Got Your Goat

If this adventure is used as the start of the entire series, you can use the following prelude.

1.1 Waukeentide’s End

Party Introductions

The guards are visible ahead, working with practiced boredom.

• A weapon rack stands just inside the arch, tagged bundles stacked neatly.
• A writing desk sits nearby, a clerk scratching names onto waxed slats.
• A coil of cord hangs from a post.

A guard calls the rules on repeat:

• “Weapons at the gate.”
• “Wizards and priests, thumb to belt.”
• “No brawling. No blood. No fires in the yard.”

Character Entrances.

Bring them in one by one, each arriving at roughly the same time and ending up standing adjacent in the line. Keep introductions brief. Let players notice one another naturally as the line compresses.

The party should clearly register that they are now together and will be treated as such by the guards.

Other NPCs in line.

Use these faces to ground the place. One of them can be recognized later in the Friendly Arm.

• A Calishite spice seller with stained fingers and a small crate that smells like pepper and clove.
• A dwarf teamster arguing with a clerk about whether a hammer counts as a weapon or a tool.
• A halfling pilgrim staring at the gem-decorated shrine inside the walls like it owes her money.
• The Pilgrim Pair. A middle-aged couple in clean, patched cloaks holding hands. They carry a small basket of candles and keep whispering the same prayer under their breath, like a habit that calms them.
• The Loud Merchant. A round man with rings on three fingers arguing about the “insult” of surrendering a dagger. He calls it a “tool.” The guard calls it a “knife.” The merchant loses and mutters about “principles” while tying his coin purse tighter.
• The Fresh Caravan Guard. A young spear-bearer with a shiny helmet and a nervous smile. He keeps practicing a salute that no one returns. He is thrilled to be somewhere that feels safe.
• The Courier. A thin young courier with unruly metallic-bronze hair, crooked round spectacles, ink-stained cuffs, and a weathered moss-green coat beneath a short brown shoulder cape. A compact delivery satchel hangs cross-body. He counts places in line under his breath, loses his count when something catches his eye, and starts again two people ahead.
• The Quiet Priest. A gnome with a tidy beard and a small holy symbol tucked under his shirt. He ties his thumb to his belt without complaint, then nods at the guard like they’ve done this dance before.
• The Wary Old Sailor. Salt-stained coat, rope scars on his hands. He watches the wall, not the gate. He spits once, then decides against it and wipes his mouth like he remembered where he is.

The Reedwhistles Ahead in Line

Ten to fifteen feet ahead of the party stands a small family: the Reedwhistles. Use them to anchor the scene. They are tired, boxed in by packs and elbows, and clearly close to their limit.

Bran Goes Through the Gate

Just before the Reedwhistles reach the gate, a man several places ahead of them finishes his inspection.

This is Branwick Larkspur. Let the party overhear him clearly.

• “Finally,” he says, too loud. “I’ve eaten trail bread for ten days straight. Once I get paid, I’m eating meat again. Real meat. With gravy.”
• “Witnesses, every one of you. I told them I’d be back.”
• The guards wave him through. Bran passes inside the gate and is gone from sight.

Do not delay here. The moment should be brief and memorable.

The Courier

After Bran passes through the gate, the bronze-haired courier approaches the last character in line. He adjusts his slipping spectacles with one ink-stained finger, presses a wax-sealed note into the character’s hand, and speaks quickly, as though the character agreed before he arrived.

“Friend. Excellent. Bran passed through? This is for him. Keep it sealed, please. No questions, no detours. A very simple delivery. Thank you, friend.”

Quentin gives a brisk, satisfied nod, tucks a loose page back into his satchel, and crosses the road. A wagon hides him for a moment. By the time it passes, he has disappeared into the southbound traffic.

1.2 The Cart Catastrophe

Immediately after Bran enters Friendly Arm, the line shuffles forward and stops again.

Roll initiative.

Give each PC a heartbeat to choose a response. Keep it fast and in initiative order. If they hesitate, the cart closes distance.

Skill Check Examples

Run this as a group challenge: 2 successes before 2 failures. One character may assist another if it makes sense in the fiction.

DC 13 Strength (Athletics)

• Body-check the cart’s rear corner to change its angle.
• Hang onto the side rail and force it away from the line.
• Wrestle the horse’s head aside long enough to break its line.

DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics)

• Slip through the crush and yank the child clear.
• Vault onto the moving cart.
• Slide under a flailing harness to reach the reins.

DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling)

• Shout, grab the bridle, or get eye-to-eye with the horse.
• Use calm pressure to break its panic long enough to stop the run.

DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation)

• Spot a weak strap, loose pin, or badly tied load.
• Identify the best angle to dump cargo or foul a wheel without crushing someone.

DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion)

• Roar commands that make the crowd break and scatter.
• Snap the horse’s attention with force or confidence.

Creative Examples

Reward smart thinking and quick use of gear.

