2 Giant Spiders and 1 Ettercap . These creatures aren’t just hunting; they are coated in the black sap, giving them +2 to their AC but reducing their movement speed by 10 feet.
If successful, he reveals the blight isn't natural—it’s leaking from an ancient "Sorrow Stone" recently unearthed by grave robbers. He gives the party a Vial of Purified Dew , which can neutralize the sap on one creature or object. Encounter 3: The Sorrow Stone (Boss/Objective) A series of encounters for 5th Edition Dungeons...
At the end of every turn, the Stone pulses. Every creature within 30 feet must make a DC 13 Wisdom save or take 1d6 psychic damage as they feel the forest's "grief." 2 Giant Spiders and 1 Ettercap
Killing the mound stops the immediate threat, but the stone must be cleansed (using Kaelen’s dew or a Dispel Magic spell) to stop the blight permanently. Adventure Rewards He gives the party a Vial of Purified
A clearing centered around a cracked, obsidian monolith. The "weeping" is strongest here, forming a shallow pool of black sludge. The Boss: A Shambling Mound made of blackened, oily vines.
Kaelen is paranoid and speaks in riddles. The party must use Persuasion or Medicine (to treat his sap-burned hands) to calm him.
Survival, Mystery, Blight Hook: The local druids have gone silent, and the forest is physically "weeping" a black, viscous sap that attracts aggressive, mutated insects. Encounter 1: The Choking Canopy (Combat/Environmental)