The Last Stand at Stonewake
The Last Stand at Stonewake
“Hold the bridge. Guard the charter. Find the traitor.”
— Hook · defend
“The peace envoy's wagons have reached Stonewake Bridge, but scouts report armed figures moving through the hills. You have been ordered to hold the crossing until every VIP reaches the eastern road. If the bridge falls, the charter falls with it, and two provinces may go to war.”
— Hook · defend
The party arrives at Stonewake Bridge beneath a gray afternoon sky. The convoy is already assembling on the western side: two armored carriages, four riding guards, pack animals, and a dozen nervous servants. Ser Caldrin Vey points toward the hills, where a thin column of smoke rises behind the old tollhouse. Before anyone can investigate, a crossbow bolt strikes the bridge's warning bell and the first bandits reveal themselves.
Ser Caldrin Vey
Ser Caldrin Vey approaches the party in full travel armor shortly before the convoy reaches the bridge. He offers immediate payment for a successful defense and promises an additional reward if the party can keep the peace charter intact. Mira Solenne quietly warns the characters that the escort has already suffered one unexplained equipment failure.
Rumours
d5 · table- 01The old tollhouse has been empty for years, but someone has recently repaired its signal lantern.
- 02Bandits have been unusually organized along the river road and are avoiding civilian caravans.
- 03A red feather tied to a spear is said to mean that the bridge guards have been bought.
- 04Something large has been hunting near the ravine, leaving claw marks in the trees.
- 05The envoy's own quartermaster insists that nobody in the convoy can be trusted.
If the bridge is lost, the peace charter will not reach the eastern province. The envoy may be killed, the convoy may be captured, and a local border dispute could become an open war.
Background Lore
The Stonewake Bridge is the only reliable crossing for three days in either direction. A diplomatic convoy is carrying a peace charter between two rival provinces, and both sides have agreed that the envoy must cross under neutral protection. The bridge is surrounded by abandoned tollhouses, scrub-covered hills, and a narrow river gorge that gives attackers many places to hide.
The characters are hired to protect a diplomatic convoy carrying a peace charter across Stonewake Bridge. Bandits have gathered near the crossing, and the bridge's narrow design makes it impossible for the convoy to move safely without a disciplined rear guard. The party must hold the bridge, protect the VIPs, and identify any threat that gets inside the escort perimeter. A dangerous wild creature may also be drawn to the area by the violence.
