By 3orcs – For Dungeon Masters who dream deeper
A Quiet Clan with Loud Impact
When you crack open The Temple of Elemental Evil, it’s easy to get swept into the pitched battles and dark dungeons of Hommlet and Nulb. But as a Dungeon Master, I found that the real magic—the lasting depth—comes when you bring the quiet parts of the world to life. That’s where Clan Enlanefel comes in.
Featured in my latest lore article, Clan Enlanefel: The Quiet Flame of the Gnarley Forest, this reclusive and wise elven clan isn’t charging into battle with swords raised—they’re holding the ley-lines, nurturing ancient fey pacts, and whispering dreams of Sehanine Moonbow under the vast boughs of Oakvein, their mystic fortress-tree.
Why I Wrote This Article for the Verbobonc Campaign Guide
I created the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576 CY to make the world outside the dungeon just as rich, real, and immersive as the chaos within. Temple of Elemental Evil is a masterclass in high-stakes adventure, but it begs for depth—for culture, history, and daily life to balance the danger.
Writing Clan Enlanefel gave me that missing lens: a society not defined by warfare, but by spirituality, ecology, and inherited arcana. Inspired by the PDFs "Elves of the Gnarley Forest," "Celene," and the richly detailed "Gnarley Forest," I imagined what an elven society might truly look like if they existed as caretakers of a magical forest rather than just “elf NPCs with bows.”
From that seed, I built more than a stat block—I built a culture. And that culture now has roots in my campaign.
Worldbuilding: The Villages That Grew from One Tree
As I deepened the story of Enlanefel, I couldn’t stop. Suddenly, I needed places for these elves to whisper dreams to mortals, for traders to meet rangers, for adventurers to encounter forgotten truths over wine and worry.
This led to the creation of a full network of villages across the Viscounty of Verbobonc. Each has its role, its texture, its tension:
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Hommlet – still the iconic gateway to evil, but now filled with hints of elven presence and old druids watching from afar.
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Sheernobb – a fortified gnome outpost with Enlanefel dreamwalkers quietly trading for starmetal and moonroot.
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Ostverk – a riverside lumber town increasingly mistrusted by the Enlanefel, who see too many trees falling too fast.
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Twilight Falls – a new village I built as a shared human-elven border community, where seers of Sehanine interpret dreams for both races.
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Nulb – already steeped in danger, but now shadowed by whispered warnings from elven messengers seen only by moonlight.
These places are more than locations. They’re ecosystems of commerce, spirit, and political friction. They have shops, guilds, midwives, outlaws, brewers, stables, temple gardens, and in some cases—blight seeping from the forest edge. That’s how you bring Greyhawk to life.
Side Quests & Subplots for DMs in Temple of Elemental Evil
Running T1: The Village of Hommlet or the full Temple campaign? Don’t just think bigger—think deeper. Here are some side quest ideas rooted in the Enlanefel storyline:
🌓 The Silver Grove Is Withering
A grove sacred to Sehanine near Oakvein is dying. Can the players uncover the taint (an Elemental Evil node)? Can they earn the trust of Faeluneth, the prophetic elven seer?
🗺 Moonbound Secrets
A dream leads an elven NPC to ask the players to travel the old Moonroad and recover a relic lost during the Battle of Emridy Meadows. The path winds through haunted glades and sacred ruins.
⚔️ Bandits at the Wild Verge
Enlanefel scouts report humanoid raiders pushing north. Are they Temple pawns? Or is this a ruse to draw the elves into conflict with Verbobonc settlers?
These are not just “fetch quests.” They can tie into the module, offering your players political entanglements, mysterious rewards, and lore-rich revelations.
Advice for New Players Creating Characters in Greyhawk
If you're a new player jumping into Greyhawk—especially Temple of Elemental Evil—there’s no better time to create characters with roots in the world:
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Wood Elf Cleric or Sorcerer? Tie them to Clan Enlanefel. Maybe they just returned from the Moonarch, gifted with visions.
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Druid or Ranger? Let them hail from Twilight Falls or train under the Gnarley Rangers.
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Human with a mysterious bloodline? Perhaps they were touched by the magic of the fey glades once guarded by Faeluneth.
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Gnome Artificer or Tinker? From Sheernobb, where tension between elven dreams and gnomish innovation runs high.
Let your character be part of the world—connected, invested, grounded.
Where to Find More: The World Grows Bigger
All the articles I write—like Clan Enlanefel: The Quiet Flame of the Gnarley Forest—are hosted on the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy. You’ll find:
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out the 3orcs YouTube channel, where we discuss all this in video format—complete with maps, voiceovers, and behind-the-screen breakdowns for DMs running this campaign.
Final Thoughts: From Quiet Flame to Living World
Temple of Elemental Evil is more than a dungeon crawl—it’s a world teetering on the edge of corruption and clarity. By adding layers like Clan Enlanefel, village economies, and dream-choked forests, you make it a story that’s not just played—but lived.
I hope this inspires you to expand your Greyhawk campaign, root your characters in its history, and never be afraid to let a whispering tree hold more power than a shouting king.
See you in the canopy,
— 3orcs
🕯 “Follow the moonlight; it leads where dreams awaken.” – Sehanine Moonbow
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