Adventure: The Wishing Well of Loch Lugh

Introduction
Nothing of interest ever happens in Lugh. The sleepy village is a two-weeks ride from the nearest major power, the bustling city-fort of Dun Briggwyn, and the old giant's road leading west has long since crumbled away. But Lugh was built in a peculiar location: right on the border of the Revelwood, a massive forest filled with strange creatures and ancient magics. Long the villagers have believed that their proximity to the wood strengthened their bodies and fortified their soil, but several months ago, a wickedness overtook Lugh. Crops withered in the fields, crying infants could not be soothed, and the loch's waters ran black as ink. But the villagers spoke in hushed whispers of a local legend that held their salvation: The Witching Well of Loch Lugh.

Your Characters
You are adventurers that have heard of the curse upon Lugh and traveled there to collect the handsome reward, gain renown for your feats, or simply do a good deed. Some of you may know each other, and others may be new to the group.

Create a level 3 character with the following guidelines:
 * You start with basic equipment and 50 gold pieces, and a non-valuable trinket from your backstory.
 * Stats are allocated using the point buy system, and the recommended health value is taken each level.
 * I may allow a class to use a different ability score for spellcasting if it better suits the character, but ask first.

Additionally, I play with the following homerules:
 * You may obtain a feat at level 1 by forgoing your race's +2 ability score bonus and taking a +1 bonus instead. If your race only has +1 bonuses, reduce one +1 bonus to 0.
 * Potions can be used as a bonus action. If you are applying a potion to another person, it is an action.
 * Ties go to the aggressor.
 * Being revived from 0 hitpoints gives you a point of exhaustion.
 * Gems can be used as currency and any currency can be exchanged for smaller denominations at any time.
 * No encumbrance tracking as long as what you carry is reasonable.

The Town of Lugh
''Your cramped horse-drawn carriage arrives at the entrance to the town of Lugh in the early evening. The fields surrounding it are barren and dusty, and the nearby lake is dingy gray. Rustic homes squat in disorganized circles around a large stone building with an old tree growing jutting straight out of the center of the roof. Around the perimeter of the village, dejected farmers chase emaciated livestock around. As you head toward the village, a face appears in the mud before you. "Another band of adventurers? You will find no triumphs here. Begone!"''

There are several points of interest in Lugh: Shuffling farmers, a small tavern called the Dozing Rooster, a ramshackle old hut at the edge of the village, and a central stone building with a huge dead tree planted in a plaza in front of it.
 * Dejected farmers (Dace Biggum, human, and Malgom, goliath) chase chickens and goats around the perimeter of the village. They are hungry and sick, and will blame the blight on the village's wisewoman, Belladonna. They see her as a mysterious woman who only cares about herself and her daughters despite her years of service to the village, and think she invited evil into their homes for her own purposes. They think the mayor of the town, Bosch Chamberlain, is too infatuated with her to do anything about it. They think they should pack up and leave like many others have done.
 * There is a small tavern called the Dozing Rooster where the villagers are drinking away their sorrows. It is run by a burly female Orc with one eye named Yalga and her cook husband Korrus, as well as their many young children who run about. She is no-nonsense, but if the players say they are here to help she will offer them complimentary food and lodging. There are many "stray" cats inside the building that the children seemingly care for.
 * The gnarled tree that grows out of the center building is Old Emry. Examination will reveal that the tree is dead and has been dead for decades. DC 10+1d4 Arcana or DC 13+1d4 Nature will reveal the tree's nature as magical, and a result five or higher than that will reveal that it is a guardian tree: a tree infused with elven magic so as to protect those around it. Speaking with the tree will reveal that an evil creature named Gretchen is poisoning it.
 * There is a decrepit, slightly senile merfolk woman living in a ramshackle hut near the entrance of town. She describes a time when glittering lights floated through the forest air, and Old Emry had branches full of green leaves.
 * The stone building in the center, the Big House, whose entrance is guarded by two vigilant but awkward teenage guards with shortbows, Bobton and Tomma. They are big fans of adventurers and show great joy and excitement at their arrival.

