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The Fable of the Gallows Tree | 7th-level Fifth Edition Adventure
🕑 Added 2022-01-07 14:01:03 +0000 UTC
An undercover mission takes a turn when a corrupted tree crashes the party
The Fable of the Gallows Tree is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters of 6th to 8th level and optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 7. The Zenith Revelry is tonight, and several groups are taking the opportunity to indulge and take care of some other business. Unfortunately, they are blithely unaware that another more sinister presence has chosen the Gallows Tree where the Revelry is held. This adventure takes place in the Freelands campaign setting but fits any existing campaign with only a few modifications and name changes. This adventure is the first in the “Whispers of the Night” series but can be played as a standalone adventure without any changes.
Backstory
Four Lords is a hamlet at the crossroads of two major trade routes that has been established for as long as anybody can remember. Named for the four inns that sit at the intersection, it has also served as an out-of-the-way meeting place for many different societies and organizations that don’t want to advertise their presence in the world. Over time, secret meetings turned into social affairs. Time diluted the passions of the moment, and discussions of ambitious subversives have mostly given way to rebellious revelers, although nefarious elements still use the cover of the legendary parties to mask their involvement.
For those with the proper invitation (or the right coin to buy one), there is a gathering at the peak of each season held at the gallows tree outside of town. It hasn’t been used for its namesake in many decades, but the blackness of those deeds leached into the very soil. Eventually, a nightshade hag who was in disguise seducing a noble from Ashenvale for fun sensed that the corruption was starting to gather in the roots of the tree. So rather than let it ruin a good time, she beset the tree with an illusion and collects power from the fools that dance and plot above.
Adventure Summary
The characters have gained an invitation to The Zenith Revelry and try to obtain their required information. Things don’t go according to plan, but the resulting chaos is quickly forgotten as part of the horrifying truth about the tree is revealed. The characters find their way down through a secret passage to a crypt nestled amongst the tree’s roots. They discover all manner of strange things in the crypt, but none as odd as Leilatha, the nightwhisper hag who is one of four daughters of an Archfey set on taking over the material plane. Leilatha has captured powerful spellcasters and found a way to petrify them while using the tainted presence of the gallows tree to set them as anchors for the magic of her experiments. Since four has always been a problematic number for the coven, she has been seeking a way to imbue specific magics to items to aid in eliminating one of her sisters without it leading back to her. Her latest victim is the leader of one of the factions attending the Revelry, which brings the characters to her lair.
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