Ashmaw of the Alderfen

Kill

Ashmaw of the Alderfen

Lvl 2-3A party of 3-5 characters1-2 sessions, approximately 3-5 hours· Medium, with a potentially dangerous single-monster climax for a low-level party. Give the party chances to scout, prepare, and use the terrain.

“A bounty, a missing burner, and a beast that should not be this angry.”

— Hook · Kill

QuestgiverReeve Hesta Marr

Kill

D&D 5E

Medium, with a potentially dangerous single-monster climax for a low-level party. Give the party chances to scout, prepare, and use the terrain.

Lvl 2-3

A party of 3-5 characters

1-2 sessions, approximately 3-5 hours

4 NPCs

2 encounters

The Opening

“A bell rings once from the reeve's hall, and a muddy farmer stumbles into the street with a torn pack and a bloodied sleeve. Reeve Hesta offers a bounty to anyone who can kill the owlbear stalking the Alderfen road before the next market day. A charcoal burner's sister is also missing near the abandoned camp.”
— Hook · Kill

Set the Scene

Read the hook aloud in Bellwether. Reeve Hesta meets the party in the hall, offers the bounty, and shows them a crude map of the road and charcoal camp. Tovin Reed waits outside, eager to share what he saw but visibly afraid to return to the woods.

Patron

Questgiver

Reeve Hesta Marr

Reeve Hesta calls for capable travelers in the village hall, offering a bounty and asking them to speak with the surviving charcoal burners before setting out.

On the Streets · In the Books

Rumours

d5 · table

01
Ashmaw's tracks are too large for any ordinary bear, and they lead toward the old kilns.
02
A cart with no village markings was seen on the road after dark.
03
The owlbear has attacked livestock but left one injured traveler alive.
04
Tovin says his sister knew every path in the fen and would not simply wander off.
05
A bitter, metallic smell lingers near the abandoned charcoal pit.

Stakes

If Ashmaw remains alive, the Alderfen road stays dangerous, trade falters, and another traveler may be killed. If the party discovers the dumping operation, revealing it could protect the region but create a new enemy.

Ticking Clock·The next market day is two days away. Each day the party delays, the GM may have Ashmaw attack another cart or livestock pen, making the road more dangerous and increasing pressure from Reeve Hesta.

Background Lore

The Alderfen road connects the farming hamlets of Bellwether and Graybridge. A week ago, travelers began disappearing near an abandoned charcoal camp. The local reeve has offered a bounty for the beast blamed for the attacks, and the surviving charcoal burners have taken shelter in Bellwether.

What the World Knows

An aggressive owlbear known as Ashmaw has made the Alderfen road unsafe. Reeve Hesta Marr is offering a bounty for its death before the next market day. A charcoal burner's sister disappeared near the abandoned camp, and locals hope the search for her will reveal where the beast is hiding.