A Shadow in the Barley

Background

At the heart of the valley of Ravensdale (page 94) sits the quiet village of Ravenhome. Much like the rest of the Dales, Ravenhome has enjoyed a peaceful existence away from the dangers of the outside world for centuries. Fields of barley and apple orchards blanket the land, watched over by the ever-present Dalish ravens. Folk are content to live a quiet life here, even if it's under the shadow of the many ruins from the Old Kingdom of generations past. THE CREEPING DANGER An ancient, festering miasma from the Shiverwash Marshes has seeped into the water under the Dales. Taking root in the sunken ruin of a watchtower from the days of Old Gwyrdolin (page 39), it awakened the bog corpse of a guard who had lain at the bottom of the waterlogged structure, spurring it to emerge from the ruin, seek out human life – and snuff it. This Waken Sentry has made its way to the nearby bucolic village of Ravenhome, where it is about to turn the small world of our Heroes on its head. The miasma, a Wanecraft creation that permeates the Marshes, is believed by Oldways practitioners to have been kept at bay by an Oldways Shrine, called the Dolorous Lady, in the Bounds through a ritual that involves singing the Song of Tears. But the ritual has not been performed in years, and the wards have seemingly failed. (In truth, it is another, related protection that is failing; see Core Revelation 5, page 415). Now the Heroes will have to face the foul force from outside the Dales, which hasn't made itself known for centuries, and are called to set out on a journey to reveal the source of these malign influences in order to protect their home. The Wise One as a Hero If one of the Heroes is Rosamund, the Wise another Wise One character, they can replace the NPC of Rosamund. The Heroes still travel to the Wise One's Lonesome Cabin, although in this case, the house belongs to that Hero. Synopsis Cooking the Sapsauce is an optional yet recommended opening scene, focusing on the life in the Dale. It is a great start to the campaign, beginning with a rustic, carefree atmosphere, through a montage of scenes using the Journey rules. Following this lovely moment, or as its own opening, the Heroes then travel through The Barley Fields, encountering Willow, who is placed under threat by the Waken Sentry. After handling the danger, the Fellowship can either warn the village Back at Ravenhome or follow the creature's trail to The Sunken Watchtower. Upon discovering the corruption seeping into the Ravensdale, the Heroes travel to The Wise One's Lonesome Cabin and consult with Rosamund. Finally, the Heroes must reactivate the protective wards of The Dolorous Lady, an ancient Oldways shrine in the Bounds, to slow down the incursion from the Marshes. After the Heroes conclude their adventure at the Marshes, a new threat emerges when from Afar makes an attempt on the life of the Wise One or one of the Heroes. Hooks The Heroes may be coming from different parts of the Dales or be locals to Ravensdale. They may arrive on the road to Ravenhome crossing The Barley Fields for any number of reasons. • The Heroes are locals or visitors enlisted to help with the annual Cooking of the Sapsauce, and then deliver the delicious syrup to the village of Ravenshome by way of The Barley Fields. • The Heroes are Ravensdale locals, walking on the path by the field as part of their daily routine. • A Hero is visiting Willow and was told to find her in the fields. • One or more of the Heroes are Red Marshals assigned to guard Ravenhome, casually patrolling the fields. • A Hero could be a visiting practitioner of the Oldways or the chief Wise One of the Ravensdale, on their way to visit the village (see The Wise One as a Hero sidebar). A Murderer

