Siege at Ember Pass
Siege at Ember Pass
“Stand firm, or the Citadel’s stores are lost.”
— Hook · Escort and siege defense
“The gorge’s walls draw close as your wagons crawl through Ember Pass, axles groaning over black stone. A war-cry erupts below, arrows hiss from the crags, and boulders thunder down behind you. Hold the line, or Dawnvale’s stores will burn beneath the mountain.”
— Hook · Escort and siege defense
Evening bleeds red across the peaks as the caravan enters Ember Pass. The gorge narrows to thirty feet, with jagged cliffs rising on both sides and a blocked trail behind. Pack beasts snort through the bitter dust. Then a war-cry rolls up from the lower corridors, four orcs charge between the wagons, and arrows fall from hidden ledges above.
Captain Glorien Tarsin
Captain Glorien Tarsin approaches the characters before the caravan enters the pass. He offers payment for a visible escort at the front and rear of the convoy, warning that recent Goroth raids have made the route dangerous. When the ambush begins, she takes command of the drivers and directs the characters toward whichever section of the caravan is most threatened.
Rumours
d5 · table- 01Goroth scouts have been seen near Ember Pass, but they usually retreat before attacking guarded caravans.
- 02The cliffs contain old mining tunnels that connect to forgotten routes beneath the Ironspine Foothills.
- 03A teamster claims the ravens around Ember Pass fly at dusk even when the wind is still.
- 04Dawnvale’s temple has requested a shipment that is small enough to hide inside an ordinary supply crate.
- 05Some Goroth shamans bind elemental spirits into bone totems and ask them questions before a raid.
If the caravan fails, Dawnvale loses vital food, medicine, and defensive materials. The loss weakens the city before the next Goroth raid and allows a hidden Obsidian Tribunal network to continue operating without exposure. If the characters hold the pass, they preserve the city’s immediate security and gain evidence that a larger conspiracy is moving against the Celestials of Dawn.
Background Lore
Two days after the Passby Grove rift was sealed, a supply caravan bound for Dawnvale enters Ember Pass at dusk. The Goroth War Clans have watched the route from hidden clefts and now strike where the gorge narrows, hoping to seize food, weapons, medicine, and pack beasts before Dawnvale can receive them. The ambush is not merely a raid. Someone has provided the warband with the caravan’s exact route and schedule.
Two days after sealing the Passby Grove rift, the characters escort a vital supply caravan toward Dawnvale. At dusk, Goroth raiders ambush the convoy inside Ember Pass, using the narrow gorge, high ledges, a timed rockfall, and a burning-oil cauldron to trap the travelers. The characters must hold the line, protect the wagons and beasts, and clear the pass before the caravan is buried or stripped of its supplies.
