In the Downfall Forest, treasure awaits…

However, this treasure is not gold or gems, but

feathers. The softest and gentlest in the land.

A Fistful
Worth a small fortune to the nobility.

After all, a good night’s sleep is priceless, surely?

And there is a lot that people are willing to do

for priceless things. Even if it means braving
mud, mushrooms and malevolent trees.
of Feathers
To say nothing of the owners of the feathers of
course…
A point crawl adventure for Cairn
By Martin Orchard

pointlessmonument.itch.io
And so it begins…
A decree from the court of King Leopold II:
“His highness desires the softest and most
comfortable bed in all the land. Such that he may
be well rested and refreshed to strategize on The
Numerous Perils Afflicting The Kingdom”
In addition:
You (or the party as a whole) may have
further motivations of your own (Roll d6).
Progression within the Mattress
1 Makers and Taxidermists Guild ("en
stuffen, lucre")
normally. Any subsequent feathers are
considered separate, bulky items.
Each slot of feathers successfully returned to
the royal palace is worth 4d10 GP.
Feathers sold to an intermediary merchant
(likely to be cut with other feathers of lower
quality) are worth 4d6 GP per slot.
Relic: Reciprocal Mushrooms, 2 uses.
Communicate psychically with whoever
shares a meal to which these have been
added, lasts for 1 day.
Relic: Willow Honey, 3 uses. Share your
senses with whoever last held the honey
close to them.

It is well known across the land that the very

softest and warmest of feathers are those
shed from the giant arboreal goose within
the Downfall Forest.
2 A desire to raise an arboreal goose
chick as your companion/mount.
3 To secure additional feathers to make
beds for the nobility (who will surely
want to emulate the king’s style and
taste).

4 To study the Downfall Forest and its

many natural glades and swamps.

