Editing Uncaged (section)

=Volume 2=
'''The Shortest Night of the Year'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The players are ordinary villagers in the little village of Afonwen, enjoying the Midsummer festivities when two of the local girls accidentally fall afoul of a local [[fey]], the [[rusalka]]. In exchange for lifting her curse of slumber, she asks the party to help her retrieve her heart from an abandoned church deep in the forest, without which she lacks the power to do so.
::'''Notes:''' A combat-free adventure for 0th level parties.
::'''New Monsters:''' [[Rusalka]] ([[Fey]] version)

'''Dangerous Waters'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The small village of Jaromir is being plagued by mysterious disappearances, adn the party are hired to investigate. It turns out the culprit is a [[rusalka]] of the "vengeful [[ghost]]" variety, created when the mayor's son murdered his fiance.
::'''Notes:''' You can solve this one with either violence or by appealing to the rusalka's memories of her human life.
::'''New Monsters:''' [[Rusalka]] ([[Undead]] version)

'''Rites of Passage'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The party are guests at the [[goliath]] Silvertop Mountain Clan's autumn Festival of the Hunt when a young huntress is slain by a [[lamia]] who inhabits a local cave. The party are promptly hired to dispatch her for this crime.
::'''Notes:''' It turns out the lamia is actually a goliath outcast who was cursed by the elders when she protested her exile. The seemingly slain huntress is the latest of several village oddballs who have faked their deaths and come under the lamia's protection. The party can either kill them all, fake the lamia's death (and optionally break her curse in the process), or attempt to convince the goliaths and their outcasts to reunify. 
::'''New Magic Item:''' Staff of the Python, Uncommon Quarterstaff, only usable by Cleric, Druid or Warlock. Can transform from a staff into a giant constrictor [[snake]] and back; if the snake is killed, the staff is destroyed, but turning it back to a staff fully heals the snake.

'''Touch of Winter'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The party's travels bring them to a small village with a dark secret; they bribe the goddess of death and winter to give them gentle winters by drowning a woman in the river every 10 years. Now one of their sacrifices has returned as a [[rusalka]], who wants to protect her last living relative.
::'''Notes:''' Nothing of note here. This is a straightforward "twist" adventure for low-level players.

'''The Pollution of Conatha'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The party is hired by Mare Vincent, the defenders of the underwater city of Conatha, to travel to an abandoned biodome inhabited by a sea hag and rescue the last survivor of a previous expedition by Mare Vincent.
::'''Notes:''' The worldbuilding in this adventure is terrible in how nonexistent it is, with no real effort made to explain what the heck is going on beyond "you're getting in the sub and going down to fight your way through a sea hag's sunken biodome lair". Also, one of your allies is a "young, goofy, smart" good-aligned '''[[illithid]]'''. You know, the brain-sucking monsters that regard all other life as literally cattle?

'''Tangled Braids'''
::'''Synopsis:''' When a spirit starts attacking the people of the town of Kiln, the party are hired to defeat the monster before somebody gets hurt.
::'''Notes:''' The [[banshee]] responsible is the vengeful spirit of an elf named Aela, who was murdered on her wedding day by the racist, homophobic town leader Toalf, who wants her destroyed before she can reveal his involvement in her death.
::'''New Magic Items:''' Bruden's Braid, Rare Trinket, can cast Wish once and is then consumed.

'''The Locrian Way'''
::'''Synopsis:''' After crashing their ship on the remote island of Locria in the Calquean Sea,  the party ends up caught in a war between the two native peoples; a choir of [[siren]]s and a tribe of [[lizardfolk]]. 
::'''Notes:''' The lizardfolk are being secretly manipulated by several [[doppelganger]]s. The party can either side with one tribe to destroy the other, convince them to live in peace, or persuade the sirens to leave on their ship in search of a new home.
::'''New Magic Items:''' Locrian Oak Leaf (wearer can reroll a failed save vs. Charm once), Shelled Locrian Necklace (wearer can hold their breath for an extra 15 minutes).

'''Permanent Collection'''
::'''Synopsis:''' An elf noble named Caracticus Swordstar ires the party to retrieve a precious family heirloom musicbox that was stolen from him by [[zombie]]s, which leads them to the haunted castle of his ancestors, the Shandorels, who were transformed into undead through the foolish misuse of a [[mythal]].
::'''Notes:''' The unintended mastermind behind the theft is the [[banshee]] of Giltred Shandorel, Caracticus' great-great-grandaunt on his great-great-great-great-grandmother Pyntris' side. She warned her grandfather, Pyntris' brother Sylpetor, against his plan to use the mythal, and has decided to turn their home into a museum, and Caracticus' heirloom is the perfect centerpiece. She is willing to strike deals, such as to hire them to become curators and collectors for her new museum or to force her grandfather's specter to make a replica of the music box to give to her descendant in the original's place. Or they can just destroy her, but it's a tough fight.

