In "A Perilous Joy Festival," the players' characters are tasked with delivering candy grams for a town that dwells on the outskirts of a swamp. They will need to journey into the perilous swamp and come face to face with dangerous creatures in order to get the job done. This free D&D adventure for Valentine's Day is intended for a group of three to four 3rd-level characters. It can be completed in three to four hours and uses monsters found in the basic rules.

Adventure summary

This one-shot adventure takes place during the Joy Festival, a holiday celebrating friendships. After a postman tasked with delivering candy grams goes missing, the characters are tasked by the town of Creepingvale to track down the missing postman and deliver the candy grams in his stead. This adventure will take the characters deep into a swamp known as the Tarbloom, where they'll have to contend with environmental hazards, monsters, and some questionable characters.

Player objectives

• Track down the missing postman and the satchel of undelivered candy grams.
• Deliver the candy grams to the following Tarbloom residents: Gran Arborvel, Byren Bleu, The Bleak Ranger, and Torbelexor, the Black-Winged Death.

Character creation

In this adventure, the characters are 3rd-level characters. They should be good- or neutral-aligned and have the motivation to help the town of Creepingvale. The town is home to friendly goblinkin and is responsible for delivering mail to settlements north of the Tarbloom.

As the group will journey through a swamp, characters that can follow tracks and safely navigate the wild will excel in this adventure. Similarly, characters that perform well in social situations will have opportunities to shine.

Adventure start

Creepingvale is a small town that is nestled between two mountains and that sits on the southern edge of a swamp known as the Tarbloom. Though little sunlight makes its way through the canopy of red maple trees that tower over Creepingvale, the town is a lively bastion for goblinkin friendly to all manner of creatures and folk. As you enter the town, you find its buildings painted lively shades of blue, purple, and green. Red lanterns hangs from the trees overhead and a banner that reads "ANNUAL JOY FESTIVAL" hangs between two buildings along the main road.

Creepingvale is best-known for delivering mail from towns in a nearby valley to settlements that lie on the northern side of the treacherous Tarbloom swamp. When the characters arrive at Creepingvale, it is midday and lively, with goblinkin sharing in meals and drink. A Passive Insight of 11 or higher reveals that some residents appear worried though eavesdropping does not reveal why.

As the group wanders the town, they are approached by a spritely elderly female hobgoblin named Lanaleer:

A hobgoblin with braided white hair and dressed in tie-dye robes dances over to you. "A joyous Joy Festival, fair adventurers!" she exclaims. "How nice to see fresh faces in these parts, and on this holiday weekend, no less! My name is Lanaleer! Can I interest you in wares for the journeys that lie ahead? Perhaps a lick of gossip?"

Lanaleer runs a shop that sells supplies for adventurers and suspects that she can make easy coin off of the group. If permitted, Lanaleer will walk the characters to her shop, a blue- and green-painted booth along the main road. She sells adventuring gear listed in the basic rules. As this adventure involves several combat encounters, you may choose to have Lanaleer also sell potions of healing for 25 gp each.

Whether the characters speak with Lanaleer or another resident of Creepingvale, they will learn about the Joy Festival and this year's troubles.

What's happening in town?

Creepingvale is celebrating its annual Joy Festival, a weekend-long celebration of friendship. The holiday is a time to rekindle old friendships and strengthen existing ones. Candy grams are gifted as part of the holiday, and it's believed that the bond between two friends is broken if neither one offers the other a candy gram.

Each year, the town sends candy grams to four residents of the Tarbloom as thanks for protecting—or just not destroying—the town. However, this year Creepingvale finds itself in a predicament. The only postman who knows how to navigate the Tarbloom has gone missing, along with the candy grams intended for these Tarbloom residents.

A gift for friends. Each candy gram contains a hard candy made of honey that is wrapped in a red maple leaf. A thoughtful message of 25 words or less is written on the inside of each red maple leaf. Characters can make their own candy gram at any Creepingvale shop for 1 cp.

Find the missing postman and candy grams

Whether the group converses with Lanaleer or another resident of Creepingvale, they'll learn that Muklor Gorvin, a male bugbear that delivers candy grams to Tarbloom residents, has gone missing. If the characters want more information, they are directed to the town post office, found in a cave on the outskirts of town. 

The cave leads to an underground lake lit by white mushrooms and surrounded by carts with incoming and outgoing mail and workbenches.