5 Competition with a rival for royal

notice and patronage.
And thus: Credits
6 To complete part one of a complex plot
that will culminate in the Rewards Words, maps and design are by Martin
• The value of such feathers has increased assassination of the King within his
greatly. In addition to specific rewards noted in the Orchard, using Affinity (affinity.serif.com)
own bedchamber. various encounters and points of interest, throughout with the exception of the map,
the following treasures may be given out as made using Wonderdraft (wonderdraft.net).
• Avian seers and even the Falcon-wise are
much in demand to determine whether the Warden sees fit.
the feathers are genuine. Spell: Goose Hiss. A loud hiss echoes More adventures, games and tables by
throughout the area whenever enemies are myself can be found at:
• Many think to try their luck and skill in near, lasts for 4 hours. pointlessmonument.itch.io
obtaining the feathers.
Spell: Summon Waterfowl. An assortment of
ducks, coots and normal-sized geese appear Illustrations are public domain from the
• Such groups have becomes known as to do your bidding for 1 hour. following locations:
‘Feather Hunters’.
Spell: Flushing Dog. A spectral spaniel oldbookillustrations.com
You have all travelled to charges away from you in a 250ft line. Any openclipart.org
the village of birds (or land animals smaller than a cat) will oldbookart.com
Ganderlook (Point A) in flee upwards, climbing as needed.
order to venture deep
within the Downfall This adventure is made for the roleplaying
Forest to The Vast game Cairn, by Yochai Gal. It can be found
White Elms (Point I) at cairnrpg.com
where the geese make
their nests and raise
their young. There you
will gather as many Relic: Pleasant Breadcrumbs, 3 uses. Lure a
feathers as you can and bird to you and keep it docile for 1 minute.
attempt to return to Relic: Feather and Wax Wings, 3 charges.
safety. Allows 10 minutes of flight whilst flapping
madly. Recharge: Drop from 200ft or higher.
Points of Interest
G: Bumblebee Lake
A lake approximately half a mile in diameter,
in the centre of which sits a small island.
The island contains only one species of a
tree, a weeping willow with bright yellow
blooms. This tree is encountered nowhere
else in the forest.
When the wind blows, clouds of dark yellow
pollen may be seen to spread from the
willows to the lakeside.
Any creature which inhales the pollen will be
charmed and compelled to swim to the
island. Player characters should make a WIL
save. Many creatures drown on the way due
to cold and exhaustion, whilst those that
survive die of starvation, albeit painlessly.
The remains of previous humanoid visitors
are on the island, or have washed up on its
shore. They are difficult to see from the
perimeter of the lake. A successful
expedition can recover 4d6 GP in assorted
possessions for every 15 minutes spent on
the island.
The only creatures apparently unaffected are
the multiple swarms of bumblebees that dot
the trees around the water. The honey of
these creatures can reduce the effect of the
pollen, especially if smeared around the nose
and mouth, rather than ingested.
H: Eukaryotic Collective
Within an overshadowed section of the
forest a great mass of fungus has been slowly
growing for generations.
It takes the form of banks of cream-coloured
shelf fungi on the sides of trees, forming a
canopy of its own at head height above the
forest floor.
Within this space the following can be
observed:
• The animated remains of various forest
animals and humans tend to the fungus.
• Leaves are brought from elsewhere and
composted in gigantic, sweet-smelling
piles.
• The Collective attempts to communicate
by projecting images into the minds of
visitors.
The Collective is curious about the outside
world, and will ask questions in return for
passage. Its communications will show prior
knowledge of the party, as it has spores
throughout the forest and swamp, all
connected to the same network.
If the fungus is attacked it appears not to
respond. It is however extremely resilient,
gigantic in size and emits enervating spores
as a defence mechanism. Every 10 minutes of
chopping fungus adds 1 fatigue.
I: The Vast White Elms
The tallest and palest trees in the forest are
all elms. This ancient grove has been the
roosting spot of the Giant Arboreal Goose
for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Unlike their smaller cousins, they nest in the
middle branches of these huge trees,
typically 60ft from ground level. Each mated
pair of geese will produce 2-3 goslings every
5-8 years.
Up to 1d6 slots of feathers may be found by
searching the forest floor beneath the nests.
Additional feathers may be found by braving
the climb to an empty nest. Nests that are
occupied are almost unbeatable, since a
goose will defend its young to the death.
One slot of feathers may be carried
There will be at least one rival group of
feather hunters active in the area and
known to the party (Roll d6)
1
‘Captain’ Darkwater’s Crew. Tamriel
Darkwater was on a boat once and
didn’t care for it. This has not
prevented him from styling himself as
a temporarily land-bound pirate
captain and leading a group known for
its high risk approach.
The Quarells. Rowan and Phillipe
2 Quarell are known for their skills with
the bow and the intensity of their
arguments. This has not prevented
them from leading a successful group
of hunters and trappers, although it
does restrict them from reaching their
full potential.
3 Pigley’s Band. Farmers thrown off
their land after a dispute with the local
landowner. Gerrant Pigley continues
to lead them, promising that utopia is
just around the corner if they
(meaning Pigley himself, in his role as
treasurer) can accumulate sufficient
wealth to buy their own farm.
