Meadowmont

An exceptionally rare and resplendent library housed within a windmill, hidden within a lush vale surrounded by snow-capped mountain-peaks.

All manner of bizarre flora and fauna thrive here.

Use this section as a quick reference during play, or at the start of a Session to refresh your GM senses!

Sights
Impossibly large fauna & flora

Giant seeds & nectar mists drifting through the air

Snow-capped mountains in the distance on all sides

Bright, warm sun

Sounds
Buzzing and chirping of various creatures

Trickle of small streams full of crisp mountain water

Gentle creak & clacking of the Windmill’s sails

Smells
Sweet honeys & nectars

Unusual spice of various stems & roots

Occasional wafts of variously baked treats & delights

Rich soil & compost

It is said that in ages old not a single soul, beyond the Gods, would know nor have heard of Meadowmont, for a great Arcanist held it firmly within a veiled grasp of many magics.

As such, it was entirely self-sufficient, and tended by a small and loyal staff.

Fresh water from the surrounding glaciers drawn from a well, an abundance of food harvested from the verdant furrows and orchards, and the unique peace and quiet required for the Arcanist’s study borne of the very silence of the summits surrounding the Valley.

Since the mysterious disappearance of the Arcanist, a small number of travellers have sought out Meadowmont. The journey, being treacherous beyond belief, kept most at bay.

Those foolhardy enough to try came simply to see for themselves if the legends were true. Others set off in hope of studying the many histories and secrets of the Bestiary, for innumerable are those plagued by foul monstrosities and the chaos of indescribable creatures.

Other travellers - learning of the abandonment of its wise custodian - journeyed in hopes of claiming the Valley for themselves, or even to take the position of Arcanist as their own.

All who found Meadowmont, whatever their motives, left evidence of their presence; logs split for firewood, vegetables uprooted with naught replanted in their stead, a canvas tent lifted by the winds and draped from an incomprehensibly odd treetop ... even the occasional enormous honeycomb, looted and smashed betwixt muddy furrows where lie a heap of mutilated bones with sternums punctured with bee stingers the size of axe-handles.

Various delights from the Meadowmont stores were always meant to make their way to many a Market near and far; nonesuch places, however, knew the truth of their origin.

Honeys, tonics, bitters and balms, all sorts - these items, and more besides, spread far and wide, their benefits (promised, imagined and real) enticed much gold from many a coin purse, for some strange aura upon them was found always to be greatly alluring.

There are no two trees, plants, shrubs or flowers alike here in Meadowmont, each producing bizarre aspects or bark, fruit, and seed.

Each is rich with exceptional qualities, and near limitless potential.

The export of such goods concocted from these - as the stocks and stores allow - has continued, despite the Arcanist's disappearance, and the coin from such trade has accumulated to a grand horde worthy of a monarch ... or a dragon.

Camp may be made in many a grove or plateau in the Valley, or even in the boughs of the enormous trees that grow here, with splendid views afforded from each.

The night, however, brings much that may not be kept at bay by mere tent or tarpaulin.

Fortunately, these nights are short - at least half the length of the daylight hours, of which there are many.

The Windmill, of course, may afford a more satisfactory shelter, although the Library therein is most distracting.

Many are those who might find themselves immersed, forgoing and forgetting sleep entirely for the riches of knowledge unseen and unbeknownst to all but a few.

And if the near endless array of books keep not the Traveller from sleep, then Compendious most assuredly shall; for so fond of talking are they, and so rich with riddle and confounding strangeness, that the listener might pass from dusk 'til dawn entirely bewitched by this strange paper-apparatus that walks ... and talks ... as though gifted of the life-spark, itself!

The Valley of Meadowmont was once the dominion of the Arcanist - Custodian and Guardian of the Meadowmont Bestiary.

The Arcanist is a rare bastion of knowledge, sorcery, druidcraft and articifery.

In the many centuries of their posting here, however, they found a great many things to turn their attentions to, beyond the pages of the scrolls, tablets and books under their stewardship.

And with a personal staff consisting of a Gardener, Cook & Caretaker to see to much of the labour, the Arcanist was able to achieve levels of precision and perspicacity in both research and practice.

And so, as the centuries unfolded, the Arcanist positioned themselves at the helm of a unique biosphere.

Little by little they tinkered and turned, conjuring and creating tremendous blooms and colossal blossoms, each one utterly unique, and paired with all manner of prodigious pollinators able to bring all things imagined to maturation.

And the Arcanist presided over all.

A studious air once permeated the Windmill's vast and bottomless interior, to equal the contemplative nature of the many splendid gardens and fascinating orchards of the surrounding Valley.

A rare few received invitations to steep themselves in the research, learning and science of monstrosities far and wide - physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, growth, reproduction, health, behaviour and welfare; no area of study was forsaken in regards to all creatures, great and small.

Since the disappearance of the Arcanist and their Staff, however, no such learning occurs, and the wilds have steadily encroached upon all but the deepest recesses of the Windmill's Library.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and is intended simply to stir the pot of your own imagination.

