Grave-Soaked Secrets in the Shadow of Nulb, in the World of Greyhawk for the Temple of Elemental Evil DND campaign

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How the Village Graveyard Became a Cornerstone of My Temple of Elemental Evil Campaign When I first laid eyes on the crumbling, moss-covered tombstones of the Nulb Graveyard , I didn’t expect it to become such a pivotal piece of my campaign. But that’s what I’ve come to love about building out the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy —those small, seemingly forgotten places often reveal the most story-rich, atmospheric threads. Nulb , with its damp streets and looming threat of corruption, has always been a favorite location of mine when expanding upon the legendary Temple of Elemental Evil campaign by Gary Gygax. I’ve worked to bring this infamous, chaotic village to life—not as a cardboard cutout of evil, but as a living, breathing space of secrets, routines, and long-buried grief. The graveyard , tucked between Baroness Nysera’s Manor and the road to the old Temple ruins , is no exception. The Forgotten Heart of Nulb This is no grand cathedral graveyard. The Nulb Graveyard is winds...
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The Bloodied Fangs: The Crimson Reapers' Deadliest Raiders in the Temple of Elemental Evil DND Campaign

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 Brigands of Nulb

Greetings, fellow Dungeon Masters! If you're looking to expand the world of Greyhawk, add ruthless, well-organized bandits to your campaign, and raise the stakes in Nulb, then you’ll love this group—the Bloodied Fangs.

These elite raiders, a specialized squad within the Crimson Reapers, are not your average roadside thugs. They're highly disciplined, brutally efficient, and tied directly to the resurgence of the Temple of Elemental Evil.

Today, I’m diving into how you can use them in your game, what makes them so dangerous, and why they add intrigue, conflict, and dynamic encounters to your Temple of Elemental Evil campaign.

⚔️ Who Are the Bloodied Fangs?

The Bloodied Fangs are a highly disciplined band of raiders specializing in:

  • Ambushing merchant caravans
  • Capturing prisoners for ransom or sacrifice
  • Seizing valuable goods along the trade routes between Dyvers, the Wild Coast, the Gnarley Forest, and the Viscounty of Verbobonc

Led by Felix Fahnor, aka "Silent Blade", this squad operates with military precision. Their tactics focus on swift, overwhelming force, hitting hard and disappearing into the wilds before anyone can react.

Unlike typical bandits, these killers don’t fight for survival—they fight to expand Zelt’s influence and crush any who stand in the way of the Temple of Elemental Evil’s rise.

💡 DM Tip: If you want a mercenary force that’s smarter, deadlier, and deeply tied to Greyhawk’s conflicts, the Bloodied Fangs are the perfect faction to include in your game.

🔥 Leadership & Key Members

Felix Fahnor ("Silent Blade") – The Mastermind

A former assassin from the Horned Society, Felix is cold, pragmatic, and brutally efficient.

  • Role: Raid leader, master assassin, and Zelt’s chief enforcer
  • Personality: Treats his raids like surgical military operations
  • Motivation: Absolute loyalty to Zelt and expanding his influence
  • Combat Style: Prefers ambushes, poisons, and rapid, decisive strikes

💀 "We don’t fight fair. We fight to win."

Durgan "Ironjaw" Lormak – The Enforcer

  • Role: Frontline bruiser & logistics officer
  • Personality: Brutal, pragmatic, thrives on bloodshed
  • Combat Style: Heavy armor, greatsword, intimidation, executions

💀 "Gold spends the same, whether you earned it or took it from some dead fool’s pocket."

Silk "The Shadow" Varenn – The Infiltrator

  • Role: Scout, ranger, master tracker
  • Personality: Sadistic and calculating, enjoys the thrill of the hunt
  • Combat Style: Dual-wields daggers & longbow, stealth specialist

💀 "You can run. You can even hide. But you’ll die tired either way."