The Red Maiden’s Troupe. Penelope
4 Grant is known for her vibrant scarlet
hair, commanding voice and attention
to detail. This is extends to publicising
her group of otherwise unremarkable
mercenaries, the better to impress
strangers.
Tosswater Terry and his Flying
5 Dragoons. Terry has had many jobs,
but it was a role as regimental
historian for the XV Legion that
inspired him to form the Dragoons.
Recruiting chiefly from those who
wish they led a more exciting life, he
encourages them to create fictitious
accounts of their success.
The Grey Ravens. Miserable and
6 sickly, they march under the banner of
a stuffed raven nailed to a board. It
has seen better days, as has much of
their equipment and clothing.
The Warden should also choose or roll 1-3
times to determine any twists that are in
play. (Roll d6)
1 Roll an additional group of feather
hunters. This group has a particular
grudge against the party, stemming
from an incident in their shared past.
2 Roll an additional group of feather
hunters. This group is three days
ahead of the party, and thus likely
encountered deeper into the forest
and/or on their return.
3 The flock of Giant Arboreal Geese (see
Point I) are days away from beginning
their annual migration South. This
will reduce the difficulty of raiding the
nest themselves, but the likelihood of
random encounters increases as other
scavengers move in.
The Eukaryotic Collective (see Point
4 H) wish to send an ambassador to
King Leopold’s Court, and hence
require a mobile host. They claim that
the process is painless and reversible,
but the intentions of the ambassador
are unclear.
An unusually dry spell of weather is
5 now followed by thunderstorms. In
addition to random encounters, there
is a 2-in-6 chance per day that
lightning strikes close to the party,
starting a forest fire. After one week
(or two strikes) the weather returns to
normal.
The dampness of the forest is worse
6 than usual. Thick fog occludes all the
usual path, and plays tricks on the
mind for usually reliable navigation
techniques. The fog lifts after ten days,
but until then the party have an
increased chance to become lost and
may even go in circles.
Navigation
• Circles indicate locations (points).
• Diamonds indicate travel time in
days.
• A general rule in the forest is that the
trees grow larger and older the deeper
you go. It is therefore difficult to become
completely lost.
• The Warden can rule whether a party
reaches the precise destination they are
aiming for, or arrives somewhere else.
Random Encounters
• Encounters occur on a 2-in-6, rolled
once per day, or twice if the party is
creating a disturbance (for example if
foraging).
• Re-roll duplicate encounters if they do
not make narrative sense.
• Additional rewards for party members
can be found at the end of this
adventure.
Huskamolt Swamp (1d6)
Stranglevine Tree [12 HP, 1 armour]
1 15 STR, 5 DEX, 6 WIL,
Lashing vines (d8 blast)
• Cannot move, but indistinguishable
from nearby plants
• Critical: Pick up and pull victim into
foliage
1d3 Swamp Kraken [7 HP]
2 12 STR, 15 DEX, 6 WIL,
Tentacles (d8 dual)
• As an action, can spray putrid slime
• Critical: drags target below surface
2d4 Rival Feather Hunters[4 HP]
3 11 STR, 11 DEX, 11 WIL,
Assorted cheap weaponry (d6)
• Hate the swamp
• Greedy for loot
Marsh Gas [N/A]
4 Explodes (d10 blast)
• Can be ignited by a naked flame
• Flames will glow blue for 2d12
seconds before ignition.
5 Villager Remains [N/A]
Corpse hides a small scorpion (d4)
• Pouch with 2d6 GP
• Gold wedding
band inscribed with
the name ‘Emily’,
worth 15GP.
that has formed on it. It is attached to a
skeletal wrist protruding from the muck.
Others show the Giant Arboreal Geese as the
epitome of strength and size (pictured next
The party may survey and dig for more to a normal goose for scale).
valuables (Warden can roll as many times as A character who performs a feat of strength
seems sensible for the time/effort invested). (succeed on a STR roll) on or near the altar
Roll 1d8: will gain a boon (two extra inventory slots
for the next week).
Disturb 2d6 skeletons, nothing but
bones and fury Those that fail gain a point of fatigue.
2 Hole collapse (lose 1d3 STR unless
allies can quickly dig you out)
3 Stone suddenly shifts (roll DEX to
avoid 1d6 damage)
4 Disturb 1d6 skeletons, each with 2d6
GP in broken weapons and grave
goods
5 Jade goose statuette worth 10 GP
6 Clay pot containing 6d6 GP
F: The Lilac Meadow
A large, natural meadow with no trees. There
7 Spell: Featherfall. 50 lbs of feathers are many scattered lilac bushes and a pair of
drops on the target, vanishes after 10
minutes.
small springs with water pools.
Grazing sheep are visible amongst the
8 Relic: Golden Egg, 2 charges. Charm a bushes. They have the appearance of normal
target who understands the value of sheep but seem to be around the size of cats.
gold. Recharge: Eat one hundred Approximately 30ft from the treeline, a ring
boiled eggs. of small white mushrooms hiding amongst
the grass marks the boundary of a fey circle.
Ancient Skeleton[5 HP]
9 STR, 9 DEX, 9 WIL, Crossing the circle during the day traps the
trespasser until moonlight next shines upon
Bony hands/broken weapons (d6)
• Does not roll for morale the meadow. It also reveals the illusory
lensing magic at work, as the sheep are in
• Understands only ancient language
fact the size of small elephants (and roughly
as dangerous).
Ways to escape the circle early include:
• Being carried by (or clinging to) a giant
sheep (who are not affected by the
circle).
• Answering the fey riddle correctly
(audible as a whisper that grows louder
the more you try to escape)
E: Stemwright Stones • “Runs like water, pale like the moon, when
you’re born you’ll see it soon!” (Answer:
A circle of vertical menhirs around a central, Milk)
