One for Owl and Owl for One; Humblewood Rewards Thread

[Drew]

Session 1 Recap 4/18/2025

We laid down some foundations of our campaign. Humblewood is a region on the continent of Esden in a world of Everdeen. The region is populated by woodland folk known as Humblefolk and bird descended folk known as Birdfolk. The regional capital is Alderheart the Evertree governed by the Birdfolk council.

We opened in Meadowfen, a sleepy town in the western region of Humblewood. There our would-be adventurers enjoyed some lovely sandwiches when the idyllic setting was jarred by a 20-somemthing Strig (Owlfolk), Cara bursting into the square still smouldering and very shook up.

Our adventurers joined the Cara & Elder of Meadowfenn, Ardwyn (Gallus/Rooster) who definitely did not slip in and out of a Foghorn-Leghorn accent for legal reasons for a debrief. Cara was sent to investigate the smoke on the horizon to the Northwest. Cara reported the Town Ashbarrow was burnt to the ground and did not see anyone but there was a good deal of foot prints, she’s not exactly a master tracker however.

Ardwyn suggested that they call for assistance from the Birdfolk council in Alderheart while the team decided Ashbarrow was their next stop to investigate the matter. Ardwyn was told to send word to the council independently if assistance is to be had. It was established that the local constabulary, Andy and Barney only make it through town every 2 weeks or so so Ardwyn will have to come up with something.

Following a shortcut to Ashbarrow, the team came upon a cart with supplies and a downed Eluran (Catfolk). The cart was being investigated by a group of 3 Mapach (Racoon) bandits and a Vulpin(Fox) named Fray who appeared in charge. A skirmish occurred wherein bandit Baker succumbed (understatement) to wounds from a hand axe.

Bandit Charley bolted while Fray and Able capitulated, were given some foodstuffs and sent on their way with some wounds. It would appear that historical stories of ruthless marauding bandits might be more complex these days.

The Eluran, Eliza was roused after getting conked in the head and said she was on her way to Alderheart with goods to sell at her sister’s shop. Astute adventurers noted this is the wrong direction and the DM has noted-to-self he needs the friggin map on the inside of his screen too as it seems playing with Sara the Steersbird mapmaker he’s going to have to keep his directions straight. Eliza might be a bit ditzy even without a conk on the noggin so let’s assume she was just turned around and lost. Eliza was generously compensated for the crates lost to bandits and sent on her way back to Meadowfen, for assistance from Alonso’s parents that the DM definitely noted somewhere but cannot locate today for the life of him Dante and Beatrix.

Our team didn’t have time to look around but they find one healing potion that either fell out of the cart or from Baker’s belt pouch while he writhed in pain with blood pouring from his widdle scrawny wacoon tworso. (this will copy to each adventurer present).

On to Ashbarrow…

[Drew]

Session 2 - 4/25/2025

Our team headed to Ashborrow to investigate the fire reported by Cara. They saved a mouse family from the basement of the general store and learned a few things. There had been some strangers in town, a Vulpin and a few scrawny racoon-folk days before the explosion. They had warned folk to leave and offered some assistance but the mayor, Constance had urged most folk to hunker down. That decision to stay may have been a mistake as a fire broke out on the watch tower which fell into the granary touching off an explosion leveling much of the town. The Jerbeen family was in the general store’s basement and bid the heroes to gather any supplies they might need. The basement contained anything commonly found as starting equipment including but not limited to various ropes, grappling hooks, pitons etc. (aka The DM says ok to add any basic equipment you did not while in character creation without worrying about gold, questions ask DM.)

The team, while on watch, caught sight of a small glowing creature walking through the tall grass but did not engage. Enroute back to Meadowfen they also encountered a pair of jerbeen thieves. One thief sped into the darkness, the other was then subdued. He was injured and severely scolded while being delivered to the gaol. The rescued family were returned to Meadowfen as well to be reunited. The sleepy hamlet of Meadowfen is now bursting with refugees.

At a meeting of the Mayors with our team, Ardwyn notes Meadowfenn is now overwhelmed and need help from the Capital, Alderheart. Andy and Barney, the local Perch Marshalls, had been dispatched the previous day headed East on the road to Winnowing Reach & Alderheart with the news brought by the refugees re: fall of Ashbarrow. Perhaps someone could be dispatched to catch up to them to relay additional info from our team?

The team resolved to help the town of Meadowfen by improving organization of the town fire brigade, organizing farmers into co-op teams to pull in some of the harvest from fields near Asborrow to help with food, and strengthen defenses around Meadowfen. Additionally, there will be a children’s fire demon drawing contest for reasons?

It was noted that the team intends to follow up on the small fire creature they had seen heading east from the spot we will call “Camping Rock”.

