The Smoldering Grove

Anto Finnstark

Let's build put our sword to the grindstone and build a dungeon! As discussed in the previous post, we want to communicate the story of the setting via the boss, factions, enemies, items, and NPCs. To do so, I selected a dungeon plan from the chart at the end and an interesting faction then wrote a new complimentary faction, npcs, and enemies. To present the info I think it's easiest to start with the map and keyed encounters:

REGION LORE:

The Smouldering Grove lies deep in the marshland in the heart of the rotten Mother Tree.

The druids once worshipped the Terrible Serpent and kept the balance between the dangers of the wild and the tyranny of civilization.

The darkness of the marshfog is due to foul smoke from the Changling Flame.

Rot claims all. The sustaining Living Fruit is no longer here.

Fire consumes and transforms, but here mostly transforms.

The Changling Flame is a tool of the Father, used to craft civilization. It must be extinguished for the cycle to continue.

FACTIONS:

Tenders of the Grove (Druids):

I've heard they were once a priestly lot, tending the changing flame and bring a touch of life and vibrancy to the outer places. But see their grotesque form now. One should never play with fire.

Wants: Replace Tyranny with Freedom. Freedom of form. Transform Ordered reality into each man's will.

By: Changing Fire and the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

But: The grove rots without the Living Fruit stolen from Unyali. 

Knowers of the Oak Tree (Druids):

The woods creak and moan. The wind howls. The world itself cries out against the tyranny of the Timeless One. Let his embers be put to rest.

Wants: Extinguish the Changing Flame and reclaim the Living Fruit.

By: Reclaiming it from ???.

But: Capture the Spark that starts the Cycle anew.

0 - The bonfire illuminates the inside of a cavernous rotting tree. The moon is barely visible overhead. The rotting tree bark encloses the massive hollow space within. Two narrow paths along the edge of the tree are visible (toward 1 and toward 6). Toward the center of the tree there is a steep drop to murky black sludge. It is impossible to see its depth. In the distance is a faint golden glow (Unyali).

The path toward 6 is clogged with brush and branches. It is possible to traverse with effort, noise, fire, and or time. Doing so likely causes a ruckus and husks from the direction of 1 or a random encounter will arrive.

In the muck are Ooze Leeches, crocodile-like slime animals. 

Ooze Leech

Black and thirsty, biting, hungry. Beware the black, forgo the muck. Live to walk again.
3 (12hp)/1 stam/0 focus/0 humanity

Attack: 1 envelope. Those hit are stuck where they are. Enveloped targets take 1 additional damage each turn from attacks and slowly sink into the muck. 
Defense: shriek in pain.
Armor: 3 - slime
Stalk any in the muck and look for opportunities to sneak up on land. Fears fire.

1 - A small group of shamblers acts out animal behaviors. If threatened, they will attack. The murky slime off the path is incredibly hard to get out of and large crocodile-like slime animals make quick work of any who are trapped.

Shambler

Vines, bark, wood, antlers, flesh. The druids seek to become one with Nature.
1 (10hp)/2 stam/0 focus/0 humanity

Attack: 2 stam Horns. Places antlers on the ground and charges straight ahead. (+2 to dodge rolls to avoid this attack). Hits all enemies standing close together.
Defense: Dodge
Armor: 1 bark

2 - A clearing with dry ground is visible toward the center of the great cavity. Within is a golden tree, slowly rotting and turning black. This is Unyali. Unyali is accompanied by a handful of Knowers of the Oak Tree, druids with a shred of humanity left. They are in various states of sanity but are hostile toward all flame. Use this opportinity to give the players a sense of what is going on. Give them some lore about the world and this area if possible.

There is a short, but dangerous path through shallow muck toward the ziggurat and pyre (6). If the PCs wish to go this way, Unyali asks if they go to extinguish the flame. If so they go in peace and may be offered the Olive Mantle, if not, Unyali and the Knowers will be hostile in the future.

Unyali - Tree of Knowledge

Mnnh... new tenders of the grove? Haven't I suffered enough? O, have you a shred of humanity left?
Knows: about the druids and the watcher.
When asked about the Watcher of the Forest. Poor beast. Her fur once decorated my bark. When they fed her my fruit... you can see it in her eyes. The weight of reality was never meant to be carried by pristine beasts such as her. I suppose the tragedy of it all has driven her mad.

When asked about the tenders of the grove. My Dancing Children. Once they were content in the forms the Order gave them. Now with knowledge and fire they change. My children ought not to play with fire.

Does: Grows Golden Apple, able to restore a lost or warped memory. Requires a Mighty Soul.

Needs: Soil fertilized with the blood of the chief druid to die and grow anew in a new home, thus escaping the rot.

Has: The Olive Mantle. Combusts to negate a spell effect and regrows each evening. Also, a Golden Apple.

3 - Chantress dance around Shamblers making a mockery of love. Or they are torturing some forest animal. A Black Ooze lurks nearby, waiting for easy prey.

Chantress

Dark robes and darker eyes. Open mouths saying hidden words. Don't let them chant for long. Things change when they get going.
1 (3hp)/1 stam/2 focus/0 humanity
Spell: An Elk's tongue with ignite (target burns for sum once, then dice each round until chanting stops)

Attack: 1 stam dagger
Defense: shriek in pain
Armor: -
Begins to chant and ignite the one who looks most flammable, then rushes in with dagger.

