Prepare for the release of Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount by playing your own encounters in the world of Critical Role! This encounter is based off of “Storm Celebration,” a low-level adventure hook presented in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, which you can preorder now on the D&D Beyond Marketplace!

The latest D&D campaign setting explores the world of Critical Role in Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, now available for preorder on the D&D Beyond Marketplace. Wildemount is a land of dark and epic fantasy, with low-level characters fighting to survive in a world full of common folk who are just as mud-splattered and hungry as they are—and high-level characters contending with the fate of nations and magic that has the power to bring about the end of the world, or the creation of a new one. This series of Encounters of the Week are one-shot adventures for low-level characters set in the four major regions of Wildemount: the grim, authoritarian Dwendalian Empire; Xhorhas, home of their mortal rival the Kryn Dynasty; the tropical and politically neutral Menagerie Coast; and the frozen and forbidden Greying Wildlands, home to strange mystics and every sort of criminal scum.

This week’s Encounter is Storm Celebration, bringing the adventurers to the Biting North of Wildemount, the Greying Wildlands and the orc settlement of Boroftkrah, where an oncoming storm brings a time of games and competition to the clan as they honor Kord, the Storm Lord, for as long as the storm lasts. There is a darker plot, however. A delegation of the townsfolk are loyal worshipers of the Betrayer God known as Gruumsh the Ruiner, and they have concocted a bloody scheme to turn the celebrations into a gruesome offering to their evil god.

Boroftkrah and the Gods

Boroftkrah is a settlement of orcs, half-orcs, and a few people of other races in the Greying Wildlands. Far from the Dwendalian Empire and sufficiently outside the Kryn Dynasty's influence, these people have little interest in the larger conflicts of the continent at large. The orcs of Boroftkrah strive to live their lives in fellowship, free of the murderous impulses of Gruumsh the Ruiner, the god from whose blood their people were born. Though orc legend claims that Gruumsh’s power, the Curse of Ruin, dooms all of their people to a wrathful and destructive existence, some orcs in Wildemount—many of whom have gathered in Boroftkrah—think differently. They have dedicated their mortal lives to serving to Kord the Storm Lord, a god that values strength, courage, and glory over all other things.

The people of Boroftkrah seek to honor Kord with displays of hunting prowess and their survival talents. In matters of life and worship, they are guided by orcs known as the Runemarked. These warriors, some of them elders of their people, have proven themselves to be the strongest and most dedicated of their people to the Boroftkrah’s survival.

Encounter Summary

The people of Boroftkrah have seen a thunderstorm rolling across the Rime Plains, and are celebrating the arrival of this sacred storm with a competition of sports and athleticism to honor Kord. Amidst the excitement schemes Tuvog, the secret master of a cult of Gruumsh among the Boroftkrah. He is determined to turn the evening into a bloody spectacle in the name of the Ruiner by undermining the Runemarked and inciting the mindless violence he believes flows through the blood of all orcs. Can the characters put a stop to his machinations before the orcs of Boroftkrah are destroyed by Tuvog’s bloodlust?

Combat Encounter: Storm Celebration

This encounter is designed for characters of 2nd or 3rd level, and assumes the characters have at least heard of Boroftkrah, whether as travelers through the Greying Wildlands or by having visited it before while traveling to other cities.

The characters begin this story by crossing the Rime Plains, a vast expanse of desolate ice that stretches along the frigid eastern coast of the Greying Wildlands. The skies are beginning to darken, and it looks like a heavy storm is on the way. As the characters begin to think about finding shelter, a panicked shout far in the distance catches their attention. About 150 feet away, they can see what looks like a tall humanoid figure running after several quadrupedal beasts.

If they decide to investigate, read or paraphrase the following:

In the distance, a gangly half-orc shouts hopelessly at three large four-legged creatures that look like massive, black-furred wolves. Frayed ropes dangle wildly behind them as the beasts’ snapped leashes flow behind them. The boy is running as fast as he can, but he clearly has no hope of catching up to them. A distantly rumble of thunder rolls across the plains, and the beasts suddenly turn away and start running towards you. Unable to give chase further, the half-orc stops running and spots you as well. He hoarsely shouts, “Please! Catch them if you can!”

At this point, the three dire wolves are about 100 feet away, and sprinting at full speed toward them, taking the Dash action each turn until they are within 5 feet of the characters. The half-orc scout does the same, until he is within 5 feet of one of the wolves. Once he does so, he can attach a metal collar to one of the wolves as an action, and it settles down—but is still clearly agitated.

