North of Hallowford the road dips to a placid stream. A broad plank footbridge spans the water beside a trampled watering shelf where cattle drink. The boards are black-wet. From the alder roots under the far bank comes a dry rattle, like dice in a wooden bowl—followed by the faint scrape of bone on timber.

Quest giver: Harben the Smith (LN human, practical, respected)

• Why he cares: Ore carts stop here so beasts can drink; the crossing’s spookiness is choking traffic.
• Additional comments from Harben
  • “Drovers won’t cross. A goat went for water—all we found was a rack of bones.”
  • “Started after the raid. Bones in the stream. Maybe they learned to hold on under that bridge.”
  • “Only thing worse than a nervous herd are nervous drivers; deal with this without getting everyone jittery and I’ll see your steel right. Besides a keg, you can take the silver dagger off my wall.”

Approaching

The footbridge is about a 1/4 mile north of the town

• Footbridge: 25–30 ft span, 8 ft wide; stout posts; rope rails; gaps between planks (1–2″).
• Watering shelf: Muddy, churned by hooves; ladder-steps cut into bank.
• Alder tangle: Root mass under far bank catches bone shards (Investigation DC 13: old gnaw marks).
• Charms: Twined horsehair & iron nails tied to posts (Religion/Nature DC 12: folk wards vs. “unquiet water”).

DM NOTES: Bones from the raid snagged on the roots and posts; Something coming down-valley have stirred them. They grab ankles, panic stock, and try to drag prey under the bridge.

Approaches

1. Fight through the undead mass beneath the bridge.
2. Consecrate the crossing (skill challenge; no cleric required).
3. Confound with craft: re-hang wards, weight bones with cairns, shore the planks, and bait-burn the tangle.

Hazards (choose 1-2 and scale DC with APL)

• Slick Boards: First time a PC Dashes/fights on the bridge, DEX save DC 12/13/14 or prone (slide 5 ft; if at edge, STR/DEX save to grab rope rail).
• Grabbing Bones: Skeletal arms thrust from gaps: +4 to hit; on hit, grapple (escape DC 12/13) and pull 5 ft toward the edge at the start of target’s turn.
• Livestock Surge (optional): Spooked cattle try to bolt across. Any creature on the bridge makes DEX save DC 12/13 or is shoved 5–10 ft and must save vs. prone (once per combat).
• Bone-Rattle Fear: When the root mass is disturbed, WIS save DC 11/12/13 or frightened until end of next turn (one-time per creature).

Encounters (pick tier; add hazards)

Lv 1–2:

• Skeletal Rat Swarm writhing in the alder roots + 2–4 Skeletons clambering up over 2 rounds.
  • Twist: at 0 HP the swarm scatters into the roots; without consecration it reforms in 1d4 hours.

Lv 3–4 (choose one):

• Bone Naga Fragment (half-spine coiled around a bridge post) + 2 Skeletons (round 2), or
• Shadow hugging the waterline + Skeletal Rat Swarm (the shadow targets anyone who slips/prone on wet boards).

Condensed Stat Blocks:

• Skeleton (CR 1/4) – AC 13, HP 13, Shortsword +4 (1d6+2)
• Skeletal Rat Swarm (CR 1/2) – AC 12, HP 24, Bite +4 (2d6)
• Shadow (CR 1/2) – AC 12, HP 16, STR Drain on hit
• Bone Naga Fragment (CR 3) – AC 15, HP 45, Bite +5 (2d6+3), Command, Hold Person

Consecration challenge (no spells required)

Goal: 3 successes before 2 failures; 1 round per action while threats press. APL = Average Party Level:
DCs: APL 1–2 → DC 12; APL 3–4 → DC 14 (use different skills per success).

Tasks:

• Religion: Chalk a circle on both bridgeheads; sprinkle salt; speak a blessing.
• Nature/Survival: Build low cairns on each bank to pin exposed bones; place bread & salt atop.
• Athletics: Drive iron nails/stakes into posts (“iron binds ill”).
• Persuasion/Performance: Name the unknown dead and invite rest.
• Tools (Carpenter/Smith): Shore loose planks and lash the rope rails—“tend the way.”

Complications (1d4 each round):

1. Cold gust; checks relying on hearing are at disadvantage.
2. Rat bones surge (swarm acts now).
3. Bone hand grabs a ritualist (escape DC as hazard).
4. Whisper: “Under the boards… warm…” (repeat fear save).

Success:

Undead collapse; the stream runs quiet.
Each PC gains 3 temp HP or advantage vs. fear once today.

Failure:

A chill clings; next long rest within 24h restores no HP from Hit Dice; the haunt persists.

Magical shortcuts:

Turn Undead destroying most = 2 successes;
protection from evil & good on posts = 1 success;
ceremony (funeral/dedication) completes the rite after 3 rounds of defense.