Rewards: Add any basic equipment needed from General Store basement gratis. Constance rewards each player 3 GP for the rescue+return of the Jerbeen Family

[Drew]

Session 3 Summary - 5/3/25

Our team opened in Meadowfen overflowing with refugees from Ashbarrow, they awoke to see the town plastered with warning signs about fire demons drawn by the children of the town (and dragons outside the town). Grabbed breakfast, had a quick debrief with Constance, the Mayor of Ashbarrow where they heard some rumors of a witch who lives down in the swamps and then took a trip back to the wilds north of Meadowfen which might be connected to the fire demons. They investigated burned trails in the grasses, following them to a burnt circular patch near where the trees get thicker and the forest begins. Waiting till nightfall, a trio of angry little fire demons appeared along the burnt trails and were circling in the burnt glade. A fight broke out leaving all but one dispatched.

That one was buried, chained, and secured. Our Steersbird, Rowyn commenced learning bits of its language. Unfortunately, for Rowyn many of those words are profanity from the nasty little creature but some snippets were gleaned as it lay subdued but in a great deal of pain. Ultimately they released it back at dusk. It gathered what little strength it had, then charged the woods eastward, exploding into a shower of sparks and ash.

Our team trekked overland southward to Winnowing Reach, arriving just before dusk.

We will consider the 3 previous sessions as “Module 1”, thus any player character participating in any piece of module 1 is eligible for rewards/loot.

Rewards: Sometimes adventure is its own reward. Ok fine, in the autopsy of the one the fire demons, Rowyn discovered a handful small red gems worth 3GP per player.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, Welcome to LVL 2!

We’ll start in Winnowing Reach next session.

[Drew]

Session 4 Summary - 5/9/2024

Our adventurers arrived in Winnowing Reach, a larger town maybe a city along the road east toward Alderheart. They worked over theories at the Inn and met Alice who told them of a missing grad student Kenna BrightSpark. Kenna had been studying slimes and oozes and what types of excretions and distillations could be created from them at the local Avium Ag Extension. The party split up to meet with the Magistrate, Walden Krane and the School administration. Krane gave the team a swamp map and relayed the grave dangers of a witch in the swamp. Estera Mistyfenn, an exasperatedly pregnant hen and the Tech School administrator, provided details on Kenna’s research. The guard captain of Perchies was also given a full briefing of events for reporting. Emmet, her fiance, expressed his deep worry for her safety. Life has been real rough for Emmet and Alice Lutra since Pa died.

The team headed off into the swamp with little incident and slept a night. Following a muddy ditch shenanigan the team found Susan’s house. Susan’s house has a witchy vibe but she did not appear inherently violent or evil. The team came inside to learn she likes to make motions and has a bit of a past with Krane whom she regards as a pompous ass. Susan had some terrible visions of giant fire demons and wanted to perform another ritual to get more information. She is looking to get some BullRush, a discarded lizard tail, and a few frog’s livers to complete that ritual. She agrees to help the team get to caverns faster to look for Kenna in exchange the team will bring her the ingredients should they locate them.

Opening next session at the caverns.

[Drew]

Session 5 Summary - 5/16/2024

We opened in Susan’s cottage which wiggle-bamfed to a spot near the caverns. The DM did a sub-par describing it but it is not entirely clear whether Susan has full control of what her cottage. The team, through ingenuity and luck, managed to gather the ingredients Susan was looking for to complete her prophecy ritual investigating her premonitions of fire demons. The adventurers found the caverns and went in the main entrance skillfully avoiding the sentry slimes. They avoided a partial cave-in as well but soon after some slimes ambushed them from the cave roof and a battle ensued. Having won the day and reducing the slimy bois to glop on the floor the team continued pressing deeper into the caverns en-route to the central cavern.

In the Central Cavern, Rowyn did some sneaky-sneak augmented by a spell from Holly to rescue Kenna, the missing researcher. It went quite well - until it didn’t. With Roywn now detected and surrounded, Smokey and Holly employed distractions to keep some of the slimes occupied. Poak fired off some cleric salvos and dropped a brilliant heal on the injured researcher to enable her to move independently. Alonso, with backup from Smokey bravely held the line as a rearguard allowing their compatriots to book it back up the tunnel they came in through presumably headed back to Susan’s cottage which was unable to bamf into the cavern because it is not exactly a Tardis - or is it?

Excellent and creative play by all! We’ll open as the team leaves the cavern next session.

Rewards: The slimes killed in the ceiling ambush dropped gems and trinkets worth 2 GP which will copy to every player.

[Drew]

Session 6 - 5/23/25

Fleeing from the caverns, the team rejoins Susan in her cottage. Susan performs her ritual to try to get more information about what is happening in the Scorched Grove. Two surly demons pop out and have to be dealt with. Susan thanks the team for their help and is in their debt. She can now make potions for the team with ingredients. List attached below.