The dire wolves are crazed and hungry for blood, and attack the characters on sight. If the characters prefer to subdue the wolves rather than kill them, they can try to calm them down. If a character succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check, all of the dire wolves within 30 feet take the Dodge action on their turn. Once the party has made a total of three successful checks, the wolves curl up and stop being hostile. They may also try other means, such as battling the wolves but knocking them out instead of killing them. A character that examines the dire wolf and makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check finds some traces of poison in the fur around the wolves muzzles. This is the handiwork of the traitor Tuvog and his minions, who used poison to whip some of the dire wolves into a frenzy to cause a distraction while his cult members positioned themselves within the crowds at the celebration back in town. 

After the fight, the characters have a chance to speak to the half-orc. It’s clear just from looking at him that he’s a lanky, physically awkward teen. He introduces himself as Garma, and offers thanks to the Storm Lord for sending the characters into his path. If asked why he was chasing the dire wolves, he says:

“I was tending to the dire wolves we were going to use for the games this evening, but these are a rambunctious lot. Before I could even blink, they’d broken their tethers and gotten away from me! I’ve been chasing them for almost an hour.”

The games, he specifies, are a celebration of the clan’s devotion to Kord where they honor him with games of skill. Just as Garma is finished speaking, the sky flashes bright with distant lightning as if to emphasize his point. He begs the party’s assistance in getting the wolves safely back to Boroftkrah and insists they meet with the clan elders as well so that they may be thanked for what they’ve done.

Arrival in Boroftkrah

Garma leads the characters to the gates of Boroftkrah where two very large orcs in battered hide armor guard the entrance. Just past the orcs, the city is abuzz with activity. The sky has only grown darker in the time since subduing the dire wolfs, and all the denizens of Boroftkrah are preparing for the evening’s events. Unless the characters are already known in Boroftkrah, the orcs furrow their brows and scowl at the characters, and say:

“The lightning is almost upon us, and the games are about to begin. This sacred day is not the time to bring untested strangers into Boroftkrah.”

Garma vouches for the characters, citing their earlier aid, and one of the orcs steps towards him, growls low in the back of his throat, and then smiles wide and gives him a playful clap on the shoulder. The orc guard teases Garma for not managing to keep an eye on the wolves and then jerks his head towards the village, inviting them all into the village.

As the characters walk through the city, they see flurries of activity in every corner. Several clusters of mud and thatch buildings and tents form small neighborhoods where groups of orcs gather and gossip. It seems like the entire village is gathered here, as orcs of all ages, sexes, and occupations are milling about—plus a handful of humans, tieflings, and a few folk of other races. Countless rudimentary stalls have been erected along the mud roads, and merchants shout their wares to interested participants, as well as several large rings anywhere from 10 to 20 feet in diameter: fighting rings. Large pens containing dire wolves, giant boars, and even a few moose (use giant elk statistics) can be seen being used as beasts of burden. As the characters make their way into the center of town may certain bits of conversation as they pass through town:

• “I hear Tuvog is the favorite to win in every event he’s in this evening!”
• “Last time the celebrations happened, the storm didn’t die down for three whole days!”
• “I saw an orog with red paint smeared across his face the other day. He didn’t look familiar to me at all.”
• “Look, there are strangers in town! Are they here to join the celebrations too?”

Garma leads the characters to the center of town, where the largest ring the characters have seen has been constructed before a massive stone pillar twenty feet tall and five feet in diameter. At the top, the symbol of Kord, a circular shield with two crossed lightning bolts at its center, is carved as if the shield had been stuck into the stone. At the base of the pillar, sitting under a canopy of dried animal skins, is a white-haired male orc flanked by an aged female orc and two orogs in their prime. Kneeling before them all is a male orc who rises as the characters approach. All are armed and armored.

