The Quarry Before Dawn
The Quarry Before Dawn
Read aloud
A caravan factor catches your attention in Cairuun, her hands still stained with road dust. “A barbarian named Harkun was taken by iruxi slavers, two days southwest from here. They mean to move him before dawn tomorrow. Bring him home, and do not let the slavers disappear into the marsh.”
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Find the iruxi slaver camp before Harkun is transferred.
- 2Rescue Harkun.
- 3Free the other captives.Optional
The clock
The slavers plan to move Harkun before dawn on the day after the party reaches the camp. On each major delay or failed stealth attempt, make the transfer preparations more visible. After three significant delays, the cart begins to leave.
Scenes
- 0:00A Job Before Dawn
- 0:25Two Days Southwest
- 1:05The Quarry Yard
- 2:10The Last Cart Out
Cast
- Sella VennQuestgiver
- Tavi ReedscaleAlly and captive
- Kesh-of-the-Red-ReedsAntagonist
- Harkun StonejawWitness and rescue target
The hook
Set the scene
Sella Venn meets the party in a busy Cairuun caravan yard. She offers a rough map marked with a quarry, a spring, and a southern trail, and explains that Harkun's transfer is expected before dawn. She can provide travel supplies and a description of Harkun, but does not know the camp's exact defenses.
How Sella Venn asks
Sella approaches the party openly in Cairuun's caravan yard, offering a modest advance and a hand-marked route map.
She stresses urgency but does not demand that the party fight the slavers if another safe rescue plan is possible.
Rumours
Scenes
about 3 hours0:00
25 min
socialThe table is here
1. A Job Before Dawn
A caravan yard in Cairuun, amid wagons being loaded for departure.
Sella explains the deadline, provides a rough map, and asks the party to prioritize Harkun's safe return. The players can ask questions and choose their supplies.
NextOnce the party has a plan, Sella points them toward the southwest road and the last known quarry track.
0:25
40 min
exploration
2. Two Days Southwest
A scrubby track giving way to reed marsh, with an abandoned spring and signs of wagon traffic.
The party follows the route to the quarry region and studies tracks, camp smoke, and patrol patterns. Let them choose a direct approach, a marsh route, or a vantage point; the chosen approach should matter at the camp.
NextThe quarry wall comes into view, and the party can see the cage wagons and warning bell from a concealed overlook.
1:05
65 min
combat
3. The Quarry Yard
The quarry yard, its cages, and the first line of reed-covered approach.
The party learns that Harkun is held in a wagon cage and that other prisoners are nearby. They can seek Tavi's help, bluff their way inside, sneak past sentries, or attack the guards.
The Quarry YardNextWith the cages reached or the camp distracted, Harkun urges the party to get everyone onto the southern trail before the transfer begins.
2:10
45 min
skill
4. The Last Cart Out
A muddy track from the quarry to a shallow river landing, with reeds that conceal both escapees and pursuers.
The party must get Harkun and any rescued captives beyond the camp perimeter. The handler and cart can be stopped by force, deception, or a risky pursuit through the marsh.
The Transfer TrailNextThe party follows the safer return route to Cairuun, where Sella is waiting for news and Harkun can decide what to do next.
Behind it
What people believe
A caravan factor in Cairuun hires the party to rescue Harkun, a captured barbarian held by an iruxi slaver crew at a camp two days southwest of the settlement.
The captors plan to move him before dawn. The party must locate the camp, reach Harkun, and bring him back alive; they may also attempt to free the other prisoners.
Background
Two days southwest of Cairuun, an old quarry and its surrounding reed marshes have been turned into a temporary iruxi slaver camp.
The camp moves captives between hidden river landings, using quarry tunnels to shelter them from patrols. A captured barbarian named Harkun has been held there for several days and is due to be transferred before dawn.
The stakes
If the party does not act before the transfer, Harkun and possibly the other captives will be taken to a remote buyer.
A clean rescue avoids a dangerous pursuit and prevents the slavers from retaliating against captives left behind.
Encounters
2The Quarry Yard
Combat or social
A muddy quarry yard with waist-high stacks of stone, a warning bell, two cage wagons, and a narrow path leading to the reed marsh.
