The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Guide from Thither to Yon

Squirt, an animated oilcan, can guide characters from Thither to Yon and back to Thither. Squirt resides at Little Oak (see "x"). If you choose not to run the Little Oak encounter, you can place Squirt in another location that the characters are likely to visit.

Uncorrupted Fairy Rings

Roll a d8 when the characters come across an uncorrupted fairy ring. On a roll of 1 or 2, there are no creatures in the ring's vicinity. On a roll of 3 or higher, the ring has a swarm of campestris (see appendix C) singing and dancing inside it. Using body language, these cute, mushroom-like creatures urge the characters to join in their reverie. Any character who does so can make a DC 12 Charisma (Performance) check, gaining the benefit of a true seeing spell that lasts for 24 hours on a successful check (no effect on a failure). The campestris aren't clever enough to answer complex questions about Thither or offer reliable directions, and they speak by mimicking words they can hear.

The campestris' love for singing is obvious. Any character who tries to teach them a new song can make a DC 13 Charisma (Performance) check. On a successful check, the campestris adopt the song into their routine and bestow a charm of heroism (see "Supernatural Gifts" in the Dungeon Master's Guide) on the character responsible. The campestris in any given fairy ring can bestow this charm once only. Check the Story Tracker: any character who received singing lessons from Palasha the mermaid in x has advantage on this check.

Corrupted Fairy Rings

A corrupted fairy ring has no campestris singing and dancing inside it. Instead, Granny Nightshade has cast awaken spells on the 3d8 + 60 toadstools that form the ring, giving each of them the ability to speak Common. These awakened toadstools are mocking and rude toward visitors not accompanied by Granny Nightshade, and they move away from one another, breaking the ring, whenever someone other than the hag tries to use it as a fey crossing, rendering it unusable. Each awakened toadstool has AC 7, 1 hit point, no effective attacks, an Intelligence score of 10, and other ability scores of 1. Killing more than half of a ring's toadstools renders the ring unusable.

Wanted Posters

Random Encounters in Thither

Blink Dogs

The characters spot 1d6 + 2 blink dogs 60 feet ahead of them. Characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher can see that the dogs are surrounding a crudely dug hole in the ground. The characters must get within 5 feet of the hole to see that it's a shallow grave containing the body of a dead blink dog laid out on a reed litter. The dogs howl sadly while solemnly placing gifts for their deceased companion to enjoy in its afterlife. If the ceremony is not disturbed, the howling and gift-giving ends 1 minute later, after which the blink dogs fill in the hole with loose dirt, burying the dead dog. The mournful dogs then lope away.

The blink dogs don't take kindly to interruptions, but characters who approach respectfully can talk to them after the ceremony, assuming they are able to speak the dogs' language. The blink dogs reveal that their companion was slain while scouting out Loomlurch and the surrounding area. They urge any characters heading for the hag's lair to be cautious. The blink dogs can reveal the following information about the hag and her lair:

• Next to Loomlurch is a goblin market that sells all sorts of candy treats.
• The scarecrows planted in Granny Nightshade's garden scream loudly if they spot intruders.
• Granny Nightshade uses clockwork sparrows to communicate with her wicked sisters.

Buttered Campestri

The characters come across a campfire in the forest. A cauldron of water bubbles over the flames, and a frying pan that holds melted butter rests on a nearby rock. A lone campestri (see appendix C) sings merrily as it dips its cap into the butter. If questioned, the campestri says its friend, Kro'ah, asked it to rub melted butter into its flesh and has promised it a hot bath before dinner. Kro'ah is gathering firewood but should be back soon! Persuading the campestri to leave the campsite requires a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. After 1d4 + 2 minutes, Kro'ah the goblin (chaotic neutral) returns for his dinner. In addition to an armful of firewood, the goblin has an explorer's pack.

Although Kro'ah has no regard for the life of campestris and finds them quite delicious, he won't pick a fight with a group of well-armed adventurers. If the characters leave him alone, he gives them some useful information:

• There's a market at Loomlurch that sells all kinds of candy. (Kro'ah offers each character a stick of candy as proof.) The market is supervised by a goblin with a toffee apple head.
• Granny Nightshade puts children to work in her toy shop. The hag has a large key protruding from her back, almost like she's a big wind-up toy herself.

Centaur

An aged centaur named Winterbow approaches the characters and warns them that this realm is fading; they should return to their own world before Prismeer disappears entirely. Winterbow reveals that the other members of his clan galloped away to safety before the mists enveloped Prismeer, but he was too old to keep up with them. The centaur doesn't know the cause of the realm's impending destruction. If the characters seem kind, he tells them to seek out the unicorn at Wayward Pool for answers.

Winterbow's walking speed is 25 feet, and his vision is limited to a range of 60 feet. He knows the woods of Thither well enough to point characters in the direction of Loomlurch if that's where they aim to go.

Doomed Dryad

A hostile dryad and seven awakened shrubs emerge from the undergrowth and surround the characters. Any character who has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher spots the dryad and the shrubs before they arrive, and all other characters are surprised.

The dryad, Meadowleaf, was bound to an enchanted tree that Granny Nightshade felled and used to make wooden toys. Believing the characters to be mercenaries hired by Granny Nightshade to capture Will of the Feywild and the Getaway Gang, the dryad points an accusing finger toward them and orders the awakened shrubs, "Show these villains the true meaning of revenge!"

