April Showers and Foul Flowers

While continuing their trek northward to Kaer-Duval, our heroes pass through what seems to be a peaceful meadow, only to find some dark power has taken hold here.

Structure

Exposition

"Halt...HAAAALLLLT." You hear the cry coming from one of the wagon operators near the back of the line, and sure enough within a few minutes the whole expedition company comes to a stop with the neighing of the horses and the squealing of several sets of wagon wheels

It's close to noon and the sun high in the sky has been baking you for hours. Your clothes are already stained from excessive perspiration and your mouth is dry from dehydration. The heat has been increasing for the past eight days since you left the river as you travel deeper and deeper into the hottest part of the year. A slight drizzle of rainfall yesterday was a welcome reprieve from the hellish temperatures, but you learned it was not to last as the sun was already blazing by the time the company broke camp this morning.

You all quietly make your way to the chuck-wagon, other expedition hands rushing past you to see what the hold up was. You hear snippets of conversation as they pass and are alerted to the fact that one of the wagon's has broken an axle. A sinking feeling enters your gut upon hearing this, it means you're probably doomed to be baking in the sun for several hours before they fix it.

Weasel, the camp cook nods at the group as you round the back of the chuck-wagon. "Lookin' for some water?" he says, his tunic even more stained and soaked than yours. Without waiting for a response he begins dragging one of the water barrels from its shaded location in the wagon to the wagon's end, pops open the lid and begins ladling out water into each of your cups in turn.

Rejuvenating energy spalshes through your exhausted frames as the cool, woody water hits your palette and washes down your throat. You savor the cool liquid, gazing out at the near endless meadow of violet flowers and grass extending to either side of the dirt road. You take the last little bit of water in your cup and splash it on your head to cool off a little more, and its at this moment you each notice Nef standing a few feet off from the group towards the road's edge. She seems to be focussed intently on the meadow and the flowers off the road's left side, the water cup in her hand apparently untouched and forgotten.

Nef, you're not sure what it was that caught your attention. Perhaps the way the flowers were moving with so little wind, or the fact that the violets that seem to be in abundance throughout the meadow are blooming several months out of season. Whatever it was, whatever it is...it's wrong. Nature is fundamentally broken in this meadow and you feel it like a illness within your own veins.

Before anyone can react to Nef's distance the ground by the road suddenly erupts in a shower of dirt and a large mound of twisting roots, vines and violet blossoms begins shambling in your direction. Almost at the same time, as if it had been planned by an overseeing entity four clumps of violet flowers stand up from the field, taking on vaguely feminine forms before quickly striding towards the company. One of the women screams, and M. Duchamp runs past you heading for the head of the train quickly dodging a swing from the shambling mound. He turns to your group, his energy that of a calm commander who's done this a thousand times. "You six, or thirteen...or whatever, we have to get this convoy moving. Hold these things off, or help fix the broken wagon. Whatever you do, protect the company until we can get it moving!"

Components

Goals

The goals of this encounter are actually rather straight forward. Survive the attack and help the wagon train move on. If the characters wish, they can try and purge the illness that covers the field (as slaying Pluviana doesn't cure it), but their main goal is to get the wagon train moving and protect it from the beasties.

Relations

Protagonists

The Thirteen

Allies

The Entirety of the Krebeaux Expedition company is present at this time, although the majority of them are not adventurers or fighters. The expedition leader asks the Thirteen to protect the convoy as they repair the damaged wagon and get the company moving again.

Adversaries

Pluvonia - Fallen Druid who also hates lesbians.

Shambling Mound - It is a shambling mound yo...

Violet Flower Monsters - Vaguely humanoid shaped monstrosities with snapping devlish violets all over 'em.

Field of Violets - The meadows that extend on either side of the road are overgrown with twisted and corrupted violet flowers the Pluvonia has grown with her wicked rain to destroy the lesbians. These meadows are difficult terrain for anyone other thatn Pluvonia or the vine monsters, and any creature that begins their turn in the meadows or uses their move action to enter the meadows takes 3 (1d6) Piercing damage.

Backdrops

Encounters

Fixing the Axel

The company carpenter was already working on the broken wagon when the monsters attacked. Unfortunately, the attack of the monsters startled some of the workers aiding him and the wagon was dropped on him shattering several of his ribs. Any character willing to help can attempt to help him get the wagon fixed. He will provide them with the needed carpenter tools and provide them guidance in using them, granting the character temporary proficiency with the tools, or advantage on the check without them. If more than one player goes to help with the wagon, then they are given advantage on the checks regardless of proficiency.

Fixing the wagon requires three successful DC12 Intelligence (Carpenter's Tools) checks, with each critical success counting for two and each critical failure negating a previous won success. Once the wagon is repaired the train begins moving at the beginning of the next combat round and takes three combat rounds total to clear the area.

If the players opt not to send someone to fix the wagon, the wagon is repaired in 5 combat round, and the train begins moving again at the beginning of the sixth round of combat, still taking three combat rounds to clear the area.

Should the characters be defeated or retreat before the wagon train clears the area, half the expedition is killed in the retreat, but the players are saved by the Secondary Ranger who gets them to the medical wagon, but is killed in the process. (Mchanically this outcome makes no difference on the outcome of the expedition beyond the scope of narrative flair.)

Past Events

Pluviana hates lesbians, and I guess two gurl druids in her last circle hooked up and she was like: "ew," and murdered the whole group, Driven mad by what she'd done she took to the wilds and began experimenting with nature to see exactly what she could do. Some time in the past few months she discovered a Treant guarding this meadow, served by for dryads. It was a hard won battle, but she eventually trapped the Treant with a curse and began drawing power from its helpless form to alter the rains in the area with her own corrupt magic. Every plant the rain has touched has become twisted and evil and serves Pluviana's evil wishes.

Killing Pluviana does not save the field, as the wicked rain has already done its terrible work. If the characters stay after the monsters are defeated, Nefertiri automatically notices the field is not cured, and anyone with a passive survival or arcana score of 15 likewise notices. They can find the Treant in the middle of the meadow and can cure him as outlined in the article I drew inspiration for this thing from. However, differing from the article, if the Treant is cured, he begins restoring the meadow and thanks the players for their help in this matter providing one of them with the Charm of (Insert Name of Live Goddess Here) as a reward.

Plot type

Encounter

Parent Plot

The Journey to Kaer-Duval