H e r o e s ’ F e a s t

SAVING THE CHILDREN’S

MENU
Credits Table Of Contents
Lead Designers: Jason Tondro, Kate Welch

Writer: Deborah Ann Woll

Credits 4
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s
Art Directors: Fury Galluzzi, Kate Irwin Menu 5
Rules Developers: Ben Petrisor, Kate Welch
Overview 6
Chef in a Pickle 7
Editors: Judy Bauer, Patrick Renie, Hannah Rose Adventure Background 8
Enter the Giant 9
Graphic Designer: Trish Yochum Arthur’s Death 9
Cover Illustrator: Irina Nordsol The Adventure Begins 9
Traveling to the Homestead 9
Cartographer: Sean MacDonald Arriving at the Homestead 9
Encountering Ignis 10
Interior Illustrators: CoupleOfKooks, Calder Moore,
Irina Nordsol, Robin Olausson Holrow Homestead 10
Homestead Locations 10
Consultant: Nivair Gabriel Invido Returns 15
Ominous Arrival 15
Game Architects: Jeremy Crawford, Christopher No More Hiding 15
Perkins Finding the Children 16
Aftermath 16
Studio Art Director: Josh Herman Triumphant Return 16
Managing Editor: Judy Bauer Conclusion 16
Senior Producer: Dan Tovar
Appendix A: Cheesemonger’s Almanac 16
Seasonal Weather Log 16
Producer: Andy Smith
Guide to Cheese Conditioning 17
Appendix B: Kender Stumblenoodles
Product Manager: Natalie Egan Recipe 17
Version 1.0
Heroes’ Feast: Saving
the Children’s Menu
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu is a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure for four to six 10th-level
characters, set in the Forgotten Realms. This adventure is written for experienced DMs. The information presented
here is for the DM’s eyes only. If you’re planning to play through the adventure with someone else as your DM, stop
reading now!

Irina Nordsol
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 5
 Overview
The River Shining Tavern is located in the town of
Daggerford, in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten
Realms. The tavern’s menu is legendary, but shipments
from Holrow Homestead, the tavern’s main supplier of
ingredients, have suddenly stopped.
Kaga, the tavern’s head chef, is growing anxious. A
week ago, he sent adventurers to Holrow Homestead to
investigate, but yesterday their bodies were found
floating down the river. Concerned, Kaga pleads with
the characters to find out what has happened to the
homestead and its proprietor, Arthur Holrow, and to
bring back the ingredients for a special pasta dish
beloved by the tavern’s youngest patrons.
On arriving at the homestead, the characters discover
a fire giant named Ignis and her twin toddlers, Flauma
and Calor. If the characters convince Ignis they mean
her and her children no harm, the characters can
peacefully look around the homestead for the
ingredients they need.
While the characters are collecting the ingredients,
fire giant warriors searching for Ignis track her to the
homestead. Suddenly there’s more at stake than a bowl
of magic noodles—if the characters don’t intervene,
Ignis’s children will be abducted by a cruel villain.
Children in Peril
Before running this adventure, check with each player to see
if they’re open to playing in an adventure where children are
in danger (though the villains intend to capture the children
and not harm them). You can adjust the adventure so the
giants seek only to harm Ignis, leaving the children alone.

6 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

 Robin Olausson

Chef in a Pickle What Kaga Knows

As the characters walk through the streets of Kaga relates that the tavern’s secret supplier, an
Daggerford, they find themselves drawn to the delicious eccentric druid named Arthur Holrow, has an extensive
aroma emanating from the River Shining Tavern. When garden and dairy farm known as Holrow Homestead.
they enter, Jacque—a tall, thin man wearing a crisp Arthur’s unique produce and dairy products are of the
white jacket—greets them. Jacque is the head waiter. highest quality and have magical properties. When
Seeing the characters are adventurers, he hustles them these ingredients are cooked into dishes by someone
into the kitchen. There he introduces them to Kaga, the exceptionally well trained (“one such as myself,” Kaga
head chef. Kaga is usually pleasant but formal; today, notes), the dishes grant magical boons to those who eat
however, his tone is grave. He shares the following them.
information: These special ingredients have helped make Kaga’s
dishes famous all over the Sword Coast—particularly
Kaga’s Stumblenoodles, which are the hallmark of the
“Jacque was wise to bring you to me. I have need of tavern’s children’s menu. But Kaga hasn’t heard from
adventurers such as yourselves, but it’s a matter of the Arthur for a month and is very worried.
utmost discretion. If you are willing to help, together we will A week ago, the tavern hired adventurers to
investigate Holrow Homestead, but local authorities
bring joy to all the children of Daggerford. And your reward!
found the lifeless bodies of these adventurers yesterday
You shall dine on the most delicious food you have ever
morning. They had been beaten and thrown into the
tasted, food that grants you a magical boon. Will you help
Delimbiyr River, eventually floating downriver to
me and the young folk of Daggerford?” Daggerford. Kaga describes these adventurers as young
and brash. “They were the sort of adventurers who draw
If the adventurers agree to help, proceed to “What Kaga swords first and ask questions later. Hiring them was
Knows.” my mistake. But Arthur is a peaceful man, and I can’t
believe he’s responsible for their deaths. I hope you can
solve this mystery without further violence.”

Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 7

 Kender Stumblenoodles
Kaga got the recipe for Stumblenoodles from a kender
adventurer who hailed from the world of Krynn. (Kender and
Krynn are both described in Dragonlance: Shadow of the
Dragon Queen.) This kender told Kaga dozens of wild stories
about traveling the multiverse, but Kaga believed none of
them. Regardless, the kender didn’t stay long, and Kaga
rechristened the recipe in his own name. It has proven
incredibly popular with the children of Daggerford. You can
find the recipe for the original Kender Stumblenoodles at the
end of this adventure and in Heroes’ Feast: Flavors of the
Multiverse.

Adventure Background
Holrow Homestead is a farm that has been in the
Holrow family for generations. The two-story, saltbox
farmhouse is built atop a hill with a huge secret (see the
“Secret of Holrow Homestead” sidebar). Arthur Holrow
was one of twelve children, born to parents of hardy
country stock. Naturally quite shy, Arthur kept to
himself. While his siblings were drawn to lofty pursuits
and traveled far and wide to make names for
themselves, Arthur stayed home and took care of his
aging parents. The Holrow name is well known, and
many members of the family became accomplished
magicians or crafters. But little is known about Arthur
Holrow.
It turns out young Arthur conducted magical
experiments when he wasn’t helping his mom and dad
Chef Kaga on the farm. He was eventually able to produce
Irina Nordsol magically enhanced crops and farm animals, which he
sold to surrounding towns at a healthy profit. When his
Kaga’s Request parents died twenty years ago, he buried them in a
Kaga fears for Arthur’s life, but he’s desperate for small plot on the west side of the property. Arthur
answers. He hopes the characters can figure out what’s continued his thriving business and lived a quiet,
going on at Holrow Homestead and restart regular contented life alone at Holrow Homestead.
shipments, or at least collect the ingredients for Kaga’s
Stumblenoodles. If the characters agree to investigate Secret of Holrow Homestead
and return with the necessary ingredients, Kaga will The animals and plants that grow on and around the hill at
prepare the party a magical dish as payment. Holrow Homestead are extraordinary. That’s partly due to
Kaga needs the following ingredients to prepare his Arthur’s magical experiments and his skill with druidic
famous Stumblenoodles: magic. But there’s another, more ominous reason for the
land’s fecundity.
One can of milk from Holrow’s specially fed cows The hill at Holrow Homestead covers a slumbering giant,
A wheel of Holrow cheese, aged exactly seven a grandchild of Annam known as a scion of Grolantor. This
seasons enormous giant came down from the foothills and lay down
A small bag of mustard seeds from Arthur Holrow’s to sleep here many centuries ago. A sleeping scion of
garden Grolantor magically enhances plant and animal growth
around it, resulting in rich crops and thriving livestock.
Arthur never learned this secret, but he recorded his
suspicions in a book in the house’s library (see area 2 later in
the adventure).
Scions of the Giant Gods are detailed in Bigby Presents:
Glory of the Giants.

