Wyrmbough Grove

Start-class article · First seen: s1 · Last seen: s4
Wyrmbough Grove
Wurmbau Grove · Wyrmbau Grove · Wyrmbown Grove · Wormbau Grove · Wenbao · Wermbau · Wurrenbow · Wurmbau · Wyrmbough
Wyrmbough Grove — portrait.
Location
StatusActive
First seens1
Last seens4
FactionWyrmbough Grove elven council

Wyrmbough Grove is the elven city north-west of Gloamhearth in which sessions 2 and 3 of the campaign were set. The town is governed by an elven council whose senior figures — including the alchemist Gwen Homora and the war-horn-bearing Selenor — hosted the party during their bark-collection quest in the Corrupted Redwood Grove outside the walls. The grove was historically the site of the Grove Wars: 34 elves and their leader Edvan fell here defeating the ancient green dragon Death-at-Sunset, and Wyrmbough’s central burial mound remains the campaign’s first monument [3]. The campaign’s first recorded player-character death — Cholmondeley’s — was mourned here on the village green at the end of session 3.

Overview

Wyrmbough Grove is the small elven city at the western edge of the campaign map, surrounded on three sides by the redwoods of the Corrupted Redwood Grove and the slow-curving river that drains the corruption into the valley. The party arrived in session 1 (per Cholmondeley’s recap), made it their base of operations for sessions 2 and 3, and left for Eldwythe at the close of session 3 with Sevryn’s telepathic redirection ringing in their ears.

The town’s history is older than its current crisis. The central burial mound at the heart of the corrupted grove is a memorial to the Grove Wars: 34 elves under the hero Edvan fell here defeating the ancient green dragon Death-at-Sunset, who returned as animated bones until the party absorbed her hoard’s essence into The Egg in session 3. The dragon-themed name “Wyrmbough” (literally “wyrm-mound”) is plainly historical; the town is built on the ground where the dragon was buried.

Geography and appearance

A central square holds the council building and the village green. Cottages and the grill of Fergus cluster nearby; Shamil’s forge is a short walk into the artisan quarter. East of the city the Corrupted Redwood Grove begins, with six harvestable redwoods, a poisoned stream, a muddy bog, and the central burial mound (~30ft high), ringed by yellow sickly flowers and untouched by the corruption. Beyond the stream lies Sunset is Nigh’s Lair — the cave entrance to the dragon’s tunnels.

The fading forest’s corruption was actively driving elves out of town as the campaign opened. By the end of session 3, after the absorption of Death-at-Sunset’s hoard essence and the killing of her son Sunset is Nigh, the corruption is described as receding [6].

Government / control

The Wyrmbough Grove elven council governs. Named members:

The town is otherwise unaligned with the great powers. No Aurelian presence is recorded; no Velkris tax agent is visible.

Notable features

  • Hollow Hall Tavern — sometimes used loosely; the s1 meeting was at Hollow Hall in Gloamhearth, not here.
  • The council building — where Gwen Homora briefs the party on the burial mound and the corruption [3].
  • The village green — site of Cholmondeley’s funeral, the war-horn ritual, and the dragon-meat feast.
  • Fergus’s Grill — combination grill, B&B, and rented cottages, run by the camp Fergus. 5gp/night per cottage. The party rents here repeatedly.
  • Shamil’s Forge — elven blacksmith’s establishment in the artisan quarter, where Vazquez forged his gunblade in session 3.
  • The central square — where Sunny the halfling merchant kept his travelling stall and where Cholmondeley left Nancy to mind the cart in session 2.

History in the campaign

  • Session 1 (unrecorded): Party arrives. The elves Amara and Gwen Homora greet them at the city outskirts and warn about the missing hunter Armin Whisperwind and four other elves taken into the corrupted forest.
  • Session 2: The bark-collection quest. Six samples retrieved from the corrupted redwoods; Gwen Homora brews five poison-resistance potions; Sunny trades crossbows for a hand crossbow and alchemist’s fire; the party rents cottages at Fergus’s Grill; Nancy is left with the cart in the rain and storms off in the morning.
  • Session 3: The party crosses the stream into Sunset is Nigh’s Lair, absorbs the dragon hoard’s essence into The Egg (now permanently green), loses Cholmondeley to a yuan-ti woman’s double-bite, and returns. A funeral is held on the village green: Gwen Homora places six sprigs of mosswort in the fire (one extra for Cholmondeley); Selenor plays the carved war-horn of the Grove Wars; Cholmondeley’s holy symbol passes to Nancy. Sevryn’s telepathic voice arrives: “I sense a dragon’s presence in the town of Eldwythe” [7]. Vazquez forges his gunblade at Shamil’s forge on a d100 of 4. Earthwing the Owlin sits down at the dragon-meat feast.
  • Session 4: Party departs Wyrmbough toward Mirestrand via Gloamhearth, with Terry now in Earthwing’s seat.

Inhabitants

  • Gwen Homora — council elder, alchemist
  • Fergus — butcher, innkeeper, “very camp Russell-Crowe-Greek-accent Zeus”
  • Selenor — council member, war-horn-bearer
  • Shamil — blacksmith, accent shifts every word
  • Sunny — halfling travelling merchant (frequents the central square)
  • Amara — elf met at the city outskirts in s1
  • Armin Whisperwind — elf hunter; rescued in s3 from Sunset is Nigh’s Lair
  • Nancy — small girl, Cholmondeley’s ward; lives here as of s3 onwards (per the recap; left at Wyrmbough in s4)

Status as of session 16

Active, free of the corruption that nearly overwhelmed it. The party has not returned since session 4. Hugo proposed in session 14 that they travel back here (or to Gloamhearth / Mirestrand) to find Sevryn and explain the Briochebane misfire; the proposal was deferred when the Aurelian occupation of Eldwythe forced their hand toward the White Lantern Shrine instead.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 2, line 20 — Cholmondeley's recap establishes the elven council and the corruption.
  2. ^ Session 2, line 3140-3148 — Gwen Homora delivers the poison-resistance potions.
  3. ^ Session 3, line 176-178 — 34 elves and Edvan fell here against Death-at-Sunset.
  4. ^ Session 3, line 1972-1976 — Cholmondeley's funeral; Selenor plays the war-horn.
  5. ^ Session 3, line 2110-2120 — Vazquez forges his gunblade at Shamil's forge.
  6. ^ Session 3, line 1928 — Inline citation.
  7. ^ Session 3, line 2046 — Inline citation.