Torga "The Butcher" Redfang – The Beastmaster

  • Role: Wilderness tracker & dire wolf handler
  • Personality: Wild, unpredictable, believes only the strong survive
  • Combat Style: Massive cleaver & trained dire wolves

💀 "The wolves don’t care who you are. They only care how long it’ll take to crack your bones."


🏴 Raiding Tactics & Operations

The Bloodied Fangs operate with three key phases:

1️⃣ Scouting & Ambush Preparation

  • Silk & Torga track merchant movements & scout ideal ambush locations
  • Felix & Durgan plan choke points (ravines, bridges, forest paths)
  • Brigands set up traps, roadblocks, and false signs to mislead pursuers

2️⃣ The Strike

  • Felix eliminates the caravan leader before a warning can be raised
  • Durgan leads the charge, smashing through defenses
  • Silk & Velka (archer) pick off key targets
  • Torga’s dire wolves create panic and disorder

3️⃣ The Aftermath

  • Survivors are interrogated, ransomed, or sacrificed
  • Loot is sorted & transported back to hidden camps
  • False trails are left behind to throw off pursuit

💡 DM Tip: If you want fast-paced, high-tension encounters, introduce the Bloodied Fangs as a recurring threat—either ambushing the players or forcing them into an uneasy alliance.

🌲 Hidden Camps in the Gnarley Forest

The Bloodied Fangs have multiple secret strongholds:

🏕️ Hollow Fang Camp – Fortified ruin, used as a prison for captured merchants
🌳 The Bleeding Tree – Ritual site where sacrifices to dark forces are performed
🔥 The Smoke Hollow Hideout – A concealed cave system filled with stolen goods
🦌 The Black Stag Encampment – A mobile war camp used for hit-and-run raids

💡 DM Tip: These camps make great adventure locations for the players to assault, sabotage, or negotiate with.

⚖️ Political Relationships & Ramifications in Greyhawk

The rise of the Bloodied Fangs presents major political and economic threats to the Viscounty of Verbobonc.

🛡️ Enemies & Opponents

🚨 Gnarley Rangers & Elves of the Gnarley Forest – Hunting them down
🚨 Mounted Borderers of Verbobonc – Investigating their attacks
🚨 Free Alliance of the Kron Hills – Furious over raided gem shipments
🚨 Clerics of St. Cuthbert & Pelor – Seeking to eradicate their influence

💡 DM Tip: Want to pull the players into the conflict? Have Verbobonc hire them to deal with the Bloodied Fangs, or have noble merchants place bounties on their heads.

🏹 Adventure Hooks & How to Use Them in Your Campaign

🔥 "The Merchant’s Revenge" – A noble family hires the players to track down the Bloodied Fangs after they murdered a merchant heir.

🔥 "A Contract on Your Head" – The players disrupt a raid—and now Felix Fahnor has marked them for death.

🔥 "Burn the Camps" – The players are tasked with locating and destroying the raiding camps to cripple the Bloodied Fangs.

🔥 "The Wolves of the Gnarley" – Travelers are disappearing, and dire wolves are hunting in unnatural numbers. The truth? Torga is using them to terrorize the region.

📖 Want More TOEE Content?

If you're running The Village of Hommlet or Temple of Elemental Evil, check out 3orcs’ deep-dive guides, NPCs, and quest supplements for DMs!

📖 Read the full Bloodied Fangs article in the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576CY: World Anvil
📺 Watch deep-dive TOEE videos on the 3orcs YouTube Channel: YouTube
🎲 Get exclusive TOEE content & support 3orcs: Patreon.com/3orcs

⚔️ Final Thoughts

The Bloodied Fangs aren’t just random bandits—they’re an elite mercenary force that adds depth, danger, and dynamic storytelling to any TOEE campaign. Whether hunting them down or making uneasy deals, they’re a force your players won’t forget.

💬 How would YOU use the Bloodied Fangs in your campaign? Let me know in the comments!

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