8 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

Enter the Giant to usurp her throne. But it was Invido himself who
coveted her power.
About a month ago, Arthur heard a loud noise outside. When Ignis disregarded Invido’s feigned concerns,
When he went to investigate, he found a fire giant Invido took matters into his own hands. He had her
running up the hillside toward his house, with two consort killed and tried to abduct the heirs, intending to
young fire giant children held close to her chest. She raise them as his own. Ignis was ready to fight for her
seemed eager to hide, so Arthur opened the doors to his family and throne, but Invido had already turned the
barn and magically regrew the pasture grass to cover other nobles against her. Outnumbered and afraid for
her tracks. She accepted his help, and they waited her children, she fled.
quietly together as they listened for her pursuers. Arthur and Ignis could never communicate well
Sure enough, heavy footfalls soon stomped up the hill enough for him to get the whole story, but he
toward the house, and a hushed conversation took place understood that Invido is a giant who wants Ignis and
just outside the barn doors, but eventually the pursuers her family dead and that Ignis was an influential
moved on. individual among her people. Arthur sympathized with
Arthur allowed the fire giant mother and her children her and the children and strove to protect them at any
to stay, and the giants bonded to Arthur gradually. They cost.
never had a common language but communicated
through pantomime and learned each other’s names. Arthur’s Death
Arthur’s generous heart embraced the whole family. He A week ago, when adventurers sent by the River
made space for them in the main house by pulling down Shining Tavern arrived at Holrow Homestead, they
the second story, boarding up the windows, and opening rashly attacked Ignis and her children. Arthur tried to
up the ground level, and Ignis and the children moved defend his guests but lost his life in the attempt. Ignis,
in. outraged by Arthur’s death and the threat against her
children, killed the adventurers and threw their corpses
into the river. Ignis then buried Arthur in the plot next to
his parents. She feels relatively safe at the homestead
but remains alert for more adventurers who might
threaten her family and for giants sent by Invido.
The Adventure Begins
Supply shipments from Holrow Homestead usually
come on a barge down the Delimbiyr River and take
about half a day to arrive. Kaga doesn’t know the exact
location of the homestead, but he knows it stands atop a
hill visible from the water. If the characters follow the
river east, they should be able to spot it.
Traveling to the Homestead
If the characters follow the river on foot, they eventually
come to a small mooring and a path that leads up a
hillside to a well-kept farm nestled in the foothills of
Mount Illefarn. The farm is surrounded by a fence that
keeps in roaming farm animals, which are friendly to
strangers. A single enormous tree rises from the hill,
creating shade over the house.
Arriving at the Homestead
The fields and orchards around the house are
Lord Invido commands the loyalty of exceptionally lush. A path leads up the hill to a sturdy
many fire giants and artistically crafted wooden gate. “Holrow
Calder Moore Homestead” is painted on a sign by the gate.
Ignis’s Plight Once inside the gate, the characters are greeted by
Ignis was a queen among her people, but when she gave happy piglets and a few hungry goats looking for treats.
birth to her twins, she felt the mood at court change. Chickens cluck and scratch around the grounds, and a
The twins’ father wasn’t a noble, and one of her trusted tough old barnyard cat looks on from its perch atop a
advisers, Lord Invido, suggested this consort might try fencepost. All the animals are healthy, and the grass is
green and verdant.
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 9
 The carriageway leads up from the south to the house’s forceful gestures. However, she won’t initiate combat
front entrance. A glass greenhouse is built into the east unless the characters threaten her or her children.
side of the house, and a large barn is attached to the If Ignis becomes hostile, a character can get her to
north side. Soft mooing can be heard coming from the stand down by succeeding on a DC 18 Charisma
barn. (Persuasion) check. But any hint of a subsequent threat
