Hunter or Hunted

In the first few days of Spring, the forests are alive with Rosacouatl - beautiful rainbow
serpents with dozens of wings.
Hunter or Hunted?
“In the first few days of Spring, the forests are alive with
Rosacouatl - beautiful rainbow serpents with dozens of
wings. Some say that they are descendants of the
mighty celestial couatls that protect holy shrines but
originate from the Fae Realm instead. They are
protected creatures, but a select few hunt them for their
potent blood and essence.”
If the players choose to navigate the source of the
- Mishka, Nomadic Druid of the Evergreen sound, you can allow them additional few hints as they
This one-shot encounter is intended for an 8th level approach it if they succeed on any of the following skill
party consisting of at least four characters. It can be checks.
inserted as an encounter that drives the narrative Nature (DC 16). The player will discern that the sounds
forward or just as a curious obstacle that players have to likely originate from a smaller creature, about the size
face on their way to a larger threat. The original of a large hound. They will also note that none of the
encounter was planned for DNDCampaignPlanner, regular herbivores or carnivores native to the region
which offers a complete suite of DM tools that will would be able to produce such a sound.
elevate your campaigns.
Perception (DC 16). The player can isolate the source of
Background the noise and discern that it likely came from a
This encounter is intended to be a plug and play for northward direction. Based on how loud the noise was,
when your players are exploring the verdant forest or if it is also likely that its source is about 1000 feet away
they are in the wilderness en-route to an objective. but sight in that direction is obscured by thick foliage.
There will be threads within the encounter that point to History (DC 16). The player will know that this
a larger narrative, but those threads are at the particular forest is known for having remnants of the
discretion of the DM to pull and weave into their own Faewild, with sprites, forest spirits, and other creatures
story if they’d like to. from that plane being ever present. One of the most
Summary prominent is a Rosacouatl.
As the players are navigating the forest on route to their
next objective, they hear the distant cries of a pained A Bleeding Infant
creature. Investigating further, they reach a glade that As the party approach the source of the noise, they hear
has been stained with blood. A fledgling Rosacoautl has more of the shrill shrieking. The noise seems frantic
been struck by multiple arrows and lies bleeding. The and desperate and grows softer and softer with each
players can study the scene to discern what occurred passing screech. Before long, they come across an open
here but if they make any moves to help the dying forest glade and an unsettling sight. Read the following
creature, they’ll be interrupted by Huntsman Alamere - aloud:
famed hunter in the region. He’ll remark that it is his
kill, and that they must not interfere. If the party sides
against the Huntsman, they will have to face him in
combat. If they side with the Huntsman, they will be
ambushed by the Rosacoautl’s mother.
Introduction
Along the path to their next objective, as the party are
travelling through a patch of forest wilderness or as part
of a larger rainforest, the party hear the pained outcry of
a creature in the far distance. Read the following aloud:

