CC-4: We Made a Forest

by Markus M., Rowan H., Taylor B., and Zak H.

Guided by the procedures laid out in the Warden's Guide and Yochai Gal's blog post "Let's Make a Forest," a group of us wrote a forest for Cairn! Rowan rolled an initial set of locations and made a preliminary map:

The dashed lines indicate hidden paths. The blue line represents a river. Perpendicular lines indicate that a path is conditional.

Next, Zak rolled up prompts for each location, and the four of us got to work writing!

Overview

Many years ago, a great hero wielding the Steeple Sword defeated a fearsome giant. The giant's spirit was bound within its petrified tree trunk club. From then on the club stood at the entrance to the forest—a stone monolith. A statue celebrating the hero's triumph was raised.

For fifty years, this ancient forest has hosted a small abbey, housing a dozen monks and various servants and laypeople. They lived humbly and had good relations with the ancient forest spirits.

Finally, the old abbot died, and a new abbot was sent from the big city. The new abbot mistook the statue commemorating the giant's defeat as evidence of strife between humans and fairies. On his authority, the village of fair folk was crushed and burned, and the stone trunk at the forest entrance was toppled. Two sprites stole the Steeple Sword and seek further retribution.

Freed from its binding, the giant's spirit corrupted the wolf, the plants of the "garden" (area 5), and the moss of the forest, imbuing them with untrammeled growth.

The wolf rampaged through the forest, spurred on by its insatiable appetite. The monks of the abbey attempted to bind it, but they failed, and most of the survivors fled to the windmill (area 7).

Locations

1 − Felled Megalith

Three long moss-covered bumps are the only indication that a megalith once stood here. Closer inspection reveals each bump to be a stone cylinder about seven feet in diameter and twenty feet long. The overhanging portions are free of moss, revealing a bark-like wrinkle of grooves and whorls carved into its surface, stubs of truncated branches spouting here and there. The arrangement of the three segments suggest they were once part of a single massive stone trunk that fractured when it fell.

Jutting from the outside end of an outer segment is the suggestion of roots. The outside end of the opposite segment is smooth. Scraping away the moss reveals concentric rings in the stone with runes and petroglyphs running between them. Anyone in possession of a spellbook can identify some of the symbols—runes for binding and petroglyphs that tell of uncontrollable growth sealed within a seed of stone.

2 − Ruined Village

A village in miniature. 6 doll-size houses (and a tiny doll-size pub) once arrayed in a circle, each with a tiny perfect garden. They have been kicked over and trampled. A skilled carpenter or toysmith could be at work for a season repairing them.

Beside the village, a toppled statue.

Toppled statue: a bronze tableau, featuring a life-size man in battle with a tiny woman. The large figure wears a loincloth and carries a rough club. The small figure wields a silver sword (1 GP worth of silver). She is thrusting the sword into the ground before her, while the large figure is recoiling as if struck.

On close inspection, the large figure's club is clearly an entire uprooted tree. (And matches the shattered obelisk in Location 1.) The small figure's sword is a perfect match with the Steeple Sword.

The statue's base has been graffitied WE DON'T FEAR FAIRY SCUM in red paint.

3 − Birdsong Bog

Here the river winds a lazy circuitous path through a swampy section of the forest. The trees here grow from their own little pedestal-like islands, their umbrella-shaped canopies laden with enough moss to nearly block out the sun. In this soggy place, shrouded always in shadow, wrens, blackbirds, and warblers sing from the rushes.

When a human or large animal passes this way, the birds join in a discordant, cacophonous chorus. This signal alerts the wolf, which arrives shortly thereafter. The birds then flock to the garden to feast upon berries and insects. The birds are quiet at night and in the middle of the afternoon when the wolf is asleep. One might also pass through the bog safely by disguising themselves from the birds in some way.

At the center of the bog, a brightly-painted gondola bobs in the murk, moored to a tree. It enables easy travel along the river between locations 1, 3, and 9.

