The Hidden Honey Cavern

The Hidden Honey Cavern

A sticky quest for LEVEL 3 heroes.

What’s Going On?

The insect-obsessed druid Kelebek is creating priceless magical honey in the Elderwild. The only problem, Kelebek’s cave is defended by creepy giant insects.

Quest Hooks

• Finley Thistlepot. An eager young member of the Explorer’s Guild. Has returned from a herb-gathering expedition with the location of a hidden cave. He’s planning to explore it further but needs backup in case it’s dangerous.
• Odelis. An enterprising member of The Tower. Searching for a supply of magical honey. He’s offering an outrageous sum of gold in exchange for a single jar.
• Tugrul. A druid of the Elderwild, wants to know how Kelebek creates his signature honey. She offers a pouch of restorative seeds that can fully heal one’s Wounds in exchange for the recipe.

Rumors

• Kelebek’s secret base is hidden behind a waterfall.
• An ancient dragon lives near the waterfalls, guarding an invisible treasure hoard (knowledge).
• PJ and Jorgun, of the Explorer’s guild, were smuggling Red Sap and ducked into the cave to hide out but got separated and are now trapped inside.
• Kelebek himself is a giant sentient insect! Don’t get too close to his pet stinkbug.

Optional! If your table is okay with a more gruesome story, or just want a clear "bad guy", Kelebek may lure travelers to his cave and use the bodies of those his insects capture as compost in his glade! Any NPC you deem appropriate may offer this information to your heroes.

Travel Encounters

• Treant Sentinels. A group of Treant Saplings surround the heroes (minions, 3/hero, d6 die size), mistaking them for sap harvesters. "Interlopers! The trees bleed—admit it, you carry their lifeblood!" Easy to trick or convince otherwise, but anyone with an axe or fire is mistrusted.
• Redcap Mushrooms. DC 10 Naturecraft: These are Bloodshrooms: they act as healing potions, 1d4+1 are ready to be harvested. DC 18 Naturecraft: Adventurer’s Bane: look almost identical to Bloodshrooms. Do not heal. Instead has a hallucinogenic effect: sees allies as enemies for 1 round upon eating.
• The Verdant Sage. A blind, elderly green dragon. Exceptionally well camouflaged (DC 22 Perception to spot). An OLD booming voice in Draconic: "Do you come seeking my unseen treasure? Come now, share of your treasure and I will respond in kind."
• He will offer some of his invisible treasure hoard (knowledge; answering questions and sharing any adventure rumors or info on the Elderwild) if the heroes describe anything about how the Elderwild looks: "Tell me of how the Elderwild blooms, for age has blinded my eyes to its beauty."
• Speaks Common reluctantly (the "Profane Tongue") if none speak Draconic, but may offer less information.

Adventure Locations

Cavern Entrance. A small lake and rushing waterfall (blocks the entrance to a hidden cave).

• If you weren’t specifically told where it was, you’d have never guessed!
• A giant insect in the water spots the heroes and begins swimming toward them.
• (Naturecraft or Insight). A harmless herbivore species of insect. Appears friendly, swims to the shiniest hero.
• If spoken to: Name is Xid. Will offer a ride through the waterfall in exchange for something shiny. Warns that no one he’s taken into the cave ever comes back out. Knows of Kelebek, PJ, Jorgun, and others (not by name of course, all of you look the same).

Tunnel. Long damp tunnel, ends in a dry chamber covered in dead leaves, twigs, and acorns.

• (Insight or Naturecraft) Purposefully, carefully, kept dry and brought here and spread across entire floor.
• (Perception) Pill bugs the size of an adult leg silently crawl on ceiling and munch on the moss-covered walls.
• Stepping on the litter on the floor or speaking above a whisper causes pill bugs to drop from the ceiling onto their heads and try and suffocate them. DC 12 DEX save or Grappled, Blinded, and suffocating: Take 1 Wound /round until you escape. Fire, bright lights, or dealing 10 or more damage in a single turn could also cause a bug to flee.

Escaping a Grapple. Action: make a STR or DEX save to escape. Remember allies can help as well!

Spider Lair. A dusty, WEB-filled cavern.

• Giant Spiders (1/hero, names: Booger, Fuzz, Trots) are wrapping up a squirming person in a web cocoon.
• The spiders enthusiastically greet anyone entering their lair, "AnOtHeR meaL sSo sOOn? LOOk bOOgEr, it’sSs oUr luCkY dAAy!"
• PJ, a goblin from the Explorer’s Guild, is wrapped in the cocoon. If not freed soon, the spiders will eat him. He issues muffled pleas for help and offers extravagant

promises: "Treasure! Fame! Your wildest dreams!" (he has none to offer–but does know the entire layout of this cave system).

• If saved, PJ offers to draw a map of the cave in the dirt and info on the wax maze (granting advantage on 1 roll), and then makes for the cave exit: "SEE YA!"

Wax-Chamber Maze. Walls of thick wax form a confusing maze-like chamber.

• Skill challenge: Heroes must succeed on 3 different skill checks before 3 failures (DC: 10, 13, 16). A great idea can gain advantage or succeed automatically.
• Success leads to Larva Nursery, failure, the Storeroom.
• Wax walls can be easily melted or otherwise destroyed to find either exit automatically but Wax Golems rise to defend the area (1/hero).