Cooking The Sapsauce

Begin here to give the Heroes an opportunity to get to know each other and to allow the players to test out their characters and to get acquainted with Journey montages, where each Challenge they encounter can be resolved with a single roll (CBII 108). This scene sets a rustic, casual mood – a calm that will be suddenly shattered in the next scene. Under a canopy of verdant apple trees, the Tubroot orchard at the outskirts of Ravensdale could easily be mistaken for a natural grove with its elder trees scattered by the roots of the hill. Spigots are hammered into the largest of them, and the sweetness of golden sap reaches your nose from the collected liquid in the buckets. The road curves around dizzyingly until you finally arrive at a clearing facing a barn painted orange. Young farmhands are all around preparing to harvest and process the sap into one of Ravensdale's most coveted treats: sapsauce syrup. A large bearded man hails your approach, a few of his children pestering him and running circles around him. In this scene, the Fellowship arrives at the Tubroot Orchard, which is handled by Lance Tubroot, who tends to the orchard with his 12 children as his farmhands. The Heroes are asked to aid the family with brewing sapsauce, a delicious syrup made from a special tree's sap, known as Sapsauce tree. However, the production process can be precarious for inexperienced brewers, leading to antics at the brewery as well as accidental comical dizziness due to sap fume inhalation. A Jolly, Relaxed Tone This scene should be light-hearted and comical, allowing for a slower pace and giving the players a chance to partake in the normal Dalish lifestyle – to contrast with the coming horrors. The Tubroots The Tubroots have owned this apple orchard for a few generations. Lance is a stout, bearded man, built like a barrel. Although he presents a jolly smile, he takes work on the orchard seriously and is critical of mistakes. However, he has a soft spot for his family, and he allows a few of his children to run amok, sometimes hindering work on the farm due to their childish shenanigans. The quality of the Tubroot sapsauce is a result of their tried-and-tested recipe, as well as their generations-old cauldron, an Oldways heirloom (see Cooking Magic, page 152). It is Lance's hope that one of his children takes the family legacy seriously enough to continue the practice. Brewing Sapsauce Sapmaking requires patience, a steady hand, and following Lance's instructions to the letter. The Heroes must spend a few days collecting the sap from the apples, cooking it, and then processing it using the right ingredients. Lance has the final call on who does what. This process is a Journey using some or all of the Vignettes on the next page. Additional Vignettes can be taken from the Common Weal Journey, page 254. General Consequences include becoming dizzy-2 as a result of the sap's intensely sweet vapors and the special Oldways roots used in the cooking fire. This status can also later develop into nauseated or headache of an equal tier. Once the cooking is done, the Heroes are asked to deliver some sapsauce to Ravenhome, leading into The Barley Fields (page 319). REWARD If Lance is satisfied with the Fellowship's work (if they didn't mess up too much), he gifts each of them a clay flask of sapsauce, and provides some excess supplies-1 in gratitude. If someone exceptionally excels and shows promise of becoming a brewer one day, he will share the sapsauce recipe (sweet sap, controlled fire, cast iron cauldron – Give tempted). COLLECTING THE SAP There are many trees around, but you must tap only the healthiest to provide the best-tasting sap. Hammering the spigot isn't so easy, either. The syrup you harvest is of low quality. Your muscles begin to ache from all this hammering (stiff-1). Hammering the spigot disturbs a nest of bees (New Challenge: Swarm of Insects, CBII 183). MEDDLESOME KIDS The Tubroot children's most notorious pranksters: Ivy, Ollo, and Jurard watch you with a devious glint in their eyes. You must do your best to avoid their pranks. They pour a tub of sticky sap or processed sauce over someone (sticky-2 or dizzy-2). They tattle on you to their father, saying you're cooking the sauce wrong (Complication). They go all out with their prank (New Challenge: Masked Rascals, page 249). COOKING THE SAPSAUCE Lance tasks you with gently… Gently!... stirring the vats of sap over a controlled flame, fed with a strange green root. It requires careful attention. You make a mistake and Lance doesn't hold back his critique (shamed-2). You are allergic to one of the spices and ingredients (itching-2 or sick-2). The heat makes you fatigued and sweaty (dizzy-2 or tired-2). You follow the recipe incorrectly, and the fire starts smoking profusely, causing strange symptoms (blurry vision, slow thinking, or slurred speech). DRINKING PARTY! The whole family enjoys a celebratory drink and sweet sapsauce snack when the hard work is done. After all, there's only one way to ensure the sapsauce was cooked to perfection. You're pressured to join a snack eating contest (sugar-rush-3 or you are embarrassed-2). You're swept away to dance and sing in celebration (tired-1). You get tipsy and let slip an embarrassing secret (inebriated-2 and Exposed). RUSHED BOTTLING The sapsauce must be bottled quickly before it cools off, and bottles, jars, and flasks are then stacked in a precarious pile. Can you keep the pace without breaking anything? Just standing near the fuming vats makes you dizzy-2. The sweet smell of the product is too good not to taste (sugar-rush-1). A stray bottle falls from the pile, causing the rest to come cascading down (sticky-3 and Lance gains angry-2).