These people are:

• Morgran the Runemarked, the male lawful neutral orc war chief that serves as the de facto leader of Boroftkrah. He is the eldest of the Runemarked that lead the village, and all the other Runemarked look to his leadership. He is still strong despite his white-haired age, and has a dry sense of humor.
• Ungarak the Runemarked, a female neutral good orc bard that can often be found at Morgran’s side. Though they aren’t romantically involved, they are life partners in friendship. She knows all the great stories of valor commonly told in Boroftkrah by heart, and is sometimes known as the memory of the village.
• Grishak the Runemarked, a male lawful good orog sworn to defend his chief. He sees Morgran as an uncle, and protects his chief and his sister Shoma at all costs.
• Shoma the Runemarked, a female lawful neutral orog. Like her brother, she is also sworn to defend Morgran, but does so out of a sense of obligation to her brother and her way of life rather than from any kinship with him.
• Tuvog, a male neutral evil orc Eye of Gruumsh that seeks to undermine Morgran and the other Runemarked leaders of Boroftkrah.

Garma presents the characters to Morgran, who introduces himself and welcomes them to Boroftkrah. He also introduces the others. Once he introduces Tuvog to the characters, Tuvog gives them a smile is more akin to a toothy grimace, and immediately leaves.

Hidden Traitor. Unbeknownst to the Runemarked, Tuvog is the leader of a cult of Gruumsh the Ruiner within their village. Tuvog wears an ersatz eye to hide the fact that he ritually gouged out one of his own eyes to honor his one-eyed god. While the ersatz eye looks and behaves like normal, a character that inspects Tuvog’s features in the brief moment that they see him can make a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, they notice that one of his eyes does not move in perfect sync with the other.

Garma explains the situation that brought the characters to Boroftkrah, and Morgran congratulates the party with a hearty laugh, and invites them to participate in the games. If questioned about Tuvog, the Runemarked agree almost unanimously that Tuvog is one of the clan’s best fighters and is even on the path to becoming Runemarked himself one day. Only Grishak thinks him too vicious and dishonorable to hold a Runemarked position.

Let The Games Begin!

Whether the characters decide to participate or not, they are allowed to roam the village as equals for their help. Boroftkrah has many shops selling basic weapons and various goods and sundry for anyone who is in need. Soon, however, a bright flash of lightning forks across the sky, almost immediately followed by a rumble that shakes the village. Morgran the Runemarked raises to his feet and bellows:

“People of Boroftkrah! Faithful of the Storm Lord! The Lightning is upon us. May Kord’s strength be given to each and every one of you—and may the Storm Celebration begin!”

The city of Boroftkrah cheers as one, and a mad scramble begins to find the best viewing spots for the storm’s events.

Most of the challenges during the celebration are nothing more than friendly sparring bouts and contests of strength and dexterity. The smaller rings are immediately filled by pairs of orcs that wrestle with each other, fight with blunted weapons, or fight with live steel to first blood. Cheering orcs crowd around the edges of the circles, rooting for their favorites to triumph or just to enjoy the spectacle. The characters are more than welcome to participate in any of the events that they may wish to. While there is no grand prize or ultimate tournament to be won, the people of Boroftkrah give this their all, both as a way to have fun and to honor their god.

These are only a few examples of some of the types of games the Boroftkrah orcs may play. Feel free to create your own!

One-on-One Combat. Several 30-foot diameter rings have been set up around the city. Weapons racks full of both wooden and dull metal weapons are placed beside them. Players may choose to fight each other (normal combat rules), or any orc or orog member of the Boroftkrah clan. Garma is eager to face any one of the party in combat, and is first to offer to be an opponent if any of them think of fighting.

Garma uses scout statistics with the following changes:

• If he is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, he can drop to 1 hit point instead. He can’t do so again until he completes a long rest.
• When he scores a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, he rolls one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and adds it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Victory is claimed when the opponent drops to 0 hit points, at which point an acolyte of the Storm Lord rushes to the side of the fallen and casts spare the dying (which they have prepared instead of light) to stabilize the combatant. A creature stabilized in this way regains one hit point and wake up after 1d4 hours have passed.

Dire Wolf Jousting. On the outside of the circles in the center of town near one of the dire wolf pens, a 50-by-20 foot length of dirt path has been set up to allow for jousting between two competitors on dire wolves. Blunted lances and shields are provided.

• Participants begin the joust at either end of the path. A DC 13 (Animal Handling) check is made to keep the dire wolf steady. If a character participates in the joust and uses one of the dire wolves rescued outside of Boroftkrah, this check is made with advantage.
• Make an attack against your foe with the lance. (As usual, a creature not proficient with the lance doesn’t add their proficiency bonus to the attack roll.) Whoever hits with the attack scores a point If both participants make the roll, the joust is a tie and both participants score a point.
• Whichever combatant earns three points first wins! If both combatants score a third point in the same round, they continue jousting until someone claims a point uncontested.

