Overview

From Highmere, mist-cloaked smoke coils over the Coaltooth spur of the Griff Mountains. At dawn and dusk, faint black plumes drift downward, staining the sky. Worse — livestock have vanished, and whispers say the barbarians across the river are raiding with uncanny precision.

Rogan Marrick, the quarry foreman, pleads for help. “We’ve tracked the smoke to the foothills, but these lands are disputed — no one wants to cross. Yet if the fire and theft continue, Highmere will starve before winter. Someone must go find out what’s burning in the hills — and whose hand wields the torch.”

As you stand on the riverbank, the Zumker flows wide and silent. Across the way, the hills quake with distant hammers, and an acrid tang of coal and metal lingers in the air.

Starting off…

Rogan directs the PCs to a band of trappers who have seen the smoke. They will guide the party to the river’s edge but refuse to cross, muttering: “That land belongs to the wild men, and worse things…”

The Zumker River flows south between the Coaltooth and Ironpeak spurs, forming a natural divide between the Duchy and the barbarian lands. Crossing it requires a ford or makeshift raft or other means (magic).

Foothills Beyond:

The other side of the river shallows out to gravel and grayish black stone melting into patches of grass and uneven ground. The party will feel oddly intruding upon reaching the shore and the sense of being spotted yet no creatures are in immediate view. A faint smell of metallic smoke lingers with the odd breeze.

Elves will have a heightened chance to pick up the sound of the clang of hammers carried faintly on the wind, and the acrid stench of coal from the moist earth and wet grass.

Allow a few turns of travel and exploration before the first encounter at…

1. The River’s Edge (Optional/Roleplay)

A barbarian scout band (3–4 warriors) camps on the far side of the ford. They approach cautiously weapons in hand but not held up.

“Oi, you lot lost? These aren’t Tenha farms, and ye don’t look like farmers. We don’t take kindly to guests wanderin’ where they’ve no call to be.”

They suspect the PCs are Tenh soldiers spying or preparing to raid. The party will need to decide how their going to handle this warm greeting – as opposed to an axe to the face which is the more traditional way to say ‘hello’ in Barbarian:

Options

• Parley. Convince them of a common enemy or invite them to join.
• Avoid them (Stealth/Survival).
• Fight them if parley fails.

Success earns crude sketches of the forge camp’s location which is about a half day’s journey from the river (about 8-10 miles) near the base of the Griff in the more hilly ravines, provided any survive.

1. Harric Red-Shoulder (Spokesman)

• Look: Tall, thick brown braid down his back, wears a wolf-pelt mantle stained reddish with ochre.
• Role: Main voice; cautious, not reckless. Wants to avoid drawing attention of Tenh but will not back down from strangers.
• Stats (CR 1/2, Scout variant):
  • AC 13 (hide/leather), HP 22
  • Battleaxe (1d8+2, versatile 1d10+2)
  • Tactics: Speaks first, holds formation, uses bow until melee is forced.

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2. Brynn Stone-Hand

• Look: Stocky, tattooed forearms with spiral Flan designs; known for breaking stones bare-handed in clan games.
• Role: Gruff, quick to challenge — mutters to Harric in Flan tongue, doesn’t trust the PCs.
• Stats (CR 1/4, Tribal Warrior reskin):
  • AC 13 (hide & shield), HP 18
  • Battleaxe (1d8+2, versatile 1d10+2)
  • Ability: Once per short rest, add +2 to damage as “Stone Hand’s Strike.”

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3. Kaelen Ash-Brow

• Look: Younger warrior, hair dusted with ash and clay, superstitious — wears charms of river reeds and bones.
• Role: Uneasy, quick to believe in “omens.” Could be swayed if PCs show proof of hobgoblin threat.
• Stats (CR 1/8, Guard reskin):
  • AC 12, HP 11
  • Spear (1d6+1, versatile 1d8+1), Shortbow (1d6+1)
  • Tactics: Hesitant in combat, prefers ranged harassment.

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4. Orsin Wolf-Spear (Optional 4th)

• Look: Lean, hawkish face, carries a long spear tipped with wolf fang carvings.
• Role: Snarling, eager for confrontation; thinks strangers on “his” bank are fair game.
• Stats (CR 1/2, Tribal Warrior upgrade):
  • AC 13, HP 16
  • Spear +4 (1d8+2, versatile 1d10+2), Javelins (30/120 ft.)
  • Tactics: Rushes first into melee if things break down.

2. Foothill Ambush (Medium)

Travelling north-northwest the smell of smoke becomes more noticeable and the echo of hammers, while faint, has stopped. As the party meanders along the ravine, they hear the trudge of footsteps ahead suddenly halt…

Blackfang Hobgoblin Hunter (Level 2 patrols)

Medium humanoid (hobgoblin), lawful evil

• AC 15 (chain shirt) | HP 11 | Speed 30 ft.
• Longsword +3 (1d8+1 slashing, versatile 1d10+1)
• Shortbow +3 (1d6+1 piercing, 80/320 ft.)
• Martial Advantage: Once/turn, extra 2d6 damage if ally within 5 ft. of target.
• Tactics: Harass at range, one closes to melee. Retreat if bloodied.
• Flavor: Carry smoked meat, small game, or herbs from foraging.