Gain Advantage: Rope, pack strap, or belt looped around a post, hitch, or cart rail

Remove one failure? Extra action? Pole, spear, or staff jammed into spokes or under the axle; thrown object at the horse’s face or legs

Magic: Resolve the danger first. Guards react immediately after; obvious spellcasting triggers thumb-tie enforcement and questioning once the crisis ends.

OUTCOMES

IF THE PARTY SUCCEEDS

The family is saved and the cart is stopped or diverted. Read the following:

The cart’s weight fights you for a moment, then the wheel catches and drags instead of rolling. The horse tosses its head, but the surge breaks.

You pull the family clear by inches. The child stumbles, then grabs a parent’s coat with both hands like it’s the only real thing in the world.

The cart finally shudders to a stop, angled away from the line. The crowd goes quiet in that stunned way people get right after they almost watched a stranger die.

What happens next

• The gate guard points at the party and the family. “You. Stay where I can see you.”
• The line compresses. The party ends up together in the same pocket of space.
• The family thanks the party, loudly, in front of witnesses.

Reward Options

• The family offers a small pouch of coin or a road snack bundle.
• The guard waves the party forward as a group.
• A bystander buys them a round inside.

IF THE PARTY FAILS

The cart clips the line. People go down. The family is hit unless a last-second save occurs.

Damage and chaos

• Each PC in the impact area makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw.
• Fail: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage and knocked prone.
• Success: no damage.
• One family member takes a bruising hit and screams.
• The crowd surges.

What happens next

• The guards seize control. A guard drafts the party to help restrain the horse and clear the road.
• The party still gets pulled together, but now the mood is tense and accusing.

Last-second mercy

If you want to avoid the child being harmed, let one PC attempt a final DC 13 Acrobatics check to snatch the child clear as a reaction.

Guard Response

Once the cart stops, a guard steps in to restore order.

• If the party acted heroically, the guard’s tone is clipped but respectful.
• If spells were used, the guard immediately starts the thumb-tie enforcement and demands explanations.
• If the party made it worse, the guard still uses them as labor to clean up.

1.3 Aftermath and Gate Inspection

Once the cart is stopped and order is restored, Sergeant Halden Strake steps in.

Halden has noticed the party acting together, regardless of outcome.

• If they intervened at all, he treats them as a single group.
• If they helped successfully, his tone is clipped but respectful.

If they failed or made things worse, he still groups them together.

Halden completes their gate check as one unit.

• “Weapons at the gate.”
• “Wizards and priests, thumb to belt.”
• “You’re together. Stay together.”

If the party acted during the crisis, Halden makes a small chalk mark on his ledger beside their names. Do not explain this yet.

This mark will later translate to better seating inside the inn.

The party is then allowed to enter the Friendly Arm.

DM Notes on Flow

Do not let Bran linger. His exit creates space for the disaster.

Do not allow the cart scene to start before Bran passes through the gate.

The guards do not stop the party from acting during the crisis.

Halden always notices the party as a group once the dust settles.

This prelude should take 20 to 30 minutes of table time and end with the party entering the Friendly Arm already bound by shared action and public attention.

1.4 From the Gate to the Keep

Intended outcome: get the party through the wall, give them a clear sense of safety, then show the inn as a living place.

Setting

Left to right. To the left, stables and a horse pond sit behind a waist-high fence. A stable hand leads a mare to water. To the right, the Shrine of the Short squats low, its interior walls catching light from embedded nuggets and cut stones. Ahead, a stone path leads to the keep’s arched entry and heavy doors.

Security. Two guards stand at the keep’s entry. They are relaxed but not friendly. If characters try to draw weapons or cast obvious spells, the guards intervene fast and without debate.

Bran’s behavior. Bran does not go far once inside. He wants witnesses. He wants to be seen. He scans the yard, spots the keep’s door, then moves with purpose like he has rehearsed the walk.

1.5 The Friendly Arm Inn

Intended outcome: place Bran where he can be overheard, give the party a chance to deliver the note, and let the thieves set their plan.

Setting

High windows line the left wall, their sills stacked with empty mugs waiting for collection. The hearth dominates the center wall, with benches angled to steal its warmth. To the right, the bar runs long and polished, backed by shelves of bottles and a narrow stair that leads up to rooms. The floor is scarred wood, swept clean but never truly free of old stains. Bentley Mirrorshade is the Innkeeper.

Patrons not in line.

• A pair of Flaming Fist mercenaries playing dice, speaking low.
• A merchant with ink-stained cuffs counting coins twice.
• A gnome priest from the nearby shrine arguing cheerfully about “proper laughter” with anyone who will listen.
• A tired bard plucking a lute with three strings, taking requests they cannot play.

Where Bran sits. Bran claims a two-top table near the hearth, angled so he can see the door and the bar at the same time. His bright scarf hangs over the chair like a flag. He places his satchel on the table with deliberate care, then taps it once like it contains destiny.

1.6 Delivering the Note

The party makes contact with Bran, the note lands, and Bran’s humiliation becomes the spark that pulls everyone outside the walls.