Rows of beans, garlic, shallots, cabbages, onions, and —or if she fears any danger will come to her children—
other vegetables line the hill on all sides, along with ends negotiation and she attacks. If a fight does occur,
apple, cherry, pear, and quince trees and other you might remind the players that characters who
flourishing plants that bear a plethora of fruits, nuts, reduce a target to 0 hit points can choose to leave the
and berries. defeated foe alive but unconscious. If defeated in this
way and then awakened, Ignis can again be reasoned
Ingredient: Mustard Seeds
with.
Near the house, three-foot-high mustard plants grow in
raised beds among other herbs; a character who Ignis’s Children
searches the garden and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom Ignis’s children, Flauma and Calor, are noncombatants.
(Perception) check spots them. A character can harvest Where the children appear later in the adventure, you’ll
the seeds from the mustard plants with a few minutes of find guidance for their interactions with the characters.
work and a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) Use the commoner stat block for them, if necessary.
check, rolling the seed pods between their fingers so the Change their creature type to Giant and increase their
seeds fall out into a bag. A Detect Magic spell reveals Strength to 14 (+2). They’re too young to speak fluently,
that a faint aura of enchantment magic emanates from but they know a few words of Giant (see the “Fire Giant
the seeds. Baby Talk” sidebar later in the adventure).
Arthur’s Grave
West of the house is a small graveyard with three Holrow Homestead
simple graves. The graves lack headstones or any other The homestead’s large farmhouse has two stories and is
way to identify who is buried there. Two of the graves well maintained, but all the windows have been boarded
are many years old, but one is newer, the dirt still fresh up. Unless otherwise noted, areas in the homestead
and heaped in an untidy pile. Plucked wildflowers lie share these features:
atop this grave; although they’re starting to wilt, the High Alert. Ignis is alert to anything out of the
flowers still smell fresh. ordinary. If her children cry, the cows startle, or any
Arthur’s corpse lies in this fresh grave, and the Speak loud noise occurs, she investigates.
with Dead spell works on him. A key inside his trouser
Doors. Each door has AC 15, 30 hit points, and
pocket opens the safe in the house’s library. immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Encountering Ignis Warm Surfaces. Most of the outer walls of the house
feel unnaturally warm. (Ignis keeps the hearth
If the characters aren’t trying to be stealthy as they stoked very hot.)
move about the house, Ignis, the neutral good fire giant Windows. The windows are boarded up from inside
currently inside the barn, comes to investigate the with wooden slats. Only tiny slivers of the interior
newcomers. Otherwise, the characters must hide and can be seen through the slats.
succeed on a DC 16 group Dexterity (Stealth) check to
avoid attracting her attention. Homestead Locations
Negotiating with Ignis The following locations are keyed to the Holrow
Ignis speaks only Giant, but she is intelligent and can Homestead map.
tell if the characters are respectful and mean no harm. If
the party has no way to talk to her, she patiently tries to 1: Main Hall
The front doors open to a large living area. Most of the
communicate through pantomime. If the party interior has been demolished to make one open room
convinces her of their good intentions, she allows them that’s 20 feet high. The seam along the walls where the
to search the premises. Ignis is displeased if anyone second level used to connect is still visible. The interior
flagrantly loots the home or otherwise disrespects walls are mostly demolished, though a few remain.
Arthur or his memory. Beyond that, she doesn’t stop the The only room that still stands is in the southwest
party from taking ingredients from the farm, so long as corner; it can be entered by a single door. This room is
the characters don’t trample the plants or harm the Arthur’s library (area 2). Above the library is a loft with
animals. an improvised railing made from wood and wire that
Ignis is suspicious of intruders, but she’s also reaches partway to the ceiling. This is Ignis’s nursery
reluctant to start a fight. If the party displeases her, she (area 5).
becomes angry and orders them out of the house with