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Blackfang Hobgoblin Warrior (Level 3 patrols)

Medium humanoid (hobgoblin), lawful evil

• AC 16 (chain shirt, shield) | HP 13 | Speed 30 ft.
• Longsword +3 (1d8+1 / 1d10+1)
• Longbow +3 (1d8+1, 150/600 ft.)
• Martial Advantage: +2d6 damage once/turn.
• Tactics: Fight in pairs to trigger Martial Advantage; use high ground.
• Flavor: Some carry crude horns for signaling or ore-stamped weapons.

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Blackfang Hobgoblin Veteran (Level 4 border parties)

Medium humanoid (hobgoblin), lawful evil

• AC 17 (chain mail, shield) | HP 22 | Speed 30 ft.
• Multiattack: 2 longsword strikes +3 (1d8+1 / 1d10+1 each)
• Longbow +3 (1d8+1)
• Martial Advantage: +2d6 damage once/turn.
• Tactics: Coordinate flanking, press melee while others pin at range.
• Flavor: Veterans wear blackened fangs strung as necklaces.

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Blackfang Bugbear Overseer (Level 4 border parties only)

Medium humanoid (bugbear), chaotic evil

• AC 15 (hide armor) | HP 30 | Speed 30 ft.
• Morningstar +4 (2d8+2 bludgeoning)
• Javelin +4 (1d6+2, 30/120 ft.)
• Brute Force: Once/turn, add +1d6 damage on a hit.
• Intimidating Roar (Recharge 5–6): Bonus action; creatures within 20 ft. DC 12 Wis save or frightened until end of next turn.
• Tactics: Enters after round 2, charging to break lines. Roars to scatter PCs.
• Flavor: Bears a fang-emblazoned hide banner, teeth stained black.

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Encounter Scaling Recap

• Level 2 Patrol (Hunters): 2 Hobgoblin Hunters.
• Level 3 Patrol (Ambushers): 3–4 Hobgoblin Warriors.
• Level 4 Border Party: 4–5 Hobgoblin Warriors + 1 Bugbear Overseer (optionally swap 1 warrior for a Veteran).

Tactics: Fire arrows from high ground, then retreat to choke points. Loot: several weapons crudely stamped with the Duke’s ore seal.

3. The Forge Camp (Hard)

The camp is several hundred yards north of the patrol and locating it is not too difficult this close with the smell of smoke providing a reasonable means to track it.

Location: A trio of cave-mouth forges reinforced with stakes, pits, and smelter troughs and a small cave containing provisions (not typical humanoid – several crates and barrels of salted pork, onions, milled wheat) clearly from the Tenh.

Defenders: 1 Hobgoblin captain 1 Bugbear enforcers 2 Hobgoblin soldiers (another three have gone foraging to the north) and 3 Smiths (non-combatants, but can hurl molten slag: improvised ranged attack, fire damage).

Hazards: Smelter runoff: 2d6 fire damage on failed DC 13 Dex save if caught. Smoke clouds: Areas lightly obscured; Perception checks at Disadvantage. Barricades: Force movement through narrow points, giving defenders advantage.

Rewards & Breadcrumbs

Provision Cave: The cave in the north is a small 20’x20′ hole with a small tunnel in the back right going another 30′ and sloping down slightly (about 5′) with coal clearly being mined to fuel the forges with a wheelbarrow off to the side. The cave itself opens out to the left a bit and is stocked with provisions along the left wall, much of which will be too heavy to carry unless the party uses one of the carts (and has an animal to pull it):

• 2 small barrels of salted pork (approx 160 servings, roughly a month’s supply for the camp)
• 6 flasks of (lamp) oil
• 3 jars (equivalent of 6 flasks) of olive oil, suitable for cooking
• 1 barrel of barley
• 1 barrel of ale
• 2 barrels of water
• 3 waxed wheels of cheese
• a small cart, obviously pushed in by two hobgoblins, weighed down with about 500 lbs of bloomed iron (1st stage refinement) in roughly squared off chunks and the Duke’s brand hammered into the top – it’s legible that this isn’t some random ore.

While the party may not make avail of the provisions, they COULD be a nice gift to the barbarians – who doesn’t like a feast?

• DC 12 WIS roll for Intuition to realize its use.

Ore Seal Evidence: Crates of ore stamped with the Duke’s mark and several crates of weapons, proving the supply is diverted from Tenh’s own mines or stolen.

Forge Ledger: Shipment notes to “the contact in Zumkergrod” and mentions of ore traded northward, whether into barbarian lands or north in the mountains it’s not clear.

If the party manages to capture any prisoners they will boast: “Your Duke feed us well — men bring the ore from the roads, and we sharpen it into steel to stick into your guts.”

Arc Connections

Echoes in the Stone (WH8.1–WH8.5): Highmere blames barbarians, but prejudice hides the truth — corruption inside Tenh.

Tie-in to B2 Beyond the Borderlands and B3 Harbingers in the Hinterlands:

• The forge is part of a larger warband gathering in the Griff spur across the border in the east. A fair number of hobgoblins and kobolds in the Caverns of Chaos and the mountain garrison of Asrafstead are Blackfang (Hobgoblin) and Coalsnout (Kobold)

• Crossing the border foreshadows a choice: escalate with the barbarians or seek alliance against a common threat.