The Barley Fields

The spring sun peeks through the overcast morning, bathing the golden barley fields with its grey light. Songbirds huddle in their nests, their chorus of chirps filling the souls of the farmers working tirelessly. Ravensdale spreads before you, a small but fertile valley where barley fields stretch along the feet of the hills and apple orchards dot the landscape all the way to the snowy peaks of Greyback Mountain. Whether locals or travelers from distant hamlets or beyond the Dales, all are welcome here. On the road to the village of Ravenhome, laughter catches your ear from the newly-harvested stalks. A young girl plays and frolics by the edge of the tall barley – Willow, known to you by her kind and precocious demeanor. How she's grown! The story begins (or continues) in the fields outside of the village of Ravenhome. On what seems to be an unexciting, overcast morning, our Heroes all happen to be on the road by the fields. But this innocuous moment takes a horrifying turn as the long-dead guard of the Old Kingdom staggers onto the field. Begin the scene with the Heroes meeting each other on the road or conversing on their way to Ravenhome. Ask questions about their travels, recent events in their lives, rumors from their villages, and other small talk topics they might bring up. In the background, Willow, a child from Ravenhome, is playing in the barley fields. Local Heroes already know her; Heroes coming from afar soon will too. Danger in the Barley Suddenly, Willow lets out a blood-curdling scream – then points at the fields, paralyzed, her lips quivering. If coaxed, she says, “something is moving between the barley…” Emerging from the tall blades right next to her is a shambling, water-drenched figure, its face mummified and blackened by rot; it dons the rusty remains of some resplendent armor from a bygone age. Its hollow eyes lock on to Willow (or anyone standing close to her), angling a corroded blade in her direction and dripping putrid water with every step. This is a Waken Sentry, but remember, keep it a mystery by not naming it (CBII 22, and You Are the Veil, page 178). The creature attempts to cut down any living soul in its path, a wicked synergy of its old duties and the life-devouring miasma festering in its dead body. It does not feed on flesh, however; it is driven by a strange call to consume and bring ruin to all that is good. It is drawn to Willow's scream and joyful youth. If one Waken Sentry isn't challenging enough, you can reveal another. WHAT AWAKENED THE DEAD SENTRY? There is not a lot in the collective knowledge of the Dalespeople that can explain what animated this risen dead corpse or where it came from. Still, a Hero can take an action to discover the following: • Anyone examining the corpse may notice the dark ooze dribbling from it. • Examining the gear of the Waken Sentry may conjure to mind stories of the Old Kingdom of Gwyrdolin, an ancient civilization that predated the Dalish and whose ruins still remain. • An Oldways practitioner with the right means can discern a malignant, devouring Unseen presence hanging over this Creature of Twilight, but more time and study is required to ascertain its nature. The Field That Has Changed Forever During the fight or once the Waken Sentry has been overcome, the Heroes come to realize that this danger is unheard of in the Dales. They may take actions to investigate the Waken Sentry, where it came from, or what animated it. Its path of corruption leads back to The Sunken Watchtower (page 323) which also contains the closest body of water, as locals will know. Alternatively, they may decide to escort Willow safely to her family, and warn the villagers Back at Ravenhome, page 321. Willow might press on this: surely, if there may be more monstrosities lurking in the fields, the residents must be made aware!

Back At

What Must Be Done?

