019_020 - The Lost Princess of Mochi Castle

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The Lost Princess of Mochi Castle

Of Candy Skies and Greasy Lies... Adventure Overview

Parents tell their children of a land in the sky -- the Mochi Kingdom -- with cotton candy clouds and syrup rivers, where stuffed animals roam and everything is bliss. This is a lie. Well, not all of it; Mochi Kingdom itself is real, but like any kingdom, it faces its own set of not-so-sweet challenges from abroad. When players find their way up the candy clouds to Mochi castle, they find its princess missing, its king despondent, and its people distraught. To make matters worse, the prince of neighboring Saltmoor demands to marry the missing princess, and his patience with King Mochi's excuses is almost at an end. Designed to be very open ended, this adventure allows for many distinct and branching paths based on player choice. Also, its place in the clouds accommodates nearly any setting to inject a large serving of whimsy and a healthy dash of political intrigue.

Notes

Any text displayed in bold refers to a creature in the Monster Manual, a copy of which is required to run this adventure. Any creatures which reference either Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes or Volo's Guide to Monsters are designated with an additional asterisk*. Text contained in these blocks is meant to be read aloud or paraphrased for the players when first arriving at an area, or as otherwise indicated in the text.

The information contained in this module is meant for dungeon masters, as it includes detailed descriptions of every area in the adventure.

Production

Dungeon for Two is an independently created and produced podcast. Any material found herein is original intellectual work by the individuals appearing on Dungeon for Two, not to be recopied, resold, or otherwise edited without the expressed consent of Dungeon for Two. Maps are made and edited in Dungeon Scrawl by Dungeon for Two host Dalton M.

Intended Levels This adventure is intended for players of 1st level, and can be played without adjustment at that level. For Higher Levels. This adventure contains content tailored very specifically to the intended levels, including original creatures (see Appendix A). As such, it would be difficult to rebalance for play at other levels. You are encouraged to make any adjustments you feel are necessary, of course, and if you have a suggestion for a large-scale difficulty adjustment, visit reddit.com/r/DungeonforTwo and let the community know! Additionally, we have created dungeons for may different level ranges, from beginning adventures to seasoned dungeon crawls, so be sure to check out the Dungeon for Two podcast for a new dungeon every two weeks.

Art Credits

All art courtesty of Cruxicute and Wizards of the Coast via their Fan Content Policy. Specific pages and artists listed below: cover - Mayumi and the Mochi Kingdom by Cruxicute p. 5 - King Merlin Mochi and His Advisor by Cruxicute p. 6 - The Stuffed Handmaid by Cruxicute p. 8 - The Princess and the Pirate by Cruxicute p. 13 - Portrait of Mayumi by Cruxicute

Special Shoutout

The art for this dungeon was kindly provided by Cruxicute, who I cannot thank enough! Currently, she is taking Roll20 and D&DBeyond character token commissions. Like what you see in this dungeon? Make sure to check out her Twitter and tell her the Dungeon Doctor says hello: @Cruxicute

Go Commission Some Art

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This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Map of Mochi Castle and Kingdom 1 sq. = 5 ft.

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

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Part 1: A Princess in Flight

C

hildren everywhere know the tales of Mochi Kingdom, a wondrous land high in the skies where gumdrops grow on grapevines, syrup flows like water, and the very ground is made of cotton candy clouds. This super sweet wonderland captures the minds and tastebuds of every child, but few know the truth. Mochi Kingdom is real -- the stuffed animal soldiers, the gingerbread castle -- all of it lies just overhead, above the clouds. According to the children's stories, the cotton candy clouds sometimes hang low in the sky, briefly allowing lucky travelers a bridge into that whimsical realm.

Cotton Candy Skybridge

This phenomenon can occur whenever players wake from a long night's rest, upon which they experience the following: A thick fog hangs low in the air, gently glowing in the early morning light. It smells sweet, and you can almost taste it on your tongues. A few feet distant floats what looks like a miniature cloud, perfectly puffy and slightly pink.

If players interact with the candy cloud, they find it to be much more substantial than a typical cloud, easily supporting the weight of any number of creatures while deforming only slightly underfoot. If players scale the first cloud, they find another floating nearby at head height, allowing for an easy upwards climb. If players choose not to interact with the candy cloud, they become disoriented by the fog, and after wandering for a bit, find themselves back where they started, staring once more at the strange pink cloud. To truly escape the fog, players can wait several hours, after which the fog burns away along with the strange pink clouds. For now. Development. After ascending each cloud, players who look back realize the clouds below seem to fade away as they go. The climb up takes slightly over an hour, at which point players experience the following: As you pull yourselves onto the next cloud, your eyes adjust to a brilliant sunrise. Far below you, fields and farms cover the gentle rolling hills, and above you floats a solid mass of slightly pink cloud. Unfortunately, the small cloud you now stand on appears to be burning away in the sunlight!

