Episode 6: Yunchie the owlbear

Many adventurers are familiar with the owlbear, widely considered a fearsome monstrosity that roams in the wild places of the world. I submit to you, dear reader, a refutation of this stereotype. Owlbears are not all alike and should not be characterized by the worst acting of their kin.

Not long ago I was in the forests of Fjalltir on a warm summer day. It is often a practice of mine to retreat to the trees when feeling a sense of quandary or privation. Half past noon while enjoying a snack by a shaded brook, I heard a rustle in the branches above me. Expecting to see a Nalsian lark or a wood skipper, I was astounded at what vision I beheld. My visitor was gripping the lowest branch with small, sharp talons and gazing down at me with large knowing eyes. It had fur and a red ringed tail, but also appeared to have a bird-like beak.

In my startlement I stood, dropping my cucumber sandwich, and the curious guest hopped down to snatched it up in one agile movement. Now, I know I can confide in you dear reader as I have many times before, I am not one to pass up an opportunity or give in to fear. So I collected my wits and cast the most useful spell for an aspiring naturalist like myself: Speak With Animals.

What followed was the most bemusing fifteen minutes of my life. This congenial critter in front of me was named Yunchie, enjoyed my cucumber sandwich and wanted to thank me but wasn’t sure how. I remarked how polite I found them, and would gladly accept a conversation in return for my previously provided snack. As I came to understand it, in owlbear society, it is considered courteous eat before introductions. This is probably why most of their more well-known kin attempt to have a meaty meal when encountered in the woods.

Through this conversation, I learned many tidbits about owlbears that were never included in the monster manuals I was familiar with. Owlbears are not all carnivorous, some forage on the roots and shoots of plants. Some owlbears have wings but not many can fly due to their weight. Yunchie also enlightened me on Fjalltir forest etiquette. The trees I was so peacefully pondering beneath were quite cross with me. Though they didn’t mind my presence, they would have preferred if people like me left offerings for them or communed with their residents in a more respectful manner. So I asked Yunchie to pass along my apology to our woodland hosts and said as respectful of a goodbye as I could manage, leaving the second half of my sandwich behind as tribute.

I contemplated this meeting for a long time finally coming to the conclusion that owlbears are very much like us. They are curious, thoughtful, and most of all, deserving of an unprejudiced view by those of us who move about in their woodland realm. I hope, dear reader, you have gained a modicum of the insight I did on that day and will reserve pre-judgement in your next owlbear meeting. Until next time, I am your most humble and grateful Hedge-Wizard, Riki.

-Excerpt from Wizarding Quarterly magazine by Senior Editor Rikiwulf Korsis, Hedge-Wizard of the Zenobia Wilds

Episode 5: The Boomerang of Saint Chereau

This legendary weapon once belonged to the dwarven cleric Percival Chereau. He was an Arch-cleric of the Zaleronce temple which reached its cultural peak over one thousand years ago. The Zaleroncians were known for their zealous defense of what they trusted to be morally right. They believed that true spiritual enlightenment was achieved through battle. A strong emphasis was placed on the defense of these causes for moral good, because of this, one had to step lightly around a priest of Zalerance or find themselves in a fight with a very capable warrior. Few worshippers of this temple remain active today.

Use these stats when equipping this legendary one handed weapon:

  • Requires attunement by a good aligned character, if an aligned evil or neutral character attempts to attune to this weapon, they immediately take 6d10 radiant damage and the weapon falls to the ground.
  • This weapon does 1d8 slashing damage plus 1d10 radiant damage on hit. It has a bonus of +3 to attack and +3 to damage. It also can be thrown for 1d6 slashing damage plus 1d10 radiant damage and returns to the hand of the thrower.
  • Short Fuse: The wielder of this weapon has disadvantage on ability checks that avoid getting into fights due to the prickly nature of its original owner.
  • Cause of the Righteous: Once per day the wielder may speak of a righteous cause to the boomerang and then make a WIS15 check, if successful, they have advantage on attacks against foes of that cause. This benefit remains until a new righteous cause replaces it.

Episode 4: Quest for the Radish Bard

In a modest house on a rain-soaked street there lived a penurious radish haunted by dreams far out of reach. Ambitions of becoming a musical bard, performing for audiences of distant lands fade and give way to more practical pursuits.