Ravenhome

The village of Ravenhome is set in the heart of the dale; all roads in this region wind back to the quaint village sooner or later. You walk the path until the sun glows brightly in the dour afternoon sky. Then you finally catch the sight of shingle-roofed houses, the scent of wood fires dancing in the air. Joyful conversations between neighbors are ever present. Yet these familiar sights are not enough to calm you after such a harrowing experience: you wonder how long this peace may last if other such horrors are walking in Ravensdale. You pass by warm smiles and hearty greetings, but these folks are not blind to your turmoil as they notice that you may have something to say. The Fellowship arrives in Ravenhome, with the villagefolk completely unaware of the monsters that now stalk the fields. If the Heroes share the news about what they've seen or if they allow Willow to return and warn the Ravenhome people about the Waken Sentry, the entire village is soon assembled at the Folkhearth (gathering house). The entire village holds a meeting; a panicked discussion ensues about this reviled and dangerous “Creature of Twilight” – the name used by the people of the Dales to refer to all strange beings – and about the next course of action. See the Challenge Profile on the next page. The Fellowship might be forced into participating by the villagers, who want to learn all they can about the incident at the fields. The Heroes can still try to avoid the discussion or sneak out, villagers might then see them as untrustworthy-1. There are three distinct voices among the cackle of concerned villagers, which represent the most popular opinions and push toward different outcomes, see below. A Sad Departure Whatever the outcome is, a heavy sense of impending tragedy fills the crisp evening air; a tension unlike any felt in Ravenhome in living memory. This is the perfect time for a camping scene, as the Fellowship prepares to delve deeper into the mystery. Afterward, the Heroes may decide to retrace the Waken Sentry's tracks, or ask around the town about a nearby bog or ruin that it may have originated from; point them to The Sunken Watchtower (page 323). If the Heroes seek expert advice, or have already uncovered the truth beneath the watchtower, they may make their way to The Wise One's Lonesome Cabin (page 327). but the

The Sunken

She claims it contains a family heirloom and that she is “but a simple pilgrim traveling the Wanderlands,

Watchtower

You ascend the chain of hills that enclose the valley of Ravensdale, following the signs. As you make your way on the forested mountain trail, you leave behind the golden barley fields and apple orchards that stretch far into the distance under ominous, gathering clouds. An hour passes by, the curve of the hills softens, and the trees tighten their ranks. Ravens perch on nearby branches. There is a strange presence in the depths of these woods; something unseen, whispering. And the whisper is louder than ever now. At last, you arrive. In the dense woods, jutting out of the earth, stand the decrepit stone walls of a circular building, now a ruin. There are no doors, only a window or two. The part of the building which is now above ground was originally its third story; the tower's foundations have sunk under the muddy earth as ages passed. A murky pond fills the base of the tower. Footprints and tree limbs chopped with a sword betray that this is the origin of the walking corpse. The foul smell of the pond confirms it. You peer into the impenetrable cloudy water, knowing answers lie at the bottom. In this scene, the Heroes explore the ruin from which the Waken Sentry arrived, spurred by a stranger with an interest in its treasures. Beneath the sunken tower is a pool tainted by foul miasma, which holds the answers about the Waken Sentry that the Heroes seek – where it came from, and why it stirred to life. The Outlander's Wish As the Heroes near the pool, they are approached by SorrowBalm (see next page). Without introducing herself and with an almost mischievous tone, she offers to provide the Heroes a prize or knowledge if they retrieve the chest at the bottom of the pond. not made for such a dangerous pursuit.” SorrowBalm is willing to say she collects relics of the ancient kingdom of Gwyrdolin and that she seeks the opal that is in a chest at the bottom of the pool. She is ill-equipped or unwilling to reach it herself, so she attempts to enlist the Heroes. While she can be duped, SorrowBalm cannot be harmed. Before a sword can touch her skin, she would vanish into thin air, like morning dew in sunlight. Later, she could return to coax the opal out of the hands of the Heroes or to condemn them to be “hunted by her kin”. She is not made to fight, and therefore, she won't harm a soul, but if the Heroes are harmed by their own actions – well, that is of no concern to her. SORROWBALM'S PRIZE SorrowBalm tries to assess what the Heroes want most and then offers it to them if it's possible for her to do so. She can provide an item or guidance that could aid a Hero's Quest, supplies-1, or even an amber coin. While coin is normally of no practical use in the Dales, amber coins (page 65) are prized and are not given away freely, yet the mysterious woman seems nonchalant about it. In addition, SorrowBalm will also divulge secret knowledge about the foul liquid found in the pond and the Waken Sentry – but only when she has the bewitched opal in her hand. VAGUE IMPRESSIONS Due to her mysterious-2 nature, SorrowBalm is not easy to read. Furthermore, even if the Heroes find out what she wants or what she is (see the Secrets in her Challenge Profile), they understand it in their own Dalish terms; remember never to name magic, including the truth behind a being such as her. Buried History No Dalesperson lives now who remembers the purpose of this old ruin – few even remember it's there. While some may cobble together a vague clue that this was created in the days of the Great Thaumaturges, that is all folks know about it, and even that is forgotten by most. See What Was This Tower Before It Sank?, page 326.