1. Mochi Castle Outskirts

Players must act quickly to avoid a long, deadly fall. With either a successful DC 14 group Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or a successful DC 14 group Strength (Athletics) check, the party can grab hold of the underside of the fluffy sheet of clouds before their shrinking foothold vanishes. If players succeed on either group check, the following occurs: 4

With some fast thinking and an impressive leap, you manage to cling to the underside of the fluffy pink mass. Luckily the surface is slightly sticky, and surprisingly pliable. With a bit of work, you can push up and through, emerging on the top of a sea of pink clouds.

Of course, players could fail their group check and find themselves in the following situation: Though you make a mighty effort, your leap comes up short, sending you hurtling back toward solid ground. However, sudden flapping noises preclude the arrival of an overly large goose who, seeing your predicament, grasps you in its webbed talons, hoisting the lot of you up and through the cloud layer.

Either way, they see the Mochi Kingdom in all its glory upon exiting the clouds: Rolling hills of the pale pink stuff stretch out as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by a gently winding golden river and in the distance a whimsical dark brown edifice, its conical roofs swirled with all the colors of the rainbow. You can make out a gate on the front facing wall, flanked by two vaguely humanoid shapes. Overhead fly a host of dark bulbous shapes, their details impossible to discern at such a distance.

If players approach the castle of their own volition, see area 2. If carried by the large goose -- really the king's advisor -- they briefly see the castle in detail before being flown directly into the keep and set down before the king (see area 4).

2. Mochi Castle Gates Now closer, you see that the two spear wielding guards at the gate are actually huge bipedal stuffed bears, who eye you with intrigue as you approach.

Snuggle and Stuffles (use the gladiator stat block) are stuffed bear brothers who use their intimidating size and surprising fighting prowess to keep King Mochi safe. They enjoy putting new visitors through their "good cop, bad cop" routine, where one will act friendly and the other constantly provoke visitors to throw them off their game. Snuggles tends to be the good cop and speaks with a gravely, brusque voice devoid of any inflection. Stuffles prefers to be the bad cop, which is only slightly undercut by his lilting, high pitched voice that oozes emotion from every syllable. Players can attempt to gain entry through conflict, through words (a DC 14 task whether players attempt to convince or intimidate), or most easily with a candy bribe. If offered a sufficiently sized sweet treat, both Snuggles and Stuffles cannot help but dig in, leaving the gates totally unguarded as they gleefully devour the meal.

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

If desired, players can avoid Snuggles and Stuffles altogether, gaining entry to the castle in any number of ways. Some of the most common are detailed below: Fly Overhead. If players can fly, doing so allows easy access to the castle keep, though the flying players will still have to contend with the small horde of stuffed gremlins (use dust mephit stats) flying around the castle, 18 in total. Scale the Walls. The gingerbread walls of castle Mochi are almost entirely smooth, making a direct climb difficult. Unassisted, each climber must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to find the minimal hand- and footholds on the wall. With climbing equipment, the difficulty is lowered to DC 10. Once on the walls, players must contend with the flock of stuffed gremlins overhead (use dust mephit stats). 6 such gremlins patrol each section of wall, and have great eyesight, making sneaking past a DC 17 Dexterity (Stealth) check. Though like the bear brothers, they can be easily distracted with sweets, allowing trivial passage across the wall. Sneak Past the Bears. Sneaking directly past the bear brothers is very difficult, normally requiring a successful DC 25 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If distracted as detailed above, the bears remain on alert over where the strange food came from, but are nonetheless easier to sneak past (DC 15). If players are caught trying to enter the castle by either the gremlins or the bear brothers, they are brought before King Mochi as trespassers instead of guests (see area 4). Player creativity, like always, is highly encouraged and as such these possibilities represent a small portion of available options.

3. Castle Courtyard The ground inside the castle walls is quite literally carpeted in sweets. Fountains spray bubbling soda, the trees hang heavy with jelly fruit, and the whole spectacle is a whirl of colors and scents.

Despite the abundance of sweets, all castle residents and guards seem strangely uninterested in them. In truth, the courtyard's candy display is so sickly sweet that none dare eat from it. Any player who takes a bite or drink must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failure from the sudden spike in blood sugar.

