The free adventures below can be run directly from this rules site.

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MAMA BEAR'S REVENGE (1st level)

After the accidental death of a bear cub, Fanghort the Druid went into the forest to make amends. Now, the foresters are under organized attack from woodland creatures— and all of them talk. By Jeff Gomez.

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The Business of Emotion (2nd-3rd level)

This is an adventure for 3-5 characters of levels 2-3. The village of Lanidor is suffering from an enchanted "summer of love". Can the PCs figure out what's going on? By Paul Oklesh.

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The Haunting of Calrow Ruins (3rd level)

Gibberlings infest Calrow Ruins. When the mists blow in off the shores of Lach Gwyren, snaking through crumbling arches and shattered barbicans, the gibberlings’ terrible wailing can be heard for miles. These leering, furry abominations are spawned from captives by an ancient brood mother lurking beneath the ruins. Once imprisoned in a magic tapestry deep within the keep, the brood mother is close to finally escaping thanks to the meddling of a vengeful lady-inwaiting. Amidst a noble feud to reclaim the ruins, the characters are faced with solving the mystery of the gibberlings. By Aaron Infante-Levy.

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Presents for Goblins (3rd-5th level)

In this festive adventure the PCs must recover Revelleschafter's seasonal gifts from the goblins who raided the town on the eve of All's Giving Day.  Fun as a one-shot or as part of an ongoing camapign, the module includes four new goblin types (a nilbog , a yobbo , and the goblin king ) and a random table for goblin poison effects. By Kiel Chenier.

Clockworks are constructs of steel and bronze that perform complex routines. Clockworks are neither living nor magical, but their clever engineering can make them appear to be both.

Nonmagical Guards. In a world where magic prevails, mundane engineering is rarely appreciated. But clockwork constructs have one advantage that sets them apart from magical inventions—their very lack of magic. Dungeon architects pay princely sums for complex nonmagical sentries, knowing all too well that thieves have many tools to detect and bypass magic.

Authorization Required. Clockworks perceive the world using delicate sensors capable of picking up the slightest vibrations. They sense shape but not color, and are not fooled by visual illusions. Nevertheless, they are able to identify individual creatures by their shape, size, and behavior. They can be programmed to allow authorized creatures to enter an area, while attacking or monitoring intruders.

Creations of Routine. Clockworks follow instructions built into them by their creators. While these instructions can be very complex, clockworks don’t think and don’t learn. If you trick a clockwork once, you can do so again the next time you meet it.

Clockwork Nature. A clockwork doesn’t require air, nourishment, or rest, and is immune to disease . 

Immutable Form. The clockwork is immune to any effect that would alter its form.

When the adventurers awake in the catacombs below Northminster, they must unravel a mystery and escape the law! After frantic wagon chases, a wilderness journey, friendly hags, and a village fair, can they recover their memories of Holdenshire?

A starter adventure for 1st-level characters by Andrew Engelbrite, Sen. H.H.S, and Savannah Broadway, this adventure gently introduces some of Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition's new rules. You can play this adventure using the 5th Edition core rules or with Level Up.

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Introduction: Memories of Holdenshire

• Adventure Overview
• Main Locations
• People of Holdenshire

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Act I: The Cult Who Knew Too Little

• Beginning the Adventure
• Northminster Catacombs
• Wanted In Northminster
• Redwall Locations
• Fallen Hero/Time To Go
• A Brief Respite

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Act II: On the Lam

• Beginning Act II
• Roadblock Ahead
• The Journey
• A Persistent Pursuer
• Meet Granny Appleseed

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Act III: Evil's True Face

• Beginning Act III
• Places of Interest
• The Summer Festival
• Party Crashers
• A Friend in Need
• Into the Barrowdeep

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Conclusion

• The Truth Will Set You Free (What Comes Next?)

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Adventure Overview =>

Once the town guards are dealt with and the party makes their way south along the road they should take a moment of well deserved respite. Allow the adventurers to take a long rest , and remind them that they'll need to consume Supply as they do so. It's time to nurse some wounds, eat some rations, and catch a good night's sleep as the wagon rattles onward. While the PCs enter their long rest , announce that they advance from 1st to 2nd level before continuing with the adventure in Act II: On the Lam.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Beginning Act II =>

Starting off a game with everyone forgetting who they are may not be an attractive prospect for all groups. Alternatively, the party may begin as burgeoning adventurers that seek out Annika Crestveil in search of advice or guidance, learning from her brother Tariq that she was last seen entering the catacombs under the city— but he warns not to delve under Northminster and that it is a matter for the guard.

The PCs arrive to find the dazed cultists, but spotters working for the local thieves' guild see them descending below and use the opportunity to frame them (so the adventure proceeds mostly normally).

As soon as the adventurers are topside again they hear that they're wanted for conspiracy with the cult as well as tampering with criminal evidence and several other charges that numerous (bribed and lying) witnesses corroborate. Left with few other options the party returns to the cult's hideout where they discover that everything of value has been taken away, but there are several obscure markings that were not there before (which any rogue recognizes as thieves' cant with the clear message to "leave it be").

Conveniently there's also a message of gratitude intended for the decoys that helped the thieves' guild pilfer the area, urging them to contact Belton Freedew for help (if none of the PCs know thieves' cant, this can instead be communicated with a simple paper note written in Common which disintegrates when touched). Once they've traveled to a safe place with Belton (the Weirwood in Holdenshire) and earned his trust, he promises to clear their names back in Northminster—though he never makes it back.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

Unfortunately the blows don't stop coming for the party. Brand Torek comes back the day after the kobold raid with news about Belton's wagon: it's been found with a broken axle alongside the road to Blackford, and there's no sign of the halfling having left on foot. Brand hasn't seen it himself, but he's heard from a fellow ranger about its discovery, recognized the wagon from the description, and wanted to pass the news to Myco and the PCs, as they clearly knew him best. Myco offers the adventurers a reward of 100 gold to investigate if they don't decide to on their own.

The party should be well-used to the demands of travel by now and can purchase supplies, mounts, and the like in town. Since the kobold raids however, the people of Hengeistbury consider them heroes and will give them a discount of 15% for the occasion.

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At the Wagon

Read the following when the adventurers come upon their halfling companion's wagon.

Finally you've reached it: Belton's wagon. Deep gouges in the ground show that it's been run off the road, and the front axle is in splinters. Rummynose is long gone, as are whatever supplies Belton had stashed away. A halfling-sized knife is embedded in the driver's seat, pinning a fluttering piece of gray-purple cloth with it. Wait, is that...?

All the former cultists recognize the cloth with certainty as matching that of the cloaked figure who bundled them into the covered wagon and away to mind-controlled servitude. What isn't as clear is why he's taken Belton and, most importantly, where. Any PC who hasn't recovered their memory of having been abducted does so now (though they gain no mechanical bonus from it).

Anyone that makes a DC 13 Engineering check realizes that there's no indication that Rummynose broke loose on her own. As mentioned by Brand, there's also no sign of halfling footprints anywhere about. However, a DC 10 Perception or Survival check spots the tracks of a second wagon making its way off of the road and towards the Crawley Hills. This check also reveals that Rummynose must have bolted, as her tracks run along the road as opposed to following the wagon.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Into the Barrowdeep =>

Highly upset by the party's escape, Captain Tariq—who still believes they murdered his sister Annika—personally tracks them down. Hearing about the wagon full of bedrolls, it does not take him long to deduce where the adventurers are headed and he quickly begins his own journey towards Halfpoint. 

If the party fails at an encounter on their way to Halfpoint, Tariq is their next encounter. Otherwise, he's the first encounter after they leave Halfpoint.

In his fervor Tariq did not properly prepare for the trip, nor did he bring backup. The adventurers notice both of these things right away when he makes his appearance.

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Ahead you see a lone figure leaning against a horse that grazes sloppily as it pants. Seeing you approach, the traveler's shoulders seemingly sag in relief. The person—a human man, it seems, from his haggard appearance—wearily trudges towards you.

"Pardon the interruption, fellow travelers. If you've a waterskin to spare—you!" Recognition sparks in both your minds and his. Though he may be without his bright red cape and full-body armor, the sight and sound of him mourning over his sister Annika Crestveil is engraved in your memories and you realize this is Captain Tariq. "You murderous zealots!" he screams, all the exhaustion gone from his features and replaced with fury as he unsheathes a greatsword from his back, "I'll see you hanged for what you did to my baby sister!"

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Although Tariq has drawn his weapon, adventurers with a passive Insight 12 or passive Perception 12 know he is posturing, mostly to ensure his own survival. As he hollers about how he will cut the party down one-by-one and haul them back in chains, the party can make a DC 15 group check  to convince him that they are innocent by using Persuasion, lie about their circumstance with Deception, or threaten him to back off with Intimidation.

On a failure, Tariq reluctantly lets them leave but only because he currently does not have the means to stop them.

On a success, the captain's resolve wavers—he lowers his weapon and voices that he is weary and doubtful of the party's claim, but if they are indeed innocent, there has better be evidence to prove it.

On a critical success, he realizes that there's no way the adventurers could have defeated his sister and promises to clear their names, but on a critical failure he becomes enraged and attacks (using the statistics of a knight with an AC of 15 from half-plate and one level of fatigue ). When engaged in combat, Tariq retreats after being damaged 3 or more times, using Disengage to flee, then mount his horse and ride off.

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The Weirwood

Once the adventurers safely arrive in the Weirwood, they may either take some time to recuperate or go straight to seeking out the wisewoman. 

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<= MEMORIES OF HOLDENSHIRE | Meet Granny Appleseed =>

Annika Crestveil is an adventurer based out of Northminster. Her brother is Tariq Crestveil. Annika uses the statistics of a knight .

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

Having escaped their pursuers, the adventurers must travel discreetly to Weirwood, an enchanted forest in Holdenshire. Within it resides the wisewoman Granny Appleseed who Belton claims can restore the party's lost memories. Originally the halfling planned to take the PCs there by open road, but with Captain Tariq Crestveil hot on their trail this is no longer a safe option.

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Over breakfast Belton discusses yesterday's escape. Read or paraphrase the following.

"I can't show my face around the city until all this is over now. Hope you've all made up some fake identities. In case anyone asks, I'm one of your third cousin's brother-in-law...by adoption!" Belton quips as he bandages his leg. "You know, originally, I was thinking we could swing by Ringwood and Blackford, but now," the halfling scratches his chin as he thinks, "that's looking to be a terrible idea."

The party has a short opportunity to address some questions here.

• Fake identities? Belton suggests that the PCs come to a consensus on who they all are (or are pretending to be) and why they are traveling together, so their accounts match one another should they ever be questioned.
• Why can't we stop by Ringwood and Blackford? With a DC 13 Insight check the adventurers deduce that Annika's brother, given his uniform, appears to be a high-ranking member of Northminster's city watch. As a well-connected individual he can easily enlist others to assist him so chances are that most inns and taverns of nearby settlements will have the party's bounties (and Belton's too) on their job board by the end of tomorrow. An adventurer that makes a DC 15 Intelligence (Culture) check recalls that the man is Tariq Crestveil, a dedicated and passionate guard captain. While he is known to be righteous and compassionate, Tariq can get quite intense when things get personal. As this is pertinent information, Belton may relay it to the PCs if they fail the check.

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Roadblock Ahead =>

Having now received the "lock and key" from Granny Appleseed, the party must travel to Hengistbury in hopes of turning over their minds until they find their missing memories. Belton will accompany them there, but afterwards he insists on getting back to Northminster and business as usual. For the return trip, use the same journey rules for their initial trip to the Weirwood.

Upon their arrival in Hengistbury (or their return, if the memories start stirring) Belton does the party a last service by introducing them to a relative who runs a local boarding house, a tidy building with a freshly-painted and memorable sign—a plump red chicken perched on the back of a young bay horse—proudly displayed out front.

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With a solid thump on the door, Belton calls out, "Myco, I've got company for you!"

It's not long before a neatly-dressed halfing in a chicken-embroidered waistcoat flings open the door to wrap Belton in a rib-crushing hug before looking the party up and down.

"They're a bit worse for wear, but if they're friends of yours, cousin, then they're friends of mine!" They then proffer their hand, "I'm Myco Ferris, owner of this little place. Not quite as fancy as the Bleeding Heart, but more than a mite quieter. Less of the traveling riffraff, too—mostly house the farmhands from out of town, or locals like Old Sven when the storm took his roof off last season."

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The halfling Myco Ferris is the proprietor of the Hen and Filly and he has a penchant for gossip and long, meandering stories. On the strength of Belton's recommendation, Myco offers the party a discounted weekly rate until they can find lodgings of their own or decide to move on. While it doesn't include food and drink like the inn does, the Hen and Filly is cheaper and, perhaps most important to a group on the run, easier to lay low at. A week's lodging here costs each of the PCs 8 silver.