The Wise One'S Lonesome Cabin

With a growing need to learn more of the corruption you've seen, you seek the guidance of the Wise One. Each step takes you further away from home and deeper into the forested hillside. The sun begins to set, the sky painted orange and purple as the blanket of twilight nears. With weary feet, you continue on until you see a plume of smoke rising from yonder. Nestled by a babbling brook is a small, quaint hut with a sizable garden. An elderly woman sits on a stump, tending to a boiling pot. The sweet aroma makes your stomach rumble – you haven't eaten anything for a while. Your presence goes unnoticed until you're finally near enough for the old lady to see you. She shoots you an annoyed glare. “More visitors? Hmph, well if something ails you then you should sit by the fire. I haven't prepared supper for so many, so you better help out!” In this scene, the Heroes visit the solitary home of Rosamund, the village Wise One (page 70), further away from Ravenhome. She is an Oldways practitioner upon whose medicine and advice the people of the dale rely. The Wise One as a Hero If one of the Heroes is playing as Rosamund or another local Wise One, this scene becomes a visit to their home, where they can better study their findings, such as the sample of miasma from the pond. Arriving Before the Sunken Watchtower If the Heroes come to the Wise One before visiting The Sunken Watchtower, she will ask them to visit the tower and learn more about where the Waken Sentry emerged from. A Begrudging Welcome As the Wise One of Ravenhome, Rosamund is no stranger to visitors, but she does her best to avoid them. Nevertheless, the villagers look to her for help in times of fear, misfortune, or illness. Hunters sometimes bring her game, and some villagers visit her in gratitude for her work. Local Heroes are likely to be familiar with her. Though old and grumpy, she is ultimately kind and devoted to helping others. She is also a talented apothecary who can administer antidotes or healing salves to Heroes who need them. Her thatched cabin is filled with hanging dried herbs, and there's a great burning hearth over which a cauldron hangs. She also has a garden of vegetables and a storage shed. Rosamund listens to the companions carefully as they share their travails and inspects the sample of the miasma or the items they brought from the tower. She then insists that they rest, sharing her food and roof with them, giving them a chance for a cozy scene (and a camping moment) after an intense adventure at the Sunken Tower. Gather Around the Fire When the time is right, late at night or over a breakfast of warm porridge, the Fellowship gathers by the fire to discuss with her all that has befallen them and learn what she uncovered from their findings. A cold wind blows through the open windows, and an eerie atmosphere engulfs the room. • The Miasma: The foul miasmic substance is cursed with foul sorcery dating back to Old Gwyrdolin. It can corrode flesh and soul, infecting one with a malignant hunger to devour and rot, strong enough to even wake the dead. • Its Source: This miasma originates somewhere in the Shiverwash Marshes, a putrid bog of death and decay to the south of the Dales (and south of the Ravensdale). It seems that, for some reason, it now sends its festering tentacles into the water that flows below the Dales. • The Failed Protections: There is an old standing stone by the Marshes where Oldways practitioners have prayed for centuries to keep the foulness of the swamps away. But today so few of them remain; she herself has not been there in years, maybe a decade.