An aboleth named Yhktakyly (Yuuk-ta-khy-lie) that dwells within the lake runs the post office for Creepingvale. They oversee three postal workers (none of which are present). Kind but terribly nosy, the aboleth spends most of their days reading the mail that passes through the post office.

When the characters meet Yhktakyly, read the following:

A pale-green aboleth rises up out of the lake, their three eyes peering down at you with curiosity and a soggy letter held aloft in a tentacle. They speak: "I'd heard rumors that new adventurers were in town—word spreads quickly here, you see. My name is Yhktakyly. This fine estalishment is the post office through which all manner of packages and letters are sent to settlements beyond the Tarbloom. It's also a fantastic place to learn all manner of secrets—if you've got the deft hands to reseal the letters you open!

"But I digress. To whom do I owe my respects?"

Yhktakyly is more prone to asking questions than answering them. Secrets are a delicacy to the aboleth, no matter how innocuous, and they are liable to probe the characters for some. Nevertheless, they are as worried as the townsfolk about the missing postman and candy grams. They will request the group find Muklor and see that his satchel of candy grams are delivered.

"By now, you've certainly heard the trouble we've had with the candy grams and my good friend Muklor. Did you hear he has a mole on his left buttocks? Don't ask how I know. The bugbear appears to have got into a lick of trouble, he's never been late in delivering mail to our beloved Tarbloom friends—except that time he got lost in the Feywild. Nevermind that last bit. I suspect bandits are the root of Muklor's disappearance. They're not keen on Creepingvale. It would be just so wonderful if you could track him down and see that the candy grams are delivered before the Joy Festival ends."

For the successful completion of this quest, Yhktakyly offers each character a 50 gp reward and their pick of a random letter from the post office to read. If the characters accept the quest, Yhktakyly offers one tip that will help them find Muklor:

"Follow the main road out of Creepingvale. It isn't maintained, so you'll find it quickly turns to muck. But if you keep north and a little west through the Tarbloom, you're certain to find evidence of where Muklor got to, or at least his body. Terrible shame if he were dead, though, on account of that debt he still owes... Speaking of which, can I interest you in a uniform?"

Creepingvale postal workers dress in matching red flat caps and khaki jackets with gold buttons. Yhktakyly will offer the characters their own uniforms for 10 gp each. Whether or not the characters refuse, Yhktakyly sends the group on their way thereafter.

Tracking down Muklor in the Tarbloom

As the characters leave Creepingvale, read the following:

As you leave the colorful town of Creepingvale, the red maple trees quickly turn to dreary willow trees and the cheerful sands of banter turn to gurgling muck. The stone road that leads northwest through the Tarbloom is easy to follow for the first mile, afterwhich it is lost under mud and bramble.

To find Muklor, the group will need to continue their northwestern journey through the Tarbloom. Doing so requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a failure, the characters become lost for 1 hour, after which the check can be repeated. When the characters succeed, they discover evidence of Muklor's disappearance.

Your journey takes you through knee-high waters, up and down mounds of rotting trees, and through tangled vines. You eventually come to flat ground, where you discover a burnt-out campfire, a tipped over cooking pot, and a broken stool.

Muklor was resting here a couple of days prior when he was attacked by bandits that dwell nearby. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals signs of a struggle but no blood. Additionally, three sets of boot prints lead into and out of the camp from the east. These belong to the bandits who knocked out Muklor and carried him back to their camp, along with the satchel of candy grams.

A character that makes a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check finds tracks leading to the bandit camp, a journey that takes 10 minutes. Otherwise, a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check allows a character to lead the group directly east, where they will discover the bandit camp. 

Finding the bandit camp

Traveling east from Muklor's camp, the group comes upon a small bandit camp occupied by a tied-up and unconscious Muklor and his three captors.

Sitting around a campfire are three humans cheerily drinking from waterskins, their boots drying off near their bare feet. A couple of tents stand behind them, and an unconscious bugbear in a red uniform sits against a tree, tied by a rope to it. 

Creepingvale's relationship with four residents of the Tarbloom has made it difficult for bandits to extort the town. In an effort to break Creepingvale's ties with what the bandits perceive to be its protectors, they kidnapped Muklor and stole his satchel of candy grams. When the Joy Festival ends, they plan to release Muklor with a letter declaring a tax on any mail that passes through the Tarbloom.

The bandits are celebrating their victory with drinks. Their leader, a female human named Yanda (use the bandit captain statistics), keeps the satchel of candy grams in the tent nearest to Muklor.

