Koru's Miscount is a broad, wooded valley in the Suss Forest, where blood trees shade abandoned orc stonework and working settlements cling to streams and clearings. The region feels inhabited but never fully tamed: old paths vanish under vines, and the ruins seem designed to belong to the forest rather than dominate it. Farmers, wardens, and traders share the valley uneasily, while the temple across from the ancient settlement gives every expedition a destination and a reason to cross unseen.
Cultures
The Susswood orcs preserve communal forest law and stonework shaped around living roots.
Valley farmers blend seasonal field customs with reverence for old woodland boundaries.
Roadward traders carry practical customs gathered from several neighboring regions.
Places
4 settlements
Small · Market hamletOld Koru FordTrade crossing and supply stopIts name recalls Koru, a forgotten crossing-keeper, though outsiders say it honors a ford that was miscounted on a tax map.
Medium · Market villageThe Three Cairns MarketSeasonal meeting place for trade and councilNamed for three stones raised after a flood, not for the three merchants outsiders claim founded it.
Small · Warden villageRoot HallRuin stewardship and path guidanceA working warden settlement occupies the edge of the ancient stone hall and forbids cutting its encircling trees.
Medium · Farming villageRed Evening FieldsGrain and root-crop productionThe place-name refers to a battle fought at dawn, a detail outsiders routinely reverse.
How they spread
PatternMost people live in small clusters around clearings and dependable water, leaving the oldest groves largely uninhabited. A few hamlets gather where paths meet streams or cross the valley.
Common kinds
Streamside farming villages
Warden steads near forest paths
Small market hamlets at crossings
Seasonal camps beside gathering grounds
Trade routes
The southern farm track follows the valley floor toward open country.
The Cairn Way links the western crossings with woodland steads.
The ridge path carries stone and iron gravel to neighboring uplands.
Dangers and hooks
4 threats
Most dangerous · HighThe Mossfall SinkEnvironmental hazardIt opens without warning beneath travelers near the stepped stone shelves.
The Hollow UnderhallHighUnknown presence
Unseen movement and faint knocks have been reported below the ancient settlement.
The Sap-Bitten StagsModerateWildlife
They roam near blood-tree groves and become violently disoriented after feeding on tainted growth.
Ruin Scavenger BandsVariableHuman and humanoid conflict
Small crews periodically enter the settlement and clash with wardens over salvage.
Hazards of the land
Hidden sinkholes beneath carpets of leaves
Irritating blood-tree sap that stains skin and cloth
Flash floods in narrow ravines
Plot hooks
1
Across the Blood TreesStealth expeditionA group of travelers needs to cross the ruins and reach the far-side temple without alerting a patrol watching the main road.Starts: The concealed approach beneath the roofless stone hallReward: A safe route through the valley and a carved token of passage
2
The Law Beneath MossInvestigationA newly exposed inscription suggests the wardens have misunderstood the ruins' boundary law for generations.Starts: A fallen lintel beside the settlement's root-wrapped hallReward: A claim to salvage rights or the wardens' lasting trust
3
Stairs After the RainRival expeditionA flood has uncovered a sealed stair, and rival groups race to reach whatever lies below.Starts: The swollen bank of Koru BrookReward: A recovered relic and a share of any lawful salvage
4
Red Marks on the FlockWilderness mysteryBlood-tree sap appears on livestock far from the groves, and villagers fear something is driving animals out of the forest.Starts: A pasture near the southern clearingsReward: A local guide, supplies, and a forest clan's favor
The land
Climate and ground
ClimateMild and damp, with long wet springs, warm summers, and misty autumns.
TerrainA broad, folded valley of wooded slopes, stone shelves, and narrow clearings, crossed by old paths and scattered ruins.
Biomes
Blood-tree woodland, Mossy ruin groves, Temperate valley meadows, Fern-choked ravines
Waters and borders
Waterways
Suss Run, Koru Brook, The Reedwater, Old Mill Creek
Borders
The Suss Forest's deeper eastern reaches
Open farming country to the south
A broken ridge to the north
A low marshy tract to the west
On the road
Vines and moss conceal stone steps, making old paths difficult to follow.