4 -  The narrow path of mushy ground gives way to the muck. A rope bridge extends upward into a network of passages connected above the swamp and suspended from the trees. If careful, the PCs may avoid confrontation. If they dally, the druid husks will find them. There are net pouches suspended from the trees. If searched there is a body of a dead Smoldering Sect wizard. On her is a note: (insert some lore from this location or the setting at large or a setting you want to run later). Also, an Iron Halo which acts as a helm and contains the spell Grease (spew forth dice * 5 gallons of slippery, flammable grease).

5 - Hanging from a tangle of rope is Cathbad the archdruid of the grove. His form is disfigured and obviously mutated. He has tremendous girth. A dull orange glow emanates from his mouth and eyes.

Cathbad, Archdruid

Restrain'd captives! Free them from the tyranny of appendages. Take on the form of your choosing!

Knows: about the fire and the downfall of the druids.

When asked about the Changling Fire: There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a spark of the Creator himself. Just a touch. A short scream later, you've created something new!

When asked about the rot or what the hell happened: O, perhaps snakes ought not to be trusted! Pah! Never take fruit from a snake, this I know. But no one said never give them fruit either. The snake took the Living Fruit and now we rot! But flame purifies! Now we rot, now we rot, burn burn burn!!

Does: Yells to his followers, the Tenders of the Grove. They are deformed husks and cannot hear him anymore.

Needs: Atonement for leading his people to a horrible end. He asks the PCs to receive the power of the flame and reclaim the fruit, thus restoring the grove.

Has: A Pearlescent Scale, your jaw unhinges and stretches. When you eat a person, gain their humanity in max hp. Non-husks always have a few humanity.

6 - Atop a rough-hewn ziggurat stands a massive Elk. Surrounding him are a half dozen chantresses, who stoke its flaming head with their intonations. Illuminating the area stands a massive pyre, filled with the bodies of druids.

Those who wish to be consumed by the Changling Flame are welcome if they pay homage to the Watcher of the Forest.

Watcher of the Forest

Black stag, Mighty Defender! Black stag, Rack of Eyes! Black stag, Forest Incarnate!
1 (25hp)/5 stam/3 focus/0 humanity

Defense: Always blocks with 1 stam. Always counts as having 1 stam to block with.
Armor: -
Attacks:

Enemies Close: Hooves. Kick an enemy dice*10ft away. Otherwise a normal attack.

Enemies at a Distance/Grouped: Horns. Places antlers on the ground and charges straight ahead. (+2 to dodge rolls to avoid this attack). Hits all enemies standing close together.

End of Round: casts 1d ignite for free on one target

When at half hp: The Jealous Flame, the watcher's body ignites as flame envelopes its fur. The flame assaults the minds of all onlookers. Save v Focus or rush toward the Watcher. The flame lashes out and all those who start their turn near the Watcher take 2 damage.

When at low hp: The Watcher lifts the pyre in its horns and from now on attempts to drop it on its enemies. Damage received is as a normal attack plus the flame effect below.

The Changling Flame

The Pyre is illuminated with an orange greasy flame that belches black smoke. This is the Changling Flame. Bodies within grow mutations and are consumed continually. The flame greedily lurches toward those who get close and will attempt to leap onto them.

Any who touch it add the flame to their inventory. When wielding the flame, you may turn your bonfire into a pyre such as this. Those who reach in the bonfire/pyre may receive the flame themselves. The Flame grants a spell: Consume, extinguish a number of nearby fires to gain that many dice to recover your stamina or focus.

If enveloped by the flame (from a kick?) take 2 damage and roll a random mutation. This takes up a slot in the inventory and may have a positive or negative effect. 

1. leathery wings - fly briefly
2. flaming eyes - see humanity through obstructions
3. slime legs - move slowly, but across walls if you like
4. inner eye - increased perception, never surprised
5. changeling mind - gain d3 madnesses and bits of lore
6. claw - lose a hand and gain a claw (as a sword)

GM NOTES:

Balance of this game is something I'm working out still. Allow your players to be creative. This is a souls-like, so combat is implied several places, but let them think outside the box and attempt to parley if at all reasonable. Husks are mindless, but some will pantomime and can be fooled. OSR skills are still relevant and thinking your way out of trouble and into an advantageous position is aces.

The text prompts are just that. Prompts. You can read them aloud for a bit of flavor text, or take them as inspiration for role-playing a particular NPC.

Also, I've implied a lot or spread the story around (as is the soulsy-way). I don't know how practical that is, but I'm trying it out. the gist is that there was once some druid that kept the Changeling Flame and lived in nature in balance. The evil snake tricked the archdruid Cathbad and took the fruit, resulting in rot overtaking the grove. The druids are now split. Those who are with Unyali, the Tree of Knowledge and have kept some humanity, and those with Cathbad who use the Changling Flame to keep themselves from rotting. The watcher was once the guardian of the grove, but has gone mad after the serpent fed him the fruit of knowledge. He is still the guardian of the Flame, but desires to see it consume and transform without limit. If that didn't come through in the reading above, let me know. Its a fine line I'm trying to walk.

NOTE:

So while writing this I saw this post about designing dungeons in a circle. Doing so solves a ton of problems for the specific type of game this is! Take one of the following structures from this graphic copied from the linked post and put the bonfire at the start and boss at the goal. Add rooms and branches for the other encounters and you're done.