If the characters hesitate to approach, Bran notices them watching and invites them over with a loud wave. He wants an audience.

The Note (Handout Text)

Give this to the player chosen for the delivery, or read it aloud if needed.

“Dear Friend,

Thank you for the effort. Truly. You have saved me time, which is more precious than coin, and coin is already quite precious. Sadly, what you delivered is not what I expected. It is incomplete, and in its current state it does not serve my purposes.

I do hope you are safe. I would dislike losing a useful friend over a misunderstanding.

Warm regards,
Q”

Bran’s Reaction

Bran reads the note once. Then again, slower. His smile becomes a tight line. He looks up, eyes bright with anger and embarrassment.

Bran does not accuse the messenger. Bran accuses the universe.

Use any of these lines, aimed at the room as much as the party:

• “A ‘misunderstanding.’ That is what people call theft when they want it to sound polite.”
• “Incomplete. Incomplete. I nearly died for ‘incomplete.’”
• “Friend. I do not recall sharing a meal, a joke, or a single sincere moment with a letter.”

Bran then lowers his voice and speaks directly to the party.

What Bran tells them (plain language)

• He found a strange artifact near the coast one day.
• It seemed ancient, and a passing scholar returning to Candlekeep was interested. He gave it to the scholar and has been expecting payment since.
• The artifact was in two parts: a base and a humming crystal.
• He expected coin. He got a letter.

What Bran leaves out (until pressed)

• He gave the scholar only one part and a “rock” for the other.
• The other part was taken by “Simone”. He will say stolen by Simone.
• Simone is a goat. Embarrassed, he won’t reveal that Simone is a goat or that Simone ate the “crystal” and then vanished shortly thereafter
• He doesn’t know exactly where Simone is.

If the Party Presses for Details

If the characters press with Insight, intimidation, or simple persistence, Bran admits the truth in fragments.

• “It fell. Into feed. It was an accident.”
• “Simone eats anything. Anything.”
• “Then the fences stopped being a problem.”

If the party reacts badly, Bran pivots to wounded pride. He insists he can fix it. He just needs help and witnesses.

If the Party Tries to Start a Fight Inside the Walls

Some groups will decide the letter is a trap, the inn is compromised, or Bran is lying.

The guards intervene at the first drawn blade.

If spells fly, Halden Strake and two guards rush in and demand surrender.

If the party persists, they are escorted out and told not to return.

If that happens, move the delivery scene outside the walls near the weapon racks. Bran still needs witnesses. The ambush still happens.

1.7 Beyond the Walls

Intended outcome: Bran convinces the party to walk with him to his farm, the party retrieves weapons, and the thieves choose a clean spot to strike.

Bran insists on leaving now.

“If I sit, I stew.”

“If I stew, I shout.”

“If I shout, someone sells my story with extra lies.”

Bran leads them back to the gate. He retrieves his weapon with shaking hands, then does not draw it. He wants to look brave, not be brave.

If the party wants to involve the guards: Halden Strake listens and shrugs. This is “outside the wall” business. He offers one piece of advice: “Don’t bring trouble back to my gate.”

If the party refuses to go: Bran offers a cut of his expected payment, then admits there is no payment yet. If they still refuse, Bran goes anyway, and the ambush targets him alone. The party can choose to intervene or chase.

1.8 Ambush on the Farm Road

Intended outcome: the party fights together in a clear, outdoor skirmish. The ambush points at a bigger problem without explaining it yet.

Setting

To the left, a hedge runs thick with thorns, broken in one place where boots have crushed a path through it. Beyond lies a shallow ditch and a slope down to scrub grass. To the right, a split-rail fence holds in a small pasture dotted with pale stones. Farther right, the land rises toward the keep’s wall.

Cover and terrain.

The hedges grant half cover and block sight through them.

The ditch is difficult terrain.

The fence can be vaulted with a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check or climbed with DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics).

Visibility. Clear daylight. The keep’s wall is visible behind the party. Guards do not intervene unless combat reaches the gate.

Creatures

Captain Orren Sable set this ambush after his lookout heard Bran talk about a “reward” and saw the courier note arrive.

Use the following enemies:

1 bandit captain (Orren Sable)

1 scout (Mara Drennen)

4-6 bandits (road crew)

Enemy Tactics

Mara opens from range and tries to drop a backline caster or healer first. If threatened, she disengages into the hedge break, then reappears from a new angle.

Orren stays calm. He orders the party to hand over “the payment” like it is a toll. If refused, he focuses on the character closest to Bran to make a point.

The bandits try to surround one target at a time. They shove creatures into the ditch if they can.

If the fight goes poorly for the thieves, Orren calls for a retreat toward the hedge break. Mara covers the retreat.

What the Thieves Say

Use any of these lines to make the motives plain:

Orren: “Neighbor, don’t make this loud. Hand over what the letter promised.”

