Opening Introduction The World of Greyhawk & The World of Greyhawk Wiki The current year for our World of Greyhawk campaign is set during 579CY. Inspired By Gary Gygax

Leaving the settlement of Hochoch, you are headed to the village of Orlane, a small farming community whose prosperity has inexplicably begun to wither which lies three days due east. The once-thriving trade with Hochoch has faltered, and strange tales are whispered among the wary merchants and travelers who pass through.

The most chilling of these are stories of the village's people—some have fled their homes in a sudden, terrified panic, leaving their farms abandoned, while others have simply vanished. You've been told the villagers are no longer the friendly, open folk they once were; instead, they are described as fearful and suspicious of outsiders.

There are rumors of a strange influence or ailment taking root in the village, with some believing a sorcerer from the feared Vale of the Mage has bewitched the populace from the darkness of the Dim Forest. Other, more sinister whispers speak of a far older magic, a corruption tied to the surrounding marshlands and the ancient, forgotten evils that dwell there.

The last travelers who came from Orlane spoke of a town consumed by a chilling silence, broken only by the locking of doors and the frightened glances from behind shuttered windows. What you do know is that something foul and unnatural has infested Orlane. It is an unseen predator, turning neighbors against one another, silencing any who might speak the truth, and preying upon the innocent. You have decided to make it your mission to uncover the dark riddle of Orlane before it, too, is consumed by the evil stalking its lonely streets.

Completing your preperation in Hochoch, you now set out towards the village of Orlane, a name that once conjured images of tranquil fields and hearty farmers. Yet the reports reaching the gates of Hochoch have grown increasingly grim, painting a picture of a community slowly suffocating under an unseen menace.

As you travel, the landscape shifts from the well-trodden caravan routes to more desolate, winding paths. The sense of unease begins subtly—the birdsong fades, replaced by the rustle of unseen things in the undergrowth. You pass farms that stand silent and empty, with crops left to rot in the fields. A broken-down cart on the side of the road, its goods spilled and untouched, speaks volumes of a hasty and terrified departure. The very air seems to grow heavy, carrying with it a faint, sickly-sweet odor of decay.

The people of Hochoch have only whispers and speculation to offer, and each story is more chilling than the last. Some merchants speak of Orlane's trade simply withering away, the villagers no longer producing the goods they once did. Other, more fantastic rumors mention a "changeling", a villager who has been replaced by a monstrous double, detectable by strange fang marks on the throat.

Though this detail may be a traveler's tale, the underlying fear that something is fundamentally changing the people of Orlane is all too real. The mystery of Orlane will not be solved easily, for the danger is not just a monster lurking in the dark, but the very people you have come to save.