The Birch Hollow Night Haul
The Birch Hollow Night Haul
Read aloud
Mara Venn sets a coil of frayed rope on the table and points to the empty hooks on its end. “Someone has been taking rope and iron from the timber track after dark. Find the gear, stop the thefts, and let my crew get back to work before the next haul is due.”
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Find the thieves' trail.
- 2Recover the missing equipment.
- 3Secure the timber route for the next haul.
The clock
The next timber haul begins at dawn after the ranger takes the job. If the equipment is not recovered or replaced by then, the crew loses a day's work and Mara's reward is reduced by 1 gp.
Scenes
- 0:00A Small Job at the Sawpit
- 0:20Tracks in the Timber Route
- 0:55The Dry Creek Camp
- 1:40Terms for the Next Haul
Cast
- Mara VennQuestgiver
- Nella ReedAntagonist
- Tovin HaleWitness
The hook
Set the scene
At the Birch Hollow sawpit, forewoman Mara Venn shows the ranger the empty pegs where rope and iron fittings were stored beside the route. She explains that the thefts happened on two recent nights, asks for the equipment back, and makes clear that she wants the route secured without endangering the crew.
How Mara Venn asks
Mara Venn approaches the ranger at the Birch Hollow sawpit with the damaged rope coil as evidence.
She offers a modest fee for recovering the crew's equipment and preventing another theft, and asks that the ranger avoid creating trouble for the workers.
Rumours
Scenes
about 2 hours0:00
20 min
socialThe table is here
1. A Small Job at the Sawpit
The Birch Hollow sawpit and adjacent timber yard, late afternoon.
Mara explains the thefts, identifies what is missing, and asks the ranger to return before the next haul. The ranger can ask about the crew's routine and inspect the storage spot.
NextMara points out the stretch of track where the gear was last seen and suggests asking Tovin, who works nearby.
0:20
35 min
exploration
2. Tracks in the Timber Route
The woodland timber route, with scattered cut logs and a narrow side track.
The ranger checks the gear cache and follows signs of a hurried departure: dragged rope marks, boot prints, and a broken twig. Tovin can confirm that someone carried a bundle toward the dry creek, but he did not see a weapon or a group.
NextThe trail leads to a shallow creek bed where a small camp has been made out of sight of the main track.
0:55
45 min
combat
3. The Dry Creek Camp
A shallow dry creek bed at dusk, with low banks, a small fire, and stacked poles.
The ranger reaches the camp and sees the rope and iron fittings. Nella challenges the ranger while Perrin hangs back. The ranger can talk, offer a chance to return the gear, or start a short confrontation. If a fight begins, the siblings prioritize escape and surrender over fighting to the death.
The Dry Creek CampNextOnce the gear is recovered or the siblings agree to make amends, the ranger can return to Mara with a clear account of the outcome.
1:40
20 min
social
4. Terms for the Next Haul
The sawpit at the end of the workday.
Mara checks the returned gear and hears the ranger's account. She accepts repayment by labor if the ranger proposes it, but wants a direct assurance that the route will be left alone.
NextThe job closes with the next timber crew preparing to travel the route, leaving the ranger free to depart or remain on friendly terms with the workers.
Behind it
What people believe
Independent timber crews working the Birch Hollow route have lost rope and iron fittings to nighttime theft.
The forewoman wants the equipment recovered and the route made safe before the next haul. The thieves have left clues along the woodland track, and the ranger can choose how to deal with them.
Background
Birch Hollow's independent timber crews haul cut logs along a narrow woodland track to the village sawpit.
The route is short, but rope and iron fittings are costly to replace, and the crews cannot spare a guard every night. Recent thefts have delayed work without injuring anyone.
The stakes
If the thefts continue, the crew will lose time and money replacing basic equipment, and may have to stop hauling timber for several days.
No one is in immediate danger, but a violent or careless response could turn a small theft into lasting local hostility.
Encounters
1The Dry Creek Camp
Combat or negotiation
A shallow, mostly dry creek bed beside the timber track. Low banks provide partial concealment, a small fire gives dim light after dark, and a stack of cut poles offers an unstable obstacle.
Foes
Nella Reed, scavenger
Perrin Reed, scavenger
ComplicationA loose stack of cut poles can roll if disturbed. A combatant who rushes through it risks being knocked prone or having their path blocked; a careful character can use the poles as cover or a barrier.
ScalingFor one level 1 character, keep this as a brief, avoidable confrontation. The siblings are tired and not trained fighters. They begin wary rather than hostile, and will surrender, flee, or negotiate when one is clearly losing. If using D&D 5E 2024 stat blocks, use two low-threat custom scavenger profiles with modest hit points and simple attacks; do not use full-strength bandit statistics against a solo character.
Cast
3Mara Venn
QuestgiverQuestgiver, independent timber crew forewoman
WantsRecover the missing equipment and keep the timber route operating without spending more than the crew can afford.
“I need the route watched, not a war started. Find the gear and make sure the next crew can work.”
Nella Reed
Antagonist, opportunistic scavenger
WantsKeep her younger brother fed through a lean spell and avoid punishment that would leave them destitute.
“We only took what we could carry. The iron was going to buy food, not start a fight.”
Tovin Hale
Witness, charcoal burner
WantsHelp the timber crew because the route's delay has reduced her own access to firewood and supplies.
“The tracks went off the old path, toward the dry creek. Whoever made them was in a hurry, but not trying to hide.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
A coil of sound work rope, if the stolen coil is recovered in damaged condition and Mara can spare a replacement.
On a win
The rope and iron fittings are returned or their loss is fairly settled, and the timber crew can make its next haul without fear of another nighttime theft.
If the siblings are caught, a calm resolution can include repayment through work for the crew rather than imprisonment or violence.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The ranger cannot find the camp or secure the route before the next haul.
- Mara hires a night watch from the timber crew. The route stays open, but the crew loses a day of labor and offers no additional reward.
- The ranger chooses force, but the scavengers flee during the confrontation.
- The siblings escape with the stolen fittings, but abandon the rope. The crew can resume work after replacing the missing metal, at a modest cost and delay.
- The ranger damages the timber crew's property or threatens uninvolved workers while pursuing the thieves.
- The ranger may still settle the matter, but Mara's trust is diminished and the crew will not share future route work freely.
Complications (d6)
- 1A brief rain softens the track, making footprints easier to spot but washing away faint impressions near the creek.
- 2A loaded timber cart blocks the narrowest stretch of trail; the ranger must spend time moving it or find a way around without leaving the route.
- 3A startled deer bolts across the trail, briefly masking the scavengers' tracks with fresh hoofprints.
- 4The scavengers have left one iron fitting behind, caught in a low branch, pointing toward their hideout.
- 5A timber worker arrives early to retrieve a tool and may blunder into the scavengers unless warned or redirected.
- 6The scavengers hear movement and shift their camp, leaving their fire unattended and a clear trail of ash and scraps.
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