Players! Want to play this quest? Stop reading and notify your DM. Save the fun for the game-table!Running this Quest
You can adjust any of the information below according to your campaign, preference or imagination. Feel free to experiment and let other visitors know what works for you in the comments below.
Once you reach the edge of the town, you can see some houses and farms left and right of the road. The streets are laid with smooth cobblestone here. These farms have luxurious gates and beautiful living areas. Also some luxurious mansions can be seen behind walled-off pieces of land. There are no people to be seen anywhere. But at some point, you pass a sideroad when you see an Elvish girl standing about 50 ft away. When she sees you she gestures with her hand in the air for you to stop and wait. She starts walking quickly towards you.
A successful DC15 perception check will reveal that she looks about 10 years old and she’s wearing a lavishly embroidered dress and shining black leather boots. She looks like she belongs to a reputable family.
“Kind travellers, I seek your help in great urgency!” she says with a look of distress in her eyes. “My cat is stuck high up in a tree, and is about to fall down. Someone needs to save her!” she says while her eyes start to water. “Please help me out.” She points to a path that leads to a gate in a walled of garden.
A successful DC15 perception check will reveal the trees and plants you can see sticking out behind the walls are very diverse and unlike any you’ve seen before.
You follow her and walk up to the gate, which looks old and has something written in Elvish above it. Also, there is a sign in Elvish on the right side of the gate. The gate leads to a beautiful and lush garden with many different plants. You see amazing flowers, large trees with hanging vines, dense thorny bushes, many different cacti—some blooming, different color grasses and many more amazing plants. The girls leads you to a tree in the back of the garden. The tree is quite large, with a stem of about 3 ft across and reaching about 80 ft high.
Anyone that can read Elvish will read “Botanical Garden” above the gate. The sign on the right says “No magic beyond these walls”
“I found her like this” she says and points up to one of the branches. You scan the canopy from below and find a branch about 60ft up where a cat is seemingly sleeping. It’s legs are all dangling down and it looks like its drooping sideways. Indeed, it’s about to fall. “My dad is going to be really angry that I let her out.”
Investigating the scene
If the party starts to investigate the situation they find the following:
- The cat is deeply asleep and won’t react to sound
- The tree looks climbable by a skilled climber
- The tree has a sign in Elvish that says “The Upas Tree”
- A successful DC25 Nature check will reveal that this tree is known for medicinal uses, DC30 to know it’s used in sleeping medicine and spells.
Talking to the girl she may reveal:
- Her parents are in town
- There is a housekeeper she asked for help. He tried to climb the tree but couldn’t. He then went to get a ladder but never came back (if the party follows this lead they’ll find him in in a shed holding a ladder, fast asleep).
- She’s not supposed to play around this tree.
Climbing the Tree
Let the party decide on how they want to do proceed. If they try to use magic, that will most likely fail (see “The Garden” below). They might attempt to climb the tree, but there are other options (See “Player Options” below).
You walk up to the tree and check if there are any branches you can use to climb it. There are some branches and stumps protruding from the otherwise smooth bark that allow you to stand on. You grab another branch and start to make your way up the first couple of feet. You climb up to about 50 ft and you can see the cat now quite nearby. You can hear it snoring. You also notice a sweet smell coming from the leaves of the tree. As you move further up, you are now about equal height with the cat. The smell is strong here, and you also notice that your hands are feeling a bit tingly.
If the player looks around to investigate the canopy, they will see many more animals, birds and squirrels, all dead in a sleeping position. The player in the tree will then fall asleep (and is considered unconscious).
The sweet smell is comforting and reminds you of your home when you were a kid. As your thoughts wander off, you position yourself to be a bit more comfortable. You are leaning against thin branches, high up in the tree. You close your eyes and picture yourself in your old room, in you old bed. It is warm and soft. Before you realise it, you fall into a deep slumber.
Any player that falls asleep in the tree must roll a D20 to keep their balance. Rolling below 5 means they slide down and fall, taking 5D6 bludgeoning damage and falling prone. For each minute spent asleep up in the tree they must make a DC20 Constitution Saving Throw or take 2D4 acid poison damage from inhaling the toxic fumes.
The Garden (backstory)
The garden is a area of about 200 x 200 yards, completely surrounded by an old plastered wall, about 10 ft high. The wall has gates in the middle of each of the four sides. The garden is rich in flora and set up as a botanical research garden. All plants are labeled, there are different greenhouses spread throughout the property. Everything grows lush and dense. In the eastern end there is a large manor with a stable next to it. Also there are separate buildings for laboratories and living areas for personnel.
No Magic Zone
In the middle of the garden sits a fountain that holds magic properties. On the side of the fountain a poem is written in Elvish:
In a garden where water freely flows,
A touch of magic, the secret it knows.
For as long as the stream does gently glide,
The garden thrives, protected with pride.
With each ripple, the enchantment takes hold,
A shield of magic, vibrant and bold.
From blossoms to ferns, it weaves its spell,
Ensuring the garden’s beauty will dwell.
So cherish the water, its mystical grace,
Embrace the magic, in every green space.
For as long as the stream continues to flow,
The garden’s protected, a sight to bestow.
It casts a powerful and continuous Anti-Magic Field that stretches all over the property. It stops all magic spells and effects from taking place, with the exception of Magic from the School of Divination (focused on acquiring and revealing information). The Anti-Magic Field can be broken by stopping the flow of water in the fountain.
Herbs and Spices
The party can find a plethora of herbs and spices in this garden, needed for cooking or for spellcasting. The chances are quite high that they will be found in the garden. Use this website, filter for everything except Arctic or Underdark herbs. If you want to make them search for it, you could let them make Nature or Survival checks, with a DC10, 15 or 20, depending on the rarity (price) of the herb.
Family
The owner of the Garden is a level 10 Elven Sage that goes by the name of Thranduil Caelindon. He is a renowned scholar that works at the town’s library and academy. This garden has been cultivated by the Caelindon family for 11 generations and is one of the oldest in the land.
Player Options
The players can try to save the cat in different ways, for instance by using a ladder, or rope. Note however; when they are up in the canopy or touch the tree, they will fall asleep. They could also just wait for it to fall and catch it. Alternatively, if they find the fountain, they can stop the AntiMagic Field temporarily and use something like Mage Hand to get the cat.
If players decide to kill the cat or the girl, rob the garden or any other devious act, they risk being pursued by the father and/or the royal guard for their crimes. You can take this to wherever you like.
Monsters and NPC's
Cat
Tiny Beast, Unaligned
Armor class 12
Hit points 2 (1d4)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 (-4) | 15 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 3 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 7 (-2) |
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses Passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Keen Smell. Thje cat has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage.
Commoner
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
Armor class 10 (Natural Armor)
Hit points 4 (1D8)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) |
Senses Passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Actions
Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
