Voice of the Swarm - WIP adventure

A while ago, I talked about a adventure that I was working on for the Witherwild campaign frame. I've now run that adventure for two different groups and am feeling good about it, but my focus in adventure-writing has shifted over to the Dungeons of Drakkenheim Campaign Guide.

But I didn't want this work to go totally unused while I'm focusing on another project, and I know there's a lot of demand for Daggerheart adventures, so today I bring you my this in-progress Tier 1 adventure for the Witherwild campaign frame, titled Voice of the Swarm. This WIP version is available just to paid subscribers here.

When I ran this for my groups, it took them about six three-hour sessions to complete, but your mileage may vary. I've used it as the first adventure for a group at level 1/Tier 1 and for the other group I reworked as a Tier 2 adventure with ease.

• If you decide to play/run this adventure, I'd very much to hear how it goes for you, as well as any questions you have! Again, this is a work-in-progress, so there will be some rough spots and gaps in the material. I don't have anything written for Act Five yet, though in both cases when I ran the adventure, that part of the story was all improvised based on the PCs' previous choices and their repercussions.

• UPDATE: I've added a lightly-formatted PDF attachment to the post for ease of reading/use.
  

The Pitch

Plagued by swarms that have devastated their granaries and storehouses, the town of Greymire calls for aid. They seek a group brave enough to travel into the wilderness to the overgrown shrine of Yitrax to make an offering and beg forgiveness.

Description

Yitrax, Voice of the Swarm (they/them), is a Faint Divinity that governs pests and insects that eat/pollute dry goods used by humanoids (grain, flower, etc.). Yitrax used to receive offerings in winter, but due to the eternal spring and the destructive growth of the Witherwild, these offerings have been disrupted.

The shrine to Yitrax near the bog town of Greymire has been overrun by the Witherwild and the shrine’s attendants forbidden by the occupying Haven force from traveling to maintain the shrine and the town’s relationship with Yitrax.

Infuriated by the desecration of their shrine and the lack of offerings, Yitrax unleashes the growing swarms of pests that invade the town to find food and reproduce in pantries, store rooms, and cellars.

The party arrives at Greymire to find the town on the edge of starvation, exacerbated by the harried Havenite occupiers forcing the townsfolk into rapid cultivation of the Lady’s Veil. The PCs will have to contend with the occupying soldiers, work with the desperate townsfolk, and renew the compact with Yitrax so that the god withholds the swarms once again.

Content notes:
Food Infestation, Food Insecurity, Insects, Military Occupation, Pests
Narrative Overview

ACT ONE - The Town of Greymire
The party arrives at the besieged town of Greymire, under assault from angry swarms of pests and occupied by the Havenite military.

ACT TWO - The Swarm Unleashed
Several large swarms of insects attack the populace

ACT THREE - Audience with the Swarm
The party travels into the wilderness to cleanse Yitrax’s shrine and propitiate the faint divinity on Greymire’s behalf.

ACT FOUR - Your End of the Bargain
The party sets their intentions on satisfying Yitrax’s demands in order to spare Greymire from the wrath of the swarm.

ACT FIVE - Reckoning
Returning to Greymire, the party faces the consequences of their actions amidst a Havenite military crackdown.

Key NPCs

Yitrax, Voice of the Swarm (they/them) – one of the Faint Divinities, a hungry god that presides over insects that eat and infest dry goods. By tradition, the people of Fanewick tithe a portion of their stores to Yitrax each fall, burning them at sacred shrines. These offerings keep Yitrax sated so that it commands its swarms to spare the mortals’ supplies during the lean months of winter.

But now in the time of the Witherwild, the uncontrolled growth has led some settlements to become lax in their tithes to Yitrax. Others have had to modify their practices due to the lack of autumn decay that was core to the rituals of supplication. And in response, the Voice of the Swarm has grown angry, unleashing swarms of ants, locusts, and other pests to punish the people that have abandoned their agreement.

About Paint the Scene

“Paint the Scene” is a term for a specific kind of roleplay prompt designed to engage the whole group while developing or conveying an important narrative element in the scene. Created by Jason Cordova, this technique is seen in games like Brindlewood Bay and The Between. In this adventure, these are used in select scenes to get the entire group in on the process of describing a key scene to emphasize theme and tone.

For more on Paint the Scene, read about it in the designer’s own words at: https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/blog/paint-the-scene

Preparing for Adventure

Adventure Archetypes

In order to help your group make this adventure your own, Voice of the Swarm presents four character archetypes that PCs can fill in order to help the process of making this adventure feel specific and personal to the party. Since it is a level 1/tier 1 adventure, it’s easiest to do this as part of your Session Zero so that players know what is expected of them and can incorporate these archetypes into their character creation process.

During session zero or prep for this adventure, the GM should read the following text and ask the Archetype Questions to the group.

<BOX TEXT> Since Daggerheart is a game for telling character-focused stories with shared narrative authority, this adventure presents four archetypes to help us make this adventure feel specific and personal to the party. I’ll ask the questions below, and the group should try to fill at least two of these archetypes by providing a response to the questions.

Which one of you has lived for a time in the town of Greymire, known for its fecund peat bog? You are The Local.