'''All's Fair'''
::'''Synopsis:''' Having arived at the small but strongly held frontier outpost of Fort Selsmire, the party has been hired as reinforcements by Knight Captain Lady Selyse Blackwall, who is going quite, quite mad.
::'''Notes:''' The source of Selyse's madness is a local [[succubus]] named Inala, a devoted priestess of the Red Knight (a [[Forgotten Realms]] demigoddess of strategy). Having spent centuries living peacefully in the forest, having originally belonged to a now-dead order of the Red Knight's devotees whose tombs she guards, she resents the intrusions of Selyse's patrols and is gaslighting her in revenge, self-righteously considering herself the wronged party in everything.

'''Love's Sorrow'''
::'''Synopsis:''' When two newlyweds are slain on their wedding night at von Helter Manor, seemingly by the legendary [[ghost]] known as the Red Lady, the party must investigate.
::'''Notes:''' The Red Lady exists; she is the ghost of Lord Luca von Helter's wife, whom he murdered when she grew sick of his adultery and planned to run away with her true love, Luca's estranged sister Lyra. He then bound Elise's ghost to his service and used her to murder various women whom he had affairs with once he grew tired of them or they proved too stubborn in their refusals. If the party reveals Luca's status as the true murderer, Lyra is then able to resurrect Elise and the two women live happily ever after.
::'''New Magic Items:''' Sword of Betrayal, Uncommon Magic Rapier that automatically Crits when used to attack a Charmed creature.

'''Verdant Corruption'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The party arrives at the Donkey's Respite, a roadside inn whose owner has offered a sizable reward to any who can slay a strange creature that has been preying on merchants using the local roads. 
::'''Notes:''' A straightforward hack-n-slash adventure with some horror themes; shortly after starting play, another adventure arrives, succumbing to a cursed ring he foolishly put on during his last dungeon delve. He wanders out in the night and dies, becoming a heart of corruption that starts corrupting the local [[dryad]]s and animals into bloodthirsty monsters, which the party must exterminate.
::'''New Magic Items:''' The Rot Mother's Promise, Cursed Legendary Ring. Grants the bearer +1 AC, +1 to saving throws, can cast Chill Touch at will, and spend charges (5 total, recharge each dawn) to cast Charm Person (1) or Blight (2). However, each dawn whilst wearing the ring you must pass a DC 16 Constitution save or gain 1 level of uncurable Exhaustion; if you die whilst wearing the ring, you become a Heart of Corruption. Casting Remove Curse on The Rot Mother's Power transforms it into a standard Ring of Protection.

'''The Scales of Melusine'''
::'''Synopsis:''' King Elynas of the city-state of Guerino hires the party to investigate the hidden grotto of Melusine in the Mistfall Mountain and put an end to the corruption contaminating the city-state's water supply.
::'''Notes:''' King Elynas is the true source of the contamination, having poisoned Melusine's water out of petty spite because he didn't like the prophecy she gave him... which, ironically, he has basically helped fulfil by poisoning her and thus devastating the city, proving himself unfit to rule.

'''Our Fair Maidens'''
::'''Synopsis:''' A retired constable named Vasili sends a letter to the party asking them to come to the village of Degorod to investigate a mysterious death that has occurred during the leadup to the 30th Annual Festival of Health & Harvest.
::'''Notes:''' It turns out that it is Rusalka Week, a tenday period that occurs once every fifty years when rusalki are permitted to leave their haunts and avenge their deaths. The dead man was slain for his role in creating a rusalka, and he is only the first in the village.
::'''New Monster:''' [[Rusalka]] (Monstrosity version)

'''A Raw Reprisal'''
::'''Synopsis:''' When the party are summoned to the village of Bellmare during the Summer Solstice, which is being plagued by deadly snowfalls after they killed a nearby bhuer [[hag]], her daughter seems the obvious target. But instead, she is actually trying to protect the village, as her sister has been reborn as a [[slime|slithering tracker]] and is out for revenge.
::'''Notes:''' Nothing worth commenting here taht the synopsis doesn't reveal.
::'''New Monsters:''' Bhuer Slithering Tracker

'''The Red Wolf'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The party is summoned to the village of Bad an Fithich to hutn down a giant, red-furred wolf that has been terrorizing it at night. But the ominous form of a banshee may conceal valuable knowledge if they will but listen.
::'''Notes:''' The red wolf is a fey curse made manifest, courtesy of the Morrigan. Unless the party seeks out the banshee and asks for her advice, which will lead them to the hidden items needed to make it vulnerable, the red wolf is invincible and the DM is told to have the Red Wolf and kill the players all off, stopping only to describe the Morrigan appearing to mock the last survivor for refusing to look for advice before she runs them through.
::'''New Monsters:''' The Red Wolf


'''Winding Paths'''
::'''Synopsis:''' Whilst traveling through a forest, the party inadvertently stumbles into the territory of a trio of mischievious lilitu.
::'''Notes:''' The party can either amuse the lilitu by answering their riddle games, try to run away, or kill them all.
::'''New Monsters:''' Lilitu, Oak Tree [[Mimic]]

'''Tooth and Fin'''
::'''Synopsis:''' In the seaside town of Atir'at, the queen of the [[merfolk]] cit of Ascalonia approaches the party and begs them to rescue a clutch of unhatched merfolk eggs from a band of [[sahuagin]].
::'''Notes:''' Rather than just use one of D&D's many existing fish-folk races like the [[Locathah]], the merfolk in this adventure are based on the Phoenician ocean goddess Atir'at, and so resemble giant fish with human heads and arms.
::'''New Magic Items:''' Ring of the Merfolk, Very Rare magic ring that grants the wearer Swim Speed equal to Base Speed, Waterbreathing and comprehension of Aquan whilst worn.

