Community Adventures

Songbird of Gallowswood

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World

The Gilded Vale, a sun-drenched sanctuary. Perpetual golden hour bathes the valley. Towering, ancient trees drip with honey-sap. Inhabitants are the Gentlefolk: rabbit-folk, squirrel-kin, dormouse families. They live in cozy burrows and woven treetop homes. Laughter echoes, songs of plenty fill the air. The Elderwood, a colossal, sentient tree, stands central, its leaves shimmering gold. Lord Sylvanus, a stately stag, rules with gentle wisdom from his sun-bleached manor. Traditions are paramount. The Sun-Welcoming Festival, a daily ritual. The Harvest Hymn, sung without fail. Everything provided, everything perfect. Yet, shadows stretch too long in the endless daylight. Whispers mock the joyful songs when the wind shifts. Murals of feasting show Gentlefolk with painted smiles, eyes vacant. The symbol of the Broken Songbird is etched on doorways, tools, even the Elderwood's bark. Outsiders are curiosities, showered with cloying hospitality. "Stay," they plead, "share our endless bounty." A faint scent of rot underlies the floral air. The ground feels... soft, spongy, like old flesh beneath the moss. The vale is a bowl, steep cliffs prevent easy exit. There is only the one path in. The same path out.

Story

Players arrive, celebrated guests. Lord Sylvanus, the majestic stag, tasks them with a simple quest: find a lost songbird, bring more joy. The Gentlefolk are your friends, their homes open. A young rabbit-child, Pip, gives the party a crudely drawn picture: a family screaming under a dead tree. He is swiftly taken away by his smiling mother. The objective shifts. Investigate the uncanny perfection. The ground beneath the Elderwood is a mass grave. Its roots are fleshy tendrils, burrowing into the Gentlefolk as they sleep, siphoning memories, feeding on feigned happiness. Sylvanus is the first victim, a hollow puppet bound by an ancient pact. He traded his people's souls for an end to a forgotten famine. Now, they are trapped. The Elderwood, the Gallowswood, is a sentient parasite. Its hunger is insatiable. The daily rituals are not celebration, but a desperate act to generate joy-fuel. Failure means the "Silence"—a terrifying, soundless oblivion as the tree drains a soul completely. Break the curse. Find the Ironwood Axe, hidden in Sylvanus's manor, the only thing that can wound the tree. Or, teach the Gentlefolk the song of grief, a true emotion the tree cannot digest, poisoning it from within. Escape the Gilded Vale before its facade shatters, and you become just another smiling face on a mural.

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Disclaimer: The monsters contained within this compendium are the result of generative AI processes, created without specific intent or design towards any existing intellectual property. Any resemblance to characters, creatures, or entities from Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Pathfinder, Warhammer, and other RPGs (such as Star Wars RPG, Cyberpunk 2020, Shadowrun, Call of Cthulhu, World of Darkness), tabletop games, video games, literature, or any other media is entirely coincidental and unintended. This compendium is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by any company or publisher. Our aim is to explore the creative possibilities of AI and to provide unique and imaginative monsters for entertainment and inspiration.