Dendro's Devotions

## The Proving Glade

In the northern regions of the Sword Coast, also known as the faraway forest, a frogfolk monk named Dendro Croaker sought to spread his order's teachings of nonviolence and grace. As fate would have it, he arrived at the Moonwood, a mystical forest known to be home to powerful spirits. The town of Quervarr, located near the forest, was seeking assistance to appease these spirits, so Dendro decided to offer his help. He spoke with the town's headman, Torstan Colville, and learned of the troubles that had befallen the woods.

Dendro sought the aid of the locals in the Whistling Stag tavern and was introduced to a half-orc named Alaun. Together, they decided to investigate the forest, and Dendro discovered that something was very wrong. Foresters were emerging from the woods confused and disoriented, and game had all but disappeared from the forest. People were leaving Quervarr for better opportunities elsewhere, and it seemed that the common folk could no longer make a living there. Dendro sought to satiate the spirits.

As they continued their journey, Dendro and Alaun encountered a displacer beast and blink dogs but treated them with kindness, grace, and nonviolence. Their peaceful approach shocked a woodsman named Daelin Hoofbane, who had independently journeyed into the cursed forest. Daelin was a depressed ranger who carried a lot of guilt about letting his partner, Gin, stay behind when they were attacked by a monster deep in the woods. The group encountered a series of pranks from woodland sprites. As they proceeded, they encountered an ettin named Hargle-Vargle, who had lost his mighty sword (what he called his toothpick), which was stolen by nearby pixies led by a pixie named Pinky.

Dendro entertained the pixies with enjoyable stories, retrieved the sword, and healed Hargle-Vargle's sleep apnea (which was bothering the pixies). Hargle-Vargle allowed Alaun to keep the sword. Finally, the group reached the core of the forest, where they found the source of the issues plaguing the Moonwood. The dense undergrowth and tightly packed trees suddenly gave way to a beautiful glade filled with sweet grasses and wildflowers. The main thing that drew their attention was the alluring humanoid form in the middle of the glade, gesturing for them to approach.

This form was a fey called the Alseiad, a powerful being that had heard Daelin's partner Gin's dying wish and had come to answer his call. Unfortunately, the hydra had already grown too powerful to be culled, so the Alseiad had contained it until such a time as it could be dealt with. She would only allow those who passed her test to attempt the feat. The monster, a hydra, had been responsible for the disappearance of wildlife from the forest, and what forest animals the vile monster had not lured and consumed, the Alseiad had redirected.

The Alseiad praised Dendro for his nonviolent ways of resolving conflict, and Dendro spoke for Daelin, who was wracked with guilt. Dendro learned Daelin had not fled from the hydra, but he had abandoned Gin to escape with his own life. This act of selfishness was something that Daelin would never live down, but Dendro was sympathetic, and the Alseiad was convinced to allow the guilt-wracked ranger to avenge his partner. They confronted and slew the hydra.

With the hydra defeated and the forest restored, Dendro, Alaun, and Daelin returned to Quaervarr as heroes. The townsfolk celebrated their return.

Dendro, having completed his mission, decided to continue on his travels, spreading his message of nonviolence and helping those in need. Alaun, inspired by Dendro's teachings, decided to join him on his journey. He kept Hargle-Vargle's toothpick, the magic sword, in defense of the innocent, naming it Talon.

Daelin, having come to terms with his guilt and the consequences of his actions, decided to stay in Quaervarr to help rebuild the town and protect the forest.

And so, Dendro and Alaun set off into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges may come their way. But they know that they will always have a home in Quaervarr, and that they will always be welcomed back as heroes.

## In the Heart of the Forest

Many years ago, the village of Redvale made a deal with the sorceress Erayna, handing over the heart of their forest in exchange for abundant crops. As Erayna's power grew, so did her ambition, and the local druid circle discovered her plan to expand her control over the village. Desperate to protect their home, they transformed themselves into wood woads through a powerful and secret ritual, one full moon at a time.

Now, as the full moon approaches, only Adelle, the final druid, remains unaccounted for. The villagers suspect her of murdering a man named Cyrus, and they demand justice. Dendro, Alaun, and Lorelei, a local trapper whose assistant Julien didn’t come back from an investigation, embark on a perilous journey into the forest to find Adelle and uncover the truth.

