The Village of the Blight
Actually the name of the town is Blaget .
This adventure begins innocently enough with an attack one night by twigs. That's right, twigs. They are the outlying edge of the Blight that has infected the city of Bagouis. The plants have been working for the Gulthias tree. They kill things and carry them back to pile them at the base of the tree. It lives off of the decaying flesh.

First Contact

The adventure starts when the party camps near the city. It's a nice camp that has a lot of bushes and foliage around it.


Deep in the night the twigs that have been keeping watch on the party will see a moment where the watchers may have become less watchful they will approach those who are sleeping and attack.
Twig Blight
Smal plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 4 (ld6 + 1)
Speed 20ft.
STR 6 (-2)-DEX 13 (+1)-CON 12 (+1)-INT 4 (-3)-WIS 8 (-1)-CHA 3 (- 4)
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Skills Stealth +3
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened
Senses blindsight 60ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9
Languages understands Common but can't speak
Challenge 1f8 (25 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead shrub.
ACTIONS
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. , one target.
Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
TWIG BLIGHT
Twig blights can root in soil, which they do when living prey are scarce. While rooted, they resemble woody shrubs. When it pulls its roots free of the ground to move, a twig blight's branches twist together to form a humanoid-looking body with a head and limbs.
Twig blights seek out campsites and watering holes, rooting there to set up ambushes for potential victims coming to drink or rest. Huddled together in groups, twig blights blend in with an area's natural vegetation or with piles of debris or firewood. Given how dry they are, twig blights are particularly susceptible to fire.
There are a bunch of them!
 - 1d6+1 = 6         - 1d6+1 = 4         - 1d6+1 = 2         - 1d6+1 = 7
      
 - 1d6+1 = 7         - 1d6+1 = 5         - 1d6+1 = 7         - 1d6+1 = 6       

 - 1d6+1 = 3         - 1d6+1 = 3         - 1d6+1 = 5         - 1d6+1 = 2       

 - 1d6+1 = 5         - 1d6+1 = 3         - 1d6+1 = 5         - 1d6+1 = 2       

 - 1d6+1 = 3         - 1d6+1 = 2         - 1d6+1 = 5         - 1d6+1 = 5

When the creatures are dead they look like dried weeds.
As they walk down the Kings Road they see a crudely painted sign in front of path that says
"This way to Bagyouis and the Ivory Coin. Food, Drink, Sundries"
The Town
The next town the party gets to is Blaget.