Outcomes & rewards

• Cleared or consecrated: Free weapon repairs (mundane) for a month, food & ale (3 days rations + a morale keg), silver dagger (25 gp), and +2 to the next info-gather check in Wolfsward (“they set the watering bridge right”).
• Only driven off: Safe for 1d4 days; haunt returns at night (add +1 skeleton or +5 HP to shadow). Harben pays half.

Optional clues/loot:

• Snagged satchel under a post (DC 14): damp leather scrap with a rune on it (an inverted triangle) and the words “bones to the water.”
  
• Finger-bone charm: 1/day add +1d4 to a save vs. fear or charm.

• Suggested Level: 2–4
• 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.

• Suggested Level: 2–3
• 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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
  • AC: 13 HP: 18 (4d6 + 4) 
    Speed: 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
  • STR: 13 (+1) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 12 (+1) INT: 8 (–1) WIS: 11 (+0) CHA: 6 (–2)
  • Skills: Stealth +4, Perception +2
  • Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages: understands Common & Aquan but can’t speak
  • Traits:
    • Swamp Ambusher: Advantage on attack rolls against surprised creatures in water or reeds.
    • Slippery Form: Advantage on checks to escape grapples.
    • Multiattack: Two claw attacks (1d4+2 slashing each)
    • Harpoon Toss (1/Day): Ranged attack (30 ft) for 1d8+2 piercing and may pull target 10 ft (DC 12 STR save to resist).
• Reed Swarm
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts (insects), unaligned
  • AC: 12 HP: 22 (5d8) Speed: 10 ft., fly 20 ft.
  • STR: 3 (–4) DEX: 13 (+1) CON: 10 (+0) INT: 1 (–5) WIS: 7 (–2) CHA: 1 (–5)
  • Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
  • Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned
  • Traits: Swarm — Can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa.
  • Bite Swarm: +3 to hit, 4 (1d4+1) piercing damage; DC 10 CON save or suffer Disadvantage on Perception checks for 1 hour due to itchy welts and stings.
• Drowned Ferryman (Optional Undead)
  Medium undead, neutral
  • AC: 11 HP: 27 (5d8 + 5) Speed: 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
  • STR: 14 (+2) DEX: 6 (–2) CON: 13 (+1) INT: 3 (–4) WIS: 10 (+0) CHA: 5 (–3)
  • 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)

Ternsmay Farmlands/Province, Duchy of Tenh

Race: Human (Flan) • Class/Level: Druid (Circle of the Land – Grassland) 5 / Bard (College of Lore) 2 • Alignment: Neutral Good

Description:
Elder-dreamer turned Speaker of the Elderglen, Elric Dalven is a beloved figure known for his deep connection to the land and people of Ternsmay. His wisdom extends through harvests and parables, guiding his province with quiet resolve and natural magic. He wields gentle influence through song, soil, and seasonal memory.

Stats

Medium humanoid (human), neutral good
Class/Level: Druid 5 / Bard 2
Armor Class: 13 (Leather armor + DEX)
Hit Points: 45 (5d8 + 2d8 + 14)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +3

Traits & Features

• Druid Circle (Grassland): Bonus cantrip (Shillelagh), spell list expansion
• Wild Shape (2/rest): Use as a bonus action, CR 1/2 beasts
• Bard Lore (Jack of All Trades / Additional Magical Secrets): Adds half proficiency bonus to untrained skills; gain two additional spells
• Flowering Tradition: Advantage on saving throws vs. exhaustion caused by weather (custom trait)
• Rustic Hospitality (Background – Folk Hero): Can find shelter among common folk

Actions

• Quarterstaff (Magic or Regular): +4 to hit, 1d6+2 bludgeoning (versatile 1d8+2)
• Produce Flame (Cantrip): Ranged spell attack +5 to hit, 1d8 fire damage
• Healing Word (Spell): DC 13, heals 1d4+1 to ally within 60 ft.
• Enthralling Performance (once per long rest): Can charm a small audience after a 10-minute performance

Equipment

• Flower-patterned Leather Armor
• Carved Oak Staff
• Herbal Satchel with common poultices
• Barley-Stalk Silver Clasp (heirloom)
• Simple lute for bardic performance

Quote

“The soil forgets nothing, but it forgives much. So must we.”