His work now done, Belton stays in town long enough to resupply (and replace his wagon if the adventurers earlier chose to abandon it) then leaves the next day for Blackford, promising to come and check in when he's next in the area. He also plans to meet with Kit to see about restocking his illicit wares before he leaves town.

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Word About Town

Hengistbury is known for being a sleepy town with few troubles, yet that hasn't been entirely true as of late. Kobolds in particular have been spotted recently, and there are even rumors of lizardfolk in Fogmoor to the south. The latter has been largely dismissed as fisherfolk having had too much to drink, but the former is well-attested. Even the Weirwood—a place the town has had peace with for some time—has become more active. Though the locals are trying to put on a brave front, there's an air of tension competing with excitement around the upcoming festivities.

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Chain of Memories

Give the PCs some time to explore Hengistbury in relative peace as they attempt to regain their memories. There are a number of locations both in and near the town that should help with this, but the Narrator should feel free to add new places as feels appropriate to Hengistbury's size and culture. The timeline of this adventure assumes that the party will be here for just under a week, beginning just before the Summer Festival and culminating with the news of Belton's disappearance.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Places of Interest =>

The adventure begins in the holy deep (Area #1) of the Northminster Catacombs immediately after Annika Crestveil slays their khalkos "master". They cannot remember the time of their psychic imprisonment and from their perspectives they're waking up from a long and hazy dream in a strange and unfamiliar place.

Read or paraphrase the following to begin the adventure:

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You wake up. It's sudden and you lurch to a stop—where are you? How long has it been since you could think clearly? What are you doing, what are you wearing? You've got on dark robes over your normal garb, and your weapon is drawn. It's dark, lit only by flickering torchlight, and you see each other standing in a circle. Your companions wear the same dark robes as you and they look just as bewildered and confused.

You hear a choked laugh from a figure standing beside you, a human woman dressed in plate armor and dripping with blood. A slender stinger juts out from her chest, snapped off from the creature you now see that she's standing over. The thing at her feet is broken and crumpled like a dead spider, an insectile monstrosity almost in the shape of a man but with a face and limbs like some sort of horrible wasp. The woman smirks and with one last laboured breath says, "you're free," before collapsing and going still.

The echoes of the woman's armor reverberates throughout the hallways as she slams into the stone, then the sounds of her struggle fade into the darkness ahead of you and silence prevails. While you have countless questions, what comes first and foremost is simply what will you do now?

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As the adventurers have been dropped into these strange circumstances, they'll likely begin by investigating their current situation and may ask the following questions:

• Where Am I? The party has no recollection of the catacombs or even the city above them. Reference the holy deep (Area #1) of the Northminster Catacombs to describe the room around them.
• Who Are All Of You? This is an excellent opportunity for the adventurers to introduce themselves. None of their long-term memories have been affected and the players should be encouraged to share information.
• How Did I Get Here? The party's last firm and concrete memories should each be of their time in or near Hengistbury before their abduction. Use their recollections as an opportunity for each player to describe their adventurer and what they were doing before all this. However, none of them remember their abduction or have any idea how they arrived here.
• What Am I Wearing? Each of the PCs is wearing a long black robe and cowl over whatever starting gear they selected as they created their adventurers. Each robe has a strange symbol sewn into the front that resembles a stylized insect wing.
• Who's This Lady? To determine if any members of the party are familiar with Annika Crestveil, have each of them roll a DC 12 Intelligence (Culture) check. On a success they recognize her as an adventurer, and on a result of 18 or higher they know she is Annika Crestveil, an adventurer based out of Northminster.
• What's This Wasp Thing? Adventurers that inspect the corpse of the khalkos with a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check determine that this insectile humanoid isn't native to this world. On a result of 15 or higher, consult the Legends and Lore of khalkos .
• Can We Save This Lady? Annika Crestveil is currently doomed —she only had enough left for her dramatic last words and collapse. Any ability checks to determine if she can be helped reveal that she is irrevocably dead.
• How Do We Get Out of Here? The only apparent exit is a set of stairs along the southern wall that lead upwards into pitch darkness (Area #2).

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A Different Start

If your group prefers not to begin the game without memories, see A Different Start. Also review Level Up's suggested safety tools .

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 <= Memories of Holdenshire | Northminster Catacombs =>

Belton Freedew makes his living buying snuff and hard liquors out of Ringwood and smuggling it into Northminster where such things are regularly used yet are illegal and hard to come by. He works in legally dubious circles but believes himself to be "a good sort' that "never did anyone a bad turn'.

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Roleplaying Belton Freedew

Even though Belton is a back alley smuggler he is generally kind with a decent moral center, the sort of fellow that might swipe some loose change to bail out his mates. Once he realizes the situation the party is in, he genuinely wants to help them out—but why do a good deed for free when there can be some cash in the deal too?

Belton has survived in dangerous circles by conveniently slipping away when he feels things are going south. Whenever the halfling would be present for a combat situation, he does his best to be well away from danger only to stride out at the end like he was there the entire time. If forced into combat, Belton uses the statistics of a cutthroat .

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

Once the party collects all the items Belton requested, they can find him waiting behind the Thrifty Griffon (Area B). When they reconvene the halfling tosses them each a heavy cloak to hide themselves, but while they change they hear a commotion coming from further south at the secret door (Area A). Read or paraphrase the following:

You hear an angered scream through the cluttered alleyway of Redwall and see several town guards clustered around the secret entrance you emerged from not long ago. A man dressed in armor trailing a bright red cape emerges from the catacombs wailing and clutching the body of Annika Crestveil. You can hear him scream, "Sister! I swear I'll avenge you! I'll tear those bloody cultists limb from limb!"

At this point Belton hurriedly says, "whelp, time to go. Meet me on the east side past Tinbellow's in five, I'll pull the wagon around."

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Time To Go

True to his word, Belton arrives at the east side in his wagon pulled by his horse Rummynose. The vehicle is loaded up with 30 bedrolls and he implores the adventurers to hide in the wagon amongst them. Belton explains that he had planned on sewing snuff into the bedrolls, but they'll hide people just as well.

Once the PCs hide in the wagon, read or paraphrase the following:

Concealed amidst bedrolls and darkness, the wagon begins tenuously rattling along the cobblestone leaving you with only your hushed breath and the tenseness of your thoughts. A few minutes pass until the wheels roll to a slow stop as you hear a gruff voice say, "hey there Belton—leaving town a bit early for you eh?"

Your halfling driver replies, "ah, had a good deal on these bedrolls, you know how it is. By the way I snagged you some of that yewclaw."

"Yer a saint there Belton. Can't keep awake with these shifts otherwise. But that said, I can't pass ya along, not with them cultists. Gotta check every wagon, captain's orders."

Belton sounds as comforting and smooth as silk as he responds, "really sad to hear that friend," before snapping the reins and driving the wagon forward! After just a moment of shouts and thuds he yells backwards, "could use a hand here!"

You emerge from hiding to find Belton nursing a guard's spear sticking from his leg, the wagon hurtling at full tilt, and several guards on horseback giving chase! "Take the reins!"

There are 4 guards  mounted on riding horses  chasing the wagon and attempting to attack the driver, any passengers that fight back, or failing that the wagon itself. There are clearly more guards on foot rushing out from the city gates so standing and fighting is not a viable option. If the party chooses to stop and fight, 1d4 guards  on foot join the fray at initiative count 20 of every round.

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Wagon

Size Huge; Weight 1,300 lbs; AC 12; Hit Points 80; Crew 1; Supply 80; Drawn

See the rules for driving vehicles.

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Roll Initiative!

Just like ability checks using skills in Level Up, rolling for initiative is not tied to just a single ability score. Dexterity is a common score used to react the fastest, but in Level Up any ability checks and even skills might play a part depending on the situation and how the Narrator rules it. For example, for an encounter focused on the progress of an arcane ritual the initiative check may be an Intelligence (Arcana) check, or a Strength (Athletics) check for an encounter taking place while the combatants are climbing a treacherous cliff.

In this case, the adventurers and guards are making Wisdom (Perception) checks because they're relying on their perceptions of what's going on outside to know the right time to emerge and reveal themselves (or in the case of the guards , to notice that Belton is not traveling alone).

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Belton begins this encounter bandaging a wound and he passes off control of the wagon to whichever adventurer rolled highest on the Wisdom (Perception) check made to determine initiative and begin the encounter.

Each guard continues fighting until killed, knocked off their horse, or separated from the wagon by at least 120 feet. A horse made riderless bolts and makes its way back to Northminster.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | A Brief Respite =>

Granny Appleseed is a friendly green hag  known in Hengistbury for her remedies, advice, and magical pastries.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

At the end of the trail is a sizable mound. Read or paraphrase the following.

The trail has led you to a stone barrow, crouching at the foot of a forested hill. It once had a stacked-stone walled courtyard, but most of it has crumbled or been harvested for building material and now the area is choked with stinging nettles, thistle, and other vegetation. There is however a worn wagon path leading up to the entrance, with a very familiar covered wagon parked in front.

The barrow is literally straightforward—a path with no diverging passages starts with the small antechamber and leads straight to first the minor and then the main burial chamber, now the inner sanctum of the cult (Area #4). Several sets of stairs lead downwards that divide it up into the following sections.

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#1: Antechamber

Cultists aren't the only creatures who see the utility in tunnels: there is also an ankheg  from a nearby colony looking for a good spot for a new queen to lay her spawn. It's hungry from its underground journey and is laying low here waiting for a meal to walk by. The monstrous insect waits 5 feet inside and 10 feet underground, waiting to explode upwards as soon as it senses a creature directly above it.

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#2: Minor Burial Chamber

There are 5 cultists  clearing out a partial collapse here (caused by the ankheg in Area #1), directed by 1 cult fanatic . These people have been so single-minded in their devotion (on account of mind control) that they haven't taken proper care of themselves—they've been in this state longer than the adventurers and are suffering from 2 levels of fatigue because of it. Anyone that makes a DC 12 Medicine or Survival check confirms this.

Adventurers can make DC 13 Insight checks to realize that these people have been mind controlled, likely in the same fashion as the party themselves were. Now is a good time for the Narrator to remind the PCs that an attacker who reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack may choose to knock their target out instead of kill them. Otherwise, the cultists and cult fanatics zealously fight to the death.

The adventurers can also make a DC 13 Nature check to deduce that this damage was indeed caused by the ankheg . On a result of 15 or more they realize that this means that an ankheg colony is soon going to be on the move.

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#3: The Landing

There are no cultists here but there are clear signs of their work, poor as it is. In fact they may have even done more harm than good. Best walk carefully or the whole place might come down!

Upon seeing the damage, any adventurer who wishes to reroll the Nature check from Area #2 may do so.

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#4: Inner Sanctum

Orfrain Cassar was the one responsible for obtaining "initiates" for the cult in Northminster and has come out to the Crawley Hills to start his own branch. He's heard of the original cult's fall and has since been "recruiting", with the plan to infest or mind control his captives once the khalkos he's been paracitized with is fully grown (though of course he personally will be quite dead by then). When the adventurers reach this room, read or paraphrase the following.

The main burial chamber has been converted to an inner sanctum, set up with makeshift pews and an altar that make it look like a cruder version of the complex you all woke up in not so long ago. Standing behind the altar is a dark-robed figure who turns slowly, gradually revealing the golden-wing sigil emblazoned across its front.

"Well if it isn't our little lost lambs, come back to the fold. How lovely," he says with a beatific smile. "Don't worry, our master left me a gift so that I could start my own family. Stay, let me share it with you and we'll be one again."

Distantly, from a smaller burial chamber to the figure's right, comes a clamor of voices—among them is Belton's. "Get me out of this hellhole!"—and is that Captain Crestveil yelling that this is a trap?

Orfrain will not initiate combat, but he does expect the PCs to join his cult and wait patiently to be infected. If this offer is flatly refused or if the party attacks, he flies into a rage. He's not alone here, either—5 cultists  are in the smaller burial chamber to his left and join the fray as soon as the fight begins. At the beginning of his first round of combat Orfrain perishes in spectacular fashion, allowing a khalkos spawn  to emerge from the gore (he otherwise uses the statistics of a  cult fanatic ) and take its own turn as though it had just used half its movement to stand up from being prone.

Suddenly Ofrain begins to scream, clutching his head and crying ecstatically "It's come! Finally it can come forth and spread its—" but he's cut off as his skull cracks with a sickening sound. His body falls to the floor with a lifeless thump, a humanoid wasp-like creature pulling itself out of what remains and chittering hungrily.

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#5: Holding Cells

This area has been crudely converted from a set of small tombs to a set of holding cells. Five unfortunate victims ( commoners ) as well as Belton and Captain Crestveil are being held here.

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#6: Sleeping Chambers

This is where the cultists have been getting sleep (what little they've been able to, anyhow.) Even Ofrain himself has been staying here amongst the same ratty bedrolls as his "followers".