A character can use an action to make a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check in the hope of ending hostilities. On a successful check, the character convinces Meadowleaf (and, by extension, the shrubs) not to attack on their next turn, giving the characters a brief time in which to counter any false notions the dryad might have about the party's intentions and allegiances. If the characters make a sound argument in their defense, or if four or more shrubs are killed in the ensuing battle, Meadowleaf calls off the attack.

The dryad is too bitter and angry to apologize for any errors in judgment on her part. Reminding her of the rule of hospitality (see "x" in chapter 2) is enough to convince her that she should be nicer to travelers passing through the forest, which is the closest thing she has to a home now that her beloved tree is gone.

Deprived of her tree, Meadowleaf is doomed to sink ever deeper into despair. If her encounter with the characters ends peacefully, she urges them to restore Zybilna to power so that other dryads won't suffer a similar fate. She also gives the characters three sycamore seeds. A creature that eats one of these seeds gains the benefit of a pass without trace spell, which lasts for 1 hour.

Grandfather Tree

The characters happen upon the following scene:

The tree is dying due to the presence of the evil hag: it has simply given up the will to live. The tree is home to twenty-four pixies, all of which are invisible when the characters first arrive. The pixies share their twig houses with three families of squirrels. Less than an hour ago, three redcaps emerged from the woods and started throwing rocks at the pixie houses, trying to destroy them out of spite. The pixies retaliated by polymorphing the redcaps into goats. When the polymorph spells wear off in about 10 minutes, the pixies plan to polymorph the redcaps again unless they leave immediately. The pixies are unaccustomed to dealing with redcaps and don't know what else to do.

If the characters approach the tree and do not appear threatening, three pixies named Amaryllis, Calluna, and Zinnia become visible and warn the characters not to slay the goats, lest they transform back into redcaps. The pixies are nonviolent and would appreciate the characters' help. One thing the characters can do is gather up the redcaps' sickles (which they dropped when they started throwing rocks at the tree). The seizure of these weapons causes the goats to attack.

If they are deprived of their weapons and returned to their normal forms, the redcaps stomp their iron boots and demand that their sickles be returned to them. If the characters refuse to do so, the redcaps scream in fury and swear profusely before stomping away. Without their sickles, these redcaps are all bluster. If their weapons are returned to them, the redcaps attack the characters, hoping to soak their hats in the characters' blood. If the characters seem unable to deal with the redcaps on their own, the pixies use their magic to assist.

Once the redcaps are no longer a threat, the pixies share the following information with the characters:

• The redcaps started appearing when Granny Nightshade took over the forest. Like their creator, the redcaps appear to have no redeeming qualities.
• The hag grows the redcaps in a garden near her lair, which is inside a fallen tree that spans a ravine. (The pixies can't agree on the distance or direction to the hag's lair.)
• The grandfather oak upon which the pixies built their village is sickened by the hag's presence. Ridding Thither of Granny Nightshade might be the only way to return the tree to good health.

Jabberwock's Trail

The characters come across a trail of monstrous claw prints on the forest floor. Whatever creature left the trail was clearly enormous, as each print spans three feet from heel to toe. A character who examines the prints and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies them as belonging to some kind of dragon-like creature. After a few miles, the trail disappears abruptly. A character who examines the prints at the end of the trail can tell that they're unusually deep and can, with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check, conclude that the creature launched itself into the air at this point, suggesting that it can fly.

Owlbear and Chariot

The characters encounter a domesticated owlbear yoked to a dilapidated elven chariot. It ran off into the woods after its rider, an elf, was snatched from the chariot by the jabberwock that frequents Zybilna's palace (see chapter 5). The owlbear's harness boss is engraved with a branch of the tree for which she is named: Juniper. The chariot is big enough to hold two Medium characters and their gear.

Any character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check can calm Juniper and use her as a steed. The owlbear must be fed at least 8 pounds of meat every day to keep her docile. If she goes just one day without a proper meal, Juniper turns on her new owners and tries to eat them.

[image: Someone forgot where they parked their owlbear and chariot]

Pixies

Three pixies sit around a tiny table, sipping tea and nibbling cakes. A 6-inch-long wedge made of wood lies on the ground nearby. The pixies found this piece of wood (a doorstop) on one of their recent forays into the Material Plane and are arguing about what it could be. Spiderlily thinks it's a slice of cake made for a treant, Cowslip thinks it's an exercise bench for mice, and Maypole is convinced it's a troll's toothpick.

The pixies entreat the characters to settle their dispute. They are profoundly disappointed to learn of the doorstop's mundane purpose and giggle with delight if they are treated to a convincing lie. Either way, they give a reed whistle to the character who impressed them the most. Once before the end of this adventure, that character can blow the whistle to summon the three pixies. This effect functions as a conjure woodland beings spell that summons only the three pixies and doesn't require concentration. The pixies fly away when the spell ends after 1 hour.

Gold-spun Gifts

Nib's Haunts

As Nib works, characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 11 or higher glimpse one or more apparitions lurking behind him. These apparitions take various forms, from a grubby child peering over Nib's shoulder to a gaunt coachman looming in the shadows at the back of the cave. Other possible apparitions include a long-faced woman dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief and a rail-thin waif wearing an eye patch. Quick as a candle's flicker, one apparition vanishes, and another appears. If the characters ask Nib about the apparitions, he explains the nature of his curse:

Nib wears his blindfold to avoid inadvertently glancing over his shoulder or catching glimpses of the apparitions reflected in his piles of gold.