The Big House
''The smell of clove and sage fill your nostrils. The entrance leads to a large center room with a few doors off to the sides. A middle-aged human woman clutching an ornate wooden staff stares intently into a smoky brazier while an elderly minotaur dressed in finery attempts to soothe her.''

"Help? Has help arrived?"

Belladonna is attempting a ritual to cleanse the town of Lugh to no success, and the mayor Bosch is muttering words of affirmation and encouragement. Belladonna will introduce herself and Bosch, then explain their trouble. Several weeks ago the village began to fall sick, and two days ago a party of five of the villages youth snuck out to find the Witching Well, a local relic that people believe grants wishes. Two of them were Belladonna's dear daughters, Marigold and Yewberry. They never returned, and the village has begun to fear the worst. They want the party to go out in search of them. Belladonna gives them a crude map that shows the approximate whereabouts of the well.

"Remember, you must go straight through the old gate, not around, not over it. Otherwise, you'll never find the well. And most importantly: do not stray from the path."

Belladonna knows more than she lets on, as it is her failure to uphold her contract with the Well that is probably the source of the curse. Seventeen years ago, Belladonna found two sickly, abandoned children while gathering herbs in the wood to the northeast of the village. Desperate to save them, she ran to the Well and pleaded with it to save the two girls. The Well agreed, but only if Belladonna returned them to the Well six months before their 18th birthday. Bosch offers them complete access to the village coffers if they lift the curse, but says he will throw in all his personal wealth if they return the village's youths.
 * A DC 10+1d4 Insight will determine she is hiding something that causes her great sorrow.
 * A DC 18+1d4 Insight will reveal that she blames herself for causing the curse.
 * If the players get her to spill her guts, she says the spirit that lives in the well is named Gretchen, and she is very dangerous.

The Wood
''The evening gloom has settled into the woods. After an hour down the trail you come upon a curious man wearing a tattered purple cloak pulling a tiny carriage himself.'' Soon you come upon a ''crumbling granite arch embedded into a thicket with a small path going through it. The path is blocked by a granite door carved with a sneering face.''
 * He introduces himself as Fusat, a trader of delights, and a lover of chance. Would you like to play a game? I have many treasures a bleeder might find useful. But if you lose, I get some of that red stuff you sort like to hide from me.
 * Dice game: Choose a number between 1 and 4, then roll a d4. If you chose correctly, you may choose from Fusat's items on offer. If you fail, Fusat pricks you with his fingernail, dealing 3d6 necrotic damage.

The door is a trickster spirit that demands each of the players give him something "invaluable" to proceed. They can give him something truly priceless like a memento of the past or rare item, something intagible such as a joke or piece of knowledge, or something truly "without value", like a pebble. If someone tries to give him a duplicate gift, he will sigh and say "think you're clever, don't you? I accept no duplicates!"
 * A DC 10 Intelligence ability check will reveal that the "academic" definition of invaluable is "to have value beyond estimation".

'''The muddy face once again appears in the earth. "Hello, hello travelers. I do enjoy guests. Come meet me in my cabin for tea. Ooh, and I've got a blueberry pie cooling!"'''

The Tower
''Pale moonlight washes over a defensive tower made of crumbling granite. You emerge into a small clearing lit by a crumbling bonfire. Several broken arrows lay half-buried in the dirt. From within the tower you hear raucous laughter.''