Foes
Kesh-of-the-Red-Reeds, slaver captain
Two iruxi camp guards
ComplicationA quarry bell can be rung to call reinforcements. A character adjacent to it can silence it with an action or suitable skill check. If the party frees the penned captives, they create a distraction that gives the heroes time to retreat.
ScalingFor a smaller or struggling party, use Kesh and one guard, and have Kesh surrender when clearly outmatched. For a larger or stronger party, add one guard arriving after the bell is rung. Use suitable level-appropriate Pathfinder creature statistics, reskinning as needed.
The Transfer Trail
Skill or combat
A narrow, rutted track between quarry scrub and flooded reeds. The cart is slow, but its wheels can bog down or break free depending on the party's actions.
Foes
One iruxi handler
ComplicationThe transfer cart is prepared to leave. If the party takes too long, the driver starts moving it toward the southern trail, turning the scene into a short pursuit rather than adding more foes.
ScalingThis is intended as a brief obstacle, not a mandatory fight. For a very capable party, the handler has already fled and the challenge is catching the cart. For a party in need of help, Tavi distracts the handler.
Cast
4Sella Venn
QuestgiverQuestgiver, a Cairuun caravan factor
WantsSecure Harkun's rescue before his captors move him out of reach, while avoiding a wider clash that could endanger Cairuun's trade route.
“Bring him back breathing, if you can. He has friends in Cairuun, and he is no use to anyone on a chain.”
Tavi Reedscale
Ally and captive, an iruxi scout who was forced to guide the slavers
WantsHelp Harkun escape and find a way out herself, without provoking retaliation against the other captives.
“If you have come for Harkun, keep your voices low. The guards change when the quarry bell rings twice.”
Kesh-of-the-Red-Reeds
Antagonist, leader of the slaver crew
WantsDeliver Harkun to a buyer on schedule and keep the camp disciplined enough to avoid drawing attention.
“The big one is worth more alive, and the rest of you can decide whether you want to make this difficult.”
Harkun Stonejaw
Witness and rescue target, a captured barbarian
WantsResist the slavers and protect the other captives, even if delaying escape puts Harkun at risk.
“I will leave when everyone else can leave. Do not ask me to trade one cage for another.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
A travel kit with trail rations, waterskins, and basic bandages, provided before departure
One modest alchemical or healing consumable per character, chosen to suit the campaign
On a win
The party brings Harkun safely back to Cairuun.
If they free the other prisoners, Sella arranges shelter and asks the caravan community to help them recover. Harkun is grateful, though he may insist that the party pursue any slavers who escaped with captives.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The party loses the trail or spends too long gathering information before setting out.
- Harkun is moved to a second holding site before the party arrives. Sella can provide a lead to the river landing, turning the rescue into a follow-up adventure rather than ending it.
- The party is defeated or forced to retreat from the quarry yard.
- The slavers escape with some captives, including Harkun if the heroes do not reach him in time. Tavi remains behind to help the other prisoners, creating a clear rescue lead.
- The heroes free Harkun but fail to protect or account for the other prisoners.
- Harkun survives but refuses to leave until the other captives are released. The party must choose whether to take additional time or persuade him to trust them.
Complications (d6)
- 1A sentry spots movement near the outer reed screen. The next camp patrol checks the nearest approach before the party can use it again.
- 2A sudden squall floods the shallow path. Anyone carrying bulky gear must choose a slower route or risk losing one unsecured item in the mud.
- 3A captive coughs during a stealth approach. A nearby guard investigates, but the party can redirect suspicion with a convincing distraction.
- 4The quarry bell rings once by mistake. The slavers begin an early headcount, reducing the party's time to reach Harkun unnoticed.
- 5Tavi recognizes a patrol member from an earlier escape attempt. Tavi freezes briefly, then can identify the patrol's blind spot if given a moment to recover.
- 6A tethered pack beast breaks loose and bolts through the camp. The commotion creates cover for one action, but also draws guards toward the animal.
Connections
Media
0 imagesNo images yet.
Turn The Quarry Before Dawn into a sheet
A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.
