1303 The Woodwind Trees

Drifting melodies harmonise with the placid babbling of the River Shiver.

• Terrain: Tangled forest (3), Aldweald
• Lost/encounters: 2-in-6

Woodwind Trees

This section of the wood is dominated by trees with vibrant leaves ranging from bright pink to a reddish-violet. Their trunks and branches are honeycombed with small 1″ holes.

Music: When the wind blows through the holes, they create sonorous melodies. Animals flock to the trees, each singing along in their own way. Songbirds twitter in their branches, crickets chirp, frogs croak, and even flies buzz in tune.

Disruption: The incessant music makes it impossible for parties to rest here. The music also disrupts magical incantations: spells have a 3-in-6 chance of failing when cast.

Magical wood: The wood of these trees is magical, and can be made into Magical Instruments when cut. Woodgrue and bard PCs know that some of the finest instruments are made from the wood of such trees.

Cutting the trees: If any of the trees are harmed, the song from all trees screeches to a halt and the forest goes deathly silent. Animals are spooked and flee. A group of 2d4 woodgrues (DMB) arrive in 1d4 Turns to investigate.

Guardians: The trees are protected by the woodgrues who dwell in the Treehouse. Their leader has an accord with the woodwind trees that allows her to take periodic cuttings from them to craft musical instruments.

Threeble Pidderpat (Level 4 Bard)

A woodgrue woman with wiry white fur, sleepy eyes, and pale yellow ears. Wears a striped sock hat and an oversized shirt with long puffy sleeves she keeps rolled up. She is devoted to the trees that support her callings as a musician and instrument-crafter. She believes the trees speak to her through their songs.

Demeanour (Neutral): Easygoing, but quickly angered if the trees are threatened.

Speech: Sing-song, peppered with flowery words she doesn’t actually understand. Often waxes poetic about nature’s beauty. Woldish, Sylvan.

Desires: To discover the best song in the world, to create the best instrument in the world, and to protect the Woodwind Trees.

Possessions: A wyrm-bone Flute of Revelry (p408).

Magical Instruments

d6 Instrument Effect 1 Crumhorn Disembodied choral accompaniment 2 Doodlepipe Attracts insects 3 Flute Causes flowers to bloom 4 Recorder Conjures motes of light 5 Shawm Elicits giggles 6 Squamp Soothes animals

Treehouse

The largest woodwind tree lies at the centre of the hex. 5′ wicker spheres hang down from its branches like giant fruits, each connected by a lattice of rickety rope bridges.

Inhabitants: A band of 20 woodgrues, led by Threeble Pidderpat.

Interior: Each wicker sphere is the dwelling of several woodgrues, furnished with a nest of furs and leaves.

Common area: A central platform 20′ wide is built into the boughs of the tree, covered by a roof of violet leaves and illuminated by jars of twinkling fireflies. At night the woodgrues come here to play their songs.

Threeble’s woodwind workshop: A wicker cone, slung above the common area. Threeble offers to sell one of the Magical Instruments she creates to anyone who can prove their own musical talent to her with a song. Each costs 200gp. The instrument and effect are random—roll on the Magical Instruments table.