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Goldfen Mere
Palakar Forest · Eastern feeder · A drowned forest with something living beneath
The forest gives way to a broad, silent mere. Dark water spreads between grass-tufted islets and the pale trunks of half-drowned cedars. Lily pads drift over gold-lit ripples, though no wind touches the surface. Long black roots rise from the mud like fingers reaching for the sky. Far across the shallows, something disturbs the reeds, and a wet, guttural sound carries over the water.
GM — The Eastern Feeder
PRIMARY ANTIDOTE SITE. Goldfen Mere is the largest contaminated standing-water source on the eastern perimeter. Several shallow pools feed a shared infected root intake beneath the thick black roots at the edge of the deeper channel. This is where one prepared neutralizer portion will reach the greatest number of contaminated channels. The golden currents are visible signs of the blight in submerged living roots, not harmless mineral deposits. The broad water is not uniformly safe: mud, submerged roots, isolated grass islands, and deeper pockets make route selection important.
The characters can observe, map a path, and attempt antidote placement without fighting every danger in the mere. There is one Bogwid (Creature 5), one Bogroot Grasp (Simple Hazard 3), and one existing Neutralizer Placement challenge. These are distinct elements, not an automatically synchronized ambush.
The Bogwid — Thing in the Reeds
A Bogwid (Creature 5) lurks among reeds and half-sunken timber near the deeper southeastern water. Its movements betray it before its full shape appears: reeds bow against the current, dark ripples travel between islands, and a foul, sour smell hangs near its lair. This is a predator taking advantage of the compromised wetland, not an intelligent guard assigned to the intake. It may be drawn to movement in the water, but does not automatically rush across the whole mere whenever a character enters the area.
A cluster of reeds slowly bends apart. Behind them rises a slick, hunched shape, its limbs trailing through the water. The smell hits you before it draws near—rotting vegetation and something sickly sweet. Pale shapes writhe beneath its skin, and then it slips soundlessly back into the dark.
GM tactics: The Bogwid has swim and climb Speeds of 20 feet, a 20-foot Revolting Aura (Fortitude DC 20), tentacle attacks, larval spit, and Bogwid Fever. Use the attached creature's printed stat block for all damage, disease, and larval mechanics. Its foul odor and disturbed reeds should give perceptive PCs reason to avoid its territory. A level-5 creature is an extreme solo threat for five level-2 PCs (120 XP) and a severe solo threat for five level-3 PCs (80 XP); telegraph the risk and allow retreat rather than treating combat as mandatory.
The Bogroot Grasp — Living Mud
A 10-foot patch of root-choked mud lies along an apparently direct route to the infected intake. Beneath the lily pads, black tendrils slowly coil and uncoil even when the water is still. The attached Bogroot Grasp — Simple Hazard 3 is independently triggered when a creature enters that patch: Stealth DC 19 (trained) to notice the danger, Nature or Survival DC 19 to disable or find a clear route, and a DC 20 Reflex save against its bludgeoning and immobilization effects. The roots reset after a minute unless safely dealt with. Point out their movement before anyone commits to the crossing; careful scouting should make the hazard avoidable.
Exploration — Finding a Way Through
- Survey the water: Nature DC 18 follows gold-veined currents to the clustered infected roots. A success identifies the proper intake for the antidote; on a critical success, it also reveals the more stable route along several shallow grass islands.
- Read the terrain: Characters can test the mud with poles, move along fallen timber, look for solid island-to-island passages, or choose a longer route away from the Bogwid's reeds. Don't require a dangerous crossing if the intake can reasonably be reached from a safe bank.
- Observe the predator: An approaching foul smell or the reeds moving independently of the wind reveals where the Bogwid is active. Waiting, distracting it, or taking an alternate bank can create an opening.
- Avoid combining threats: The root trap is not a signal to summon the Bogwid. If both become involved through player actions, preserve a credible retreat path.
Primary Objective — Neutralizer at the Root Intake
The party must introduce one prepared neutralizer portion into the central cluster of infected living roots where Goldfen's shallows feed the deeper channel. Pouring it indiscriminately into the open water will not reliably reach the contamination.
Without pressure: Once the party has safe access, careful placement takes 10 minutes and no check. Under pressure: use the existing Neutralizer Placement — Goldfen Mere challenge with Nature or Crafting DC 18 for a roughly 2-minute application. A failed attempt costs time, may require repositioning, or may disturb the shallows, but does not automatically consume the dose. The Bogwid does not need to be slain to achieve the objective.
The antidote sinks into the tangled roots. For one breath, the gold beneath the lily pads burns bright enough to illuminate the mud. Then the light fractures and fades. The black tendrils loosen, releasing a slow cloud of silt. Across the nearest pool, a ring of unnatural golden sheen breaks apart and disappears into ordinary ripples.
Aftermath and Return to Thornwatch
Successful placement interrupts the eastern feeder route and slows its contribution to the central blight. It does not instantly make the mere drinkable, cure nearby wildlife, or destroy the mature Stage 3 node. The Bogwid may remain in its territory even after treatment. A party that cannot reach the intake can still bring back a map of stable routes, the moving root patch, and the predator's location.
Record Goldfen Mere: Treated when the antidote reaches the infected intake. Report the eastern root-channel connection, the Bogwid's lair, and any safe passage identified. Goldfen is one of the primary water objectives; unlike optional Fernmirror Pool, it is part of the intended containment mission. Keep the threat of the central node intact for the final assault.