Nib warns the characters not to take any of his gold, lest they be cursed like him. Any character who steals gold from Nib's cave is haunted by 1d4 apparitions similar to those that haunt Nib. As a consequence of these hauntings, the character gains 1 level of exhaustion after finishing a long rest. Levels of exhaustion gained from this effect cannot be removed until the character ends the haunting by returning the gold. A wish spell ends the hauntings and automatically returns the stolen gold to the cave. A remove curse or greater restoration spell cast on the culprit suppresses the effect for 24 hours.

Nib has been to Loomlurch, and has visited the goblin candy market (x), Granny Nightshade's parlor (x), and the workshop (x). If the characters ask Nib for more information about Granny Nightshade and Loomlurch, he imparts the following details:

• Granny Nightshade has a key protruding from her back that indicates her mood by how fast it turns. When she's happy, the key turns quickly. When she's upset, the key turns slowly. If she loses her temper, the key stops completely.
• Many children toil away in Granny Nightshade's workshop, crafting toys. Granny Nightshade delivers the creepiest toys to children on other worlds—to fill their heads with nightmares, one assumes. The hag makes her deliveries on the back of a flying rocking horse.
• Granny Nightshade is obsessed with capturing Will of the Feywild, a boy who helped a handful of younger children escape from Loomlurch. Will of the Feywild's motley group of rascals is known as the Getaway Gang. The gang is protected by a treant named Little Oak. (Nib's curse prevents him from leaving his cave, but he can point characters in the direction of Little Oak's favorite glade.)

Will of the Feywild

Will of the Feywild is not the spindly, 11-year-old boy he appears to be. He's an oni that has taken human form. His true name is Mugan, and he used to work for Skabatha Nightshade as a kidnapper of children until the hag's sisters placed a curse on him that warmed his heart, changing his alignment from lawful evil to chaotic good. He now strives to help children escape from Skabatha's clutches. Skabatha assumes that Mugan simply left her employment; she is unaware of the curse her sisters placed on the oni and doesn't know that Will of the Feywild is not a human boy. Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Will of the Feywild.

If the oni is affected by a spell that ends a curse, it regains its evil alignment and attacks whoever is responsible for lifting the curse, shouting, "How could you?" as it fights to the death.

The oni has a pet displacer beast kitten (see the accompanying stat block) named Star, which it abandons if its curse is ended. Characters who aided Dirlagraun in the Witchlight Carnival (see x) might guess that Star is the older displacer beast's offspring. If they show Star the mirrored ball, it leaps about excitedly. If he is told about Dirlagraun, Will of the Feywild reluctantly agrees to return Star to his parent, but only if the characters help him free the remaining children that are trapped in Loomlurch.

[image: Displacer Beast Kitten]

The Getaway Gang

The Getaway Gang has four members:

• Will of the Feywild, the gang's leader (described above)
• Bobi, a boisterous male dwarf growing his first whiskers
• Sloane, a sarcastic, ginger-haired female wood elf
• Zennor, a tenacious female orc

Bobi, Sloane, and Zennor are noncombatants (treat them as unarmed, chaotic good commoners) who appear to be eight years old, but they are several years older and wiser than they look. The magic of the Feywild has kept them young.

Speaking to the Getaway Gang about Loomlurch yields the following information:

• A squad of tin soldiers defends Loomlurch, but they're easily lured away by distractions.
• The children being held captive in the workshop are haunted by boggles—oily creatures that sprout from the children's misery.
• Granny Nightshade imprisons her most hated enemies in a cell inside her kitchen.

Little Oak's Treehouse

The Getaway Gang's treehouse is big enough to accommodate up to twelve children comfortably. Rope ladders climb from the ground to a pair of trapdoors in the floor. When the characters can see inside the treehouse, read:

The crumpled-up sheets of parchment in the basket are three of Granny Nightshade's wanted posters (see "Wanted Posters" earlier in the chapter). Roll on the Wanted Posters table to determine each poster, allowing for duplicates.

Development

Will of the Feywild has conceived a daring plan to free the children still being held prisoner in Loomlurch, which he shares with the characters if they decide to aid him. Using a stick, Will sketches a rough map of the lair in the dirt and outlines the plan as follows:

• The Approach. Bobi, Sloane, Zennor, and Star will creep through the woods to the west of the tree and hide just out of sight of the screaming scarecrows (x). Meanwhile, Will will sneak around to the entrance to the kitchen (x) on the east side of the tree.
• The Distraction. The characters will enter the goblin market (x) posing as travelers, purchase some sweets, and arrange for a meeting with the hag. During the meeting, the children will alert the screaming scarecrows and thereby lure the tin soldiers into the garden.
• The Escape. While everyone is distracted, the characters will free the captives from the workshop (x) while Will climbs into the textile mill (x) to free the captives there. Once the children are set free, everyone will run back to Little Oak.

Will's plan is sketchy, but he likes to live by the seat of his pants. Regardless of how events unfold, he never reveals his true form, fearing it would terrify the children he's trying to rescue or frighten away the other members of the Getaway Gang. Consequently, he refrains from using his oni abilities in the presence of the children or the characters.

Regional Effects

As long as Lamorna is alive, the following regional effects apply within 1,000 feet of the lake:

• All nonmagical flames in the region are extinguished. (A fire that's ignited in the bowl of coals on the lake's central island is an exception to this rule.)
• Beasts and Fey have advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in the region.
• Any creature that bathes in the lake for at least 1 minute can choose to end 1 level of exhaustion affecting it or one curse affecting it. Alternatively, the creature can end its attunement to one cursed magic item.

