Lost and Found

A Lost Grung, An Angry Forest, And a Frontier Town

 Lost and Found

L
ost and Found is a Dungeons and Dragons 5th As Arlo leads the party through the woods, they encounter
Edition adventure built with new GMs and hostile creatures which are discovered to be the minions of
players in mind. While it is recommended that Mother Lyria, a dryad who resents the lumbering activities of
you prospective GMs out there read the Greenflower for destroying her home. At the climax of the
adventure in full before running, the adventure, the party meets with Lyria herself. The encounter
encounters are laid out in such a way that the may turn into a dangerous boss battle, or become the start of
most important information for running the diplomatic relations between Greenflower and Lilygrove
adventure can be gleaned by skimming the bullet points. As Wood.
such, this adventure is also perfect for those GMs who might The adventure concludes with the party returning Arlo to
have the same game-prep procrastination bug that plagues his family, and being gifted a sizable reward. While the
me. At the very least, this adventure should offer four hours adventure ends here, depending on the parties choices, they
of gameplay and time for you to procra-I mean, prep, your are a variety of paths the epilogue could take, including
next game. Happy GMing! spawning whole new adventures for the party.

Running This Adventure Reading Boxed Text

This adventure for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition is Instead of reading boxed text verbatim, instead use it as a
suitable for four to six players using 1st level characters. The flavor guide for the adventure. Between encounters, or
adventure requires little to no prep or background to run, and whenever you deem appropriate, use the descriptions given as
can easily slot into any campaign setting. At the conclusion of inspiration for one or two specific details. Your players will fill
the adventure, the player characters should attain 2nd level. in the rest of the forest with their vivid imaginations given a
You can use this adventure to kickstart an entire campaign,
and there are a few ideas at the end of the adventure as to few specific details.
how you might continue it, or you can simply use this as a
standalone one shot adventure.
At the average table, this adventure should take roughly 1-2
four hour play sessions to complete, but may take longer or
shorter depending on the size and style of your table. Lilygrove Wood
Regardless of length, the encounters in this adventure are Lilygrove Wood encompasses a densely forested
meant to hit on all three main pillars of D&D, giving new area dotted with small glades and bodies of water,
players a guided introduction through each major element of broken up by streams and thin corridors of
the game. grassland and marshes. Altogether, the dense
forest makes a haven for fearsome wolves, bears,
mountain lions, and their fantastical counterparts,
dire wolves, owlbears, and manticores. But
Adventure Summary wandering the trails, travelers can still spy hopping
The lumber village of Greenflower sits against the expanse of dens of bunnies, white-tailed deer, and even red or
the Lilygrove Wood, an untamed frontier teeming with gray foxes. The forest is a full and robust
beautiful sights and horrific dangers. On the morning after a ecosystem, with the game trails being the safest
thunderous storm sweeps through the village, disrupting parts of the wood.
livestock and even sending a tree crashing through a Lilies are common along the trails, according to
farmhouse, a young green grung wanders into town asking the forest’s namesake. Silvery elms and drooping
willows make up large swathes of this deciduous
for help. Speaking in broken common, the grung introduces forest. Along the edges, once great growths of pine
himself as Arlo, a young forager who was separated from his trees have been largely cut down for timber. The
family during the storm and needs help making his way safely western edges of the forest are now a maze of
home. dead branches and stumps, the wildlife that once
As the party escorts him through the wilderness, they see lived there either relocated or extinguished. But in
the aftermath of the destruction that last night's storm the heart of the wilderness travelers can hear sweet
wrecked on the forest. They are given the options to help a birdsong intermixed with the rushing creeks that
baby red pseudodragon separated from his mother, to help a feed into the central marsh land. There, the buzzing
Bling Dog fend off ravenous woodland beasts, and to either of mosquitos takes over and the smell of sulfur
destroy or make diplomatic relations with the Dryad that is permeates the air as tall spires of steam can be
responsible for the recent storm. seen drifting over the tallest trees.

