Session 55

Recap

• Entered Keph's home village
• Met her father
• Zanotah showered
• Rested
• Met the Aunt
• Visited the Uncle who spoke in celestial

Journey into the Blight

As you leave the craggy mouth of the hillside cave behind, the ground beneath your boots grows softer, the moss thick and spongey—until you realize it's not moss at all, but a mat of grey fungal growth spreading like a disease across the earth.

The deeper you go, the more the forest seems to decay around you.

After another grueling hour of pushing through the blight-choked woods, the trees thin just enough for you to see what's ahead — and it’s not a welcome sight.

You feel a strange resistance in the air—like a pressure pressing down from above, heavy and unnatural. The sky, once visible through the canopy, seems murky, like it’s been smeared with charcoal and ink.

When you look up, the treetops sway though there is no wind. Even birds and insects that once flitted through the branches are nowhere to be seen.

The forest floor breaks away into a yawning **ravine**, at least **50 feet across** and far deeper. Looking over the edge, all you see is **fog** — thick, swirling, and tinged faintly green, like algae in stagnant water. It hangs motionless in the ravine, unnaturally still. You drop a stone, and there’s no sound of it hitting bottom. Just silence.

IF FLYING IS ATTEMPTED

When you attempt to rise, by spell or wing, you feel your strength being pulled downward, as though the forest itself is trying to keep you grounded. A creeping weight crawls up your spine, and the moment your feet leave the ground, the air turns syrup-thick—hostile, resisting, alive.

The only path forward lies across a **webbed tangle of fungal cords and mycelial strands** that stretch from one side of the chasm to the other, forming a grotesque, living bridge. It's as if some massive growth has stitched itself across the divide. Pale nodules bulge from the ropes like tumors, and every few seconds, the entire mass **shudders** — not from wind, but from some internal rhythm, like it’s breathing... or dreaming.

As you approach, a wave of rot-sweet air rises from below, and a cluster of fungal sacs **burst**, releasing a faint cloud of golden spores that drift lazily before dissipating. The cord-bridge twitches again beneath its own weight.

Crossing won’t be easy.

**Slipping** here could mean **falling 80 feet into the fog-shrouded depths below**. And judging by the sickly green glow you catch flickering far down in the mist, it’s not just the fall that should concern you. Something **lives** in that darkness — or perhaps, **many** things.

As the first of you sets foot on the bridge, there's a high, keening sound, like chitin scraping stone.

You’re not alone.

From the far wall of the ravine, you see **movement** — glossy, black limbs tearing free from the fungus. **Two massive shapes**, spider-like but bloated with fungal growth, emerge from burrows hidden in the cliffside. Their eyes are crusted over with spore-colonies, their limbs jerky and twitching with unnatural spasms. A strange clicking hum begins to resonate from their bodies — not vocal, but fungal.

They begin to **climb onto the bridge**.

Every step now is a test of your balance, your reflexes, and your courage. The bridge sways, pulses, and responds to your movements like it can **feel** you. One wrong move — a slip, a misstep — and you'll tumble down into that waiting void.

And behind it all...

Another **howl**.

Closer this time. Much closer.

The Rotweb Crossing

Setting the Scene (Start of Combat)

As you step onto the bridge, the cords flex and shudder beneath your feet. The mycelial strands twitch in response to your weight — not with the give of rope or wood, but the subtle recoil of flesh. The bridge is alive, and it does not want you here.

From the ravine walls, the creatures emerge: Rotweb Sentinels — grotesque, spider-like beasts twisted by the blight, with fungal growths pulsing across their bloated abdomens. Their mandibles click wetly as they scuttle onto the cords. Their eyes are blind, crusted over with glowing spore-pods, yet they move with perfect awareness.

As they settle onto the bridge, it shifts beneath all of you, pulsing with unnatural tension. One wrong move, and you won’t fall into darkness. You’ll fall into something waiting.

Combat Mechanics (Behind the DM Screen)

The Environment: Living Bridge

Treat the bridge as difficult terrain — moving at half speed unless a DC 14 Acrobatics check is passed at the start of each turn.

If a player takes damage, makes a critical failure (nat 1) on an attack roll, or fails a Dexterity-based skill check, they must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or slip and fall.

Falling:

Falling characters plummet 80 feet into the mist. On impact, they take 8d6 bludgeoning damage (avg. 28). The floor of the ravine is slick with decay, and toxic fungal growths cover the walls — climbing back up requires a DC 16 Athletics check, taking 2 rounds if successful. While in the ravine, they begin to hear things moving in the mist (potential reinforcements if you wish to escalate).

The Enemies: Rotweb Sentinels (3 total)

Use Giant Wolf Spider stats with the following modifications:

+20 HP (Total ~44 HP each)

+2 AC (Natural fungal plating — AC 15)

Immunities: Poison, Blinded (they use tremor-sense and spore scent)

Spore Lash (Recharge 5–6):

As a bonus action, one Sentinel detonates a fungal cyst on its back. Each creature within 10 feet must make a DC 13 Constitution save or take 2d6 poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute (repeat save at end of each turn).

Narrative Moments for Combat Beats

Player Enters Combat on the Bridge:

Your boots land on the slick, pulsing cord. It sinks slightly beneath your weight, and you swear it shudders. Behind you, the cords tighten, and ahead, the spider-thing opens its fungal maw. A twitch — and it lunges.