Retrieving the candy grams. A character can sneak into the bandit camp unnoticed with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check. On a failure, Yanda and her two bandits notice them and attack. Yanda fights to the death, but her minions will flee if she is killed. 

Freeing Muklor. The bugbear is Muklor. He can be awakened with an action but cannot assist the characters in combat. His binds can either be cut with a blade using an action or undone with a DC 11 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. 

Asking for an assist

When Muklor is awakened and freed, he thanks the characters for their aid and asks them to deliver the candy grams in his stead:

"My thanks for your help. I've been tied up for the past couple days. Those bandits wanted to ruin Creepingvale's relationship with our good friends in the Tarbloom. The candy grams the town has prepared still need to be delivered for the Joy Festival, but I'm afraid I'm not well enough to make the journey. Can you see that this task is done?"

Muklor offers directions to the locations of the four recipients but is clear that The Bleak Ranger can be especially hard to find. His assistance allows the characters to make Wisdom (Survival) checks made in the Tarbloom (but not in Torbelexor's lair) with advantage. If asked, Muklor will also provide physical descriptions of the intended recipients. Use the "Messages in the Candy Grams" table below for these descriptions.

When the characters are ready to continue their quest, Muklor thanks them again before heading south back to Creepingvale.

What's in a gram? Each candy gram is addressed to one of four Tarbloom residents. A successful DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check allows a character to open and reseal a candy gram without any evidence that they've done so. If a candy gram is opened, consult the table below to determine the message written inside.

Messages in the Candy Grams

Delivering the candy grams

To deliver the candy grams, the group will need to journey deeper into the Tarbloom. The candy grams can be delivered in any order, but finding each of the Tarbloom residents requires a separate DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check. The check is made with advantage if Muklor offered directions to the group. Whenever the group fails the check, roll a d4 and consult the following table to determine what hazard they encounter, rerolling or ignoring results that have already occurred.

Hazards in the Tarbloom

Gran Arborvel

Gran Arborvel is a green hag disguised as a wizened old woman in green robes embroidered with purple flowers. She lives alone in an animated hut that has four 10-foot-tall legs made from tree roots. When the characters arrive at her hut, Gran has just finished baking goblin-shaped cookies. Her familiar, a spider that patrols the swamp near the hut, alerts Gran of the characters' presence.

You find a mishappen one-story hut made from rotted branches and barbed roots. You smell fresh-baked cookies and see a twinkling light coming from inside the hut. An elderly woman from inside the hut calls out to you, "Hurry up, my dears, while the cookies are piping hot!"

Entering the hut requires a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. The check is made at disadvantage as the animated hut dislikes being climbed. The door to Gran's hut opens as soon as a character is within 5 feet of it.

The interior of the hut is decorated in a hodge podge collection of trinkets. A single bed with a lone dirty sheet and pillow sits against the eastern wall. Against the northern wall is a wood stove that burns hot. A terrarium with two frogs stands beside it. Amidst this, you see an old woman with a yellow-toothed smile standing before you, her hair tied up in branches and a plate of goblin-shaped cookies in her hands.

No matter how quickly the characters get into Gran's hut, the cookies have gone cold and hardened, and the green hag is all too delighted to offer them to any disappointed guests. She also offers them tea but is careful to let it steep for just a moment too long so that it is bitter.

Gran's froggy sisters. Gran was once part of a coven of green hags that tormented the residents of Creepingvale. But when her sisters devised a plan to sneak into Yhktakyly's post office and twist the aboleth's will for their own devices, Gran betrayed them within moments of their success. As a green hag, she was thrilled to dash her sisters' hopes. Yhktakyly thanked the hag by passing a rumor that she protects the town from a coven locally known as the Three Hags Green. Gran now keeps her sisters—whom she transformed into frogs—as pets.

Gifting the candy gram. Gran is slow to accept the candy gram written for her. She pries the characters for stories, notably those that end in failure or embarrassment. Only when her appetite for such stories is satisfied will she accept the candy gram. As thanks for their company, Gran gifts a box of fey chocolates to the characters. Alternatively, if the characters accuse Gran of being a hag, she denies the accusations and refuses the candy gram until they apologize. If they press the matter or threaten her, she tells the characters that her secret cannot get out and attacks. Gran flees when reduced to 20 hit points or fewer.

Byren Bleu

Byren Bleu is a sprite and a recent arrival to the Tarbloom. Tired of the Feywild's colorful forests, Byren moved to the Material Plane and carved out a small section of the swamp for himself. Since his arrival, Byren has awakened creatures to keep him company and to defend the lands from evil outsiders. Among his menagerie are three bats, two constrictor snakes, and a diseased giant rat. Each animal has an Intelligence of 10. 

