The Rotting Heart

Description

Adventure Summary

For three weeks, an unnatural storm of necrotic rain has raged over the Verdant Heart, a sacred druid grove. The blight spreads, and the dead walk. Two factions of druids—the Keepers of the Bloom and the Circle of the Rot—blame each other for the corruption, each seeking to destroy the other. But a hidden hand orchestrates the conflict, and only the party can uncover the truth before the grove is lost forever. This one-shot adventure is designed for 3-5 characters of levels 3-5.

Background

The Verdant Heart lies within the Thornwood, a nexus of primal energy guarded for centuries by the druids of the Circle of the Eternal Bloom. Beneath its oldest tree, a natural rift to the Shadowfell was sealed by a sacred moonstone. Three weeks ago, a rogue druid named Thorn sought to harness the rift’s power using a shadow-fell seedling. His ritual cracked the ward, unleashing a tempest of negative energy. Thorn fled to a root grotto, convinced he can merge the forest with the Shadowfell. The remaining druids fractured: the Keepers of the Bloom, led by Elder Liana, seek to destroy the seedling and restore the ward; the Circle of the Rot, originally led by Thalia, believe Thorn’s vision is the only way to survive, and they use necromancy to control the undead. Thorn, from the shadows, feeds both sides misinformation, hoping they’ll destroy each other while he completes his ritual.

The Hook

The party is traveling near Thornwood when a dryad named Verna stumbles onto the path. Her oak, Oakie, is dying, blackened by the storm. She describes the endless rain that burns skin and raises dead animals. “The druids of the Heart have gone mad,” she sobs. “They fight among themselves while the forest dies. Please, you must go to the Heart and stop the storm!” She can provide directions to the grove and warn of the shambling dead. As the party ventures deeper, the storm grows stronger, and they soon encounter their first taste of the conflict.