Thorns on the Southern Road
Thorns on the Southern Road
“The road is threatened by more than thieves, and someone in the city is paying the price.”
— Hook · investigation
“The southern road has become a graveyard for merchants, and the latest survivor claims the attackers were not ordinary thieves. Captain Elira Voss asks you to locate the bandit camp, learn who is directing the raids, and remove every threat you find. She warns that recent reports mention well armed outlaws and creatures large enough to tear through a wagon.”
— Hook · investigation
Captain Elira Voss receives the party in a cramped watch office overlooking the southern gate. On her desk are a broken wagon axle, a bloodstained trade manifest, and a crude charcoal sketch of a large footprint. She explains that Tomas Reed, a caravan clerk, survived by hiding beneath a wagon and was found near the road at dawn. The captain offers the party official authority to investigate, a small advance, and a larger reward if they return with proof of who commands the camp.
Captain Elira Voss
The questgiver summons the party to the city watch office after hearing that they have experience dealing with organized threats. She presents physical evidence from the latest attack and speaks plainly about the risk to the southern road.
Rumours
d5 · table- 01The bandits have started using matching dark-green cloaks instead of scavenged clothing.
- 02A merchant wagon was attacked even though it carried no visible valuables.
- 03Someone has been buying large quantities of salted meat near the southern gate.
- 04Travelers report seeing huge footprints beside ordinary boot tracks.
- 05A wounded bandit was overheard saying that the chief receives orders from someone inside the city.
If the camp remains active, travelers will continue to disappear and the southern road may close entirely. If the party clears the camp but misses the hidden patron, the raids may stop temporarily while a more powerful conspirator prepares a new scheme. If the prisoners and evidence are lost, the city may dismiss the operation as an ordinary bandit raid and fail to uncover the larger threat.
Background Lore
For several weeks, caravans and travelers using the southern road have vanished or been found stripped of supplies. The attacks were first blamed on disorganized highway robbers, but the bandits have recently become disciplined, well equipped, and bold enough to threaten traffic within sight of the city. Their chief, Varka Thorn, has entered into a crude bargain with two ogres, feeding them captured livestock and promising them access to richer prey. The camp is also being used to stockpile stolen goods before they are moved through a hidden ravine route.
A bandit camp south of the city has grown unusually dangerous. The attackers are organized, well equipped, and may have hired ogres to help them raid travelers. The city watch needs capable investigators to find the camp, determine the scale of the threat, rescue anyone still alive, and end the raids.