10 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

Map: Holrow Homestead
Sean Macdonald

Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 11

 Player Version
Sean Macdonald

12 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

The main hall’s west wall is lined with shelves. In the almost every page. A character who searches through
northwest corner, a blazing hearth emanates bright these books and succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence
light and abundant heat. A pot of water boils on the (Investigation) check finds a legible passage scribbled in
hearth, and a large rubber cap for bottle-feeding calves a book recording Arthur’s magical experiments. “Many
bobs in the water. A dining table sits near the hearth. wondrous results!” the note reads. “But even without
A large sliding door leads north into the barn (area 4), my experiments, the family farm has always been more
and an open glass door leads east into the greenhouse fertile and the livestock healthier than those of our
(area 3). neighbors. Could there be some other factor I haven’t
Trapdoor. A large wooden crate rests in the northeast considered?” This is as close as Arthur ever got to
corner of the main hall, concealing a trapdoor in the figuring out the secret source of the farm’s magic
floor. The crate is heavy, but a character who tries to beneath his home (see the “Secret of Holrow
move it can do so by succeeding on a DC 18 Strength Homestead” sidebar earlier in the adventure).
(Athletics) check. The trapdoor leads down to the Holrow Family Scrapbook. On a small table lies an
basement (area 6). A full-grown fire giant is too big to fit album with “Holrow” written across the front in
through the trapdoor. Common; this is the Holrow family scrapbook. The
Bottle Time. A minute or two after any characters scrapbook recounts the achievements of Arthur’s
enter the house, they hear a loud, high cry from the siblings, including the following:
nursery (area 5) above Arthur’s library. “Ima! Ima!” the Benedict Holrow moved to Waterdeep and has
voice echoes through the room. Mooing comes from the become a controversial politician due to his stance that
barn, and then heavy footfalls from within the barn the Lords of Waterdeep should be unmasked. He claims
move toward the main hall. After a moment, Ignis exits it is a citizen’s right to elect and identify their
the barn through the sliding door, closing the door lawmakers.
behind her. Christine Holrow travels the Sword Coast,
If the characters are hidden and Ignis doesn’t spot performing as a singer-songwriter. She seldom lingers
them, she first stokes the fire, then reaches into the pot in one place for long. A fan group called Chrissy’s Clan
of boiling water and plucks out the rubber cap. She travels from town to town hoping to cross her path and
snaps it onto a clear jar filled with frothy, fresh cow’s bask in her music, which is said to soothe all troubles.
milk. Cooing softly, she carries it toward the fenced-off Dabney Holrow became an apothecary up north. He
area above the library. Then, out from the shadows at sells potions and tinctures and recently cured a
the back of the loft space staggers Calor, a 6-foot-tall fire prominent member of the Council of Sparkling Stones
giant toddler. He reaches toward his mother, who in Mirabar of an unidentifiable disease.
snuggles him and gives him the bottle. Ignis then sits on Cheesemonger’s Almanac. Characters who search
the table by the fire and, heating bits of spare metal, the desk find that the journal is in Arthur’s hand and
goes about crafting what appears to be a homemade titled Cheesemonger’s Almanac (see appendix A). They
sword. can use the almanac to determine which of the cheeses
Unless drawn by strange noises or her children’s in the basement was intended for sale.
cries, Ignis stays focused on her task. If the characters Treasure. A few family heirlooms on the shelves and
haven’t come to an understanding with Ignis and wish walls have more than sentimental value: three solid gold
to sneak past her unnoticed, they must succeed on a DC goblets worth 75 gp each, a small silver shield worth 50
16 group Dexterity (Stealth) check. gp, and a gold statue of an elephant worth 250 gp.
The locked safe can be opened with a successful DC
2: Library 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check using thieves’
This is the only room on the ground floor that is still tools. It contains 500 gp and ten gems worth 100 gp
intact. The ceiling is 8 feet high. This room was Arthur each. The key to the safe is buried with Arthur.
Holrow’s office and laboratory. Inside is a desk with Ignis will not approve of any character looting these
scattered papers and a journal; a bookshelf with books, treasures from Arthur’s home. If pressed on the matter,
beakers, and jars of mosses and bark; and a few she insists they belong to Arthur’s family.
decorative items along the walls. Two wooden chairs
face a small, bare table.
Characters who approach the desk and succeed on a
DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notice that a section
of wall behind the desk protrudes slightly. A character
who examines this section of the wall and succeeds on a
DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check discovers a
hidden safe behind a sliding panel; see “Treasure”
below.
The bookshelves house many tomes on agricultural
magic, with Arthur’s scribbled, indecipherable notes on
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 13
 covered in white pulp. When cleaned off, the beans are
Fire Giant Baby Talk dark brown and have a rich chocolate scent. They have
You can use the vocabulary here when roleplaying the fire the same magical aura as the trees.
giant toddlers. Kaga will pay the party 2,500 gp for the magical
cocoa beans. Ignis won’t stop the party from collecting
Baby: Lepsi
Bottle: Puedle the beans.
Bye-bye: Sii Sii 4: Barn
Hello: Treo
Kiss: Suudloos The barn is 20 feet high, with large sliding doors at the
Milk: Peema north and south ends; the south door leads into the
Mother: Ima house, and the north door leads outside. The wooden
Play: Manjima doors each have AC 15, 50 hit points, and immunity to
Toy: Manji psychic and poison damage. They aren’t heavy, but they
are noisy. Opening the door that divides the barn from
3: Greenhouse the house without alerting everyone in both locations
This large glass enclosure is accessible only from inside requires a successful DC 18 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
the main hall, through an open and unlocked door. When the characters arrive, the north door is kept