When the characters arrive, they find Byren's section of the swamp to be tidy.

Where the swamps behind you are trapped with uneven ground, muddy pits, and thorny plants, this area of the swamp has well-trimmed bushes and white and purple flower gardens. Music and other sounds of revelry fill the area.

Byren and his awakened animals are celebrating the Joy Festival with a dance party. The characters can find them in a flowery clearing.

Approaching the music, you come to a clearing in the swamp with glowing flowers. A diseased giant rat sits on a tree branch high up and plays the viol as a blue-haired sprite flies in circles banging a tiny tambourine.

Byren dances with his eyes closed and doesn't notice the group unless they say something. If the characters do not make themselves known, one of Byren's constrictor snakes will announce their arrival. The sprite is ecstatic at having visitors but won't tolerate any perceived threats or insults aimed at the awakened animals. He offers food and drinks to the characters and invites them to join in on the festivities. The characters can benefit from a short rest while doing so.

Gifting the candy gram. Before Byren accepts a candy gram, he challenges the characters to a dance-off, promising a gift if they can defeat him and his menagerie. To win the competition, the characters must succeed on at least two out of three DC 11 Charisma (Performance) group checks. If the group wins the dance competition, the partygoers cheer for them and offer a philter of love as a reward. On a failure, Byren politely claps for the group and thanks them for the friendly competition. In either case, he accepts the candy gram and flies off to continue his celebration of the Joy Festival.

The Bleak Ranger

The Bleak Ranger is a wandering female tortle who sets traps for bandits and hunts monsters that pose a threat to Creepingvale's postmen. The tortle got her name from the arsenal of weaponry she carries on her gray-black shell and her charmlessness.

The Bleak Ranger is difficult to find and requires the characters to follow her tracks to her hideout. To kick off the group's search, read the following:

You come to an abandoned camp at the top of a mound. The boot prints of a heavy creature lead down the mound to a wilder section of the Tarbloom.

A character can identify the prints as a specialized pair of boots made for tortles. Doing so requires a DC 11 Intelligence (Nature) or a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The boots lead to a lake with an island in the center of it. The island is 40 feet away from the lakeshore. 

You follow the tracks to a lake with crystal-clear waters. In the center of the lake is a small island atop which you see a shovel stuck into a mound of dirt.

The lake is home to a gelatinous cube, except it has the following trait:

• Invisible in Water. The gelatinous cube is invisible while fully immersed in water.

The gelatinous cube hides underwater and feeds on creatures that drink from the waters. When a creature enters the lake or steps foot on the island, it attacks.

Backup gear. The island contains a buried backpack with supplies that The Bleak Ranger keeps when crossing through this part of the Tarbloom. The backpack contains an explorer's pack, two potions of healing, and a map of the Tarbloom with a lone X marking a nearby location.

Following the map leads the characters to a broken wagon.

You come to a muddy road flanked by willow trees. Just off the road, you see a weather-worn wagon with a broken wheel. Crates lie beside it.

The Bleak Ranger recently purchased the old wagon and now uses it as a trap for bandits. Closer investigation of the wagon reveals a letter has been stuck to the side of it. It reads:

"WAGON BROKE. PLEASE DON'T STEAL. BACK IN A JIFFY."

The crates are trapped with mushroom spores that cause hallucinations. When a crate is opened, a tiny bell attached to the underside of the lid rings, and yellow mushroom spores billow out from the crate. Each creature within 10 feet of an opened crate must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer hallucinations for 1 hour. While hallucinating, the creature moves at half its movement speed and has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Caught red-handed. If the crate trap is triggered, The Bleak Ranger arrives within 10 minutes with her crossbow drawn. A creature can convince The Bleak Ranger that they had no intention of stealing from the wagon with a successful DC 11 Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check. On a failure, The Bleak Ranger fires a warning shot and demands to know what business the group has in the Tarbloom. If they mention a candy gram, she orders them to drop it and leave. She later visits Creepingvale and inquiries about Muklor, with whom she's friends.

A creature that surveys the area immediately around the carriage and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers more tortle boot prints. These lead to The Bleak Ranger's camp.

When they arrive at her camp, read the following:

Around a bend and through a patch of throny bushes, you find an alcove with an awning made from dried leaves. Beneath it is a black-shelled tortle sitting on a bedroll. She points a crossbow at you.