Which one of you was trained in the rites of supplication to appease the faint divinities? You are The Speaker.

Which one of you has made a practice of studying and confronting the dangerous beasts of the Witherwild? You are The Hunter.

Which one of you comes from Haven or lived in Haven and knows people in the army? You are The Associate.

</BOX>

Each PC that answers a given question will be the character referred to whenever the adventure mentions that archetype.

Example: Whenever the adventure refers to The Speaker, that material should be directed to and adjusted for the PC that fills the archetype of The Speaker.

Once you’ve decided which PCs will fill the adventure archetypes, proceed to the archetype background questions.

If no player selects The Local or if you want additional hooks to deploy, look below to Alternative Hooks.

Archetype Background Questions

These additional background questions help flesh out the ways that your PC fulfils the archetype as well as their relationship to key elements of the adventure. You can ask these in session zero or in the first session of the adventure when appropriate.

Local – Pheda, a Galapa friend of yours in Greymire, was a prominent chemist before the Haven invasion. You just received a letter from her that told you that things were bad in Greymire without explicitly stating it. What did she say and how could you tell her real meaning?

Speaker – What does a shrine to Yitrax, Voice of the Swarm look like? What special offerings do they seem to like best, and why are those items hard to come by?

Hunter - What beast that was dangerous before the Witherwild has now become seemingly unstoppable?

Associate – When the Haven army occupies a town, what amenity is the first thing they create or procure to maintain morale for the soldiers?

You’ll use the answers to these questions throughout the adventure to help detail key elements of the story.

Alternative Hooks

If none of your PCs fit the archetypes provided above, you may want to deploy one or more of these additional hooks to bring the party to Greymire with an agenda that connects them to the adventure.

· If a PC has a connection to Haven, especially the Haven military, they can receive a letter or message from a Havenite soldier in Greymire asking for advice or assistance on dealing with a malevolent divinity that controls swarming insects and pests.

· Any PC with a strong connection to a Faint Divinity (a Seraph or Druid, perhaps) can receive a vision of an overgrown shrine to Yitrax, Voice of the Swarm, and an emotional impression of a great Wrong to be fixed, as well as a pull to the town of Greymire.

· If a PC is involved in organized resistance to the Havenite occupation, they receive a coded message from Pheda through the courier systems used by the resistance.

Act One, Part One

At the Gates of Graymire

Read or paraphrase the following text:

<BOX TEXT> Located in central Fanewick near the border with Haven, Greymire was one of the first settlements to be occupied during the invasion. The town is built near a peat bog, which used to be the town’s main industry. The peat harvested was used by chemists and for heating, the moss used by apothecaries, and so on.

Or at least, that’s how things used to be. As you approach Greymire, you see that the former bogs have been filled in. Now endless fields of Lady’s Veil surround the town, with back-bent townsfolk tending to the crops, watched over by Havenite soldiers bearing spears. </BOX TEXT>

Ask the following Paint the Scene prompt to the group:

How can you tell that these soldiers are not here to protect the townsfolk from the Witherwild, but to keep them in line?

If the party approaches the townsfolk, the Havenite solders tell them to move along and present themselves at the town gates.

Greymire is surrounded by a recently-reinforced wooden wall, with a heavy iron portcullis in the front gate. Most of the buildings are obscured by the gate, save for some watch towers, a few three-story houses, and a wide building that looms over the north side of the town.

With the portcullis shut, a Havenite soldier interrogates the party about their reason for visiting Greymire.

GM tips

·  Let different PCs make contributions to the argument and look for chances for the officer of the watch to refer to Greymire’s food shortages and/or the trouble with pests.

· Use Havenite Hospitality to help convey a sense of hostility from the soldiers and the Buzzed feature to introduce the threat of the swarms early, to be explained later.

o This is also a good chance to let the players display who their character is, how they handle themselves when challenged by an authority, and what they think about the Havenite occupation.

· Be sure to spotlight the Local in this process, as they’re the one most likely to know people in the town and be able to refer to them as friends, kin, or associates.

Guardians at the Gate

Tier 1 Social Environment
Description: A tense conversation with a Haven soldier serving as officer of the watch, probing visitors as to their motives and affiliation.
Impulses: dispel uncertainty, instill obedience, sniff out dangers to Haven
Potential Adversaries: Haven Soldier, Haven Lieutenant, Merchant, Withered Mosquitos

FEATURES
Barred and Shut – Passive: The Haven garrison will not open the gate until the officer of the watch is satisfied with the party’s answers. When the officer starts interrogating the PCs, set a Progress Countdown (4) representing the PCs’ efforts to gain entrance and a Consequence Countdown (4) representing the officer’s patience.

·       If the Progress Countdown triggers first, the soldiers let the PCs in without further issue. Proceed to the section marked Go About Your Business.

·       If the Patience Countdown triggers first, the soldiers take the PCs into custody for “further questioning” and proceed to the section marked Troublemakers.

Who is this officer of the watch? What is their name and ancestry? Why were they picked for this role and what do they like about it?

