Madman of Moonsea Ride

> "There is a message from this land's new master, but it is hidden five-fold."
>
> -The Madman of Moonsea Ride, speaking his prophecy with his dying breaths.

**The Madman of Moonsea Ride** was a mysterious elderly human man encountered by adventurers that would come to be known as the Heroes of Hillsfar as they traveled up north towards Hillsfar from the Cormanthor forest. Covered in a thousand small cuts and dying from those bizarre wounds, the dying madman spoke a cryptic prophecy to the adventurers, before passing away despite attempts to heal him by the cleric Luaffyn Vandree. Following the stanzas of the madman's prophecy, the heroes became witness to the growing abyssal madness in the Moonsea, getting involved with the Coalition of Five as a result.

The Madman was an NPC in the *Heroes of Hillsfar* Duet.

## Description

The Madman was a elderly human man with grown-out gray hair and faded white eyes. He stood at about five feet and seven inches (1.7 meters) and weighed about 110 pounds (48.9 kilograms). When he was encountered by the Heroes of Hillsfar, the Madman of Moonsea Ride was malnourished, weak, and covered in thousands of small injuries that should not have been able to kill him. His clothes were torn and comparable to rags, as well bloodied from all his small injuries.

## History

On Aluriak 3 of the year 1488 DR, the Madman of Moonsea Rise encountered the drow clerics Luaffyn and Calrak, as well as their half-drow companion Kyralie. The exhausted and malnourished old man collapsed after running to reach them, repeating the same prophecy over and over again- now with a confused and worried audience. With his dying breaths, he recited the Madman's Prophecy, which would go on to be used by the fledgling adventurers to gain a better grasp on the happenings of the Moonsea region. Unable to be magically healed, he died in Luaffyn's arms. The prophecy drove Calrak to want to investigate, and although he barely knew the two others, he encouraged them to follow suit.

## The Madman's Prophecy

> "The first is at the place where dandelions rise above and cover the people. The virile and the virulent can be one and the same. The hell-tinged one is lost, and then several are found."
>
> -First Stanza of the Madman's Prophecy.

After asking around at a traveler's inn on the road, the party was clued in to the prophecy speaking of Farbough Farm, a location with its farmhouse, sheds, and barns painted with green walls and yellow roofs that made the structures resemble dandelions. Upon their arrival at the location, they were greeted with the sight of a vibrant household, as the local farmers Ebenz and Bea had both taken in twelve orphan children, as well as recently had six newborn children of their own. These sextuplets each had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, a sign of demonic influence.

The adventurers were roped into helping a pregnant goat named Jovee give birth by the halfling boy Verner, though the goats offspring were seven red abyssal goats, with one being oversized and two-headed. Following the tumultuous birth, the party agreed that they had found 'the virile and the virulent' the Madman had spoken of. On Bea's request, the party then went to go find the young Pynroth, her adopted tiefling son that was skipping chores. The party found the boy an hour away, being protected by an Emerald Enclave member named Beralt from maddened wild dogs.

After saving the boy, they earned the good will of the Emerald Enclave, which had sent Beralt out to investigate rumors of abyssal madness affected animals in the region. They returned Pynroth to Farbough Farm and found that the goats, having grown immensely in two hours, were running rampant and were trying to harm the family. The party stepped in and slew the beasts, saving the Farbough family and earning them a portion of the family's dinner, as well as some fresh fruits picked for them as a gift.

> "The second runs red with the blood of roots, where an heiress lies and hides her pain in long wooden boxes. She hides more than that though, but only to keep what is hers."
>
> -Second Stanza of the Madman's Prophecy.

[tbc]

> "The third is at the spring of blessed life, where the haunters protect and the protectors haunt. The water runs on, of course, and must be freed for all."
>
> -Third Stanza of the Madman's Prophecy.

[tbc]

> "The fourth holds the great thundering beasts, but they are gone to give way to a greater beast with death in its eyes, They await at a place of ancient elven evil."
>
> -Fourth Stanza of the Madman's Prophecy.

[tbc]

> "The fifth lies where the ancients lie beneath night's marble, forgotten but not gone. The lost wealth of a forgotten time pays terrible dividends now."
>
> -Fifth Stanza of the Madman's Prophecy.