4 − Charnel Cloister

In a large clearing lies a shallow trench that forms a circle sixty feet in diameter, salt, ash, and sprigs of herbs littering its bottom. Several large empty beer casks stand on their ends at the center of the circle, animal bones scattered on and around them. Beyond the circular trench is a mostly abandoned cloister. The cloister has sustained recent fire damage, and its front doors have been splintered. Dark streaks of old blood spatter its wide halls. Points of interest include:

• Chapel: The chapel doors have been broken down. Several damaged pews lie in a heap just inside.
• Courtyard: At the center of the cloister complex sulk the charred remains of a garden. A fountain stands at its center, now filled wish ash. Sifting through the ash yields a skeleton and the brass key to the reliquary room.
• Cellar: Three cots and meager provisions have been gathered here. Bothers Cyril, Nigel, and Rupert sleep here and take shelter whenever the wolf returns. They bury their brethren and labor to clean and repair the cloister when it's safe.
• Reliquary room: holds several reliquaries and the Book of the Clear Path (as Spellsaw spellbook—see Cairn 2e Warden's Guide p. 140).
• Brewery: Two dozen large casks contain a dark and potent beer.

Brother Cyril is a dour young man with cherubic cheeks and a perpetual pout. He wants the Steeple Sword returned to the abbey. He has half a mind to go and fetch it himself—just as soon as the cloister has been restored. He hates fairies, witches, heathens, gamblers, swindlers, layabouts, forest-dwellers, city folk, profligates, misers, fools, scholars, merchants, poachers, and himself.

Brother Nigel is a severe older man with a V-shaped unibrow and startlingly hairy knuckles. Not even the wolf attack could shake him from his yearlong vow of silence. He hopes all of his brothers will soon return to the cloister.

Brother Rupert is a red-faced man with a dark wiry beard that he drapes over one shoulder. He speaks in a loud whisper as if confiding a secret from across a barn. He guzzles the monks' strongest brew, sleeps until past noon, and assembles clumsy masonry during the day. He wants to reunite with his brothers at the windmill (area 7) but is too afraid to venture too far into the forest alone.

5 − The Garden of the Wolf

Here the dense, moss-laden trees give way to a capacious clearing. Edible plants abound, grown to many times their normal size. Gourds as big as barrels rest beneath leaves like tent canopies. Dead trees serve as trellises for vines bearing arm-sized bean pods. Heart-sized strawberries beam underfoot, and dark leafy greens tower overhead. The spoils of this garden could feed the entire forest yet show little signs of being tasted by anything larger than birds and insects.

Animal tracks wind through the garden: familiar except for impressions made by platter-sized canine paws. Amidst the teeming growth, one stumbles upon animal bones: a deer skull, the ribs of a boar, and even the carcass of a bison, picked clean.

The plants here grow tall and thick enough to block the gaze of the forest's tallest inhabitants—so they never see the wolf coming. Here the wolf tries to satisfy its insatiable appetite, feasting on all manner of animals drawn to the garden—yet it's ever hungry, ever growing. Its hunger often drives it to seek prey beyond the garden. And for a few hours each afternoon, the wolf sleeps in an open space at the center of this cornucopia, stomach grumbling loud enough to be heard from the edges of the garden.

The Wolf
14 HP, 1 armor, 16 STR, 8 DEX, 14 WIL, bite (1d12), detachment

• Shoulders tall as a house. Dark shaggy fur. Round-bellied and hungry eyed.
• A maw that seems impossibly large, teeth rotting and caked in gore.

6 − Death, Arrested

The air feels empty. A strange hum drapes this grotesque scene - an owlbear and fairy between two huge tree trunks, frozen mid-leap, poses artful in their stillness. An arrow hangs midway between them, backlit by faded sunbeams regardless of the time. Around them, as if decoration: frozen leaves, bark, blood.