Grease the Wheels – Passive: A PC may gain advantage on a roll to advance the Barred and Shut Progress Countdown by providing proof of their membership in the Haven military/bureaucracy or by displaying a sizable portion of food to be offered to the soldiers as a “gift” for their protection (aka a bribe).

What does official Haven paperwork look like? How can someone tell if that kind of paperwork is faked? Which of the soldiers at the gate looks the most malnourished?

Buzzed – Action: A Withered Mosquitos horde appears at Close range and takes the spotlight. They gain Relentless (2) for the scene. Activate a Countdown (3) representing the soldier’s response. When it triggers, or when one of the PCs suffers Severe damage, the Havenite soldiers hurl netting over the walls that trap some of the pests, scattering the rest (remove the Withered Mosquitos).

How has the Witherwild changed these mosquitos? Which PC do they target first, and why -- are they the least armored? Do they have food on them?

Volley – Reaction: If the PCs resist arrest by the soldiers or openly defy the officer of the watch, Spend a Fear to force each PC to make an Agility Reaction roll or suffer 1d6+1 phy damage from a volley of arrows.

How can you tell from the attack that the soldiers are strained? What strange features Witherwild-touched feathers are these arrows fletched with?

Havenite Hospitality – Reaction: On any failure with Fear within Far of the walls, the soldiers on watch heckle the PC, forcing them to mark a Stress.

Which soldier is the main jokester? Why did they turn to this kind of biting humor, and which other soldier finds it annoying?

ACT ONE, PART TWO

Welcome to Greymire

The former peat harvesters now tend and harvest the flower while local chemists and apothecaries are now pressed into efforts towards maximizing the efficiency of the red Lady’s Veil cure. The goal is to make it so that one flower can cure more than one case of Serpent’s Sickness. This effort is not going well, and as pressure for results mounts from Haven leadership, the occupying Havenites drive the people of Greymire even harder. All of this is complicated by the mounting pressures the attacking swarms (injuries, food scarcity, etc.)

The occupying military has collected nearly all the dry goods in the town, centralizing storage and security in a storehouse and (which also grants the soldiers greater control over the populace through controlling access to staple ingredients). The people of Greymire are hungry, scared, and on edge-from frequent pest attacks and infestations.

When the PCs begin exploring Greymire, introduce this Paint the Scene prompt:
What do you see that makes it obvious that the people of Greymire are suffering food insecurity due to the swarms of pests?

Go About Your Business

The PCs are granted entrance to Greymire and told not to leave town without approval from the garrison.

Tell the Local where they expect they can find Pheda.

Troublemakers

The PCs are “escorted” inside the town and taken to the garrison (formerly the community building) and taken to a holding room.

When the conversation with the detainees reaches a lull or when an opportunity to interrupt the conversation before revealing something important, Politico Edro Gopan strides in with two armed guards to declare that the PCs will follow him for a “friendly discussion”. Gopan leads the PCs to a bedroom converted into an office, where Captain Lusay Kaldon already sits, composed but menacing.

Politico Edro Gopan (Orderborne Simiah, he/him) cowardly, preening, zealous

A slight, young, tall chimpanzee-esque man with dull orange fur and large brown eyes.  Gopan is a Politico (a political officer), deployed to Greymire to oversee the political education of the town as well as ensuring the ideological purity of the Haven soldiers in the field despite the “unnatural” influence of the Faint Divinities. Technically, Captain Kaldon outranks Gopan, but the Simiah is not afraid to wield his influence to push the captain toward more extreme methods to test her loyalty.

Captain Lusay Kaldon (Orderborne Human, she/her) rigorous, insightful, uncompromising

A tall, middle-aged woman with a powerful build, curly hair parted down the middle, deep ochre eyes, and a light brown complexion. Captain Kaldon has a reputation in the Haven army for being diligent and uncompromising. She’s been assigned to Greymire to whip the town into shape and handle the swarm problem. As part of these efforts, Captain Kaldon has been sending groups into the woods with firestaves to burn out the hives and tamp down the insect population. This is just making Yitrax even angrier.

Optional beats:

Visit From a Friend

While they explore the town, the Associate is flagged down by a dwarf woman named Yolens, someone they grew up with.

Associate - how often did Yolens rope you into her well-meaning but ill-fated schemes, and what disastrous plan sticks out most in your memory? What did helping her cost you, and what did it give you?

Yolens shares that her mother has contracted Serpent’s Sickness, and so Yolens joined the army to get a shot at a cure for her thanks to the Service Lottery. She has a plan to get another lot by impressing Captain Kaldon and wants the Associate’s help in making it happen so that her mother has a greater chance of receiving a cure.

Private Yolens Wall (she/her – Slyborne Dwarf – clever, reckless, compassionate)

As a youth, Yolens was always getting into trouble, but did it because she wanted to help people. Now she wears the uniform of a Havenite soldier, but has bags under her eyes and holds one arm gingerly, nursing an injury.

Key Locations in Greymire

The Garrison – The Haven soldiers have occupied a community building and several adjacent buildings and turned it into a sort of a forward operating base with a barracks, operations center, and officer’s lounge (a public house).

NPCs: Captain Lusay Kaldon, Private Yolens Wall, Political Officer Gopan

The Warehouse – What once housed chemical compounds waiting for transport now contains nearly all of the town’s dry goods. Centralized under the soldiers’ watch “for the town’s protection.

