Adventure Hook Index Card #006. A new card released every Saturday on Twitter by @jmason333.
Grove of the Green Father
After a violent volcanic eruption, the Kingdom of Alturae lies in utter ruin. Entire villages buried under ash and pumice, forests scorched asunder, and farmlands completely consumed by carmine lava flows. Once the dust settled, and the undulating ground once again slept, more than two thirds of the kingdom had been destroyed. With nearly all resources eradicated, the Alturaen culture seemed destined to vanish. However, a single hope remains. Ytoreth, the king’s advisor and lore-keeper believes there is an artifact that can restore their lands and save the people – the Verdant Staff.
Legend tells of this staff that births flora and foliage wherever it strikes, and with such magical powers, it could be used to quickly restore the decimated lands. The myth details how the staff, once used by an ancient nature goddess, was entrusted to a druid known as the Green Father. Ancient long before the time of the tale, the old Druid took the staff deep into the mystical forest of Neverwoode and was never heard from again. Ytoreth has tasked the adventurers with locating and retrieving the staff.
The Neverwoode is avoided by all travelers. It is a wyrd place of primal magic and forgotten spirits. Those who dare enter are rarely seen again. Those who manage to return tell tales of labyrinth trails, living forest canopies, and an ever-changing woodland.
First getting to the druid will prove to be a challenge as the shifting rivers and forrest surrounding his grove are protected by enumerable undines, nymphs, dryads, and sylphs that allow no one to freely pass through their territory.
The Green Father is located in a grove at the center of the forest, now so ancient that his human body has grown, from bust-down, into the trunk of an elder oak that helps to sustain his life. The staff is located within the tree’s trunk, and can only be removed if the adventures can either kill the old druid or convince him to sacrifice his life for the good of the people of Alturae. If engaged in battle, the ancient oak encasing the Green Father uproots and becomes an ancient ent under his control.
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