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The Riddle Spinney

Location

Mucklands Sandbox Campaign Setting · p.48

Open source p.48
The Drippy Downs

The forest to the southwest of Dunk is home to all manner of Faerie Folk. While the forest has few trees compared to the neighboring Grimly Wood, travelers complain of getting lost in the Riddle Spinney due to walking trees, wily PIXIES, and disorienting WISPS.

modifiers
  • Travel Checks
  • Wandering Intruder Chance
wandering intruders

##### the riddle spinney

  • 1. Faeries
  • 2. Kobolds
  • 3. Wisp
  • 4. Pixies
  • 5. Sprites
  • 6. Beamkin
the faerie market

The Riddle Spinney is also home to the Faerie Market (p32). Every midnight in the Zone, there's a 1-in chance the Faerie Market appears in the same Hex as the PCs. Trying to find the Faerie Market purposefully is difficult (Search Check with Disadvantage).

what's going on
  • The DRYAD of the Riddle Spinney, a gigantic avatar of nature, is sick and dying. In its weakness it has been corrupted by an evil HARPY.
  • BEAMKIN and other creatures are leaving the Riddle

QUEEN KALEIDA

The CENTAUR ruler of the Riddle Spinney, who sits on a throne of daisies in the Faerie Court (Hex 4.22). Kaleida is intent on protecting the magical traditions by arranging a marriage between her daughter and the CENTAUR prince, Null Duskmane, in Grimly Wood.

  • Traits: Melancholy, but finds puns humorous, impossibly beautiful.
  • Motivation: Protect the magic of the Faerie Folk. Spinney in droves to escape the DRYAD'S illness and corruption.
  • The magic of the woods is fading, and Queen Kaleida is intent on uniting the Faerie Folk of the Riddle Spinney with the Faerie Folk of Grimly Wood. She has arranged a marriage between her daughter and a CENTAUR prince, convinced such a union will turn the tide.
rumors
  • The trees in the Riddle Spinney are literally walking away and leaving the forest.
  • The forests of the Riddle Spinney are haunted! You can hear heinous moaning and creaking for miles.
  • The Queen of the Faerie Court is planning a wedding to unite the Faerie Folk of the Drippy Downs.

MARIDELL

A FAERIE knight, and right hand to Queen Kaleida. While loyal to the Queen, Maridell will do whatever it takes to keep peace in the land, even if that means defying the Queen's more dubious orders from time to time.

  • Traits: Strong convictions, lion-hearted, bit of a lone wolf.
  • Motivation: Keep the peace and prevent threats from creeping into their land.

PRINCESS KALYRA

The daughter of Kaleida, she is an angsty, bored young CENTAUR who wishes she could leave the Riddle Spinney and see the rest of Eem. But as a princess, she is duty bound and her impending marriage will cement an alliance between Faerie Folk not seen in ages.

  • Traits: Rebellious, disinterested, quick to fall in love.
  • Motivation: Get out of her arranged marriage and see the world.

THE WITHERING DRYAD

A giant nature spirit dwelling in the heart of the Riddle Spinney (Hex 6.21). DRYADS are fertile creatures that revitalize and invigorate the surrounding land while they sleep. But the Withering Dryad has become restless, cruel, and unable to sleep. Its groaning and creaking can be heard for miles.

  • Traits: Slow-talking, treacherous, bends and creaks with rage.
  • Motivation: Cure itself of a horrible sickness.
quests

THE LEAVING TREES

The BEAMKIN, sentient tree folk, are leaving the Riddle Spinney for greener pastures in the Dingledell. If all of them leave, their magic disappears with them and the forest will never be the same. Maridell comes to you in secret, behind the queen's back, and asks you to take care of this problem. Make the BEAMKIN stay, by any means necessary.

  • The BEAMKIN have nearly exited the Mucklands into the Dingledell.
  • They only stay if PCs slay the Withering Dryad, which the Faerie Folk refuses to do because the DRYAD is like a deity to them.

THE DRYAD'S REQUEST

In the heart of the Riddly Spinney is the Withering Dryad, growing ever more sick and twisted. The creature utters slow, tortured speech. Fetch the following reagents to cure its ailment: a centaur heart, a pound of PIXIE DUST, and a WEIRDING GEM.

  • While the DRYAD is, in fact, sick and dying, it is also being manipulated by a HARPY called Rendia the Owlbiter, secretly roosted in its antlers. The HARPY needs the reagents to turn the dryad once and for all into a corrupted, mindless HOMUNCULUS.

TYING THE KNOT

All throughout the Drippy Downs, magic is slowly dying, and the creatures that once dwelled in these sacred lands are fading away. Queen Kaleida believes that the Faerie Folk must strengthen their ties to one another and unite. She has proposed a marriage between her daughter Princess Kalyra and the young CENTAUR Prince Null Duskmane of Grimly Wood. But Princess Kalyra wants nothing to do with the brutish CENTAURS. Make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch!

  • A shipment of goods for the wedding has been stolen by TROGGLES near the Highwilds.
  • A horde of Duskmane CENTAURS plans to crash the wedding and ruin the alliance.
  • Princess Kalyra wants the PCs to take her somewhere far far away, perhaps the Quagmash. Doing so puts the PCs at odds with the Faerie Court.
  • Princess Kalyra might fall in love with one of the PCs if they demonstrate kindness and bravery.
  • HEROIC TITLE ACHIEVEMENT: Gain the favor of Queen Kaleida.
  • Faerie Friend•. While in the Drippy Downs, every night at midnight, the Faerie Friend and their allies can teleport to the Faerie Market. If an unwanted guest follows the PC, their access might be subsequently denied. The PCs and allies return to their point of origin after five hours.