1
 The baby red pseudodragon is a Pseudodragon (MM
Starting the Adventure 254) but with no fly speed and with its attacks modified to
Greenflower is the typical farming village, with an emphasis do 1 damage.
on their lumber economy for purposes of trade and The pseudodragon has fallen out of his nest while his
expanding the population. The village is run by a small mother is away collecting food. He is visibly distressed and
council of humans and halflings. The party may be in town sending strong telepathic signals of fear and hunger to
for any reason you deem fit for your setting. However, one creatures around him.
option is to tell the party that Greenflower is known for Any character with proficiency in Nature know that this
having a hostile relationship with the forest it gathers its pseudodragon is too young to be self-sufficient, and must
resources from. Farmers and merchants often hire still be cared for by its mother. Any character with
adventurers to defend caravans or track down raiders. proficiency in Survival knows that a creature this young is
prime prey for woodland predators on the forest floor,
especially without his wings being fully developed.
The adventure begins on the morning of a massive storm, one
The red pseudo dragon is fearful and won't readily be
that shook the Huckleberry Inn to its foundation and woke any touched or approached. A character must make a DC 12
denizens. A loud crash early in the morning signaled the felling Wisdom (Animal Handling) Check in order to calm the
of a tree, which fortunately left no casualties, even as it dragon. Grant advantage if the character offers the dragon
destroyed the roof of a farmhouse. Surveying the damage in food or comes up with another clever plan to help calm
the morning light, the party can see dead tree branches
the creature. If a character tries to touch the dragon
without picking it up, the creature will respond by biting
littering the ground, the roads turned into a sludge of mud and
the character.
rock. Against the edge of the forest, a solitary green figure The nest is 30 ft above the forest floor. Climbing the tree
begins to approach. requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) Check.
Grant advantage if the party utilizes, rope, a grappling
The village folk are immediately anxious about the hook, or have similar tools to aid them.
presence of Arlo, given their hostility with the forest If the party helps the pseudodragon to a safe place, they
denizens. earn 50 XP.
Caulkin, an elderly man who serves on the village council,
will ask the party to take care of Arlo, and is willing to pay B. The Forest Awakens
them a sum of 10 gp. His explanation is that while he
doesn't want any trouble, the towns folk are on edge after The path winds into thicker forest, darkening the area as the
the storm and things could get ugly if the grung sticks treetops obscure the sunlight such that only thin strips reach
around. the woodland floor. As the trail suddenly takes a sharp curve,
Arlo himself will promise that his family has some the path is blocked by a small humanoid dripping with fungus
savings, including an ancient sword they'd found in the and mold. The creature hold a small sling and begins whirling
woods, which he would be more than happy to pay for safe it with a rotting hand. The creature shouts in a scratchy croak,
escort back to his den.
Once the party agrees to the task, Arlo will want to set out "Mother Lyria has decreed that your invasions end here!"
at once. He will lead the party to a nearby trail at the edge
of the wood. This would be a good time to describe some 1x Vegepygmy (VGtM 196) stands on the road 30 ft
of the clearcutting done by Greenflower lumberjacks. away. 2x Twig Blights (MM 32) hide on either side of the
road, coming to aid the Vegepygmy when the party passes
A. A Fallen Dragon them.
The players should roll for initiative after the Vegepygmy
On the trail ahead, a baby red pseudodragon struggles to shouts.
climb the trunk of a silvery elm tree. Far above, a large nest of Upon defeating the creatures, the party earns 50 XP.
dead grass, ivy, and clay is built within the crook of two broad The Vegepygmy holds a small purse of 87 cp and 47 sp.
branches. The pseudodragon's stunted wings flap ineffectively
He also wears a Ring of Water Walking and Lyria’s
against the breeze that rustles the branches of the tree. It
Note.
seems to be visibly distressed and you can see deep scores in
the trunk where its claws have dug into the wood. Lyria's Note
My children,
Patrol the trails this day. No one from the town
must interrupt my ritual. If last night's storm wasn't
enough to stop their mad destruction, tonight will
surely bring an end to their violence.
Keep the forest safe. They will all pay for the
suffering they have caused us. Do not stop to talk.
They only speak lies.

