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Quest Giver: Perrin Holt, Quartermaster of the Caravanserai (“River’s Rest”)

Perrin bumps into the party and invites them for a drink at the Crooked Pike Tavern, if the party takes him up on the free round, and tells you about a proposition, but not here. He hands you a silver coin with a wolf’s head on it – barbarian silver. Come to the caravanserai tonight, the night porter will let you in and have a cask at the table ready for you…

Perrin Holt eyes you over the rim of his mug, having poured a round of some braggot ale (honey spiced, very good quality). “Got a problem, quiet-like. Some Grosskopf traders got hit on the far bank last night — their wagons turned inside out, goods gone, men left with bruises and pride worse. The bastards that did it aren’t big enough to pick a real fight — just scavengers trying to look fierce in front of bigger clans. But it’s killing business. If word gets out along the Silver Road, caravans are going to dry up. You want some silver, there’s a chance to earn it.”

He gestures to the dim backroom, the Wolf’s Den, where two barbarian traders, Einar and Runa, sit in the lamplight, scowling into their cups. They look you over doubtful but desperate.

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The Bloodtusk Raiders

Talking to Einar and Runa, if the party asks, they will tell them about the Bloodtusk Raiders, a small, scrappy splinter-tribe of 20–25 raiders led by an ambitious young chieftain named Korr who calls himself “Thane of the Bloodtusk” tribe.

They are not officially recognized by Sigurd One-Eye or the larger Grosskopf clans along the west shore. Instead, they are younger warriors and outcasts trying to gain honor and wealth through opportunistic raids. The clans can charge more for safety but if not, the Redmaw and Stonebinders don’t seem to care -for now.

Mind you, if they gain standing among the tribes, the mudpigs may decide to start raiding on your side of the river.

Perrin will cut in, “and that’s bad for everybody’s business.”

Additional DM Notes for reference:

Culture & Motives

• Tribal Crest: A boar skull daubed in red clay, tusks bound with cord.
• Origin: Mixed-blood warriors and exiles from other tribes.
• Reputation: Called “mudboars” by other barbarians; sneered at for cowardly tactics.
• Base: A hidden riverside camp made of reed huts and a palisaded boar pen about 2 miles north/northwest (brown icon in the Bloodtusk territory), they’ve launched downriver from near a half-sunken ferry dock east of their camp.
• Tactics: Use the river fog to ambush crossing merchants, hurl javelins, and flee in light canoes or flat out accosted them along the road right before the bridge; of late, they’ve been getting closer and closer to the bridge by Westwatch.
• Goal: To deliver stolen silver and furs as tribute trying to get the Redmaw’s chief, Vargath, to recognize them.
  • Vargath is watching their progress but unimpressed right now calling them by their derogatory moniker, ‘mudpigs’ for now. If they were to start harassing Westwatch though – which they will in a few weeks if left unchecked, Vargath will be favorable. Sigrun One-Eye from the Skytalon clan to the south despises Khorr, and has cautioned Vargath about them seeing them as reckless. While she too might be emboldened if they start attacking the Tenh, she – for now – has a longer term view that that course of action will go poorly in the long run, or so the omens say.

Hooks for Scaling

Party Level	Composition	Environment
Level 2	4–5 Raiders + 1 Tracker	Fog, light rain, difficult mud
Level 3	6 Raiders + 1 Shaman + 1 Tracker	Night attack with alarmed sentries
Level 4	8 Raiders + Korr Thane + 1 Shaman	Hidden camp, mixed ranged/melee, firepit hazards

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Encounter: Bloodtusk Camp

Features:

• Concealed under riverbank reeds (DC 13 Survival to find by tracks or smell of smoke).
• Two canoes tied to submerged stakes east of the main camp.
• A hanging rack of half-cured furs and sacks of stolen silver coins is in Khorr’s hut.
• A crude idol of a boar skull pierced with arrows — “for strength.”

Terrain:
Muddy bank (difficult terrain), reed thickets (light cover), central firepit (may ignite oil jars).

