Malevolent beings that feed on their victims’ fear and despair, will-o’-wisps dwell in the lonely, dismal places of the world. Deserted places—bogs, fens, marshes, catacombs and battlefields—are their domain.

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Outside the Lair

Natural light in the area is feeble and faint. This place exudes a sense of bleak misery.
Pools of fetid water dot the surroundings; curiously, no insects buzz through the air and the sounds of animal life are wholly absent.
A sinkhole pierces the ground; fetid, oily water fills the hole to within five feet of the surface.
A large bone cairn stands atop a slight rise. A flagpole rises from the centre of the cairn; a mouldering, faded flag hangs limply from the pole.

What’s Going On?

All is quiet and still; no sound or breeze disturbs the air. A faint smell of decay reaches the characters’ nostrils.
The will-o’-wisp lurks invisibly, awaiting its next victim.
The will-o’-wisp is unaware of the characters and is hunting something else—a wild animal, the lone survivor of another group and so on.
The will-o’-wisp hangs motionless above a pool of deep, fetid water. It blazes with fell light.

Major Lair Features

Such is the dismal horror of the will-o’-wisp’s lair that natural light is always subdued. Sunlight seems wan while mundane light sources gutter and splutter.
Bones—animal, humanoid and others of unidentifiable provenance—litter the ground in a sporadic carpet of death and corruption. In places, the bones trip up incautious explorers.
The vegetation throughout the will-o’-wisp’s haunt is sickly and discoloured as if slowly dying of some kind of disease or poison.
The stench of death hangs heavily in the air. In low-lying places, the stench is almost overpowering.

Minor Lair Features

Greenish brown mould grows over a sharp, greyish rock.
Thin greyish/green mist hugs the ground and swirls about the characters’ ankles.
Dead, brittle moss covers several large rocks. The moss is bleached white and crumbles if touched.
A black rock thrusts from the ground. The rock is pitted and worn and clearly out of place.

Will-o’-Wisp’s Appearance

Glowing with bright blue light, this ball of pure energy zips through the air.
Exuding a lurid violet glow, this small ball of bobbing light hangs motionless—perhaps invitingly—in the air.
With a sickly greenish hue, this ball of light hangs low to the ground giving its surrounds a diseased, hateful feel.
The light from this glowing ball of light pulses in a fitful fashion—reminiscent of a faltering heartbeat.

Treasure

A chest, affixed to two poles, lies on its side. The heavy chest contains a mass of silver and copper coins.
This skeleton wears a rotting leather choker. A perceptive character spots several tiny pearls part-sunken into the decaying leather.
The colours on this sky blue pennant remain bright and true. The flag bears minor enchantments—its starburst pattern glimmers in the light. The flag resists all minor wear, tear and blemishes.
This tattered but legible parchment shows a route devoid of natural hazards through the wisp’s territory.

Trinkets & Trash

A skeleton sprawls on the ground yet clad in its fused and blacked chain armour.
The bones of several individuals lie scattered about the area. Rotting and rusting equipment surround each pile.
Cold, black water fills an upturned pot helmet resting against a small stone.
A lump of melted silver and copper coins fills a rotting pouch hidden by a stand of fecund mushrooms.

Credit

This is a short system-neutral extract from Monstrous Lair #70: Will-o’-Wisp’s Haunt by Robert Manson is available from Raging Swan Press.

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Will-o'-Wisp's Haunt