Treasure

Between the grateful captives and the treasures of the cult, the PCs find a  bag of holding , a citrine statue of a khalkos (worth 50 gold), a gold necklace with the cult's wing symbol (worth 75 gold), and 100 gold coins.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | The Truth Will Set You Free =>

Memories of Holdenshire is an adventure that covers a lot of ground, moving from the city of Northminster across the wilderness into the Weirwood and finally to the small town of Hengistbury.

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Northminster

Population: 11,000 (60% human, 12% halfling, 28% other)

Government: The town is ruled by Abbot Briar with a tradition of quasi-religious monarchy.

Defense: A town guard keeps watch on the imposing exterior walls and polices the townsfolk, but the criminal underbelly is also quite capable of defending itself.

Commerce: Fishing is the primary industry and basic everyday supplies are available, as well as simple crafts and weapons. Black market items such as poisons are also available from the Redwall area.

Northminster was founded as a single religious abbey approximately 400 years ago along the shores of the Northern Ocean, though exactly what god was worshiped here has been lost to time. A township built up surrounding the abbey and some 150 years ago it was overtaken in a brief but bloody conflict. Statues and icons of faith were destroyed, leaving the massive abbey as a hollow monument. Now the position of "abbot' has been passed down for generations and the current abbot rules over Northminster from a place of ill-defined religious authority.

The city's size has made it a tempting target for goblin attacks from the east using the catacomb tunnels to infiltrate past the exterior walls. A lack of action on these threats combined with increasing taxation from Abbot Briar has left the populace disgruntled, and there are murmurs of action against the abbot (particularly amongst the criminal element in Redwall).

Northminster Abbey

The center of Northminster is dominated by a large stone abbey which has become the seat of power for the city. The abbey is a wide three-story structure of ornate design, and it as well as its nearby structures and the 20-foot wall that surrounds it all are crafted from ochre-red stone. The abbot and his "clergy" form the ruling class of Northminster within the abbey itself, while the town guard is stationed in the other interior buildings within the wall. Stumps of broken statues and shattered religious iconography still mar the walls and provide a glimpse of what the abbey used to represent.

Abbey Catacombs

Whatever faith the original builders of the abbey held included ritual burials. In the distant past the abbey graveyard was relocated to make room for the surrounding city, but a network of catacombs lined with carefully wrapped humanoid remains still sprawls beneath with countless hidden entrances and exits. Most townsfolk avoid the tunnels, fearing the angry spirits of the abbey told of in their urban legends.

Redwall

The structures surrounding the abbey wall form a nearly quarter-mile-long alleyway on three of its sides. The alleyway was long ago overtaken by the criminal element in Northminster and is locally known as Redwall owing to not only the ochre-red stone but also the fresh splashes of blood that often paint it. The town guard rarely risks patrolling in the area—it is widely regarded as lawless and dangerous despite its ironic location just a barrier away from the guard station.

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Weirwood

The Weirwood coats the hills north of Hengisbury with thick greenery and the dark woodlands are home to countless secretive fey creatures. A ritual made millenia ago linked this place with the realms of the fey and the forest itself sprung out of fey places. The magic that made this link has long since crumbled away but the many pixies, satyrs, sprites, and other darker mischievous fey creatures consider this place a home away from home while the citizens of nearby towns consider it a place of unnatural danger.

Weirhenge

A stone circle sits in a clearing at the heart of the Weirwood, the site of an ancient ritual that once connected the Waking, the realms material, to the Dreaming, land of the fey. It sits now broken and eroded, a far cry from its original purpose but still a place of power. While there is little community amongst the fey, they have a mutual understanding that the Weirhenge belongs to all fey, and they usually respect each other's use of the ancient stones for whatever ritual they see fit (for good or ill).

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Hengistbury

Population: 150 (85% human, 15% other)

Government: The county is governed by Lord Pemberton and Lady Sybill Pemberton who reside in Hengistbury keep.

Defense: The small town is defended only by the sheriff and ranger Brand Torek who serves Lord Pemberton.

Commerce: Hengistbury is a small agricultural town and basic everyday supplies and gear are available from the tavern, market, forge, or trading post.

Based on the banks of a winding river, Hengistbury is an idyllic and rustic farming community on the western edge of the county of Holdenshire. Normally peaceful and dull, the town has been recently plagued by threats from all sides. Kobolds have been raiding from the east, rumors abound of creatures and lizardfolk stalking the marshes of the Fogmoor across the river to the south, and fey beings have been spotted coming from the Weirwoods to the north. Still it's not clear what is baseless rumor and what is a real threat, and the townsfolk are increasingly wary as their small and mundane home comes into contact with the mystical and dangerous.

Travelers through Hengisbury will likely stay within The Bleeding Heart Tavern which has an unusual arrangement—although owned by the Pembertons, it is staffed by a rotating selection of the town's inhabitants. So while the tavern itself may not change, how exactly it is run changes often.

The town is centered on an old wooden temple to the goddesses of agriculture and hunting. It is maintained by Lady Pemberton who offers healing to those in need and believes in leading by example as opposed to actual sermons and preaching. The unnamed temple serves as a town meeting hall, and the ancient timbers far predate the town itself.

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Thornbury

A few miles upriver from Hengistbury is its smaller sister Thornbury. The 100 or so people of Thornbury have a friendly rivalry with Hengistbury, holding annual festivals where they compete for victory and bragging rights in cheese rolling, pie eating, and sheep shearing competitions. Most of the local fisherfolk can be persuaded to ferry passengers between the two.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

When the party approaches Granny Appleseed's homestead, read the following.

You can smell Granny Appleseed's cottage emanating the aroma of freshly baked apple pies before you see the rustic, tidy hut and the picket fence around it. Surrounding the fenced yard about her home are several wild apple trees, many of which bear fruit even though it is not in season.

As you approach a plump and jolly elderly human woman emerges, wearing a frilly apron that is pristinely clean and a laurel of apple flowers on her head. Her nose is crooked and lumpy, and her teeth have a lot of gaps between them. "Hello, faces old and new! Come in, come in. I've just put the pie in the oven and the kettle will be boiling in just a minute. Make yourselves at home!" She beckons you all to join her inside.

Granny Appleseed is a friendly green hag  known in Hengistbury for her remedies, advice, and magical pastries. After hearing what the adventurers are seeking as they snack on some strangely addictive cookies, she says she has the perfect recipe for their predicament: a good old herb quiche. However, just making it for the PCs is boring, so she challenges them to a riddle instead to see if they can figure out what the right ingredients are.

---

The old woman picks up a spoon from a honeypot and swishes it around. Threads of sugar float in the air as she rhythmically speaks.

"To set your lost memories free,
You must bring me these ingredients three:
A sun inside the sea, and found in the lea.
A coin you can eat, sometimes new and sometimes sweet.
What all soldiers need, but is hollow and empty.
My backyard or forest, go out and seek,
to help create the lock and the key!"

---

The items Granny Appleseed is looking for are robin eggs, mint, and morel respectively.

After hearing the riddle, the party can make DC 13 Insight or Nature checks for each ingredient. On a success, they know the type of ingredient they are looking for (egg, herb, fungi). Alternatively, the players may decide to use their own wits to figure out the riddle, which can circumvent this check.

The PCs may then head out into Granny Appleseed's garden or the forest and make a group check to look around for items that might fit those criteria with a DC 15 Investigation or Perception check.

If the party fails the checks they find or deduce the "wrong" ingredients: namely forget-me-not flowers, currants, and the gut of a recently-butchered rabbit.

Whatever the group brings to Granny Appleseed, she adds it into a giant quiche for the adventurers to have as part of a lavish dinner of pastries and hearty dishes. For each correct ingredient, a PC gets to remove one condition , a level of fatigue , or a level of strife . If all the ingredients are correct, they also gain 10 temporary hit points that last for up to 24 hours.

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Ingredient Mishaps

Adventurers that got the wrong ingredients may be in for a difficult surprise! The Narrator can choose to have the adventurers make a Constitution saving throw (DC 12 + 1 per wrong ingredient). On failed save, a curse afflicts them until their memory returns.

Ingredient Mishaps (1d6)

1. Seeing a person with Charisma 14 or higher brightens your field of vision and fills your peripheral with a hazy pink border of sparkling roses.
2. Whenever you speak a word beginning with R, your head turns into that of a frog for 1 minute. You can still speak and use your senses normally.
3. For an hour after each meal, you suffer terrible hiccups that trigger every 20 syllables.
4. Your skin becomes vividly colored and changes at the end of each long rest. The effect temporarily goes away until the next long rest if you drink a cup of water.
5. Between dawn and sunset you have an irresistible urge to rhyme, forcing you to end sentences with nonsensical words to fulfill the requirement.
6. Your preference for smells is flipped— what usually smells awful to others smells wonderful to you, and vice versa.

---

After eating the quiche, the party falls into a food coma for an hour, which can serve as a short rest .

After the adventurers rouse from their food coma, they wake to find...that they feel exactly the same! None of their missing memories have returned! Granny Appleseed explains that this is meant to be: as stated in the riddle, she has created the lock and key. It is up to the party to do the actual unlocking. The best way to go about this is to live a normal life in Hengistbury, where it all seemingly began. Hopefully spending time in town will ultimately jog their memories, and answer how or why they ended up in a cult.

Before they leave, Granny Appleseed provides the group with parting gifts. If they did not locate the right ingredients, she gives the PCs a choice of two items out of three:

• an empty  dreamscrying bowl
• a gossip earring
• or Perdita Ravenwing's True Name.

If they found all the correct ingredients, she also gives each of them a tin of Granny Appleseed's Signature Pastries. This special ration never expires, and after consuming it at the end of its next long rest a creature can remove 1d4 conditions , levels of fatigue , or levels of strife .

The adventure continues in Act III: Evil's True Face.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Beginning Act III =>

 

These ancient halls of religious burial run all throughout Northminster, though cave-ins have separated major sections from the whole. Unless otherwise specified, all of the following locations are pitch dark.

 

 

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#1: The Holy Deep

The walls of this 30-foot wide and 50-foot tall circular chamber are lined with alcoves filled with the ceremonially shrouded bones of only the holiest of ancient monks. A staircase leading up into the ceiling (Area #2) encircles the room and makes a landing on the floor to the south. A pair of lit torches flank the stair landing along the southern wall. The corpses of an armored human woman and some sort of insect creature lie dead on the floor at the room's center.

Treasure

Adventurers that inspect Annika Crestveil's body find that she is wearing cold iron full plate armor, though it is currently broken . She was also wielding a +1 warhammer with a distinctive curved design (attacks with it gain a +1 magical bonus to attack and damage).

Both of these items are distinctive and instantly recognizable as Annika's, which may have an impact if openly used later on.

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#2: Dead Sanctuary

This square chamber is 25 feet to a side and is filled with dilapidated pews arranged facing a ruined altar of some sort, though the dais is currently slid to the left revealing a stairwell heading down (Area #1). Strange runes still glow on the front of the altar, as if some kind of puzzle was solved to move it and reveal the staircase. There are shut stone doors on the west (Area #3) and east (Area #4) sides, and a set of stone double doors hang open to the south (Area #5). 

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#3: Rubble-Blocked Hall

This long hallway once led into the rest of the labyrinthian maze of catacomb tunnels but it has fallen to ruin and filled with rubble. A single stone door to the east (Area #2) holds back a rockslide.

Trap

While not specifically set as a trap, any creature that opens the door to this hall is hit with a ton of falling rubble and makes a DC 16 Strength saving throw or takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.

The area is otherwise filled with rubble and is impassable without major excavation.

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#4: Chancel Storage

This 15-foot by 10-foot room seems to have once served as some sort of chancel by the original builders but it has been used as a storage room by the cult of the khalkos.

Treasure

The room contains several boxes of an unpleasant but serviceable hard tack and some filled waterskins. All told up to 10 Supply can be scavenged from here.

Adventurers that inspect this area closely with a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check also find a small sack of hard candies tucked in amongst the hard tack.

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#5: Gelatinous Hallway

This 10-foot wide and 40-foot long tunnel ends in stone double doors at both its north (Area #2) and south (Area #6) sides. The floor seems to be soaking wet and glistens in torchlight.

Trap

This tunnel was once occupied by a pair of gelatinous cubes but they were destroyed by Annika Crestveil as she made her way through the catacombs leaving their remains to create an unintentional hazard.

The entire length of the hallway is difficult terrain and any creature that steps into the area for the first time on their turn or ends their turn there takes 2 (1d4) acid damage. Adventurers that make a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notice the strange glisten and angular chunks before stepping into the acid slick.

The PCs should be encouraged to come up with their own creative solutions to this problem, but the old pews from the dread sanctuary (Area #2) could be easily laid over the acid to create a safe path.