2
 C. Quicksand! E. A Cornered Mutt
The forest turns into swampland as the sun reaches its zenith. The swamp fades back to solid ground and open plains. Fields
The lands ahead resemble a wasteland of steaming pools and of tall green grass show little signs of the storm the night
warm marshes. The buzzing of insects is ever present as the before, save for a stray branch blown windward from the
trek continues onward. surrounding forests. Up ahead, at the edge of the glade, a
wounded dog fends off a murder of crows and a pair of wolves
The marshes are scattered with pools of quicksand. Arlo which are steadily advancing on the poor creature. The dog is
has never had to deal with them as his webbed feet allow barking and fending them off admirably, but seems to be on
him to walk over the hazard. the edge of exhaustion.
Anyone wearing the Ring of Water Walking can walk
over the quicksand with ease.
The pools of quicksand are 10 ft by 10 ft and will sink If the party chooses to help the 1x Blink Dog, have them
any character besides Arlo within 1d4 + 1 rounds. Once a roll initiative against the 1x Swarm of Ravens and the 2x
character is sunk, they begin suffocating and take 1d6 Wolves.
bludgeoning damage per round. It takes a DC 15 The Blink Dog will help the party in combat but is missing
Strength (Athletics) Check to successfully pull a ten hit points and is currently unable to use its teleport
character out of the sands. Grant advantage if multiple ability.
people work together or if the party comes up with tools The ravens and wolves are scrawny, starved, and scared
or a plan you deem helpful. from the night before, only looking for an easy meal and
There are three pools of quicksand on the party’s trail, of will individually flee if any of them reach half of their total
progressive difficulty with which to spot. A character may hit points.
spot the first with DC 10 Passive Perception, the second If the party heals the Blink Dog, it will regain its
with DC 12 and the third with DC 15. If they go off trail, teleporting ability and can even be persuaded to travel
the pools become harder to spot, at DC 18. with the party if any of the characters speak Sylvan. In
If the party fails to see a pool of quicksand, the character addition, the Blink Dog will show the party to a nearby
at the front of the party becomes stuck and begins sinking. buried adventurer’s cache in gratitude. The half buried
Don’t roll for initiative when a character becomes stuck. pack contains a Potion of Superior Healing, a Jar of
Instead, ask every character what they are doing, and Saffron worth 15 gp, 332 cp, 494 sp, and 9 gp.
resolve each action simultaneously. Each time every Anyone with a proficiency in Nature know that the Blink
character takes an action, count off a round. Dog is a very intelligent and general good aligned
The party earns 50 XP if they make it past the quicksand creature.
safely. If the party rescues the Blink Dog from the wolves and
ravens, the party earns 50 XP.
D. Hazardous Terrain
F. Lyria, Mother of the Forest
At the edge of the swamp, a steaming pool of heated mud lies
Arlo assures that his den lies just in the next patch of forest, as
along the trail, a small bush fire is smoldering near her, the
he leads the journey off trail completely and into the densest
area around it scorched black. As the party passes, two
thicket of woods yet. Travel is slow going before the woods
mephits rise out of a den at the edge of the pool, snarling at
open up to a small glade, where a humanoid surrounded by
the party.
whirling ribbons of spring leaves kneels by the pool, preparing
some ritual. She stands, looking up but not smiling. “Stay back.
As soon as the party sees the mephits, have the party roll
for initiative. What will it take to keep your kind away from the natural order
The mephits consist of 1x Mud Mephit and 1x Smoke of things?”
Mephit.
The smoldering fire represents hazardous terrain that will Lyria is a Dryad with 2x Twig Blights hiding nearby.
burn any characters within 5 ft for 1d6 fire damage. She will not attack immediately, only if the party angers
If the party investigates the small den the mephits her or tries to approach her. Only have the party roll for
emerged from, they will find a dead dwarves adventurer, initiative if she angers or the party attacks.
carrying a hand axe, 5 days of rations, 127 cp, 51 sp, Lyria wants to preserve the natural order of the forest and
and 3 gp. Also within the den are a Potion of Climbing, a resents the clear cutting by the town of Greenflower,
Potion of Healing, and a polished moonstone worth 50 which cut down her home. She magically summoned the
gp. previous night’s storm in an attempt to drive the denizens
Defeating the mephits grants the party 50 XP. of the town away.

