Perfect Summer Isle

The Clock of Now
The genius loci of this island holds it in a bubble of time to
relive the best day of summer over and over. A sideboard
clock made from walnut and brass, it sits in the Manor
House ticking over until midnight when it winds back and
resets the day again. The whole island has been held in
a time loop of this day for a very long time, and no one
knows, except maybe the owner of the clock trying to hold
onto this day for as long as he can. It tells only one time, the
eternal, ever-present now.

The Clock of Now
Large, bulky, and somewhat difficult to carry, the Clock of
the Now is nevertheless an exceptionally powerful genius loci
from Perfect Summer Isle, capable of granting its owner a
chance of correcting their mistakes. It’s a remarkable gift,
though it comes with a price, of course. Everything does.
Any player character carrying the Clock of Now
immediately gains a point of inspiration, which they may
spend at any time they choose. Using the inspiration, however,
comes with a price. The player character must roll a d8 and
take that much force damage, as the strain of rewinding
time takes its toll. Once this ability has been used, it takes 24
hours for the Clock of Now to work effectively again

Slingshot. The most important tool in any childhood
adventure is the trusty slingshot. All player characters can
use the slingshot weapon as a bonus action on this island
for 1d4 bludgeoning damage and range of 30/60 feet.

Hide and Seek. When entering a new area, player
characters can role with advantage to find hiding spots,
traps, or items in that area. This includes use in combat
to find extra hiding spots to use for sneak attacks.

The Village of Little Toddlington would have once upon
a time been the perfect picture of a seaside village. A few
colourfully painted shops and houses gathered around a
natural harbour with a beach lined with huts and dotted
with parasols now are little more than shadows of a past that
seems to be a living present elsewhere on the island. The
gardens are overgrown beyond saving. The autumn leaves
blowing from the unkempt trees scatter across paths no one
as walked for years.
The only noise comes from the pub sign, hanging crookedly,
looking across the green. If you look closely, you can just
about make out the faded image of a man watching with a
smile over the remains of the village.
Each building has tales to tell, of abandoned homes made
of cracking and forgotten trinkets, of long-since-gone
inhabitants who dwindled to nothing in this deep perfection,
and marks left on the wall that speak of a sudden exodus.
The town was abandoned in a hurry—you can tell. There’s
too much left behind. The rest of the island sits in a perfect
bubble of time, repeating the beautiful days of summer, but
here time rolls on and no one seems to notice or care.

The light in the forest isn’t right when you enter.
Whatever time of day it was outside of it, it’s twilight here.
Always twilight. Dust particles hang in the air, caught in
the orange beams of dusk like flies in amber. The village is
outside of the time bubble; this forest is frozen by it.
This place is vast. Though from outside it was only a small
copse on the hill, inside, the trees seem to stretch out forever
in every direction. You could get lost here in the endless,
timeless space far too easily.
Dens made by children, collections of sticks lent against
trees, some more expertly than others, can be seen all
around. Clearly this was a favourite play spot of the locals
when there were locals. The more you look around, you can
see that some of these dens hide tunnels into large burrows
underground. They might even be big enough for you to
explore, if you’re brave.
The deeper you go into the forest the dens start to disappear,
their leaning collections of branches replaced with carvings
in the tree trunks. A mix of the initials of lovers, names of
those who played here, but also symbols and signs that you
don’t know. They stand out in the strange, reddish light,
almost unnaturally. The hanging shapes of midsummer
decorations twist eerily in the non-existent breeze; diamonds
of reeds woven together with red string and dried flowers,
they are both beautiful and haunting.

The island sits in the view of the Manor House, high on its
hill. You can see every part of the island from those rooms in
one way or another, but no one ever really sees in. Oh, the
islanders know all about the eccentric, old professor who
lives up there with only his butler for company, but no one
has ever been into the house itself. A trip up the hill to nose
around might just give you something to explore.
Locked doors and closed windows may feel like an obstacle,
but you’re the bravest adventurers on the island. That’s
no match for you. A glimpse through the windows shows
shadowy rooms full of dust-sheet-covered furniture, but
there are hints of light and life coming from somewhere in
the house if only you can find a way in.
The stories from the islanders talk about rooms full of
experiments, strange taxidermy animals, ballrooms that
used to host the most wonderful parties, and the beautiful
sunsets shining on the outrageous grounds that are an
adventure and maze all their own.

The island might seem like the perfect little slice of paradise,
but there’s something about you adventurers that keeps
pulling danger to you. Maybe you’re unlucky, maybe the
island doesn’t like you, or maybe you’re not playing by the
rules of this place at all. Whatever it is, you need to keep an
eye out for any creatures or people who might want to cause
a bit of a ruckus with you as the main contender.

D10 Roll Random Encounter
1 1d4 sprites
2 1 young green dragon
3 1d4 + 2 hippogriffs in a herd
4 1d4 sprites riding 2d4 + 3 faerie dragons
5 4 owlbears
6 1 shambling mound
7 1d8 swarms of bats
8 2d4 wights
9 1d6 + 3 deep gnomes
10 1d4 deep gnomes riding 1d8 + 1 mastiffs