Delve · p.99 · 3p
Open source p.99The Festering Hive
LEVEL 3–6 A corrupted druid commands a hive of giant, zombified bees to destroy crops and kill townsfolk. The heroes must face dark beasts and deadly traps to cleanse The Festering Hive of the evil within before it’s too late!
The Festering Hive Click or scan the QR code to access cheat sheets, errata, and other helpful tools for running the dungeon.
DUNGEON OVERVIEW
Themes Alchemy, Nature, Undead Time 2–4 hours
Combat Dangers Puzzles Social
Background
The Fallen Druid For decades, the elf druid Elyandril has protected the giant bees that live in the Gildweald forest. In the last year, careless logging has caused the bees’ near-extinction. In an attempt to save the bees, Elyandril is using necromancy to reanimate them, creating dread Zombees, and directing them to build an underground hive.
The Intervention Concerned by the druid’s radicalization, Ivy, Elyandril’s wolf companion, went to the dryad Yetharra a week ago, in the hope that Elyandril’s respected friend would be able to reason with her. Elyandril saw the intervention as a betrayal and imprisoned both the wolf and the dryad in the hive. Separated from her tree, Yetharra died in captivity soon after.
Hooks
Pest Control Ysalla Halftall, halfling mayor of Wood’s Edge, wants help stopping undead bees that ravage their crops – and find the Nelsons, a family of farmers that went missing a few days ago. She offers 50 gp and the town’s namesake: Wood’s Edge, a magical dagger.
The Revenge Further enraged by this “betrayal,” Elyandril became fully consumed by her thirst for revenge. She began sending zombees to destroy crops, kill livestock, and attack foresters. Elyandril’s zombees have slain several loggers and abducted a whole family of farmers, the Nelsons, who were zombified by the hive’s fell magic (see area H1). While she waits for more zombees to spawn from their corrupted eggs, Elyandril has brought Blightmaw, a gnoll alchemist, to the hive and ordered him to make a toxin that can kill humanoids by the score (see area H4). With her swarm growing, a deadly toxin on the way, and Elyandril herself becoming more and more like her zombees, someone has to stop the druid before it’s too late...
Alchemist’s Errand Halkân, a half-orc alchemist, has heard rumors of zombified bees in a nearby forest. Seeking to stock up on necrotic honey harvested from Zombee corpses, he offers 25 gp per Necrotic Honeypot and to pay for any other exotic alchemical ingredients the party can recover.
The Hive
The zombee hive is underground, beneath the heart of the Gildweald. As one gets closer to it, there are fewer and fewer living creatures, and only eerie silence, except for the buzzing of vile insect swarms.
General Features
The hive has these features unless otherwise noted. ► BUZZ. DISADV on spellcasting checks to maintain focus. ► CEILINGS. 10 feet high in tunnels and 20 feet high in chambers. ► DANGER LEVEL. Risky. ► FESTERING. Healing is halved. ► ILLUMINATION. Darkness, except for areas H2, H4, and H9.
► PLANTS. Clusters of Widowbloom flowers and Warpwart mushrooms can be harvested (DC 9 DEX) and distilled into Widowbloom Toxin or Warpwart Juice (1 hour, DC 9 DEX). On a failure on either, suffer effects of Widowbloom Toxin or Warpwart Juice. Events
The characters may experience the following events in the hive. Event 1 Zombees approach. 2 A howl sounds from within the hive (Ivy in area H6). 3 Frantic buzzing, faint voice whispers: “Defilers... The swarm... Vengeance...” 4 Necrotic sludge drops from the ceiling on the characters; DC 9 DEX or damage.
Rancid Hole Entrance
H1 Zombies
H4 Gnoll Putrifier
T
H3 Zombees
T
Wolf
H6 Earthy Hole Zombees Entrance
H5
H2 Zombees
H9 Shadowshaper Zombees H8
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T
H7 Nightweavers
Outside the Hive
Deep in the forest, this large clearing of upturned soil is streaked with black mold. A 5-foot-wide hole emits a rancid smell, and another hole 50 feet away smells earthy.
The holes present two different entrances to the hive.
Holes Rancid hole to the ingestion chamber (area H1). Earth-smelling hole to Gede’s Altar (area H5). ► RANCID HOLE. Descends 20 feet before slanting and entering through the wall to area H1 (DC 9 STR to climb or fall into area H1, taking damage and awakening Zombies). ► EARTHY HOLE. Descends for 20 feet before breaching the ceiling of area H5, 20 feet off the ground (DC 12 STR to climb or fall 20 feet into area H5).
No extracted maps for this adventure — the map is in the source book: Open source p.99
Rooms (10)
H1 Ingestion Chamber p.103
Humanoid shapes bulge from the honey-colored walls of this room.