First Spore Burst:

With a wet pop, one of the glowing nodules explodes beside you, releasing a cloud of golden spores. Your lungs burn as you inhale it — a rot that feels alive inside you. Roll Constitution.

Player Falls:

A misstep — the cord twists violently. You lose your balance. The others watch in horror as you vanish into the fog, your scream swallowed by the stillness. You don’t hit the ground. You splatter into it. Something stirs down there.

Final Sentinel Drops:

The creature lets out a final clicking rasp as your strike tears through the bloated growths along its abdomen. Fungal fluid sprays, and the bridge lurches violently, as if the living web recoils from the death of one of its children.

End of Encounter: Crossing the Bridge

The creatures fall silent. Their twisted forms twitch for a moment longer before stilling. The bridge quiets… for now.

You gather yourselves, stepping carefully over the rotting corpses, mindful of the twitching cords beneath your feet. Behind you, another howl splits the air — closer. Louder.

You’re being followed.

Absolutely. Below are **custom stat blocks** for the **Rotweb Sentinels** and the **Corrupted Bear**, balanced for a level 5 party. The bear turning up makes this a **very deadly encounter** — best used when the party is already worn down, split on the bridge, or emboldened enough to press forward without caution.

Following the stat blocks is a **narrative escalation event** you can use to unleash the bear dramatically mid-fight or just after the Sentinels are dealt with.

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## 🕷️ **Rotweb Sentinel** (CR 2)

*Medium aberration (blighted beast), unaligned*

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**Armor Class:** 15 (blighted fungal plating)

**Hit Points:** 44 (8d8 + 8)

**Speed:** 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

**Senses:** Tremorsense 60 ft. (blinded)

**Languages:** —

**Challenge:** 2 (450 XP)

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**STR** 14 (+2)

**DEX** 16 (+3)

**CON** 14 (+2)

**INT** 2 (−4)

**WIS** 12 (+1)

**CHA** 3 (−4)

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### **Traits**

**Blighted Form.** Immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition. The Sentinel is blind but perceives through tremorsense and the scent of spores.

**Fungal Resilience.** When the Sentinel is reduced to 0 HP, it releases a final burst of spores in a 10-foot radius. Creatures in range must succeed on a **DC 13 Constitution saving throw** or become **poisoned for 1 minute**.

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### **Actions**

**Bite.** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

*Hit:* 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a **DC 13 Constitution save** or take **4 (1d8)** poison damage and be **poisoned** until the end of their next turn.

**Spore Lash (Recharge 5–6).** The Sentinel releases a pulse of toxic spores. Each creature within 10 feet must make a **DC 13 Constitution save** or take **7 (2d6)** poison damage and be **poisoned for 1 minute**. Affected creatures can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns.

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## 🐻 **Corrupted Blightbear** (CR 6)

*Large monstrosity (blighted beast), chaotic evil*

> *"It was once a guardian of the forest. Now it is the voice of its agony."*

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**Armor Class:** 16 (hardened fungal plates)

**Hit Points:** 120 (16d10 + 32)

**Speed:** 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

**Senses:** Darkvision 60 ft., Blindsight 10 ft., Passive Perception 12

**Languages:** —

**Challenge:** 6 (2,300 XP)

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**STR** 20 (+5)

**DEX** 10 (+0)

**CON** 18 (+4)

**INT** 3 (−4)

**WIS** 12 (+1)

**CHA** 5 (−3)

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### **Traits**

**Unnatural Resilience.** The bear has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks. Immune to poison and disease.

**Toxic Gore.** Any creature hit by the bear’s attacks must succeed on a **DC 14 Constitution save** or become **infected**. While infected, they are poisoned and take **1d6 poison damage at the start of each turn** for 1 minute. The target can repeat the save at the end of each turn.

**Rampage.** When the bear reduces a creature to 0 HP, it may move up to half its speed and make a **Claw** attack as a bonus action.

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### **Multiattack**

The Blightbear makes **two attacks**: one with its **bite**, one with its **claws**.

**Bite.** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

*Hit:* 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage.

**Claw.** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

*Hit:* 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.

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### **Legendary Action (Optional for Maximum Threat)**

If the fight becomes too easy or to finish it as a near-death climax, you can give the Blightbear 1 **Legendary Action** per round:

**Fungal Roar (Costs 1 Action):** The Blightbear emits a mind-warping roar. All creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a **DC 14 Wisdom saving throw** or be **frightened** until the end of their next turn.

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## 🩸 **Escalation: The Arrival of the Blightbear**

Use this event either:

* **Mid-fight** (after 1 Sentinel drops), or

* **Post-fight**, when the party is regrouping or helping someone out of the ravine.

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**Narrative:**

> As you land the final blow on the second Sentinel, its spore-laced body collapses into the webbed cords. The bridge groans… then stills.

> For a heartbeat, silence. Mist drifts. Fungi twitch faintly. You hear your own breath again.

> Then — you feel it.

> A **deep vibration** through the cords. Not just a twitch — a rhythm. **Heavy steps.** Something massive is approaching.

> Trees on the far side sway. A flock of corrupted birds burst from the canopy.

> And then it **emerges**.

> A hulking, matted shape, its fur rotting and patchy, with glowing fungi **bursting from its back and shoulders** like tumors. Its mouth hangs open in a slack, unnatural grin, blackened teeth dripping with spore-slime.

> It rears back — and **howls**.

> The bridge **shudders** beneath you.

> The Blightbear has come.