The Floral Lab – Greymire produces Lady’s Veil by the thousands, and so some of the people of the town are working to find other uses for the standard white versions of the flower as well as trying to create two doses of cure for each red flower instead of just one. The efforts are led by Pheda, the town’s most prominent chemist, and she is beginning to wild under the pressure. Pheda is also The Local’s contact, who wrote to ask for their help with the swarm situation.

NPCs: Pheda

Varra’s House – Varra is Greymire’s local witch. Before the Witherwild, she lived outside of town, closer to Yitrax’s shrine. After a run-in with the Haven guards, she has been relegated to the house of someone killed by the swarms. She is known to The Speaker for her reputation as impulsive but very knowledgeable about the ways of the Faint Divinities.

NPCs: Varra the Witch

--

Greymire NPCs

Varra, Witch of Greymire (Wildborne Elf, she/her) – blunt, excentric, vengeful

Before the Witherwild, Varra lived in a house in the woods between Greymire and Yitrax’s shrine. She was forced to abandon her home due to withered creature attacks and demands by Haven that all people living in outlying homes move inside Greymire’s walls. She continued trying to tend the shrine until she was barred from leaving the town due to the “danger” of the witherwild. She pushed ahead and soldiers broke her. She has worked with locals to try to mitigate the damage from Yitrax’s wrath, but her leg has healed poorly and would have trouble making it to the shrine even if she could get past the guards.

Captain Lusay Kaldon (Orderborne Human, she/her) ambitious, exacting, ruthless

<see Troublemakers, above>

Pheda, Local Chemist (Loreborne Galapa, she/her) – warm, exacting, compassionate

Appearing as a humble chemist, Pheda is actually the leader of the Fanewick resistance in Greymire. She slips in missives with the wares she sends to other towns, sabotages supplies for the Havenite army, and relays intelligence through couriers and gossip networks. She does this all while closely watched by Havenite soldiers, risking discovery and punishment for even one wrong move.

Act Two, Part One

The Swarm Attacks!

While the PCs are speaking with locals or perhaps at the end of a rest, horns of alarm sound across the town, signaling an attack. The horns and shouts of alarm easily lead the PCs to the site of the attack on the northern side of Greymire, where two Withered Swarms attack civilians, with three Haven Soldiers and two Burn Troopers trying to fend off the attack.

Swarm Attack Guide

If your party has five or more PCs, you may want to add a third Withered Swarm and more Haven Soldiers to maintain the proportions in this multi-front conflict.

To keep the action varied and the situation fluid, alternate between spotlighting the swarms and the soldiers. Use features like Everybody Panic! And Flame Staff Mishap to escalate the situation and show that the Havenite soldiers do not have control of the situation.

GREYMIRE UNDER ATTACK

Tier 1 Event Environment

Swarms of Withered Giant Mosquitos attack the town of Greymire, expressing Yitrax’s rage.
Impulse: consume blood and grain, sow chaos, terrorize mortals
Difficulty: 10
Potential Adversaries: Haven Burn Trooper, Haven Soldier, Head Guard, Merchant, Withered Swarm

FEATURES

Withered Swarms - Passive: When one swarm is defeated, set a Standard Countdown (3). When this triggers, summon another Mosquito Swarm. If all swarms are defeated, any Withered Swarm countdown is cleared without effect.

What kinds of insects comprise this swarm? How has the Witherwild warped them beyond growing in size?

Remove the Protectors - Passive: Mosquito swarms will move and attack Haven Soldiers if they are the closest target.

How eagerly are the guards protecting the civilians? Do they freely move to the people’s defense or do they have to be ordered to act?

Everybody Panic! - Action: Spend a Fear to have a group of townsfolk panic, scattering and becoming Vulnerable until calmed down.

What are the ancestries and look of the people panicking? What dangerous situations do they create in their attempts to flee?

Flame Staff Mishap - Action: A Haven Soldier uses a fire-emitting flamestaff against a Swarm, but due to poor luck or a lack of care, they start a fire comprising an area with a radius of a Melee range. Tell the nearest player to roll their Fear die. If the result is lower than the current Fear total, activate the Spreading Fire feature.

What catches fire? Does the soldier take responsibility for what they’ve done or just leave the people to fend for themselves?

Terror of the Swarm - Reaction: When a townsfolk or soldier is killed by a swarm attack, gain a Fear.

How do they die? Who witnesses this, and how did they know the deceased?

Spreading Fire – Reaction (Environment Change): When a fire breaks out, introduce the Raging Fire Environment and spotlight it immediately.

Raging Fire

Tier 1 Event Environment

A quickly-growing fire with no signs of stopping. It consumes greedily, leaping gaps thanks to the strong wind.
Impulses: Consume flammable material, fill the air with smoke
Difficulty: 13
Potential Adversaries: Merchant, Haven Soldiers

Fire’s Spread - Passive: A fire has already begun to spread. When this environment first takes the spotlight, activate a Countdown (Decreasing Loop - 4). When the countdown triggers, the fire spreads by a Close distance and you gain a Fear. When the countdown re-sets to 0, the fire has grown past the point of no return. PCs must mark 1d4 Stress to take an action, and most adversaries will flee for their own safety.

