Hither - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Hither. When the domain of Prismeer was divided among the hags of the Hourglass Coven, Bavlorna Blightstraw transformed her portion into the swamp now known as Hither. It is a foreboding place, one where daylight never fully penetrates the dank mist that hangs over the land, and where cruel and mischievous bandits prey upon stranded and lost travelers. Hither is the realm of the present, where life and decay walk hand in hand, and where creatures live in the moment, not concerned with history or repercussions. Deep in Hither is Downfall, a shantytown built around an ancient well. Bullywugs occupy this settlement, which surrounds Bavlorna's ghastly cottage. Adventurers escape in one of Bavlorna Blightstraw's swamp gas balloons Running This Chapter When the characters step through the magic mirror in the Witchlight Carnival's Hall of Illusions, they arrive in Hither. Before your first game session in this place, follow these steps to make the players' experience as entertaining as possible: Hither is ruled by a hag named Bavlorna Blightstraw, also known as Slack-jawed Lorna. Read her description and skim her stat block in appendix B. Read this chapter in its entirety. Look over the map of Hither. Locations marked on the map are described later in the chapter. Lost Things in Hither If you used the "Lost Things" adventure hook, check the Story Tracker to see if Bavlorna Blightstraw has anything the characters want to reclaim. When the characters enter Hither, anyone who had something stolen by Bavlorna gets the nagging sensation that it is somewhere in this realm, though the character doesn't know where. The feeling fades when the character either regains what was lost or leaves Hither without recovering it. The hag keeps stolen goodies in the mouth of a bronze frog statue in her cottage (see area B19). When you and the players are ready to run this part of the adventure, begin your narration with the "Arrival in Hither" section and proceed from there. Navigating Hit...