Siege at Ember Pass

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escort defense

Siege at Ember Pass

Lvl 1-33-5 PCs1-2 sessions· medium

“A mountain pass becomes a killing ground when an orc warband springs a timed ambush on a supply caravan.”

— Hook · escort defense

QuestgiverCaptain Glorien Tarsin

Escort defense

D&D 5E

Medium

Lvl 1-3

3-5 PCs

1-2 sessions

4 NPCs

3 encounters

The Opening

“The gorge tightens until your wagons crawl single-file and the walls seem close enough to touch. Then a war-cry explodes from below, arrows hiss from the heights, and Ember Pass turns into a trap. Hold the line or lose the road to Dawnvale.”
— Hook · escort defense

Set the Scene

As dusk stains the peaks red, the caravan enters Ember Pass in single file. The gorge narrows, wheels grind against stone, and the first cry of alarm comes from the cliffs above as shadowed figures rise into view and axe-wielding orcs surge from the lower path.

Patron

Questgiver

Captain Glorien Tarsin

direct military request

On the Streets · In the Books

Rumours

d4 · table

01
The Goroth have been paying scouts in river towns for road maps.
02
Something in the mountains has made the warbands bolder than before.
03
A broken chain of old watchtowers still overlooks a side route into Ember Pass.
04
The smell of burned copper sometimes follows the hunters after a raid.

Stakes

If the caravan falls, Dawnvale loses essential supplies and the mountain road becomes a dangerous, contested route. If the party holds, they secure the shipment, protect morale, and earn a lead into the larger enemy network.

Ticking Clock·At the end of round 2, loose rock begins to fall from the upper ledges. If the party delays too long, the raiders gain the advantage, the wagons clog the pass, and the convoy suffers mounting losses.

Background Lore

Two days after the party sealed the Passby Grove rift, the road to Dawnvale becomes a choke point. Ember Pass is a narrow mountain gorge where wagons must move single-file and there is nowhere easy to turn around. The Goroth warband knows the caravan carries supplies meant for the Citadel and has chosen the pass for a kill-box.

What the World Knows

A Goroth warband has ambushed the caravan in Ember Pass. The party must defend the wagons, beasts, and supplies while fighting off raiders from below and hunters from above, using the terrain and a burning-oil cauldron to survive the kill-zone.