The Silent Kiln
The Silent Kiln
Read aloud
Mara Venn spreads a rough map across the table. The old charcoal kiln northwest of Birch Hollow has a collapsed vent, and woodcutters report giant rats in the area. She offers a small fee for a clear survey: establish the danger, record anything useful, and tell the village whether the site can be safely closed or repaired.
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Survey the kiln site.
- 2Resolve the rat threat.
- 3Deliver a clear report and close the job.
- 4Recover the old damper plate.Optional
The clock
No hard timer. If the character delays several days, the woodcutters may begin using the track again, increasing the chance that someone disturbs the vent or encounters the rats before the site is marked closed.
Scenes
- 0:00A Small Survey Job
- 0:15Tracks in the Leaf Mold
- 0:40The Broken Draw
- 1:15Mark It Safe or Closed
- 1:40A Definitive Answer
Cast
- Mara VennQuestgiver
- Tomas ReedAlly
- Elin PikeWitness
The hook
Set the scene
At the Birch Hollow factor's office, Mara Venn explains that the kiln's vent collapsed and woodcutters have reported giant rats. She gives the character a sketch map, a strip of red cloth to mark the unsafe edge, and a simple written survey form. Tomas Reed can point out the old track and explain how a working vent should draw smoke. Elin Pike can describe where she last saw the rats.
How Mara Venn asks
Mara offers a modest fixed fee for a written survey and a clear recommendation.
She does not ask the character to restore the kiln or take unnecessary risks. She provides a rough map and can arrange a short conversation with the retired burner Tomas Reed.
Rumours
Scenes
about 2 hours0:00
15 min
socialThe table is here
1. A Small Survey Job
Mara Venn's office in Birch Hollow
Mara hires the character and supplies the map. Tomas gives practical advice about the vent, while Elin describes the rat sightings. The character can ask questions, choose equipment, and decide whether to take the track or the ridge.
NextThe character follows the marked track northwest out of the village.
0:15
25 min
exploration
2. Tracks in the Leaf Mold
Woodland track and slope northwest of Birch Hollow
The character follows the old track through ordinary woodland, finding rat tracks, old charcoal fragments, and signs of recent passage. A careful approach reveals the kiln's red-marked danger line and the safest place to inspect from.
NextThe trail ends at the kiln apron, where the character can inspect the vent from outside the marked danger line.
0:40
35 min
skill
3. The Broken Draw
Collapsed charcoal kiln and narrow work apron
The character identifies the damaged vent and the rat nest. The character may observe from cover, use food or noise to draw the rats out, or engage them. Disturbing the unstable stones triggers the fixed hazard.
Rats at the VentNextOnce the vent and nest are understood, the character can clear or block the kiln's remaining access and check the immediate area.
1:15
25 min
exploration
4. Mark It Safe or Closed
Kiln chamber, vent base, and brush below the slope
The character makes a final check of the kiln mouth, the surviving flue, and the brush below the slope. If rats remain, resolve a brief confrontation or let the character secure the site by blocking their route. The optional damper plate can be found below the kiln.
Clear the KilnNextThe character returns to Birch Hollow with notes and a clear recommendation for Mara.
1:40
15 min
social
5. A Definitive Answer
Mara Venn's office in Birch Hollow
Mara reviews the report. Tomas confirms the description of the flue, and the character gives a definite recommendation. Mara pays the agreed fee and marks the site closed pending repair, or authorizes a future repair crew.
NextThe immediate survey is complete; the kiln's possible repair and the damper maker's mark can lead to later local adventures.
Behind it
What people believe
Mara Venn, Birch Hollow's charcoal factor, is hiring someone to survey an abandoned charcoal kiln northwest of the village.
Its vent has partially collapsed, and woodcutters have reported giant rats nearby. The surveyor must establish whether the site is safe, record any useful features, and give Mara a definite recommendation about closing or repairing it.
Background
A disused charcoal-burning site lies in the woods northwest of Birch Hollow.
Its stone kiln was abandoned years ago, but local woodcutters still use the nearby track. The survey is a modest job: inspect the collapsed vent, establish whether the site is safe, and record anything useful before the kiln is cleared or permanently closed.
The stakes
A poor survey could send woodcutters back to an unstable kiln or cause Birch Hollow to abandon a useful resource unnecessarily.
The danger is local and practical: one unsafe work site, a small rat population, and a decision about whether repair is worthwhile.
