At dawn, the ferry lies adrift, its ropes severed clean. Mera the Rope-Maker, a widowed artisan, pulls you aside: “Someone’s cut my best cords — sabotage. Find who’s doing this, or Hodnet’s ferry will sink into ruin.”
Quest Giver (NPC): Mera Witthrope, rope-maker and artisan.
Obstacle & Objective: PCs must investigate the sabotage.
DM Note:
The party will need to investigate – Skill challenge (Investigation DC 13, Insight DC 12, Survival DC 12) reveals clues: cut rope fibers, muddy bootprints, cult symbols daubed in tar.
You can decide whether it’s
- (Simple) A rival ferryman from downriver, hoping to ruin Hodnet’s trade
- (Arc tie-in) Cultists trying to isolate the hamlet. The clues – Footprints and discarded fibers point toward a meeting spot.
- If Thugs: The tracks lead behind an abandoned boathouse further upriver where hired muscle has been loitering.
- If Cultists: Tracks bend toward the edge of a small shrine smeared with strange tar symbols. If the party hadn’t been searching, they might have missed it as a fisherman’s shed.
Scaling Encounters (if culprits confronted):
- Lv 1–2: 2 Thugs.
- Lv 3: Cult Fanatic + 2 Thugs.
- Lv 4: Cult Fanatic + 4 Thugs + Saboteur (Scout).
Reward:
15 gp, plus Mera gifts the PCs a 50-ft Rope of Climbing (common magic item) if they catch the true culprits.
Stat Blocks (condensed):
- Thug (CR 1/2) – AC 11, HP 32, Multiattack (Mace +4, 1d6+2).
- Scout (CR 1/2) – AC 13, HP 16, Longbow +4 (1d8+2), Skirmisher.
- Cult Fanatic (CR 2) – AC 13, HP 33, Spellcasting (Command, Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon).
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