Summoning the Unicorn

Getting to the islet in the middle of the lake requires crossing 250 feet of fresh, still water. The lake is 30 feet deep, and the islet is 30 feet wide and 40 feet long.

Perched atop the islet's highest point, 30 feet above the surface of the water, is an iron bowl filled with coals. If a creature lights a fire in the bowl using the coals, Lamorna the unicorn appears on the lakeshore 1 minute later and waits for the characters there; otherwise, she remains hidden.

If Lamorna appears, read:

Lamorna bolts into the forest if the adventurers make any threatening moves. Otherwise, she waits for one or more characters to approach within 60 feet of her, and then makes contact telepathically. Lamorna is curious to know why the group has come to Thither and is sympathetic toward anyone who has a grievance with the Hourglass Coven.

Lamorna can reveal the following information. As she speaks, the waters of the lake animate to form liquid sculptures of the things she describes:

• The domain of Prismeer once belonged to the archfey Zybilna, but was usurped by her cruel hag stepsisters: Skabatha Nightshade, Bavlorna Blightstraw, and Endelyn Moongrave.
• Zybilna was vainglorious and deceitful at times, but her magic kept Prismeer safe and isolated. That situation ended when the hags of the Hourglass Coven captured Lamorna's mate, Elidon; stole his horn; and used its magic to imprison Zybilna in her stronghold, the Palace of Heart's Desire.
• Elidon's horn might be needed to free Zybilna, but Lamorna doesn't know the whereabouts of Elidon or his horn. She tells the characters that she believes Elidon is the hags' prisoner. (If Elidon had died, Lamorna believes she would've sensed it.)

Lamorna exhorts the characters to free Zybilna and save Prismeer from the evil hags. She tells them that one of Yon's denizens, Amidor the dandelion, can lead the group safely to the Palace of Heart's Desire. She offers Wayward Pool as a safe place to rest, if the characters need it. She can also describe the lake's magical properties (see "x" above).

If the characters question Lamorna about the Palace of Heart's Desire, she reveals the following information:

• When Zybilna ruled Prismeer, no one could enter her palace without an invitation. It's unlikely that the Hourglass Coven is capable of enforcing similar restrictions on the palace.
• A library on the second floor of the palace contains Zybilna's most treasured tomes.
• A dragon-like creature called a jabberwock lives in Zybilna's palace and frequently prowls the forest. The jabberwock tries to reach Wayward Pool but is always turned away by the lake's protective magic. Lamorna emphasizes that the characters would be wise to avoid the jabberwock, for once it sets its fiery eyes on prey, it rarely gives up the hunt.

Zarak Attacks!

Zarak (see x) follows the characters to the lakeshore, avoiding detection all the while. After seeing the characters adopt one or more unicorn disguises to reach the shore, he crafts a wooden fake unicorn horn, which he ties to his head with a leather belt strap and removes upon arriving at the lakeshore. He makes his assault as the characters' conversation with Lamorna winds down, taking advantage of the distraction provided by the characters to surprise the unicorn:

Characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 17 or higher are not surprised by Zarak. All other creatures in the area, including Lamorna, are surprised.

On Lamorna's first turn after the surprise round, she teleports away, denying Zarak his prize and leaving him to face the characters alone. At this point, Zarak is disgusted with himself for not felling the unicorn immediately ("I didn't know unicorns could do that," he mutters as Lamorna teleports away), but he's smart enough not to antagonize the characters any more than he already has. If the characters aren't spoiling for a fight, Zarak is satisfied to stand down and retreat back into the forest.

Zarak is willing to give up his hunt in exchange for gold or if the characters seem likely to kill him. Characters who tell Zarak about the riches in Nib's cave (see "x" earlier in the chapter) pique his greed; if he is led there, he takes all the gold he can carry and falls prey to Nib's curse.

The characters can try to capture Zarak, but he'd rather die than surrender his weapons and his freedom. He's not much use as a hostage, since no other member of the League of Malevolence cares what happens to him, and he refuses to divulge the secret ways to and from the Palace of Heart's Desire. But if a charm person spell or similar magic is used to make him friendly toward one or more of the characters, he can be coaxed into sharing the following information with them:

• Most of the creatures in Zybilna's palace, including Zybilna, are frozen in time. The hags of the Hourglass Coven used an artifact called Iggwilv's Cauldron to accomplish this effect. Zarak doesn't know exactly how the cauldron or its magic works.
• The self-proclaimed leader of the League of Malevolence is a human sorcerer named Kelek. He wants to take custody of a magic staff belonging to his hated rival, the wizard Ringlerun, who is among those frozen in Zybilna's palace. Apparently, a unicorn's horn is needed to free Ringlerun from temporal stasis, which would then enable Kelek to seize Ringlerun's staff.
• Zargash, a human priest of Orcus, is another member of the League of Malevolence. Although he hopes to challenge Kelek's leadership one day, Zargash won't do anything about it as long as Kelek is protected by Warduke, a mercenary who has a flame tongue longsword.
• A fifth member of the League of Malevolence, a human warlock named Skylla, gets her magic from an archfey named Baba Yaga. Skylla knows more about Iggwilv's Cauldron and the hags of the Hourglass Coven than anyone else (as far as Zarak knows). But she has gone missing, and none of the other members of the league know where to find her.