Grimwold Marches, Duchy of Tenh

Human (Flan) • Cleric (War Domain) 8 / Fighter 1 • Lawful Neutral

Baron “Ghal” – Ghalder Veymar is a grim-eyed man known as “The Lantern of the Marches.” His bloodline traces back to pre-Duchy Flan priest-kings, and he views his position not merely as military governor but as sacred custodian of a haunted borderland. Raised in a fortified temple near the river Zumker, Ghalder blends battlefield leadership with ritual vigilance. He is equally comfortable reciting funerary rites or ordering a cavalry charge against hill giants.
His domain includes ruin-haunted woods, cursed cairns, and forgotten roads — and he takes special care to ensure his soldiers are trained to face more than just mortal foes. His symbol — a torch cradled in iron branches — is burned into every shield and standard flown along the marches. Though slow to trust outsiders, he respects courage and duty, and despises cowardice or necromantic tampering.

Traits

• Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
• Cleric (War) 8 / Fighter 1
• Armor Class: 20 (Chainmail +1, Shield +1, Defense Fighting Style)
• Hit Points: 75 (8d8 + 1d10 + 27)
• Speed: 30 ft.
• Proficiency Bonus: +3

Traits

• Divine Domain: War
  • War Priest (5/day): Make a weapon attack as a bonus action after attacking.
  • Guided Strike (1/rest): Add +10 to a missed attack.
  • War God’s Blessing: Add +10 to an ally’s missed attack (1/rest).
  • Channel Divinity (2/rest): War God’s Blessing or Turn Undead
• Fighter 1:
  • Second Wind (1/rest): Regain 1d10+1 HP.
  • Spellcasting: Cleric 8th-level (Wisdom-based DC 15, +7 to hit)
  • Prepared Spells (Examples):
  • Cantrips: Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy, Guidance
  • 1st: Shield of Faith, Command
  • 2nd: Spiritual Weapon, Aid
  • 3rd: Spirit Guardians, Revivify
  • 4th: Guardian of Faith, Freedom of Movement

Traits:

• +1 Warhammer. +7 to hit, 1d8+4 bludgeoning (versatile 1d10+4)
• Spiritual Weapon. Bonus action, spectral weapon deals 1d8+4 force on hit.

Equipment:

• +1 Warhammer
• +1 Shield
• +1 Chainmail
• Holy Symbol (steel torch wrapped in twisted oak)
• Scroll of Dispel Magic
• Ring of Spell Storing (holds Sanctuary and Bless)
• Grimwold seal (torch over black roots, 250 gp)

Personality Quirk:

Ghalder lights a flame — candle, brazier, or fire — before every major decision or judgment. He says the gods speak best through smoke and shadow.

Wolfsward Province, Duchy of Tenh

Human (Flan) • Fighter 9 Champion archetype • Lawful Neutral

Baron Thendric Varengar is a stoic warlord of the old blood — a veteran of dozens of border skirmishes and battles against raiding giants and northern tribes. His weathered face bears the marks of countless campaigns, and his silent presence commands respect among the soldiery. Born the son of a minor noble, he was elevated after leading a decisive defense at Thunder Pass, earning the Duke’s trust and the baronial seat of Wolfsward.

Unlike many nobles, Thendric prefers the field to courtly intrigue. He rarely leaves his lands, believing strength must be seen to be respected. Though blunt and unsentimental, his people respect his iron discipline and fairness. He trusts only a few — chief among them Castellan Drogan of Stonewatch — and maintains strict loyalty to Duke Elyeh III.

His colors are deep green and steel grey, with red ochre detailing — evoking the mountains and blood shed to defend them. His personal emblem is a broken horn set against a stone tower.

Stats

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
Class/Level: Fighter 9 (Champion archetype)
Armor Class: 20 (Half Plate +1, Shield +1, Defensive Fighting Style)
Hit Points: 84 (9d10+27)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +4

Saving Throws: Strength +8, Constitution +7
Skills: Athletics +8, Intimidation +5, Perception +5, Survival +5
Languages: Common, Flan, Giant

Traits & Features:

• Improved Critical (Champion 3rd): Crits on 19–20.
• Second Wind (1/rest): Regain 1d10+9 HP.
• Action Surge (1/rest): Take an additional action.
• Indomitable (1/day): Reroll a failed save.
• Remarkable Athlete: Add +1 to non-proficient Str/Dex/Con checks.
• Tactical Commander: Once per turn as a bonus action, can command an ally within 30 ft. to move or attack (3/day).
• Mounted Expert: Advantage on saves to remain mounted, +1 damage while mounted.

Actions:

• Multiattack. Makes 2 attacks with longsword.
• +2 Longsword. +9 to hit, 1d8+6 slashing (versatile 1d10+6).
• Javelin (x3). +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., 1d6+4 piercing.

Equipment:

• +2 Longsword
• +1 Shield
• +1 Half Plate
• Potion of Greater Healing
• Signal horn with Wolfsward crest
• Signet ring and silver circlet with blood-red garnet (350 gp)

Optional Roleplay Quirk:

Thendric often fingers the dent in his sword’s crossguard, marking the spot where an ogre nearly ended his life. He calls it “his second heartbeat.”