'''Serpent's Tooth'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The party is hired by a local lord to investigate an abandoned hunting lodge that was closed after a series of tragic accidents. In doing so, they discover a [[medusa]] who is running an exotic creature smuggling ring, ever since her domineering [[warlock]] mother inadvertently turned her into a medusa.
::'''Notes:''' It's the warlock who's the bad girl here, the medusa is perfectly practical and reasonable, and is more than willing to work with the lord if he does want to reopen the lodge.
::'''New Magic Items:''' Wand of Stone-to-Flesh

'''A Queen's Revenge'''
::'''Synopsis:''' When King Eriklius Tarsus of Dreopkopia betrays his ally, the [[Amazon]] Queen Anea Petralia of neighbroing Pregara, she prays to the goddess [[Nyx]] for revenge and is turned into a [[medusa]]. After she kidnaps King Tarsus' most loyal general, Euclatis, the king hires the party to rescue him and either kill or drive away Anea.
::'''Notes:''' Straightforward, save for the twist that Euclatis and Anea are in love and she has become a medusa. The party can either stay loyal to the clearly unhinged King Tarsus, switch sides, or just get leave the whole mess behind them.

'''Beneath the Maelstrom'''
::'''Synopsis:''' Whilst sailing, the party becomes stranded in a ruined underwater palce, where they discover the true story behind the infamous sea monster, Scylla.
::'''Notes:''' Scylla is a nymph who uses a magical potion to voluntarily and temporarily assume a [[hydra]]-like form. Having originally done so to scare off an unwanted suitor, she now uses it to sink ships and send their crews to their deaths in the whirlpool near her residence so as to preserve her isolation. She is still supposed to be a sympathetic figure who you will want to negotiate with and agree to keep the secrets of despite this willingness to casually murder innocent travelers.

'''Outfitted with Artifice'''
::'''Synopsis:''' In the city of Krylo, the party is hired by the tailor Pero Toporov to recover a magical cloak he crafted from the healing feathers of the Firebird for the city's cruel, selfish leader, Baron Yuri.
::'''Notes:''' Straightforward infiltration mission.

'''The Spoils of War'''
::'''Synopsis:''' In the war-torn city of Voynagrad, the party are hired by Burgomaster Koschie to hunt down former army commander Vasilisa, who is supposedly leading a coven of [[witch]]es that seek to resummon the demon armies that laid waste to Voynagrad years ago.
::'''Notes:''' The reality is that the b urgomaster is the evil one, being a disguised [[cambion]], and Vasilisa is training a new regiment of female soldiers in order to oust him before he can reopen the fiendish portal.

'''Death Don't Do Us Part'''
::'''Synopsis:''' At the Black Rose tavern, nobleman Pearce Moreway hires the party to slay a [[Death Knight]] called the Iron Maiden who has been killing members of the Moreway family.
::'''Notes:''' The Death Knight is actually the undead remains of a [[Paladin]] of [[Tyr]] named Deirdre Colehart, who was murdered by the Moreway patriarch, Lord Euros Moreway, after discovering his family were [[Loviatar]] worshippers.
::'''New Magic Items:''' Tyr's Hand, Very Rare +2 Longsword that does +1d8 Radiant damage on a natural 20.

'''Malus Domestica'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The town of Bounty asks for the party's help to uncover a serial killer plaguing their streets.
::'''Notes:''' The serial killer is a [[dryad]] who has been corrupted by her wrath, her long discontent with being treated as merely a sexual fantasy having boiled into hatred when she was sexually assaulted by the mayor's son. The party can either kill her, let her murder the man who assaulted her, or, for the best ending, convince her to forgive him, which is the only thing that will heal her.
::'''New Monsters:''' Malus, Corrupted Dryad

'''Quest for the Muse's Wreath'''
::'''Synopsis:''' The annual Trial of the Wreath, where the boldest struggle to impress one of the Nine Muses through deadly trials and receive an enchanted wreath that will grant the bearer a [[Wish]], is being held. The party has come to the city of Sevomai and chooses to partake in the Trial in name of Ourania, Muse of Astronomy.
::'''Notes:''' ''Don't'' try cheating in this trial. But then, what DM would let the party run through an adventure where, if they win, each surviving player gets 1 [[Wish]]?