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#6: Parishioner's Tomb

This 50-foot square chamber is lined with countless locili (the shelf-like alcoves where bodies are laid to rest), the floor littered with broken bones and partial skeletal remains. A set of double doors hang open at its northern wall (Area #5) and a passage yawns open to further catacombs beyond on the western wall (Area #7). As the party arrives, 2 skeletons draped in burial shrouds pull themselves out of the rubble and stare at the adventurers with eyes like shining blue stars atop a velvet black void.

Creatures

The reanimated skeletons are the "survivors' from when not long ago Annika Crestveil smashed her way through a dozen of their undead compatriots. The skeletons are actually nonhostile remains of the old monastery's parishioners.

If the PCs approach without hostility, the skeletons simply bow and step aside to allow them to leave unharmed.

If the party chooses to attack the skeletons, they instead fight until destroyed.

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#7: The First Trap

This 30-foot long 5-foot wide hallway terminates in an open corridor on its eastern side (Area #6) and an odd stone door at its western side (to the exterior). The middle of the corridor is dominated by a 10-foot wide pit, a simple pit trap with a false floor that seems to have already been triggered, sharpened metal spikes lining the bottom 20 feet down. A nicely coiled 50 foot length of hempen rope sits on the eastern side of the pit.

Trap

Annika Crestveil already triggered and circumvented this trap but even a triggered trap can present an interesting challenge for 1st level characters. There are many solutions with or without the rope, but any creature that falls onto the spikes takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and 2 (1d4) piercing damage.

Catacomb Exit

The door on the west side of this corridor leads out of the catacombs into the Redwall area of Northminster, operated by an old and rusty lever. When the adventurers first pull this lever, read or paraphrase the following:

The door before you has an odd angular edge, like the pattern of brickwork. At the lever's pull you hear the grind of stone and the shine of daylight pours into the darkened catacombs. With a stuttering jolt the door suddenly swings open with a hearty smack and you hear muttered curses from the other side.

Blinking in the light, you see out into a cluttered alleyway, the sounds of bustle and civilization starkly contrasting the deathly silence of the catacombs. You spot a halfling, the source of the muttered curses, picking himself off the trash-littered cobblestones and rubbing a fresh red mark on his forehead. He raises a knife and begins to shout but drops it and gasps the moment he sees your faces saying, "why you little! Ah, heh… forgive me, I ah, didn't realize I was speaking with celebrities." The halfling gestures to the wall behind him, which you now see is plastered with countless wanted posters each bearing striking if exaggerated likenesses of you and your companions with the words, "wanted, dangerous cultist, dead or alive 100 gold reward'. He sheepishly looks up at you and asks, "you ah, ain't gonna cut out my kidneys or whatever cultists do right?"

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Wanted In Northminster =>

Orfrain Cassar is a highwayman turned unwitting vassal of a psychic extraplanar insect called a khalkos .

Orfrain was the one responsible for obtaining "initiates" for the cult in Northminster and has come out to the Crawley Hills to start his own branch. He's heard of the original cult's fall and has since been "recruiting".

Orfrain kidnaps and delivers prisoners to the khalkos deep in the catacombs underneath the city of Northminster where it psionically enslaves them into its own private "cult", forcing them to abduct others from the settlement above and making them infamous "cultists" in the eyes of Northminster. Orfrain is a cult fanatic .

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

A monstrous insectile being has invaded the minds of innocent bystanders and psionically press-ganged them into a "cult" deep within the catacombs of Northminster. After the cult plagued the townsfolk for weeks, the brave adventurer Annika Crestveil delved beneath the city and neither she nor the vile insect survived their battle.

Left dazed and confused at the end of another hero's story, the adventurers wake in the Northminster catacombs without memories and soon discover they are wanted criminals. Our "cultists" must find a way to regain their memories and find the real culprits while being hunted down by Annika's brother Tariq Crestveil, the captain of the guard relentlessly seeking vengeance for the death of his sister.

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About the Adventure

This introductory adventure is designed for an adventuring party of four to five 1st level characters. Memories of Holdenshire is a Level Up adventure that begins below the city of Northminster and ends in the small town of Hengistbury in the county of Holdenshire. By the end of the adventure, the adventurers should be 3rd level. Memories of Holdenshire can be run independently as its own adventure, a prelude to your own campaigns, or it can be used to lead directly into the much larger Level Up adventure path of To Save A Kingdom. The county of Holdenshire is the central location for To Save A Kingdom but it can also fit comfortably into any larger fantasy setting of your choosing.

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Adventure Background

A month ago each of the adventurers were abducted off the road east of Hengistbury by Orfrain Cassar, a highwayman turned unwitting vassal of a psychic extraplanar insect called a khalkos . Orfrain then delivered his prisoners to the khalkos deep in the catacombs underneath the city of Northminster where it psionically enslaved them into its own private "cult", forcing the party to abduct others from the settlement above and making them infamous "cultists" in the eyes of Northminster.

The players will not remember what happened during their weeks of psionic domination and should begin the adventure confused about their circumstances. Their last memories should be hazy recollections of Hengistbury—prior to the adventure or during the first session, the Narrator should work with players to determine what they remember and why they'd either live in or pass through Hengistbury.

A Different Start

If your group prefers not to begin the game without memories, see A Different Start. Also review Level Up's suggested safety tools .

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Adventure Overview

The adventure takes place over the course of three acts, each of which is designed to take 1–2 regular sessions of play, give or take a session depending on the speed of the players and the length of each session.

Act I: The Cult Who Knew Too Little

For adventurers of 1st–2nd level

The adventurers have been scandalously abducted, their minds taken from them by a powerful extraplanar monster and their actions the past few weeks not their own. Just before the adventure begins a famed hero, Annika Crestveil, delves into the Northminster catacombs and does battle with the insidious khalkos . Both Annika and the khalkos die in their fight, and the adventure opens as the heroes find themselves waking up in the catacombs with no memory of recent days, trying to piece together what happened.

Upon reaching the surface, the adventurers find to their surprise that they are wanted criminal "cultists" being hunted by the town guard. They meet Belton Freedew, a charming member of the criminal underground willing to smuggle them out of the city for a price. After completing a few dangerous tasks for Belton, the players narrowly escape the city in a high-speed wagon chase and they set out into the wilderness in search of Granny Appleseed, a wise woman capable of restoring their lost memories. The adventurers advance to 2nd level at the end of this act.

Act II: On the Lam

For adventurers of 2nd level

With Captain Tariq hot on their trail, the roads are no longer safe and the party must forge ahead through lawless and wild territories. The adventurers run into numerous encounters as they avoid the guards and explore the wilderness, surviving against the elements and crafting new identities with help from Belton. Eventually they arrive in the Weirwood and meet Granny Appleseed—and after some cooking and riddles they learn that to restore their memories they'll need to return to Hengistbury where it all started.

Act III: Evil's True Face

For adventurers of 2nd–3rd level

The party arrives in Hengistbury and bids farewell to Belton as they settle in and attempt to regain their memories. The little town is far from quiet and after some needed rest the adventurers must defend the townsfolk from kobold attacks. Eventually their memories return and each of the PCs recalls being abducted on the east road, and upon inspection they find a smashed wagon—and that Belton never made it to his destination. The party then tracks down Orfrain Cassar's lair where they find both Belton and Captain Tariq captured within. In a grotesque twist of their final confrontation, Orfrain's head bursts to reveal the sickening khalkos larvae within. The adventurers squish the psionic vermin and make peace with Captain Tariq, advancing to 3rd level at the end of this act.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

Unfortunately it's not all merriment about Hengistbury. The rumors about town of kobolds are in fact well founded, and they've noticed that all the festivities have kept the townsfolk distracted. The evening of the second day of the festival they launch a three-pronged raid meant to test Hengistbury's defenses in preparation for future attacks.

All the attacking kobolds are different from the typical scaly humanoids: these are the dragon servitors . Any adventurer that makes a DC 13 Arcana check recognizes that while kobolds are normally a mottled brown color, these are a deep crimson, meaning they likely have some connection to a red dragon.

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Encounter 1

The first attack is launched against the fishing and ferry boats. There are 10 kobolds scrambling about and trying to set everything they can alight— cargo, ropes, and the ships themselves. A few NPCs who were amongst the vessels have attempted to rally, but anyone trying to put out the flames became targets. All told 4 fisherfolk ( commoners ) have taken shelter underneath one of the docks and 3 of them are bloodied.

Ultimately this attack is a distraction, and when meaningful resistance shows up (namely the PCs) the kobolds only stay for a single round of combat before retreating.

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Encounter 2

Not long after the flames are spotted by the boats a cry goes up that there are kobolds at the Bleeding Heart Tavern! There are 3 kobolds and 1 kobold sorcerer , and they also have arson on their minds. The structure's mead-splashed beams don't catch as quickly as they'd like though, so they quickly resort to stealing booze, burning the wall hangings, and generally causing havoc. When confronted, two of the kobolds flee, but the third stays to fight alongside the kobold sorcerer for 3 rounds (or until one of them is killed), at which point they both retreat.

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Encounter 3

This last attack strikes at the symbol of Hengistbury's security: Hengistbury Keep. Lord and Lady Pemberton are both presiding over the festival and thankfully aren't at home, but a few servants are still here. They managed to spot the oncoming kobolds and have barred the main doors and shuttered the windows, but the keep wasn't built to withstand a concerted attack. Aharad, a traveling minstrel who had been in the midst of a tryst with one of the staff when the assault came, is alternating using her illusion magic to signal for help and helping lob projectiles (and in her case, vicious mockery ) down at the invaders from the second-floor windows.

There is 1 kobold dragon servitor and 1 kobold broodguard trying to break down the doors with a log clearly brought for the task, while 2 kobolds try to find an alternate way inside (a trio of the scaly attackers already lay dead or unconscious).

When the PCs arrive Aharad focuses on aiding them, providing what healing and magical support she can from the safety of the keep. These kobolds will stay for 3 rounds (or until one of them is killed) before retreating.

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The True Mission

The point of all of this, it turns out, is to provide cover for a final broodguard to investigate the Sheriff's Office. The kobolds have plans that involve kidnapping Ariadne Torek—but that's for the To Slay A Dragon adventure!

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The Aftermath

To say that the citizens are rattled is an understatement—the county has always been peaceful, and for an attack to come during the festival of all times? It was unthinkable. They're a resourceful and sturdy lot however, and by the time the adventurers get back from the keep there's already a medical tent set up in what had formerly been seating for the pie eating competition. Lady Pemberton is tending to these affairs as Lord Pemberton helps assess the damage inflicted upon the docks.

Treasure

Once the chaos is down to a dull roar the rulers of Hengeistbury come together and decide that a reward for the PCs is in order. Thankfully the kobolds were unable to compromise their strongbox and they offer a candle of the surreptitious scholar , a vial of dust of sneezing and choking , and a faerie love letter  as tokens of their thanks.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | A Friend In Need =>

Throughout their journeys the party are bound to run into other creatures that aren't directly tied into the story of Memories of Holdenshire. These encounters can certainly lead to violent confrontation, but not necessarily—the party could be bamboozled and stolen from, decide to make a fell bargain with a priest seeking new adherents to a dark faith, lie their way past an obtrusive guard, or find that a meeting of circumstance points them to a clue they might have missed earlier on. The Narrator should encourage creative solutions by the PCs and remember that some of the most memorable NPCs are the ones who survive meeting the party (though good battles are certainly part of the fun).

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Important NPCs

• Annika Crestveil, the hero who was slain battling the khalkos .
• Belton Freedew, a halfling criminal who helps the adventures escape Northminster.
• Granny Appleseed, a green hag who helps the adventurers unlock their memories.
• Orfrain Cassar, the cult fanatic behind the evil plot.
• Tariq Crestveil, guard captain and brother to Annika, bent on revenge for her death.

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Friends or Foe?

This page is designed to help the Narrator keep track of all the NPCs in Holdenshire (both Hengistbury and Thornbury). Not all of these characters are critical to the plot, but the area is designed to work as a sandbox-style setting with plot hooks and suggestions liberally sprinkled throughout the following descriptions in addition to those in the main adventure.

Unless otherwise noted, any NPC in Holdenshire has the statistics of a commoner .

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Albert Wright

Albert Wright is the twelfth of thirteen kids from the hills near Brockendale who grew up to be a veterinarian. He dreams of taking care of baby owlbears, sick hippogriffs, and other exotic creatures. He keeps his Veterinary Clinic in Thornbury because it is near Ayle's Loch, Brockendale Castle, and the Queenswood where he likes to search for animals to study in his leisure time. He is not a cruel man and merely makes notes of their habits and lifestyles, making him a valuable guide to the area around Brockendale Castle.

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Ariadne

Ariadne is Brand Torek's niece. Although she plays only a small part in Memories of Holdenshire, she is probably the most important NPC in the following adventure (To Slay A Dragon) and the Narrator would do well to ingratiate her with the adventurers. Gord, the oldest of the Mortimer Brothers, is in love with Ariadne although she is not aware of this. She can often be located in and around Brand's house, but does make the occasional foray to the banks of the Moor-Run to pick flowers. Messages for Brand can be reliably left with her should the need arise.

