Background

The magical, capricious plane of the Feygloam is populated by all manner of royal court, each with its own values, traditions, and unique customs. These royal courts compete with each other fiercely while abiding by intricate rules of engagement that dictate etiquette, terms of succession, and engagement in war, amongst countless other areas of social conduct. Adherence to these rules is paramount, and any who break them frequently and without proper recompense draw the unrelenting ire of their peers. Such is the case of Myzanthium, the Rotting Lord of the Withered Court. The Withered Court is a court in the Feygloam home to all sort of fungal creatures, who draw their magic from the thriving Mordroot at its center. The Mordroot is said to be as old as existence itself, and the members of the Withered Court are bound by ancient law to prune it regularly, therefore keeping its influence in balance with other creation. Myzanthium, then a lowly prince of the court, had other ideas. He believed the Mordroot should be allowed to flourish, as the fungal creatures of the Withered Court had been oppressed by the other denizens of the Feygloam. He convinced a faction of other court members to join his cause, but ultimately could not sway Gazids, the ruling Lord. Angry and ambitious, he staged a coup against Gazids and his loyalists, taking the throne and title for himself. Myzanthium did not hold power for long though, as his title of Rotting Lord was claimed by force and was thus illegitimate, for succession from one Rotting Lord to another must be unanimously agreed upon by all members of the Wilted Council. The supreme powers of the Feygloam quickly intervened and ruled that Myzanthium be stripped of his title and banished from the Withered Court.

In the frantic aftermath of his banishment, Myzanthium stole a fragment of the Mordroot and made plans to leave the Feygloam entirely for the Material Plane, where he would keep claim to his title of Rotting Lord and establish a new Withered Court outside the purview of other fey oppressors. A number of supporters sympathetic to Myzanthium's cause followed him into the Material Plane. The banished Rotting Lord set about to find a suitable forest in which to nurture the fragment of the Mordroot so that the Withered Court could be born anew. He soon found his ideal planting spot, and the fragment of the Mordroot began to take hold. Now, its influence spreads unchecked, threatening to upend existing ecosystems as it overtakes everything in its path with rapid fungal overgrowth. Worse still, fresh corpses are the ideal fertizilier for the Mordroot. Myzanthium and his minions have set out to create and collect them. 

Allies and Associates

Myzanthium’s Minions, the Black Caps. The black caps are amongst the lowest-ranking members of the Withered Court in the Feygloam. Myzanthium, however, promised many of them an elevated status in his new court on the Material Plane. A faction of black caps thus serves Myzanthium eagerly, carrying out the bulk of his orders. The black caps act as scouts, guards, errand-runners, and worshippers for their master. Though they can’t reproduce on the Material Plane, a portal to the Feygloam near the heart of the Mordroot has allowed them to periodically reinforce their numbers with fresh recruits to the cause. 

The Roving Octopari Elite Guard. The intelligence of the roving octopari make them ideal candidates for Myzanthium’s elite guard. The creatures carry out tasks that the black caps may not be suited for, such as attacking larger caravans, coordinating strategic expansion, conducting threat assessment, and specialized scouting operations. Once the Mordroot has consumed the forest and the time is right, Myzanthium has promised the octopari that every occupant from the surrounding villages will be theirs to feed upon. For now, Myzanthium and the roving octopari expand gradually and attack selectively so as not to draw too much unwanted attention before they have acquired sufficient resources. 

Fungal Footmen Defenses. Those who stray too close to the rapidly expanding territory of Myzanthium risk becoming fodder for the fungal footmen. These walking corpses protect the outskirts of the Mordroot, their numbers slowly growing as another hunter or traveler on their way through the forest is unsuspectingly ambushed and made a corpse themselves. 

Black Reviver Colony. Locals are aware of the ankheg colony that lives in the tunnels beneath the forest. Ankheg encounters were generally rare, as the creatures rarely ventured above ground. Myzanthium’s arrival, however, brought black revivers to the area which quickly found their way into the colony. Soon enough, every ankheg had been infected, and now the black revivers have begun to leave the underground tunnels in search of new hosts on the surface, bringing them closer and closer to the villages on the outskirts of the forest. 

Bleeding Mounds of the Mordroot. The growth of the Mordroot and the fey influence of Myzanthium’s presence provides the perfect conditions for the explosive growth of the bleeding mounds. They have spread quickly throughout the forest, their population becoming densest in proximity to the heart of the Mordroot, where Myzanthium lairs. Creatures of the forest have been dying off in droves as they succumb to the paralytic sap of the otherworldly and unfamiliar fungus. 

Togrot the Toadstool Ogre. Myzanthium now occupies the forest that Togrot has lived in for decades. The growth of the Mordroot has overtaken Togrot’s cave and has touched Togrot himself, as the toadstool ogre has been afflicted by fungal growths over much of his body. Though Togrot is angry and unhappy with these changes, Myzanthium and the black caps have intimidated him into serving his new Rotting Lord. Should the opportunity present itself, however, Togrot would be eager to overthrow his new master.

Quests

Adventure Hooks

The players may wish to stem the spread of Myzanthium’s influence in the Material Plane for a number of reasons. A few of these reasons are outlined below. 

A Homeland at Risk. Members of a local village, perhaps one where a member of the party grew up, have been noticing a strange root system growing within the surrounding forest. Strange fungi have begun to creep beyond the forest’s established perimeters. People have been going missing. The smell of rotting flesh is carried on the air. Something is wrong, and its scope is likely bigger than anyone can currently determine. 

A Courtesy Call. A local official or member of the party is delivered a strange message by an even stranger messenger. The messenger is a courtly representative from the Feygloam who has come to advise folk of the Material Plane that the banished Myzanthium is attempting to establish himself in their locale. The fey makes it clear that they cannot help directly with the issue at this time, but thought that they should at least extend the courtesy of notifying people so that they may act swiftly should they so choose. The messenger answers only a few questions with brief answers before disappearing.