The Tower is defended by the Crimson Helm, a militia of redcaps who protect the Well and prevent people from accessing it without their permission. They are led by Grolok, a cunning fey who understands that the Well is dangerous and should be avoided. If no players spot the archer in the Tower, she will fire a warning shot at their feet if they try to move past the fortification. And if they run for it, the full squad of 17 redcaps will chase them down and try to restrain them. Their arrows and weapons are coated with Fangjoint, a poison with DC 14 that paralyzes for up to one minute.
 * Grolok will refer to "her" with fear, and will not explain further.
 * Grolok will need much persuasion to let anyone past his fortification. However, he is very mindful of omens and has respect for those who speak druidic. Grolok with throw in druidic curses into his speech.
 * The players can recall with a DC 9+1d6 History check that Redcaps are very superstitious and they typically worship the spirits of their ancestors as well as the god Galawain.
 * The Redcaps have legends of when the Well was kind and would grant wishes to anyone to asked.
 * If the players are extremely successful, the Crimson Helms will tell them of a way to break "her" magical sleep. You must say her name three times. Nervously, "Greasy Gretchen".

Nana Rosheen's Cabin
''You come upon a quaint cabin in the woods. A giant woman rippling with muscle rocks gently in an under-sized rocking chair petting a tortoiseshell cat. Nearby in a clearing, twelve granite pillars rise in a circle from the mossy earth. In the center is a well, almost comically mundane. You hear the sloshing of an underground spring from within.''

"Oh, come in, dearies! It's awfully cold out here tonight!" 

The hill giant woman is Nana Rosheen, a fearsome warrior who had a Geas placed upon her to act as a guardian for the Well after she ventured here for a wish several years ago. She pretends to be the guardian of the region and acts as if "that old well" is of no importance. The cat's name is Gorefiend, as is inscribed on the bronze medallion on his collar, but Rosheen will call him Garfield. Rosheen carries a +2 greatclub and a key ring with two keys: one for the basement, and one for a small keepsake box hidden under her bed that contains an ornate sapphire necklace worth 200g. She also has an earring in the shape of a claw that was given to her by Gretchen so that they could communicate. It can be noticed with a DC 12+1d4 PErception and identified with a DC 13+1d4 Arcana
 * The underside of Gorefiend's collar medallion is marked in ink with a magic eye that allows Gretchen to spy on visitors.
 * If Gorefiend's collar is removed, he will transform back into a Saber-toothed tiger and no longer be charmed.

Hidden under a squeaky floorboard is a vial of sleeping poison. The players can discover the hidden basement door with a DC 15+1d4 Perception check, but otherwise must enter through the Well's opening.
 * When pressed, Rosheen will begin to sweat profusely, and insist on her version of events. If the party forces her to admit the constraints of her Geas or break character, she will take the full psychic damage from the spell and drop to 0 hitpoints, beginning to die. Speaking Gretchen's name will end the spell, which the players can discover with a DC 12+1d4 Arcana check.
 * She will do her best to stall the party by offering them blueberry pie which has been laced with sleeping poison (DC 9+1d4) or luring them into the basement, which contains a chained Bulette named Fishbone waiting in the shadows to strike them when Rosheen locks the entrance. Fishbone becomes non-aggressive to those who soothing manner or give him his favorite treat: fish.
 * There is salted fish in the kitchen.
 * The basement connects to the well caverns through a sturdy stone door that is barred from the other side.
 * If all else fails, Rosheen will attempt to prevent the players from moving on by force.
 * If the players break the spell, Rosheen will offer them thanks and give them her +2 Greatclub "Masher", but will want nothing more to do with the Well. Before she leaves she will tell them there is a secret entrance to the underground cavern in the basement, tell them about Fishbone, and wish them success in slaying the woman.
 * She will also tell them of a way to break Gretchen's magical sleep: say her name three times. But it only works once per person.

The Well
If the players approach from the well entrance and not the basement:

''This old well is inscribed with a message in sylvan ("Be careful what you wish for"). A spool of rope has been tied to the side of the well, and most of its length goes down the well.''
 * With a DC 8+1d4 Survival check, you can discover several sets of footprints that match the description of the party of youths.
 * Players that look inside the well and can see in darkness can detect an unusual swirling current in the water with a DC 12+1d6 Perception check.
 * An Arcana check of DC 8+1d4 will determine that the well is not magical, but the location is.

