Page 32 - Tales from the Yawning Portal

THE GULTHIAS TREE entangle (see appendix A), attempting to hold the trans-
A Gargantuan plant, the Gulthias Tree has AC 10 and 35 gressors in place. If Braford looks like he needs healing,
hit points. It is immune to necrotic, poison, psychic dam- Belak casts healing spells on him, as well. Sharwyn
age, and it has resistance to piercing damage. The tree has uses her repertoire of spells to best advantage, resorting
vulnerability to fire damage. to her dagger only in desperation.
Fruit. Two magical fruits (evocation school) ripen on the Development. During a battle, if any twig blights re-
tree each year. Each fruit resembles an apple, but it slowly main in area 55, ld4 - 1 of them (minimum 0) enter this
extrudes from the tree like a cyst.
area each round.
Up to a week before the summer solstice, a ruby red fruit
Targeting the Tree. A successful DC 15 Wisdom
grows. Someone other than a construct who eats a quarter
(Insight) check or Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check
or more ofit regains 70 hit points. In addition, any blind-
ness, deafness, and diseases affecting the eater end. allows a character to deduce that destroying the tree
Up to a week before the winter solstice, a sickly white might have an effect on Sir Braford, Sharwyn, and the
fruit grows. Someone who eats a quarter or more of it twig blights. If anyone attacks the Gulthias Tree, Be-
takes 70 necrotic damage. Each fruit has 1 d4 seeds that, if lak and the twig blights try to kill the aggressor. If the
planted, grow leafless woody shrubs that animate as twig Gulthias Tree dies, Belak loses his influence over the
blights after one year. twig blights, Sharwyn, and Sir Braford. These monsters
Tree Thralls. If a humanoid is bound to the bole of the
turn on Belak before targeting the characters again.
Gulthias Tree, over the next 24 hours the victim is sucked
Walls. The courtyard's walls stand 20 feet tall, and
completely into the tree. Once the victim is completely
absorbed into the tree, it becomes the tree's thrall, and the cavern's stalactite-dotted ceiling is 50 feet up.
Treasure. Belak has a key (to area 53), three potions
is expelled over the course of l hour. The Gulthias Tree
can have only four thralls at any one time. A victim's skin of healing, two doses of antitoxin, and his wand of en-
is rough, gray, and bark-like. A thrall is totally corrupted, tangle. Sharwyn wears her gold Hucrele signet ring
becoming neutral evil. Such a creature exists only to serve (worth 20 gp).
the Gulthias Tree and those who tend it (such as Belak). It
possesses all of its former abilities and gains the follow- AFTERMATH
ing traits:
If the characters kill the Gulthias Tree, Sharwyn and
Barkskin. The thrall's AC can't be lower than 16. Braford die 24 hours later (unless you decide they can
be saved somehow). If Belak survives, his former ser-
Tree Thrall. If the Gulthias Tree dies, the thrall dies 24 vants turn on him, and he attempts to escape. If he suc-
hours later. ceeds in getting away, he might appear later to trouble
the characters.
staked a vampire on this very spot. The stake took If the characters reveal the truth about the fruit's
root. And so grew the Gulthias Tree, reverberating seeds to the villagers of Oakhurst, those folk cut down
with primal power for those who can tap it." and burn all growing saplings.
What's with the stick-monsters? "The twig blights grow
from seeds of the tree's fruit."
What's going on with the fruit? "I give fruit to the goblins As the villagers set the evil saplings alight, the mayor
with orders to disperse their seeds on the surface. turns to you with a frank expression. "You realize that
Deceitful beings that they are, the goblins barter the our actions have set loose several of these abominations
fruit, but the seeds are dispersed all the same. My
upon the world. Who knows what these twisted plants
plan for colonizing the surface with the children of
Gulthias continues." are doing now?"
What did you do to the other adventurers? "They were
the first supplicants. The Gulthias Tree has accepted The mayor is right. Twig blights that are already loose
them, and they are mine to control, just like the twig in the world can still reproduce through root sprouts, as
blights. You can't save them." aspen trees do. Although it is likely a hopeless task, the
Why are you talking to us? "Though your remains would characters can search out these twig blights and destroy
enrich the compost, you'll serve my needs better as them. It's up to you and your players to determine what
supplicants. You shall retain your lives, after a fashion. happens next. At any rate, if the characters warn Oak-
Surrender and submit peacefully, or perish!"
hurst's residents about the seeds, they have taken their
While this interaction proceeds, Sir Braford, the three first steps toward gaining a measure of fame and estab-
twig blights, and Belak's frog position themselves be- lishing a rapport with local residents.
tween the characters and Belak (Sharwyn stands next In addition, if the characters return the Hucrele signet
to Belak). rings to the family matriarch, they receive the prom-
Combat. If a fight breaks out (which will happen un- ised monetary award. If they bring back the remains of
less the characters actually submit to Belak), the twig Sharwyn and Sir Braford, the matriarch begins funeral
blights, the frog, and Sir Braford attack the characters arrangements and invites the characters to attend. If
physically. Sir Braford uses Shatterspike (see appendix they accept, they can begin to establish a long-term rela-
A) to destroy his foe's weapon, if possible. tionship with the Hucrele family, which can prove useful
Belak casts barkskin on himself, possibly before in later adventures. W
melee occurs. He also makes early use of his wand of

CHAPTER I THE SUNLESS CITADEL
31