• The hum has a constant rising feel, like a Shepard tone.
• The owlbear has desperation in its eyes. The gouges on its back couldn't have come from that little fairy.
  • The foliage behind it is wrecked. It appears to have entered this space in a blind rush.
• The fairy, Kris Anthemum, is white-knuckling a handmade bow. His expression indicates he was caught off-guard by the owlbear.
• The arrow is a relic and source of the hum.
  • Zeno's Parabolic Arrow: Birch wood, black stone tip, parabolic fletching. When fired, freezes everything in time within a sphere of radius 20 feet. Inhabitants remain conscious. The effect ends when the arrow is touched.
    • Recharge: Touch the arrow to the dying breath of an elder with a life well-lived.
• Path to 5: The trees grow too densely to cut through the woods. The owlbear's rush has knocked over a pile of trees in its wake, blocking off the only path.

Owlbear 9 HP, 13 STR, 12 DEX, 5 WIL, beak (d10), claws (d8+d8) - Critical Damage: A piece of armor is rent and destroyed.

7 − Shrine of the Holy Order of Prevenient Grace (Temporary Relocation)

The treetops crowd this sorry windmill, so green with moss and rot it would be indistinguishable from the forest if not for the recent additions of golden iconography. Outside, pristine rabbits hop through a strange battlefield: broken arrows, obliterated bear traps, and huge craters mar the clearing. Brother Elemer sags next to the windmill's entrance with his head in his hands. Inside, the remaining monks putter about like disturbed ants, attempting to find peace in their rituals under the watchful (if fraying) eye of Father Palomar.

• The rabbits are immaculate. Innocent. A child's drawing of a bunny. And (a thought comes unbidden): delicious.
  • The rabbits display no fear towards humans in any way.
    • Anyone observing the rabbits feels an intense belief that their meat would be unrivaled in quality. Inform the players that eating a rabbit will grant a 1d4 increase to any stat of their choice.
    • Attempting to harm a rabbit through weapon, trap, or otherwise intentional violence always fails (consult the table below).
• The battlefield holds no corpses or signs of the same (armor, standards, etc). The broken weaponry is recent, as are the scant droplets of blood on the ground
• Brother Elemer is having a dark night of the soul. He's been hunting these goddamned (sorry) rabbits for a week and doesn't have a single hair off their stupid heads to show for it.
  • His right arm bears fresh bandages spotted with blood. The cloth was clearly ripped from his robes, which are dirty and unkempt.
    • The monk's rations are dwindling. He promised rabbit meat. At this point, he hasn't eaten in two days. "It's me or them."
• Father Palomar doesn't fully know what's happening, but he's sure it's the fair folk's fault. His plan is to escape the forest, run to the city, and prayerfully return with a company of paladins to bring these backwoods into the modern era.
  • They can't make a run for it while the wolf [5] is still out there. If the party helps them escape, he promises a dear treasure: a bible blessed by his order (functions as a spellbook containing the Illuminate spell).
    • If the party returns the Steeple Sword from Area 8, he's overjoyed. He and his monks anoint the party in oil whenever they sleep in the windmill, recovering all WIL with a good night's rest.
• The path to area 4 is blocked by a rickety corridor of handmade spears, axes, and tripwired crossbows, all in ruins. Unusable, unsalvageable. If asked about it, Brother Elemer makes a shooing motion with his hand and chokes back a sob.

1d6 Reasons You Didn't Actually Hit That Rabbit

1. Missed.
2. Missed (embarrassingly). A shock of distant laughter cuts through the forest.
3. Missed. How clumsy! Your implement goes flying into the woods. Roll 1d8 - it ends up in the corresponding location in this forest, placed as inconveniently as possible.
4. Missed. Well, missed the rabbit. Choose a party member - they take the hit instead.
5. Missed? You blink. Actually, you hit a wooden carving of a rabbit. The real rabbit was three feet away the whole time, munching on grass.
6. Roll again. On another 6, through Rube Goldbergian contrivance your violent action mortally wounds you. Reduce STR to 1. You'll die without medical attention.