Development

Lamorna's mate, Elidon, has been transformed into a flying rocking horse that Granny Nightshade rides as a mount. If the spell on Elidon is broken and he is reunited with Lamorna, she rewards each character with a charm of heroism (see "Supernatural Gifts" in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Bargaining with Skabatha

If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook and the Story Tracker indicates that Skabatha has one or more things in her possession that the characters desire, Skabatha claims undisputable ownership of these lost things, asserting that she acquired them "fair and square." Even so, she is willing to negotiate with characters who want to procure them. She is also inclined to strike bargains with characters who have other needs.

In exchange for one thing in her possession that a character has lost, Skabatha demands the characters complete one of the following quests:

• Capture Will. Capture the brigand Will of the Feywild and bring him to Granny Nightshade alive. He's sure to be hiding somewhere in the forest.
• Find the Lost Horn. Bring her the unicorn horn that she says her sister Bavlorna recently lost. Maybe Prismeer's native denizens can help the characters find it.
• Spoil a Play. Sabotage a theatrical performance in Motherhorn, Endelyn Moongrave's castle in Yon (see chapter 4). Skabatha would like nothing more than to see her sister bought down a peg or two. (To get to Yon, the characters will need a guide. Granny Nightshade expects them to know this fact and offers no help in finding a guide or seeing them safely to Yon.)

Skabatha is true to her word, returning one lost thing for each task completed while offering no assistance toward accomplishing the tasks. Skabatha used the lost things to fashion minor magic items, all of which she keeps in her dollhouse (x).

Skabatha's Clockwork Key

The clockwork key embedded in Skabatha's back rotates quickly when she's in a good mood and slows down as her mood sours. When she is furious, the key comes to a dead stop. When the key stops turning, Skabatha attacks objects or creatures indiscriminately until something lifts her spirits and quells her rage, such as the defeat of an enemy or some other triumph, whereupon her key starts turning again. Whenever Skabatha loses her temper and turns violent, 1d3 redcaps sprout in her garden (see x and "Skabatha's Minions" below).

The key can't be removed from Skabatha's back while she lives, and it serves no function in the adventure other than to reflect her current mood.

Defeating Skabatha

In dire circumstances, Skabatha flees Loomlurch on her flying rocking horse mount (see x) and retreats to Motherhorn, the lair of her youngest sister, Endelyn (see chapter 4). If Bavlorna Blightstraw is in Loomlurch, she flees to Motherhorn as well.

If Skabatha is slain, a beetle emerges from her rotten flesh and whispers Endelyn Moongrave's weakness to Skabatha's killer: "Endelyn fears eclipses, not just real ones but symbolic ones as well. If you want to kill her, best do it during an eclipse, or her body will re-form."

Skabatha's Ring of Keys

If the characters defeat Skabatha or successfully pick her pocket, they can obtain a ring of three iron keys that she keeps on her person:

• The first key locks and unlocks the doors leading from the garden (x) to the workshop (x) and the sewing room (x), and the door between areas L6 and x.
• The second key locks and unlocks the doors to the kitchen (x) and Mishka's chains there.
• The third key locks and unlocks the door to the cell in the kitchen (area L13).

Boggles

The despair of Loomlurch's children has given rise to six boggles (see appendix C), three in area L4 and three in x. These cowardly creatures aren't loyal to the hag, yet she tolerates them for the distress they cause the children.

Cradlefall

This green dragon wyrmling likes to hide in painted wooden boxes, of which there are three: one each in areas x, x, and x. Each box is 3 feet on a side and has a hinged lid. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conjuration magic around a box. A crank protruding from one side of the box attaches to a tiny metal music box mounted to the wooden box's inside wall. Winding the crank causes the music box to play a 10-second tune reminiscent of a child's lullaby. As the final note sounds, roll a d8. If the roll is 3 or lower and Cradlefall has not yet been defeated, the wyrmling bursts out like a jack-in-the-box, attacking creatures he considers his enemies. If the wyrmling has been dealt with, the lid springs open, but the box is empty.

While curled up in a box with the lid closed, Cradlefall can use an action to teleport himself and anything he is holding to another closed box in Loomlurch. When he is not hiding in a box, Cradlefall curls up in front of the oven in Granny Nightshade's kitchen (x). Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Cradlefall.

Redcaps

Whenever Skabatha's windup key runs down, her anger boils over, causing 1d3 murderous redcaps (see appendix C) to sprout in x. These redcaps are too hateful to serve as guards, so Skabatha sends them scuttling off into Thither to wreak havoc. Until she does so, the redcaps remain in area L15 and attack other creatures on sight.

Tin Soldiers

These ten automatons are fashioned to look like stout infantry soldiers, and they obey Skabatha without question. Six of them remain in the barracks (x), and the remaining four patrol the balconies outside areas x and x. They charge forth to investigate any suspicious activity they see or hear, meaning that they are easily distracted. Each one is a Small (3-foot-tall) suit of animated armor with 27 (6d6 + 6) hit points.

Lost Children

L1. Root Bridges

These two bridges have the same features. When the characters first approach one of them, read:

The bridges sway and creak when crossed. To avoid making a racket, each creature traveling along a bridge must make a DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) check. On a failed check, the creatures stationed in the goblin market (area L2) are alerted; they take no action immediately but can't be surprised.

L2. Goblin Market

The characters can enter this area from the eastern root bridge or by traversing the adjoining woodland.

