Journey Through the Wilderlands

The old drove road over the high rocky and heather-clad moors of the Wilderland was once a well-travelled route between the town of Silverwell and the remote region of Rovanna in the north. Rovanna is famed for its produce, ironwood and rare gems and ores mined from the Northern Mountains. Well-guarded small merchant caravans (usually 3-4 carts) ply their trade in Rovanna three times a year, during the summer months returning with the prized Rovannon goods.

Drovers head to Rovanna with the Mid-summer caravan, to buy the prized red Rovannon cattle from farmers across the region. These brave and hardy men drive the small stocky cattle south to Silverwell market towards the end of summer, following the return journey of the last caravan.

Over the years, fewer people have been making the arduous journey over the Wilderland as tales of bandits and unseasonably cold weather have been circulating the inns and taverns. Most people will now travel with the caravans as they usually have a travelling guard of protectors with them.

The spring caravan made it safely to and from Huntsford, the chief town of Rovanna, but had come back with tales that there had been some winter raids on the remoter villages in the region. Some cattle and sheep had been stolen. The mid-summer caravan left Huntsford on the 10th Moed, three days after the Mid-year Festival. The PCs will be travelling sometime after this.

Silverwell is the base for the famous Protectors who are the main law enforcers in the area. The Protectors also patrol the drove road and guard the caravans travelling to Rovanna. Most of them are Dragonborn and others are wary of them but respect them for their abilities.

Rovanna, in recent months has been plagued by groups of thugs / bandits claiming to be tax collectors. These groups only target remote communities, but it appears that someone somewhere is organising them.

Adventure Synopsis

In ‘Journey through the Wilderlands’ the PCs must to make their way to Huntsford having heard that the region is having some problems of its own. The journey has its perils, being long and through wild country. Recent attacks by bandits have unnerved travellers and most will only travel with the caravans. The occasional adventurous (or foolhardy) person will make the journey on their own. It will take 5 days to make the journey, without the detour of the Bandit Camp. It is the height of summer but the weather has been rather unpredictable. The PCs would expect to see the mid-summer caravan returning from Huntsford.

If the PCs decide to take the sea route, then do the ‘Wild Coast’ side trek where the boat will be driven ashore by the weather and currents at Covelny, an abandoned village approximately 10 miles northeast of Silverwell as the crow flies.

Bandit Hideout
• Somewhere south of Moorthan it is known there is a bandit hideout in the hills to the west of the drove road but the protectors don’t have the men to spare to clear them out.

• The PCs will be asked to clear and destroy the bandit hideout. En-route they may encounter wild animals, the occasional traveller and the protectors who are based at each camp.

• Silverwell chief protector, Ranok, approaches PCs with proposition to remove the bandits from a known hideout en-route as they don’t have the time to spare and the PCs look like a strong and able group. Can’t offer much in reward other than a letter ensuring free lodgings at the garrison at Moorthan, at Dragon House in Silverwell and 20gp each.

• Even if PCs don’t take up the offer, they will become the targets of the bandits and they should spot the signs of where the hideout is.

The letters

The PCs will also be approached by a couple of Silverwell townsfolk and a cloaked figure. The townsfolk have heard that the PCs are thinking about travelling to Rovanna and they would like some letters delivered to some relatives in Huntsford.
• Perri, the Halfling is concerned for her parents in Beaconsfield as she hasn’t heard from them in a while. She would like the PCs to carry a letter to them and if possible find out what has happened. If they can’t get a message back to her themselves, then she would be grateful if they could arrange for a courier to carry one. She will give them 50gp for their troubles and to pay a return courier. Her sister, Florin, a bit of a wild one, has disappeared. Perri knows that she is a bit of a thief, but is worried that she has got in with the wrong crowd. Perri asks the PCs to keep an eye out for her.

• Seward, the Half-elf herbalist would like the PCs to take a letter and order to his Elf sister in HavenGlen as he would like to stock up on the Tantalia root, which is useful for wound dressings and creating healing potions. He comments that a higher number of people than normal appear to be coming to him after being robbed if they have dared travel north of Silverwell.

• Gundor, appears to be a commoner, who requests that the PCs take a letter to Warnik in the town of Huntsford. He looks like he is more than capable of doing the journey himself but he must have reasons not to go himself. Suggests that the PCs will get to Huntsford quicker if they take a ship north.

The Key Players

Ranok: Silverwell Chief Protector

Perri: Female Halfling living in Silverwell. Worried about her parents in Beaconsfield and her missing sister, Florin.

Gundor: Human commoner (or so he appears to be) based in Silverwell. Requires letters to be taken to and from Rovanna.

Althort Greensward: Map-maker; traveller; courier

Torrin: Dragonborn Protector at Quarry Camp
Heskan: Injured Dragonborn Protector at Quarry Camp

Quint: Bandit leader (quarry)
Bornan: Bandit Skirmisher

Aldor(ik): Human Mage – main bandit leader (or so he thinks); Brother to Warnik and Kurnik. Plays at being an alchemist and only holds sway over his minions due to his minor magic and his potions. He is not averse to feeding them a potion of control.

Florin: Female Halfling thief – in service to Aldor because he caught her thieving from him when he was in Huntsford. Rather than killing her, he took her on as a slave, opening locked chests stolen from unwary travellers or the merchant caravans. Sister to Perri.

Groth: Cowardly Kobold.

Scar: Goblin Blackblade

Warnik: Human ex-soldier, retired to Huntsford. He runs a small-time smuggling operation but is in league with some unknown forces

Canusa: Longtooth Hunter (Shifter) currently based on the Wilderland, waylaying and frightening travellers. Her clan now lives in the depths of the Iron Mountains and have made Huntingtower their base. She doesn’t particularly like her way of life but has been expected to follow in her family’s footsteps. She has knowledge of the Feywild, having wandered into the forests at the age of 11 and been found by an Eladrin scout. She spent 2 years with them, whether kidnapped or by her own choice (she was rebellious), she never did tell.

Louden Stonewick: Dwarf, Owner of Louden Inn in the Borderlands. His brother, Dagin, lives up at Leathforge.

Kurnik: Human mage, leader of one of the groups of ‘tax’ collectors who threaten people who live in remote places. He is the brother of Warnik and Aldor.

Glimson: Owner of Glim’s Inn in Huntsford. He is a surly (unusual) Halfling who tells tall tales of his so called adventures in his younger days. He has taken his name from that of a hero of Tarlant who was one of a group of adventurers who saved the region from a sorcerer and has named his inn after that famous gnome, not that the people of Rovanna know the truth of it. Glim’s Inn is a run down place.

Louden Stonewick: Owner of Louden Inn, a dwarf of senior years.