The Lore of Lurue (Patron)

A good book can be a gateway to another world. A place to lose yourself in adventure and fantasy, and maybe, if you're lucky, learn a thing or two as well. All you have to do is turn the page.

First, a couple map notes.

As with all of these maps, the storybook versions of the maps will line up with the dynamic lighting lines in roll20 if you'd like to use those.

Additionally, the last scene with the camp can be a very tight squeeze for players. You might lose the dynamic lighting lines, but I'd encourage you to consider doubling the size of the map fom 

Now for the adventure.

This is a really fun adventure. It is a lighthearted romp where death isn't worry.  That said there are a couple flaws. The story doesn't feel very connected. Instead they feel more like random scenes that occur. Also, this can easily feel like the characters are being railroaded. Luckily the fix is pretty simple.

Dig into the railroad. Don't just be the DM, be the narrator as if you were reading pages of a story. Let them even argue with the narrator. If you've ever watched the old Winnie the Pooh stories where characters could suddenly grab the letters off the page, think of this story like that. 

The next thing is lets add some connective tissue to these scenes. Personally, I feel this is the perfect story to run as set in a sort of pseudo feywilde. It's an enchanted story about the birth of a unicorn who is also the child of the goddess of the moon. 

When the characters arrive, they will be surrounded by lights and a world that feels like the saturation has been turned up to 11. The colors are more vibrant, like the picture in the Candlekeep book, and there is music in the air.

Ahead of the characters will be a tree that seems to be almost bleeding with cuts and what looks like crush marks near the base. As the characters go to investigate the tree, three Satyr's will appear.

The Satyr's will let the characters know the tree has been damaged. If players heal the tree, it will respond by blooming a series of flowers with a golden sap inside. These act as healing potions that disappear at the end of the adventure. The satyr's will let them know they don't normally live around here, but they've been forced to flee due to an invasion in the forest by funny little men wearing red, mushroom shaped caps. (or berserkers if you don't want to subject your party to redcaps).

At some point, when they have had enough time to talk, the party will be attacked by 3 mushroom men (or berserkers). Afterwards, the satyrs will ask the party to help save the forest and go talk to the treant.

The treant and pixies will explain a bit of what is going on, but tell them the only person who will be able to really know the truth is the hag of the woods. The party will be asked to go speak to her.

This leads to the hag scene and provides a reason for your party to talk to her instead of just fighting. Have fun here, they're talking to a hag. For example, the hag will introduce herself and then say "may I have your name." Any players that say yes, or similar, and then provide their name will have the hag steal their name from them. Have fun with that. 

If you want, you can have the hag offer to trade them the information, or their name back, for going and collecting the webbing of a ettercap. If your party doesn't seem like they'd do a mission for a hag, then you can choose not to mention it and just have that be a random encounter. Alternatively, you can also have the hag trade the information for memories or something similar to be a fun RP moment. 

The hag knows that the red caps (or berserkers) are being caused by a group that are attempting to corrupt the birth of a unicorn. That same corruption will lead to the death of the forest unless stopped. The hag won't mention it, but the destruction of the forest would also hurt her so she is incentivized to help the party. She just won't do it for nothing.

If they do just kill the hag, then the dryads have the information as well.

No matter what, that will lead to the campground and then the pond. 

It is very much a railroad, but as a one off this could work very well as a fun adventure since it is literally them being told a story. Just let your players know that this is a unique adventure because of the story mechanic, and again, let them argue with the narrator and things like that so as to still have a sense of agency.

I hope you enjoy!