Inside, the atmosphere is hot and humid. Greenery fills shut with wooden planks placed along the floor inside
the entire space except for a narrow, winding path. The the barn door, preventing the door from sliding along its
ceiling is 10 feet high. tracks. Removing the planks allows the door to be slid
Flauma. Anyone who enters the greenhouse hears
open.
childlike chatter from the south end. Flauma, the other Ingredient: Milk
fire giant toddler, is in here playing in the dirt. As soon Inside the barn, cows chew away on troughs of Arthur’s
as she sees the adventurers, she blurts out, “Manji!”— special bovine feed. A Detect Magic spell reveals that a
the Giant word for toy. She knows only a few words and faint aura of abjuration magic emanates from the feed.
speaks mostly in nonsense syllables. See the “Fire The barn has milking stations equipped with buckets
Giant Baby Talk” sidebar earlier in the adventure for and milk cans. A character can try to milk a cow, doing
inspiration. so with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Animal Handling)
Flauma is pleased to see new playthings, and as long check. The buckets and cans can be used to store the
as the characters appease her, she doesn’t cry. If they milk for the short trip back to Daggerford.
ignore her, hurt her, or make her angry, she sobs and
Ignis comes to her aid. Ignis is hostile toward anyone 5: Nursery
who causes Flauma’s distress. She’s too tall and broad Ignis has used old boards and bits of fence and metal to
to enter the greenhouse without squeezing, but she can turn the top of the library into a nursery. The ceiling is
attempt to grab or hit any creature within reach of the 12 feet above the nursery floor.
door. From inside the nursery, characters can see that this
If Ignis feels her child is in real danger, she breaks space was once a bedroom. An old mattress lies on the
through the wall or the glass roof to retrieve Flauma floor, serving as a toddler bed, and wagon wheels,
and destroy the threat. If Ignis breaks the glass roof, barrels, and rocks are scattered around as toys.
each creature in the greenhouse other than Flauma A character can access this area by climbing the
must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or shelving along the west wall of the main hall and
take 9 (2d8) slashing damage from the falling glass. succeeding on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
Shambling Mounds. Two shambling mounds hide in (Acrobatics) check. Characters trying to avoid Ignis’s
the north end of the greenhouse. They can be spotted watchful eye need to succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity
with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. (Stealth) check to avoid being spotted as they climb.
Arthur used magic to domesticate these creatures, Calor. If he hasn’t been previously disturbed, one of
which pose no danger to the fire giants. If a character the fire giant toddlers, Calor, is playing here. His half-
comes within 20 feet of them, they attack. finished bottle of milk sits on the floor near him.
Treasure. Two rare cacao trees stand in the north end Calor responds to visitors much like his sister, excited
of the greenhouse, near the shambling mounds. The to have new friends. He won’t give up the milk easily
trees have broad flat leaves and yellowish gourds that and cries if it’s taken from him, but a character can calm
hang in bunches from the highest branches. A Detect him or persuade him to relinquish it with a successful
Magic spell reveals the trees carry a faint aura of DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. However, if Ignis
enchantment magic. A character investigating the discovers an intruder here, she becomes hostile and
greenhouse who succeeds on a DC 17 Intelligence attacks. A successful DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion)
(Nature) identifies the trees and knows how to gather check convinces her to stop fighting, but any threat or
the precious cocoa beans that grow in clusters within act of violence prompts her to fight to the death.
the gourds. Each cacao gourd holds a few dozen beans
14 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu
6: Basement stronghold and admitted their failure, Invido sent a new
The basement can be reached through the trapdoor in search party to kill Ignis and bring back her children.
the main hall, which leads down to a long, narrow You can have Invido’s agents arrive when the characters
corridor. The ceiling here is only 6 feet high. This are gathering the final ingredient they need or when
underground area is dark and cool, and it smells of they’ve reached an accord with Ignis.
earth. Two doors lead to areas 7 and 8. Ominous Arrival
7: Cheese Storage Room As Invido’s search party approaches, Ignis is in the main
Arthur’s cheese storage room holds shelves of aging hall and hears something in the distance. She pokes her
cheese wheels. A Detect Magic spell reveals that the head out of the barn doors to check and immediately
room emanates a faint aura of conjuration magic. There returns. She hurriedly puts out the fire, grabs the sword
are nine shelves in the room, each with a numbered she has been forging for herself at the hearth, and
label that denotes how many seasons the cheese on that removes the crate from the trapdoor to the basement.
shelf has aged. She places her children in the basement, pleading with
Ingredient: Cheese Wheel them to be quiet, then closes the trapdoor and replaces
Kaga instructed the characters to return with a cheese the crate on top of it.
wheel aged precisely seven seasons, so the cheese they Anyone looking outside sees three fire giants heading
need is on the shelf labeled “Seven Seasons.” There are for the house. Two enormous hell hounds (change their
three cheese wheels on this shelf, each weighing about size to Large) accompany the giants, each on a leash of
80 pounds. The first has holes and a pink rind. The iron chain held by one of the giants. The giant who isn’t
second has a green rind. The third has holes and a holding a leash is the commander of the search party.
green rind. All three wheels are double the size of the The characters are likely to notice the arrival of such
younger ones in this room. enormous adversaries; even in the basement, the giants’
The characters can use Arthur’s Cheesemonger’s heavy footfalls can be felt.
Almanac (found in the library and reproduced in
appendix A) to deduce which of the three cheese wheels Alternative Enemies
Arthur intended to sell to Kaga. To do so, they must Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants describes giants who have