The Dolorous Lady

Rosamund is adamant that a pilgrimage must be made to the standing stone known as the Dolorous Lady and a ritual must be undertaken to restore the stone's wards. She asks for the Heroes' help with traveling there, as she is quite old now; if they agree, they gain her story theme. COMPANION Rosamund, the Wise One apothecary wards and protections old bones AN EXPERT OF ANCIENT LORE With additional questions, the Heroes can glean from Rosamund additional details about the past and the sunken watchtower: • The Old Kingdom: The sunken watchtower, and all the Dales, used to belong to Old Gwyrdolin, an ancient kingdom from time immemorial where Thaumaturges could perform incredible miracles. • The War: That realm was sundered when the Thaumaturges fought in a great conflict known as the War of the Thaumaturges. Old Gwyrdolin crumbled, yet much of their magic remained. • If shown the emblem on the untarnished sword from the tower, Rosamund recognizes it as an Old Gwyrdolan insignia. Lore Revelations C – The Dales were once part of Old Gwyrdolin, a kingdom ruled by the Great Thaumaturges, or miracle workers. D – Gwyrdolin fell in the War of the Thaumaturges. G – Recently, strange Creatures are created by a cursed miasma from the Marshes, touched with some ancient hunger. You set off from Rosamund's hut at first light, away from the soft hills and the golden fields of Ravensdale, south along an old trail leading downhill and toward the Bounds. Within less than a day, the comfortable farmlands and clear horizons of Ravensdale are replaced with jagged stones, muddy terrain, and foggy surroundings. The trail disappears on occasion, making it difficult to traverse the moorland. Warm winds howl, bringing with them the sour stench of the southern Marshes. By the next day of travel, only thin daylight penetrates the grey fog as you head deeper into the Dalish outskirts, with your only company being dead trees and the calls of frogs. In this scene, the Heroes, along with Rosamund the Wise One, attempt to restore the protections on their home by rekindling the spirit of the Oldways shrine, but new Creatures creeping from the Marshes interfere. Traveling to the Stone The Heroes travel south from Ravenhome over a low mountain range and into the Bounds (page 98). This trip takes a few days and can be played as a Rambling Journey (page 276). Choose between three to five Vignettes, adding or removing to pace the travel. It is up to you if the party can have a rest scene between the Vignettes in this rocky moorland. Eventually the Fellowship reaches nearly to the southern borders of the Dales, in view of the Shiverwash Marshes: a seemingly endless expanse of putrid water, twisted trees, stinking vegetation, buzzing insects, and heavy mists. If Rosamund is not present, the Fellowship must first search the Bounds for the standing stone, following her directions. Choose one or two Vignettes from Morose Mire, CBII 150. The Shrine of the Dolorous Lady Standing at the peak of a winding hill, facing the Shiverwash Marshes as if standing guard over the borders, the overgrown stone has a carved image of a weeping woman with her hands covering her face. A noxious mist overwhelms the environment, another sign that the miasma from the marshes is spreading. Rosamund prepares the ritual by lighting candles and giving offerings; she asks the Fellowship to join her in performing the Song of Tears, her way of tending to the shrine. The Song of Tears is empowered by heartfelt sorrow, and each Hero who participates should share a sad story from their life. Alternatively, Heroes who practice the Oldways may come up with their own way to tend to the shrine. Unwelcomed Audience As soon as the Heroes attempt to rekindle the stone's magic, the Marsh uncannily begins to agitate in response. The mists shift and broil, and the water bubbles. Two or three Mirelings (see next page) crawl from the dried peat to stop the ritual, clawing at the Heroes, Rosamund, and the standing stone. The Mirelings appear far-away-2 from the standing stone, and if not stopped, they approach, reducing the status by 1. When a Mireling is overcome in any way, another one takes its place, again far-away-2 – until the shrine is either restored or destroyed. SOLO: If your Hero is conducting the ritual alone, the Mirelings begin far-away-4. Rekindling the Shrine Once the standing stone has been tended, all the Mirelings flee back into the marshes as the ward regains strength. The Heroes feel as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders as the Dolorous Lady seemingly shares whatever burden they carry. If the Dolorous Lady is destroyed, the Mirelings retreat to the swamp with low, gurgly cackles, and the Heroes know this patch of land will no longer be safe from the foulness of the Marshes. Treasures from the Swamp If the ritual is successful and the Mirelings are banished back into the Marsh, the area around the standing stone becomes less hostile and can be searched for valuables. • A weathered but still hardy untarnished helm. • Rare swamp herbs, useful for healing or potioncrafting.