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Heganboar Holderhek — Level 4 Hill Dwarf Fighter (Battle Master)
Ability scores:   STR: 15 (+2)   DEX: 12 (+1)   CON: 14 (+2)   INT: 11 (+0)   WIS: 11 (+0)   CHA: 11 (+0)
Age: 134, One leg missing, cataracts
Saving throws:   STR: +4   DEX: +1   CON: +4   INT: +0   WIS: +0   CHA: +0
Initiative: +1   Speed: 25   Passive perception: 10   Size: Medium   Proficiency bonus: +2   Gender: Male
Hit points: 40   Hit dice: 4d10
Armor: Half plate
AC: 16
Melee weapons:
  • Halberd (+4 to hit) 1d10+2 slashing damage
  • Longsword (+4 to hit) 1d8(1d10)+2 slashing damage
    Ranged weapons:
  • Short bow (+3 to hit) 1d8+1 piercing damage   Range: 150/600   20 arrows
    •
    Proficient skills: Animal Handling +2, Athletics +4, Insight +2, Intimidation +2
    Non-proficient skills: Acrobatics +1, Arcana +0, Deception +0, History +0, Investigation +0, Medicine +0, Nature +0, Perception +0, Perform +0, Persuasion +0, Religion +0, Sleight of Hand +1, Stealth +1, Survival +0
    Languages: Common, Dwarvish     Other proficiencies: Mason's tools, Woodcarver's tools, Three-Dragon Ante, Land vehicles
    Racial Traits: Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Stonecunning, Dwarven toughness
    Abilities: Fighting Style (Great Weapon Fighting), Second Wind, Action Surge, Martial Archetype (Battle Master), 4 Superiority Dice (d8), 3 Maneuvers (Goading Attack, Parry, Trip Attack), Ability Score Improvement (4th level +2 Strength)
    Equipment: Insignia of rank, War trophy, Bone dice, Common clothes, Dungeoneer's pack   Wealth: 90 gp, 21 pp, Dragonchess Set with Silver Pieces worth 60 gold, Silver and Leather Bound Book worth 100 gold
    Magic Items: 2 Potions of Healing, Ring of Evasion (3 charges)
    ------------------------------------------------------
    She will ask to sit down and then tell her tale.
    "About a month ago, hunters began to notice plants that were growing overnight. Then they noticed that they were also disappearing overnight as well. Not much was thought about it. But a couple of weeks later, reports began of farms losing small pigs, chickens and such. Used to vermin making off with them, they were puzzled when they didn't see tracks they recognized where they disappeared.
    Then about a week ago Cugio the son of a local farmhand disappeared. A search party was organized, but after 2 days of searching nothing was found. And 2 nights ago fisherman named Borgas didn't return home and has not been seen since.
    I went on the search and talked to some of the wild animals. They told me of plants that move around and are hunting animals. They provided me with general directions to a spot where they have been seen."
    She asks the party to help the town by finding out what is going on and if it is a threat to end it. She offers to heal any injuries they may get and give them her staff which is a quarterstaff carved in the form of a snake wound around a holly branch. If they accept she will arrange to have their inn bill erased as well.
    She will lead them to a spot where they have been seen the next day.

    The next day she will be waiting for them in the tavern and is dressed in leather armor and ready to go. She will not accompany the party farther than the spot where she says the animals showed her.

    In the Forest
    The players will begin searching for the blight creatures. Every hour of game time, roll a d10 with a 1 indicating an encounter. Most of the encounters will be with a Blight creature, but other encounters may occur:
    Random Encounters:
    1-2 Random Forest Creature
    3 Hunting Prey found
    4-7 Needle Blight
    8 Shambling Mound
    9 Vine Blight
    10 Combined Vine and Needle Blight attack

    When the party has had a sample of the random encounters, they will run across a very unfortunate man.
    Tharivol Amakir (Gemflower) — Level 1 Wood Elf Wizard
    Ability scores:   STR: 10 (+0)   DEX: 16 (+3)   CON: 12 (+1)   INT: 14 (+2)   WIS: 11 (+0)   CHA: 10 (+0)
    Saving throws:   STR: +0   DEX: +3   CON: +1   INT: +4   WIS: +2   CHA: +0
    Initiative: +3   Speed: 35   Passive perception: 12   Size: Medium   Proficiency bonus: +2   Gender: Male
    Hit points: 7   Hit dice: 1d6
    Armor: None
    AC: 13
    Melee weapons:
  • Shortsword (+5 to hit) 1d6+3 piercing damage
  • 5 Daggers (+5 to hit) 1d4+3 piercing damage
    Ranged weapons:
  • 5 Daggers (+5 to hit) 1d4+3 piercing damage   Range: 20/60
    •
    Proficient skills: Athletics +2, Insight +2, Perception +2, Religion +4, Survival +2
    Non-proficient skills: Acrobatics +3, Animal Handling +0, Arcana +2, Deception +0, History +2, Intimidation +0, Investigation +2, Medicine +0, Nature +2, Perform +0, Persuasion +0, Sleight of Hand +3, Stealth +3
    Languages: Common, Elvish, Goblin     Other proficiencies: Flute
    Racial Traits: Darkvision, Keen senses, Fey ancestry, Trance, Mask of the Wild
    Abilities: Spellcasting, Arcane Recovery
    Equipment: Hunting trap, Animal trophy, Traveler's clothes, Explorer's pack, Arcane focus, Spellbook   Wealth: 110 gp
    Spellbook: Color Spray, False Life, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Witch Bolt
    Current spells: Color Spray, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Witch Bolt     Cantrips: Fire Bolt, Mending, Minor Illusion
    Spell slots: 2 first level     Spell save DC: 12     Spell Attack Modifier: +4     Can prepare 3 spells
    Familiar: Raven
    Background: Outlander (Guide)
    Personality: I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups. I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
    Ideal:     Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)
    Bond: An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.
    Flaw: Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.
    He is confused and almost naked with just a rag wrapped as underware. He is overjoyed to see them and although he speaks a narrative in broken elvish/common patois he eventually tells them of his capture by the plants. He remembers sleeping in a tree and then everything goes off. He remembers being forced to tend to plants. Watering, bringing in animals that he chopped up fine and sprinkled in front of plants. He woke up in the middle of a small stream half drown but once again in command of himself.
    As an elf he recognizes the importance of removing such a dangerous trap from the forest, so agrees to travel with them to show them were he remembers the area was if they will give him some food, drink and clothes. Shoes would be nice.
    On the way to the spot, roll for encounters 1d6 with a 1 or 2 indicating an encounter from the list above.
    Make sure that before the party gets to the Boss battle that all of the monsters in the chart have been encountered.

