This adventure is recommended for a party of 3-5 adventurers at level 3. It will have four chapters in total. To hear our D&D group play through it, check out the play through on the Rose and Dragon podcast.

Introduction 

A Town Called Noname

On a blustery evening you received a letter tied with a red ribbon. You do not recognize the seal. It appears to be some sort of wattle-necked bird in front of a horn adorned with vegetables. The letter reads as follow,

“My Dearest School Chum,

I know it has been an age and age since we’ve seen one another but I hope to remedy that soon. It is I, Sir Reginald Gobbleton, although I fondly remember how you called me Reggie the Veggie, on account of my preferred diet. I have news that I wish to share with you. I am getting married. Who could have imagined it? I had intended to live out my days as a wealthy bachelor: hunting, eating, and lording over my small family estate as befits the duties of a minor noble. Alas, I have had the extreme fortune of securing the adoration of such a wonderful young lady that I can scarce scratch the surface of her beauty on this simple parchment. We are to be wed upon the coming full moon and I earnestly desire your presence. You would do me a great honor if you would join us in this joyous ceremony. There will be a great feast with wine, food, family, and friends. I have enclosed a voucher for a carriage to bring you to Gobbleton Hall so that you can join us.”

Your Faithful College Companion,

Sir Reginald Gobbleton Esquire the 25th.

Thinking back, you don’t really remember this man at all. In fact, you don’t remember going to a college let alone one with Reggie the Veggie but since you had nothing else better to do this weekend and the vouchers seemed legit, you figured, why not…A few days later and you find yourself bumping along in a carriage on a mountain road through rolling hills of grassland. The wedding is in three days. Fall is in the air and the trees pass by in red, orange, and brown blobs. The sun is low on the horizon when the carriage screeches to a halt before a small hamlet that can barely be called a village. The driver, a grumpy and swarthy faced fellow, who was probably dropped four or five too many times on his head as a child begins to unharness the horses.

“Too dangerous to travel when dark,” he grumbles and points you towards a large building that dominates the few small houses scattered around.

You’re Not Welcome in Noname

The village is called Noname. It has an inn called “The Wishbone,” a smithy, a shop that sells pumpkins and prophecies, and a small general store called “Torches and Pitchforks.” The players may take the opportunity to rest and learn more about Gobbleton Manor and the legend of the Dire Fowl. As the players walk around the town they will see green plants with red berries growing in many gardens and hanging in garlands above doors and window lattices.

The Smithy – The smithy has a large forge, an anvil, and buckets filled with various farm supplies. It is run by Ricer who can be found pounding away at a piece of glowing metal.

Ricer – Male, Halfling. Age: 40ish? Ricer dresses in a dirty white apron with thick black boots and black gloves. He has a black eye patch over one eye. If asked about the eye patch he will say that he got it from the pie incident and won’t say any more about it. He chews tobacco constantly and always spits when he finishes saying something. 

If asked if he as any silver weapons, he will show the group a silver-handled hair brush. He charges 5 gp. for it. The hair brush can act as a club dealing 1d4 + Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. Lycanthropes do not regenerate damage dealt from the hair brush. Ricer won’t be able to make anything specific for the players before the wedding but he can sell them any simple melee weapon or tool.

Torches and Pitchforks – Next to the smithy is a small general store called Torches and Pitchforks. It is run by a scawny and meticulous man named Peter Peeler.

Peter Peeler – Male, Human. Age: 37. Peeler dresses in a brown suit and bow tie. He has big spectacle glasses and a perpetual smile on his face. He will cheerfully discuss anything from the weather to mass murder. He has everything you need to camp, hike, or burn down a castle.

Peeler is more than happy to tell about the Legend of the Dire Fowl, his opinions on how the peasantry need to overthrow the aristocracy with a good old bonfire or how the aristocracy should force the masses into submission with a good old bonfire too. He’s very fluid-minded. The one thing he won’t talk about is the pie incident. His store carries all common goods and some good old-fashioned cranberry sauce, which you can smear on yourself to ward off the Dire Fowl.

The Wishbone – It’s your stereotypical backwater inn found in almost any remote area. The tables are wood, the chairs are rickety, the fire place makes the shadows stretch, and above the bar is a pie tin nailed into the wall. It’s a reminder of the pie incident that everyone agrees that no one should talk about. The Innkeeper’s name is Old Man McGee. He’s actually quite young but his mother always told him he would grow into his name.