[image: Chucklehead]

This market sells goblin-made candies of all sorts. Six goblins (lawful neutral) work here, two per stall, under the watchful gaze of their goblin boss, Chucklehead (neutral), whose head has been reshaped by fey magic to look like a toffee apple. The stallholders greet patrons warmly and invite them to sample and buy their delicious wares. Meanwhile, Chucklehead watches out for thieves.

L3. Parlor

The door to x is closed but not locked.

If Bavlorna Blightstraw retreated to Loomlurch after fleeing her home in chapter 2, her bobbing lily pad (see appendix A) lies on the floor next to the box, vaguely resembling a leaf-shaped carpet. Bavlorna herself can be found in x.

Three of the armchairs are trained mimics in disguise. They are magically compelled to remain in this room and adhere to creatures only when Granny Nightshade orders them to do so. The mimics are trained in nonlethal combat; characters reduced to 0 hit points by the mimics are stable rather than dying, giving the hag a chance to decide what to do with the unconscious victims.

L4. Workshop

The doors to areas L3 and x are closed but not locked. The door to x is locked, and Granny Nightshade has the only key (see "x" earlier in the chapter).

The ambient music is a permanent magical effect that can't be heard outside the workshop. If the characters enter quietly, add:

Granny Nightshade makes captured children craft nightmarish toys in this workshop. Three children are present when the characters arrive: Naal (an 11-year-old male drow), Sung (a 9-year-old female human), and Philomena (an 8-year-old female lightfoot halfling). They've been the hag's prisoners for longer than any of them can remember and are wary of grown-ups. If the characters barge into the room, Philomena panics and runs to get help from the tin soldiers in area L7. All three children want to escape the hag's clutches, although Philomena weeps if she's forced to leave without her beloved piglet, Oink, who is kept in the pigpen (area L5).

Naal recently stole the kitchen key from Pincushion (see x) and took an impression of it using a bar of soap before fastening the key back onto Pincushion's belt. When the characters arrive, Naal is recounting his heroic tale to the two girls. He wants to create a copy of the key and then sneak into the kitchen to steal milk. Naal gives characters the bar of soap if they give him something in return, such as fresh milk or some other tasty treat. ("It's the rule of recip—... recip—... give-and-get," he says.)

L5. Granny Nightshade's Garden

This outdoor garden extends almost the entire length of Loomlurch. The doors to areas L4 and L9 are locked, and Granny Nightshade has the only key that unlocks them (see "x" earlier in the chapter). Three balconies overlooking the garden connect to areas x, x, and x, respectively. The balcony outside area L9 is only 5 feet above the ground; the others are 20 feet high.

Skabatha Nightshade (see x) uses the garden to cultivate ingredients for her potions and candies. The hag spends a few hours here each day tending to her plants (see x earlier in the chapter). Characters who won the game of hide-and-seek in the Witchlight Carnival's Pixie Kingdom have advantage on any Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in the garden.

L6. Rocking Horse

The door to x is locked, and Granny Nightshade has the only key (see "x" earlier in the chapter). If Skabatha has been forced to flee Loomlurch on her flying rocking horse, modify the following boxed text to remove all mention of the horse:

The rocking horse is actually a flying rocking horse (see the accompanying stat block) that Granny Nightshade uses to soar across Prismeer. The horse is positioned so that it can attack trespassers who approach the door. Any character who gets within 5 feet of the rocking horse notices a depression on its forehead. Any character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence check correctly intuits that a horn once protruded from this depression.

The rocking horse used to be a unicorn named Elidon until the hags of the Hourglass Coven turned it into an obedient Construct. If a character finds Elidon's lost unicorn horn and places it on the rocking horse's brow while the horse has at least 1 hit point remaining, the curse is broken and the rocking horse magically transforms into the unicorn Elidon, who appears at full health. Elidon is happy to repay the characters for their heroism but is equally eager to return to his mate, Lamorna (see "x" earlier in the chapter). Convincing him to join the party requires a successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

[image: Flying Rocking Horse]

Whether he stays with the party or not, Elidon intends to honor the rule of reciprocity (see "x" in chapter 2) and offers to use his magic to aid the characters in the following ways before parting company with them:

• He can use his Healing Touch action to treat a character's wounds and remove any poisons or diseases afflicting that character.
• Once a day, he can teleport himself and up to three willing party members to any location in Thither up to 1 mile away.
• He can cast pass without trace on himself and the entire party at will. This spell requires Elidon's concentration and lasts for up to 1 hour.

L7. Tin Soldier Barracks

The staircase ends after 20 feet at a landing outside area L8.

Each small house is designed to hold one of Granny Nightshade's tin soldiers. When the characters arrive, four soldiers are on patrol in areas L8 and x, and the remaining six tin soldiers are inside their domiciles, behind closed doors. Each of these six Constructs is a Small (3-foot-tall) suit of animated armor with 27 (6d6 + 6) hit points.