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Condensed Stat Blocks

Bloodtusk Raider (CR 1/4)

AC 13 (hide), HP 16 (3d8+3), Spd 30 ft.
Atk: Spear +4 (1d6+2) or Javelin (30/120) +4 (1d6+2).
Traits:

• Pack Hunter: +2 dmg if ally within 5 ft of target.
• Reed Step: Advantage on Stealth in fog, marsh, or riverbanks.

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Bloodtusk Tracker (CR 1/2)

AC 14 (leather), HP 22 (4d8+4), Spd 35 ft.
Atk: Shortbow +4 (1d6+2) or Shortsword +4 (1d6+2).
Traits:

• Mark Quarry: Once per short rest, bonus action to mark a creature; next 2 attacks against that creature deal +1d6.
• Skirmisher: Doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when moving after ranged attack.

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Serrut the Shameful – Bloodtusk Shaman (CR 1)

AC 12, HP 27 (5d8+5)
Spells (2nd-level caster): Guidance, Sacred Flame, Entangle, Cure Wounds, Thunderwave (1/day)
Atk: Quarterstaff +3 (1d6).
Traits:

• Totem Focus (Boar): Allies within 10 ft gain +1d4 temp HP when reduced below half HP.

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Khorr Thane of the Bloodtusk (Leader) (CR 2)

Medium humanoid (barbarian), chaotic neutral
AC 14 (furs), HP 45 (6d8+18), Spd 40 ft.
Atk: Great Axe +5 (1d12+3); Rage (2/day): +2 dmg, resist B/P/S.
Tactics: Opens by intimidating shouts, then charges PCs; may flee if 50% of his men die.

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Treasure & Rewards

• Recovered goods:
  • 5,000 sp worth of Grosskopf silver pieces (beautifully hammered with wolf’s head on the coin, used in trade); weighs 100 lbs.
  • 3 crates of tanned furs (wolf, fox, stoat) worth 450 gp total.
  • 1 Fur-lined cloak of warmth (common magic item).
• Camp Loot:
  • 2d6 gp in crude coinage, a bone charm (50 gp), and a half-empty bottle of spiced Tenh brandy.
• Reward:
  • Perrin offers 50 gp + favors (free stabling and wagon space in future).
  • The traders promise a “thank you” in kind (high-quality silver arm rings for the party). These are carved and embossed with a rune which identifies them as having befriended barbarian traders and will grant them passage in barbarian lands as ‘trade guards’ in lands up to 100 miles west and north of the Zumker and in any barbarian city in the Grosskopf or Barrens (DMs option). They will also offer to mark the players with a tattoo allowing them to do the same without the armband on their left wrist.

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The Barbarian Traders

1. Einar Wolfmark – Silver Trader of the Northwest

• Appearance: Tall, blond-bearded, wearing furred cloak and silver arm-rings etched with knotwork.
• Demeanor: Proud, easily insulted, but values courage and directness.
• Background: From the northern Barrens; deals in smelted silver and crafted trinkets traded along clan routes. Dreams of becoming recognized by the Redmaw chief as a “clan speaker” for the Wolf’s Mark clan.
• Quote: “I cross your river in peace and pay my toll. But peace cannot buy back stolen silver. Bring me the heads that took it, and my gratitude will shine brighter than my wares.”

2. Runa of the Hollow Hide – Fur & Leather Trader of the West

• Appearance: Wiry woman with streaked hair braided with beads, travel-stained cloak, and a weathered smile.
• Demeanor: Pragmatic, less proud than Einar; quick to bargain or joke to defuse tension.
• Background: Deals with Bandit Kingdoms and Grosskopf hunters; her trade routes skirt lawless regions. Keeps a hidden cache of magical trinkets for discreet clients which she deals with Perrin on. Occassionally trades along the south Market’s Way road to Narleon for some discreet (magic using) customers. Shrewd with goblins and bandits to the west and south.
• Quote: “It used to be that silver could make enemies, but fur made friends — and now, BOTH get stolen just the same. You look like the sort that could remind thieves of their manners.”

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🪶 Optional Threads (DM Discretion)

• Moral Dilemma: If captured raiders are questioned, they reveal hunger and lack of recognition drove them to theft — could be turned into allies or informants against Redmaw.
• Local Impact: Success raises PC reputation in Westwatch and rumors in the western barbarian tribes across the river; failure causes tension with barbarian traders and reduced availability of exotic goods.

