Toads of Troll Valley

Hugh Enfant is the ruler of the small city-state on the border of the Baroese Empire, along an ancient valley known for its swamps and trolls. He has been troubled by toads, and has ordered himself protected by his men. In response, his man-at-arms has had him suspended between two trees in a burlap sack, his head barely peeking through as he meets the party at dusk near the valley floor.

The telling of his story is interrupted by hundreds of toads, which swarm him mercilessly, devouring his flesh in front of their very eyes. The toads then hop off as they do, finding easy shelter in the valley's swampy floor. His men scramble about, attempting to kill or capture the toads, to no avail.

The party is then sent by the man-at-arms to investigate the cause of this disturbance while Enfant's men are faced with the task of burying their ruler somewhere in the valley where he may remain undisturbed. Unfortunately, toads are known to dig underground, so they will need assistance in this task as well, but that is something that can wait until they return.

Plot Resolution

The trolls of the valley have been turned into toads by a mischevious sorcerer who recently took up residence at the far end of the valley and found the trolls a nuisance. As the party investigates the valley, they will find abandoned camps that smell of licorice. Around the camps are hundreds of cocoons. They will find arcane markings along the trees as they near the sorcerer's neck of the woods, and markings on standing stones, fractured boulders, and unnaturally-felled trees.

He is willing to turn the toads back into trolls if the trolls agree to leave the valley. Unfortunately, Enfant's men will have none of this. It is up to the party to propose and enact a solution. If they still face the looming threat of the Baroese Empire, a crafty party will be able to turn all these forces against this common enemy.