compare Arthur’s seasonal reports and Cheese Sample joined cults of Elemental Evil. Perhaps Invido has used the
Cult of Evil Fire as a way of consolidating his support and
Observations table in the almanac with the cheese influence. If you have access to Glory of the Giants, you can
wheels on this shelf: In the first season, fall, wet replace the commander of the fire giant search party with a
weather turned the rind of the salable cheese pink. In fire giant of evil fire.
the second season, winter, there were no conditions
that affected the cheese. In the third season, spring, wet No More Hiding
conditions left the salable cheese with a pink rind and
the weather was hotter than expected. In the fourth If the characters reveal themselves, the giants attack.
season, summer, two consecutive hot seasons caused Otherwise, the giants investigate the exterior of the
the salable cheese to double in size. In the fifth season, house. “Keep looking for tracks,” the commander says
fall, Arthur covered the cheese, resulting in holes in the (all the fire giants speak only Giant). The hell hounds
salable cheese. In the sixth season, winter, wet weather snarl angrily. Inside, Ignis looks angry and scared.
again turned the rind of the salable cheese pink, but in If uninterrupted, the fire giant hunters—with the help
the final season, spring, dry weather turned the rind of of their hell hounds—sniff out Ignis inside the house.
the salable cheese green again. The hounds bark loudly and lunge for the house, and
The first cheese is the control sample. The second the commander of the search party shouts, “They’re in
cheese is the experimental sample. The third cheese— the buildings!” He smashes the roof of the barn to
the one that has holes, has a green rind, and has splinters, prompting the cattle inside to panic, but
doubled in size—is the salable cheese perfect for Kaga’s unless the planks keeping the barn’s northern door shut
Stumblenoodles recipe. This is the only one that will have been removed, the terrified animals are trapped in
grant a magical boon when made into a dish. the barn. Ignis readies her sword, determined to fight.
8: Storage Room If Ignis is indifferent or friendly toward the
This simple underground chamber holds extra bags of characters, she pleads with them to protect her
feed, cured meats, fertilizer, and other supplies for children. Then, she charges forward to face the patrol.
growing and tending plants. The commander sneers, saying to his comrades, “Go
find the children—they must be hidden here
somewhere.” He looks to Ignis with a nasty grin and
Invido Returns declares, “Lord Invido will honor me when I bring him
Lord Invido’s agents lost track of Ignis and her children back his heirs.” At this, Ignis launches herself toward
at Arthur’s farm. When they returned to Invido’s him, and the fight begins.
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 15
 Finding the Children If she wasn’t already friendly to them, she becomes
friendly now. Indeed, a grateful tear runs down her
The other two members of the search party use the cheek. She speaks with them freely in Giant and gladly
hounds to sniff out the children’s location. The giants tells her story. She has resolved to return home and
never allow the hounds off leash, so a hound can’t move reclaim control from Invido. But first, she must recover
more than 20 feet from the giant holding its leash. A and make a plan. She’ll hide in the mountains while she
hound that uses the Search action and succeeds on a does so, and if the characters wish to help her, that’s
DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) catches a whiff of the where they’ll find her. If none of the characters speaks
children’s scent. If the hounds succeed on two such Giant, she tries to pantomime her thanks and her plan
checks, they pinpoint the children’s location. Invido’s to head into the mountains to hide temporarily. If Ignis
fire giants attack Ignis and the characters first, pursuing doesn’t survive, but her children do, the characters must
the children only if there are no defenders present. The decide how to protect Flauma and Calor.
giants can break the house down to get to the basement In any case, if the characters survive and haven’t
entrance; one attack from a fire giant makes a 5-foot retrieved all the ingredients, they are now free to
hole in the old, wooden walls of the house. The giants complete their mission.
are too big to enter the basement via the trapdoor, but
the hell hounds can get in by squeezing. Triumphant Return
If the search party gains access to the children, Ignis When the characters return to the River Shining
abandons whatever she is doing and goes to defend Tavern, Kaga and Jacque are relieved to see them, then
them. Invido’s giants and their hell hounds avoid saddened to learn of Arthur Holrow’s death.
hurting the children; instead, they grapple the children If the characters retrieved all the ingredients, Kaga
and try to carry them away. If by chance one of the prepares a feast fit for heroes. Jacque places a heaping
children takes damage, they do not die, but instead cling plate of Kaga’s Stumblenoodles in the center of the
to life long enough for the characters to heal them. large round table, along with anything else the
When only one of Invido’s fire giants remains, he characters desire (you can use dishes from Heroes’
abandons the battle and tries to flee, warning Ignis and Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse to round out the
the characters that Invido will not rest until he finds the tavern’s menu). Many children from the town of
children, for he is determined to raise them as his own. Daggerford join the party for a great feast. Everyone
Aftermath digs in, family style. Characters who have a serving of
Stumblenoodles begin to feel a tingling sensation all
over. They gain the Charm of the Stumblenoodle.
Conclusion
With dinner over, the characters are free to roam the
Sword Coast. They might want to inform Arthur’s
siblings of his death. Perhaps, moved by Ignis’s plight,
they’ll help her regain her rightful position among her
people. They might even return to Holrow Homestead
to investigate the mystery of its unusual fertility,
potentially unleashing the awesome power of a hill giant
scion!