At first light, a crowd gathers at the riverside shrine of Beory. Stones are scattered, reeds burned, and the sacred pool reeks of blood and ash. Elda Morrain kneels amid the wreckage, hands trembling.

“These aren’t dwarven runes, nor Flan,” she says grimly. “They’re older… they reek of chains and hunger. This is no accident — it is a warning.”

Tracks lead north toward the collapsed water channel, where kobold signs mingle with heavier bootprints. A hidden fissure opens into a crypt carved into the bedrock — an abandoned shaft. Though it is quiet, there is a growing sense of unease as you linger and the entrance feels like it looks more like a fanged mouth ready to devour you.

Quest Giver

• Elda Morrain (priestess of Beory): seeks to restore the shrine and uncover the truth.

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Objectives & Obstacles

• Investigate the shrine and prevent Flan/dwarf violence.
• Enter the fissure near the collapsed water channel.
• Explore 3–4 rooms of a small EEG missionary crypt.
• Defeat or disrupt the cult’s operations; uncover their link to the Caverns of Chaos.

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Mini-Crypt Keyed Areas

1. Collapsed Antechamber
   • Rubble and shattered beams from old mining. Kobold corpses half-buried. DC 12 Perception reveals drag marks → bodies taken deeper.
2. Hall of Chains
   • Fetid chamber lined with crude murals of tentacles and eyes. 2 Zombie Kobolds stand guard, slack-jawed and twitching. Each wears a peculiar amulet of an inverted triangle with a Y with a blood red garnet at the center that seems to flicker dimly even in the dark.
3. Ritual Pool
   • A shallow cistern of fouled water glows faintly violet. 1–2 Acolytes (Cultists upgraded) chant here. If disrupted, shadows writhe in the water.
4. Sanctum of the Missionary
   • The EEG cleric (a true missionary) leads rites to corrupt kobolds. A captive kobold shaman is lashed to an altar as an “example.”

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Scaling Encounters (APL 2–4)

• Level 2: 2 Zombie Kobolds + 1 Acolyte.
• Level 3: 2 Zombie Kobolds + 2 Acolytes + 1 Cult Fanatic.
• Level 4: 3 Zombie Kobolds + 2 Acolytes + 1 Cult Cleric (missionary).

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Condensed Stat Blocks

• Zombie Kobold (CR 1/8): AC 9, HP 9, Bite/Claw +2 (1d4+1), Undead Fortitude.
• Acolyte (CR 1/4): AC 10, HP 9, Mace +2 (1d6+1), Spellcasting (Bless, Cure Wounds, Sacred Flame).
• Cult Fanatic (CR 2): AC 13, HP 33, Dagger +4 (1d4+2), Spellcasting (Command, Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon).
• Cult Cleric (EEG Missionary, CR 3 reskin): AC 15, HP 45, Mace +4 (1d6+2), Spellcasting (Inflict Wounds, Spiritual Weapon, Silence, Hold Person, Animate Dead).

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Rewards & Breadcrumbs

• Blessing of Beory: If shrine restored, PCs gain advantage on one Nature/Survival check per day for 1 week.
• Missionary’s Notes: Letters describe “veins of chaos” and orders from the Caverns of Chaos.
• Optional Loot: EEG ritual dagger (unholy, faint necrotic aura), worth 50 gp or usable as arcane focus.
• Arc Impact:
  • If PCs purge the crypt: villagers see proof of an outside hand — suspicion between Flan and miners eases slightly.
  • If PCs fail or withdraw: shrine remains corrupted, and villagers double down on blaming each other.
  • Either way, the trail points firmly toward Caverns of Chaos.

At dawn, shouting rises near Highmere’s quarry road. Farmers and miners face each other across a dry gulley, fists clenched, voices raw. Where once a narrow stream fed both fields and sluice troughs, now the water runs thin — blocked by a cave-in upstream.

“You’ve dammed it for your silver-pans!” cries Mara Tannell, her voice sharp with grief.
“And your livestock have been drinking us dry for weeks!” a dwarf shouts back, beard bristling with fury.