4. Mochi Castle Keep

Whether players enter the castle keep unnoticed, as guests, or as trespassers will greatly impact their interactions within the castle keep. Unnoticed

Players can sneak into the castle keep after scaling the walls or sneaking past the bear brothers successfully. Entering without being spotted requires a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check due to the single set of doors. Once inside, players can easily hide behind one of the massive candy cane striped pillars and eavesdrop on the king: Between sighs and sobs, you hear a weary yet whimsical and lisping voice ask, "But why, advisor? Why would my own daughter leave for this long? She knows Prince Sonders would be upset!" A nasally voice simply replies, "Children, sire, you cannot count on them. Your daughter lacks any respect."

Almost any further interaction (including entering any of the interior doors) requires that players reveal themselves, after which they are begrudgingly treated as guests by King Mochi and his advisor, seeing as the bear brothers are not present. Guests

Escorted by either the bear brothers or the goose advisor (or not at all if successfully unnoticed until now), players see the following: Seated on a plush marshmallow throne is a squat man with a large set of floppy rabbit ears. His clothing, though a tad ridiculous in its coloration and cut, clearly denotes him as royalty, as does the gilded crown he wears. "Welcome?" the king questions in his lisping, unsteady voice. "What manner of traveler stands before me in my kingdom's hour of need?"

King Merlin Mochi is the epitome of whimsy. From his mannerisms to his clothing to his odd way of speaking, he seems straight out of a children's story. If players were not carried into this hall by the goose advisor, they can spot him lurking next to the throne, hunched and peering at them with dull black eyes. This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

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Once introductions are out of the way, King Mochi implores players for help in finding his missing daughter, the princess Mayumi. He explains the following: His daughter has always had a habit of running off, though she's been gone now for several weeks. The prince of a neighboring kingdom -- Prince Harlon Sonders of Saltmoor -- desires a Mochi princess's hand in marriage, and despite King Mochi's best efforts, Prince Sonders is beginning to grow impatient. Though soothed at first by his trusted advisor, the king can no longer contain his worry about his daughter, though he does admit that she never seemed to like court life all that much. Ultimately, King Mochi asks the players the following: "You seem to be the capable sort, and I very much want my daughter back. Could you please track her down? 5000 gold coins await for you upon her safe return."

Trespassers

Interacting with King Mochi stays much the same in this case, but instead of an offer, he makes the demand that players have 24 hours to track down Mayumi, or else Snuggles and Stuffles will tear out their stuffing. No reward is offered in this case.

"Oh fine! The princess said not to tell, but she always knew her destiny was not in some royal court, but out there in the world. She isn't coming back! She and Gaeyl are n-" Apparently regretting her lapse in judgment, the handmaid blushes and rushes out of the room.

If players gaze out the window, they can make out a faint heart shaped carving on the tree that reads "M + G." Additionally, either looking under the bed or succeeding on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals a small stone carved with a feather floating above a ship's wheel. Interacting with this stone causes the following: As you pass the stone between your fingers, sounds begin to crackle to life, seemingly from within. At first you hear fluttering sails and creaking timbers, but then a male voice calls out, "Mayumi! There's someone with your sending stone." After what sounds like a brief physical altercation, you hear a high, breathy female voice snap, "leave me alone!"

Formerly her secret means of communication, Mayumi's sending stone is carved with the insignia of her secret love -Gaeyl, pirate of the air (see area 8 for more detail on both Mayumi and Gaeyl).

5. Princess's Quarters

This numbered chamber connected to the keep denotes Princess Mayumi's abandoned chambers. All other unnumbered chambers connected to the keep denote servants' quarters, and can be assumed to contain a small bed, a wardrobe, and an assortment of cleaning supplies. When players enter Mayumi's chambers, they see the following: This cozy chamber is festooned with pastel colors and cute though inanimate stuffed animals. A four-postered bed takes up most of the space, opposite a carved wooden vanity. Through the open window flutters the leaves of a courtyard tree. A not-so-inanimate stuffed bunny looks up as you enter, clearly not expecting company. On the vanity lies a folded letter, which reads, "Father, I just can’t take it anymore! I need to find my own destiny out there in the world! I just know there’s something out there for me and it is NOT marrying that dastardly prince Sonders. Oh, and I am absolutely SICK of candy. There must be more tastes in the world than sweet."