Mara: “He’s got coin. He was bragging about all the coin he was going to get.”

Bandit: “We heard ‘reward.’ We like rewards.”

If the Characters Try to Talk

• Orren will negotiate for one round.
• He offers to “leave them half” if they hand it over.
• He asks Bran to step forward and “settle it like friends.”
• Bran refuses. Loudly. He wants witnesses.
• If the party offers coin to avoid combat, Orren takes it and still tries to take Bran’s satchel unless the party makes it clear they will fight.

Treasure

On Orren or the bandits, the characters can find:

• 35 gp and 120 sp from earlier thefts.
• Orren’s simple silver earring, shaped like a crescent hook.
• Mara’s scrap of paper, bearing the line “Rich man. Bright scarf. Payday.” in neat handwriting.

After the Ambush

Bran is shaken, furious, and grateful in the way proud people get when they hate needing help. He wants to leave the road and reach his farm fast.

End this section with Bran’s push forward:

“They think I have coin. I have a problem. Come. I will show you the problem. Then we make someone regret writing letters with one smug little initial.”

Estimated Duration: 45 minutes

This part is a short travel sequence with 2-3 scenes (pick as needed). Each scene points the party toward Simone, the phase goat, and reinforces that something in the landscape is slipping out of place.

Quick Table of Contents

2.1 The Bleat That Isn’t There (exploration)

2.2 The Belt-Tied Pilgrim (social)

2.3 The Tree That Remembers Wrong (hazard)

2.4 Phased Pack at the Game Trail (combat)

2.5 The Tidepool That Breathes (treasure)

2.6 The Unexpected Encounter: The Cliffside Slip (combat + hazard)

South of the Cloakwood

The party leaves the Coastway and Friendly Arm behind them and heads west toward the Sea of Swords. They pass near the southern edge of the Cloakwood. The air grows wet and resinous. Pine and darkleaf press close to the road. The Sea of Swords is still out of sight, yet salt rides the wind in thin gusts.

Reality has begun to fray along this route. Small animals and insects appear in the wrong places, then vanish. Sounds arrive late, as if the world is thinking about them first.

Story Objective: Reach Simone’s pasture near the Sea of Swords

Confirm the direction: the party must leave the Coast Way and follow a rough track toward the cliffs.

Show the threat: phased creatures test the party’s readiness.

Seed the pattern: “phase-thinning” grows worse the closer they get to Simone.

Running This Part

Pick two entries if your table is moving fast. Pick three if you want a fuller travel leg. Use 2.6 as your capstone scene for this part if you want a clear spike before the cliff pasture.

2.1 The Bleat That Isn’t There

This scene is meant to pull the party off the main road and onto the rougher track toward the cliffs. It gives a clean, physical trail to follow.

Setting

Right: Cloakwood edge. Tangled roots, dark undergrowth, spiderwebs that glint like wire.

Center: A narrow game trail splits off the road, pressed down by repeated hooves.

Left: A shallow slope of scrub grass. The wind is stronger there. It carries salt and a faint, metallic tang.

Checks and Clues

• DC 13 Wisdom (Survival): The hoofprints are fresh. They drift in and out of the soil’s surface, as if the weight that made them was not fully present.
• DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana): The trail has a weak planar “stutter.” It feels like a badly tied knot in the Weave.
• DC 12 Wisdom (Perception): A few tufts of pale hair snagged on thornbushes. The hair is dry, even in the mist.

If the Party Stays on the Coast Way

They hear the bleat again in 10 minutes, closer, then farther. They lose time. A light combat scene from 2.4 finds them on the road instead of the trail.

Leads Toward Simone

Following the hoofprints for 15-20 minutes puts the party on the correct westward track toward the pasture.

2.2 The Belt-Tied Pilgrim

This scene is meant to give the party a friendly voice and a strong directional pointer, plus a rumor that makes Simone feel real.

Creature Information: Rilsa “Rill” Harrowmere uses the commoner stat block. He is skittish, quick to talk, and eager to be helpful.

Social Play

If the party is kind, Rill shares what he knows and points them to the west track.

If the party threatens him, he bolts into the brush and later becomes a frightened witness at the edge of the cliffs.

Leads Toward Simone

Rill can point to a visible landmark: “A split boulder like a broken tooth. The track turns there, then you smell the sea.”

2.3 The Tree That Remembers Wrong

This scene is meant to show the “phase” problem without combat. It should feel off and mildly funny until it turns unsettling.

What the Tree Actually Is

In the Feywild, there exist memory-anchored trees that do not record events as they happened, but as they were felt. They are planted at sites of emotional convergence. Regret, promises broken, joy cut short, or stories retold too many times.

This oak is one of those trees, and it was phased here because of Simone.

Instead of anchoring memory to place, it anchors place to memory. When pulled partially into the Material Plane, the result is spatial hesitation. Reality checks itself, realizes something is wrong, then resumes half a heartbeat later in the wrong spot.