Before blows can fall, Brokkar Stonevein pushes through the crowd. “Enough! The stream’s gone, aye, but no dwarf or farmer did this. We’ll need proof — or this valley’ll drown in blood.”

Whispers stir of sabotage. Brokkar takes the party and Rogan Marrick upstream to reveal the truth: a collapse — not natural — has diverted the flow. He points out several qualities of the construction and the stone and some marks that he claims are picks or claw marks. “Could be Coalsnouts,” he mulls, “we’ve had tussels with ’em before but not lately.” Rogan scoffs saying he hasn’t heard of any ‘kobolds’ around here.

Quest Givers

• Mara Tannell (Flan farmer): pleads for water for livestock and crops.
• Brokkar Stonevein (dwarf foreman): insists his miners didn’t sabotage the stream, and quietly urges PCs to prove it.

Objective & Obstacles

• Calm the crowd before violence breaks out (DC 13 Persuasion/Intimidation).
• Investigate the streambed and collapsed banks.
• Confront the Coalsnout kobolds tunneling nearby.
• Decide: restore the flow to farmers, miners… or negotiate a compromise.

Encounter Areas

1. Dry Stream Gulley: Farmers and miners shouting match; violence possible if not diffused.
2. Collapsed Banks: DC 12 Investigation finds claw marks, pick marks and crude props, kobold handiwork.
3. Kobold Tunnel Camp: Kobolds with stolen tools diverting water to cisterns. If the party is formidable, Flindertyn may try to talk claiming they were driven here by “burning-eyed masters” and only wanted to survive; they claim mines north of here and if the party has no qualm with their land, further talk may be warranted. Flindertyn is lawful evil, not lawful stupid.

Scaling Encounters (APL 2–4)

• Level 2: 4 Kobolds.
• Level 3: 5 Kobolds + 1 Kobold Inventor.
• Level 4: 6 Kobolds + 1 Kobold Scale Sorcerer.

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Condensed Stat Blocks

• Kobold (CR 1/8): AC 12, HP 5, Dagger +4 (1d4+2), Pack Tactics.
• Kobold Inventor (CR 1/4): AC 12, HP 13, Sling +4 (1d6+2) + alchemical contraptions. Basically good at demolition.
• Kobold Scale Sorcerer ‘Flindertyn’ (CR 1): AC 13, HP 27, Spellcasting (Fire Bolt, Mage Armor, Scorching Ray, Shield). Speaks Common.

Rewards & Arc Impact

• Reward: Farmers and miners pool resources (goods worth 30 gp) if peace is kept. If PCs broker a solution, Brokkar arranges an extra gift — a rune-marked mining hammer (counts as a light hammer, advantage on stonework-related checks).
• Arc Impact:
  • If PCs slay the kobolds, they earn temporary peace, but tensions deepen as each side still suspects the other of involvement.
  • If PCs negotiate with kobolds and reveal their story, both sides are shocked. The true enemy becomes clearer — someone (cultists, emissaries) is driving weaker races into conflict zones. They will say, if asked, that there has been conflict in the past but the dwarves and big-dwarves have stayed out of their way (they actually found better veins to the north and ignored the dwarves hitting deeper veins just as rich) so the peace has been a convenient coincidence.
  • PCs gain breadcrumb: kobolds mutter about “the eye tells us we need to mine here (gesturing around here) or else we suffer” pointing to WH9.4.

West of Hallowford, a wind-scoured yard sprawls across a shallow gully. Old timber gantries and plank platforms jut over the drop where logs were once winched and trimmed. At night, lanterns sway on tall posts. Fresh wagon ruts cut the clay. Locals say smugglers meet here to arm Grosskopf raiders.

Quest giver — Doran Fletch (NG human, carpenter working at the Stonecut Cooperage, nervous but civic-minded)

• Dialogue bits – Doran lets on that he’s seen a bit in his travels recently. He’s hinted about things but no one seems to pay him any heed whether out of ignorance or something else:
  • “Those lanterns aren’t for sawyers. Someone’s meeting out there after dark.”
  • “I saw fresh ruts by the old winch house. If they’re arming Grosskopf, we’ll feel it first.”
  • “Bring proof. Quiet if you can. I’ll get you a sample of the Smuggler’s Oath mark from an old job chit.”

