The Wayside Inn

So your players think they're going to get a long rest in a peaceful roadside inn...

In the heart of any small hamlet, one might chance upon The Wayside Inn. A sturdy
edifice of hewn stone, with a friendly courtyard and spacious stables to greet weary
travelers. Its lively tavern, well-stocked with ale and spirits, draws locals and
wanderers alike, with laughter and merriment spilling forth into the night.

For those in need of respite, the inn offers six comfortable rooms for hire, each with a
soft bed and warm hearth to soothe the soul. So, if the road ahead seems daunting and
the night grows dark, fear not, for The Wayside Inn stands ready to welcome you with
open arms and a warm fire to banish the chill.

Amid the welcoming confines of the inn, one may chance upon a cast of colorful
characters. Davit Pickles, the jovial innkeeper, can be found scurrying about, eager to
please his guests with his overly friendly demeanor. His wife Dawn, the cook and
bookkeeper, keeps a stern eye on the accounts and stores, ensuring that everything
runs smoothly.

Among the locals who lend a hand in the bustling establishment, Jon and Jess can be
found performing various jobs, from cooking to serving and cleaning. Leyton, a young
boy of twelve, works in the stables, running errands, and taking on odd jobs as they
arise.

And then there is Roland the Bard, a local of advanced years, who spends his nights
regaling patrons with tales of his past adventures, strumming his lute with skillful
hands.

Alongside this cast of characters, one is sure to find a warm welcome and a hearty
meal, as well as the promise of adventure and excitement, lurking just beyond the inn's
walls.

Sounds lovely, right? Well that's all about to change...

Note: If you need a map of Thornley village, one is provided at the end of the adventure. Flesh
out and place the inn as desired.
The Wayside Inn
The Wayside Inn: Floor Plan
 Adventure 1: Scary Crows
Suggested level: 2nd

Hook/setup:

A green hag (Monster Manual, page 177) named Sansa lives in a nearby swamp and decides to
terrorize the village of Thornley. It's harvest time and many of the locals are at the Wayside Inn
after a long day in the fields.

The hag animates a group of 4 scarecrows and orders them attack the inn. Note that the hag
herself does not participate in the attack.

A storm rolls in from the north, read:

The Wayside Inn's common room bustles with activity as the locals relax after a hard
day's work in the fields.

Suddenly, a chill wind sweeps through the room, carrying with it the distant rumble of
thunder. The patrons fall silent as they peer out the windows, watching as dark clouds
billow in from the north.

A number of folk comment on how unseasonable the storm is. Others worry about damage to
their precious crops.

Later on in the evening, read:

The wind grows stronger, causing the shutters to rattle and the lanterns to flicker. A
flash of lightning illuminates the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Rain
begins to pelt the windows, and soon the sound of its drumming drowns out all
conversation.

Even the bard, Roland, seems subdued, his lute silent in his lap.

And then:

The door to the inn flies open with a violent gust, sending a chill down your spine. The
wind howls through the room, carrying with it a haunting cackle that seems to echo
through the rafters.

And there, standing in the doorway, is a scarecrow. Its twisted, leering face is barely
visible in the dim light, but its menacing presence unmistakable.
Four scarecrows (Monster Manual, page 268) have surrounded the inn, intent on murder. The
scarecrow in the doorway raises a flask of alchemist's fire and hurls it at the nearest hero.
Screams can be heard from the stables; one of the scarecrows is hunting Leyton, the stable boy,
in the stables (see map above). The heroes have 4 combat turns to get down there otherwise
Leyton may suffer a grim fate.

The scarecrows fight to the death and do not retreat.

Once the scarecrows have been defeated, the locals are at a loss to explain the occurrence.
However, if the heroes investigate further, a farmer on the northern edge of the village reports
that his crops are suffering blight. His dog is also missing, having run off barking into the woods.
The green hag can be found in a crude hut 5 miles from the village.
 Adventure 2: Disappointing Performance
Suggested level: 2nd

Hook/setup:

 The local communities speak of a bard named Roland, whose silver tongue and deft
hands with the lute have earned him a great reputation among the heroes. However, in
recent times, the patrons of The Wayside Inn have been left disenchanted with Roland's
performances.

 Tragically, Roland met his demise at the hands of a doppelganger several weeks ago. The
nefarious creature has since assumed his identity, but is finding it difficult to uphold the
esteemed reputation that the true Roland had earned.

Read aloud:

The patrons of the tavern are left unimpressed by Roland's performance, his music
sounding discordant and out of tune.

