Trevil’s Fens Cottage

Trevils’s Fens Cottage is a dilapidated farmhouse situated amidst the misty wetlands of the Moathouse Fens western edges. Once a modest homestead, it now serves as a grim staging area for the operations of Lareth the Beautiful’s lieutenant, Gattas Void. Its remote location and proximity to merchant roads make it ideal for concealing bandit raids and holding prisoners before transporting them to the Hunting Cabin.

Arrival at Trevils’s Fens Cottage

The murky light of the swamp filters through a canopy of twisted trees, their gnarled branches clawing at the misty air. Wisps of smoke rise from several campfires scattered across a clearing, blending with the fog to create an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere. The air carries the acrid scent of burning wood and the faint metallic tang of blood.
A patchwork of tents, lean-tos, and ramshackle shelters clutter the clearing in no discernible order, their disheveled appearance adding to the feeling of lawlessness. Nearby, a central cooking fire crackles, its flames licking hungrily at a spit laden with freshly butchered game—rabbits, squirrels, and the haunch of a deer. Hanging from an A-frame nearby, the skinned carcasses of woodland animals sway slightly in the damp breeze, dripping onto the bloodstained ground below.
A large barrel, its lid scarred with the blade of a blood-crusted axe, sits ominously near the main fire. Its darkened wood bears the stains of repeated use, a grim reminder of the camp's grisly work. Around the fire, sacks and crates are piled haphazardly, their contents spilling out—bundles of foodstuffs, casks of wine, and pilfered goods. The barrels holding drinkable treasures sit close to a larger, sturdier tent set apart from the others, marking it as the leader’s abode.
Well-trodden paths snake through the clearing, winding between the tents and leading off into the swampy distance. One path, wider and more worn than the others, stretches back toward the High Road, suggesting the bandits have made this their lair for some time. Every rustle in the brush and every flicker of movement in the haze feels like a warning—you’re not alone, and whoever calls this place home is unlikely to welcome intruders.

Lareth's Staging Base

A key staging ground for Lareth the Beautiful’s forces, Trevils’s Fens Cottage is an unassuming yet strategically significant location nestled at the edge of the fens near the Moathouse. Its isolation and proximity to the High Pass Trail make it a vital hub for bandit raids, prisoner holding, and loot sorting.

Location and Physical Description

Trevils’s Fens Cottage lies amid the damp and foreboding terrain of the fens near the Moathouse. Once a thriving farmstead, the cottage is now a shadow of its former self, repurposed to serve the Cult of the Elder Elemental God.

Exterior Features

• Architecture: A weathered, single-story cottage constructed from moss-covered stone and warped timber. The roof sags in places, patched with mismatched shingles.
• Surroundings: The cottage is surrounded by brackish pools, tall reeds, and dense fog that clings to the area, boggy terrain, with cattails, brambles, and gnarled trees creating an oppressive atmosphere. A faint, murky stream winds past, providing a natural barrier against intruders.
• Bandit Camp: A hodgepodge of several tents, lean-to shelters and so on stand haphazardly throughout the camp seemingly without any order or plan. Small campfires smolder in front of many of the tents.
• Prisoner Pens: Crude iron cages and wooden pens are set up near the back of the cottage to house prisoners until they are transported. The pens are exposed to the damp air and guarded by gnoll sentries which are part of the war band in service of Lareth at the Moathouse. King Korvash Bonegnaw, ruler of the gnolls of the Fortress of Jagged Fangs in the Lortmil Mountains  provided this Gnoll raiding band in service to Lareth.

Interior Features

• Main Room: The central area is cluttered with barrels of stolen goods, crates of supplies, burlap sacks filled with stolen goods from merchant caravans. A long table dominates the space, used for sorting loot and planning raids.
• Hidden Storage: A concealed trapdoor beneath a tattered rug leads to a small, reinforced cellar where particularly valuable loot is hidden.
• Basement Holding Cells: A hidden trapdoor in the floor leads to a damp, earthen basement with reinforced wooden walls. Shackled prisoners await transport in this cramped, foul-smelling space.
• Fireplace: A soot-stained hearth is used to cook meals and warm the cottage, but its hidden purpose is to burn incriminating documents in case of discovery.
• Shrine to Chaos: A makeshift altar to the Elder Elemental God occupies one corner, adorned with crude carvings and offerings from Demien Trevils.

Purpose and Logistics

• Raiding Coordination: The cottage acts as a temporary headquarters where Gattas’s raiding parties regroup after attacking merchant caravans and farmsteads.
• Sorting and Staging: Loot is divided into supplies for the Greater Temple, valuables for Lareth’s coffers, and items for local distribution to Nulb.
• Prisoner Holding: Captured merchants and farmhands are shackled and temporarily held before being transported to Gefreid Patris’s Hunting Cabin.
• Transfer Operations: Loot and prisoners are loaded onto wagons under Gattas’s supervision and sent along concealed trails to the Hunting Cabin, ensuring secrecy and efficiency.

"The swamp speaks to me, its whispers more honest than the sermons of priests and druids."

Security Measures

• Guards: A rotating patrol of gnolls and human bandits ensures the area remains secure.
• Traps: Snare traps and concealed pits are scattered around the cottage’s perimeter to deter intruders.
• Escape Plan: Gattas has instructed his men to burn the cottage and its contents if an attack seems inevitable.

Trevils’s Fens Cottage is a key node in the cult’s logistical chain, making it a vulnerable point that, if uncovered, could disrupt the flow of slaves and supplies to the Greater Temple.

"The Moathouse bandits are fools, but they serve their purpose. As do I."