Use what follows as starting-points, or ignore them entirely in favour of your own Adventure Hooks!

Roll 1d8 or choose from the Table below :

1 - The Arcanist, Cook, and Gardener are all missing, with only Compendius and The Caretaker remaining.
Whoever, or whatever, is responsible for these disappearances is - at least when the Party first arrive in Meadowmont - a complete mystery. This presents an opportunity for something like a classic "murder-mystery" or "whodunnit", which may require some careful planning to ensure clues and hints are appropriately assigned (perhaps even including the odd red-herring!)

2 - The strange botanical experiments of the Arcanist led to a species of strange plants capable of harm. These plants caused those missing to fall into a slumber, or to be cocooned in strange ambers, or even to be devoured and digested slowly over a thousand years. These plants are coveted by a person of wicked intent.

3 - An enormous rift has torn through the earth, cutting Meadowmont almost in two. Enormous roots and subterranean tubers have unfolded from this precipice, and are beginning to overrun the Vale, tearing it apart. Unless stopped, they will certainly expand down the mountains to wreak endless destruction.

4 - Compendius, Meadowmont's Automaton-Librarian, has had its defence mode activated, and is doing everything in its power to keep "intruders" out of the Windmill that houses the vast library of books, scrolls and tomes.
Its final defence mode is to destroy the Library entirely, ensuring its safety from all forever.

5 - During the daylight hours the many insects, though unusually large, are rather harmless. As the sun begins to set, however, other creatures begin to awaken, who hunger not just for pollen or nectar, but for flesh!

6 - The botanical experiments of the Arcanist were wondrous and rare, and some among the newly created buds appear to have been developed a consciousness, and are very much self-aware.

7 - Another group of Adventurers are making their way to Meadowmont, and plan to strip it of its resources, selling whatever they can return from the mountains to the highest bidder.

8 - The Vale of Meadowmont has completely frozen over; colder, even, than the frosted mountains that surround it. All those who reside here are frozen in huge chunks of ice, as though whatever happened was instantaneous.

ROLL 1d20 for a MEADOWMONT TRINKET

1 - A fragment of petrified honeycomb.

2 - A yard of mesh, silk-like fabric.

3 - A small pot of yellow, sticky wax that - when smeared upon an object or item - briefly enables flight.

4 - A slim-banded ring inset with a hornet's sting.

5 - A tiny fan made of bee wings.

6 - A snail shell the size of a human skull, filled with wild flower seeds.

7 - A small, leather-bound book titled : "Hymns We Shall Sing to Honey Hives A'Fore We Perish".

8 - A wooden divination box full of desiccated bird entrails.

9 - A broad bean whispering the names of all those now dead that you have known.

10 - A chunk of tree bark hosting, on its dampest side, a swathe of lemon slugs.

11 - A dried medicinal berry the size of a small plum; every New Moon it rehydrates and splits to reveal an edible kernel of jam with the same properties as any normal medicinal berry (a complete meal for one day). Unfortunately, this jam, though sweetly smelling, tastes rather like pickled dung.

12 - A clay jug of endlessly fresh "beestings".

13 - The perfect pebble. Inedible, but tastes like honey.

14 - A fragile-looking dried peony that is indestructible.

15 - A hollow acorn that buzzes angrily when shaken.

16 - The outer casing of an enormous insect eye.

17 - A tiny terrarium pendant, the interior of which changes to match the season of the wearer's current location.

18 - A pair of divining rods fashioned from a single rowan branch. Ideal for finding water; perhaps even lost things?

19 - A gardening trowel decorated with painted sunflowers and lavender sprigs.

20 - A faded neckerchief that helps to soothe the sting of a sunburn; or any burn, for that matter.

ROLL 1d10 for a RARE PLANT

1 - Mantis Orchid: A mobile, carnivorous orchid which attracts its prey with mantis-shaped blooms before scuttling away to devour it.

2 - Sonflower: A relative of the mandrake plant, the petals of this flower frame the cheerfully cooing face of a baby betwixt their delicate fronds.

3 - Crab-Apple: Bright red apples that, upon falling from their tree, sprout the various appendages of a crab, scuttling off in search of food.

4 - Porcu-Pine: The seeds of this coniferous tree are found within narrow cones covered in long, flexible needles which stand on end if moved. The cones exude excitable squeaking sounds when burrowing into their seeding grounds, increasing in volume just before their sprouting.

5 - Pork'o'Pine: Not to be confused with the Porcu-Pine. A community of fungi, found in the needle mast at the foot of conifer trees. Even the untrained eye would spy its signature boar-like shape which, despite the name, does not taste of bacon. The mushroom does, however, emit something of a porcine “grunt” when stood upon.

6 - Aerouan Applesnatch : A result of brief, but ultimately abandoned, experiments with Dragon-blood fertiliser, this immense tree produces fruit which - given the appropriate conditions - hatch into tiny, ferocious geckos. If eaten before seeding, the fruit is astoundingly spicy, and rumoured to contain unusual after-effects.