Where will the fire spread if left untouched? What lives are threatened? What part of your clothes or gear catches fire?

Landscape of Flame - Passive: Any PC attempting to maneuver through the environment cannot move more than a Very Close distance as part of an action without making an Agility or Finesse Roll. On a failure, they take 1d6 physical damage and mark a Stress.

What burning object lies in your path? Could you potentially move it to clear the way?

Plume of Flame: Action - Spend a Fear to have a plume of flame burst within the environment. Every PC within Very Close of the burst must make an Agility Reaction Roll or take 2d10+2 phy damage and mark a Stress. On a success, targets still mark a Stress.

Choking Smoke: Reaction - When a PC fails a roll, they must mark a Stress from smoke inhalation.
What do they have to block out the smoke? What does choking on the smoke cause them to miss or fumble?

HAVEN SOLDIER
Tier 1 Minion
A Havenite conscript in basic chain armor, wielding a spear and in over their head.
Motives & Tactics: fend off swarms, make it through the day, win glory & safety
Difficulty: 9 | Thresholds: N/A | HP: 1 | Stress: 1
ATK: -1 | Spear: Very Close | 3 phy

#1 – HP 1/1 – Stress 1/1
#2 – HP 1/1 – Stress 1/1
#3 – HP 1/1 – Stress 1/1

FEATURES
Minion (3) - Passive: The Soldier is defeated when they take any damage. For every 3 damage a PC deals to the Soldier, defeat an additional Minion within range the attack would succeed against.

Group Attack - Action: Spend a Fear to choose a target and spotlight all Haven Soldiers within Close range of them. Those Minions move into Melee range of the target and make one shared attack roll. On a success, they deal 3 physical damage each. Combine this damage.

HAVEN BURN TROOPER

Tier 1 Ranged
A Haven soldier bearing a flame-throwing staff and a leather coat.
Motives & Tactics: Arrest, close gates, make it through the day, pin down
Difficulty: 10 | Thresholds: 4/8 | HP: 3 | Stress: 2
ATK: +1 | Flame Staff: Close| 1d8+3 phy
Experience: Soldier +2

#1:  HP 3/3 – Stress 2/2
#2: HP 3/3 – Stress 2/2

FEATURES
Burn it Down - Action: Spend a Fear to make every target in front of the Burn Trooper Make an attack against a target within Far range. On a success, mark a Stress to deal 1d8+3 physical damage. If the target marks HP from this attack, they have disadvantage on Agility Rolls until they clear at least 1 HP.

Accidental Fire - Reaction: On a failure with Fear for a roll against the Burn Trooper, they over-react and respond with a gout of fire that catches the nearby terrain on fire. Activate a Countdown (Decreasing Loop - 4). When the countdown triggers, the fire spreads by a Close distance and you gain a Fear. When the countdown re-sets to 0, the fire has grown past the point of no return. Activate the Raging Fire Environment.

WITHERED SWARM
Tier 1 Withered Horde (5/HP)
Dozens of fist-sized mosquitoes, flying together for protection.
Motives & Tactics: Fly away, harass, steal blood
Difficulty: 10 (12 when flying) | Thresholds: 5/9 | HP: 6 | Stress: 3
ATK: −2 | Proboscis: Melee | 1d8+3 phy

Experience: Camouflage +2, Hungry +2

#1:  HP 6/6 – Stress 3/3
#2:  HP 6/6 – Stress 3/3
#3:  HP 6/6 – Stress 3/3[MU5] 

FEATURES

Horde (1d4+1) - Passive: When the Withered Swarm have marked half or more of their HP, their standard attack deals 1d4+1 physical damage instead.

Flying - Passive: While flying, the Withered Swarm has a +2 bonus to their Difficulty.

Bloodsucker - Reaction: When the Withered Swarm’s attack causes a target Major Damage, you can mark a Stress to force the target to instead take Severe Damage.

Act Three, Part One

If the PCs decide to travel into the wilderness to Varra's cabin and the Shrine of Yitrax, use the Journey to the Shrine environment and the following Paint the Scene prompt.

Paint the Scene: How has the Witherwild twisted these woods to make them more dangerous and specifically hostile to humanoid life?

JOURNEY TO THE SHRINE
Tier 1 Traversal Environment
A dangerous trek across uncertain climes through a variety of threats.
Impulses: Exhaust resources, sap willpower, show the price of curiosity
Difficulty: 12
Potential Adversaries: Acid Burrower, Bandits, Beasts (any), Haven Soldiers, Withered Swarm

FEATURES
The Warped Woods – Passive: When the party sets out to Yitrax’s Shrine, activate a Progress Countdown (6). When the environment is introduced and after each completed roll to progress this countdown, describe where the PCs are in the journey and convey what challenges are present at this stage. When the countdown is triggered, describe the group arriving at their destination and what awaits them and tell each PC to gain a Hope.

What does the surrounding landscape look like? What threats can the PCs anticipate and what lie in wait to surprise them?

