Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Wednesday Musings: The Cypress Shadow Saga

February 4, 2026 | Dispatch from the Shreveport Cabin

The coffee is steaming, but the air coming off the Red River is cold enough to bite. While the rest of Shreveport is dreaming of Mardi Gras floats and King Cake, those of us at the cabin are watching the water level. The river is rising, and it’s bringing things up from the mud that were meant to stay buried.

🐊 The Shreveport Beat: Reality Bites

The local news is heavy this morning. We’ve got the Krewe of Centaur parade prep in full swing for this Saturday, but the shadows are lengthening on the streets:

The Greenwood Fatality: A tragic officer-involved incident on the 3700 block of Greenwood Road has the city on edge.
The Milton Street Fire: Justice is moving as two suspects face charges for the fire that claimed those two young sisters.
Linwood Shooting: Caddo Deputies are hunting a suspect after a woman was targeted on Linwood Avenue Monday night.

In the world of the Hedge Wizard, we know these aren't just "crimes." When the "Gloom" rises in the bayou, it spills into the city streets.

👣 The Twelve Mile Dread: A Campaign Report

We are officially entering the Swamp of Dread. This campaign focuses on the 14-mile stretch of the Twelve Mile Bayou—a place where the modern world of the I-220 bridge looms over a primordial nightmare.

The Sinker’s Curse: Legends tell of "Bayou Gold"—old-growth Sinker Cypress logs. But the "Heart of the Great Raft" is no mere log; it’s a petrified prison for an ancient entity.

The Sunken Cathedral of the Red Raft: Beneath a prehistoric logjam lies a dungeon where the water goes dead-still. Watch out for Old Ben, the 14-foot guardian alligator, and the Sinker Log Ossuary, where the logs themselves—the Wood-Woads—stand like tombstones waiting for the living.

🗣️ Overheard at "The Rusty Anchor"

Roll 1D6 for local rumors at the Bossier docks:

The Red's Rising: The river is flowing backward near the bayou—the spirits are hiding the Cathedral.
Silver Shortage: A silver-haired woman bought every scrap of silver in town just to melt it into the muck.
The Howling: Night-shift workers on I-220 hear a wolf that screams in French.
Missing Bonepickers: A boat came back filled with Spanish moss and human teeth.
Maman’s Mercy: Some say Maman Sang-Gris is the only thing keeping the real monsters out of Shreveport.
The Mark: A white "X" on a cypress means you’ve hit Loa-Bound territory. Turn back.

Bonus martial new GMA Adventure

GMA Adventure: Into the Shadow B&B

Series: The Shadow Saga | February 4, 2026

The Porch: The Morning Mist

The briefing begins on the massive, wrap-around porch of the Big Building. The mist is clinging to the cypress knees like a wet blanket, and the "Midweek Musing" is simple: when the world outside gets dark, you need a place with thick walls and even thicker wards.

The Hedge Wizard (Bayou Earl) stands by the railing, looking out at the murky water. He takes a long sip of chicory coffee and gestures for the team to follow him through the heavy oak doors. "The fog is too thick for a long talk out here. Let's move inside where the wards are active and the maps are dry."

Inside the Headquarters: The Cypress Shadow B&B

As the team steps off the porch and into the heart of the operations, the atmosphere shifts. The B&B provides the "Defenders" with everything they need to survive the Twelve Mile Dread:

The Great Hall (Briefing Area): The team gathers around a massive oak table covered in topographic maps of the Red River Basin.
The Morning Spread: A side table is loaded with local herbs and "Swamp-Gris" spices.
- Game Mechanic: Eating breakfast here grants a +1D bonus to Stamina for the first 4 hours of the day.
The Sun Room: A glass-enclosed tactical center overlooking the bayou. This is where the team tracks the Rougarou sightings and maps the shifting sandbars.
The Safe Haven: You can feel the hum of the protection here. The B&B is the only place in the Twelve Mile where the "Miasma" doesn't reach. It’s a sanctuary for the weary and those whose Sanity is fraying.

The Tactical Briefing: Midweek Leakage

The Hedge Wizard taps the morning reports spread across the table. "We have three priority targets in the city. The Swamp of Dread is leaking into Shreveport."

Greenwood Road (The Ghost Car): A patrol vehicle struck a "pedestrian" that was actually a Putrid Haunt. The car is currently at the impound lot leaking Ectoplasmic Slime.
Linwood Avenue (The Silent Hit): A woman was shot by a Skull Maker (Extreme Threat). We need to recover the cypress-cored bullet to track the shooter’s origin.
The Iron Gate (The Moss Boat): A salvage boat drifted back to the launch filled with Spanish moss and human teeth. We need to launch the B&B skiff to the Red Raft Remnant to find the missing Bonepickers.

The B&B Rumor Table (Overheard in the Great Hall)

Roll 1D6 as the team checks their gear:

The Red's Rising: The river is flowing backward. (Effect: +1D to all Boating checks).
Silver Shortage: A woman bought all the city’s silver. (Effect: Silver costs 2x today).
The French Howl: A woman is screaming in French near I-220. (Effect: -1 to IQ checks).
Maman’s Mercy: She might be a protector. (Effect: Sparing a creature grants +1 Luck).
The Mark: A white "X" is on the mailbox. (Effect: The team is Marked by Maman Sang-Gris).
The Missing Bonepickers: They found "Heart Gold." (Effect: Unlocks the location of the Sunken Cathedral).

The Armory & The Still-Room: Gearing for the Gloom

Once the targets are identified, the team moves to the rear of the Big Building. In the Armory, the air smells of sulfur, gun oil, and wet clay. Here, the transition from "modern hunter" to "shadow defender" is completed.

The Clay-Forge Hearth: In the corner of the Armory sits a specialized forge. This isn't for iron; it’s for smelting down that local Shreveport pawn-shop silver and mixing it with Red River clay.
- The Benefit: Players can spend 1 hour to coat their ammunition or blades. Weapons treated here deal +2D damage to any Loup-Garou or Shadow-Wraith encountered in the Saga.
The Still-Room: Located just off the kitchen, this is where the Hedge Wizard distills the legendary "Wolf-Bane Moonshine."
- The Benefit: One "pull" from a flask of this moonshine provides an immediate +2 Bonus to Sanity Saves (Lovecraft D6) for the next encounter, though it carries a -1 penalty to Agility for the same duration.
The Gear Locker: The B&B keeps a stash of "Borrowed" equipment from the Bonepickers.
- The Kit: Includes "Snag-Hooks" for clearing Letiche off the hull and high-intensity floodlights for piercing the Miasma.

The Launch: The B&B Boat Slip

The briefing ends at the rear exit of the Big Building, which leads directly to the private, warded boat slip on the edge of the Twelve Mile Bayou.

The Hedge Wizard hands over the keys to the skiff. "The water is high, and the Red is pushing back. The bridge on I-220 is already humming with the French Howl. If you're going to the Sunken Cathedral, you go now while the coffee is still warm in your gut. Don't stop for anything that mimics a human voice unless you see a face you recognize."

The Passage: Navigating the Twelve Mile Dread

The skiff cuts through the black water, leaving the lights of Shreveport and the hum of I-220 behind. As the team passes the Iron Gate (Hwy 71 Boat Launch), the GPS fails, replaced by the rhythmic "thrum" of the Hedge Wizard’s compass.
The Miasma: A thick, yellow-green fog settles over the boat. Every player must make a CON/Physique Save (or use a Gris-Gris Filter) to avoid the "Shivering Sickness."
The Drowned Road: Passing beneath the massive concrete pillars of the I-220 bridge, the team enters the heart of Maman Sang-Gris’s territory. The "French Howl" echoes off the concrete, and the shadows beneath the bridge start to detach from the pillars—these are Letiche (MR 45), waiting to capsize the boat.

The Discovery: The Red Raft Remnant

The bayou suddenly widens into a graveyard of timber. This is the Red Raft Remnant, where the current stops completely. In the center of this impassable logjam, a massive whirlpool of silt and Spanish moss marks the entrance to the Sunken Cathedral.
The Sinker Log Ossuary: Before reaching the Cathedral, the boat must navigate a field of upright, petrified cypress logs.
The Sentinel: Perched on the largest log is Old Ben, the 14-foot alligator guardian.
Old Ben (Guardian of the Red)
Monster Rating (MR): 210
Deadliness Rating: 4
Combat Adds: +105
Armor: 8 points (Ancient, petrified scales)
Special Abilities:
Capsize: If Old Ben attacks the boat and wins the round, the players must make a Level 2 DEX Saving Throw or the skiff is overturned.
Crushing Jaws: On any combat win where Old Ben rolls 15+ higher than his opponent, he deals triple damage as he snaps bone and steel.
Possessed Hiss: Once per combat, Old Ben can release a spiritual hiss. All players must make a Level 1 IQ Saving Throw or be Stunned for 1 round by the psychic weight of the swamp.

The Choice: The team can attempt to sneak past (DEX/Stealth) or leave a Tithe of Silver on the flat "Offering Stone" protruding from the muck. If they fail or refuse, Old Ben (MR 210) attacks, his tail sweep capable of splintering the boat.
As the skiff glides onto the interior "beach" of Red River sand and crushed alligator teeth, the silence of the swamp is replaced by the heavy, rhythmic thrumming of the Red River pulsing against the logs above.
Alligator Man Encounter: The Sandbar Ambush
As the skiff’s hull grinds against the Red River sand of the interior beach, the silence is broken by a sudden, heavy splashing from the dark perimeter. Two Alligator Men—seven-foot-tall horrors with human torsos and armored reptilian hides—burst from the shallow water to contest the landing.

Alligator Man (Monsters! Monsters! 2.7 Stats)
Monster Rating (MR): 90
Deadliness Rating: 3
Combat Adds: +45
Armor: 4 points (Overlapping scales)
Special Abilities:
Death Roll: On a combat win of 10+ points, the creature grapples the player. The target takes 2D6 automatic damage per turn until they succeed on a STR Saving Throw to break free.
Tail Sweep: Once per encounter, they can lash their tail in a wide arc. All players on the sandbar must make a DEX Saving Throw or be knocked prone, losing their next combat action.
The Tactic: They strike while the team is most vulnerable—caught between the boat and the shore. One uses a Tail Sweep to clear the deck of the skiff, while the other attempts to drag the lead explorer into the deeper water for a Death Roll.

Entering the Sunken Cathedral

As the team clears the Ossuary, the logs begin to form a structured "tunnel"—the Gateway of Hanging Moss. The boat is pulled forward by an unnatural undertow, dragging the team beneath the prehistoric logjam and into the air-filled pocket of the Cathedral.
The Atmosphere: The air inside smells of sulfur and rotted lilies. The walls are interlocking ribs of petrified wood, glowing with a faint, bioluminescent moss.
The Welcome: As the boat hits the interior "beach" of white river sand, the team hears the faint sound of a woman singing a French lullaby. Maman Sang-Gris knows her guests have arrived.

The Interior: Into the Sunken Cathedral

The Gateway of Hanging Moss

The entrance is a claustrophobic tunnel where the Spanish moss hangs so thick it brushes the players' faces like cold, wet fingers.
The Guardian’s Toll: If the team didn't appease Old Ben outside, his presence is felt here as he bumps the bottom of the boat, forcing a DEX/Balance save to avoid being dumped into the shallow, bone-filled water.
The Atmosphere: The air is breathable but heavy with the scent of "Sewer Plague." Without a Gris-Gris filter, players suffer a -1 penalty to all physical actions due to the oppressive humidity.
Area 1: The Gateway of Hanging Moss
Hazard Type: Environmental / Magical Trap
Effect: The moss is a sentient extension of the Sinker’s Curse. It acts as both camouflage and a physical deterrent.
Mechanical Threat: Choking Vines. If the boat moves faster than a slow crawl, the moss entangles the passengers and the motor.
Saving Throw: Level 1 DEX Save to avoid being pulled from the boat.
Damage: If entangled, the player takes 1D6 non-lethal crushing damage per turn as the moss tightens around the throat.
Counter: It can be cleared with fire or a silver-clay blade. Using a motor in the moss triggers an immediate Mechanical Failure check for the boat.

Area 2: The Sinker Log Ossuary

The claustrophobic tunnel of hanging moss finally opens into a massive, vaulted chamber. The ceiling is a jagged, tangled mess of prehistoric logs that seem to groan under the weight of the river above. Below, the water is unnaturally still, black, and thick with the smell of stagnant silt.
The "Tombstones" Filling the chamber are hundreds of petrified Sinker Cypress logs, standing perfectly upright in the muck like a flooded graveyard. As the boat glides closer, the horror becomes clear: each log has a weathered human skull fused directly into the top grain—the final, petrified remains of "Bonepickers" who came for the gold and became part of the Raft.
The Wood-Woad Ambush The silence is a trap. If the team speaks above a whisper or the boat strikes a log, the "dead" timber stirs. Three specific logs—slick with black moss and ancient rot—detach from the mud with a wet, sucking sound.
Creature: Wood-Woads (3)
Monster Rating (MR): 65
Combat Adds: +32
Armor: 5 points (Petrified Bark)
Tactics & Hazards:
The Planting: The Wood-Woads do not strike to kill; they attempt to grapple. If a Wood-Woad wins a combat round, it drags the player into the waist-deep muck to "plant" them.
The Silt-Trap: The floor of this chamber is a slurry of quicksand. Any player pulled into the water or stepping out of the boat must succeed on a Level 1 STR Saving Throw each turn or remain immobilized, becoming an easy target for the Wood-Woads.
Weakness: Despite their petrified state, they remain vulnerable to fire. Any fire-based attack deals double damage but risks igniting the stagnant swamp gas trapped in the vaulted ceiling.

Area 3: The Voodoo Still-House

In the center of the vaulted chamber, rising out of the black water like a skeletal monument, is an elevated shack. It is constructed from the rotted, bleached ribs of a 19th-century steamboat, the wood sun-bleached even in the darkness and draped in tattered remains of paddle-wheel netting.
The Prisoner: The Traiteur Chained directly to the rusted iron steering wheel of the old wreck is a Traiteur (a swamp faith healer). His skin is sallow from the miasma, and his eyes are clouded with cataracts. If the team breaks his chains, he clutches at them with trembling hands, gasping out a final, frantic warning:
"She isn't just a wolf... she’s the shadow between the trees. You hit the hide, you hit nothing. Use the silver clay, or you’re just feeding the mud. The shadow eats the lead, but the clay holds the soul!"
The Loot: Provisions for the Saga Shelved behind the steering column in crates marked with faded river-port stamps, the team finds specialized supplies prepared by the Traiteur before his capture:
Jars of "Wolf-Bane Moonshine" (3): Distilled with pungent swamp herbs. Provides a +2 bonus to Sanity Saves (Lovecraft D6) for one encounter.
Gris-Gris Bags of "Red River Silver-Clay" (4): Pungent, metallic-smelling mud. When smeared on a weapon, it allows the item to strike Maman Sang-Gris while she is in her "Shadow-Shift" form.
The Traiteur’s Charm: A necklace of alligator scutes. Grants the wearer a Level 1 Saving Throw against the "Shivering Sickness" miasma.
The Hazard: The Creaking Ribs The Still-House is structurally unstable. Every round of heavy movement or combat inside the shack requires a Level 1 DEX Saving Throw. On a failure, the player falls through the rotted floorboards into the "Silt-Trap" below, where the Alligator Men or Wood-Woads may still be lurking.

Area 4: The Sentinel Cages

Guarding the only exit from the Still-House are two massive iron cages suspended from the log-ceiling by rusted chains. These house the Alligator Men (MR 90) who serve as Maman’s elite jailers.
The Encounter: As soon as the Traiteur is freed or the loot is touched, the bottom of the cages drop out. The creatures hit the shallow water with a roar, blocking the path forward.
The Goal: The team must defeat these brutes to reach the tunnel entrance.
does your team takeout the lightermen jailors?
or do they sneek pass
what if they want to look in the cages they find half eaten humans that have been reported missing their eating them alive. for this revalation they take 2d6 IQ/INANSTY SDAMAGE FROM THE LOVECRAFT VARRIENT RULES.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SECTION WHEN YOU DUNE HERE

Area 5: The Veins of the Raft (The Long Tunnel)

Beyond the sentinel cages lies a narrow, 100-yard tunnel sloping upward toward the heart of the Raft. The walls are not stone, but tightly packed, petrified logs that pulse with a faint, rhythmic vibration from the river's current.

The Hazard: The Whispering Miasma The tunnel acts as a natural wind-pipe for the swamp’s pressurized gases. As the air whistles through the cracks in the logs, players must make a Level 2 IQ/Sanity Save. On a failure, they begin to hear the voices of lost Bonepickers calling their names, pleading for them to step into the dark gaps between the timbers.

The Obstacle: The Gloom Oozekin The floor and walls are coated in a vibrating, translucent film of "Gloom Slime." This is a colony of Oozekin—sentient, gelatinous humanoids created by the mad wizard Ogberdammus. They serve as Maman’s border guards, sensing the vibrations of the river and any intruders.

Movement Penalty: The floor is extremely slick. Any movement faster than a slow walk requires a Level 2 DEX Save to avoid sliding back toward the Alligator Men in Area 4.
Creature: Oozekin (MR 40)
- Attributes: STR 15, CON 30, DEX 8, SPD 15, CHAR 8, IQ 15, LK 15, WIZ 15.
- Fear Factor: Their burbling, wet voices and clear, gelatinous bodies require a Level 2 IQ Saving Throw to avoid being Stunned by fear.
Special Ability (Acidic Spite): Every point of Spite damage dealt by an Oozekin inflicts 3 points of acid burn to organic creatures.
Special Ability (Asphyxiation): They attack by splashing onto a foe’s face, attempting to enter the nose or mouth to fill the lungs.
Vulnerability: Fire desiccates them into powder instantly. Edged weapons cause wounds that close quickly, and contact with water allows them to regenerate.

The Tactic: The Oozekin remain flat against the walls (Gloom Slime) until a player fails their Level 2 DEX Save or Level 2 IQ/Sanity Save. Once a player is prone or distracted by the Miasma, the Oozekin reform into their humanoid shapes to splash onto the target’s face while their soft, burbling voices mimic the whispers of the drowning.

Area 6: The Heart of the Raft (The Final Chamber)

The narrow, pulsing tunnel finally terminates in the largest "hall" of the Sunken Cathedral. Here, the petrified logs interlock with impossible precision to form a massive, natural dome. The ceiling is draped in bioluminescent moss that casts a sickly, pale-green light over the chamber. In the center, a ritual circle of stark white river sand and bleached human bones marks the sanctuary of the Swamp Queen.

The Confrontation: Maman Sang-Gris She stands in the center of the bone-circle, her long silver hair flowing around her as if she were suspended in water. She wears no armor and carries no weapon, watching the team with cold, luminous eyes that seem to pierce the very "Gloom" of the bayou.

Phase 1: The Sorceress
- Action: Maman casts Illusions of the Great Raft.
- Effect: The walls of the dome appear to splinter and collapse inward. Every player must succeed on a Level 2 IQ/Sanity Save. On a failure, they believe they are being crushed and drowned by falling timber, suffering a -3D penalty to all combat and attribute rolls due to overwhelming terror.
Phase 2: The Shadow-Shift
- Trigger: When Maman is reduced to 50% of her starting MR.
- Action: She lets out a piercing French howl that shatters the glowing moss, plunging the room into magical darkness. She dissolves into her Shadow-Rougarou form—a flickering, smoke-like predator that stalks through the log walls.
- The Mechanic: In this form, she is immune to all physical and magical damage unless the weapon has been treated with the Red River Silver-Clay found in the Still-House.

The Environment: The Pulsing Floor The floor of the Heart is not solid; it is a raft of interlocking logs floating over a deep, dark vortex. Any player forced out of the sand circle during combat must make a Level 2 DEX Save each turn or be pulled into the "Sinker Gaps," where they risk being trapped beneath the Raft forever.

Captain Earl’s Master GM Notes:

Random Encounter Table: Cryptids of the Twelve Mile

Roll (1D6) Creature M!M! 2.7 MR Combat Dice Deadliness Description & Special Rules
1 Feux Follets N/A N/A Env. Glowing "will-o'-the-wisps." Level 2 IQ Save or boat drifts into a Sinker Gap (Area 6 Hazard).
2 Putrid Haunts 45 5D6+22 2 Moss-covered zombies mimicking logs. Leech Vomit: On a hit, target loses 2 CON/Stamina points.
3 The Letiche 120 13D6+60 3 7ft swamp monsters. Capsize: If they win a round by 10+, the boat takes a Level 3 STR Save to stay upright.
4 Skull Makers 210 22D6+105 4 Ghostly silent stalkers. Ghost-Step: Only damaged by Silver-Clay weapons or magical effects.
5 The Rougarou 450 46D6+225 5 Wolf-headed shapeshifter. Frenzy: When reduced to half MR, it gains +50 MR instantly.
6 The Swarm VARIES VARIES EXTREME Roll twice and combine. The swamp is alive and it wants the team dead.

Roll (1D6)	Creature	M!M! 2.7 MR	Combat Dice	Deadliness	Description & Special Rules
1	Feux Follets	N/A	N/A	Env.	Glowing "will-o'-the-wisps." Level 2 IQ Save or boat drifts into a Sinker Gap (Area 6 Hazard).
2	Putrid Haunts	45	5D6+22	2	Moss-covered zombies mimicking logs. Leech Vomit: On a hit, target loses 2 CON/Stamina points.
3	The Letiche	120	13D6+60	3	7ft swamp monsters. Capsize: If they win a round by 10+, the boat takes a Level 3 STR Save to stay upright.
4	Skull Makers	210	22D6+105	4	Ghostly silent stalkers. Ghost-Step: Only damaged by Silver-Clay weapons or magical effects.
5	The Rougarou	450	46D6+225	5	Wolf-headed shapeshifter. Frenzy: When reduced to half MR, it gains +50 MR instantly.
6	The Swarm	VARIES	VARIES	EXTREME	Roll twice and combine. The swamp is alive and it wants the team dead.

Entering The Sunken Cathedral

Listen up, because the Sunken Cathedral isn't just a dungeon—it’s a living, breathing graveyard of the Great Red River Raft. The atmosphere should be thick enough to choke a mule. If the players aren't sweating or checking their corners, you aren't laying the "Dread" on thick enough. Keep the "Shadow-Shift" mechanics sharp and make sure they feel the rhythmic pulsing of the river logs beneath their boots. This is my house, my rules, and my Bayou.

Area 1: The Gateway of Hanging Moss

The team enters via the Gateway of Hanging Moss. This is your "Gatekeeper." The moss is a sentient extension of the Sinker’s Curse. If they mess up the Level 2 DEX Save, they start the crawl wet, tired, and choked by vines that act like cold, wet fingers pulling them toward the black water. Once they clear the moss, the skiff grinds against the Sandbar (Area 6 Boundary).

The Landing (Area 6 Boundary)

This is where the boat stays. The Sandbar is the only solid ground; everything else is a floating raft of petrified logs over a deep, dark vortex. If the team stays in the boat, they have cover but are one Capsize away from a total wipeout. If they step onto the sand, they can fight, but Maman's magic can shove them into the Sinker Gaps.