Skill Checks

• DC 12 Intelligence (Nature): This oak is not native to the Sword Coast. Its growth pattern, root structure, and canopy behavior suggest an environment where seasons and sunlight do not behave consistently.
• DC 16 Intelligence (Nature): The tree’s roots are not responding to the surrounding soil correctly. It is sustaining itself as if the land were something else entirely, forcing the ground to adapt around it rather than the other way around.
• DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana): There is a subtle planar distortion around the tree. Space feels slightly compressed and uneven, as though the area has been folded and unfolded more than once.
• DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana): The distortion resembles imperfect overlap with another plane. Whatever crossed over here did so incompletely, leaving behind a lingering instability.
• DC 14 Wisdom (Perception): For a brief moment, a character notices something unsettling. A shadow shifts twice when nothing moves, or a root seems to be underfoot no matter where they step.
• DC 15 Wisdom (Insight): The tree is not hostile, but it is not passive either. It feels confused, as if it is trying to reconcile where it is with where it believes it should be.

The Goat Bell (Why This Matters)

The broken bell is not random. The tree remembers a goat. At some point in the recent past, when the tree crossed planes, it tried to bring that memory with it.

The bell is cold because the memory is incomplete.
It smells of sea salt because the story ended near water.

How to Play the Tree Without Explaining It

Never explain the tree’s function in-world unless the party forces the issue with magic or extraplanar knowledge.

Let them notice patterns instead:

• The same root seems to be underfoot no matter where they step.
• Shadows lag behind movement by a fraction of a second.
• Someone swears they see themselves standing where they were a moment ago.

If a character familiar with the Feywild studies the tree long enough, give them this realization, and nothing more:

“This tree knows me. It just doesn’t remember me correctly.”

That line will carry farther than any exposition.

2.4 Phased Pack

This scene is meant to be the medium combat encounter for the travel leg. It reinforces that Simone is not alone. The pack fights like it is being “pulled” in and out of place.

Creatures

Choose one set based on party strength.

Default (APL 3, medium): 4 wolves (with teleport):

Teleport (Recharge 4–6). The dog teleports up to 40 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Enemy Tactics

The pack fights in short bursts. The creatures have been altered by the phase disturbance and can teleport.

Terrain

Left (trees): Half cover from trunks and roots.

Center (trail): Difficult terrain from brambles if a creature leaves the path.

Right (slope): A creature that takes damage while standing on the slope must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or slide 10 feet downslope.

2.5 The Tidepool

This scene is meant to give the party a small reward and a clear “the sea is close” signal. It also lets you show strange physics without a fight.

Setting

Left: Thin trees, exposed roots, patches of webbing.

Center: Stone shelves with slick edges.

Right: Drop-off begins to hint at cliffs ahead.

Checks and Rewards

• DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation): Something is lodged under the water that should not be there.

Reaching into the pool requires a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid slipping on algae-slick stone.

Treasure: A palm-sized shard of dark, glassy metal etched with tiny, worn sigils.

Cursed Luckstone

Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This flat, gray-and-black river stone is inscribed with an unknown arcane symbol and feels cool to the touch. While carrying the stone, you can gain advantage on one ability check of your choice. The stone can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.

Curse. This item is cursed. Attuning to it curses you until you are targeted by a remove curse spell or similar magic. As long as you remain cursed, you cannot discard the stone, which immediately teleports back into your pocket or pack. After you use the stone’s magic, your next two ability checks are made with disadvantage.

2.6 The Cliffside Slip

This is meant to be the surprise spike. It should feel like the landscape itself is hostile for a moment, and it should end with a clean line of travel to the pasture.

Hazard: The Skip

At the start of each round, roll a d6.

• 1–2: No effect.
• 3–4: One creature skips. Choose one creature at random. It must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or teleport 10 feet to a safe space of the DM’s choice and fall prone.
• 5–6: The ledge tilts. Each creature on the cliff path must succeed on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check or slide 15 feet toward the edge.

If your party hates cliff danger, move the “edge” threat to a steep scree slope that bruises and slows instead of dropping to death.

If your party loves cliff danger, let a failed slide carry a creature to the lip, hanging by one hand, requiring an action to recover.

Tracking Simone

Use this section any time the party is trying to find Simone’s trail, confirm they are still going the right way, or locate the cliff pasture. It is written to support ranger-style play without requiring a ranger in the party.

Intended Outcome: The party should feel like they are actively hunting a moving problem. Successful choices shorten travel and give advantages in the upcoming fights. Failure costs time and resources but still moves the story forward.

The Trail at a Glance

Simone’s trail is unreliable in normal ways (wind, rain, rock) and unreliable in unnatural ways (prints that “skip,” sounds that arrive late, animals that appear where they should not be). The closer the party gets to the cliffs, the more the unnatural signs dominate.

Common signs of Simone

• Hoofprints that end mid-step, then resume several feet away.
• Tufts of pale hair snagged on thorns and fence wire.
• A faint bell chime that seems to come from the wrong direction.
• A metallic tang in the air, like old coins or struck iron.
• Small animals acting wrong: rabbits freezing, birds landing without sound.

