: he’s wandered—or been pulled—into the Reed Maze. A place where reeds grow unnaturally tall and thick, forming shifting corridors and illusory paths. Freddie refuses to go near it. Cerris warns the place is older than maps. But if Perrik is in there… he needs help. Fast.
Upon Arriving
The path fades beneath your boots as reeds overtake the trail. Towering, seven feet tall and tightly packed, they sway as if breathing with the wind. Somewhere in the distance, a broken ferry plank rests on a mudbank. And beside it — a faint glimmer. A charm of the Reedweavers. Perrik’s.
The reeds part ahead like a verdant throat rising nearly ten feet tall in spots. They almost whisper against one another—not rustling, but as if speaking at your approach. Paths shimmer in the breeze as they fork and twist, seeming to shift behind you. Light warps on the water’s surface and for a moment gazing at your own reflection, you smiled back…but, YOU weren’t smiling.
Objectives
Navigate the Reed Maze to find Perrik.
Avoid or overcome the maze’s illusions and hazards.
Uncover the origin of the unnatural maze (optional).
Return safely—if possible.
Key NPCs
Perrik Tanglefoot – May have seen something “wrong” and gone catatonic or terrified.
Freddie – Warns that the maze shifts “like it’s listening.”
Refuses to enter if he joins the group.
“He didn’t run off. That lad may be bold, but he’d not skip the fare. If he’s out there, it wasn’t his choice. And if the Maze took him… we best be quick, or he’ll never come back the same.”
Cerris Fenwild – Believes the reeds here are “touched by something that remembers too much.”
“The Maze remembers those who trespass… and sometimes it keeps what it finds.”
The Maze Structure (Skill Challenge or Map)
For a map, have players begin with Map #1. When they enter, roll d20 and re-roll on 1 or 20 until they find Perrik.
5, 8, 10 are encounters: Moss Elemental, Reed Phantoms, and Lesser Will-o-wisps. 18 will teleport them back to 1.
If run narratively:
Requires 3 Navigation Successes before 2 Failures.
Use: Survival (DC 14) to track paths, Perception (DC 13) to spot trail markers or waterflow direction.
On each round, one PC can attempt a check. Other PCs may aid.
On Success: Players find Perrik quickly and avoid major hazards.
On Failure: Encounter one or more of the following:
Moss Elemental (CR ¼) ambush
Reed Phantoms (illusion hazard)
Will-o’-Wisps (lures that mislead)
Maze Reversal (return to starting point)
Combat or Hazards
Moss Elemental Small plant elemental, CR ¼
AC: 13 HP: 16 Speed: 20 ft.
STR 12, DEX 10, CON 14, WIS 10
Slam: +4 to hit, 1d6+2 bludgeoning
Entangling Roots (1/day): 10-ft radius; DC 12 STR save or restrained 1 turn
Mossy Form: Advantage on Stealth in wetlands
Reed Phantoms (Illusion Hazard) Trap-like terrain effect, not a creature
Triggers when player fails Perception or Insight (DC 13)
Phantom forms mimic lost loved ones, old memories, or future selves
WIS Save DC 13 or become Charmed for 1 minute, drawn deeper into maze
Cleric or Druid can dispel with Channel Divinity or Dispel Magic
Lesser Will-o’-Wisp Tiny undead, CR ½
AC: 15 HP: 18 Speed: fly 50 ft.
Resist: Lightning, Thunder, Necrotic, Bludgeoning, etc.
Shock: +4 to hit, 2d6 lightning
Lure Light (1/short rest): A glowing illusion 30 ft away, DC 13 WIS save or creature follows light 1 round
Perrik Tanglefoot (Noncombatant)
Halfling commoner: AC 11, HP 6
Has a small reed charm he believes kept him safe
May have seen something the players didn’t—gives a cryptic statement: “They’re not reeds… they were watching.”
Rewards
Safe return of Perrik gains favor with Reedweavers and Cerris.
Perrik gives the party his “Reedluck Charm”: Once per long rest, reroll a failed Navigation (Survival) check in marshes or swamps.
Optional: Small token from Beory — a glowing reed that lasts 1 week, shedding dim light and always pointing back to Reedwatch.
Lore and Follow-Ups
The maze may be partially alive, a remnant of Beory’s raw, unfocused memory or a place “pinned” in time by marsh spirits.
