The Green That Drove Them Out
The Green That Drove Them Out
“The orcs are not conquering the ruins. They are running from them.”
— Hook · Investigation
“Briar Glen's old trade road has gone silent, and refugees report that orcs now occupy the abandoned town. Mara Venn asks you to enter the ruins, discover why the orcs are there, and reopen the road before the encampment becomes a war. She warns that the forest around Briar Glen has been moving, even when no wind blows.”
— Hook · Investigation
The road ends beneath a canopy of interlocked branches. Beyond it, Briar Glen rises in fragments: a leaning watchtower, roofless homes, and a town hall wrapped in roots thick as ship's cables. Smoke curls from the central square, where crude orc banners hang beside warning signs carved into the trees. One sign has been written in Common: DO NOT RING THE BELL.
Mara Venn
Mara Venn approaches the party at the edge of the settlement with a sealed merchant's writ and a map marked with three missing caravans. She offers payment for facts as well as results, emphasizing that a peaceful solution is preferable if the orcs are displaced refugees.
Rumours
d6 · table- 01The orcs have been seen burying weapons instead of sharpening them.
- 02No birds sing within a mile of the old town.
- 03The town bell rings underground, although the bell tower collapsed years ago.
- 04An orc child claims the trees scream whenever someone lies.
- 05The old town archive survived because the roots refuse to enter it.
- 06The first people who entered Briar Glen returned with leaves growing beneath their skin.
If the characters fail, Briar Glen becomes the first point of a spreading forest disaster. Nearby farms will be cut off, the displaced orcs may launch desperate raids, and the corrupted ward may awaken deeper powers beneath the region.
Background Lore
The town of Briar Glen was abandoned after the surrounding forest began growing at an impossible rate. Roads vanished beneath roots, wells filled with pale blossoms, and entire buildings were pulled into the earth. Recently, orcs have occupied the ruins, raiding nearby farms and blocking the old trade road. Local rumors claim the orcs are preparing an assault, but their camps show signs of hurried flight rather than conquest.
Briar Glen was abandoned years ago when a strange forest consumed the surrounding countryside. Now orcs have taken the ruins and threaten the nearby settlements. The characters are hired to investigate the occupation, determine whether the orcs are planning an attack, and reopen the trade road.