Who Can Lead the Search

Any character can do this. Use whichever skill fits their approach.

Wisdom (Survival): Tracking, route choice, reading weather and ground.

Wisdom (Perception): Spotting trail signs, hearing the bell, noticing phase flickers.

Intelligence (Investigation): Pattern recognition, reading broken fences, predicting where Simone went.

Intelligence (Arcana): Sensing planar thinning, identifying “skip zones,” choosing safer routes.

Wisdom (Animal Handling): Interpreting animal behavior, calming mounts, predicting a goat’s habits.

Ranger features: If a ranger is present, let their features shine (especially foraging, tracking, difficult terrain, and favored terrain). If not, these rules still work.

Running the Search

Pick one method based on pacing.

Method A: Simple Navigation Checks (fast)

Use this when you want to keep the travel moving.

• One character makes a DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check once per travel segment (about 15 to 20 minutes of table time).
• On a success, they gain a benefit from the Success Benefits list.
• On a failure, apply a Complication.

Method B: Three-Step Tracking Challenge (ranger-friendly)

Use this when the party is leaning into the hunt.

Goal: 3 successes before 2 failures.
DC: 14 (raise to 15 if the party is moving at speed or it’s raining).

Each step, a different character can contribute using a different skill. Encourage variety.

Step prompts

1. Find the trail. Locate signs that Simone passed recently.
2. Keep the trail. Prevent losing it when the ground turns to rock or brush.
3. Predict the cut west. Identify the best approach to the cliff pasture.

Success: They reach the pasture cleanly and gain one major benefit.
Failure: They still reach the pasture, but with time lost and one added threat.

Success Benefits

Use these to reward good play without breaking the adventure.

Time Gained: They arrive sooner. The party can take a short rest before the next encounter.

Clean Approach: They choose the best route and avoid a hazard. Ignore one travel event or skip a minor encounter.

Read the Skip: The lead tracker spots a phase-thin zone. The party gains advantage on the first saving throw against a “skip” effect in Part 2.

Better Position: In the next combat, the party chooses the battlefield side and starting spacing.

Trail Token: They recover something that confirms they are close:

• a tuft of Simone’s hair that crackles faintly in the wind
• a broken bell strap
• a hoofprint burned into stone like a brand

Complications (pick one per failure)

These keep momentum but add pressure.

Lost Time: Travel takes longer. The party cannot take a short rest before the next encounter.

Wrong Turn: They hit an unpleasant patch of terrain. Each character makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage from slips, thorns, and hard falls.

Cold Trail: They lose Simone’s direction for 10 minutes. The next tracking check is made at disadvantage unless they change approach or spend resources.

Draw Attention: A phased creature notices them. Add a quick skirmish or increase the next ambush by one creature.

Bad Ground: The party’s mounts or pack animals become skittish. Everyone has disadvantage on Animal Handling checks until they calm them.

Simone’s “Phase Echo” Rule

As the party gets closer to Simone, the trail becomes less physical and more sensory. When the party is within about an hour of the cliffs, introduce this rule:

Phase Echo. If a character succeeds on a tracking-related check by 5 or more, they catch a brief “echo” of Simone:

• a bell chime one ridge over
• the smell of goat and wet grass on a wind gust that stops too fast
• a silhouette on a rock ledge that vanishes when blinked at

This echo always points them toward the cliff pasture. It never sends them away.

Clever Player Options

If the party tries one of these, reward them with advantage or an automatic success.

Bait and bell: If they have a goat bell, they can ring it. Simone’s echo answers once within 5 minutes.

Salt lure: If they scatter salt or mineral lick, Simone’s hoofprints appear in the dust within 10 minutes (even if she isn’t physically there yet).

Speak with animals: Animals don’t know “Netherese artifact,” but they know “the goat that vanishes.” They point west and act nervous when the cliffs are mentioned.

Detect magic: Reveals a faint transmutation aura that grows stronger toward the cliffs. This gives advantage on the next navigation check.

Mark the trail: Chalking stones or tying cloth strips prevents the “looping road” effect. It cancels one disorientation hazard.

If the Party Does Something Unexpected

They try to capture Simone early: They cannot. Simone is already beyond the trail segment, and the echoes pull toward the cliff pasture. Let them get close enough to see a flicker, then it’s gone.

They go deep into the Cloakwood instead of west: The forest becomes darker and webbed. Give them one warning event, then steer them back with a clear sign (a hoofprint on a tree root, a bell chime from the west).

They attempt to return to the Friendly Arm: They can, but the trail grows colder. If they return, increase the difficulty of the next tracking check by 1 and add a complication from “Draw Attention.”

DM Cheat Sheet

If you want to run this with minimal thought at the table:

Every 15 to 20 minutes of travel, ask: “Who leads the search?”