May connect to WH4.7 – Reeds of Destiny, where time and fate intertwine.
Some illusions speak in an ancient dialect of Flan or Aquan, hinting at a submerged past or curse.
If the players press Perrik about what he saw, use the following layered response
Initial Response (Cautious, shaken, vague) He lowers his eyes, fiddling with a bit of woven reed in his fingers. “It wasn’t just the reeds. They weren’t still. They moved like they had… joints. I saw a path, then it closed. Like something was breathing. I thought I heard you callin’ me, but… you weren’t there.” He glances up nervously. “I think they knew I was there.”
Insight DC 10: He’s hiding details out of fear of ridicule.
If Gently Encouraged (with kindness, calm, or insight) Perrik bites his lip, then speaks low, as if the reeds might hear. “There was a place deep in the maze, all quiet. No birds. No bugs. Just water… black like ink. And in it—my face, but older. Looked right at me. Smiled. Said ‘Not yet.’” “Then the reeds shifted and I ran. But I don’t think I left alone. I think something followed.”
Arcana or Religion DC 13: Suggests a planar or temporal ripple — maybe fey, echoes of the future, or a sentient memory.
If Pressured or Magically Compelled He stiffens, goes pale. Voice dry. “It touched my thoughts. Slid around in my head like oil in a bowl. It showed me things. A city swallowed by water. A tower made of woven reeds. A mouth in the earth. I felt the roots of the world move.” “And then I saw myself… not me-me, but me if I’d never left. Still there. Watching. Waiting.” He suddenly looks away, trembling. “That part of the marsh… it remembers things we forgot. It’s not just alive. It’s awake.”
Wisdom Save DC 13 (if players spend too long listening): One PC may briefly glimpse an intrusive vision — a twisting maze of reeds forming an eye.
Quest Giver(s): Cerris Fenwild (druid), or Freddie if rumors come via fishing routes.
Something is stalking the western marshes near Reedwatch—several fisherfolk haven’t returned, and a boat was found floating, half-full of water and tangled with clawed reeds. At first, the disappearances were blamed on swamp hazards or drunken slips—but now, even seasoned trappers speak of “shadows with eyes” watching them from the cattails.
Cerris Fenwild fears a migratory predator has taken residence… or worse, that some forgotten race of river-dwellers has emerged from deeper pools where even druids won’t walk. Warns of “old paths reawakening.”
Freddie – Heard rumors from passing traders and found a fishbasket that looked “gnawed, not snapped.” Freddie recalls that “the fish used to vanish like this… years ago. Before the floods.”
DM NOTE: If pressed further, you can have Freddie elaborate depending on the demeanor or a Persuasion check
Freddie scratches his cheek, glancing toward the river with a look that doesn’t quite match his usual smile.
“Ah… the floods, eh? Aye, I remember. Not like the spring swells we get nowadays. I’m talkin’ the deep floods—about twenty-odd years ago, just before I came back from Hodnet with more scars than coin.”
“Whole stretches o’ marsh went under. Water rose up quick—fast as a blink. The old stone ferry pier downriver? Vanished. We found parts of it twisted in the trees days later. Trees drowned where they stood. Locals started talkin’ strange—sayin’ the river was angry, like somethin’ below had stirred.”
“I weren’t one for stories then, but I’ll tell you this: the fish changed. We’d cast lines and pull up things with translucent eyes, bent spines. Once, I caught a catfish with a mouth full o’ tiny human teeth. Swore I’d never drink again after that.”
“Then there were the lights — little green flickers in the reeds at night. Cerris said it was just swamp gas, but… they followed the boats sometimes. Stalked the riverbank. And then folks just stopped goin’ out after sundown. Can’t say I blame ‘em.”
He leans in, lowering his voice.
“They say the marsh took a price then — and it ain’t done collectin’ yet.”
Haren Brookfell – Knew one of the missing—Tamwell, a skilled fisher—and suspects something unnatural.
Entering the Reedmarshes
The fog rolls in heavy across the reed beds, thick enough to taste. You can hear water dripping — not from rain, but from something moving through the bog, slowly, with intent. Behind you, a heron screams and takes flight.
Then it goes quiet. Too quiet.
You swear you saw movement in the reeds. A ripple. A glint of scaled skin. Something just below the surface… watching.