Old Man McGee – Human, Male. Age: 24. Old Man McGee is a superstitious man who dresses all in yellow. He’s suspicious of strangers and wipes down glasses, table tops, paintings, patrons, and pretty much whatever is closest at hand when he’s nervous. He can tell the story of the Dire Fowl. He hushes anyone who says Gobbleton Manor in a normal manner. You have to whisper the name around him.

Pumpkins and Prophecies – This odd shop is filled with all sorts of gourds of varying colors and sizes. It is run by Madam Grim.

Madam Grim – Half-elf, Female. Age: Older than dirt. Madam Grim is a Prophetess of Doom. She wears a frayed black dress with accompanying hood. She sells pumpkins as a side hustle. They go great in pies. When the party enters she will grab the player with the highest Constitution and tell them, “Death. Destruction. Terror. Beware the Beast of the Feast. It will fill you with stabbing and bread. Don’t trust the woman in white. Your lucky numbers are 11, 25, and 3. That will be 5 silver.” She will hold out a hand and expect to be paid. After all, she didn’t go and get a degree in Doomology at Dire Fortune University to give away fortunes for free. If the players give her more than 5 silver for the fortune she will say, “Always good to tip your waiter. Sometimes they have a little slicer hidden under the third rock by kettle.” Madam Grim speaks with a spooky dramatic voice when giving prophecies and adopts a very straightforward manner when doing business. The pumpkins range from 10 copper to 1 silver piece. You can also purchase power pumpkins here for 10 gold each.

Power Pumpkins – These small pumpkins provide a short boost when consumed. It requires a reaction to eat one or an action to throw one. When consumed the target is self. If thrown, the pumpkin breaks open and casts the spell on a successful hit. Each pumpkin is imbued with one of the following spells as if cast by a 5th level sorcerer: Enlarge Reduce, Entangle, Fog Cloud, Thunderwave, Darkness, Spider Climb.

Information Around Town:

The Pie Incident – Everyone agrees that no one should talk about the pie incident.

Gobbleton Manor – That place is cursed. No one who goes there ever comes out again. It’s said that the current lord is about to get married. Everyone pities the poor woman but no one knows who she is or where she came from. Most of the villagers will only speak about Gobbleton Manor in whispers because of Old Man McGee. If the players reveal that is where they are going, the villagers will try to talk the players into abandoning their foolish quest.

The Dire Fowl – It’s a fowl monster that haunts the forests around Noname after dark. Never travel outside after dark unless you have a death wish. It walks on two giant legs with large claws. It has bloody red eyes that glow in the dark. It has a large sharp mouth that it uses to eat its victims. It’s doesn’t come out in the sunlight. Pakimintzen (IE: Cranberries) scare it away. If you hear it Gobble, it’s already too late.

Major Incident:

The players should be able to explore the town and talk to the townsfolk before the sun completely sets. At sunset, the door to the inn opens and a grim faced farmer named Culpepper comes in to say that Bobby Jenkins is dead. Outside is the farmer’s cart with a body under a tarp. Culpepper found the corpse in his corn field just a little bit ago. Bobby Jenkins must have been caught outside the prior night by the Dire Fowl. The body has gaping holes all over him and his insides are gone. He has been stuffed with bread. A medicine check DC 15 will reveal that he was pecked to death and something ate him. Old Man McGee will sigh and say that’s number four. One more and we’re going to have to form a mob.

If the players decide to explore at night, they will get the strange feeling they are being watched and they will come across a drunk man named Pudding Pop who has been drinking hard apple cider. Pudding Pop will be killed by the Gobbler unless the player’s escort him back to the inn. They might hear the distant warble of a turkey but otherwise the night will pass quietly. If the player’s save Pudding Pop then the villagers won’t form a mob. If they don’t save him or the players decide to encourage the mob, the villagers will find the dead Pudding Pop in the morning and start a mob formation committee to create a chaotic justice action plan and will join the Fight or Feast battle at Gobbleton Manor in chapter 4.

Chapter 1 ends with the players heading out to Gobbleton Manor.