Roll one check: DC 14 Wisdom (Survival). Success: pick one Success Benefit. Failure: pick one Complication.

Always end the segment with a concrete sign pointing west toward the cliffs.

This keeps the hunt active, rewards smart play, and guarantees the party reaches Simone’s pasture on time.

Estimated Duration: 60 minutes

The characters confront Simone on a cliffside pasture above the Sea of Swords as phased creatures blink into the fight around her.

Intended Outcome

This part is meant to end the chase and turn Simone into a memorable set-piece fight. The party reaches the cliff pasture, survives a shifting battlefield, drains the Netherese resonance inside Simone, and watches Simone vanish at the moment the relic burns out.

Scenes

3.1 Approach to the Cliff Pasture (exploration)

3.2 The Pasture on the Edge (exploration + hazard)

3.3 Boss Encounter: Simone, Phase Goat (combat)

3.4 Aftermath: The Relic Burns Out (resolution)

3.1 Approach to the Cliff Pasture

This scene is meant to put the party on high ground, let them smell the sea, and give them a clear view of the pasture. It should also show that Simone is close, even when she is not visible.

Setting

Describe the approach from left to right, top to bottom:

Left: ragged treeline, low brambles, and a shallow cut where rainwater runs toward the rocks. Webbing clings to a few branches like thin lace.

Center: a broken path of pale stone steps leading uphill. Loose gravel collects in the seams.

Right: open cliff air and a sloping shelf of rock that leads toward the pasture. The shelf is wide enough for two travelers shoulder to shoulder, no more.

Checks and Clues

• DC 14 Wisdom (Survival): Fresh hoofprints appear on bare stone as scuffed patches of grit. They stop mid-step and resume several feet away.
• DC 14 Wisdom (Perception): The bell sound always seems to come from slightly uphill and slightly west, even when it should not.
• DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): The air carries a faint transmutation pulse, strongest whenever the bell rings.

If the Party Tries to Scout from Afar

They can see the pasture fence line and a low shepherd hut. They cannot reliably see Simone. If she appears, it is for a breath, then she is gone.

A character who watches through a spyglass sees two Simones for a moment, one half a step behind the other.

If the Party Turns Back

The bell rings from behind them once. The smell of goat vanishes. The trail grows colder fast. Use this as a gentle push to continue uphill.

3.2 The Pasture on the Edge

This scene is meant to establish the battlefield before initiative. Give the players a moment to choose a plan, then let Simone's presence start the weirdness.

Battlefield Features

Left: Shepherd hut (10 feet by 15 feet). The door hangs crooked. The hut smells of old hay, tar, and mouse droppings. Inside are a broken stool, a clay jug, and a rusted lantern.

Center-left: A salt lick stone on a stump. The stump is scored with bite marks. A character who scatters extra salt here can draw Simone's attention for one round.

Center: A flat boulder the size of a wagon bed. It provides full cover to a Medium creature crouched behind it. The bell sound often seems to come from its far side.

Center-right: A shallow water trough half-filled with rain. The water surface sometimes ripples upward, like it is pushed from below.

Right: The cliff break and a sloping rock shelf. Strong wind pulls at cloaks. The air smells of salt and wet stone.

Hazards

Sea Wind Gusts: At the start of each round during combat, choose one creature within 10 feet of the cliff break. It must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet toward the safest open space (never directly off the cliff unless it is already at the lip).

Loose Gravel: A creature that dashes across the rock shelf must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.

Cliff Edge: The edge is visible but deceptive. The grass near it grows thin and slick. A creature pushed to the lip can catch itself with a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, ending prone and hanging.

What Simone Is Doing When the Party Arrives

Simone is oblivious. If she is visible, she is chewing grass, scratching her shoulder on the fence, or staring at a gull as if it has offended her.

She does not posture. She does not flee like prey. When startled, she headbutts first and thinks later.

The closer someone gets, the more the air stutters around her. The goat does not react to the stutter at all.

Clues That Point to the Netherese Resonance

A character who inspects the ground near the boulder finds a faint line of soot like something burned and vanished.

If the party brought the Fork Frame, it warms in the hand within 30 feet of Simone and hums softly in time with the bell.

• DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): The resonance is trapped in the goat and is leaking in pulses. It will burn out if forced to spike repeatedly.

3.3 Boss Encounter: Simone, Phase Goat

This is the set-piece fight. The goal is not to kill Simone. The goal is to survive the shifting chaos long enough for the Netherese resonance inside her to burn out. Simone vanishes at the end, leaving only mundane traces and an empty, useless relic.

Story Objectives

• Force Simone to spike her phasing until the Netherese resonance burns out (3 steps).
• Keep party members away from the cliff edge during wind gusts and phase skips.
• Learn, through play, that Simone is not malicious. She is a goat with a problem.

Starting the Encounter

When the party commits to the pasture (crosses the fence, enters the grass, or approaches the boulder), start initiative. Simone appears within 30 feet, head down, chewing. She looks up only when someone gets close.