8 − Cairntop Hill

A treeless hill with a view of the whole forest. A small dark cloud squats directly above, pelting incessant rain. At the hill's highest point stands a stone cairn, and atop this a silver blade gleams. Surrounding the cairn, the hill is overgrown with an acre-wide tangle of neck-high stinging nettles. A reedy piping can be heard from within the nettles. Approaching characters will be greeted by a rhyme chanted by two voices. The piping and the rain will stop for the rhyme, then resume an instant later.

Patch-of-Parsley and Cornflower Jack, Took the steeple and won't give it back, Sowed the thorns and made it rain, Until their home is whole again, Hope you brought your anorak!

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Incessant rain: A localised downpour instantly soaks any who step atop the hill, and turns the ground into a muddy quagmire. Undertaking any laborious task within the rain costs a fatigue. A wash of brown water makes approach from the River (Area 9) precarious. The rain is caused by Cornflower Jack, who plays the Wet Warble on his fairy flute. Stone cairn: Marks the forest's highest point. Sitting upon the cairn is the Steeple Sword, a holy relic of the Abbey. The cairn may be approached by navigating the surrounding nettlemaze or by hewing through the nettles.

Sprites: Knee-high mischievous figures with elderly faces and bright garb. Patch-of-Parsley and Cornflower Jack stole the Steeple Sword from the Abbey after their homes were destroyed. Now they guard it with the rainfall and the nettles.

Patch-of-Parsley: Pops out of the nettlemaze to tease folk, before darting back in. Will parley with any who call her name (remaining well out of reach). A sucker for riddles and dexterity games - either is a surefire way to distract her.

Cornflower Jack: Sits on the back of a sheep tangled in nettles, playing the Wet Warble on his flute. A sucker for an engrossing story and gossip—either is a surefire way to distract him. Will cease playing the flute while listening.

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Development

Patch-of-Parsley will open a path through the nettles to any character who makes an oath to repair the village. Cornflower Jack will stop playing the Wet Warble.

If this oath is broken, each adventurer present will gain a Fairy Curse. Once the village is repaired, the sprites will restore the hill to its prior state (and free the Abbey's sheep).

Fairy Quests

Once the oath has been taken, each sprite will offer an additional challenge to the party:

Red Faces: Patch-of-Parsley wants Father Palomar humiliated.

IF your players have an appetite for more poetry, recite this. (Don't push it.)

Father Palomar is wicked and mean, From the tips of his toes to the top of his bean. The reason he's so mean I think, Is because his head is very pink. He'd be much more cheerful if instead, Of pink his head could be red. I'll give you a gift if I see the scene!

"That silly old man should be embarrassed of his wickedness. Make his beefy head red from the neck up, and I'd be glad to make a present of this pouch to you!"

If questioned what she means, she'll coyly refuse to answer, but might nod along to player suggestions. Humiliating Father Palomar along these lines will fulfil the quest.

• Embarrassed
• Mad
• Sunburned
• Painted
• Nettle stung

Should the party accomplish the goal, Patch-of-Parsley will immediately burst onto the scene howling with laughter. She will gift the party her Swiftseed Pouch.

A New Steeple: Cornflower Jack wants Brother Cyril enraged and dispirited. He would like the abbey's missing steeple replaced with something absurd and/or profane.

Should the party succeed, Cornflower Jack will teach one character the Fairy Song Wet Warble.

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Treasure

The Steeple Sword: Silver sword that once served as steeple to the abbey. When in combat with a foe larger than a bear, striking the ground causes lightning to lance from the sky (as an Enhanced attack that ignores armor—even against a detachment).
Recharge: Leave the sword atop an abbey's spire overnight during a thunderstorm.

Swiftseed Pouch: Seeds stored in this pouch will spring out of the ground immediately on being cast. Holds enough seed for a 20 ft patch, or 3 acorns. Recharge: Plant in the ground. Water and sing to the pouch through the night of a full moon. A new pouch will grow from the ground on a short stalk.