As rain pelts its bedroom window the little radish declares: “This fiddle I have from my father, it is soundless for I have no strings. If a hero could give half a bother, my dream could be given new wings.”

This is a more whimsical and cutesy setting for a one-shot story. Some challenges our radish bard needs solutions for could include:

  • We meet the radish in the midst of despair, what does it take to cheer them up?
  • The radish lives with their radish mother and carrot step-father who both think our little friend should be more practical and pursue a vegetable Law Degree.
  • Acquiring new strings for their fiddle, it must be tiny if used by a radish, how will you ever find them that small?!
  • Helping the radish with songwriting, what subject matter would a radish be inspired by and how will you keep it secret from their parents?
  • There are all sorts of fun “Footloose” vibes that you can explore to help this radish realize their dream of becoming a renown bard.

Episode 3: Sneaking through the beastly chapterhouse of the Quivrim

The Quivrim are a secretive cult that have chapterhouses in many cities throughout the fantastical world. They are mage-alchemists that commit their lives to creating new magical spells and creatures. Chaotic magical advancement is their ultimate goal, they revel in the pure mayhem caused to civil society by their creations.

If you were to chide a Quivri acolyte on the inherent evil of their sect, you would receive laughter or confusion in response. “Our magical pursuits are neither good nor evil,” says the Grand Arcanologist, “we simply aim to know the boundaries of our world, and posses the resolve to see them manifest.”

Some notable rooms include:

  • The Table of Progressive Thought is always the center of a Quivrim college, this is where new ideas and proposals for magical experimentation are defended and reviewed.
  • Abandoned experiments will often be sealed behind magical doors after they have either been discontinued by the Arcanologist council or have proven fatal to their lead acolyte.
  • Rooms that are attuned to an elemental plane are useful when working with dangerous magicks. Rooms devoted to water and fire elements are especially popular.

Episode 2: The Wacky Wizard – Wumbletrub

Wumbletrub is a Professor of Magical Arts at the Wizarding University of Glimmervale. He teaches courses on Magical Creatures and the Metaphysical Realm, Potion Mixing for Initiates, Robes: A Style Guide for the Fashion Forward, and Intro to Runes.

Professor Trub’s teaching philosophy can be summed up by the magical equation: ⨜2✴♡ = ⅜☂+(√☺ – 7𝄞)⍝. He stands by that firmly and refuses to make compromises.

In his free time he is a baker of fruit pies with his favorite being nimbleberry. He prefers to eat at least one slice a week to improve his balance.

His office hours are listed as follows: The third day of Shremp, from first chime to lunch and every other Katilsday with breaks for the required manic revelry.

Episode 1: The Lost Castle of Rimehold

Far in the northern lands, passed the Frozen Canyon and beyond the haunted Forest of Krim, lies the Lost Castle of Rimehold. Once a bastion of commerce that all northern trade routes passed through, it is now decrepit and abandoned. What dangers lurk in these frozen halls? What riches await bold adventurers to plunder? What mysterious event caused the disappearance of the people of Rimehold?

In this episode, you can explore a frozen tundra and assail your players with all the challenges therein. Perhaps they stumble upon the scene of a battle with warriors in strange garb motionless in blocks of ice, preserved for all time in a frightful moment of crushing defeat. Or has the castle become home to a powerful and vengeful Wyrm?

Regardless of where you decide to go with this setting, all sorts of challenges can be thrown at your players:

  • How do they manage the bitter cold? Touching things made of metal can cause cold damage, or must they find shelter to keep themselves warm?
  • Monsters that do not mind the cold can thrive in this region: undead, ice mephits, wraiths, owlbears, drakes, frost giants and of course dragons.
  • Friendly creatures also can be found in the tundra, snow hares, caribou, geese, lynx, a society of genasi or cold weather modrons.
  • Treasure in the castle can take on a chilly theme, amulets that grant resistance to cold damage, Yeti fur boots that leave no tracks when walking in snow, a rod of snowmelt that can help forge a path through the icy terrain.
  • Lastly, you can mix in an oasis if your players get too close to death. Perhaps they find a snow covered cave or hidden room that has a volcanic hot spring perfect for a restful respite!