The room's current occupant is the princess's handmaid and best friend, who spends most of her time keeping Mayumi's room in perfect shape for when she returns. The bunny has a habit of constantly eating jelly beans. The handmaid is cagey but clearly affectionate toward princess Mayumi. Though she does not know where princess Mayumi ran off to, she is clearly holding something back. If pressed with a successful DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check, she spills the beans (both literally and figuratively): 6

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Clues to Mayumi's Whereabouts Players can find many hints as to where Mayumi ran off to, both from the environment and the people in Castle Mochi. Specific clues are listed below: Bunny Handmaid. Mayumi's friend can be forced to divulge the true reason for the princess's disappearance, as explained above. Additionally, she will sneak the sending stone into a player's hand if it is not found initially. Courtyard Tree. The initials on the tree stand for Mayumi and Gaeyl, though only the handmaid can confirm this to be true. General Gossip. If any other denizens of the Mochi Kingdom are asked where Mayumi may have gone, they recall her saying she would love to explore the candy wilds one day. King Mochi. Despite being worried sick, the king has no idea where his daughter has fled. Royal Advisor. The advisor tells players that the rumor is Mayumi wandered off simply to upset her father, whom she despises. (This is a lie) Once players have some idea of where Mayumi may have gone (in truth they cannot glean any real specifics), they can either strike out on their own or ask King Mochi for advise. If told of Gaeyl or the candy wilds, King Mochi suggests heading west.

6. Candy Wilds

Players can technically visit the candy wilds any time they wish, but will usually strike out into the wider world once determining Mayumi may be found in these untamed lands. Consisting of a vast sea of fluffy pink clouds punctuated by syrupy rivers and eventually forests of candy producing trees, the wilds make up the vast majority of the Mochi Kingdom. If desired, the candy wilds are a great opportunity to introduce further elements to this adventure, including random encounters, story tie-ins for later events in a larger campaign, or character building interactions. However, such details are outside of the scope of this adventure, and are left to the discretion of the DM. After searching or exploring the wilds for some time, players experience the following: Suddenly the candy clouds underfoot give way, revealing a huge spider web spun from sticky sugar strands. Far below, you can see the forests and contours of the surface, but there is not much time for sightseeing: a red-and-white-striped spider bears down upon you, its translucent abdomen filled with bright green fluid.

An apex predator of the candy wilds, a sicksweet spider (see Appendix A) has ensnared players in its sugary web. All players effectively start combat restrained until they succeed on a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check to tear themselves free from the webbing. The spider preferentially attacks players who are helplessly stuck and unable to defend themselves.

Treasure. It seems a former victim of the spider left behind something valuable in the web, which players can easily retrieve after the beast is dead: a decanter of endless hot cocoa (effectively a decanter of endless water but much tastier). After their altercation, players shortly realize they appear to have reached the edge of the Mochi Kingdom with not a single sign of the princess anywhere: Beyond stretch not clouds of fluffy pink, but crispy golden brown, dripping grease like rain. A shrill trumpet shatters the silence three times. It sounds like it came from the castle!

Players can choose to follow the noise back to the castle or continue exploring, but if too much time is taken exploring, they may return too late to prevent tragedy.

7. Procession of Prince Sonders

While players were gone exploring, Prince Sonders led an expedition from Saltmoor to Castle Mochi, fed up with not being presented a bride. By the time players arrive, Saltmoor forces have already taken the castle, breaking through the gates and into the keep. Upon their return, players see the following: Striding through the broken doors of the castle keep, a short gentleman with hair like a drumstick leads a procession of brown oozes and bucket headed soldiers from astride some horrid, breaded beast. Already dressed for a wedding and sporting a waxed, curled mustache, the oily rider can be none other than Harlon Sonders, prince of Saltmoor. "Where. Is. My. Wife?" he fumes to King Mochi, hanging on every word. Desperately casting his eyes about, King Mochi's gaze lands on you, and he sputters weakly, "There's your princess! Surely my daughter has returned!"

Though King Mochi expects players have found Mayumi, it quickly becomes apparent she is nowhere to be seen. Players' options at this point are many, but some of the most common avenues are explored below: Contact Mayumi

Using the sending stone players can reach out to Mayumi, imploring her to come to the aid of her father and her kingdom. Convincing the stubborn princess to even talk requires mentioning either her duty to the kingdom or the danger her friends and family are in. If convinced, Mayumi yells "I'm coming!" through the stone and arrives shortly thereafter (see area 8). Until then, however, Prince Sonders grows impatient. Impatient Prince Sonders

If combat does not immediately break out, the tense atmosphere in the castle keep quickly causes Prince Sonders to lose his patience and demand a bride immediately. Looking to avoid any conflict, King Mochi offers up several options: First, if any of the players are a good fit, he offers that player as a bride for Prince Sonders.