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The Timber Yard

• Guard House: a small shelter, open with a stool.
• High Yard: Simple thatched roof open platforms on posts (10 ft high), catwalks with a simple rope handrail,stretch across a gully between the two hills. There are two ramps rising slightly on the east side. The lower one wraps around a set of ladders to a platform another 10′ up which is a lantern tower.
• Winch House: Low shed with block & tackle and a door on the easternmost section of wall facing north and another facing south – allowing one to walk from the ramp straight through to the south.;
• Gully Floor: Brush and discarded timbers; a sloped log slide (difficult terrain) used to move cargo unseen from the road.
• Signals: Lantern colors = codes (see Infiltration). A taut bell wire runs from the lantern tower to the winch house (Stealth DC 14 to notice).
• Office (walled, thatch roof): small 12×12 wooden room on the catwalk with a desk, stools and a ledger and a leather scroll case with a map labelled with contacts on both sides of the border

Environmental hazards (use 1–2):

• Creaking boards: First fast move on a catwalk → DEX save DC 12/14 or noise (alerts nearest guard).
• Rolling log: Shove action (Athletics vs 12/14) can send a waist-high log rolling 15 ft; on a hit, DC 13 STR save or prone.
• Loose gravel at slide: Entering the slide → DEX save DC 12/14 or fall 10 ft to the gully (1d6), prone.

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You can contrive a method for the party to learn of the Smuggler’s Oath (contact at the Rustjaw Circle in Zumkergrod, observing a deal secretly and passing DC to listen in, etc.). Otherwise, this will most likely be Scout/Ambush or Direct Assault. (click the triangle for specifics).

The “Smuggler’s Oath” (what it is & how to fake it)

A pocket chit with a carver’s mark, a wax trade seal, and a formula spoken on entry.

• Countersign at the gate:
  Guard: “What trade?”
  Correct: “Quiet timber.”
  Guard: “From where?”
  Correct: “Moon at back. Dust in teeth.” (meaning: came by the night road)
• Paper Oath (on the captain): “By mark and coin we harm none that don’t draw first; we move iron for buyers, not banners; we keep names off ledgers but weights true.”

Forging challenge (before infiltration; 3 successes before 2 failures):

• Investigation (DC 13/14): copy the carver’s mark from Doran’s sample.
• Forgery kit (INT or DEX, DC 13/14): mimic the wax seal impression.
• Deception (DC 13/14): practice the cadence of the formula.
• Insight (DC 12/13): spot the call-and-response rhythm.
• Sleight of Hand (DC 12/13): age the paper and smudge convincingly.

Failure consequence: First guard is suspicious (Disadvantage on your next Deception; on failure, he tugs the bell wire → alarm in 1 round).

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Approaches

• Infiltrate (Oath route): Use the countersign, present the chit, get ushered to the office to “weigh the iron.” From there you can lift the ledger, swap cargo marks, or plant false notes.
• Scout & ambush: Quiet climb to lantern tower; take out lookout, cut bell wire, signal a false color (green = “all clear,” red = “buyers here”) to isolate foes.
• Direct assault: Hit the winch house and gully team first; use rolling logs to break formations.

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Encounters (scale to APL; use your condensed blocks)

Lv 1–2:

• Yard: 3–4 Bandits on platforms + Smuggler Captain in winch house.
• On alarm: +1 Bandit from lantern tower; captain tries to flee with ledger down the back entrance and slide down the ladder into the gully (DEX 12 each round to keep footing).

Lv 3–4:

• Yard: Smuggler Captain + Barbarian Scout (Grosskopf contact) + 1–2 Berserkers near the slide; 1 Bandit at lantern tower.
• On alarm: berserker charges, scout blows a bone whistle calling a 2-bandit reserve from the gully.

Smuggler Captain: Advantage on checks to keep balance on beams/gantries; bonus action Shove if adjacent on a catwalk.

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Goals & evidence

• Primary: Confirm arms traffic to Grosskopf, seize ledger and/or contact map.
• Secondary: Capture a Grosskopf runner (the Barbarian Scout) for names/routes; or flip the captain with promise of a baronial pardon (Persuasion DC 15 with proof you can protect them).

