The Brood Beneath Stonewake
The Brood Beneath Stonewake
“The earth is hungry, the farms are dying, and something beneath the quarry is breeding an army.”
— Hook · kill
“For three weeks, ankhegs have torn through Brindleford's farms, collapsing barns and dragging livestock into the earth. The attacks are increasing, and the town council will pay handsomely for anyone who finds and kills the queen responsible before the next moonrise. The trail leads to the abandoned Stonewake Quarry, where the ground has begun to pulse beneath the stone.”
— Hook · kill
The adventure opens in Brindleford's council barn, where muddy farmers stand around a table covered in damaged tools, torn harnesses, and a crude map of the Redfur Fields. Mara Venn explains that the attacks began at isolated farms but have moved closer to town. She offers an advance payment, a local guide, and access to the quarry, but warns that Captain Rowan believes the queen may attack before nightfall.
Mara Venn
Mara Venn approaches the party in person at the settlement's council barn after hearing that they have experience dealing with dangerous creatures. She offers half the reward immediately and the rest upon proof that the queen is dead.
Rumours
d5 · table- 01A farmer swears the ankhegs are avoiding one particular field, even though it has the richest soil.
- 02The quarry foreman vanished two days before the first attack began.
- 03Some villagers claim the queen can hear footsteps through solid stone from half a mile away.
- 04Captain Rowan found ankheg shells coated in a purple dust that glows at night.
- 05Orlan Pell insists the quarry was abandoned because of goblins, but no goblin tracks have been found.
If the party fails, Brindleford's food supply collapses, dozens of farm families are displaced, and the ankheg colony spreads beneath the trade road. If the party kills the queen but ignores the violet growth crystals, the attacks eventually return in a smaller but more unpredictable form.
Background Lore
For generations, the farms around Brindleford have relied on the rich black soil of the Redfur Fields. Three weeks ago, ankhegs began emerging from beneath the fields, collapsing barns, poisoning wells, and dragging livestock underground. The attacks have grown bolder and more organized, suggesting that a breeding colony has established itself beneath the abandoned Stonewake Quarry.
Brindleford's farms are being ravaged by ankhegs emerging from beneath the earth. The attacks have become more frequent and coordinated, and the town council believes a breeding queen is responsible. The party has been hired to track the colony to Stonewake Quarry and kill the queen before the infestation destroys the settlement.