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 What is this Creature?
This is a Rosacouatl, a type of couatl that originates
from the Fae Realm rather than the celestial planes. In
the height of Spring every 10 or so years, adult
Rosacouatl pair together to birth a single new-born.
These creatures are inherently magical, and many are
hunted and killed for the arcane power a capable mage
can wrought from their essence and body. In some
towns, the hunting of these noble creatures is forbidden
- although poaching is a regular occurrence at this time
when the new-borns are susceptible.
Feel free to drip feed this information leading up to
this plug and play encounter, possibly from a traveling Huntsman Alamere
merchant they will meet along the way or a warning
from the town they’ve just left. Huntsman Alamere is a rough individual with an
abrasive personality. That being said, they are quite
A Critical State respectful of nature and its many animals. He hunts
because of the good that the harvested ingredients allow
The players will likely aim to gather more information him to create - aiding nearby town members and
about the creature, the surroundings, and the nature of passing adventurers.
the creature’s wounds as well as if they could possibly Alamere will be firm in the fact that the young
heal it back. Here is the information the players can Rosacouatl is his prey and that it is his right to finish the
access readily: job that he started. If questioned on why Huntsman
The surroundings look to be entirely clear for the Alamere is hunting such a creature, he will honestly
moment. There aren’t any traps or dangerous reply that he will use the harvested ingredients to
features that immediately stand out to them. empower not only himself, but to create potent magical
The creature looks to be severely injured, and its items that will go on to save a few villagers in a nearby
wounds are bleeding profusely - it won’t be long town.
before it perishes from blood loss. Further questioning will raise alarm from Alamere,
The creature looks to be very magical - its flowers who will say that the creature is suffering and that each
and vines shift colours supernaturally and it looks to moment he does not put an end to it is a horrid affront
be emanating a soft aura of green light. to the art of hunting.
Prompt your players with a choice in this moment, will
If the players try to approach the creature, ask whoever they side with the bleeding creature, who they may be
is leading the attempt to make a DC 14 Wisdom able to save if they are unobstructed by the Huntsman
(Animal Handling) check to be able to calm the creature or side with the Huntsman and let him go about his
down enough to allow them and the rest of the players’ business?
approach.
On a success, the players can then make a DC 12
Wisdom or Intelligence (Medicine) check to discern the
creatures injuries. On a success, they note that there are
several arrow heads within the young Rosacouatl - it
seems to have bitten off the shafts in a desperate
attempt to stem the wounds. On a failure, the player is
unaware of the origin of these wounds.
If the players make any attempt to heal or aid the
young Rosacoautl, they will hear a voice boom from the
space where the forest glade meets the thick foliage.
Read the following aloud:

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Siding Against the Huntsman the woods. The Mother will look upon each of them,
bowing its head before flying after its youth.
If the player side against the Huntsman, then Alamere The players feel invigorated and receive the benefits
will see the writing on the wall, saying: of bless for the next 24 hours.

Item Reward
The following item is an item reward for defeating
Huntsman Alamere:
Alamere’s Hunting Bow
Weapon (longbow), rare (requires attunement)

This powerful longbow has a weathered look to the

wood, and it grants the wielder an uncanny ability to
discern tell-tale signs of nature.

This +1 longbow is infused with a potent nature magic.

As a bonus action, the wielder can focus their attention
onto a target within 60 feet of them for 1 minute. They
learn any resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities the
creature may have and deal an additional 1d6 damage
when they make a hit on a weapon attack against the
target creature with this weapon.
Once used, you cannot do so again until you complete
a long rest.
The Mother Returns
Once Huntsman Alamere is defeated or otherwise
incapacitated, the players can spend time trying to stop
the infant Rosacouatl from dying. The infant has 3 hit
points (out of the maximum of 25), and a player can
complete a skill challenge in order to try and save them.
The players are trying to reach three successes before
they reach three failures, and each failure counts as the
infant losing one of its three remain hit points.
Healing counts an automatic success, but not a cure
all to the infant’s condition.
On either a success or failure, read the following
aloud:

The Mother Rosacouatl will find its infant, magically

healing it in addition to the efforts that the players
made. Once healing, the infant will fly up, affectionately
rubbing up against the players before disappearing into

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 Siding with the Huntsman
If the players choose to side with the Huntsman
Alamere, he will nod approvingly and remark that they
must act quickly as the mother may also be drawn to the
cries of the infant.

Item Reward
The following items are granted to the players once they
defeat the Mother Couatl.
Rosacouatl Flower (4)
Wondrous item, very rare

This beautiful fae flower is stunning to behold, and

smells of the sniffer’s favourite home-cooked food.

When mixed in with food and consumed by a creature,

the creature does not need to eat or drink for 30 days. In
addition, they gain the benefits of a long rest after 4
hours instead of 8.
Fang of the Rosacouatl (5)
Ingredient, rare

This rare fang from a Rosacouatl contains a potent

poison that can be instilled into potions.

A creature who is proficient with a herbalism kit can

remove the poison from this fang, destroying in the
process, and instil it in a potion created with the
herbalism kit. This potion of healing looks identical to a
regular potion of healing but anyone who drinks it must
succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or
become poisoned for 24 hours. While poisoned in this
way, they fall unconscious.

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