The tin soldiers burst from their small houses and march forth if they hear combat in this room or an adjoining area, or if Skabatha or Pincushion calls for them. If the characters witness the soldiers emerge, read:

The six tin soldiers operate as a unit and march to the beat of the drum, which is a Small animated object with AC 16, 25 hit points, a walking speed of 30 feet, blindsight out to a range of 30 feet, and no effective attacks. Its ability scores are Strength 6, Dexterity 14, Constitution 10, Intelligence 3, Wisdom 3, and Charisma 1. The drum can't be blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, or poisoned, and it's immune to poison and psychic damage. Its drumbeat can be heard out to a range of 60 feet. All tin soldiers that can hear the beating drum gain a +2 bonus to their damage rolls. If the drum is destroyed, every tin soldier within 60 feet of it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

L8. Workhouse Dormitory

Two 3-foot-tall tin soldiers patrol the balcony outside this room. Each tin soldier is a Small suit of animated armor with 27 (6d6 + 6) hit points. The doors leading to this room are closed but unlocked.

Granny Nightshade's workers sleep in these bunks. When the characters arrive, two children are present: Brottor (a 10-year-old male hill dwarf) and Pud (a 12-year-old male human). Brottor is poisoned; he fell gravely ill after eating nightshade from the garden. Pud has been assigned to care for him until the malady passes or Brottor dies.

Pud hisses for the characters to be quiet, nodding toward the soldiers on the balcony. If the characters comply, Pud quietly describes Granny Nightshade's routine and all of her minions (see x and "x" earlier in the chapter). Characters who are suspicious of Pud can make a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check; on a successful check, a character discerns that Pud is untrustworthy. (In fact, he's deciding whether to betray the characters to the hag.) If one or more characters are mean to him, Pud slips off at the first opportunity to alert Skabatha, hoping that his loyalty to her will pay off for him in the future.

L9. Sewing Room

A closed, unlocked door connects this room to a 5-foot-high wooden balcony that overlooks Granny Nightshade's garden (x).

Materials for the workshop are sewn here under the watchful gaze of Pincushion, a living doll (see appendix C for its stat block). The prancing carpet is a rug of smothering that defends Pincushion and keeps strangers away from the children. Pincushion carries a key that locks and unlocks the doors to the kitchen (x). The key dangles from a hoop attached to its waist.

The living doll challenges intruders and demands to know why they're trespassing here. To satisfy it, a character must succeed on a DC 10 Charisma (Deception) check. On a failed check, Pincushion hollers for the tin soldiers at x. If satisfied, Pincushion asks the characters to wait here while it hurries to notify Skabatha of the newcomers' presence. The rug stays behind to make sure the children don't leave. Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Pincushion.

L10. Cupboards

The doors in this chamber are closed but not locked. When the characters enter for the first time, read:

The three cupboards, accessed by sliding the doors open, hold workshop supplies, boxes of junk, and other mundane bric-a-brac. If one or more characters spend at least 15 minutes searching a cupboard, they find 1d4 trinkets inside it (each one determined by rolling on the x table in the introduction).

L11. Family Tree

The door to L10 is closed but not locked, and the doors to areas L6 and L13 are both locked. Granny Nightshade carries keys to both of these doors (see "x" earlier in the chapter), and Pincushion (see x) has a spare key to x. The staircase in this room climbs 20 feet to a landing that ends outside area L12.

When the characters arrive, the portraits show images of Granny Nightshade and her family, with no labels to identify them:

• A truly ancient and terrifying hag (Baba Yaga, the Mother of Witches)
• A toadish hag (Bavlorna Blightstraw, as depicted in appendix B)
• A skeletal hag wearing a black, theatrical contraption resembling a dress (Endelyn Moongrave, as depicted in appendix B)
• A hag with a wind-up key in her back, one empty eye socket, and a wooden eye held in her hand (Skabatha Nightshade, as depicted in appendix B)
• A svelte, dark-haired woman with a commanding presence (her appearance matching that of the Tasha mannequin outside the Hall of Illusions in the Witchlight Carnival, as described in x)

The portraits are enchanted to display the last creature that pricked its skin on the brambles' thorns in addition to its four closest family members, if it has any. These family members can be living or dead. (If the creature has fewer than four close family members, any remaining portraits are blank.) Each portrait magically animates to create the impression that the subject is looking around and shifting uncomfortably, but the animation has the quality of an old movie. The moving images are silent.

[image: Magical Portrait of Tasha]

L12. Textile Mill

Two 3-foot-tall tin soldiers patrol the balcony outside this room, guarding against outside intruders. Each one is a Small suit of animated armor with 27 (6d6 + 6) hit points. Both doors to this room are closed but not locked. The tin soldiers open the door and enter the room if they hear any commotion within.

Each night, Skabatha Nightshade (see x) visits the textile mill to check up on her workers (see x earlier in the chapter). The looms are used to weave fabric for the sewing room and the workshop. They are large, treadle-driven machines that generate a considerable racket. The storeroom contains spools of yarn.

L13. Granny Nightshade's Kitchen

The door to x is ajar, and the doors to areas x and x are locked. Granny Nightshade carries a key that locks and unlocks all three doors (see "x" earlier in the chapter), as does Pincushion (see x).

Cradlefall, the green dragon wyrmling, spends much of his time dozing in here by the oven. If the characters have not encountered the wyrmling elsewhere, read:

Each afternoon, Skabatha Nightshade (see x) spends most of her time in this room with occasional visits to the study (area L14). She uses the kitchen to boil candy and prepare potions. The hag treats Cradlefall like her beloved pet; if Skabatha is not present, the wyrmling flees to her side and reports that intruders are in the kitchen.

L14. Study

The door to x is ajar. The staircase in this room climbs 20 feet to x.