Kudzu Wall - Passive: Obstacle - A wall of thick vines & Kudzu (Default: Finesse). If Varra is present, someone has to help her cross (extra roll or take disadvantage on your roll if you go together).

How can you tell that this Kudzu has been burned away and re-grown several times? What disturbing sound does it make as it grows before your eyes?

Bad Weather – Action: Once per session while this environment is active, introduce inclement weather that complicates the journey. All PCs mark a Stress or lose a Hope. If the party presses on, the next roll to progress the journey countdown is made with disadvantage. If they try to wait out the weather by taking a rest, the GM gains an additional 2 Fear or can tick down a long-term countdown by 1.

What kind of weather is it? How does it foul the mood among the party? What cover exists nearby to wait it out?

Haven Patrol - Action: Spend a Fear to introduce a Haven burn patrol (Lieutenant, 2 Burn Troopers, 2 Bladed Guards) trying to keep the growth of the Witherwild in-check. They’re suspicious of the party for being in the dangerous woods and haven’t heard of the PCs’ heroism in the latest attack.
How can you tell that this patrol has been through the wringer? What strange sights have they encountered? Are they more nervous or relieved to see other people?

Dangerous Feature – Reaction: When a PC fails a roll to advance the Progress Countdown for the journey, describe a physical hazard or mishap that deals them 1d10+2 phy damage. You may also spend a Fear to increase the Countdown by one (tick up, not down) as you describe how this setback complicates the journey.

What is the source of the injury? Does the PC’s failure make other character’s traversal more difficult?

Strange Dreams - Reaction: If the characters sleep in the wilderness during the journey, the Witherwild evokes intense dreams.

Yitrax’s Shrine

Roleplaying Yitrax
If you want to adopt a voice for Yitrax, try focusing on resonance, moving your focus forward into your nose to create a sense of buzzing. Yitrax generally speaks in the first person plural ala "We are not pleased"

Audience with the Swarm Guide
Ask the following question to the Speaker:

What all is involved in cleaning and rededicating a shrine to the Faint Divinities? What special considerations are needed given that this is a shrine to Yitrax, Voice of the Swarm?

• If the PCs succeed in negotiating and promise a feast, proceed to A Feast for the Swarm. 

• If the PCs succeed in negotiating and promise to slay the Hive Eater, proceed to Hunting the Hive Eater.

• If the PCs are not able to successfully negotiate with Yitrax, proceed to The Swarm Enraged

AUDIENCE WITH THE SWARM
Tier 1 Social Environment
A magically overgrown wilderness shrine to Yitrax, Voice of the Swarm
Impulses: Overawe mortals, demand sacrifices, desecrate ritual space
Potential Adversaries: Tangle Bramble Swarm, Tangle Bramble, Withered Mosquito Swarm
Difficulty: 13

Overgrown Shrine - Passive: When the PCs reach Yitrax’s shrine, it has been consumed by kudzu, dirt, shed blooms, and pollen. A Group Action is required to clean off the shrine, then a character with the proper knowledge must make a Difficulty 13 roll (Instinct, Presence, or Knowledge) to spiritually purify the shrine so that it may be used for communion again. 

Master and Apprentice - Passive: The Witch Varra or her apprentice lend assistance.

• If Varra is present, the leader of the Group Roll to clean the shrine gains advantage, and the PC need not roll to purify the shrine (Varra does it). Additionally, Varra applies a -2 to the difficulty of negotiating with Yitrax.

• If instead Rachelle is present, she grants advantage to the PC rolling to cleanse the shrine and on the negotiations. Rachelle prevents the first use of Pitiful Mortals in a scene, mollifying Yitrax’s rage.

The Demands of the Swarm - Passive: Options for appeasing Yitrax include:

• Slay the Hive Eater, a huge Withered beast that eats bugs and turns them into withered minions (aka not controlled by Yitrax)

• Offer up a feast for the Swarm to consume without interruption from mortals 

  • Would require Haven’s resources or starving people in Greymire

• OR a more personal sacrifice.

Propitiation - Passive: If the shrine is cleansed, a character may ask an audience with Yitrax by making a Presence Roll (13) to open negotiations and gain information about the divinity’s desires. Start a Consequence Countdown (3 - Decreasing Loop) to represent Yitrax’s Patience and a Progress Countdown representing the party’s attempts to mollify Yitrax’s rage and get them to open up to the possibility of renewing their compact with Greymire. If the Consequence countdown triggers, immediately activate PITIFUL MORTALS. If the Consequence countdown resets to 0, Yitrax leaves and activates The Swarm’s Contempt. When the Progress Countdown triggers, Yitrax shares the terms they will accept to extend their protection to Greymire once again.

The Swarm’s Contempt - Action: Spend 2 Fear to summon two Mosquito Swarms at close distance to drive the insolent away from the shrine. They immediately take the spotlight.

PITIFUL MORTALS! - Reaction: When a mortal questions Yitrax’s power or tests their patience, the offender must make a Presence Reaction Roll or mark 2 Stress.

ACT FOUR, PART ONE

What comes next will depend on the results of the party’s negotiations with Yitrax.