Developments:

 If one of the heroes is a bard, the locals call for them to take Roland's place. Roland gives
up the stage begrudgingly. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that Roland
is angry and resentful.

 If questioned, Roland claims to have been unwell recently and apologizes for his subpar
performance.

 The doppelganger may decide to target one of the heroes, most likely the hero who took
his place on stage.

 Consider the stable boy, Leyton, discovering Roland's body buried under dirt and straw
below the stables. The innkeeper approaches the heroes, asking them for help. In this
scenario, assume Roland is staying in one of the upstairs rooms.
 Adventure 3: Lycanthropy is on the Menu
Suggested level: 3rd

Hook/setup:

 The heroes are passing through and need a meal and a bed for the night.

 The heroes could be investigating rumors of travelers disappearing near Thornley.

The village of Thornley is a miserable place. The villagers seem to keep to themselves and some
of the homes and business seem abandoned. Crops have been left to wither in the fields and the
roads are overgrown with weeds. This is primarily because the family that owns The Wayside Inn
are wererats (Monster Manual, page 209).

The inn has a somber feel to it; the few locals keep to themselves. The bard Roland, plays slow
ballads.

Further details:

 The wererats target travelers on the road and tend to leave the locals in peace.

 Roland is not a wererat and is in no way associated with the nefarious operation. He can
confirm that few travelers pass through the village, and fewer seem to stay more than a
night at the inn.

 David, the innkeeper, offers food and rooms at half normal prices – this could be a
warning bell for the heroes.

 With a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check, the hero will note that Davit and
his staff do not handle silver coins. In fact, if they need to touch the silver, they use gloves
or scoop them into cups.

 Anyone who pays for a room is given a key to their door. Davit of course, has extra keys to
the upstairs rooms.
This could be a dangerous encounter for heroes not equipped with silvered or magical weapons.
The wererats wait till the early hours of the morning to spring their attack. They are cunning,
well practiced and follow a familiar routine:

 The wererats target 1 or 2 rooms, placing caltrops in a 5-foot-square area outside the
rooms of other heroes to slow their response.
 The wererats will target heroes who they believe are spell casters or those bearing silvered
weapons.
 Victims are placed in hessian sacks and kept in the chamber below the stables. If you are
familiar with The Pit adventure, consider Davit selling the heroes to King Derek, the
goblin boss.

Caltrops: As an action, you can spread a single bag of caltrops to cover a 5-foot-square area. Any
creature that enters this area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or stop moving and
take 1 piercing damage. Until the creature regains at least 1 hit point, its walking speed is reduced
by 10 feet. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the saving
throw.
 Adventure 4: A Mournful Song
Suggested level: 3rd

Hook/setup:

 Use the same hooks and village description from adventure 3. This time, however, the
owners of The Wayside Inn are not wererats. Instead the village has fallen prey to a band
of harpies that lair in a rocky defile 3 miles to the north.
 The harpies normally prey upon travelers on the road or lone villagers tending their fields,
but pickings have been getting slim due to the depopulation they have caused.

Driven by hunger, 5 harpies (Monster Manual, page 181) descend upon The Wayside Inn after
sunset, landing on the roof. They chant their Luring Song and wait to see who comes out of the
inn, flocking to those charmed like flies on rotten meat.

Read aloud:

As the sun sets and the air grows colder, a few locals gather inside The Wayside Inn to
warm themselves by the fire and enjoy a mug of ale or two. They are farmers mostly,
and poor folk at that. Their low chatter fills the room as they talk about their day's
work and exchange stories.

Roll a secret stealth check for the harpies at advantage (due to noise in the common room) as
they alight on the inn's rooftop and check the heroes' passive perceptions. If the heroes hear the
harpies, read:

You hear the sound of leathery wings above, possibly outside the inn.

Otherwise, read:

You hear a mournful melody coming from outside the inn. The voices carry an
otherworldly power that seems to enchant all who hear it. Some of the patrons' faces
turn glassy-eyed as they listen to the haunting song. One by one, the patrons begin to
rise from their seats, drawn inexorably toward the door. They stumble out into the cold
night air, their minds filled with visions of long-forgotten sorrows.
Read (or sing!) the song below, if desired.

The remaining harpies will try to flee once 3 of their kind are slain. They fly off to the north, into
the night. A successful DC 20 (difficult because the harpies are flying) will lead the heroes to
their lair, a dense thicket. In addition to any that escaped, there will be 3 other harpies here, one
of which is a matronly leader with jet-black wings and maximum hit points. Her name is Selkath
and she wears a Ring of Necrotic Resistance on one claw.