Skabatha Nightshade spends part of her day here (see x earlier in the chapter); if present, she is seated at the writing desk and scribbling notes to herself while cursing various "unappreciative" child workers under her breath. If Bavlorna Blightstraw fled Downfall in chapter 2, she is slumped against the wall under the stairs and consumed with self-pity. She's in no mood to fight or have a conversation, so she mumbles and curses to herself, attacking only in self-defense. Both hags' stat blocks appear in appendix B.

The shelves contain books of Feywild lore, all written in Elvish, each of which has a withered frog's body stitched into its spine. Kissing the frog or stroking it with a moistened finger causes the frog to croak the book's title in Elvish. Notable tomes include the following:

All Things Sticky, Slippery, and Sweet, written for children, illustrates and describes substances that would fascinate them, such as boggle oil, troll spittle, and various flavors of tree sap.

Fantasma Demento's Codicil of Conundrums is a lavishly illustrated book of fey puzzles and riddles. Answers to the puzzles and riddles are written in invisible ink.

gobliN eht fo hguaL tsaL is a thin, illustrated book describing nilbogs, who are capricious fey spirits that possess goblins, foment chaos in goblinoid society, and use their magic to drive others to do the opposite of what they desire. All the book's writing is backward.

Pity He's an Elf is a collection of illustrated short stories about an elf adventurer named Aethyn Ourglas, who travels the Feywild and befriends dangerous creatures in surprising ways.

The Queen's Gowns depicts and describes famous gowns worn by the Summer Queen, with asides written by the gowns' equally famous designers.

Tales from the Gloaming Court is a set of eleven hefty, green-covered, illustrated books filled with stories and illustrations of Feywild intrigue that shed light on the Seelie and Unseelie courts. (Volumes 3 and 8 are missing from Skabatha's collection and can be found in chapter 4.)

Three Rules to Rule By is a thin, dog-eared book that describes the rules of hospitality, ownership, and reciprocity in detail (see "x" in chapter 2).

Twilight Tides is a fat, wrinkled book about navigating the oceans of the Feywild.

After two books were stolen from her collection (volumes 3 and 8 of Tales from the Gloaming Court), Skabatha placed wards on every one of the remaining books. Any book that is removed from her study turns to ashes instantly. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of abjuration magic around each book.

Shelved among the books are hundreds of scrolls that bear no magical wards; they describe encounters with individuals who struck bargains with Skabatha, and the horrible curses she put on each of them for failing to uphold their end.

L15. Redcap Patch

The toadstools are the tips of the hats worn by six redcaps (see appendix C) that are forming under the earth. Any creature that tries to pick a toadstool causes its redcap to rise up out of the earth, outraged at being awakened early. This redcap is not fully formed and has half its normal hit points.

Whenever Granny Nightshade's key stops turning, 1d3 redcaps emerge fully grown from this patch, leaving any remaining redcaps under the soil, still not fully formed. The risen redcaps loiter here until they see something they can kill or until Granny Nightshade gives them a mission.

The redcaps are hostile toward creatures other than Granny Nightshade. However, if a redcap is offered a gift, it accepts the gift and becomes so angry at the thought of having to reciprocate (see "x" in chapter 2) that it clutches its chest and keels over dead at the start of its next turn.

L16. Granny Nightshade's Bedroom

This room has two closed doors, one leading to a 20-foot-high balcony and the other leading to area L17. Neither door is locked. A staircase descends to x.

If Skabatha Nightshade (see x) is here, she is asleep inside the dollhouse in her miniaturized form. While Granny Nightshade is sleeping, a character must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) check to sneak up on her without waking her. Talking near the dollhouse also awakens her.

The dollhouse is fully enclosed, rather than being open at the back as a normal dollhouse would be. A Tiny creature can enter the dollhouse through its front door or one of its windows and explore its interior, which has a gloomy foyer, parlor, kitchen, and dining room on the ground floor; two bedrooms, a sewing room, and a nonfunctional bath on the second floor; and a spooky, spacious attic. If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook and Granny Nightshade stole from the characters, any items that their lost things were transformed into are kept inside the dollhouse's attic, along with the items listed in the "Treasure" section below.

Characters who inspect the outside of the dollhouse closely can see that the roof is hinged, like the lid of a toy box. It is held shut by an arcane lock spell that only Granny Nightshade can bypass without using magic. No amount of brute force will open the sealed roof, but a knock spell or similar magic opens it, granting access to the attic and its contents. Granny Nightshade also set a password ("rumpleclump") that, when spoken within 5 feet of the dollhouse, suppresses the arcane lock spell for 1 minute. Cradlefall and Pincushion know the password but won't divulge it unless their very existence is threatened. Mishka (see x) also knows the password and shares it with any characters who are willing to help her.

Creatures inside the dollhouse can't be affected by spells or attacks that originate outside the dollhouse, and the dollhouse is enchanted to be immune to all damage. If it is knocked over, each creature inside the dollhouse must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage from colliding with walls, furniture, and junk.

L17. Aviary

The door to area L16 is closed but not locked.

Granny Nightshade uses the mechanical sparrows to relay messages to her sisters. The sparrows use the hawk stat block but are Constructs that are immune to poison and psychic damage; the effects of exhaustion; and the charmed, frightened, petrified, and poisoned conditions.

The sparrows have their names engraved on their breasts. (Example names include Glyff, Pim, and Zwee. Create others as needed.) If a creature speaks a sparrow's name aloud and gives it a task, it flies off as though affected by an animal messenger spell. In addition to delivering spoken messages, a mechanical sparrow can also carry written letters.