A: Well Basin
''Thirty feet down from the top of the well is a murky basin of water that looks about ten feet deep. Illuminated the the pale moonlight, you see numerous gold and silver coins scattered over bleached white bones. The corpse of a young man with black hair rests on top of them.''

A field of antimagic has been placed inside the well.

The attached rope hangs five feet above the water at its lowest. With a DC 12+1d4 Acrobatics check, they can swing over to the corridor entrance. This 10-foot deep pool of water at the base of the well contains four nefarious water weirds who grab anyone that comes close and attempts to drown them in the water. The dead body is a young man with black hair named Griswold, who was a member of the party of youths. Clutched in his hands is a shortsword.
 * The bottom of the well contains many glittering coins and some jewelry, in total: 236 gold coins. With a DC 10+1d4 perception check, they can spot a magical amulet amongst the mud.
 * The four water weird will attempt to drown anyone who comes near the water.
 * A slippery ten-foot stone ladder (DC 12+1d4 Athletics to climb) leads into the pool from the cavern corridor above.

B: Muddy Corridor
''This winding cavern corridor is knee-deep with bubbling black mud. Tangled tree roots hang from the ceiling above, almost touching the mud. Embedded among them is a wooden trident. Below, there is a faint trail like a snail's that winds through the mud.''
 * The mud is difficult terrain.
 * With a DC 8+1d4 Survival or DC 10+1d4 Investigation check, you can determine that the trail was made by someone crawling on their belly through the mud.
 * Attempting to walk through the roots will cause them to strangle you. At end of each round spent in the roots, you must succeed a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be restrained and choked for 1d6 bludgeoning damage. As an action on future turns, you may attempt the saving throw again at DC 8 to escape.
 * The roots will not attack if you crawl through the mud belly-down.

C: Prison Cell
''A squalid prison cell has been created from a natural chamber in the cavern. To the side are several bags of flour and dried fruit. Rusty iron bars are embedded in the ceiling and floor, with an iron padlock hanging from a simple door. Inside are two young men, tied up with rope and sleeping soundly.''

The two men are Garrett and Hiravias, friends of Yewberry, Marigold, and Griswold. They are under the effects of a powerful sleeping spell, and cannot be woken unless they are shaken violently. Garrett has sandly blonde hair and a strapping build at 17 years of age. He is skilled with tridents and spears, but lost his trident in the roots. He is earnest and cautious despite his size, and often follows along with what Hiravias' plans. He is the son of a Fishing family.
 * The key to the cell is on a table in Gretchen's quarters. The DC to pick the lock is 8+1d4, otherwise you can spend ten minutes working it to get it open. The bars to the cell can be bent wide enough to slip through with a DC 14+1d4 Athletics check.

Hiravias has a shaggy head of fiery red hair and a slight build at the age of sixteen. He is an ace with his sling, but can't use melee weapons. He is confident and brash, and often gets into trouble. He is the second son of the Huntress of the village.

The story so far: When they approached the well a woman's voice told them that they were trapped inside the well and needed to be rescued before they could grant their wish. They climbed in and lost Griswold to the water, but decided to press on. After making it to the end chamber, they confronted a beautiful woman who sang them asleep.
 * When they awake, they will be very worried about Yewberry and Marigold.

D: Gretchen's Chambers
''Moisture drips from the ceiling of this large chamber into a large pool of swirling mud. Some meager furniture is scattered about, and all around sit many puzzling baubles and slimy jars filled with creature parts. Several large glass aquariums are filled with squirming grey larvae. At the far end of the room, near a great wooden door carved in the shape of a grimacing face, is a fair middle-aged woman standing over two stone tables. On it are two young women that match the descriptions of Marigold and Yewberry, fast asleep.''

When the party first enters, Gretchen will speak to them, very annoyed: "Why must you insist on disturbing me? The wise woman knew well the price she paid for my service. She failed to uphold her end of the deal, and I punished her."

"Oh, Belladonna didn't tell you did she? These two girls are rightfully mine! All her wisdom and her magic came from me! She is a liar, a fraud! I am the true warden of Loch Lugh!"