The team arrives back in Winnowing Reach to find that some of the refugees from Ashbarrow are being welcomed into town. They reunite Kenna and Emmit while learning about WR Idol (or Winnowvision) being held that night to raise funds to resettle the refugees. The team then went back to report to the magistrate on events. Eliza catches the team’s ear and asks if they are heading to Alderheart if she can hitch along.

Holly, perhaps taking, Susan a bit too literally, blasts open the door to the magistrate’s office nearly killing the Perch Guard Captain and injuring Magistrate Krane. Rowyn and team try to salvage efforts but the adventurers surely did not win any fans within the town halls of power. Magistrate Krane strongly suggested the adventurers should get out of town, perhaps headed to Alderheart but he was emphatic he no longer wanted them in town. Holly was arrested and the trial will be the following day, presided over by the magistrate who was just nearly assassinated.

The team helped the Book Binder Boys (Emmet’s Band) rebrand to the Spinders, added cool lighting, and made their song more about the feeling of being safe at home. The Ashbarrow Nightmare band seem really tough but are not great musicians. Faye Silverkeen, a silver fox bard won the night however taking home the first place prize. The town continues to celebrate in the south east of town.

Just as things start winding down the town is rocked by an explosion to the North that rattles the ground. A large black plume of smoke is rising into the sky as the crowd begins to panic!

No Humblewood session next week: 5/30
No Humblewood session the week after that: 6/6
Next possible humblewood session is 6/13 if we stick on Fridays.

Rewards: Each player was awarded two healing potions at Susan’s
Susan in in the team’s debt and can brew them potions for 1GP + Ingredients

[Drew]

Potion	Ingredients	Effect
Potion of Healing	A swamp lizard tail and bull-rush root	Heals the drinker for 2d4 + 2.
Potion of Greater Healing	A crocodile eye, bull-rush root, and a violet fungus cap	Heals the drinker for 4d4 + 4.
Potion of Animal Friendship	A bit of fur, a scale, a feather, and a whisker	The imbiber can cast animal friendship (save DC 13) for 1 hour at will.
Potion of Feather Fall	A downy feather and a pinch of forest ash	The imbiber gains the effects of the feather fall spell for 5 minutes.
Potion of Resistance	Shifting slime residue and a small mirror	The imbiber gains resistance to one type of damage for 1 hour (Player’s choice).
Oil of Stickiness	Sticky slime residue and a forest slug	When spread on an object or location it creates a nearly imperceptible coating. Creatures that come into contact with the oil must succeed a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check or become restrained. At the end of each of its turns, a restrained creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.
Oil of Slipperiness	Mountain breeze and morning dew	If spread on a creature, they gain the effects of the freedom of movement spell for 10 minutes. If spread on a location, it gains the effects of the grease spell for 20 minutes or until it is washed away.

[paneerakbari]

you made a table

[paneerakbari]

“In the fantasy criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the town guards, who arrest the troublesome adventurers, and the mayor, who sends them off on sidequests as punishment. These are their stories.”

[Drew]

Session 7 - 6/1/2025

We opened at the music contest turned street party in the SE of Winnowing Reach and Holly sitting in a Gaol Cell. A large blast resonated through the down followed by a rumble and a crash. Holly was able to escape the cell and rescued a downed guard whom she directed to go help triage others. The team arrived to see a group of Mapach bandits looting the armory of the destroyed Perch Barracks headed by a familiar face, Drake the Brute, lead singer from the AB Nightmare Band. A fight ensued which saw savage blows on both sides causing grievous wounds. The rest of the bandit crew attempted to make off with the stolen armaments but were dispatched and then ultimately the crew chief was slain as well. The Perch constabulary arrived to take charge of the scene, but not before some items found their way into backpacks. The platform in a tree outside the town was discovered and various footprints were observed, a set of hooves and a set of Vulpin paw prints were noted by our Steersbird. Holly recovered a list of magical items seemingly in the Magistrate’s handwriting following the explosion. Holly was released to her own recognizance, to meet with the Magistrate and Guard Captain tomorrow morning outside the inn (as the Magistrate’s office is blown to pieces). That night it was clear in the Inn that crazy rumors were flying around among the townsfolk.

After a VERY invigorating rest, the team regrouped to meet with the officials the next morning. The Magistrate was as reserved as he is perhaps capable of being. He begrudgingly (and seemingly at the prompting of the Guard Captain) thanked our adventurers. Holly’s assault and vandalism charges were dropped in light of the adventurer’s service to the town. The guard captain received the parchment of magical items from Holly. The guard captain confirmed that there were prints leading away into the forest from that platform outside town, those prints lead away to the North then bending to the East seemingly. Paths before the team are to follow the bandit’s tracks to see what they can discover or head to Alderheart to try to persuade the Birdfolk Council that the dual threats of fire and bandits are gravely serious to folks living on the periphery of the Humblewood. I believe the DM heard the team intends to follow the Bandit’s trail into the forest.