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If that player refuses or no suitable player is present, he offers the bunny handmaid as a bride, who accepts her duty willingly. No matter how much players object, she sees this as a necessary sacrifice and her duty to the kingdom. Prince Sonders seems happy with whatever bride he can get his greasy hands on, and begins to take his leave, new bride in tow. Finally, the handmaid breaks down, sobbing and crying out for Mayumi (see area 8). Reckless Combat

Of course, some players will choose to resolve the tense situation through violence (see area 8 for details on the Saltmoor procession). Doing so draws the ire of King Mochi, who sends Snuggles and Stuffles to try and restrain players. If players succeed against the forces of both Saltmoor and the Mochi Kingdom, Prince Sonders retreats, vowing revenge. After he leaves, a furious King Mochi banishes players from the Mochi Kingdom, threatening to throw them from the clouds. It is more likely, however, that players fail in this endeavor, leading to the Prince either selecting one of them as a bride or choosing the poor handmaid (see "Impatient Prince Sonders" above). Regardless of how players choose to deal with the situation in the throne room, someone -- either the handmaid or a player -- will call out to Mayumi, who hears the cry through the sending stone and swiftly arrives in order to help.

Expanding Player Agency A very open-ended situation such as the tense standoff in the castle keep can overwhelm some players, especially inexperienced players, with too many choices. To mediate these scary feelings, DMs may consider the following tactics: Encourage players to act instead of overthinking scenarios by asking questions like, "how do you respond?" Go along with any plan players may come up with, no matter how bizarre, and make sure to apply appropriate consequences. Creativity is good, but players expecting unrealistic results from their poorly considered actions sets a nasty precedent. Guide player action through NPC action so as not to break immersion. Have one or more NPCs in the world begin doing something that hints at players what a good course of action could be.

8. Airship Arrival From the carpet of candy in the courtyard outside comes a loud rumble. With a burst of sweets, a multi-sailed skyship emerges through the clouds! Onboard stand a sharply dressed, wild-haired man and a striking bunny-eared woman. "Hi dad! I'm baaaaaaack!" the woman calls out as she and they man leap from the small deck, drawing arms.

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This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

The elusive Mayumi and her boyfriend Gaeyl have returned in the nick of time to help players repel the Saltmoor invaders. From her snazzy sailor's clothes Mayumi (see attached stat block) flourishes her staff, and Gaeyl likewise unsheathes a curved saber from behind his worn, blue-green captain's coat (use the pirate captain stat block). With Mayumi present, players can attempt to diffuse the tension and resolve things peacefully. Seeing his daughter happy and safe, King Mochi will gladly let her go off on her own as long as she visits often, which Mayumi will gladly agree to do. However, Prince Sonders must be convinced with either a successful DC 15 group Charisma (Intimidation) check or a DC 20 group Charisma (Persuasion) check into giving up his pursuit of a candy bride. Development. If negotiations break down, or if players leap into battle, combat ensues as King Mochi hides behind his throne. With renewed vigor, Snuggles and Stuffles join the fray, shouting "charge!" as they rush to battle alongside players. The Saltmoor procession includes 8 gravy elementals (see Appendix A) and 2 elite guards (use the berserker stat block), as well as the grease beast (treat as a cockatrice, where rather than turn its victims to stone it coats them in rock-hard breading) and its rider, the noble Prince Sonders. After two rounds, players notice the following: A great flapping of wings echoes through the keep as the royal advisor takes flight, holding King Mochi. "Help!" the king cries out. "Oh please, somebody help. My advisor has gone mad!"

All NPCs focus their efforts on bringing down the traitorous royal advisor (use the commoner stat block with an additional 50 ft. flying speed). If not brought down within 2 rounds, the advisor leaves the keep and attempts to flee to Saltmoor with King Mochi as a hostage. If successful, Prince Sonders retreats, realizing the powerful bargaining chip he has gained. If the elite guards and grease beast are defeated, Prince Sonders attempts to flee, crying out, "I will find my princess in another castle!" If let go, he never bothers the Mochi Kingdom again.