A Murderer From Afar

In this optional ending to the adventure, a mysterious arsonist sets fire to the Wise One's cabin and attempts to poison Rosamund or one of the Heroes. End the adventure with this scene to cement the feeling that the escalating danger is quite real and can come from various directions and sources. The Dales might never see a peaceful day again – unless the Heroes do something about it. A House on Fire As you return to the Ravensdale, Rosamund implores you to stay the night and have dinner with her. Around a modest oaken table lavishly laden with Ravensdale delicacies, you discuss recent events and consider your next steps. Begin by setting the scene of a dinner in the Wise One's cabin. Have the Heroes chatter and discuss recent events for a while and then describe the Threat of the fire: Your noses are still not accustomed to the thick smell of the many dried herbs and spices hanging from many of Rosamund's rafters. And yet, a certain scent manages to overcome them, an unwelcome one – smoke. “The roof!” Rosamund cries out, leaping up with alarm. The thatch roof of Rosamund's home suddenly catches fire – use the Local Disaster Challenge profile without its The Heroes must quickly try to extinguish the flames and save her home, or else the blaze may take the ritual implements, recipes, and offerings that are of great importance to her craft – or worse, harm Rosamund fatally. SOLO: After resolving the Local Disaster Challenge, continue to The Poisoned Dart. The Poisoned Dart The fire is just a part of the ploy; an assassin is hiding in the trees outside of the cabin, waiting for their victim to emerge from the burning house – to finish the job. They then shoot them with a poisoned blowgun dart and flee the scene. The poison may be a deadly one (poisoned-3), or it may be a poison that freezes a person's heart (cold-hearted-3, page 196). If not lessened or prevented, the poison spreads on its own; see Conditions That Are Also Challenges, CBII 105. aspect (page 248). The Tone of This Scene This scene should be short and shocking, a sharp and even painful turn of events that is quickly addressed but leaves a lasting scar. Who Is the Assassin's Target? By default, the assassin is there to poison the Wise One, but you could change their target to be a Hero who is of special interest. They may hit someone other than their intended target – let fate and the dice determine that. Once the assassin flees, the Heroes have no way of telling who their intended target was or if they even had a specific target in mind. Who Is the Assassin? By default the assassin is one of the Cold-Hearted (page 196, and use the Cold-Hearted Stabber profile, page 264) sent by the Winter King's followers to sabotage the defenses of the Dales – Oldways practitioners. The poison they carry is Fondness' End (page 196). THE FLEEING ASSASSIN Chasing down the assassin could prove difficult, as they move with preternatural lightness and leap from tree to tree as if carried by wind (starting with getting-away-2 on Catch / Escape 4 with away-2). Even if they get away, a Hero may take action to discern some general feature about them such as their frame, the make of their clothes, or a unique item such as their blowgun, which may be useful in identifying them in the future. A pursuing Hero can also be hit by a poison dart. of getting-

Aftermath

Core Revelation 2 Something that has protected the Dales from outside forces for centuries is waning. Choosing a Fellowship Theme Now that the Heroes have been through their first adventure and have been introduced to the central motivation of the series, they are united by a new cause. Take a look at some of the Campaign Hooks and related Fellowship themes on page 313. With the Heroes' return to Ravenhome (if they return), its residents (if they're still there) offer a true hero's welcome, gasping at tales of their terrifying encounter with the horrors of the Marshes. They reward the Fellowship with a valuable item tag (CBI 132, CBII 39, or from the Dales' General Store, page 126). If played as part of Wake of the Oldways, the Heroes realize – or Rosamund shares this revelation – that the Dolorous Lady will not reverse the corruption, nor will it be able to hold it back for much longer. The standing stone's magic is still fading, and the ritual has only temporarily revitalized it. If the Dolorous Lady is weakening, then other wards may be, too. Ravenhome may be safe, but for how long? Here are some questions to review the Heroes' actions during the adventure: • What decision did the village of Ravenhome make in response to the growing danger? Did only some or all of them abandon their home? If they took up arms, were any of them injured? If they live in fear, will Ravenhome become less welcoming? • Was Willow hurt by the Waken Sentry? Is she still as happy as she once was after such an experience? • Did the Fellowship give SorrowBalm the bewitched opal? What is her disposition towards them? Are others of her kind hunting them (Eglerion, page 294), or does she think they may be useful in the future? • What happened to Rosamund? If she was harmed, how will the village (or its remnants) survive without a Wise One? • Was the Fellowship successful in rekindling the protections of the Dolorous Lady? What are the Heroes' thoughts knowing that such danger lurks right outside their home?