#83: Yule Be Sorry | A Holiday Heist to Save Wonder Itself A Yuletide Heist for Fifth Edition

The children won't wake. The factory on the mountain knows why. And you have until dawn.

Snow is falling on Pinefrost, and every child in the village lies in an enchanted sleep — each one smiling, each one clutching a flawless porcelain toy stamped with two small letters: W.W. The toys came from the Winding Workshop, the great clockwork factory that crowns the peak above. They are beautiful. They are also siphons, drawing the wonder out of dreaming children and piping it up the mountain to feed a production line that never, ever stops.

By sunrise the curse locks forever — and the children will wake, but they will never dream, wish, or imagine again. And Pinefrost is only the first name on the manifest. Two hundred more villages are already scheduled, already routed, already promised delivery before the snow melts. One night. One factory. One chance to save wonder itself.

Yule Be Sorry is a dark-festive heist for the fifth edition fantasy roleplaying rules — a stop-motion holiday nightmare by way of a chocolate factory where the wonders bite back. Your party has a single night to climb the mountain, break into the Workshop, fight past gingerbread golems and wind-up soldiers, and stop the Fabricant: a twelve-foot construct in a tattered red coat, wearing the porcelain face of the saint it murdered seven months ago — and certain, all the while, that it is doing good.

Two routes lead down into the factory, and the choice changes the night: the loud, vertical climb through the soot stacks, or the cold, quiet horror of the root cellars. And when the Star at the factory's heart finally lies in your hands, how the story ends is yours to decide — three genuinely different endings, none of them free.

It's built for the way real tables actually play: two or three friends, one evening, zero prep. Open the book, skim the act you're about to run, and go. Numbered scenes, beginner-friendly characters, and a visible "Dawn" countdown keep the session moving and the pressure rising — perfect for a busy Game Master who wants a night their table remembers without losing a weekend to prep.

"Wonder is not a resource. It is a fire. You do not mine a fire — you tend it, or you let it go out."

What's Inside:

• A complete, fully laid-out one-shot you can run in a single 2–3 hour session
• Tuned for 2–3 players at levels 2–3 — ideal for small groups and two-player duets
• 7 battle maps
• 8 monster & NPC stat blocks, SRD 5.1 compatible
• 4 ready-to-play pre-generated characters — any two form a balanced party, all beginner-friendly
• A branching middle act, a ticking Dawn countdown, and three different endings
• Full Game Master support: read-aloud boxes, skill checks, monster tactics, and "what if?" contingencies throughout

Perfect For:

• Busy Game Masters who want a memorable night without the prep grind
• Small groups, couples, and two-player tables
• A Christmas, Yule, or winter holiday session your players will quote next year
• A drop-in convention slot or a last-minute game night
• A gift for the Game Master in your life — slip it in a stocking and watch them grin
• Newer GMs and players who want something complete and easy to pick up and run

This is a Ready Adventure — everything you need is between the covers. No supplements, no homework, no second-guessing. Light the fire, pour the cocoa, gather your party, and save wonder itself before the sun comes up.

Yule Be Sorry — a Ready Adventure from Anvil N Ink Publishing.

Adventures designed for zero prep, maximum fun.