horizontal altar. All the stones are huge and
heavy.
There are carvings on the inner surface of
the stones (facing towards the altar)
Some depict feats of strength carried out by
worshippers here (rolling boulders,
wrestling, human pyramids, breaking rocks
with their bare hands).
Points of Interest
A: Ganderlook Village
Until recent developments occurred, this
was a poor but stable community subsisting
on fishing and a little tree-felling. Since the
royal decree, an influx of coin from the
feather hunters has divided opinion.
The only tavern is the Golden Goose,
although the only thing golden about it is the
elderly retriever dog watching the procession
of overconfident newcomers from his bed on
the front porch.
Rumours
Generate by rolling 1d6 (1 = false, 2-4 = partly
true, 5-6 = true) and rolling 1d20 to provide
the subject (see table below).
1-4 Roll 1d6 on Huskamolt Swamp
encounters.
5-8 Roll 1d6 on New Forest encounters.
9-12 Roll 1d6 on Old Growth encounters.
13 Method to escape quickmud (Point B)
14 The danger of Old One Eye (Point C)
15 The rewards and risks of the collapsed
barrows (Point D)
16 The history of the Stemwright Stone
Cult (Point E)
17 The answer to the riddle of the Lilac
Meadow (Point F)
18 A tale of the dangers implicit in
gathering honey from Bumblebee Lake
(Point G)
19 A whispered warning that the
Eukaryotic Collective can perceive you
everywhere (Point H)
20 A secret song that will render the
Arboreal Geese temporarily peaceful
and compliant (Point I)
B: Quickmud Expanse
The River Egg’s course is unclear, diverging
through pools and small islands.
True tree cover is intermittent, but tall banks
of reeds and misty weather keep horizon
blurry.
Within this space, some sections of mud are
particularly treachorous, and claim villagers
and forest dwellers alike. This material is
known as quickmud. Signs of its presence:
• Utterly smooth, consistent surface.
• Trails that end suddenly.
• Fruit and berries that are seemingly
accessible but remain unpicked.
Disturbing the surface tension of the mud
will cause it to collapse beneath you. The
New Forest (1d6)
Warden should roll a d12 to determine the
1 Debris Elemental [10 HP, 1 armour]
depth in feet before you touch solid ground.
Swinging from ropes, very wide rafts, stilts
and building bridges or mats from nearby
vegetation are all local methods employed to
cross quickmud.
C: Fingerbend Ferry
A single rusty iron chain crosses above the
River Egg. There are ruins of wooden
structures at either end.
Pulled up on the western bank, a decrepit,
flat-bottomed ferry boat was clearly once
attached to the chain by some means. If not
repaired, it will have a slow leak.
Within the water lurks Old One Eye, a
crocodile of prodigious size. She will be
disturbed by movement of the water, but can
perceive little beyond it.
Old One Eye [9 HP]
15 STR, 10 DEX, 8 WIL,
Mighty bite (d10)
• Looks like an old log in the water
• Critical: ‘Death roll’ - pulls victim
underwater and rolls on top of them
D: The Scattered Barrows
Until recently, this was a series of burial
mounds dug into the hillside. However, a
recent landslip has scattered them across a
wide area, mixing their contents with dirt
and toppled trees.
A copper bracelet (5 GP) glints with the dew
6 Lost Treasure Chest [N/A]
• Well-made of foreign wood, and
Old Growth (1d6)
locked.
• Contains 5d6 GP. If you roll a
double it also contains a spell, or a relic
on a triple (see Rewards).
14 STR, 7 DEX, 5 WIL,
Entropic wave (d8 blast)
• An agglomerated mass of stones,
pine needles, fallen branches and dirt.
• Seeks a worthy master (who
respects the forest and its history).
2d6 Forest Goblins [4 HP]
2 8 STR, 12 DEX, 8 WIL,
Wooden spears (d6)
• Engaged in a raucous festival of fire
• Will trade magic for magic
1d8 Rival Feather Hunters[5 HP]
3 12 STR, 12 DEX, 12 WIL,
Re-appropriated militia weapons (d8)
• Paranoid of the forest’s secrets
• Tired but determined
4 2d6 Fairies [2 HP]
3 STR, 16 DEX, 16 WIL,
• Know forest secrets.
• Can fly like a small bird.
• Will quickly spread word of harm
against them, if any escape.
Ripper Swarm [10 HP]
5 7 STR, 12 DEX, 5 WIL,
Bites and stings (d4 blast)
• Will disperse if their hive (in an old
log) is destroyed.
• Will otherwise relentlessly pursue
the party for half a mile.
Standing Stone[N/A]
6 An isolated, ancient place of power,
depicting the richness and bounty of
the forest via crude runes.
• Is already cracked and can be
smashed. Whoever does so will gain a
single re-roll of any die for the next
month, but will earn the forest’s ire.
• Offering food at the altar will
duplicate it overnight.
1
Giant Arboreal Goose[13 HP]
12 STR, 15 DEX, 11 WIL,
Great beak (d10)
• Has become separated from the
flock and is unhappy about it
• Sufficiently powerful to cause
damage by accident or in panic.
1d3 Honey-Mad Bears [7 HP]
2 12 STR, 11 DEX, 8 WIL,
Teeth and claws (d8 dual)
• Driven mad by honey rich in
magical willow pollen (see Point G)
• Currently experiencing the shared
senses of a swarm of bees
• Critical: Attempts to sting using tail
1d6 Rival Feather Hunters[6 HP,
3 1 Armour]
13 STR, 13 DEX, 13 WIL,
Stolen weapons of fine quality (d10)
• Eager to return home.
• They bear the weight of many
feathers, and what they did to obtain
them.
4 2d6 Spore Servants[5 HP]
10 STR,9 DEX, 6 WIL,
Sticks and rocks (d6)
• Do not make morale rolls
• Serve the ineffable whims of the
Eukaryotic Collective (Point H)
• Critical: Return target to the
collective for composting
5 1d4 Giant Weasels [6 HP]
10 STR,13 DEX, 9 WIL,
Teeth and Claws (d8)
• Eager for goose eggs
• Surprisingly intelligent
6 Dead Goose [N/A]
A bounty from above for all scavengers
that dwell within the forest.
• May be plucked for feathers
• Will attract others whilst plucking
is underway
A Map of the Downfall Forest