The Legend of Ledgerwood
Yulmire: How we got here
This adventure can be run as a stand alone one-shot to two-shot or as part of an ongoing campaign. The adventure takes place in Yulmire, a northern coastal village inhabited primarily by indigenous humans and wood elves from the surrounding Hushbriar forest. Throughout much of the year, Yulmire sees few visitors, but in the time approaching the winter solstice, the town triples in size with an influx of festival goers who come to witness the magic surrounding the town’s central fixture: The Ledgerwood Tree.
The party is in town for the Winter Festival, which has the atmosphere of a winter-themed renaissance fair. If you have multiple sessions over which to run this adventure, you can take more time at the festival with games, contests, and merry making. However, if you wish to run this in a single session, skip the festival revelry to save time.
A Misdeed
In either case, every player character will need to select a misdeed that they or someone they are responsible for (e.g. a family member, ward, partner in crime, lover, etc.) committed in recent memory. Here’s a rollable table that can be used for inspiration. You might also consider assigning misdeeds, if that is appropriate for your table. In any case, players should have a misdeed in mind, and decide whether or not their characters consider themselves responsible for it prior to starting the sessions.
Example misdeeds:
Ruined a friend’s life by allowing them to take the blame for a crime you committed.
Got drunk with a friend who went on to commit a murder.
Suspected a neighbor of abusing their partner, but didn’t offer help until it was too late.
Moved the nest of a robin who then couldn’t find her young when they hatched the next day.
Seduced someone you weren’t really interested in because you wanted to spite their spouse.
Gossiped with information you were told in confidence.
Introduction (read or summarize)
In the center of the windswept village of Yulmire stands the tall and ancient Legerwood tree. The Legerwood looks much like an over-sized maple, but the townsfolk know that within its bark and branches lies a conduit to the lair of the Winter Spirit and to a nearly identical tree deep within the Hushbriar forest. The Sigilwood stands sentinel at the passageway to the realm this spirit—who is also known as the Keeper of Deeds. During the festival season, at night, gifts to the spirit are placed on an alter at the base of the Ledgerwood, by morning, they disappear, having been transported to the base of the Sigilwood. The location of the Sigilwood is well known, for it has been seen by many in the summer time, when the walls between the planes are thick and it is safe to traverse the Hushbriar forest. But none who value their lives enter the Hushbriar in winter, and none who have done so have ever returned.
Beginning on or around the 10th day before the solstice, the people of Yulmire bring offerings of harvest and hearth to the alter of the Winter Spirit. They decorate the great tree with tassels and chimes, and lay presents upon the alter. It is said that once all in the vicinity fall asleep for the night, the spirit arrives by way of the trees, and then carries the offerings with him, deep into the forest. It is thus that the people show gratitude to the Keeper of Deeds, who is believed to be a guardian of these lands and of the frontier between the material plane and those of fey and shadow. The offerings are meant to sustain him through the winter and to curry favor for his blessings.
Once all of the offerings have been collected, on or around the 6th day before solstice, the Winter Spirit inscribes on the trunk of the Sigiliwood tree the names of those families and individuals whose gifts and deeds have earned his blessing. The same names soon appear in shinning gold on the trunk of the Legerwood Tree. Those named in gold are blessed with a boon of protection, and will be safe within the Hushbriar until the next winter’s solstice. They will gain wealth from logging and hunting, and their house will not know hunger that year.
Then, on or around the 4th night before solstice, a different list of names appear on the Ledgerwood, this time in blackest ink of coal. Out of deference to the families and to keep from frightening the children, the townsfolk erect a temporary fence around the tree to hide the names from view. Only those named are informed, so that they might make arrangements without garnering additional shame. All those named in black are cursed to be petrified and will turn into statues of coal by the dawn of the New Year. Traditionally, those named in black spend their final days quietly with loved ones and then walk into the tides to meet their fate on new year’s eve. Today is the 4th day before solstice and you are a reveler in the winter festival.
Where are you and what are you doing when you are informed that your name has appeared on the Ledgerwood tree in black?
Have players roll 2d20 and then pick where they are in the festival. They can decide whether or not to participate in the activities.
Festival Activities (adapted from dndspeak):
An Axe-Throwing (or similar projectile) Contest. (Dexterity Check)
A great Tug of War over a pit of mud. (Strength Check)
Arm Wrestling Contest. (Strength Check)
An ale-drinking contest. (Constitution Check)
Fencing with wooden swords. Three hits, and you're out! (Standard Combat Rules)
Lockpicking contest - while blindfolded! (Thieves Tools Check)
Rope Climbing Competition. (Dexterity or Strength Check)
A Log Balancing contest (I.e., balancing on a log against a competitor). The winners of the contest face off in a pool filled with water elementals. (Opposed Dexterity Check)
A music contest between individual performers or 'bands'. (Performance Check)
Bull riding contest. Stay on the longest to win! (Athletics or Strength Check)
Lumberjack Games. Who is the fastest at chopping these massive logs? (Strength Check)
Mountain Goat races. Which one do you bet on to win the race?
A man dressed in a jester costume being pelted with tomatoes. Can you hit the target? (AC 14)
Oiled Pig catching contest (Strength, Dexterity, or Animal Handling Check)
Goat Racing again. (Gamble based on Perception, Animal Handling Check, Nature, Insight, etc.)
The Big Hammer And Bell Contest. (Strength Check)
House of Mirrors. Can you escape? (Perception Check)
Jousting on Horseback. Can you knock your opponent off their horse? (Animal Handling and Dexterity Check)
Every year, a particularly skilled Minotaur makes a hedge maze. She is a gardener and spends the season making labyrinths for the townsfolks festival. There is a plate of cookies in the center, and her calf (young son) is patrolling inside to help people who become lost. The Minotaur charges 1 copper for entry, and donates the money to charity.
Bobbing for apples. Some apples are injected with a polymorph potion. (Roll 1d8)
Jackal
Rat
Giant fire beetle
Raven
Koala
Rooster
Groundhog
Sheep
The way that this message is received is up to the PCs/GM, but consider letting it be an owl (or other animal) who only they notice, who they lock eyes with them and who only they can hear speak their name. This will be Maven Wutemare communicating to them via an animal messenger.