Gretchen will be willing to negotiate to end the curse, but her price is steep: she demands that the party give themselves over to be her obedient servants for ten years.

This is the lair of the Hag Gretchen, and she lays in ambush on the ceiling, invisible while her illusion talks to the party. The DC to spot her with a perception check is 17+1d4. When the time is right, Gretchen will try to entangle as many of them as she can with the roots of her cavern (DC 13 to avoid), shatter the slug aquariums, then create illusory images of herself and fight them with her newly fledged sisters.
 * The pool in the middle is what Gretchen uses to scry and conduct magic. She may try to drag her hugged victims inside, where they will begin to suffocate.

Marigold and Yewberry are slowly transforming into hags during the fight. If Gretchen feels threatened, she will awaken them to fight. The two girls will be confused but transformed and they will fight.

Gretchen took pity on Belladonna and turned the children into hags, saving them but dooming them to transform on their 18th birthday. Being late bringing them back, Gretchen used the power of the Well's Namestone to curse Lugh. But to her delight, the two daughters came back of their own volition!

When Gretchen is reduced to 0 hitpoints, she turns into worms that quickly burrow into the dirt. As long as her name is the last written on the Namestone, she will regenerate after 1d4 days.

A player may detect that the door is an illusion with a DC of 14+1d4, otherwise they must speak with it. The door says the riddle: "''Only those without fear may walk through the door." ''The door is an illusion and to pass it, a player must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or take 3d6 psychic damage and be cursed, being unable to come within 5 feet of the door until the curse is removed.

E: Namestone
''This chamber is a sight to behold. A massive dome-shaped rock is covered with glowing words written in blood. One name is clearly the brightest and most recently written: Greasy Gretchen.''

This artifact is a Namestone, a locus of power that allows for control of the surrounding lands by signing your name on it with blood. The players can recall information about Namestones with the following Arcana DCs: Whoever signs their name in blood on the stone must succeed on three DC 12 Constitution saving throws before they fail three. Each time they fail, they lose a third of their maximum hitpoints, rounded up.
 * 5: You know this to be a Namestone, an artifact of great power crafted ages ago.
 * 10: You know that by signing your name in blood, you take control of the power of the Namestone from the previous controller.
 * 15: You know that Namestones can be used to grant minor miracles as well as exert power over the surrounding area. However, once you sign you cannot ever leave the area.
 * 20: You know that the Namestone's warden is immortal and will revive after a few days.
 * 25: You know the Namestones are magic artifacts created by ancient elves in an attempt to gain mastery over this world as they had their previous world, the Wilderrealm. Someone would pay dearly for a transcript of all the names written on the stone.

One of the players can sign their name to end the curse on Lugh. Otherwise, Garrett or Hiravias can be persuaded to do it. They will stop the curse, but ultimately succumb to the Namestone's power and turn wicked in the future. Yewberry and Marigold will offer to do it if alive, but as hags they will betray the party. If Belladonna is told about it, she will sign her name, become the new warden of Lugh, and the area will flourish once more.

Conclusion
If the players killed Marigold and Yewberry: Belladonna will be inconsolable, but will say it was all her fault for being so foolish. Bosch will thank them warmly regardless, saying that he will take care of Belladonna. If another name is signed and the curse ended, he pays a reward of 1500gp in coins and gems. If the stone is unsigned and they tell Belladonna of it, she will accept it as her responsibility and ask the players to take her there before the reward is given.

If the players returned with Marigold and Yewberry, as hags or humans: Belladonna will be relieved, but deeply saddened by their condition. She will give the players her staff (Emry's Staff) and Bosch will grant the full reward of 2500gp in gems and heirlooms. The one who controls the Namestone can revert them back into humans, wiping their memory of being a hag. If Belladonna is told of the Namestone, she will ask to be led there so she can cure her daughters by signing her name.

'''The players receive a bonus if they rescued any villagers. They receive some gold and silver jewelry worth 300gp.'''