One-Shot: Into the Shadowfell

What starts out as an evening of spectacle and wonder turns into a mission to uncover the motives of a traveling group of performers.

Summary
The adventurers were in the dusty taproom of Trollskull Manor when Chomp entered, announcing that he had business in Undercliff regarding a scarecrow. Meanwhile Lif, the ghost of Trollskull Manor's previous owner, threw rags at the adventurers in an attempt to get them to clean the taproom. Wanting to avoid chores, Viego led the charge to help Chomp in his quest. Thrask and Azir followed as soon as Lif brought out a bucket and a pair of mops.

Meeting Ayela
Before the party left, another visitor came into the tavern. A female dwarf swung open the taproom door and cheerfully introduced herself as Ayela Mithra. The dwarf wanted to join the ranks of the adventurers, claiming to have heard of their many exploits. Concerned with what she may have heard, Thrask asked about what she had heard. Ayela was vague in her reply but assured the adventurers that she would be of a great help in whatever adventures they would be on. The adventurers humored Ayela and allowed her to tag along with them as they set out to assist Chomp.

Scarecrows in Undercliff
Chomp revealed to the others that he heard rumours of scarecrow attacks on livestock and farmers in the farmlands to the east of Waterdeep. The group spent the majority of their day walking the miles of road that led them from North Ward to Undercliff. As the party surveyed their surroundings they decided to ask questions about the attacks at a large property, Snobeedle Orchard and Meadery where they met a halfling named Blossom. Though hesitant at first, Blossom gave information to the party only after Chomp produced a green ribbon with gold trim to the halfling.

The scarecrow attacks seemed to be moving eastward towards the Snobeedle property. Farmers to the west of the property had vacated their home but Blossom ensured the adventurers that they could stay at their home if they were intent on destroying the supposed scarecrows. The adventurers took Blossom on her offer and used the farmstead as their base of operations.

It was not long until the adventurers encountered something in the night. Thrask and Ayela went out to inspect torchlights in the middle of the crop fields. Azir, Viego and Chomp surveyed the farmhouse. Thrask and Ayela came under attack from not one but three animated scarecrows, meanwhile Azir, Viego and Chomp witnessed a fire break out in the upper floor of the farmhouse. Thrask was almost killed by the scarecrows until Ayela offered her support with impressive magic abilities. Chomp took to pumping water for Azir and Viego to carry into the house. Inside the house, Azir and Viego witnessed another scarecrow fleeing out a second story window.

In the end the fire was put out and the adventurers defeated all of the animated scarecrows, including the one that jumped out of the second story window who turned out to be a gnome in disguise. After searching the gnome's belonging the party came into possession of several potions as well as a journal detailing the gnome's troubles at the hand of a "young Snobeedle boy." The gnome was intent on exacting some sort of revenge on the young Snobeedle but was also content with robbing those in Undercliff along the way to his goal.

The party returned to Blossom with news that they had stopped the scarecrow attacks but that a Snobeedle spurred the gnome to act violently. Blossom admitted that she was aware of her son, Dasher, being seen with miscreants inside the city walls. Before the adventurers left, Blossom gifted them two bottles of Snobeedle cider for their efforts.

Ayela's Confession
As the party moved back toward the city Ayela moved ahead and stopped the adventurers. The dwarf admitted that she lied about why she wanted to travel with the party; it was not due to their reputation, rather it was all tied to Chomp's apparent connection to the Emerald Enclave. Ayela was needed Chomp to prove his association with the Emerald Enclave in order to gain entry beyond a passage located near Waterdeep.

The party was hesitant to help the dwarf and she pleaded for their forgiveness. Ayela described her goal of finding her uncle, a great adventurer named Khulvinder. The adventurers eventually decided to help the dwarf after she promised treasure as well as her heavy coin purse in exchange for their help.

The Place Between Planes
Ayela led the party to a secret cave situated at the base of the cliffs overlooking the farmland east of Waterdeep. Beyond the cramped tunnels the party squeezed through they saw an old, wooden door illuminated by green flames. A voice of echoing whispers greeted the adventurers and warned them of the dangers beyond the wooden door. Chomp stepped forward and presented the green ribbon that was now tied around Marmaduke's, the door opened and Ayela presented her coinpurse to the adventurers before she pressed forward.

