The Last Watch at P01
The Last Watch at P01
Read aloud
Mara Venn lays a blank route sheet beside a water-stained map. One surveyor has returned from the ruined watchtower, but her partner is still missing, and the old tower's records may be the only reliable guide to the woodland track. Mara offers a modest fee for a bounded survey, the recovery of the records, and the safe return of anyone still alive.
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Make a cautious approach to the ruined border lookout.
- 2Locate and rescue the missing surveyor.
- 3Complete a bounded survey and preserve the watch records.
- 4Explain the bell and document the immediate hazards.Optional
The clock
Tamsin's partner is injured but not in immediate death's door. Establish a generous window: after two full days without aid, their condition worsens and they become harder to move. Resting, retreating, and returning with help are valid, though they consume time. Do not use this clock to punish reasonable caution.
Scenes
- 0:00A Map with a Blank Space
- 0:35Marks Beneath the Moss
- 1:35The Survivor's Account
- 2:20The Tower's Broken Foot
- 3:35The Last Surveyor
- 4:35Ink, Stone, and Return
Cast
- Mara VennQuestgiver
- Tamsin ReedWitness and rescued survey assistant
- Edrin HoltAlly
The hook
Set the scene
At Birch Hollow, S04 (49,42), Mara Venn meets the character at a route board with the old watchtower marked P01 (38,20). Tamsin is present, wrapped in a blanket and carrying a damaged field satchel. She can describe the last known camp, the sound of the bell, and the direction in which her partner went. Mara explains the fee, the bounded survey, and the need to respect the restrictions at R05 and X05. Edrin Holt can identify old patrol marks and warn that the tower's upper structure is unstable.
How Mara Venn asks
Mara makes a practical offer in the open at Birch Hollow's route board.
She sets clear limits: return the missing surveyor if possible, bring back the ledger or a reliable copy, and survey only the tower and its immediate approaches. She does not promise that any restricted crossing is usable.
Rumours
Scenes
about 5.5 hours0:00
35 min
socialThe table is here
1. A Map with a Blank Space
Birch Hollow, S04 (49,42), at the route board and nearby common room.
Mara offers the contract, Tamsin gives her account, and Edrin explains the old watch marks. The player chooses what equipment to take and confirms a route that does not assume restricted crossings are usable.
NextWhen the character is ready, leave Birch Hollow by the route the GM has established toward P01.
0:35
60 min
exploration
2. Marks Beneath the Moss
Woodland approaches between Birch Hollow and the ruined lookout. Use the fixed map and the GM's known routes; do not add a bridge.
The character follows old patrol marks, compares them with the present terrain, and decides whether to spend time on a safer detour or take the rougher approach. The scene establishes the expedition's pace and gives the player a chance to notice animal sign before any threat appears.
The Bracken DenNextThe track reaches an old waystation where the character can search for Tamsin's trail and choose whether to press on or rest.
1:35
45 min
social
3. The Survivor's Account
A roofless patrol shelter beside the old track, with enough cover for a short rest if the GM judges it safe.
The character finds Tamsin sheltered in a hollow, or discovers clear traces of her recent passage if she has already been introduced in Birch Hollow. She describes the injury, the direction her partner went, and the bell sound. This is a chance to establish the rescue's urgency without forcing an immediate fight.
NextTamsin points toward the tower's lower approach and warns that the ground there is unstable.
2:20
75 min
skill
4. The Tower's Broken Foot
The outer wall and collapsed lower stair of P01 (38,20). The tower is a ruin, not a functioning fort.
The character studies the tower approach, identifies the unsafe stair and webbed landing, and chooses whether to enter, clear a narrow route, or withdraw. A careful search reveals where the partner's trail leads.
The Fallen StairNextOnce inside or safely around the collapse, follow the trail toward the old records room and the last known camp.
3:35
60 min
exploration
5. The Last Surveyor
A dry lower chamber and adjacent rubble outside the watchtower, with one safe exit and no required climb to upper floors.
The character finds the injured surveyor alive in a sheltered chamber or at the tower's base, depending on the pace of the expedition. They can explain the last leg of the survey and point out the ledger's storage place. The player decides whether to stabilize and escort them now or secure the records first.
NextWith the missing surveyor located, search the records room and document the nearby route before returning.
4:35
55 min
skill
6. Ink, Stone, and Return
The tower's low records room and its immediate grounds. Upper floors remain unsafe and unnecessary to the objective.
The character recovers the ledger or copies its readable entries, then makes a concise record of the tower's condition and the immediate track hazards. Loose stones and weather make the visit time-limited, but there is no forced collapse or combat. The character chooses whether to return directly or take a cautious rest before the journey back.
NextTravel back to Birch Hollow for payment, treatment, and a debrief with Mara.
Behind it
What people believe
A survey assistant has returned to Birch Hollow from the ruined border lookout at P01, but her partner is missing.
Reeve Mara Venn wants the character to find the missing surveyor, recover the old watch ledger if it is still legible, and report on the condition of the nearby patrol track. The expedition is limited to the tower and its immediate approaches; travel must respect the known restrictions at R05 and X05.
