Heran Adventures: 003 - Dead Folk Pass (Patreon)

We delved deep underneath Tera Wall to explore the vast cave system that lies below.

As voted for in the last poll, the next place we will be traversing in Heran is Dead Folk Pass!

Dead Folk Pass

Heading West from Tera Wall, crossing through Bridgetown, you decide to take a shortcut through the Howling Forest.

Despite the warnings from fellow travelers and signposts in the forest, you continue on the eerie path ahead.

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Dead Folk Pass is an old abandoned road that has now become a creepy trail of the forest. Bandits and all sorts of strange folk wander through these trees and paths.

Strange skulls line the roads, flickering with flames of the aether, changing colour, form and substance throughout different periods of the Heranic calendar.

Many of the townsfolk and residents of the surrounding areas that know of Dead Folk Pass will warn anyone against going near it, let alone inside it. Once you have set foot inside, they will treat you differently - as if you have been tainted. Either you are a fool to go in there or you are up to no good at all.

The only honest business to undertake in Dead Folk Pass is saving others from it. Bulletin boards can be found in the surrounding towns, full of requests from mothers asking for their child to be rescued from bandits holding them ransom in the forest.

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There are various caves that litter the Howling Forest. Those that are lined with ravens and crows tend to also be the home of the Gwyllion - especially if there is a nearby creek, as one of their favourite treats is freshly-caught Cod.

These creatures of the night tend to stay near the waters but are lured towards the paths by the scent of silver. The bandits that take this shortcut through the forest are the most common victims to these witches.

The Gwyllion catches its prey - to acquire the silver for its collection - by bewildering the victim, causing them to feel lost. A traveler who knows this will quickly drop their silver and carry on their way, while the Gwyllion takes its prize.

A wise adventurer will also know that they are scared of daggers, specifically those made of wood, tin, iron and copper.

Some of the key travelers along Dead Folk Pass, apart from bandits, are devotees of taboo and outlawed practices, the most prominent being Cultists of the Kabalic Triumvirate.

This order brandishes their ideology with their bright purple robes and are most notoriously known for their strange deranged headdresses, often mistaken for their actual heads.

The practices of this order is mostly unknown, though it is said that they have a fondness for the blood of humans.

Grid and No Grid VTT maps - Download Here 

High Res PNG maps + 2 map variants - Download Here 

Tokens and Handouts - Download Here 

More tokens and handouts will be coming soon, along with some location art!

Do you wish to continue on the pass and see what else you can find/encounter?

Would you rather take a different path and explore another area of the Howling Forest?

Or maybe you'd rather cut straight through the pass and head for the safe haven of Turnhip, or circle back to the comforting bustle of Bridgetown and rest a while?

Where we go next is up to you; cast your vote below!

If you have any questions regarding the adventure or the Rites of Heran mythos, let us know in the comments!

Find more work over on our website chibbingrove.com!