Rewards:
Gain a level up to a max of 3.

Loot Rewards (will copy to all characters should they desire):

• Walloping Ammo (Stack of 20) Arrows (or bolts etc as needed), looted from Perch Armory
• From Guard Captain Sprucepreen for services rendered to the Perch Guard:
  • Potion of Feather Fall
  • 15 Gold, a contribution from the Fraternal Order of the Perch
• Letter of Begrudging Introduction from Wanden Krane
• From Kenna:
  • Oil of Stickiness x1
  • Oil of Slipperiness x1
  • An Empty Envelope. Oops, there was supposed to be an invitation inside for her nuptial celebration to Emmet Otter this coming fall, after harvest.
• Brooch of Shielding, recovered by Holly after Magistrate’s office exploded)
• Silvered Rapier, recovered from Drake, it has a rose decorated hilt.
• A business card for The Croak & Dagger Inn, on the back is scrawled: “Friends of Mine, you’ll be welcomed” from Alice Otter

Eliza’s shop will also have items for purchase, I’ll have to roll what is in there+prices later.

Scheduling:
We are off this week.
We had conflicts on Friday the 13th
As such I floated the idea of Sunday 6/15

[Drew]

Session 8 - 6/15/2025

Our Adventuring team set out the North path from Winnowing Reach on a path marked by roots containing the letters V S D I + a tree symbol. After a few hours they encounter a small path with two shallow graves and a paper sign that says “Perchies go home”. Investigating the graves it was pretty clear that these two birds were not Perchies but rather Tenders and had been bound and stabbed. Tenders are a quasi-druidic order whose abilities to grow and shape plants were used by the Birdfolk council to build and shape the cities and infrastructure. Beyond these graves was an outpost grown out of a living tree that appeared to have been staffed by these now deceased Tenders. The outpost had a clear panoramic view toward the Scorched Grove. It would appear that the fires from the Grove are eroding the forest directly towards this outpost. The adventurers recovered a book of Tender Music+ a map before they left a note for anyone who might arrive to investigate the outpost.
The team then continued up the North path (now conveniently outlined on the world maps). They located the bandit camp. Alonso entered, charmed the bandit capitan but that charm had a flip side that she would realize the charm an hour later. He learned that Benna and Sloan (mage), both very high ranking members of the Bandit Coalition had recently been in the area to assist with the Winnowing Reach armory raid that was thwarted last session. The adventurers also had some background exposition from both Alonso and Holly. The team attempted an ambush on the bandit trail which had some mixed results but ultimately they prevailed, and captured Fray.

Rewards (copies to every player):

(Fray)
Silvered Bandit Shortsword with Rose Captain Insignia.

Studded Leather Armor

Brooch of Shielding

120GP - Rings etc

(Jerbeen Thief)

Boots of speed
I probably should have used the effects of these magical items possessed by characters!

(Camp)

150 GP - Chests of coins + common armaments, silver plated kitchen stuff

100 GP - Chest of gemstones

Story Based Items (not copied to every player):

Book of Tender Music

Scheduling:
Friday is in doubt for me. Stay tuned, I am clarifying event scheduling with wife & family

Sunday, I would NOT be available for sure.

[paneerakbari]

looks like the Oils of Stickiness/Slipperiness are the same URL, and both point to the “Legacy” item - is that as intended?

(and I’m not finding an “Oil of Stickiness” on Beyond… lil’ help?)

[Drew]

Oil of Stickiness
When spread on an object or location it creates a nearly imperceptible coating. Creatures that come into contact with the oil must succeed a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check or become restrained. At the end of each of its turns, a restrained creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

[Drew]

Oil of Slipperiness

If spread on a creature, they gain the effects of the freedom of movement spell for 10 minutes. If spread on a location, it gains the effects of the grease spell for 20 minutes or until it is washed away.

[paneerakbari]

Don’t hate me:
Oil of Stickiness (just not finding it on Beyond) doesn’t specify an area of effect, so I assume that it’s the same 10’ square as Oil of Slipperiness. How long does the effect last on a surface? Is the initial d20 test a ability check or a saving throw - seems inconsistent with other tests that resisting its effect is a Check, and with itself that the repeatable test is a saving throw.

Oil of Slipperiness and its Freedom of Movement are, as linked, to the Legacy versions - no big deal, the effects are the same between versions except that 2024 Freedom of Movement grants a Swim speed equal to the character’s base Speed. Beyond lists both the “on target” and “on ground” effects at 8 hours.

[Drew]

I know the DM is not supposed to blame the module but those are direct copy/paste.

For stickiness same area. You are correct, it should be a save not a check in my opinion.

[paneerakbari]

ah, that makes sense of it!