Appendix A:
Cheesemonger’s
Almanac
The almanac is in Arthur’s handwriting and contains a
record of the weather over the last two years, a chart
with the results of Arthur’s experiments, and his notes.
Seasonal Weather Log
I’ve observed that seasonal weather conditions greatly
CoupleofKooks affect the cheese aging process. Recording the weather
each season is a key part of these experiments to
If Ignis survives and the characters helped protect her understand how and why our Holrow cheese is unusual.
children, she gives the characters a nod of appreciation.

16 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

 Summer. Dry heat makes for hard work out in the his desperation, he ejected a small sack of mixed spices,
fields. Makes one wish he didn’t have to work alone. hardened cheese, a jar of mustard, and several handfuls
Fall. Snowfall came early and often. A nice blanket of of uncooked spiral pasta shells that, as kender luck
snow every few days that melted quickly but kept the would have it, served as a meal of caltrops for draconian
ground from hardening. toes and sent the kender’s pursuers stumbling into the
Winter. Beautiful snow caps on Illefarn. Wish Mom mud. In honor of this brave kender’s sacrifice (the loss
and Dad were here to see it. of a perfectly good sack of pasta), kender across Krynn
Spring. Unusually warm spring. The thaw came fast. have memorialized the occasion in classic, good-
The rivers are full. humored kender fashion.
Summer. Very hot summer but not too dry thanks to The recipe for Kender Stumblenoodles—which Kaga,
the spring rains. the chef of the River Shining Tavern, renamed after
Fall. Crisp and cool. Excellent cheese weather. Too himself—appears in Heroes Feast: Flavors of the
bad the mice got in. Had to cover my samples until Multiverse alongside dozens of other recipes from the
hibernation. worlds of D&D. We’ve reproduced the recipe for
Winter. Great heaps of snow but a warmer ground Stumblenoodles here for you and your players to enjoy
made it melt fast. Slushy conditions were good for (even if you don’t have any magical cheese on hand).
puddle jumping. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Spring. Finally, nice, dry, and warm.
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Guide to Cheese Conditioning 1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
It is important to rotate samples to the next shelf space 1 pinch cayenne pepper
every season to keep track of their age. Each season, I 3 cups whole milk
make a control sample from ordinary curds, an 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
experimental sample not safe for consumption until 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces, at room
further tests are conducted, and a salable sample from temperature
curds perfectly enhanced for peak flavor. To identify the Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
effects of a season’s conditions on each kind of sample, 4½ cups lightly packed, coarsely grated sharp or
refer to the Cheese Sample Observations chart. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (see Cook’s Note)
12 ounces fusilli or rotini
Cheese Sample Observations
1½ cups lightly packed, coarsely grated Gruyère
Conditions Control Experimental Salable cheese (see Cook’s Note)
Season was mostly wet Cheese No change Rind turns 1⅓ cups panko breadcrumbs
develops pink
holes
Season was mostly dry Rind turns Doubles in Rind turns Cook’s notes
pink size green It’s best to grate your own cheese for this, as opposed to
using pre-grated, which can be a touch grainy when melted
Sample was covered at No change Rind turns Holes
because it includes additives to prevent clumping.
any time during aging green develop
Weather was hotter than Doubles in No change Doubles
expected for longer than size in size In this recipe, there’s a lot of liquid and a lot of vigorous
one season whisking, so choose a large, deep pot that can help
contain the inevitable splashes.
Appendix B: Kender With a rack in the middle position, preheat the oven
to 375°F. Smear a shallow 13 by 9-inch baking dish
Stumblenoodles Recipe with 2 tablespoons of the butter, set it on a baking sheet,
Serves 8 and set aside.
Kender legends have a way of shifting and swaying Fill a large pot with water, set over high heat, and
merrily with the tides of the Blood Sea of Istar. An early bring to a boil.
tale held that kender stumblenoodles were born of a
collision between two frantic kender cooks—when their
pots mixed, it resulted in an unexpected alliance of
flavors and ingredients. However, ask a kender
adventurer, and you may as likely hear a yarn
concerning a well-placed insult aimed toward a
draconian corporal and his squad. As the bold kender
scoundrel made haste to flee, he frantically threw about
any valuables behind him to dissuade his pursuers. In
Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu 17
 Meanwhile, in another large pot over medium-high heat,
melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in the flour, paprika,
garlic powder, and cayenne and cook, scraping the
bottom of the pot, for 1 minute. Whisking constantly
(and taking care to reach into the corners of the pot),
gradually add the milk. Bring the mixture to a strong
simmer, whisking the liquid and scraping the bottom of
the pan often. Adjust the heat to medium and continue
simmering and whisking until the sauce is thickened to
the consistency of half-and-half, about 8 minutes longer.
Remove the pot from the heat; add the mustard,
cream cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper;
and whisk vigorously to melt and incorporate the cream
cheese. Whisking constantly but gently, add the
Cheddar, about 1 cup at a time, taking care to fully melt
and incorporate each addition before adding the next.
The sauce should be smooth and uniform.
Add 1 tablespoon salt and the fusilli to the pot of
boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent
sticking, according to the package directions until about
2 minutes short of al dente (there should be some
resistance to the tooth). Drain the pasta, add it to the
sauce, and stir to coat thoroughly. Let the mixture cool
briefly, add the Gruyère, and stir to incorporate. Adjust
the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if
necessary. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking
dish and smooth into an even layer.
In a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave
oven, or in a small pot over medium heat, melt the
remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the panko and ¼
teaspoon salt, season with pepper, and toss to coat the
breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the pasta.
Bake the pasta until heated through, the surface is
browned, and the edges are bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes,
rotating the pan halfway through. Let rest briefly, 8 to
10 minutes, before serving.

18 Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

 Heroes’ Feast:

Saving the

children’s menu
Cook up a quest for your party with a 10th level
adventure written by Deborah Ann Woll. An
agreement to help a popular chef escalates into a
giant-sized adventure full of danger, royal intrigue,
and cheese. Add a dash of fun with the included
recipe to cook up your own Kender
Stumblenoodles from Heroes’ Feast: Flavors of the
Multiverse.

A delicately prepared 10th level adventure

Includes the Kender Stumblenoodles recipe
from Heroes’ Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse