Wishbridge Remnant
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 45 (6d8+18)
Speed fly 40 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3
Skills Insight +3, Perception +3
Damage Resistances acid; fire; lightning; thunder; bludgeoning from nonmagical attacks; piercing from nonmagical attacks; slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Bonus Actions
Reactions
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"You came back. I kept the lantern lit for you." — the Wishbridge Remnant
Lore & Description
Appearance
A Wishbridge Remnant appears as a translucent humanoid woven from pale river mist, splintered timbers, rusted nails, and scraps of colored cloth. Hundreds of handwritten wishes flutter from its body like wet prayer flags, glowing faintly with blue-white ink. Its face constantly shifts between grief and recognition, settling into the features of the person it believes it sees in its beloved.
Behavior & Origins
When the old Moonstep Bridge was demolished, travelers' wishes remained nailed beneath its planks: prayers for safe passage, reunions, marriages, pardons, and impossible returns. The accumulated longing gave the bridge a ghost, and the ghost now haunts the river crossing where it once stood. It mistakes one member of the party for Mara Venn, the ferryman's daughter who promised to meet her lover on the bridge but vanished before the demolition. The remnant wants the mistaken beloved to cross its spectral span and finish the journey, though doing so may require recovering Mara's final wish from the riverbed or convincing the ghost that its love was never abandoned.
Running Wishbridge Remnant
Tactics
The remnant opens with Call of the Far Bank, trying to draw characters toward a dangerous drop or broken crossing, then uses Pale Span to create precarious terrain. It avoids harming its Beloved whenever possible, using Not You to shield that character and Shattering Plank to separate the others. When reduced below half its hit points, it begs the Beloved to speak Mara's name or promise to finish the crossing; if rebuffed, it fights desperately, but it flees into the river mist if the Beloved is incapacitated.
DM Tips
- Telegraph the encounter with wish-ribbons nailed to nearby trees, ghostly footprints ending at the river, and distant whispers asking whether the party has come back.
- Choose a character who resembles Mara, carries a similar keepsake, or has a noticeably compassionate manner as the Beloved; have the remnant address them by Mara's name.
- Play the remnant as emotionally volatile rather than purely hostile: it may offer safe passage, reveal a hidden route, or ask each character what they wish for before attacking.
- For a weaker party, remove Call of the Far Bank; for a stronger party, let Pale Span persist for 1 minute and give the remnant 10 temporary hit points when the Beloved speaks a sincere promise.
Loot
- Mara's River-Stained Wish — A scrap of blue paper reading, "If I cannot return, let my love know I waited." Showing it to the remnant or speaking its words can calm it and end the haunting.
- Nail of the Moonstep Bridge — A black iron nail etched with tiny names. Once per long rest, its bearer can cast feather fall on themselves without using a spell slot.
- Ribbon of Safe Passage — A faded red ribbon that remains warm near dangerous crossings. Tying it to a bridge, door, or trail grants the next creature to pass there advantage on one saving throw against falling.