Ending the Adventure

If players save the Mochi Kingdom from Saltmoor's greasy advances, the king and all of its stuffed denizens are overjoyed. Mayumi quickly makes amends with her father, who apologizes for making her feel such obligation to her duties when it made her so clearly unhappy. Gaeyl is welcomed into the kingdom with open arms, though he never stays in one place for long. After a wondrous celebratory party, King Mochi thanks players profusely for their help. If previously a reward was offered, the king makes good on his deal, giving players 5000 golden coins. Sadly, the legal tender of the Mochi Kingdom is, perhaps unsurprisingly, chocolate coins thinly wrapped in gold foil. Mayumi and Gaeyl gladly invite players aboard their skyship, offering either to return them safely to the surface or to accompany them for further adventure!

Mayumi and Gaeyl Though gone for only a couple of weeks, Mayumi is hardly recognizable as a former princess. Preferring now a pirate-inspired style rather than her former dresses, Mayumi oozes an infectious, bubbly energy that is hard to resist. Her physical beauty is eclipsed only by her relentless enthusiasm for life. For Mayumi, there exists no greater motivator than the thrill of a new adventure. If desired, a full NPC character sheet for Mayumi is included at the end of this adventure. As written, she is a level 4 sorcerer, but if the party decides to stay with Mayumi and Gaeyl, feel free to level her up alongside the party as the adventures continue. Gaeyl is slightly more grounded, projecting an air of calm laced with worry. Sporting a mop of red hair and piercing green eyes, this ruggedly handsome half-elf hides a youthful exuberance not often shown to strangers. Hidden under his everpresent blue and green coat is an impressive array of weaponry for which he always seems to have a new origin story. The princess and the pirate make quite the power couple, but their meeting was rather by chance. When Mayumi snuck out one night some months ago to the surface she found an underground fighting ring. Signing up without a second thought, she found herself facing off against Gaeyl, the resident champion, and promptly kicked his ass. Astounded and now hopelessly fallen for this bunny girl, he gave her a sending stone so they could steal away during many future nights. Eventually, Mayumi's heart was set, and she decided to leave the castle for good. The rest is both history and a future yet to be written.

Treasure. Mayumi and Gaeyl decide they no longer need their sending stones and gift them to players. One bears the pirate insignia of Gaeyl and the other depicts a crescent moon with a bunny curled inside. Additionally, though the coins of the Mochi Kingdom are largely chocolate, the golden wrapping of every 20 coins is worth about 1 gp to an interested buyer. Finally, if using the milestone system of character progression, now is a great time to award players with a level increase!

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

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Appendix A: Creature Statistics Gravy Elemental

Deep in the grease pits of Saltmoor, the foul alkymancers work their savory magic. Most of their experiments never see the light of day, but perhaps their most famous is the gravy elemental. Formed from the cast off grease of other failed experiments and imbued with simple cognition and a touch of buttermilk, gravy elementals form the disgusting infantry of the Saltmoor army. Though their blobby forms cannot wield weaponry nor don armor, the strength of gravy elementals lies in their numbers. No matter how many fall in battle, more sentient salty sludges are never far behind.

Gravy Elemental

Sicksweet Spider

The children's tales of the Mochi Kingdom often sound like a pleasant dream, but at the fringes of this dream lurk nightmares. Sicksweet spiders are bloated, tiger sized beasts that comfortably sit at the top of the candy food chain. Camouflaged in the pink clouds by their red and white stripes, a sicksweet spider will lie in wait for weeks. An unfortunate soul who stumbles into its sticky sugar web soon becomes easy prey for the sicksweet's most unique asset: its venom. Using a needle-like stinger, the spider will inject a cocktail of bright green liquid sugar. Though initially empowering the target with a potent sugar rush, the resulting crash sends even the strongest foes into a sluggish stupor.

Sicksweet Spider

small elemental, lawful evil

Large beast, unaligned Armor Class 9 Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5) Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR

DEX

CON

Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 39 (6d10 + 6) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

INT

WIS

CHA

12 (+1) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

15 (+2) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 11 (+0) 4 (-3) Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses tremorsense 60 ft., blind beyond this radius, passive Perception 10 Languages Terran Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Sticky. When targeted by a melee weapon attack, the gravy elemental can harden its sludge around the weapon. The attacker must make a grapple check against the gravy elemental's own grapple check. On a failure, the gravy elemental subsumes the weapon. Any absorbed weapons are easily retrieved upon the gravy elemental's death.

Actions Savory Smack. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

Skills Stealth +7 Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 2 (450 XP) Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Actions Dehydrating Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Sicksweet Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, flying into a sugar rush on a failed save. For one round, the target has advantage on all actions, but for the following two rounds, the target is paralyzed.

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This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

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This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

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