Hold Until Dawn

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defend

Hold Until Dawn

Lvl 13-5 charactersOne-shot, approximately 3-5 hours· medium

“Hold the gate. Save the bell. Survive until dawn.”

— Hook · defend

QuestgiverCaptain Elira Voss

Defend

D&D 5E

Medium

Lvl 1

3-5 characters

One-shot, approximately 3-5 hours

5 NPCs

3 encounters

The Opening

“Briarwatch’s warning bell rings in the middle of a windless night, and a runner arrives moments later with news that an armed force is marching from the hills. Captain Elira Voss offers what little the settlement can spare if you will help hold the walls until dawn. Then a second bell toll reveals that the enemy is already inside.”
— Hook · defend

Set the Scene

Read aloud: The bell rings once, deep enough to shake dust from the rafters. Outside, dogs begin barking across Briarwatch, followed by the distant orange glow of fires on the northern ridge. Captain Elira Voss enters with a sword in one hand and a bloodied scout’s cloak in the other. She looks from face to face and says, “We have perhaps an hour before they reach the gate.”

Patron

Questgiver

Captain Elira Voss

Captain Elira Voss approaches the characters in the settlement’s common hall shortly after the warning bell rings. She is direct, visibly exhausted, and willing to offer immediate supplies, temporary authority over the defenders, and every able-bodied volunteer she can gather.

On the Streets · In the Books

Rumours

d5 · table

01
The bell has rung by itself three times this month, always before someone disappears on the north road.
02
The Ashcloak Marauders do not usually attack settlements. Someone is paying them to seize a particular object.
03
Old road markers near Briarwatch sometimes glow blue after heavy rain.
04
A smuggler named Nessa Quill knows every drainage tunnel beneath the hill.
05
The previous warden sealed a room beneath the bell tower and refused to say what was inside.

Stakes

If Briarwatch falls, the Ashcloak Marauders gain control of the Old North Road, the nearby farms are exposed, and the buried defensive engine may awaken uncontrollably. If the characters succeed, the settlement survives but learns that its most important landmark is part of a much older and more dangerous system.

Ticking Clock·The attackers reach Briarwatch in approximately one hour. Once the assault begins, Veyra’s underground ritual completes after roughly two hours unless interrupted. Every major delay gives the enemy more time to damage the gate, spread the fire, or advance the ritual.

Background Lore

For generations, the hill settlement of Briarwatch has guarded the Old North Road from raiders and monsters. Its bell tower, built around a fragment of fallen star-iron, warns nearby farms whenever danger approaches. This year, the bell has begun ringing without wind, and frightened locals have started abandoning the outer fields. The settlement’s defenders are few, its walls are old, and an organized assault is coming before dawn.

What the World Knows

Briarwatch is a small hill settlement that protects the Old North Road. An organized band of raiders, supported by goblin scouts, is advancing from the northern hills, while unknown infiltrators have already entered the town. The characters must defend the gate, protect the warning bell, and prevent the attackers from using the settlement’s hidden tunnels to gain a decisive advantage. Captain Elira Voss believes the raid is intended to seize supplies and control the road.