While some of the adventurers were to content to call it quits, the others wondered what was beyond the door. The whispering voice informed the party that beyond the wooden door was a connection between their world and The Shadowfell and would surely prove dangerous to anyone who entered. Immediately after the voice's warning, the adventurers heard a scream from beyond the wooden door. Compelled to help Ayela, some of the adventurers marched forward with their less-compelled companions in tow.

The Secret Forest
The party found themselves scattered about in a forested area after moving through what they thought was an underground tunnel. As the adventurers gathered themselves they witnessed Ayela in combat with a large creature guarding an immense hollow tree trunk. The creature was made of stone, roots, moss and other things that slowly crept up to complete the form of the massive monster. Though the party was able to move into Ayela's aid, they were surprised by its ability to crumble to bits and reform itself from other parts of the forest. Chomp, through the aid of one of the gnome's potions, was able to spew flames onto the forest creature, ceasing its ability to recede back into the earth. The damage from the flames, combined with Thrask's Tree Breaker axe, led the party to a decisive victory over the forest creature.

Ayela's Uncle
As soon as the creature was defeated, dissonant whispers began filling the adventurers' ears. The whispers were followed be what looked like a black fog that crept up from beneath the earth and rolled across the surface of the forested area. An otherworldly light began glowing within the immense tree trunk that the forest creature had been guarding. The glowing was overcome by a black fog that spewed from the trunk's hollow base. From the tree trunk, emerged what looked like a dwarf with pale, purple skin, white hair and curled horns similar to that of a ram.

The dwarf looked directly at Ayela and asked why she was there and told everyone to leave as "the queen should not be disturbed." An overwhelming sense of danger fell over the party. As the dwarf drew his blade, a wavy black sword, Thrask gave into the sense of danger and immediately swung his axe at the dwarf. Ayela could do nothing but support the party as they made battle with the dwarf who proved strong enough to take on all the adventurers on his own. The dwarf was capable of powerful magic that brought the adventurers to their knees more than once before receiving healing from their companions.

The battle raged on until the adventurers were able to deal what looked like a deadly blow to the dwarf. Black fog began to roll off of the dwarf and he flew into a rage, attacking all but Ayela before disappearing into a small black wisp that fluttered back into the hollow tree trunk. Ayela moved over to the tree and bid the adventurers farewell as she hopped into the portal beneath her.

Conclusion
The forest morphed around the party, presenting the mouth of a cave that was not there before. Though they worried about Ayela's fate the adventurers approached the mouth of the cave which led them back to the entrance. As the party left the cave they found a bag of holding containing the blade the dwarf used against them in battle. The voice of the cave stated that it did not belong in the place between worlds and ended up in the cave at the same time as when the party returned. Azir took the bag and the blade, and the party squeezed through the cramped tunnels to return to their lives in Waterdeep.

Player Characters

 * Azir the human swashbuckler
 * Chomp the shifter druid of the moon
 * Thrask the lizardfolk gloom stalker
 * Viego the human kensei of the open hand

Non-Player Characters

 * Avi, the male water genasi armorsmith of Steam and Steel.
 * Ayela Mithra, the female dwarf adventurer who sought the help of the adventurers to gain access to The Shadowfell, where she suspected her uncle was.
 * Embric, the male fire genasi weaponsmith of Steam and Steel.
 * Blossom Snobeedle, the female halfling owner of the Snobeedle Orchard and Meadery.
 * Khulvinder, the male dwarf adventurer and uncle of Ayela. He was said to have disappeared after an epic adventure but he now appears to have changed his appearance and is somehow associated with the Shadowfell.
 * Lif, the ghost of an elf who was the previous owner of Trollskull Manor.

Treasure

 * Bag of Holding from exiting the passage into the Shadowfell.
 * The Bleak Blade from the battle with Khulvinder.
 * Potion of Everlasting Healing from the belongings of the scarecrows' master
 * Potion of what looked like liquified iron