The Swarm Enraged

If the party fails to convince Yitrax to provide terms required to return their protection to Greymire, then the party is left without a clear path forward but not necessarily without options. The party can decide their own plan on what to do to appeal to Yitrax. They might come upon the feast option on their own, they might know of or learn about the Hive Eater and come to understand that the creature threatens Yitrax’s power, but those are not the only options.

Try to give the party a great deal of latitude in how they want to adjust their approach to avoid the story getting ground to a halt by the setback at the shrine.

This might also be when the party calls upon NPCs or allies to assist them. This is especially relevant for PCs fulfilling the adventure’s archetypes, most notably the Local and the Associate.

Getting Greymire back in Yitrax’s good graces may be more difficult without clear direction from the divinity, but it should not be impossible. You might increase the difficulty of future rolls to appease Yitrax, tick down long-term or consequence countdowns already active in the story arc, or find other ways to ramp up the pressure while keeping the story moving forward.

A Feast for the Swarm

If the party promises to provide a feast for Yitrax’s children, they will need to obtain a substantial amount of food and bring it to the shrine to be consumed as part of a ritual of propitiation. To host the type of sacrificial feast demanded, the party will have to steal or procure enough food to feed fifty people, most of it in the form of the staple grains.

Greymire cannot spare that much food, not with the Havenite occupation, interrupted supply lines due to the dangers of the Witherwild, and the attacks from Yitrax’s swarms.

And if the party steals food from the Havenite occupiers, the soldiers will blame the citizens of the village for the theft and take it out on the civilians through corporal punishment and further “levies” taking away the peoples’ dwindling food supplies.

If the party takes longer than a day to procure the materials for the ritual, another wave of swarms attacks the town (per Act Two), leading to new casualties and raising tensions in the town. After the attack, set a Decreasing Loop Long-Term Countdown (Loop 3 - Decreasing). When it triggers, another swarm attacks, and when the countdown resets to 0, the town will be completely overrun by pests and insects, becoming unlivable for humanoids.

The party might attempt to hunt/harvest food for the town to make up for the sacrifice, requiring a Progress Countdown (10) to offset completely (the results of this are proportionate, so bringing the countdown to 5 would mean offsetting half of the supplies required, etc), but harvesting or procuring new dry goods to replace the grain for the sacrifice will be difficult, especially on a short timeline.

Hunting the Hive Eater

Thanks to Yitrax’s assistance, the Hive Eater is not hard to find. Yitrax sends a swarm of flies to lead the party to the Hive Eater, but recalls the flies before the group confronts the beast or comes within a Far distance, afraid of losing more of their children to the usurper.

The Hive Eater was once a large anteater, but it has been warped by the witherwild, growing massively in size and shifting in form, becoming not just a consumer of insects, but a living hive itself, transforming consumed insects into its servants.

The Hive Eater is well on the way to becoming a faint divinity on its own, usurping Yitrax’s position and supernatural domain. Several such potential divinities have emerged from the Witherwild, but the Hive Eater may be the one closest to a warped ascension

Hive Eater Guide

The Hive Eater is a legendary adversary, meant to be a story arc-ending confrontation that tests the PCs’ combat capabilities and ability to work together. Part of the Hive Eater’s difficulty emerges from the fact that it is a multi-phase adversary with a total of 15 HP across its two phases.

In the first phase, use Lashing Tongue to hit multiple PCs at once, reposition using Burrower to punch in and out of the earth, and manifest Withered Swarms using Subborned Swarms.

The second phase (Desperate Monstrosity) reduces the Hive Eater’s difficulty and damage thresholds, but raises its damage output and its ability to act several times in one GM turn (moving up to Relentless 3 from Relentless 2). The second phase loses Subborned Swarms and Lashing Tongue but gains Burrowing Dive for maneuverability and Withered Thrashing for bull-like charges through multiple PCs as it moves more erratically and/or tries to escape to its den.

Additionally, during the Desperate Monstrosity phase, you’re encouraged to improvise other new features to represent the Hive Eater continually transforming as it is consumed by the Witherwild, warping desperately as it tries to survive the PC’s assault.

If the Hive Eater makes it back to its tunnel (a Very Far distance from where the PCs find it), introduce the Hive Eater’s Burrow Environment, where it has a chance to recover some of its wounds and use the cave’s darkness against the PCs.

HIVE EATER - RAVENOUS PREDATOR

Tier 1 Withered Solo
A horse-sized bipedal anteater with digging claws and witherwild-touched acidic blood.
Motives & Tactics: Consume, convert pests, defy reason, rampage
Difficulty: 14 | Thresholds: 8/15 | HP: 8 | Stress: 3/4
ATK: +3 | Claw Swipe: Very Close | 1d10+3 phy
Experience: Tremor Sense +2, Predator +2

FEATURES 
Relentless (2) - Passive: The Hive Eater can be spotlighted up to two times per GM turn. Spend Fear as usual to spotlight them. 

Burrower - Passive: The Hive Eater can move up to a Far distance underground by burrowing through the earth. Additionally, the Hive Eater ignores penalties related to lack of light/sight.

Earth Eruption - Action: Spend a Fear to have the Burrower burst out of the ground. All creatures within Very Close range must succeed on an Agility Reaction Roll or be knocked over, making them Vulnerable until they next act.