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Ariel

Ariel is a midwife and herb supplier. She spends much of her time in the local wilderness collecting supplies. In her youth she was an adventurer and became a somewhat accomplished druid . She helps Lady Pemberton minister to the needs of the community and generally does so willingly, but she's been known to have a sharp word for anyone who has injured themselves doing something foolish or dangerous.

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Aus

Aus is an annoying young kid always trying to scurry around and get the latest rumors in an effort to impress the older Mortimer Brothers. In particular he is interested in rumors of a dragon in the east, and carries a stuffed dragon toy. He cheers for the dragon and pranks those who show interest in slaying it. He has collected a lot of dragon trivia in his 8 short years.

Some of it is even accurate, though no one is really sure about which bits have just been made up or confused with the real ones. Still, he constantly tries to find more and in the future he may prove to be a useful source of information.

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Brand Torek

The county is patrolled by Brand Torek ( strider ), a large, easygoing bear of a man proficient in hammer and bow. He reports directly to Lord Pemberton. Brand is a tall fellow with broad shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard that doesn't hide his square jaw. A retired adventurer, he still keeps his old armor and massive warhammer hanging on the wall of his cabin and office in Hengistbury. He is serious about his job and is rarely found in his office as he spends much of his time patrolling the villages and roads. Brand dotes on his niece, Ariadne, and would hate to see any harm befall her. His official title is "sheriff' and he is occasionally assisted by Yara Bloodclaw and Jayel.

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Donald Morrison

Donald Morrison is a giant of a man ( thug ) known for the kilt he wears and his forge in Thornbury. He's not as skilled as Rorus Klain is, but still produces serviceable items of decent quality. Rorus employs him when there is a large order that needs filling to handle the more work-a-day needs of the community. Both men are on genial terms with each other, but is that just a hint of jealousy in Morrison's eyes?

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Emery Shier

Emery Shier is an alchemist  based in Thornbury. He sometimes works with Heinrich Krebs to replenish supplies, but by and large makes himself available to locals to meet their more pressing needs. He runs his shop from the kitchen of his home and though his alchemical supplies are more limited in variety, each is of equal quality to Heinrich's. This makes some people suspicious and they wonder who the real talent is.

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Freya Aeval

Freya Aeval is an adorable little pixie  girl with long braided red hair, blue eyes, and pink and black butterfly-like wings. She spends much of her time in the vicinity of the Bleeding Heart Tavern, although she can be a source of information about the Weirwood. She seems to be sweet on Redheaded Roland, and while it isn't entirely certain that he returns the affection they are often seen going into the Weirwood together.

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Gavin Morrigan

The writer Gavin Morrigan ( veteran ) is a dark-haired man with a dusting of silver at his temples which seems almost to contrast the spark of youthful determination in his eyes. Though Gavin is often engrossed in his work, he is clearly in good shape. No one seems to know why he spends so much of his free time at the Bleeding Heart Tavern, nor what exactly he is writing. Surely something— or someone—must attract him here on a regular basis. What could it be?

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Heinrich Krebs

Heinrich Krebs (a spy  proficient with alchemist's supplies) is a self-proclaimed apothecary who wears his chosen profession like a title. Almost all villagers use products from his shop, be it to help with diseases, to enrich the love-life, or to get the town's best stain remover. For the occasional adventurer, classics like alchemist's fire or smoke sticks are always in stock. Whenever Heinrich needs to resupply, Thornbury's alchemist Emery Shier comes along to help out. Some locals are starting to wonder who the real alchemist is.

---

Horatio Denhew

The brewmaster Horatio Denhew owns Thornbury's tavern, Denhew's Pub ‘n' Grub. He hopes to one day open a second branch in Hengistbury, although the Bleeding Heart Tavern's popularity has stayed his hand so far. When not in the kitchen he likes to mingle with his patrons, loving to hear their tales. If asked why he doesn't adventure himself, Horatio replies, "I nearly kill meself in me own kitchen e'ery day—wouldn't last more'n a week crawlin' through dungeons. Lemme refill yer ale."

---

Jahmus "Jayel" Laekin

Widely known as Jayel, Jahmus Laekin is the name of a one time scout , now hunter of men at the behest of Brand. Though amicable, the dark-haired man holds little sympathy for the malicious. He prefers to live peaceably but has no qualms about doing bad things to bad folk—or people he believes to be bad, at any rate. It would be a terrible thing if he got carried away one day and did something unforgivable to someone innocent. Fortunately, Brand has been able to use Jayel's emotions for good.

---

John-Francis Rainweaver

John-Francis Rainweaver is a hearty woodsman (a scout  with proficiency in History) of indeterminate age. He was once a court scholar in Northminster before being charged with teaching the young prince of Northminster, but some unspecified catastrophe occurred and he was dismissed. Unable to find more work as a scholar, he came to Holdenshire to seek what fortune he could. There is enough need for wood, meat, and skins to keep several woodsmen busy, yet after a few minutes of speaking with him it's clear that Rainweaver is seeking something here—maybe redemption.

---

John Tulworth

John Tulworth is an untrustworthy little sneak known to the other kids as "The Toad', always getting into trouble with other youths (particularly Kit Bartleby). Nobody is sure why the two are so close to one another, but most think that Tulworth is a good kid at heart who's just been led down a bad path.

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Juide "Black-Hand" Averauh

Juide "Black-Hand" Averauh is a rarely-seen woodsman ( scout ) who keeps the village well-supplied with good meat. Most people assume he hunts in Queenswood for the most part and Juide does nothing to disabuse them of this notion.

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Kalle Sirkesalo

The  archmage  Kalle Sirkesalo lives in a tower located on an island in the river about 5 miles downstream. He is rarely seen but his henchman, Redheaded Roland (who is neither redheaded, nor named Roland), is seen in Hengistbury most weeks purchasing supplies. The wizard is often in need of rare ingredients so his servant is a busy fellow. Roland can sometimes be found in the company of Freya Aeval, the pixie, as they head into the Weirwood often. Kalle supplies the veterinarian, Albert Wright, with certain potions and medicines he needs for his job—no one is really quite sure what else might be going on at the tower.

---

Karatilana "Tila" Torin

Karatilana "Tila' Torin ( spy ) is a "rogue economist', believing that redistribution of wealth is the key to economic success. She takes this belief very personally, handling much of this "redistribution' herself. The rest of the community simply regards her as a thief. Currently she's being sought after by Brand and Jayel for pilfering from the Pemberton's latest round of taxation, though neither is eager to find her until after the Summer Festival.

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Kitster "Kit" Bartleby

Kitster "Kit" Bartleby ( bandit ) is a charismatic fence who trades stolen property, typically items stolen by his criminal accomplice John Tulworth. Holdenshire is altogether not a big place however, so many are unsure of what the lad is up to. Who does he sell to and why? And what are they doing with the goods?

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Logan Brokenbarrel

The master of Holdenshire's quarry is the black-bearded dwarf Logan Brokenbarrel ( soldier ). Adventurers with the soldier background may recognize his regimental tattoos, which link him to a notorious massacre committed by the last king's troops at Ayle's Loch. He keeps his past a closely-guarded secret, and if anyone were to find out the exact nature of his deeds he would surely be displeased—maybe even taking drastic action to silence the person.

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Lord and Lady Pemberton

Holdenshire County is governed by Lord Pemberton ( noble ) and his lady-wife, Lady Sybill Pemberton ( acolyte ), and contains the village of Hengistbury and the hamlet of Thornbury. The nobles reside in Hengistbury Keep on a small hill overlooking their town. Lady Sybill Pemberton is a devout follower of the goddess of hunting, and she volunteers in the only temple in Hengistbury with the aid of Ariel and Prirkka.

Lord and Lady Pemberton also own the Bleeding Heart Tavern and have an unusual arrangement for running it. Between that essential establishment, festivals, and several other local programs they do much to ensure the communities in their care remain healthy, happy, and prosperous.

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Mallory Jackdaw

Mallory Jackdaw is a seven-year-old boy with unkempt brown hair and blue eyes, who never stops talking—he knows a little about everything and is willing to make the rest up. He's been feeding Aus various stories (and in some cases outright lies) about the dragon far to the east. It's fairly likely that any information he might give to interested adventurers is no better.

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Meredith Jones

Meredith Jones is a young, stern-looking, serious woman in her early twenties not quite sure what to do with her life. Right now she's working in the Bleeding Heart Tavern as a barmaid, but she's certain that she is meant for greater things. As the only permanent employee of the tavern Meredith knows how things work better than most. It may be that she secretly admires someone in the town, though if so she has kept it a well-guarded secret.

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Mortimer Brothers

The Mortimer Brothers fancy themselves to be a thieves' guild but in reality the three young orphans (Beej, Gord, and Poke) operate more as paid gossips. They spend a lot of time with Ugg, who is very protective of them which is good as they often find themselves in minor trouble. Gord ( spy ) is in love with Ariadne and will soon come of age, making him ever bolder with every day that passes.

---

Myco Ferris

Myco Ferris ( minstrel ) is the jovial owner of the Hen and Filly boarding house. Sheriff Brand Torek has suspicions about how their cousin Belton Freedew makes his living and has commented so, but Myco waves alway such suspicions and turns the conversation to something more interesting. A deeply-invested gossip, Myco is willing to offer a discounted rate to those that share choice tidbits of information.

---

Mylani Azalathellon

Mylani Azalathellon is a teenaged half-elf with a fascination with the law. She always carries two small books with her: a book of common laws and a notebook that she uses to record any transgressions of the law that she witnesses. Brand finds her enthusiasm tiresome—but maybe she's on to something. Perhaps she's unwittingly seen something important and written it down in her little book. Or maybe she's just a nosey busybody with a score to settle.

---

Nazid

Nazid of the Adashim family from the Ben-Yumo clan has a little spice shop called The Spice of Life from which he sells spices to the locals (particularly Lord and Lady Pemberton). About once a year or so a foreign gentleman shows up to conduct business with Nazid, though he always seems to leave with a heavier pack than when he arrived.

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Penner

Penner is a halfling pig farmer with an affinity for pirate history and memorabilia. He likes to spend some evenings at the Bleeding Heart Tavern in the company of other locals. His interest in pirates may give him a unique perspective on some of the local goings on, and his farm's proximity to the Weirwood may give him insight there as well.

---

Prirkka Strongfist

Prirkka Strongfist is a half-orc midwife and new in town. She's about 50 years old, tall, and has long black hair with a few hints of gray. One of her eyes is brown while the other is green, and she's allergic to cats (preferring to keep away from any adventurer with a feline familiar). Lady Pemberton has drafted Prirkka into service helping care for the county's residents, though no one is quite sure where she came from or why she ended up here. Some folks still mistrust her but she may slowly win them over, provided nothing untoward happens.

---

Redheaded Roland

Redheaded Roland, who is neither redheaded, nor called Roland, is deeply in love with the pixie Freya Aeval and will stop at nothing to protect her, and though he tries to hide his affections whenever pressed about it he rushes off to perform some task for the mage he serves (Kalle Sirkesalo).

---

Reg Bakerson

Reg Bakerson is Thornbury's baker and a friendly sort to all. He has a habit of saying awkward things, but he's well-meaning and is never out to do anyone harm. Reg likes to drink when he's not working and becomes rather boisterous after a few hours. Fortunately he's looked on affectionately by the townsfolk, although thought of as a bit odd. He tends to think of the Pub ‘n' Grub as his home away from home, and gets worried if trouble starts there. A night of too much drinking means the fresh bread in Thornbury will be delayed the next morning.

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Robert MacBain

Robert MacBain is dark of hair and large of stature (he uses the statistics of a commoner with 8 hit points and a Strength score of 15). Tall and well-muscled from years working with his hands, Robert is generally thought of as kind and strong. He works stone mined from the quarry for various uses around the county. Most of the homes in Hengistbury are starting to put in stone foundations and some of the larger buildings in the area are already converted.

---

Rorus Klain

Rorus Klain is a large man in his early 40s, wide of girth and grizzled in appearance (he uses the statistics of a commoner  with 10 hit points and a Constitution score of 14). He is a smith of great skill and takes his work very seriously, with no time for foolish questions or irritating visitors. Rorus is quick to anger but equally quick to forgive, and once he becomes a friend he is fiercely loyal. His strong-willed wife Yulana is probably the only person in Hengistbury that Rorus fears. He often takes on large orders and has made arrangements with Thornbury's smith, Donald Morrison, to cover his day-to-day work at these times.