    Boss Battle


    Evil Treant
    Huge plant, chaotic good
    Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
    Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)
    Speed 30ft.
    STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
    23 (+6) 8 (-1) 21 (+5) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)

    Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
    Damage Vulnerabilities fire
    Senses passive Perception 13
    Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish, Sylvan
    Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
    False Appearance.     While the treant remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal tree.
    Siege Monster.     The treant deals double damage to objects and structures.
    Multiattack. The treant makes two slam attacks.
    Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
    Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 60/180 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

    2 Animated Trees (1/Day). The treant magically animates one or two trees it can see within 60 feet of it. These trees have the same statistics as a treant, except they have Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1, they can't speak, and they have only the Slam
    HP 8         HP 7    AC 16
    Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. action option.
    An animated tree acts as an ally of the treant. The tree remains animate for 1 day or until it dies; until the treant dies or is more than 120 feet from the tree; or until the treant takes a bonus action to turn it back into an inanimate tree. The tree then takes root if possible.

    2 Tree Thralls. If a humanoid is bound to the bole of the Gulthias Tree, over the next 24 hours the victim is sucked completely into the tree. Once the victim is completely absorbed into the tree, it becomes the tree's thrall, and is expelled over the course of l hour. The Gulthias Tree can have only four thralls at any one time. A victim's skin is rough, gray, and bark-like. A thrall is totally corrupted, becoming neutral evil. Such a creature exists only to serve the Gulthias Tree and those who tend it (such as Belak). It possesses all of its former abilities and gains the following traits:
    Barkskin. The thrall's AC can't be lower than 16. If the Gulthias Tree dies, the thrall dies 24 hours later.
    HP 9 -AC 14                               HP 10 - AC 14 (bark skin) Slam:+1 to hit with arm thats like a branch (1d6+1)

    If the party isn't getting very banged up by this time, send in a couple of shambling mounds that have been summoned.
    During the battle it will become obvious that all of the plants are protecting this big, dead tree in the middle of a clearing. It looks like there was a building in this area long ago, but all the remaining stones are covered with moss and most is covered by the forest. But the area around this dead tree is clear in fact it is clean of all foliage. The area stinks badly of rotting flesh and it comes from the mound of bodies piled around this tree. If anyone needs any additional hints about this tree being the root cause of the problem, note that anyone who clears their mind will being to hear a voice encouraging them to "come closer".

    Gulthias Tree: CR n/a; Gargantuan plant; HD 14d8; hp 33;
    Hardness 5; Init —; Spd —; AC 9; Atk —; SQ Plant, grow
    enchanted fruit. AL NE; SV Fon +10, Ref +0, Will + 14.
    Special Qualities: Plant: Immune to poison, sleep, paralyzarion,
    stunning, mind-influencing effects, and polymorph; not subject
    to critical hits