3
 Lyria believes that the town’s activity near and by the G. Reunion
forest is destructive, and through her bitterness has
become willing to resort to equally destructive measures. Arlo sprints forwards as he leads the party out of the glade. He
She is currently in the process of planning an even more cries out in unintelligible squeaks mixed with broken
destructive storm for that night, that will hopefully destroy
the village. common, calling out for his parents. He stops in front of a
If the party attempts to negotiate with Lyria, she will darkened cage entrance, concealed by two overhanging willow
listen, but her patience is thin and she will not tolerate trees. His posture slumps as he calls out one more time into
insolence. the hollow. A beat, and then a voice cries back. Three green
Lyria's concerns are twofold. First, she believes that her grung leap out of the recesses of the cave, jumping up and
methods of inducing destructive storms have been down, laughing and crying, hugging Arlo.
successful in protecting the forest. Second, she believes
that she is too far gone into her destructive tendencies for
anyone (namely the leaders of Greenflower) to want to Arlo will introduce the party one by one when he gets a
negotiate with her. The party will need to address both of chance to breathe. Then he will introduce his family.
these concerns in order to stop widespread destruction in His family consists of: his father, a chubby grung with
Greenflower and get safely home. squinty eyes and a jokey demeanor, his mother, a tall
A character makes an argument against either of these grung with big eyes who constantly wrings her hands with
points they can make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) nerves, and his sister, a small grung who can barely walk
Check to convince Lyria otherwise. If they use specific and whose vocabulary consists of words like “wow,”
examples from their adventure so far to back up their “stop,” and “squirrel.”
argument, such as the displacement of the baby The family will insist on paying the party a sum of 25 sp
pseudodragon, grant the characters advantage on the for their troubles, as well as their ancient Longsword of
check. Lyria will need both concerns addressed before she Warning, and will invite the party to stay for a meal of
backs down. warm stew.
If the party fail on three Charisma checks, Lyria grows Arlo will eventually say his goodbyes, thanking the party,
frustrated with the party and attacks. and asking them to come to him again if they ever need a
If the party either destroys Lyria or persuades her to stand guide in the forest.
down. They gain 75 XP. The party earns 25 XP for returning Arlo safely to his
Lyria has the following treasure on her person: A carved family.
necklace of polished darkwood beads (worth 25 gp),
and a pouch containing 76 cp, 33 sp, and 22 gp.

Concluding the Adventure

T
he reunion of Arlo with his family is a perfectly
fine place to end the adventure. However, if you
wish to extend the adventure, or if the players
particularly enjoyed their interaction with
Lyria, you might detail their reception back at
Greenflower. A whole new adventure might
spawn out of the negotiations between
Greenflower’s lumber economy and Lyria’s championing of
the forest ecology!
Regardless of where exactly you end the adventure or if
you continue the story in some fashion, make sure to give the
party plenty of reward and rest to end this chapter. Perhaps
roleplaying Arlo’s family dinner would be a good denouement
for the adventure. Or, if your players are more treasure
oriented, selling their goods back in town and totaling up
their earned gold might be a more appropriate and satisfying
ending.
Lastly, the end of the adventure is a good time to award XP
to the party if you haven’t done so already. If the adventure
went well, they will be now be level 2. However, you may make
the party return to Greenflower before they level up, at your
discretion.
Thanks for running the adventure! Remember the most
important thing is that you and your players had fun.

4
 ENCOUNTER B

5
ENCOUNTER D

6
 ENCOUNTER F