Historical Background

Trevils’s Fens Cottage was once a peaceful farmstead owned by Demien Trevils, a devout follower of the Druids of the Gnarley Forest.

• The Battle of Emridy Meadows (569 CY): Demien’s sons were captured and enslaved by chaotic humanoids during this decisive battle, leading to his descent into bitterness.
• Fall into Chaos: Blaming the forces of good for failing to protect his family, Demien turned to drink and despair. Lareth exploited this vulnerability, converting Demien to the Cult of the Elder Elemental God.

"The balance of nature is a lie; chaos is the truth. It takes everything and gives nothing."

Relationship with the Cult

With Lareth the Beautiful

• Trust and Loyalty: Demien’s loyalty to Lareth is absolute, viewing him as a prophet of chaos.
• Tasked Roles: Lareth relies on Demien to maintain the secrecy of the cottage and its operations.

With Gattas Void

• Staging Supervisor: Gattas oversees the transfer of goods and prisoners, ensuring efficiency and discipline.
• Conflict: Demien resents Gattas’s militaristic approach, preferring chaos over order.

"Every drop of blood spilled here feeds the Elder Elemental God's appetite. It will grow stronger."

Trevils’s Fens Cottage is a remote and foreboding location, perfect for secretive cult activities. Players may encounter it while tracking bandits or searching for a missing merchant.

DM Only Section

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Secrets and Tactics

• Hidden Cellar: Contains sensitive documents about the cult’s supply chain and raiding plans.
• Demien’s Fears: Demien’s loyalty wavers under threats to his life, and he may bargain with players to save himself.
• Cult Communication: Demien uses encoded messages to report to Lareth.

Adventure Hooks

• Rescue Mission: A captured merchant or noble is held at the cottage, prompting a rescue attempt.
• Ambush at the Cottage: Players stumble upon the cottage during a raid, facing gnoll guards and a fleeing Demien.

This camp is only used when Gattas's men bring a new load of plunder to be examined and sorted to be sent on to the Greater Temple to be received by Feldrin's men.
The rest of the loot is sent to the Moathouse. Otherwise this camp is abandoned when not in use.

Demien Trevils' Secret Treasure Stash

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Demien has hidden his treasure in a concealed root cellar beneath the floor of his dilapidated cottage. The entrance is covered by a loose, rotting floorboard near his cot, carefully obscured with dirt and debris to avoid detection. The cellar is damp, with a faint smell of mildew, and contains a few ritualistic carvings along the walls as a twisted form of worship to the Elder Elemental God.
Contents of the Stash

• Gold and Silver Coins: 123 gp, 245 sp

Cultist Relics

• A small obsidian idol of the Elder Elemental God (worth 150 gp to collectors or cultists, but cursed with faint unsettling whispers if held for too long).
• A bone amulet inscribed with runes, granting immunity to disease (requires attunement but marks the wearer with a faint aura of chaos).

Cleric Scrolls

• Scroll of Bane
• Scroll of Darkness
• Rare Wine: Two dusty bottles of fine elven wine from Celene, worth 50 gp each.

Weapons

A +1 dagger etched with jagged, chaotic runes that glow faintly in darkness.

Miscellaneous

• A journal detailing his bitterness over the Battle of Emridy Meadows, his sons' fate, and his indoctrination into the cult by Lareth the Beautiful.
• A sack of uncut gemstones worth 300 gp, pilfered from raided merchant caravans.
• Trap: The treasure is guarded by a magical Snare spell cast at the entrance to the root cellar. If triggered, it ensnares the intruder in ethereal chains, restraining them until they pass a DC 13 Strength check or the spell's duration ends.

Trevils’s Fens Cottage by 3orcs

"I prayed to the Old Faith to save my sons. They did nothing. The Elder God answered instead."

Demien Trevils

Once a farmer and druidic worshiper, Demien now serves as a devoted cultist and steward of Trevils’s Fens Cottage.

• Appearance: A gaunt, hollow-cheeked man with a scraggly gray beard and sunken eyes that betray his inner torment.
• Attire: Wears mud-streaked robes and a rusted medallion bearing the sigil of the Elder Elemental God.

Personality and Motivation

• Personality: Bitter and resentful, Demien masks his pain with an unflinching devotion to chaos. He is cunning and untrustworthy, even among his allies.
• Motivation: Fueled by a desire to see the forces of good falter, Demien believes spreading chaos will restore balance to the world.

Role and Relationships

• With Lareth: Demien sees Lareth as a savior and master, zealously following his orders.
• With Gattas Void: Demien respects Gattas’s discipline but is wary of his pragmatic approach.

Demien Trevils by 3orcs

Demien Trevils (Human Cultist)

Druid level 3 (lost druid faith and powers)

• AC 11 (leather armor HP 16; Speed 30 ft
• Str 10, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10
• Skills: Arcana +3, Deception +2
• Alignment: Neutral Evil
• Abilities: Dark Devotion (Advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened)

Actions

• Dagger: +2 to hit, 1d4 piercing
• Spellcasting (1st Level): Command (2/day each)

Gnoll Warriors (4)

• AC 15 (hide armor, shield HP 22 each; Speed 30 ft
• Str 14, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 7
• Skills: Perception +2
• Abilities: Rampage (Move up to half speed and make a melee attack when reducing a creature to 0 HP)

Actions

• Spear: +4 to hit, 1d6+2 piercing (melee or thrown)
• Longbow: +3 to hit, 1d8 piercing
• Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Alternative Names

Lareth's Staging Base

Type

Hideout

Owner

Lareth

Additional Rulers/Owners

• Gattas Void

Related Plots

• Hommlet Campaign Guide: Main Plotline and Side Quests

revils’s Fens Cottage Prisoner Pens by 3orcs