Against the villagers' warnings, the adventurers push further into the woods, and the mist thickens around them. Suddenly, they're attacked by a wraith—the restless spirit of the departed Julien—but Lorelei and Alaun manage to defeat it. As they travel deeper into the forest, they encounter a wood woad (who they eventually learn is Cyrus) who leads them to Adelle's grove. The grove is eerie and unsettling, filled with dark symbols and scarlet flowers that seem to pulse with an otherworldly power.

Adelle warns them of Erayna's plans to destroy the village and surrounding areas. When they rest, she vanishes into the mist, leaving the group to handle the situation herself. The next day, they follow the wood woad to a courtyard filled with red flowers that seem to flow like blood over every surface. In the center of the courtyard, a cloaked figure stands over Adelle's lifeless body, carving out her heart.

As the figure drops the cloak, the adventurers see the face of Erayna, an ageless and stunningly beautiful elf who regards them with disdain. The group readies their weapons, knowing that the final battle with Erayna will determine the fate of Redvale and the Blackwoods Forest.

In the heart of the cursed forest, the party stands before the wicked sorceress Erayna, who had twisted Lorelei’s trusted assistant into a fearsome wraith. With steely determination, the heroes battle the evil enchantress, knowing that the fate of the forest and its inhabitants hang in the balance.

Despite their best efforts, they could not save Adelle, a victim of Erayna's dark magic. But hope still flickers like a dim ember. Through their valiant efforts, they help Adelle transcend death and become the glade’s new sorceress. They shroud her in Erayna’s shadow cloak, a powerful artifact that only someone of Erayna's bloodline can wear. With it, Adelle takes up the mantle and challenges Erayna's control of the forest's heart.

Attuning to the cloak and the enchanted flower crown, Adelle emerges as a force of life within the forest. Her power surges through the trees and the ground, healing and restoring the damage wrought by Erayna's dark magic. The once-dying forest blossoms with new life, and the creatures who call it home revel in the renewal of their beloved domain.

Under Dendro's blessing, Adelle becomes the forest's protector, driving out any darkness that threatens its peace. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Redvale prospers under the newfound stability of the forest.

## Future Developments

Much of what Dendro did after these heroic deeds has been lost to the void of history. However, he took part in some key endeavors that shaped the future of the material plane:

* Dendro helped Alaun, a polymorphed barnyard animal with a deep sense of loyalty and love for his deceased master, set up a fine estate (**Tresendar Manor**) in the south of the Sword Coast. Alaun settled down with Lorelei. His descendants became heroes in their own right, passing the sword Talon through generations.
* Dendro founded a mountain monastery. When Ashardalon the Calamity rained destruction down on Faerun, Dendro withstood Ashardalon's minions, rebuffing one of his mightiest generals: a mage of Osse named Gulthias.
* Dendro, in seeking a way to save the land from Ashardalon, joined forces with a husband-and-wife team of powerful mages (Annah Sarwin and Zebulahr Sarwin). Relying on their magic, he learned about Osse, the mysterious southern continent.
* Before Dendro left for Osse, he asked his disciples to resist Ashardalon and help goodly folk do the same. Some of his teachings became twisted throughout the years. Devotees of his meditations have been split into two factions: the **Frogs Who Fought**, who believe in aggressively hunting down evil, and the **Pondguard** (Dendro's original name for his followers), who believe in prioritizing defense.
* In Osse, Dendro discovered a druid named **Dydd**. We do not know what they said to each other, but we know they ended up joining forces. Ultimately, Ashardalon the Calamity was destroyed, but none who live can tell the tale of how it happened. Some loremasters believe that Dendro, Dydd, and the Sarwins' actions created a prophetic power known as the **Blessing of the Erl-Princeszn**.
* Erayna's bloodline endured, and it eventually found its way to Morwen Sindarin, a elven woman who bore two daughters - Dayrah and **Feyalin**.

## New NPCs

1. Alaun Tresendar, half-orc warrior
2. Torstan Colville, Quervarr's headman
3. Daelin Hoofbane, woodsman
4. Hargle-Vargle, ettin
5. Pinky, pixie
6. The Alseiad, fey
7. Lorelei, trapper
8. Erayna, shadow sorceress
9. Adelle, druid