The nest is a filthy heap of waste and bones. It will take a good hour to search the nest
thoroughly. The takings will be 233 cp, 190 gp, a silk robe with golden embroidery and stitched
with the initials A.R. (250 gp once cleaned), and a leather bag with 7 bloodstones, each worth 50
gp.

A single harpy egg is partially buried in the nest and will mature in d4+1 weeks. It is left to the
Dungeon Master to decide what the players could do with this. The egg would fetch upwards of
2,000 gp to an exotic animal dealer or the owner of a traveling circus. Note that harpy eggs are
uncommon, as harpies lay a single egg only once per year.

Development:

If the heroes inquire in Thornley about the robe with the initials, they will be directed to a
woman on the outskirts of the village named Josephine. Josephine breaks down in tears and
confirms that the robe belonged to her husband Alden, a woodsman. He disappeared months
ago. If the heroes return the robe, she rewards them with Alden's +1 Greataxe.
 Harpy's Lament

In the dark of night,

When the wind doth howl,
Listen for my cry,
For I am on the prowl.

Harpy, hear my song,

Come and dance with me along,
Leave your worries and your fears,
Come and join me, dry your tears.

With my wings so strong,

And my talons sharp and true,
I'll show you wonders,
You never thought you knew.

Harpy, hear my song,

Come and dance with me along,
Leave your worries and your fears,
Come and join me, dry your tears.
 Adventure 5: Hill Giant Wants a Horse
Suggested level: 4th

Hook/setup:

 The heroes could be investigating rumors of disappearing livestock near Thornley, or

simply passing through.

Read aloud:

Suddenly, the noise in the communal area ceases as a resounding voice from the
exterior disrupts the tranquility. Leyton, the stable boy, bursts into the room shouting,
"There's a giant! He's as tall as a tree and he's after our horses! Please, we need help!"
The unmistakable sounds of wood splintering and the terrified screams of horses
emanate from the stables.

A hill giant (Monster Manual, page 155) named Malgore is after a feed, and he has a taste for
horse. He's smashed through the outer stable door and, if left unchallenged, will take off with
two riding horses, one under each arm.

Other information:

 Malgore has brought companions, a pair of giant hyenas (Monster Manual, page 326).
They are in the courtyard and will attack anyone approaching the stables.

 Malgore is starving and it will be difficult to persuade him to leave the stables in peace,
requiring a successful DC 25 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check.

 The inn's patrons make no attempt to confront the giant, cowering under tables and
fleeing upstairs.

 Malgore lives 5 miles east of the village in a remote tower. His wife, Agatha, is anxiously
waiting for his return. Malgore's trail is not difficult to follow, requiring a successful DC 5
Wisdom (Survival) check. The giants keep a treasure chest buried in an overgrown garden
behind the tower, which can be found with a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. The
chest contains 1,561 sp, 4566 gp, and a Cli Lyre wrapped in silk cloth.
 Adventure 6: Lord and Lady Blackthorn
Suggested level: 12th

Hook/setup:

 The Wayside Inn receives a pair of special guests: Lord and Lady Blackthorn. This is a
terrifying encounter as both are vampires (Monster Manual, page 297).

Read the following as appropriate:

As the afternoon sun beats down on the cobblestone streets, a black carriage pulls up
in front of The Wayside Inn. The carriage is ornate and expensive, with black paint
that shines in the sunlight. The driver, dressed in a crisp black uniform, opens the door
and a tall, regal-looking man steps out. He wears a black hat and a matching full
length coat.

Following him is a woman, tall and slim, with a severe expression on her face. She
wears a black dress with lace trimmings, and a black hat with a veil that partially
covers her face. She walks with a haughty air, her head held high, as if she is too
important to even acknowledge the existence of those around her.

The couple stride into The Wayside Inn, their noses in the air, and scan the room with
disdain. The patrons, who are enjoying their meals and drinks, look up at the
newcomers but quickly avert their gaze as they sense the couple's snobbery.

The pair approach Davit and demand a private table. The inn keeper, taken aback by
their brusque manner, quickly obliges and leads them to a small, secluded corner of
the inn.

Developments:

 Lord and Lady Blackthorn make rude and disparaging remarks about the poor service,
Roland's poor performance, poor lighting and the inadequate fire burning in the hearth.
Their comments will be overheard by the heroes.

 The Blackthorns will ignore the heroes unless they draw attention to themselves. If the
heroes remark on their bad manners, Lady Blackthorn will attempt to charm one of them.

 The common room of The Wayside Inn is about to get chaotic.

Lord Blackthorn
The Village of Thornley