Objectives
Investigate the site of the last reported attack (near Blackwater Crossing).
Survive (or reverse) a potential ambush.
Discover who or what is behind the disappearances.
Optional: Track the attackers to their lair or drive them from the marsh.
Rewards
5 gp pouch and silver locket found in the bogling lair (from a missing fisher).
Bogling Fetish Charm (Wondrous Item, uncommon): Grants advantage on Stealth checks in marshland while worn, but emits a faint fishy smell.
Inspiration or Favor from Cerris if players cleanse or seal the den with a druidic rite.
Key Locations
Blackwater Crossing A tangle of sunken boards and half-drowned willows (left edge of the map among the reeds (or at your discretion). The missing punt is found here, with deep gouges in the wood and shredded rope.
Stalker’s Trail Survival (DC 13) to follow strange drag marks; Stealth (DC 14) to approach without being noticed.
Bogling Lurker Den(Optional) A partially submerged den formed in the roots of a fallen tree. May contain stolen items (fishing hooks, boots, a satchel), a half-finished reed idol, and one wounded bogling (non-combatant).
Possible Combatants
Bogling Lurkers (2–3): Now confirmed as the ambushers. Hide beneath the reeds and leap out.
Swamp Stalker(optional elite): A stronger bogling variant or marsh-adapted predator (like a giant toad or reflavored lizardfolk).
Reed Swarm: If the players fail a stealth or nature check, they may disturb biting insects that add pressure to the fight.
Quest Giver(s):Elsbeth (Hodnet Trader) or Thane Alris (Bent Willow Inn)
A small river ferry, The Juniper, went missing en route from Hodnet to Reedwatch. It was last seen leaving the East Bend crossing just before dusk two days ago, carrying two crates of goods, a single ferryman, and a Halfling passenger from the Reedweavers’ Guild. Yesterday, bits of driftwood and a torn ferry banner were found tangled in the reeds downstream.
The ferry is suspected to have struck something or been pulled under—possibly by natural hazards… or something worse. Locals whisper about sunken spirits, river-dwelling boglings, or even eel-men of the lower marsh.
Elsbeth – Trader from Hodnet, worried about her goods and the safety of the trade route. Will pay 25 gp + 5 gp bonus per crate recovered.
Thane Alris – The passenger, Perrik Tanglefoot, was last seen drinking a cider at the Bent Willow. Thane remembers him leaving cheerfully after winning three games of reedbones.
Cerris Fenwild – The reeds near the East Bend have been “restless,” and Cerris sensed something disturbed in the flow of Beory’s riverward current.
Goals
Investigate the ferry’s last known route about two leagues west of Reedwatch
Recover the missing crates (or proof of delivery failure).
Discover the fate of the ferryman and the halfling passenger.
Identify what caused the ferry to sink (hazard, creature, sabotage?).
Rewards
25 gp base + 5 gp per crate recovered (Elsbeth)
Inspiration or minor charm if players properly bury the drowned ferryman (via Cerris)
Tarnished River Ring (homebrew item): While worn, grants the wearer advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to swim and can cast Shape Water once per day.
Encounter Locations
East Bend Lookout (it’s east of Hodnet) Cracked stones and old ferry moorings, now abandoned. Drag marks lead down to a stretch of churned mud and broken planks—signs of something struggling against the current.
Reed-Slick Channel A flooded inlet with thick, dragging reeds and low visibility.
Skill Challenge: DC 13 group Survival/Perception (3 successes before 2 failures) to locate signs of the sunken ferry.
On failure, the group is attacked by a Reed Swarm or loses 1 hour in the marsh.
Wreck of The Juniper Submerged under 6 feet of murky water. A successful DC 12 Investigation reveals:
A smashed hull (likely collision)
Scrapes that could be claw marks
One crate remains lashed (with a broken seal), others missing
A body (ferryman?) wrapped in kelpy growth—possibly animated if disturbed.
Creatures
Bogling Lurker Small aberration (swamp-dwelling), neutral evil
Damage Resistances: Cold; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities: Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Traits:
Rotten Grasp: On a hit with a slam, target must succeed on DC 12 STR save or be grappled.
Revenant’s Memory (1/Day): Speaks a single, water-logged phrase from its final moments — potentially offering a clue or cryptic warning.
Slam: +4 to hit, 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage.