Necromantic magic has zombified the Nelsons (see Hooks, pg. 99).
Humanoid Shapes 6 Zombies; 2 child-sized and 4 adult-sized. They attack if disturbed, spending 1 round to break free. ► COMBAT. Zombies fight until destroyed. ► TREASURE. Pouch with 10 gp, Pendant of Blessings.
H2 Gardens of Decay p.103
A grove dimly lit by bioluminescent plants and fungi. 5-foot alcoves dot the walls around the perimeter.
Zombees rest in the alcoves.
Zombees 3 Zombees; attack on sight (DC 12 DEX to sneak through room). ► COMBAT. Zombees fight until slain.
Plants & Fungi 5 clusters of Widowblooms and 8 clusters of Warpwarts (see General Features, pg. 100).
H3 The Nursery p.104
Chalk drawings cover the cave walls and giant rotting egg sacs hang from the ceiling. Undead bees tend to the egg sacs.
Traps in the tunnels into this room.
Undead Bees 3 Zombees, tending eggs. ► COMBAT. Zombees attack on sight and fight until slain.
TRAPS The floor at the mouth of the tunnels to areas H1 and H5 is brittle, concealing a pit of honey that functions as a Quicksand Pit (Tier 1). If broken open, a near- sized cloud of Grave Gas (Tier 1) is released for 1 minute.
Chalk Drawings A tall woman holding a shield of pure sunlight (Elyandril drew this depiction of Gede holding the Sun Shield before she deserted the god – hints at treasure in area H7).
Egg Sacs 4 clusters of egg sacs. If damaged, necrotic fluid bursts in close range. DC 12 DEX or damage. ► EXAMINE. One flask of holy U water is enough to cleanse all four sacs, turning them to normal giant bee eggs.
H4 The Distillery p.104
A candlelit chamber with glass containers, dried flowers, and mushrooms on rustic tables. A gnoll is working by the tables.
Gnoll Gnoll Putrifier (Blightmaw). ► DIPLOMACY. Blightmaw doesn’t want to fight. He immediately surrenders and explains:
• He was invited here by Elyandril to brew toxins harmless to beasts but deadly to humanoids; so far, he’s had little success.
• He last saw Elyandril 3 days ago, rambling about “purification!” He knows the hive’s layout,
• where Elyandril is (area H9), and that the honeycomb door (area H8) only opens for zombees. Zombees keep him from leaving.
• If the way out of area H1 is clear, he gives the party his toxins (see Tables) and leaves in a hurry. ► COMBAT. Blightmaw smashes one of the alchemy sets (see Tables). If outmatched, he flees.
Tables 2 alchemy sets. If damaged, explodes with near-sized Poison Gas (Tier 1) for 1 minute. ► TREASURE. 3 Widowbloom Toxin, 3 Warpwart Juice, 2 Necrotic Honeypots.
H5 Gede’s Altar p.105
A mound of dirt packed like a primitive altar. Chalk drawings of beasts and humanoids fill the walls. 5-foot hole in the ceiling.
Altar Old and rotted trinkets made from leaves, sticks, and feathers. ► GEDE’S ALTAR. Praying to the god of the wilds here sprouts a twig bearing 3 acorn-shaped crystal flasks (1/month). ► TREASURE. The flasks are holy water, a Potion of Healing, and a Potion of Giant Strength.
Chalk Drawings Crude drawings (by Elyandril):
• A woman and a canine.
• A woman sitting by a bonfire surrounded by forest critters.
• A woman healing a bird.
• People cutting down trees next to large, dead bees.
• People impaled by stingers and with crosses for eyes. ► EXAMINE. The drawings were U all done by the same hand but appear to have become more frantic and erratic.
Hole 20 feet above; leads outside (see Outside the Hive, pg. 102).
H6 Honeycomb Basins p.105
Three basins filled with dark liquid. A white wolf is submerged to its neck in one basin. A female figure lies face down in another. Giant, zombified bees crawl about.
Elyandril has trapped her wolf companion, Ivy, here.
Zombified Bees 3 Zombees guard the prisoners. ► COMBAT. Zombees attack on sight, trying to shove characters into basins. They can’t harm Ivy.
Basins 3 feet deep, filled with thick, viscous honey that functions as Quicksand (Tier 1). White Wolf is Ivy; face-down figure is the dryad Yetharra, who’s died in captivity. ► DIPLOMACY. Ivy barks and whimpers to be pulled free. If freed, it attacks the zombees and attempts to lead the party to the Royal Chamber (area H9) to redeem Elyandril. ► TREASURE. Wand of the U Dryad in the dead dryad’s hands.
H7 Nightweavers’ Den p.106
Shadowy webs fill this room. A narrow path passes by a dimly glowing statue of a female druid.