---

Saraz bint Farad bint Aquilah

Saraz bint Farad bint Aquilah is from a faraway land—her brightly-colored silk dresses are that of someone of nobility or great wealth, and her inquisitive curiosity prompts her to frequently make extensive notes about everything in Hengistbury and the surrounding countryside. She is still naive about local customs however, and some suspect she is connected to the Vistani of the Queenswood (a local band of nomads) in some way, but who can tell for sure?

Saraz uses the statistics of a priest  but casts her spells psionically, requiring no components and using Intelligence as her spellcasting ability (as the Psionic Spellcasting trait). In addition, her Intelligence score is 16 (+3), she's proficient with Arcana (and gains an expertise die on ability checks using it), and when she casts a cantrip or spell that deals radiant damage she deals psychic damage instead.

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Stedd Grimwold

Stedd Grimwold ( apprentice mage ) is a dwarven sorcerer who manifested his powers working the quarry—he needed a light to read a note and his body erupted into flames. All of his hair was burnt off and the fire caused a conflagration which killed his family and many other miners. In time he learned to control his powers and since then opened a small shop in Hengistbury where he provides potions. Morose and taciturn, Stedd mopes about, a sad forlorn shell of a dwarf. Perhaps something can be done for him?

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Stefan Oakfell

A woodsman and hunter ( scout ), Stefan Oakfell is a soft-spoken, rugged, and lean man approaching his late forties. He has a haunted look in his eyes that suggests he may have seen—or indeed, done— terrible things. Stefan is a solitary character who does not seek the company of others. If he can be convinced to share it, he may have news of strange goings on in the Queenswood as he certainly seems to spend the majority of his time in and around its environs.

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Steffen the Baker

Steffen is the Hengistbury town baker. With brown-gray hair, he's a little plump from too much bread. All that means is he has a finer understanding of the baking arts than does his counterpart in Thornbury. People line up daily to collect fresh bread from Steffen and his bakery serves as a secondary community hub before the Bleeding Heart Tavern opens for the day—what isn't heard there may well be heard here.

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Tamas Agrens

Tamas Agrens is the local sage ( priest ) of the area. He's fairly aloof and unfriendly, and clearly considers himself more clever than most of the locals. For this reason the Mortimer Brothers enjoy taunting him with stupid questions and pranks. Maybe he does know something the rest of the town doesn't. Whatever it is, it is unlikely to be good for anyone.

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Temrus Clothbinder

Temrus Clothbinder is a cheese maker ("Clothbinder' comes from the cloth used to bind up cheese, a fact he loves lecturing to people). Not only does he make cheeses for general use, he is also responsible for providing the cheeses used in the annual Autumn Harvest Festival cheese roll competition. Each cheese for the festival is wrapped in black and all the residents know not to touch those cheeses. This prevents tampering and might also have something to do with the platinum piece hidden in at least one cheese as a prize. At least, they are supposed to be hidden in the cheeses. As far as everyone else knows, anyway.

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Three-Fingered Jake

Three-Fingered Jake is an itinerant minstrel  who wanders through every few weeks performing in exchange for food or coin. Most news of the wider world comes from his visits to town. He can usually be found twanging away in the Bleeding Heart Tavern (originally called the Beaming Hearth until the Mortimer Brothers vandalized the pub's sign). Jake knows many rumors and legends of the regions beyond Holdenshire.

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Tillian Bricklebottom

Tillian Bricklebottom is a male halfling scribe, translator, writer and wine purveyor who has settled down in Thornbury. Old deeds and wills, the occasional newly acquired manuscript from distant lands, and the writing of official documents for Lord and Lady Pemberton tend to keep him reasonably busy.

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Ugg

Ugg is a small hill giant  who was befriended by the village children some years ago (the Mortimer Brothers in particular). Ugg is not his real name, but he is affectionately called such as he clumsily yet cheerfully assists with manual labor around town. The giant is a kindhearted soul and dislikes seeing others mistreated, particularly if the reason for doing so stems from prejudice against those who are "different'. Ugg speaks both Common and Giant, but relies mostly on Common while working in the village. Occasionally when working alone, he can be heard singing some quite interesting songs in Giant.

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Willem von Nederveen

Willem von Nederveen is a traveling merchant from the trading company Samuel and Sons in distant Northminster. He is helpful to those who are friendly to him. Willem was sent to Hengistbury to get the company's shop there in order, though he's newly arrived and just getting his bearings. The company plans on doing a brisk business buying up local materials and goods while selling finished products back to the residents.

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Yara Bloodclaw

Yara Bloodclaw is a tall, tattooed woman around 35 years old. She has lived in Hengistbury for about 6 years, now working as a beemaster. A capable fighter ( warrior ), she reinforces the guards of Hengistbury and is never seen without her two warhammers. If asked about her past she mentions only that she was raised in a cold mountain range in a land far away. She says little and never drinks alcohol, a fact that makes her especially reliable when trouble crops up late at night.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

The last memories the party has from before the cult are from Hengistbury, but just being in the town isn't quite enough to bring anything back. The PCs must dig a little deeper and become more familiar with this place and its citizens to get the whole picture. Each adventurer must trigger at least 3 mundane memories to remember what brought them to the cult in the first place: being abducted by a mysterious figure into a covered wagon either by drugs, trickery, or violence. This realization, while unpleasant, gives the PC a feeling of purpose and they get a +1 bonus to their first initiative check every day until the end of the adventure.

The locations of such memories should be chosen by the Narrator, keeping in mind each adventurer's backstory. They can also be triggered by the people of Holdenshire, most likely by villagers recognizing the party and sharing an anecdote.

Unlocking a given memory requires a DC 12 Perception check (for locations) or a DC 12 ability check of the Narrator's choice (for NPCs, depending on the relationship). Each individual check can be attempted once per day. On a success, the adventurer relives the memory in question and gains a +1 bonus on their next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, and they cannot regain another memory until they have finished a long rest. On a failure, the adventurer gets a brief but splitting headache and a sense of familiarity, but nothing else.

---

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Bleeding Heart Tavern

The tavern is owned by the Pembertons and staffed by a rotating selection of the town's inhabitants on their behalf—the building itself may not change, but how exactly it is run changes often.

Possible Memories. An adventurer might arrive here and suddenly remember sliding a pint across the bar, playing a game in front of the fire, or bringing up supper to one of the rooms upstairs.

NPCs. Freya Aeval, Meredith Jones, Three- Fingered Jake.

Previous Interactions

• Freya Aeval: "I remember you—you sang that song about the Queen. Do you have any more?"
• Meredith Jones: "Wait, were you the patron who tipped with that old medallion? I've still got it somewhere."
• Three-Fingered Jake: "Oh, you're the one that lent me silver after that bad run at cards. Thanks—those adventurers were getting nasty!"

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Fields

Penner's pig farm is the most notable dwelling here, but many in the town work the fields or raise livestock in part- and full-time capacity to supplement their household or make ends meet.

Possible Memories. Working the fields, experiencing one of Ugg's self-composed songs.

NPCs. Penner, Ugg (the hill giant ).

Previous Interactions

• Penner: "You going to try your hand at the pig wrestling again? Arnie's all ready to go for the festival."
• Ugg: "Ugg remembers you! You sang with Ugg!"

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Forge

Known as one of the best smiths in the area, Rorus Klain runs a tight ship here.

Possible Memories. Having a weapon sharpened or armor mended, having a horse shod.

NPCs. Rorus Klain.

Previous Interactions

• Rorus Klain: "Mm? Did you go and blunt that blade already? Wasn't a month ago I last sharpened it."

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Hengistbury Keep

Home to Lord and Lady Pemberton, Hengistbury Keep is easily the most well-fortified and finest building in the area.

Possible Memories. Serving as an attendant to the Pemberton family, coming to pay respects.

NPCs. Lord Pemberton.

Previous Interactions

• Lord Pemberton: "Ah yes, I remember you asking to look at my libraries. Did you find what you sought?"

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Market

Easily the center of commerce and society in Hengistbury, the market is host to several businesses, as well as the more unsavory elements in town.

Possible Memories. Manning a booth, purchasing goods.

NPCs. Kit Bartleby, Mylani Azalathellon, Nazid, Stedd Grimwold, Steffen the Baker, Temrus Clothbinder.

Previous Interactions

• Kit Bartleby: "If you're planning to stick around, I might have a job for you..."
• Mylani Azalathellon: "Oh, it's you again. Planning to follow the law this time?"
• Nazid: "Well if it isn't my best customer! Lucky you, I got a shipment in since you left."
• Stedd Grimwold: "Oh, hello there. Did you ever find out if harvesting the nettles under moonlight made them more effective? I guess I should give that hair growth potion another try."
• Steffen the Baker: "Oh, what was your usual order? Wait, don't tell me—one baguette and two of the honey wheat rolls, right?"
• Temrus Clothbinder: "You know better now than to touch one of the black-wrapped cheeses, right? I don't want any trouble."

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Moor-Run River

The river is a popular spot for local fisherfolk. Ferries frequently run between Hengistbury and Thornbury.

Possible Memories. Going out of the water for a day's work, picking flowers as a temple offering.

NPCs. Ariadne, any fisherfolk.

Previous Interactions

• Ariadne: "Weren't you the one who rescued my bouquet from the current? Thank you!"
• Fisherfolk (any): "You're back! Any chance you've got time to go out onto the water with us again?"

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Old Temple

Once a temple to the goddesses of agriculture and hunting, this old building is now used as both a town hall and place of healing. It is maintained by Lady Pemberton who offers magical aid to those in need.

Possible Memories. Lighting incense to the goddesses, coming to request healing, or partaking in a heated debate during one of the town meetings.

NPCs. Ariel, Heinrich Krebs, Lady Pemberton, Prirkka Strongfist.

Previous Interactions

• Ariel: "Not planning on falling out of any trees again, are you? I told you I'd only fix that arm once if you were going to be a fool about it."
• Heinrich Krebs: "Ah, there you are. Were you ever able to find that calendula I asked about?"
• Lady Pemberton: "You've lent us your healing touch once before. Would you do so again?"
• Prirkka Strongfist: "Glad to see you again—I meant to give my thanks for your help during that rough birth—I don't know if both twins would have made it without you."

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Sheriff's Office

Run by Brand Torek, the Sheriff's Office also doubles as his living quarters and the county's closest equivalent to a jail. While he himself isn't often in (preferring to spend his time on patrol) his presence lingers in the form of his old adventuring armor and massive warhammer on display.

Possible Memories. Being held in the makeshift jail for drunkenness, coming to check the job board outside.

NPCs. Ariadne Torek, Brand Torek, Jayel, Yara Bloodclaw.

Previous Interactions

• Ariadne Torek: "Hello again! Did you come back to help Uncle Brand with the wolf problem?"
• Brand Torek: "Hope you've learned to handle your liquor while you've been gone—don't want to deal with you in the drunk tank again."
• Jayel: "Where'd you get to? A good hand in the wood is hard to find."
• Yara Bloodclaw: "Might need your arm again; we've heard tell of some monsters prowling around. The wolves have been getting bad, too."

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Sirkesalo's Tower

Kalle Sirkesalo is the local mage, and his tower is isolated from Hengistbury on a small island of its own downstream in the middle of the Moor-Run. He studies texts both arcane and divine, but is reclusive and doesn't often entertain guests for very long.

Possible Memories. Delivering a rare reagent, delivering mundane supplies.

NPCs. Kalle Sirkesalo, Redheaded Roland.

Previous Interactions

• Kalle Sirkesalo: "Oh, you're that mage that wanted a peek at my library, aren't you? Are you going to actually stay this time, or do you plan to disappear again?"
• Redheaded Roland: "Didn't we play dice at the Bleeding Heart? We should definitely go again— pretty sure I wiped you out."

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The Hen and Filly

A boarding house popular with seasonal workers and locals in between formal lodgings.

Possible Memories. Arriving for a season of farming, staying during roof repairs.

NPCs. Myco Ferris.

Previous Interactions

• Myco Ferris: "Wait, I remember you, now I think on it. You told stories to rival old Three- Fingers!"

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Trading Post

A variety of mundane gear is on offer here as well as game purchased from local hunters.

Possible Memories. Bringing in a day's catch of game, discussing the dangers of the Queen's Wood.

NPCs. John-Francis Rainweaver, Logan Brokenbarrel, Yara Bloodclaw.

Previous Interactions

• John-Francis Rainweaver: "Haven't seen you here in awhile. Out tracking that ten-point buck again?"
• Logan Brokenbarrel: "Back again, eh? That offer for night guard at the quarry is still open."
• Yara Bloodclaw: "Good to see that you're back. We might have to offer a bounty for wolves in the Queenswood—there's been a lot more of them this year."

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | The Summer Festival =>

Redwall is the long alleyway between the west, north, and east perimeter of the Northminster Abbey and the surrounding buildings. It is nearly a quarter-mile long and is connected to the rest of the city only by even narrower alleyways, making coordinated guard actions nearly impossible. It is the seat of Northminster's criminal underbelly, and numerous residents scamper throughout it eager to keep an eye out for marks while not looking too closely at each other's activities. There are several mainstays of Redwall though that the party may want or need to visit.

