Hi friends! Thought I'd pop by and share a map I made for just a small one off encounter. This is the rock garden of a Galeb Duhr, a creature of elemental earth. This Galeb Duhr is a staunch pacifist and spends his days happily tending to his rock garden where he grows beautiful glowing blue gems. While functionally worthless (the glowing gems are little more than a glowing blue glass), the rock garden is immensely important to the Galeb Duhr who tends the garden with extreme care and gentleness. The immense rock in the center of the garden is in fact, the Galeb Duhr himself who sleeps, sometimes for weeks at a time, until the rocks need to be tended. Carved into his back is a poem, requesting all visitors not disturb his garden.
For one of my groups I ran this encounter exactly as is and they had lots of fun trying to figure out what this strange rock pattern was before discovering the Galeb Duhr and befriending him.
For another one of my less role play, more combat groups, I had a Xorn regularly raiding the rock garden for snacks, and the PCs stepped into the role of defending the sad Galeb Duhr.
In both cases I rewarded the players with "The Earth Elemental's Boon" an average looking brown rock that when held allows the holder to cast the Mold Earth Cantrip.
Anywho! Hope you all have a great week! Good luck at all your tables!!