Large spiders hide in the webs. They have left a path through the webs to lure intruders into a trap. There’s also a secret passage behind the statue.
Spiders 2 Nightweavers lurk in the dark. ► COMBAT. The spiders attack if a character triggers the snare (see Trap) or get close to the statue.
Path Just before the statue, a Snare U (Tier 1) pulls victim a near distance into the shadowy webs.
Webs Shadow Webs (Tier 1).
Statue Depicts Gede as a druid. If prayed to, it shines sunlight in near for 1 hour. If the egg sacs in area H3 were destroyed or cleansed, or an offering was made on the altar in area H5, a shield of light also appears (see Treasure). ► SECRET PASSAGE. To area U H9. Clearly visible behind the statue if statue is lit. ► TREASURE. Sun Shield conjured by the statue.
H8 Honeycomb Door p.106
A large, hexagonal door made from thick, crusted honeycomb.
The characters must imitate a Zombee’s buzz to open the door. The wolf Ivy (see area H6) can help them by imitating a buzzing bee, a Zombee might show up and open the door, or they can enter through the secret passage in the Nightweavers’ Den (see area H7).
Door Magically resonates with nearby sounds. Opens (like an aperture) only if a Zombee’s buzz is made nearby; remains open for 1 minute. ► ZOMBEE BUZZ. A character that has heard a Zombee’s buzz can replicate the sound using:
• DC 15 CHA mimics the sound.
• Spells such as Illusion.
• The Wand of the Dryad (area H6).
• A Nightwhisper Flute carved from a Nightweaver (area H7).
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H7 T
Nightweavers
H9 Royal Chamber p.107
Glowing fungi illuminate this massive, 30-foot-tall chamber. A ragged woman with bulging black eyes sits on a honeycomb throne. Large undead bees swarm around her.
Woman & Bees Shadowshaper (Elyandril), 2 Zombees. ► DIPLOMACY. Elyandril speaks in a shrill voice: “Who are you? Why are you here?” If confronted with her Zombees attacks on Wood’s Edge, she says: “And so you seek out our hive? Better that you defilers of nature flee this land before my swarm devours you!” An impassioned speech can prevent Elyandril from attacking (DC 15 CHA, ADV if Ivy is present) but her change of heart agitates the zombees, causing them to attack. This, in turn, causes Elyandril to transform (see Transformation) ► COMBAT. Elyandril attacks from afar while the Zombees guard her. If she drops to o HP while in her Shadowshaper form, she transforms into a Zombee Queen (see Transformation).
Fungi 6 clusters of Warpwarts (see General Features, pg. 100).
Transformation If the party makes Elyandril regret her actions or she drops to 0 HP, she transforms into a Zombee Queen: “The druid’s head whips back and, with a shrill scream that mutates into a haunting buzz, her limbs twist and her bones break as she transforms into a grotesque monster – a zombee queen!” If she drops to 0 HP in her zombee queen form, Elyandril reverts back to her true form and falls Unconscious to the ground (see Developments).
Shadowshaper
s H9
Zombees
Conclusion The Festering Hive: Conclusion p.108
Developments
The Druid’s Redemption If Elyandril survives but hasn’t been convinced of the error of her ways, the party can make another DC 15 CHA check to persuade her. If they fail, she remains hostile and it is up to the party whether they kill her, imprison her, or leave her to continue her dark work. If they succeed, the druid regrets her dark deeds. Through a ritual to Gede, she sacrifices herself to cleanse the hive, turning into a white mist. All zombees that weren’t destroyed become normal giant bees and the Nelsons (the zombies in area H1) return to life if they weren’t destroyed.
Wood’s Edge Whether Elyandril is redeemed or not, she explains how loggers threatened the giant bees and caused her descent into darkness. If the party tells Ysalla Halftall in Wood’s Edge about this, the mayor promises to rein in the activities. If the Nelsons weren’t revived, she bemoans their loss but still hands over Wood’s Edge to the party.
Alchemical Ingredients The alchemist, Halkân, pays for any Necrotic Honeypots (25 gp each), Widowbloom clusters (10 gp each), and Warpwarts clusters (10 gp each) they have gathered.
Difficulty
The hive is suitable for level 3 adventurers (Total Party Level 11–14). You can adjust its difficulty to higher level parties by making the following cumulative changes.
Level 4 (TPL 15–18)
• 4 Zombees in H2, H3, and H6
• Zombee Queen has 1 Boss Action
Level 5 (TPL 19–22) 4 Zombees in H9
• Traps and hazards are Tier 2
•
• Zombee Queen has 3 Boss Actions
Level 6 (TPL 23–26)
• 6 Zombees in H2, H3, H6, and H9.
• Zombee Queen has 45 HP and AC 14