If only one character wants to joust, they face off against an orog. If they merely wish to watch or are tired of jousting, an orc and an orog rush up eagerly to face off against each other.

One with the Storm. Feats of strength are not the only games occurring during this celebration. Clan members more attuned to the ways of nature, such as druids, participate in a timing-based challenge. To prove themselves truly one with nature, orc and orog druids attempt to ring a gong in time with the distant thunder. There are several gongs placed around the entire city. To do so requires a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check to time the thunder after each flash of lightning. A creature that fails this check is eliminated. A match of lightning-matching ends when only one contestant remains.

Sabotage!

After the characters have either participated in or watched at least two of the events, they hear shouts and screams coming from the center of the city. A DC 13 Wisdom (Insight or Perception) check determines that these are noises of fear and anger, which may prompt the characters to investigate.

In the main fighting ring in front of the stone pillar in the center of town, Tuvog and three other clan members stand over the bleeding bodies of four orcs. By the looks on the faces of the horrified onlookers, it’s very clear this was not planned. Several of the clan member’s faces are hardened in anger, and Morgran the Runemarked loudly condemns him in the name of the Storm Lord.

When Tuvog catches sight of the characters, he grins widely and addresses the crowd, using thaumaturgy to project his voice over the thunder of the storm. He proclaims loudly that to serve the Storm Lord is a vain attempt to deny the true nature of the orc, which is to cut down those that would oppose the will of the Ruiner and claim the Greying Wildlands in his name. He lifts a hand to his face and removes the ersatz eye, casting it to the ground before he and his band charge the character with a rallying battlecry.

The area around the ring dissolves into panic. Hidden in the crowd, several followers of the Ruiner, paint or blood smeared across one eye, reveal themselves and begin cutting down innocents. While some of the Boroftkrah flee, most of them begin to defend themselves against their attackers. This mass chaos pleases Tuvog, for he longs to see his people succumb to the monstrous instincts he believes they all possess.

Fighting Tuvog. Tuvog fights alongside two orcs and an orog. He and his allies attack the party, and single out elf or half-elf characters first. Tuvog starts combat by casting bless on his fellow insurgents. On his next turn, he uses spiritual weapon to fight while his lackeys stay between him and the characters. Should his party fall, Tuvog fights to the death unless the characters decide to spare him.

Should any of the characters fall, Garma charges out from the crowd to join the fight and defend them.

And the Rain will Wash us Clean…

If Tuvog is apprehended, he gleefully answers any of the characters’ questions—especially if those questions involve why he did what he did.

Whether Tuvog is slain or apprehended, Morgran approaches the characters and informs them that the other followers are either being rounded up or slain themselves. If the characters are still confused about why this slaughter occurred, he explains the legend of the Curse of Ruin, and that he and many of the other Runemarked don’t believe the curse exists. Nevertheless, a great deal of orcs in Boroftkrah do, and they fight against it by clinging to the teachings of Kord like a drowning sailor clings to driftwood.

Morgran feels a great sadness and shame that he did not see Tuvog’s betrayal before now, and mourns the loss of life that happened on what was meant to be a time of joy and celebration, but he thanks the characters regardless for their intervention. As he speaks, a gentle rain begins to fall over Boroftkrah, and Morgran lifts his face to the sky as the gentle rumble of distant thunder echoes across the Wildlands.

You can continue your daring adventures through the land with Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, coming to D&D Beyond on March 17th, 2020, with preorders available now. You can also keep up with the adventures across Wildemount in Critical Role, every Thursday at 7:00 pm PST on www.twitch.tv/CriticalRole.

Did you like this encounter? Check out the other encounters in the Encounter of the Week series, and preorder Explorer's Guide to Wildemount on D&D Beyond to get four starter adventures set in Wildemount—in the Menagerie Coast, Dwendalian Empire, Xhorhas, and the Greying Wildlands—including an adventure written by Matthew Mercer himself!

LaTia Jacquise is a contributing writer for D&D Beyond, Wizards of the Coast, and Adventurers League, as well as one of the Community Managers for the D&D Adventurers League Organized Play program. Based in Chicago and a self-proclaimed “Forever DM”, she frequently travels to conventions across the Midwest to bring her love of D&D to as many people as she can. You can find her spending entirely too much time on Twitter at @theladytiefling.