Encounters
2Rats at the Vent
Combat or avoidable wildlife encounter
The kiln sits on a wooded slope. Its low stone mouth opens onto a narrow work apron, with brush on either side and a shallow drainage ditch downhill. The unstable vent lies above the apron; the rat's nest is tucked behind fallen stones.
Foes
1 giant rat
ComplicationThe fixed hazard is a partially collapsed kiln vent: cracked stones over a narrow, unstable cavity. Crossing or working directly beneath it risks a small rockfall. A cautious inspection from outside the marked danger line is safe. If disturbed, one character must move clear or take cover; treat a failure using the table's usual hazard procedure, or as minor bludgeoning damage appropriate to the system. This is a custom environmental hazard, not a monster ability.
ScalingFor a solo level 1 character, use one giant rat and have it retreat if badly hurt. If the character has an unusually strong combat build or reliable support, add one more rat. For a fragile character, the rat begins behind loose stones and can be driven off with noise, firelight, or food rather than fought.
Clear the Kiln
Combat or skill encounter
A cramped, soot-dark kiln chamber with a low entrance, loose charcoal, and a narrow vent channel. The character can use the doorway as a retreat route and can block the rats' access with a pack, plank, or stone.
Foes
1 giant rat
ComplicationIf the character makes a loud approach, the rats scatter into the brush and the character can secure the site without a fight. If the character enters the cramped kiln chamber, the footing is uneven and the air is stale; do not add suffocation or poison effects. The fixed vent hazard remains the main danger.
ScalingThis is an optional final confrontation, not a second mandatory full-strength fight. Use it only if rats remain after the first encounter. For a solo level 1 character, keep it to one rat at a time and let it flee when injured. If the first rat was defeated, resolve the cleanup as a skill or exploration scene instead.
Cast
3Mara Venn
QuestgiverQuestgiver, Birch Hollow charcoal factor
WantsWants a reliable field report before authorizing repairs or warning local woodcutters away.
“I need a plain answer: can anyone work there safely, and what needs doing before they try?”
Tomas Reed
Ally, retired charcoal burner
WantsHopes the old site can provide a small, dependable source of charcoal, but will accept a clear safety warning.
“The vent used to draw clean. If you find a way to make that kiln useful again, write it down carefully.”
Elin Pike
Witness, woodcutter
WantsWants the track kept clear because it is the quickest route to his woodlot, and is anxious to be believed.
“I saw them pouring out of the stones. Not a story, not a badger. Rats big as dogs.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
A wrapped bundle of trail food and a flask of clean water for the survey.
Optional: the old iron damper plate, useful as a repair pattern rather than as valuable treasure.
On a win
The character returns with a reliable account of the vent collapse, the rat activity, and the surviving flue.
Mara marks the work site closed until the vent is rebuilt, or commissions a repair if the character confirms the approach can be made safe. The immediate job is complete whether the rats were killed, driven off, or contained.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The character leaves before documenting the vent, the rat activity, and a safe approach.
- The site remains uninspected. Mara pays no survey reward and posts a warning on the track. Tomas may later ask the character to return with help.
- The character reports the kiln as safe without checking the collapsed vent or distinguishing the rat nest from the usable work area.
- Birch Hollow loses time and a useful local resource. Woodcutters are told to avoid the kiln, and Mara's confidence in the character's report is reduced.
- The character is reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise cannot continue during the rat encounter or while investigating the unstable vent.
- The character is injured or driven off, and the rats continue using the kiln as a den. The job remains open, but the trail and hazard are now better documented for a later attempt.
Complications (d6)
- 1A fresh rain slicks the sloped approach to the kiln. Anyone rushing across must steady themselves or slide into the shallow drainage ditch, losing time and making a loud splash.
- 2A swarm of biting midges drives the party away from the streamside route. Covering up or taking the longer ridge path avoids bites but costs about 20 minutes.
- 3A fallen birch blocks the old track. It can be climbed over, cleared with tools, or bypassed through brush; the bypass leaves visible signs of passage.
- 4A loose stone at the kiln mouth shifts underfoot and clatters down the slope. The noise alerts nearby giant rats and gives them a chance to prepare an ambush.
- 5Elin's hastily marked trail is wrong at a fork. Following it leads to a muddy dead end and costs 15 minutes, but also reveals fresh rat tracks crossing the correct path.
- 6A gust sends loose charcoal dust from the vent across the work area. Anyone without a scarf or other face covering coughs and has difficulty speaking clearly until they get clean air and water.
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