Clues on site (pick 2):

• Crate marks: a wolf-tooth rune (Grosskopf) and a small black triangle chalked on two crates (EEG handler skimming a cut).
• Ledger lines: “Stone Teeth track—two nights hence—iron and tassels (axes & banner cords).”
• A folded safe-house list with three initials and tally marks.

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Rewards

• Coin: 75–150 gp from petty cash and bribes.
• Smuggler’s Map: marks a Grosskopf contact route (advantage on next Wilderness Navigation/Survival to intercept raiders; skip one random encounter).
• Optional Duke’s credit: Turn in evidence quietly → 25–50 gp bounty and a writ that gives advantage on one future legal/social check with Tenh officials.
• If you flip the captain: gain a safe-house sign; once later, you can call in 1 smuggler favor (free passage or info).

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Boxed dialogue snippets

• Gate guard (challenge): “What trade?” → “Quiet timber.” / “From where?” → “Moon at back. Dust in teeth.”
• Captain (cool, measuring): “Coin first, weights next, names… never.”
• Grosskopf scout (sneer): “Tenh sells iron or bleeds it. We take either.”

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Hand-off to the wider arc

• Doran will vouch for the party if needed.

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Condensed stat blocks

• Bandit (CR 1/8) — AC 12, HP 11, Scimitar +3 (1d6+1), Crossbow +3 (1d8+1)
• Smuggler Captain (CR 1) — AC 14, HP 32, Multiattack; advantage on balance checks on beams/gantries
• Scout (CR 1/2) — AC 13, HP 16, Shortsword +4 (1d6+2), Longbow +4 (1d8+2)
• Berserker (CR 2) — AC 13, HP 67, Greataxe +5 (1d12+3), Reckless Attack

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).  

The party cross paths with Old Corik, a weather-beaten farmer & ferryman struggling to load a cart of goods bound for the market. His usual farmhand is missing, and the heavy crates look like they’ll take him the rest of the afternoon alone.

If the party lends a hand, Corik gratefully wipes the sweat from his brow:

“Much appreciated. I guess you lot are alright in my book. That’d have taken me the whole afternoon by myself. Let me buy you a few rounds and a dinner at the inn as thanks… or I can pay you back at the shore; either’s fine by me.”

Corik insists on bringing his cart aboard the ferry, and the group finds themselves traveling together as the craft pushes off from the dock (location 1).

The ferry creaks as it leaves the pier, drifting into the current. Corik settles near his cart, already dozing after the day’s labor. The reeds sway at the river’s edge as the boat clears the shallows on the other side (about 2 squares north of the dock at location 2). Suddenly, a sharp whistle cuts across the water — shadows rise from the marsh and the clash of oars beats against the river’s surface. Raiders are upon you.

Old Corik the Ferryman shouts: “By Beory’s breath, not again! I’ll lose the ferry!”

Quest Giver (NPC): Corik, grizzled ferryman who runs Hodnet Ferry.

Obstacle & Objective: Raiders ambush the ferry on the far side away from immediate aid – or so they thought, trying to seize goods and ransom travelers. PCs must defend the vessel and/or chase the raiders to their reed hideout.

Scaling Encounters:

• Lv 1: 4 Bandits in canoes.
• Lv 2: Bandit Captain + 4 Bandits.
• Lv 3: 6 Bullywugs with nets.
• Lv 4: Lizardfolk Shaman + 6 Lizardfolk warriors.
  

Trap/Puzzle: PCs can try to swing the ferry pole to capsize raiders’ boats (Athletics DC 12).

Reward: Free lifetime ferry passage; 20–30 gp; at higher tiers Corik gifts a Waterproof Satchel (contents always dry).

Stat Blocks (condensed):

Bandit (CR 1/8) – AC 12, HP 11, Scimitar +3 (1d6+1), Shortbow (1d6)

Bullywug (CR 1/4) – AC 15, HP 11, Bite +3 (1d4+1), Spear +3 (1d6+1).  

Lizardfolk (CR 1/2) – AC 15, HP 22, Bite +3 (1d6+1), Heavy Club +4 (1d8+2).  

Lizardfolk Shaman (CR 2) – AC 13, HP 27, Spellcasting: Entangle, Hold Person.  

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.