Travelers can cross the valley safely by keeping to marked cairns.
Blood-tree groves shed staining sap that can reveal anyone who brushes their trunks.
Landmarks
The Ancient Orc Settlement, where weathered structures share space with living trees
A roofless stone hall whose pillars encircle a great trunk
The far-side temple reached by a concealed path across the valley
Cairns marking old crossings through the blood-tree groves
Landforms
A wide central valley
Stepped stone shelves
Root-tangled ravines
Low wooded ridges
Resources
Medicinal bark and fungi
Durable building stone
Hardwood gathered under strict stewardship
Iron-bearing gravel in the upper streams
Power
Rule
GovernmentA loose compact of village elders, forest wardens, and clan speakers settles shared matters through seasonal councils.
SeatThe seasonal council meets at the Three Cairns, with no permanent seat of rule.
StabilityGenerally steady, though disputes over salvage and road access periodically strain cooperation.
Laws
Cutting a blood tree requires consent from the nearest wardens.
No stone may be removed from the ancestral ruins without communal leave.
Travelers must report fires before leaving the valley.
Factions
Keepers of the Bent RootHeritage wardens
Influence: Strong among woodland communities and respected by nearby villages.Protect the ancestral ruins and prevent destructive excavation.
The Miscounted Crossing CompanyCarters and merchants
Influence: Moderate at markets and along the eastern road.Open reliable routes through the valley and secure salvage rights.
Ashen Reed CircleRitual fellowship
Influence: Quiet but growing among younger orcs.Recover old rites and restore the forest's sacred boundaries.
Faiths
The Root Ancestors
Influence: Strong among Susswood orc communities and the ruin wardens.Honoring ancestors through care for groves, paths, and shared stonework.
Way of the Quiet Ford
Influence: Common among farmers and travelers.Seasonal offerings to streams and the spirits believed to guard safe crossings.
The Green Silence
Influence: Limited but visible among temple pilgrims.Contemplation of decay as a necessary passage toward renewal.
People and trade
Who lives here
How manySparse overall, with clustered villages along the valley floor and scattered woodland steads.
Main peoples
Susswood orc communities
Human valley farmers
Mixed-heritage forest wardens
Other peoples
Dwarven quarry families, Itinerant traders
Languages
Suss Orcish, Common Trade Speech, Valley Cant
Trade
WealthModest, with wealth concentrated among traders and families controlling safe crossings.
Work
Timber stewardship, Herbal gathering, Small-scale farming, Stone salvage and masonry
Long before the present villages arose, Susswood orcs built a settlement whose stonework followed the contours of the forest. Its people maintained paths, groves, and a temple across the valley as parts of one living place. Later generations left the settlement, and succeeding orc bands did not share its careful ways. The remaining ruins now draw wardens, scavengers, pilgrims, and travelers seeking a concealed route through the blood trees.
Key events
Old Kingdom
The Root-ShapingOrc builders raised stone halls that curved around mature trees rather than clearing the groves.
The Broken Years
The Red EveningA brief battle was later remembered as the Red Evening, though outsiders incorrectly claim the trees turned red that night.
After the Retreat
The Far Temple DepartureSurvivors abandoned the largest settlement, leaving its temple standing across the valley from the ruins.
Recent Generations
The Cairn CompactRoadward families and forest clans agreed to protect the ruins while permitting limited passage.
Secret 1 · GM only
The ruins and temple were built as one ceremonial complex, connected by a passage beneath the valley.Found by: The oldest carvings on the hall pillars depict roots surrounding a hidden doorway.If found: The original builders concealed a dry passage linking the settlement to the far-side temple.
Secret 2 · GM only
The cairn route records a seasonal crossing rather than a fixed road.Found by: Compare the cairns with the old stream marks carved into stones near Koru Brook.If found: The safe route shifts seasonally, and following the modern markers blindly can lead travelers into flood channels.
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