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The Bell of Brackenford

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defend

The Bell of Brackenford

Lvl 13-5 characters1-2 sessions· easy

“Hold the tower. Save the town. Discover what brought the raiders here.”

— Hook · defend

Defend
D&D 5E
Easy
Lvl 1
3-5 characters
1-2 sessions
4 NPCs
3 encounters
The Opening

“Brackenford's old watchtower has sounded its bell for the first time in a decade, calling for defenders as raiders gather beyond the fields. The militia captain promises food, coin, and a place to sleep if you can hold Bellwatch until dawn. If the tower falls, the settlement's grain stores and families will be at the raiders' mercy.”

— Hook · defend

Set the Scene

Rain lashes the fields outside Brackenford as a bronze bell rings from the hilltop for the first time in ten years. Villagers run toward the walls carrying buckets, tools, and whatever weapons they can find. At the gate, Mara Venn points toward torchlight moving through the fog and tells the characters that the attack will begin within minutes.

Patron
M
Questgiver

Mara Venn

Mara Venn approaches the characters at the settlement gate while shouting orders to frightened villagers. She offers immediate payment and free lodging, then appeals to the characters' self-interest by warning that the raiders will pursue anyone who flees into the surrounding roads.

On the Streets · In the Books

Rumours

d4 · table
  1. 01
    Bellwatch once rang three times whenever an army approached from the northern road.
  2. 02
    The Red Knives are hungry and poorly equipped, but someone has given them unusually accurate maps of Brackenford.
  3. 03
    A sealed tunnel is said to run beneath the watchtower, though no one has found its entrance in living memory.
  4. 04
    The merchant consortium's black wagons were seen near the old road last month.
Stakes

If Brackenford loses Bellwatch or its grain store, the settlement may be abandoned before winter. If the characters succeed, they save dozens of lives and uncover evidence of a larger scheme involving a hidden vault beneath the hills.

Ticking Clock·The attack begins before dawn and intensifies in three waves. After the third wave, the Red Knives set fire to the grain store and attempt to escape through the hidden tunnel.

Background Lore

For generations, the hill settlement of Brackenford has relied on an old stone watchtower called Bellwatch. The tower's bronze alarm bell once warned the valley of raids, but it has stood silent for years. Recently, a band of desperate raiders discovered that Brackenford's winter stores are poorly guarded and plans to seize the settlement before the first heavy snow.

What the World Knows

Brackenford is a small settlement protected by an aging watchtower called Bellwatch. A band of raiders known as the Red Knives plans to attack before dawn and seize the settlement's food stores. The characters are asked to help organize the defense, restore the alarm bell, and keep the raiders from taking the town.

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