Lashing Tongue - Action: Spend a Fear to have the Hive Eater whip its barbed tongue at all targets within Close. Each target within range must make an Agility Reaction Roll or suffer 2d6+3 phy damage.

Subborned Swarms - Reaction: When the Hive Eater takes Severe damage, mark a Stress to create a Withered Swarm, which emerges at melee distance and takes the spotlight.

Momentum - Reaction: When this adversary makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.

Survival Instinct - Reaction (Phase Change): When the Ravenous Predator marks its last HP, it retreats, trying to return to its burrow. Replace it with Desperate Monstrosity, which takes the spotlight immediately.

HIVE EATER - DESPERATE MONSTROSITY
Tier 1 Withered Solo
A horse-sized mammal with digging claws and acidic blood. Now injured, the Hive Eater retreats toward its burrow to seek safety.
Motives & Tactics: Consume, escape, hurt pursuers
Difficulty: 12 | Thresholds: 7/14 | HP: 7/7 | Stress: 3/3
ATK: +3 | Flailing Claws: Very Close | 1d12+5 phy
Experiences: Tremor Sense +2, Predator +2

FEATURES 
Relentless (3) - Passive: The Hive Eater can be spotlighted up to three times per GM turn. Spend Fear as usual to spotlight them. 

Burrower - Passive: The Hive Eater can move up to a Far distance underground by burrowing through the earth. Additionally, the Hive Eater ignores penalties related to lack of light/sight.

Burrowing Dive - Action: The Hive Eater rapidly digs an escape tunnel, descending a Very Close distance and then moving forward a Close distance.

Eruption - Action: The Hive Eater digs up under a PC from its tunnel, making a Flailing Claws attack with advantage. If the attack is successful, the target also marks a Stress. On a failure, the target is knocked back to a Close distance.

Withered Thrashing - Action: Spend a Fear to move up to a Close distance. Make an attack against every target in the path. Any targets the attack succeeds against take 2d8+4 phy damage and must make a Strength Reaction Roll or be thrown back to a Close distance and additionally mark a Stress. 

Momentum - Reaction: When this adversary makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.

Death Throes - Reaction: When Desperate Predator is defeated, it takes the spotlight to use Withered Thrashing, collapsing in a heap at the end of its movement after making attacks.

WITHERED SWARM

Tier 1 Withered Horde (5/HP)

Dozens of fist-sized mosquitoes, flying together for protection.

Motives & Tactics: Fly away, harass, steal blood

Difficulty: 10 (12 when flying) | Thresholds: 5/9 | HP: 6 | Stress: 3

ATK: −2 | Proboscis: Melee | 1d8+3 phy

Experience: Camouflage +2

FEATURES

Horde (1d4+1) - Passive: When the Mosquitoes have marked half or more of their HP, their standard attack deals 1d4+1 physical damage instead.
Flying - Passive: While flying, the Mosquitoes have a +2 bonus to their Difficulty.
Bloodsucker - Reaction: When the Mosquitoes’ attack causes a target Major Damage, you can mark a Stress to force the target to instead take Severe Damage (for Wither Tokens).

Hunting the Hive Eater, Part Two

If the PCs pursue the injured Hive Eater, it holes up in its burrow, a bear den it stole and took over some months ago. When cornered in the burrow, it will fight to the death unless a chance to escape presents itself, like if the Hive Eater has a clear shot out from the entrance of the tunnel or the PCs stop pressing the Hive Eater and leave it with an opportunity to escape.

HIVE EATER’S BURROW
Tier 1 Exploration Environment
A bear cave has been dug out with a larger entrance and transformed into the monstrosity’s home. The cave is rank with the smell of death and decay, with bodies in varying piles along the walls.
Impulses: Offer refuge to the wounded beast, limit attacker’s numbers, store food
Difficulty: 12
Potential Adversaries: Withered Swarm

FEATURES:
Cloying Darkness - Passive: The burrow is unlit, dark and dank. Rolls to attack or use sight are at disadvantage without a light source.

Harvested Treasures - Passive: A PC may make an Instinct Roll to investigate the piles of refuse and discarded bodies, finding two handfuls of gold and a consumable (1d12 or 1d20) on a success. On a result with Fear, mark a Stress from the filth and offal.

Carrion Feast - Action: Once per scene, the Hive Eater sets upon a corpse it had set aside for later consumption or incubating its young, tearing into the meat to expedite its healing. The Hive Eater clears 1d4+1 HP.

Incubating Corpse - Action: Spend a Fear to have a Withered Swarm burst forth from a carcass the Hive Eater used for incubating its monstrosities.

Slip and Fall - Reaction: On a failed action roll, the attacker must make an Agility Reaction Roll to keep their balance. On a failure, they mark a Stress and become Vulnerable until they next take the spotlight.


Voice of the Swarm Credits

Design and Writing:

Mike Underwood

Touchstones:
The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One

Acknowledgements:
Paint the Scene framework created by Jason Cordova

Witherwild campaign frame designed by:
Carlos Cisco, Rowan Hall, and Spenser Starke

This product includes materials from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0, © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com. There are no previous modifications by others.