---

A: The Secret Door

Located midway along the west side of Redwall, this door leads into the catacombs beneath the city. It once served as the khalkos cult's secret entrance but it has been open in broad daylight and several onlookers are already taking an interest. The door can be closed again by pushing a brick that only looks obvious while the door is open and looks seamless when closed.

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B: Behind the Thrifty Griffon

The Thrifty Griffon is a general store just west of Northminster Abbey but its storefront has been dwarfed by the amount of back alley business it receives from Redwall as a fence and pawn shop. An elderly half-elven woman named Ms. Margo runs the Redwall side of the Thrifty Griffon and she is known for firm deals with no questions asked, a dislike for haggling, and a sweet tooth often slated by the penny candy she snacks on regularly.

Shop Items

The adventurers can acquire survival gear , containers , and any other miscellaneous adventuring gear here at their listed prices. Any PC that attempts to haggle her down or charm their way to cheaper prices has prices doubled for them instead, but if offered sweets (such as the hard candies hidden in Area #4 of the catacombs) she instead offers her items at half price.

Supply can be purchased here at a rate of 1 Supply  per 2 silver. Ms Margo also has a deal on some old canned trail rations that have lost their labels selling them for 1 silver each. When one of these mysterious cans is opened roll a d10, and on a result of 1 the food is rancid and inedible (but on all other results it provides 1 Supply .)

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C: The Whistling Well

At the northeast corner of Redwall the alleyway widens into a small square centered around an old well. The well walls have dilapidated with several spots now openly connecting directly to the catacombs below and causing the occasional air current to emit an odd whistling sound. It serves as a meeting place for many Redwall residents as it's big enough to have a good scrap if one's needed.

The  goblins  that owe Belton money, Muggs and Runns, can be found here. These ne'er-do-wells were left behind from one of the very first goblin raids on Northminster, and since then they've adapted well to the area, back alley living, and mugging and running. Muggs fancies himself as the muscle and wears an oversized sweater and a bowler cap, while Runns wears a trenchcoat lined with deep pockets and thinks himself a clever legman with the loot. Belton sold them some snuff and the goblins refused to pay.

When the party confronts the goblin pair read or paraphrase the following:

The goblins clamber over each other to get a better view of you when the name "Belton" is dropped. The larger of the two finishes his cigar by chewing it a bit before spitting the butt and saying, "that lousy snuff was nuthin but copper box sniffs cut with a sliver o' the good stuff, we ain't paying you'se nuthin neither!"

His companion echoes his sentiment with, "yeah! Nuthin!"

If the adventurers want to fully avoid conflict all together, they could simply pool 20 gold together and bring it to Belton.

They could also try to intimidate the goblins with a DC 16 Strength (Intimidation) check. Or if the PCs decide to lead on their fearsome reputation as "bloodthirsty cultists" they could scare the goblins out of their gold with a DC 12 Charisma (Deception) check. In either case, a success on the check prompts the thieving pair to toss the 20 gold on the cobblestones and run.

If the party instead simply tries to take the money, the goblin pair fight for it until either of them are brought to 2 or fewer hit points, at which point they drop the money and run.

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D: The Tinbellows Practice

A ramshackle stand on the eastern side of Redwall proudly displays a sign that seems literally ripped from a proper storefront that says, "Tinbellow's Medical Practice". Dr. Tinbellow is a dwarven practitioner of medicine that lost his doctorate and credentials due to some event he will only ever refer to as "the incident". He still likes to present himself as a "proper doctor" and has a prim and stiff attitude.

Shop Items

The adventurers can acquire medicinal gear here at their listed prices. Tinbellow is easily persuaded by flattery and "respect" towards his noble practice, and any PC that makes a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check (with advantage if they specifically inflate his ego as a doctor) may purchase goods and services from him at half price.

Dried Yewclaw Bark is among the items Dr. Tinbellow sells, at a normal price of 5 gold. After consuming dried yewclaw bark you gain an expertise die on Intelligence saving throws for 1 hour.

Currently wounded adventurers can seek Tinbellow's medical attention at the cost of 1 gold. His ministrations take 5 minutes and restore 2 (1d4) hit points. Once a creature benefits from healing in this way it cannot do so again for the next 24 hours.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Fallen Hero/Time To Go =>

Belton's fears are quickly confirmed when 3 scouts  approach, mounted on draft horses . They received word to return to Northminster for a briefing about some fugitives, but at the moment this is all they know—none of them realize that the people they are speaking to are the very criminals in question! The scouts ask the party about any rumors regarding what might have prompted their sudden recall.

If adventurers did not get spotted right away from being inside the wagon or hiding preemptively, the PCs can make Dexterity (Stealth) checks against the scouts ' passive Perception of 16. If spotted, they still get a chance to talk their way out of a violent confrontation.

During the conversation the party can make DC 12 Deception or Persuasion checks to sell whatever story they tell the scouts , but if the wagon suffered any malfunctions in the last act the DCs increase by 2. Belton goes along with the adventurers and says his leg wound came from, "a very nasty rabbit who has been dealt with," while patting his stomach.

If the scouts grow suspicious, they ask for each person's name and occupation. The PCs can offer up a bribe of 40 gold or more to get them to drop their line of questioning at any time. Violence— usually a last resort—is also a solution here, and should prove to be an easy combat encounter.

On the other hand, if the scouts think the party are harmless travelers they kindly remind the group that checkpoints are going up in the days ahead to catch the escapees, so they best move on before these blockades become a nuisance.

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The Journey =>

Tariq Crestveil, the brother of Annika Crestveil, is a dedicated and passionate guard captain (use knight statistics, but with an AC of 15 from his half-pate armor). While he is known to be righteous and compassionate, Tariq can get quite intense when things get personal. Tariq is convinced that the adventurers killed his sister.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

The adventurers will need to travel from Northminster to the Weirwood, where they will meet with Granny Appleseed. They will be pursued by Tariq Crestveil, who still believes that the adventurers kills dhis sister Annika.

Captain Tariq. The Narrator can have Northminster's captain of the guard catch up with the party while they're on the North Riding Smuggler's Route or when they're in Lanickshire. Refer to Encounter 2: A Persistent Pursuer.

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Off the Path

The previous encounter spooks Belton, cementing his belief that the roads are no longer safe. Read or paraphrase the following.

Belton exhales a long breath he had been holding in. "That confirms the worst I had in mind. So, how about a change of plans?" The smuggler points out into the North Riding grasslands. "There's an old smugglers' route out there. It used to be a common way to dodge tariffs. Ever since that got lifted though, there's really no use for it left. I reckon it's probably an overgrown mess, but it will let us stay away from any roadblocks. What do you all think?"

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The adventurers can inquire more before they take this route:

• Where does this path lead to? The smuggling route leads to Halfpoint, whose remote location makes it harder for news to arrive. The party likely will have a week from today before news of their "horrific deeds" spread there, which gives them some time to hide, plan, and stock up should they need to.
• What about getting to Weirwood? The PCs have two options after arriving in Halfpoint. They can continue following the smugglers' route through Lanickshire to Thornbury, then take the road to Hengistbury to enter Weirwood. The other option involves cutting across Crawley Hills straight to Weirwood, which will be truly off the road.

Belton can give a rundown of what the party can expect in each of the regions they might travel through:

• While North Riding can be quite dangerous at times, the smugglers' route runs a safe distance away from most monster lairs and criminal hideouts.
• Halfpoint's history with smuggling and its isolation makes its residents willing to turn a blind eye on suspicious activities.
• Lanickshire is a typical farming region where rumors spread quickly. Since many are just hearsay though, folks are not necessarily eager to act on what they are told.
• Thornbury is a very safe town, though being a frequent resting stop, they are bound to know about the escape and bounties soon.
• The roads are going to be chocked full of checkpoints and patrolling guards. The only stretch that might be safe is between Hengistbury and Thornbury, as there are not as many soldiers stationed there.
• Hengistbury is a mundane town with only a sheriff and ranger as its defense. Life there is simple, making it a great place to start anew.
• Lastly, the Crawley Hills are less dangerous than North Riding, though the lack of an established travel route makes journeys more difficult.

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Starting Logistics

The difficulty of a journey sometimes lies not in the dangers ahead, but in the logistics and planning of the undertaking. One wrong calculation of the amount of food available, or a sudden change of plans like the adventurers currently face, and a party might find themselves facing impending starvation.

Thankfully, Belton came prepared. The wagon carries 20 Supply for people, plus 16 Supply of feed intended for Rummynose (the horse drawing the wagon). For PCs that did not pick up any survival gear , the Narrator can have them come across an explorer's pack (with the rations replaced by 5 torches). The party also receives a map of the local area with the smuggling routes marked on them if they decide to part ways with Belton at any point during the trip.

Local Map (20 gold)

This map depicts an area that is well known to its makers and shows the full details as well as routes within the realm, including the names of hamlets, villages, and towns. When using this map, you may travel at a fast pace without taking a penalty to your passive Perception while within the area it depicts. If you also use a compass in conjunction with a map, you gain an expertise die on checks made to avoid becoming lost.

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Journey Checklist

When making a journey , follow these steps.

1. Based on the world map, the Narrator determines which Regions exist on the route.
2. For each Region determine the travel distance, travel pace, and resultant travel time.
   1. The Narrator determines the Region’s traits and task DC, and rolls 1d20 to determine the prevailing weather.
   2. Each adventurer selects one or more journey activities and makes relevant checks.
   3. The Narrator rolls for one or more encounters using the appropriate tiered table for that Region . These may be monsters, exploration challenges, social encounters, or scenery.
   4. Determine Supply usage and apply fatigue if necessary.
3. Repeat step 2 for each Region .
4. Arrive at your destination!

The order in which journey activities are resolved and when encounters take place is up to the Narrator, although we suggest that you resolve journey activities, and then run any encounters.

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Method of Travel

Consulting the map the party estimates that the distance between Northminster and Halfpoint is approximately 50 miles (their destination is 10 hexes away and each hex represents 5 miles). The wagon, at its regular slow pace, covers 16 miles a day if nothing goes wrong. If the players decide to push the wagon into traveling at normal pace, they can cover 24 miles at the risk of a malfunction if they fail the daily DC 13 land vehicle check.

Belton will bring up that the wagon has a major drawback: they cannot cover their tracks as easily, and can never hide from ambushes. If the group were to proceed on foot at a slow pace, on the other hand, they would be able to use Stealth. While abandoning the wagon does greatly decrease the party's carrying capacity, avoiding getting jumped on might be worthwhile in itself.

If the adventurers somehow happen upon enough mounts for everyone—perhaps from knocking out some scouts—they can travel at a mounted pace. Much like the wagon they will not be able to use Stealth, and will also take additional penalties to their passive Perception and Perception checks, but they'll make it to Halfpoint in only a day and a half. 

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Belton's Wagon to Crawley Hills, North Riding

Region: Tier 1 Rolling Grasslands

These regions are filled with farmsteads interspersed by large swathes of gentle wilderness and the occasional grove of trees. If there are any paths they are only used by locals and not very well maintained.

Weather. 1–8 clear, 9–12 overcast, 13–16 rain, 17–19 mist, 20–25 snow.

Journey Activities. Adventurers gain advantage on checks made to Chronicle, Gossip, Harvest, and Rob.

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Halfpoint, Hengistbury or Thornbury

Region: Tier 1 Urban Township (tier 0 for Hengistbury or Thornbury)

Filled with polite and simple folk living industrious lives, these rural towns are centers of commerce and where most of the nearby region's artisans ply their trades.

Weather. 1–8 clear, 9–12 overcast, 13–16 rain, 17–19 mist, 20–25 snow.

Breakable Surroundings. A critical failure on a Strength or Dexterity check results in destruction of property, angering the owner of said property.

Journey Activities. Adventurers gain an expertise die on checks made to Busk or Rob.

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Hengistbury to Blackford, Lanickshire to Holdenshire

Region: Tier 1 Open Roads

These roads are maintained with taxes collected from the regions that use them, and all manner of folk tread upon them on their way from or to homesteads, towns, and locations of note.

Weather. 1–8 clear, 9–12 overcast, 13–16 rain, 17–19 mist, 20–25 snow.

Fast Travel. Adventurers move one mile per hour faster when traveling along open roads.

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Holdenshire, Lanickshire

Region: Tier 1 Country Shire (tier 0 for Holdenshire)

Idyllic glades, worked fields, and quaint homes mark out these areas. The lives of people here are nearly free of conflict and any greater struggle than dealing with pests damaging crops, seeing to the next harvest, or spats between neighbors.

Weather. 1–8 clear, 9–12 overcast, 13–16 rain, 17–19 mist, 20–25 snow.