Background
The old border watchtower at P01 (38,20) was built to monitor the woodland track northwest of Birch Hollow, S04 (49,42).
It has been ruined for decades, but its records may still clarify which paths and crossings were maintained before the current maps were made. R05 and X05 have footbridge restrictions that matter to any route planning; this expedition does not build, repair, or assume the existence of another bridge. The adventure is designed around a limited survey and the recovery of one missing surveyor, not a demand to clear the entire wood.
The stakes
A missing surveyor may die without timely help, and inaccurate route notes could encourage future travelers to enter unsafe ground.
The character is not expected to clear the woodland or permanently secure the tower. Retreat and a return with assistance are valid choices.
Encounters
2The Bracken Den
Combat, avoidable wilderness threat
A fern-choked hollow beside the old patrol track, with a clear route back to open ground and several low logs that provide cover but are difficult to cross quickly.
Foes
1 Wolf
ComplicationThe wolf gives warning signs before closing: tracks, droppings, and a low growl from cover. If the character backs away without threatening its den, it may disengage. The wolf is not guarding a required route.
ScalingFor a solo level 1 character, use one wolf only, keep it at range until the character chooses to approach, and allow retreat to a clearly visible open trail. If the character is already depleted, the wolf watches from cover rather than attacking. For a level 2 character, use one wolf and make it more persistent, but do not add another foe. A companion does not automatically justify additional enemies.
The Fallen Stair
Combat, avoidable den guardian
A collapsed outer stair and a webbed stone landing inside the tower. The landing has a safe retreat route, but the broken edge can cause a fall if crossed at speed.
Foes
1 Giant Wolf Spider
ComplicationWeb strands cross the approach and catch on clothing before the spider is visible. A character can retreat and choose another entry, or use a pole, flame, or careful cutting to clear a narrow route. The tower's damaged floor is a hazard independent of the spider.
ScalingFor a solo level 1 character, place the spider in a visible webbed recess and have it defend its feeding ground rather than pursue beyond the tower entrance. Give the character a chance to retreat before it attacks. For a level 2 character, it can pursue through one section of the ruin, then withdraw if badly hurt. Do not add extra spiders for a solo character.
Cast
3Mara Venn
QuestgiverQuestgiver, Birch Hollow's reeve and keeper of the settlement's route records.
WantsWants an accurate, bounded survey of the ruined watchtower and nearby routes so Birch Hollow can plan safe travel and stop sending searchers into uncertain ground.
“Bring me the pages that show where the old patrols actually went. A guess on a map can get someone killed.”
Tamsin Reed
Witness and rescued survey assistant, found at a sheltered waystation or along the route.
WantsWants to return to Birch Hollow and make amends for leaving her injured partner behind. She can give a useful account but is frightened and exhausted.
“I heard a bell from the tower, then something moved below the bracken. I ran. I am not proud of it, but I am alive.”
Edrin Holt
Ally, retired tower keeper living near Birch Hollow, able to interpret old watch marks and records.
WantsWants the watch records treated as evidence of the old patrol boundary, not as permission for anyone to claim the woodland or reopen unsafe routes.
“That book is not a treasure chest. It is a list of people who trusted us to keep a road open.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
A coil of ordinary rope, a hooded lantern, and two days of trail rations, loaned for the expedition and expected back if unused.
On a win
The character returns with the surveyor, a usable ledger or accurate copy, and a concise report on the tower and its immediate approaches.
Mara pays the agreed reward and updates Birch Hollow's route records with clear warnings rather than unsupported claims. If the rescued surveyor cannot travel without help, returning to town for assistance still counts as progress and can lead into a follow-up expedition.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The character retreats or is driven back before reaching the tower.
- The rescue remains possible, but the expedition must return to Birch Hollow to regroup, rest, and revise its route. The missing surveyor's condition worsens modestly, established by the GM without making recovery impossible.
- The watch records are lost, damaged beyond use, or left unrecovered.
- Mara receives an incomplete survey and cannot responsibly mark the old track as safe. She pays only for expenses already agreed and asks the character to return with better evidence if they wish.
- The character leaves without locating Tamsin or the injured partner.
- The tower and its records remain where they are, but Tamsin must wait longer for rescue. The character can arrange a second expedition, possibly with an additional helper, rather than treating the objective as permanently failed.
Complications (d6)
- 1A cold rain swells the ground around the approach track. The party must spend an extra hour choosing firmer footing or arrive at the tower with soaked gear and reduced visibility.
- 2A broken branch and fresh blood show that Tamsin's injured partner changed direction after the last known camp. Following the sign costs time but may reveal a safer approach to the tower.
- 3A fallen limb blocks the narrowest part of the trail. Clearing it makes noise that alerts nearby wildlife, while detouring adds an hour and risks losing the trail.
- 4A gust tears a loose page from the recovered watch ledger. A character must secure it immediately or spend time searching the leaf litter for the page.
- 5The old tower bell rings once when wind shifts a damaged beam. Anyone who has not learned the building's unstable layout may mistake the sound for a signal and move toward a hazardous section.
- 6A fox or small scavenger drags food from the party's supplies during a rest. Recovering it is possible, but the disturbance may bring a nearby predator to investigate.
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