DM NOTES
The claw marks match sightings in WH4.3 – Marsh Stalkers.
The Passenger is Missing: Perrik Tanglefoot may have escaped, been taken, or is hiding from what he saw (Leads into WH4.4 – The Reed Maze).
Unnatural Pull: Players with Detect Magic may sense necrotic residue in the reeds. Reed spirits angry at overharvesting may be active (connect to WH4.5 or WH4.7).
Elsbeth grows suspicious and offers another job to secure the route (WH4.6)
Night falls quickly over the Zumkend River, and the reeds whisper with every passing breeze. Locals bar their shutters and mutter about the pale lanterns seen drifting across the marsh. Fishermen swear they’ve watched the lights circle their boats like hungry wolves, only to vanish when prayers are whispered.
Tonight, Talric Fenmoor — his face pale and hands trembling — points to the reedy isles just east of town. “There! You see them, don’t you? Flickering, swaying… they want you to follow. They want you drowned.” The air smells faintly of rot and river-mist, and the silence between the croaks of frogs feels far too deep.
Quest Giver:
Talric Fenmoor (fisher, anxious, prone to embellishment, but earnest in his fear).
Truth:
The lights are will-o’-wisps, feeding on drowned prey.
At higher levels, a cultist necromancer is attempting to “bind” them with whispered invocations, mistaking them for spirits of the drowned.
The cultist is a missionary of the Eye who has travelled far south of Varag Thul’s conclave near Stonewatch Keep. Initially seeking converts he has become distracted in his own path to power.
Situated where the Zumkend River narrows and deepens, Hodnet Ferry is both a crossing point and a chokehold for river trade. The hamlet grew around its ferry service, which once belonged to the same families that founded Hodnet town further upstream. Hodnet Ferry is a pragmatic, slightly rough place — half rivermen, half farmers, with a reputation for being stubborn, self-reliant, and occasionally quarrelsome.
The ferry itself is a stout barge lashed to heavy ropes, capable of taking ox-carts and wagons across the river. Raiders occasionally test the hamlet, but the locals are used to defending themselves with polearms and hunting bows.
Places to Go (Notable Locations & Services)
The Ferryman’s Rest (Tavern/Inn)
Rustic hall with netting, oars, and lanterns hung from rafters. Ale is weak, but their river-fish stew is famous among bargemen.
Proprietor: Old Garron Thale, grizzled riverman who ferried crossings for forty years before turning the ferry over to his son. Keeps the inn filled with river stories.
Features: 5 guest rooms, simple cots in the common room, stables for 6–8 horses.
The Ferry & Dock
Heavy barge pulled on rope-guides, ferried by poles. Operated by Jarik Thale (Garron’s son) and his crew.
Ferry tolls are modest, but Grosskopf raiders sometimes harass the crossing.
Holm’s Smithy
Proprietor: Edric Holm, human smith, specializes in boat fittings, chains, and hooks more than weapons.
Services: Repairs metal fittings, maintains ferry rigging, will shoe horses or forge simple spears.
Shrine of the River Spirit
A small riverside altar dedicated to Obad-Hai and local water spirits, tended by Mira Lathwyn, a young half-elf acolyte who blesses ferries with river charms.
Market Green
Occasional trade spot for Hodnet town’s excess produce and salted meats. Once a month, barges bring rare imports: wax, amber, or foreign wines.
People to See (NPCs & Quest Givers)
Garron Thale (Innkeeper, Ferryman’s Rest): Old riverman, full of gossip and lore about the Zumkend River.
Jarik Thale (Ferryman): Garron’s practical son, works the ferry and defends it fiercely.
Edric Holm (Smith): Stout, heavy-handed smith with a soft spot for kids and stray dogs.
Mira Lathwyn (Shrine Keeper): Half-elf acolyte, speaks softly, rumored to see omens in the river’s flow.
Mera “Witthrope” the Rope-Maker – A widowed artisan in her late 40s, known for crafting Hodnet’s strongest tarred ropes and ferry cords. Plain-spoken and pragmatic, she notices sabotage at once and asks the PCs’ help to save the ferry. Distinct from Mira Lathwyn, villagers remember her as “Mera with rope, not Mira with books.”
Tova Reedhand (Fisherwoman): Runs the ferry’s fish trade, outspoken, sometimes reckless.
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