7 - Henweed: Herbaceous, with flowers in the shape of tiny chickens. When pollinated, the chicken-flowers lay minuscule eggs, greatly prized by Pixies.

8 - Warter Lily: This plant flowers in boggy soils, with warty toad-skin petals. The stench of it attracts flies to be captured by tongues it disguises as purple stamen. Might also attract the undead.

9 - Eyevy: A creepy creeper, with leaves covered in blinking eyes. Any attempt to cut it back and it weeps tears of sap, provoking severe reactions in anyone nearby.

10 - Liontooth: Far from your average dandelion. Successful propagation of a cutting of this plant's leaf will reward the gardener with a sabre-tooth tiger.

T'is a difficult journey to this strange and lonely place, situated - as it is - in a mountainous vale surrounded by deep snow and treacherous, avalanche prone passages that keep all but the most foolhardy away; a journey, however, that richly rewards the eager scholar!

For within the lone Windmill we find our destination's truest treasure - the most exhaustive collection of scrolls, tablets and writings pertaining to the many creatures and beasts of this, or any, land!

A monstrous trove like no other, here in the Valley of Meadowmont! Below, you will find a small selection hinting at the library’s many wonders.

Roll 1d10 for a rare Meadowmont Tome!

1 - Nolija's Saga of Shrubs & Snails ~ a rather unusual "spotter's" guide, beautifully bound in dandelion-leaf, and so incredibly small that it must be handled with tweezers.
Author : Nolija Neesbartum

2 - The Whit of the Worm ~ a collection of odes, sonnets, lyrics and other poems dedicated to the many Annelidas of the world, written upon one continuous scroll several miles long.
Author : Attributed to “Various”, but rumoured to have been penned by the Monarch.

3 - Fingers, and How to Preserve Them ~ an instructional tome for the owner of carnivorous plants. Bound in a rather unusual leather, and with an extremely pungent, off-putting smell throughout its pages.
Author : Prof. Krelmour Bornsey

4 - Food for Free; A Goblin's Kitchen ~ part travelogue, part memoir, part comedy of errors, this curious (and enormous) volume charts the path of its author from wild-eyed cave dweller to successful city restaurateur.

All the recipes included, uniquely, are based entirely upon foraged foods and ingredients easily had, and all according to the season.
Author : Skew Grubbins

5 - From Peak to Pasture ~ something like a rambler's guide, full of useful trails and routes, but from the unique perspective of a blue-tit. The book, as a result, must be turned this way and that in order to make sense of its flighted flow.
Author : Unknown

6 - The Golden Catkin ~ an ancient, epic ode that follows a slumbering queen bee as it awakens hungrily to spring, followed by all manner of butterfly, lizard, toad, and grass-snake.

Upon opening, the words of this book take flight in bumbling circles about the reader, leading them upon a merry dance that mirrors the clumsy first flight of its protagonist.
Author : B.W. Clade

7 - Ascendency of The Great Kingdoms of the Anguilliformes ~ a magical treatise full of indecipherable scrawls, arcane diagrams, cyphers and ramblings, all focusing - and orbiting - entirely upon the nature of the Eel.

Written using an Eel-tooth quill, and scribed in squid-ink, the tome also appears to be bound in fish-skin, the scales glistening and most dazzling beneath any light that strikes it.
Author : Dr. Catadromous Elver

8 - The Devil's Darning Needle ~ a rather dull, weary, albeit uniquely curious, collection of essays relating to stick insects, with sentences, and even entire passages, repeated hundreds of times over within its terribly thin, transparent pages.
Author : The Pilgrim Mother of Phasmatodea

9 - Solo Matrix Magicae ~ unwieldy and weighty, this vast volume explores the influence of soils upon living things, and living things upon the soil, with pages that are damp and heavy. Its author is attributed with the invention of various earth-related magics, most now sadly buried in a long forgotten age.
Author : Lutum Virstapt

10 - Tomus Primus ~ one of the oldest books in the library, this elongated tome - some 6ft tall - contains beautiful diagrams of rare herbs and roots, with accompanying descriptions that translate differently, depending on the reader. Thereafter, some are gifted recipes for salves, or for poisons, recipes that shall heal, or recipes for disaster.
Author : Perachon Pelmonico

Roll 1d6 for a Meadowmont Encounter :

1 - A sickly-sweet smell emanates from a thick clump of tall blooms. Investigating closer, the Party finds their feet becoming stuck to the floor by a treacle-like sap just as a pack of hungry creatures approach.

2 - Books from the library are taking flight, and Compendious desperately needs help catching, and returning them to the Library.

3 - A hot-air balloon approaches. Within, two individuals can be heard angrily announcing that they shall imminently “have our revenge upon that bastard bear!”

4 - The Caretaker seems most at odds with its usual tasks - all furniture and various belongings are being stacked in a great tower in a meadow outside the Windmill.

5 - Fantastical creatures from the pages of the Meadowmont Bestiary are - somehow or another - coming to life and exiting their books.

6 - Having apparently acquired a taste for Adventurer, several Giant-Insects are now on the hunt for the Party.