Fairy Songs: Jingles that stick in the ear, but simply sound wrong unless taught by a fairy. Some have minor spell-like effects.

May be played by blowing into a fresh-plucked leaf held with both hands. The leaf will crumble after 5 minutes of playing in this fashion. Costs a fatigue when played in this way.

A true fairy instrument may manifest a more potent version of each song, but one belonging to a mortal is a rare treasure indeed.

• Wet Warble: A steady rain falls everywhere within a stone's throw of the performer. After one hour, the ground becomes squelching, sucking mud.
• Waltz of the Beasts: One type of animal prances along behind the performer during the duration of the song, following wherever they lead.
• Mirror Melody: Any mortal who hears this melody feels compelled to loudly repeat it.

Fairy Curses: Fae will ever know the mark of a betrayer. What's more they will be struck with one of Ktrey's d100 - Magical Mishaps & Calamitous Curses.

9 − Leftovers

The scent is odious and singular: meat. Two halves of a wrecked wooden bridge grasp for each other across a wild river. Raw, bloody corpses litter the scene. Bodies drape the shore and hang limply from the canopy above. A white rock crests the water near where the bridge halves meet. Buzzards plunge their breaks through the wreckage in divine ecstasy.

• The Buzzards look shockingly well fed. It's got them feeling territorial. They'll harass anyone nearby.
• The bridge's two halves slump down towards the water. Great gouges rend its surface.
  • On close investigation: whatever broke it came from below.
• The corpses didn't stand a chance. They're not even carrying weapons. Claw marks criss-cross their vitals.
  • They bear the robes of the local monastery [Area 7].
• The rock sits wide and flat. Gnawed bones and dark splotches coat its surface.
  • The splotches are hairs shed from a wolf's pelt. Thick clumps, raggedy, longer than they should be.

Buzzard
5 HP, 8 STR, 11 DEX, 6 WIL, peck peck (1d6)

• Critical Damage: Beak hits a tendon in your weapon arm. They pull until it snaps.

Encounters

1. White Rabbit
   A pristine white rabbit, its fur like the first snow. It knows the secret paths of the fair folk. It will look at adventurers expectantly, seeing if they will follow it. Doing so will take them to a random point of interest impossibly fast, 10-15 minutes, after which the rabbit will disappear into the undergrowth. Attempting to harm the rabbit is a fruitless endeavour (see the table at 7.) and the rabbit will disappear into the undergrowth.
2. A Bloody Scene
   Red and chaos. The violence feels impossible. Fluids and limbs spill across so many angles it's hard to tell where they centered from. At least one thing in this mess is a human corpse, you think. A haruspex combs through it all with bloody fingers, hoping to divine a path forward from the entrails.
3. Infestation
   The moss has overtaken this path. It's all over the forest, but here it feels darker, wetter. Lumps protrude from underneath where it has grown over rocks and small creatures. Some still wriggle feebly.
   It grows fast and holds tight. Treat as quicksand if touched.
4. Lucky Escape
   A monk in bloody tatters. Still standing, but not for long. Begs and prays for healing. His wailing attracts the Wolf (area 5) if not stopped.
5. Dancing Bison
   The thunder of many hooves heralds the approach of Snow Pea, a sprite who performs the Waltz of the Beasts (see area 8) to lure a herd of bison away from the wolf. The bison prance along behind Snow Pea, rearing up on their hind legs, shaking their heads and leaping with joy. Characters must take care to avoid being trampled. Snow Pea wants the wolf banished from the forest or slain, and will teach the Waltz of Beasts to whoever accomplishes this feat.
6. The Drunken Monk
   A terrified Brother Rupert founders in a bramble bush, his robes snagged. He became lost while drunkenly foraging for mushrooms and wishes to be escorted back to the abbey—or, better yet, to the windmill. As a reward, he'll offer his rescuers a handful of Red Ramblers: ingesting these mushrooms yields vivid hallucinations and severe disorientation but also the ability to converse with animals.