Rift in the Passby Grove

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investigation and containment

Rift in the Passby Grove

Lvl 1-33-5 PCs1-2 sessions, about 4-7 hours total· medium

“A glowing grove hides a wound in the land, and someone has been feeding it to make the wound worse.”

— Hook · investigation and containment

QuestgiverEldra Valewind

Investigation and containment

D&D 5E

Medium

Lvl 1-3

3-5 PCs

1-2 sessions, about 4-7 hours total

4 NPCs

3 encounters

The Opening

“As dusk settles over the caravan camp, the trees beyond the road begin to glow with a pale green light that seems to breathe between the trunks. Eldra Valewind says the land is bleeding magic, and that something on the far side of the grove will notice if you go near it. If the glow is not investigated tonight, the road may not be safe by dawn.”
— Hook · investigation and containment

Set the Scene

The caravan fire burns low when a second light rises from the trees, pale and steady, as if the grove itself has kindled a lantern in the dark. The air grows cold, the roots begin to hum beneath your feet, and Eldra Valewind quietly asks who among you is willing to step off the road and into the glow.

Patron

Questgiver

Eldra Valewind

earnest warning from a knowledgeable caravan mage

On the Streets · In the Books

Rumours

d4 · table

01
The grove has been glowing for exactly three nights, always stronger after moonrise.
02
A voice can sometimes be heard under the roots, speaking in a language older than the road.
03
Someone in the caravan paid for extra lamps and asked too many questions about the grove.
04
Animals that sleep inside the grove wake up with dirt under their nails and no memory of where they walked.

Stakes

If the breach is not contained, the caravan route becomes unsafe, the grove may spawn more shadow-touched creatures, and a local saboteur gains access to dangerous leyline residue.

Ticking Clock·By dawn, the rift will either stabilize on its own, widen enough to draw more creatures, or be harvested clean by whoever first discovers how to exploit it.

Background Lore

Passby Grove sits beside an old caravan route where the land is thin with old magic. Locals avoid it after dusk because the trees occasionally glow from within, and animals found nearby often wander in circles or sleep for days. Eldra Valewind believes a leyline beneath the grove has ruptured, drawing shadow-touched guardians and warping the roots into a living threshold.

What the World Knows

A glowing grove near the caravan road is being warped by an unstable leyline breach that attracts shadowspawn guardians. The party must investigate the light, survive the grove's defenders, and stabilize the rift before it grows worse and endangers the road.