The Netherese Resonance (3-Step Track)

Track the resonance as three steps: Resonance 3, Resonance 2, Resonance 1, then Burnout. Each time the party forces a strong spike, reduce the track by 1. When it reaches 0, the relic burns out and Simone vanishes.

A spike happens when any of the following occurs:

• A creature hits Simone with an attack (including a shove) for the first time in a round.
• A creature successfully grapples, nets, or restrains Simone, even briefly.
• A creature uses the Fork Frame to tune the resonance (see Fork Frame Resonance).

Fork Frame Resonance

If the party has the Fork Frame, a character within 10 feet of Simone can use an action to strike the frame against stone or fence rail and hold it toward her. Make an Intelligence (Arcana) check (DC 15). On a success, the resonance spikes immediately and Simone cannot use her Startled Skip reaction until the start of her next turn. On a failure, the resonance still spikes, but the character takes 1d6 psychic damage from the feedback.

Simone's Core Rules

Simone is oblivious to her power. She does not choose targets with intent. She reacts like a goat: headbutt, stomp, then chew again.

Most hostile actions trigger phasing. Any time Simone is hit, grappled, restrained, or targeted by a spell that would affect her, she uses Startled Skip if available.

Simone does not stay down. If reduced to 0 hit points, she does not die. She vanishes instead (see Burnout and Vanish).

Resonance Side Effects

Each time the resonance track drops by 1, roll on the table below (or choose). The effect happens immediately and lasts until the start of the next round unless noted.

Running the Fight

Start with Simone and 2 phased creatures already present if you want immediate pressure (one blink dog and one wolf). Otherwise, let the first spike summon trouble.

Keep Simone moving. Each round, she should appear in a new spot that makes sense for a goat: on the boulder, near the salt lick, behind the hut, or on the rock shelf.

Use the side effects to make the pasture feel unstable. Let players solve problems with positioning, cover, and quick choices.

Phased Reinforcements

At initiative count 10 each round, if there are fewer than two hostile phased creatures on the field (not counting Simone), phase in one creature from the list below. The creature arrives in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of Simone.

• Blink dog (default)
• Phase spider (spicy)
• 2 wolves (weaker groups))

The reinforcements are not loyal to Simone. They are pulled in by the resonance and fight like cornered animals.

Non-Obvious Player Plans

Use these options when the party tries something clever that is not simple damage.

Herding Simone: A character can try to drive Simone away from the cliff by waving a cloak, making noise, or using a shield. Make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check (DC 14) as an action. On a success, Simone moves up to 20 feet in a direction the character chooses, but she immediately uses Startled Skip afterward (if available), appearing in the nearest safe space in that direction.

Salt Lure

If a character scatters salt at the salt lick, Simone spends her next turn moving toward it and chewing, ignoring creatures unless attacked. This does not stop phasing. It does create a predictable moment for Fork Frame Resonance.

Netting or Restraining

If the party uses a net, rope, or spell to restrain Simone, treat it as a spike. Simone phases out of restraints with Startled Skip. The restraint remains behind, sometimes wrapped around an illusory Simone for a beat.

Talking to Simone

Simone does not understand language beyond tone. If a character speaks softly and offers food, allow a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check (DC 13). On a success, Simone pauses and chews, granting advantage on the next attempt to use Fork Frame Resonance. She still phases when startled.

If the Party Attempts to Kill Simone

Simone can be reduced to 0 hit points, but she does not die here. When she would drop to 0, she vanishes instead as if the world refuses to finish the thought. Treat this as an immediate Burnout if the resonance is already at 1. Otherwise, drop the resonance track by 1 and continue.

Scaling the Encounter

Weaker party: Use wolves instead of blink dogs for reinforcements. Do not introduce a phase spider. Reduce Simone's hit points by 25.

Stronger party: Start with one phase spider already present. Increase reinforcement cap to three hostile creatures at a time. Increase the Fork Frame Resonance DC to 16.

3.4 Aftermath: The Relic Burns Out

This scene is meant to end the chaos cleanly. The resonance inside Simone spikes one last time, the Netherese object is consumed, and Simone vanishes. Leave the party with proof and a hook, not a corpse.

Resolution

Simone vanishes. She does not reappear in this adventure.

The Resonant Core is used up. It cannot be recovered. The Fork Frame is now inert and mundane, though still obviously old and valuable as a curiosity.

Any phased creatures still present flicker and fade over the next minute. If the party tries to chase them, they slip away into thin air.

What the Party Can Recover

Simone's bell strap or collar tag (proof of the goat's identity).

A tuft of white hair snagged on the fence rail that crackles faintly for an hour, then becomes normal hair.

The Fork Frame (inert). It is proof that Bran delivered something real, and proof that the missing half was destroyed.

Hook Forward

On the walk back, the party hears a single goat bell chime from somewhere it cannot be, as if Simone is already practicing her next bad entrance. That sound is your bridge into the next adventure where Simone returns.