Journey Activities. Adventurers gain advantage on checks made to Busk, Chronicle, Gossip, Harvest, and Rob.

Friendly Locals. Adventurers gain an expertise die on Charisma checks made against people local to the region.

Haven. The whole of this area counts as a haven. Travelers can always recover from fatigue and strife when taking a long rest, even when camping.

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Weirwood

Region: Tier 1 Feywood

Ancient trees fill this forest, their leaves filtering the sun's light and masking the mystery that pervades the woods. Signs of fey and other children of nature are everywhere, and many say their presence gives the area a sense of magic all its own.

Weather. 1–15 clear, 16–19 mist, 20–25 rain.

Fey Promises. When an adventurer breaks a promise made in a Feywood they suffer a level of strife .

Natural Camouflage. Adventurers gain an expertise die on Stealth checks.

Journey Activities. When making a check to Hunt and Gather, an adventurer rolls with advantage .

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<= MEMORIES OF HOLDENSHIRE | A Persistent Pursuer =>

Hengistbury is abuzz with activity—the weekend long Summer Festival is in a mere three days! The annual pie eating contest with Thornbury is one of the most anticipated events, and the smell of berry pies fills the marketplace. There are also a number of other competitions all of which the PCs are encouraged to take part in for a small entry fee.

If there are notable NPCs that the adventurers have grown fond of (or developed a rivalry with), make sure to work them into the contests. For example, Three-Fingered Jake and Freya could be in the storytelling competition, or any of the several hunters could be a stand-out in the archery competition.

Vendors. A wide assortment of food, drink, and toys are available. Sweet, salty, and fried items are usually sold at 2 silver each, and Granny Appleseed has special goodies as well.

Game Limits. Typically a contestant is no longer allowed to play a game or contest again after winning it once. The contestant may attempt to play one more time by making a DC 13 Deception check to convince the moderator that their win was a fluke, but otherwise they must move on.

Magical Cheating. Unless explicitly stated, magical enhancements (both spells and items) are prohibited from festival games in a city or smaller settlement. A contestant found to be using magical enhancements is stripped of all winnings and publicly shamed.

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The air thrums with excitement as townsfolk pour into the festival grounds, the smell of fresh-baked pies filling your nostrils. Then the sound of popping firecrackers splits the air as Granny Appleseed appears on her wagon, setting off colorful light and illusion magic as she hollers, "I've got all the pies you could want—come and get "em!"

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Right Honorable Annual Pie Eating Contest

Entry: 2 gold

Prize: Winner's choice of a blackbird pie (provided by Freya) or the pot (up to 10 gold)

The highlight of the Summer Festival, the pie eating contest is a major point of contention between Hengistbury and Thornbury. All other victories are paltry in comparison—at least until the cheese rolling competition in the fall. If one of the adventurers seems particularly able to put it away, they are asked by the locals, young and old alike, if they'd fancy representing Hengistbury for the occasion. In addition to more tangible rewards, anyone who wins gets bragging rights until fall and likely won't have to buy themselves a drink for the next month.

During the contest each contestant eats the provided berry hand pies continuously for the duration, making a Constitution saving throw every minute (DC 12 + 1 per previous save), and the last gurgitator standing is declared the winner. On a failed save, a contestant is impossibly full and unable to continue. On a failure by 5 or more, they instead suffer a "reversal of fortune" and expel what they've already eaten, which disqualifies them.

Each of the 4 NPCs contestants (half from Hengistbury, half from Thornbury) have been training hard for this and have Constitution saving throw bonuses of +3.

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Archery Competition

Entry: 1 silver

Prize: 64 silver

Not quite as hotly contested as the Right Honorable Annual Pie Eating Contest, the archery competition still always makes a good showing. Between the PC entries, Hengistbury, and those visiting from neighboring Thornbury, there are 64 contestants, meaning 6 rounds of competition. The winner of the final round takes the pot of entry fees.

Scoring Points. Each contestant takes 3 shots per round. Contestants score 1 point for hitting the target's AC, 2 points for hitting a middle ring by beating the AC by 4, or 3 points for hitting a bullseye by beating the AC by 8. In each round, the top half of contestants that score the most points progress. In case of a tie, each of the tied contestants have a fourth "sudden death" shot.

But There Are 64 of Them! Starting with the semi-finals, each contestant should be handled individually to increase the drama of the occasion, but otherwise the Narrator is not expected to roll attack rolls and tally the points for each of them. An adventurer progresses to the next round simply by scoring 4 points or more.

The Contestants. The Archery Competition table shows the number of contestants, their attack bonuses, and the target's AC at each round of a contest.

TIER	NUMBER OF CONTESTANTS	ATTACK	TARGET'S AC
Finals	2	+5	15
Semi-Finals	4	+4	14
Quarter-Finals	8	+3	13
Fourth	16	+2	12
Fifth	32	+1	11
Sixth	64	+1	11

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Caber Toss

Entry: 1 silver

Prize: 2 gold

This competition focuses on the precise tossing of a 20-foot whittled pole. Contestants wait their turn to heft the pole, balance it on one shoulder, and then run a short distance before actually throwing it. Ideally, the caber does a full revolution before landing straight in front of the contestant. Rather than measuring by distance, judges award points based on the angle and positioning of how the pole lands. Each contestant makes a ranged attack roll using Strength as the ability modifier, the person with the highest result winning the pot.

Many of those who enter cannot even lift the 120-pound caber properly, much less toss it, but there are 3 stand-out NPCs who can and have a +4 bonus on their ranged attack rolls.

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Cabernet Toss

Entry: 1 silver

Prize: 2–8 silver

Starting as a pun made about the caber toss, the cabernet toss is a challenge of toasts that usually breaks out around wine, cider, or beer barrels (no serious contestant lets the actual variety spoil the fun). Two individuals make toasts of increasing verbosity to life, the gods, their opponent, or anything else that strikes their fancy.

Contestants make opposed Persuasion checks to bring the crowd to their side. This ability check is usually Charisma, but a contestant that improves their toast by throwing in related facts can use Intelligence, someone that carefully reads and responds to the crowd can use Wisdom, and a few people have managed to win with Constitution by liberally including long chugs of alcohol into their routine.

The contest is over when a contestant beats their opponent's check by 10 or more, and the winner takes the whole pot. Occasionally the loser may double the bet for another round, but this can only be done three times before the crowd demands fresh contestants.

NPCs contestants have Persuasion +3.

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Catch the Pig

Entry: 1 silver

Prize: 2 silver

The lucky contestant is led into a muddy arena with a greased pig where they have 1 minute to catch and tie up the squealing animal. Each round that the pig is loose, the contestant makes a DC 10 Acrobatics to catch it. On a success, they must successfully grapple the pig (use boar statistics for Arnie, this year's contender). If the contestant successfully grapples the pig for 3 or more consecutive rounds, they win the contest—but if at any point the pig escapes, the contestant must begin the process anew.

If the pig dies or falls unconscious the contestant is likely ejected from the festival unless they deliver a truly remorseful apology, line a few pockets with coin, or convince everyone that it was an honest mistake.

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Guess the Pig's Weight

Entry: 5 copper

Prize: The pot (up to 200 copper)

Anyone who wishes may make a guess as to the weight of one of Penner's prize pigs—this year it's a large black sow named Effie. Each contestant may make a Nature check to guess its weight (one entry per contestant). At the end of the festival Effie weighs in at an impressive 750 pounds, and the contestant with the highest result on their Nature check wins.

Most contestants are way off, but there are 3 NPC contestants worth rolling for (each has a +4 bonus on Nature checks.)

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Light Show

Entry: None

Prize: 1 silver

This is a casual, entertaining game judged by the local children after dinner on the first night of the festival. Any contestant with access to dancing lights , light , minor illusion , prestidigitation , or a similar persistent light or illusion effect may enter. Each contestant makes an Arcana check to craft a fascinating light show, and the contestant with the highest result wins (measured by the raucous applause they receive). Kalle Sirkesalo has notoriously spurned the event for years, despite pleading and cajoling to the contrary. Granny Appleseed also abstains, not wanting to "ruin the fun", but she watches every year.

There are only 2 NPC contestants, each with a +3 bonus on Arcana checks.

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Raffle

Entry: 5 copper per ticket

Prize: Beautiful silver bell etched with the profile of a stag (worth 1 gold)

For the unskilled and worshipers of luck, raffles are an excellent diversion. One hundred tickets are sold at the start of each festival to anyone willing to buy, and individuals can purchase as many as they like. Each ticket is marked with a single number, from 1 to 100. At the end of the festival, a single ticket is picked from a jar (roll a d100 to determine the ticket picked).

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Storytelling Contest

Entry: None

Prize: 5 silver, and until the next festival each night the contestant can tell a story at the Bleeding Heart tavern to receive a free meal

This event is mostly intended to provide free entertainment at dinner, though there are several locals who take it very seriously. Each contestant goes on the village green's stage and makes a single Performance check. The contestant with the highest result on their Performance check wins.

There are 4 NPC contestants, each with a +3 bonus on Performance checks.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Party Crashers =>

Having seen the true nature of the cult he has been so ardently tracking, Captain Crestveil concedes to the adventurers that he believes their previous claims of innocence regarding his sister's death. He plans to return to Northminster, calling off the search as he goes and having all wanted posters of the PCs removed. While he doesn't have it on him, he does offer each member of the party half of the reward posted for their capture—namely 50 gold—as reward for having put down Ofrain Cassar and ending the threat he posed. The adventurers are welcome to this reward on their next visit to Northminster, where the captain offers to treat them to dinner as an additional show of his appreciation.

Belton of course is ecstatic to see the party again, saying:

"I knew you were a good lot. And more than that now, aren't ya? Heroes is more like it by my thinking!"

He is also begrudgingly offered a pardon by Tariq for his part in their escape from Northminster weeks ago, albeit with the resigned air of someone who knows the halfling is going to go right back to smuggling.

Finally, any mind control victims that survive regain consciousness, bewildered and horrified by their surroundings. Much like the PCs, they've lost all memories from the past month and plead with the party for answers and advice.

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What Comes Next?

The adventure intended to pick up where Memories of Holdenshire leaves off is To Slay A Dragon, which returns to Hengistbury and involves the kobolds acting on their true plan of kidnapping Ariadne Torek. There are a few different hooks that can bring the PCs back to Hengistbury, including escorting Belton (after back-to-back excitement he's decided to take a load off for a few weeks and is keen to hire someone to track down Rummynose), helping the surviving cultists regain their own memories, the bonds they've formed with the town's various NPCs, and of course the Autumn Festival, depending on how the adventurers want to spend their downtime. If there's another adventure that the party would like to pursue, consider using the memory recovery mechanic as a way to have them investigate elsewhere.

In either case, thank you for experiencing this introduction to Level Up and its mechanics! If this has piqued your interest, there's a whole line of adventures in Hengistbury (in the To Save A Kingdom adventure path) and still more to discover in Level Up!

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<= Memories of Holdenshire

As the party finally emerges from the catacombs through a secret door, they are instantly confronted with the fact that they are all wanted by the town guard and are considered dangerous cultists.

The halfling they accidently smacked with the secret door is Belton Freedew, who can serve as a fount of information about Northminster, the Redwall area, and the situation the adventurers are in. The captain of the guard (Tariq Crestveil) has been trying to stamp out this mysterious cult for weeks, and the PCs are the most wanted criminals in the city. Thankfully, they're in Redwall, the essentially lawless area of town where the guard rarely patrols.

If any of the PCs are still wearing the cultist robes, Belton recommends ditching them before anybody spots them.

When the adventurers bring up that they're missing memories, read or paraphrase the following:

Belton scratches his chin for a moment and then snaps his fingers saying, "Apple Pie! No, Appleseed! Yeah, Granny Appleseed, a weird old broad, lives out in the Weirwood. My cousin took a real nasty wallop and went all thick in the head, could barely talk. Granny Appleseed did some magical whatsits and he was all better and beating me at cards again. If there's anybody who can fix them memories, it'll be her. Way out of the city too, which is good for you lot because the longer you stay around here the better chance captain Tariq is gonna catch you and lop off yer heads. Now, I can't get you outta Northminster for free exactly—I may need your help with a few things before we can get out of here."

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Dangerous, Sneaky Shopping

Partially as actual preparation for a long trip and a little of Belton figuring he can get something out of this situation, the halfling tells the PCs that the town guard is certain to execute them if they turn themselves in, and they'll need to sneak out of the city to survive. He just needs them to do a few things before he can smuggle them out of Northminster.

• Strips of Dried Yewclaw Bark from Dr. Tinbellows.
• 20 gold he is owed from the goblins Muggs and Runns.
• As many supplies as they think they'll need from out of the back of the Thrifty Griffon.

While the adventurers are gathering all this, Belton leaves to get his wagon ready for their departure and also to get a cloak to conceal each of their faces.

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<= Memories of Holdenshire | Redwall Locations =>