Gifting the candy gram. The Bleak Ranger is suspicious of others and is even more so of the group if they mention a candy gram. Muklor alone has delivered candy grams to the ranger. Noticing his absence, she asks after the bugbear but is satisfied by the truth and will lower her crossbow thereafter. If offered the candy gram, she accepts it with little more than a nod before waving off the group.

Torbelexor, the Black-Winged Death

In the deepest reaches of the Tarbloom is the lair of Torbelexor, the Black-Winged Death. The former black dragon once roamed the Tarbloom and tormented the people of Creepingvale until a powerful wizard permanently turned him into a harmless rabbit. The magic did not change Torbelexor's mental ability scores nor strip him of his deep, guttural voice. But since his transformation, most of the dragon's minions have looted his treasures and abandoned the lair. Only a handful of Torbelexor's minions remain to guard the lair. They do so in the hopes that Torbelexor will one day return to his previous form and reward them for their unwavering dedication.

Torbelexor's lair is a series of interconnected caverns that are accessible through an arched doorway found at the bottom of a pit:

You come to a large pit wreathed by brambles. Vines hang down to its bottom 20 feet down. There, you can see an arch-shaped entrance into a pitch-black cavern.

A character can climb down to the cavern entrance with a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failure, a character falls to the muddy floor below and takes 2d6 (7) bludgeoning damage.

When the characters reach the bottom of the hole, they find a message carved into twisted bark hanging over the arched cavern entrance. A creature that knows Draconic can read the message:

"All who enter forfeit their lives under the shadow of Torbelexor, the Black-Winged Death."

Torbelexor's lair is underground and has no light sources. When the characters arrive at the entrance of Torbelexor's abode, he is in his throne room. To deliver the candy gram, the group will need to navigate the mazelike tunnels of Torbelexor's lair to his throne room.

Getting to Torbelexor's throne room

Despite his harmless form, Torbelexor continues to have a magical influence on his lair. Safely traveling through the caverns requires three successful DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) group checks. Whenever the group fails the check, roll a d6 and consult the following table to determine what hazard they encounter.

Hazards in Torbelexor's lair

Meeting Torbelexor

After three successful Wisdom (Survival) group checks, the characters arrive at the entrance to Torbelexor's throne room.

You come upon a pair of black iron doors that tower over you. The doors are intricately painted and depict a black dragon exhaling acid over a burning village. Suddenly, the cave rumbles with a roaring voice: "You treacherous creatures trepass upon the lair of a great and mighty dragon. Enter at your own peril!"

A DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that Torbelexor is nervous, though it is unclear why. In truth, the former dragon lives in constant fear of being slain by adventurers. If the characters mention a candy gram, he demands the characters enter and bow before him. When they enter the throne room, read the following:

The doors creak open onto a dusty and empty throne room. A tattered red carpet flanked by rows of pillars lead to a staircase that ascends into darkness. A pair of tiny venomous green eyes stare down upon you.

A creature with darkvision or that gets within 10 feet of Torbelexor can see that the dragon is in fact a black rabbit seated upon an enormous throne. Even when his true form is revealed, Torbelexor continues to threaten the characters, wishing to be feared and worshipped by those who dare enter his lair.

Gifting the candy gram. When the candy gram is presented to Torbelexor, he is pleased and promises to spare Creepingvale from the destruction he can surely still bring to it.  

Returning to Creepingvale

When the characters return to Creepingvale, they are greeted by townsfolk eager to hear if their quest was a success. Since their departure, news has spread that the group was tasked with finding the missing postman and delivering the candy grams. No matter the outcome of the quest, the townsfolk offer to clean up and patch up the group before they report back to Yhktakyly.

Delivery successful. If the group was successful, the townsfolk cheer for them and shower them with candy grams. Confetti is thrown in the streets and music is played through the night. Yhktakyly rewards the group, as promised, and offers them a job at his post office.

Mail returned to sender. If the group failed in their quest, the Joy Festival is not so joyful. As word spreads of the group's failure so do rumors that Creepingvale is doomed. The group is treated kindly but doesn't receive any candy grams.

Michael Galvis (@michaelgalvis) is a tabletop content producer for D&D Beyond. He is a longtime Dungeon Master who enjoys horror films and all things fantasy and sci-fi. When he isn’t in the DM’s seat or rolling dice as his anxious halfling sorcerer, he’s playing League of Legends and Magic: The Gathering with his husband. They live together in Los Angeles with their adorable dog, Quentin.