On the Road

The True and Rightful King

Encounter 1:  On the Road

Level 1 Easy

4 Starved Dogs, 1, Minions (25 xp ea.) (D) (1 player)

1 Goblin Warrior, 1, Skirmisher, Standard (100 xp) (W) (2 players)

1 Goblin Acolyte of Maglubiyet, 1, Controller, Standard (100 xp) (A) (3 players)

1 Goblin Blackblade, 1, Lurker, Standard (100 xp) (B) (4 players)

1 Goblin Archer, 1, Skirmisher, Standard (100 xp) (R) (5 players)

4 Goblin Grunts, 1, Minions (25 xp ea.) (G) (6 players)

600 xp total

Setup

Keira, the young, stout, troubled paladin woman, Sjolander, the carefree bard, and Tyrion, the drow, are riding down a track that winds through the forest like a snake, rutted with the passing of many wagon wheels, but grassy in the middle and on the edges.  To either side tall pines rise, mixed here and there with oaks and elms, thick enough to obscure the sun, but not so thick that a man or a horse cannot pass between the trunks.  They have been riding since morning, and it is almost noon.

It is early spring.  The weather is mild and the sky is clear, save for a few wisps of high, thin clouds.

They left the village of Highbush shortly after sunrise.  About an hour later, they passed an oxcart with a load of flour headed to Highbush, driven by a wizened old man.  He told them that the village of Linden, seat of the Barony of Woodlea Forest, lay about a day’s journey by walking horse to the west, the direction they are headed.

About an hour ago, a troop of six mounted soldiers passed them heading west, in the direction of Linden.  They wore livery of olive green crossed with light blue with a tiger at the center of the cross, and they had the same symbol on their shields.  (History check DC 10:  The livery and crest is that of Baron Grayward Silverkin, Baron of Woodlea Forest.  History check DC 15:  olive green means generosity; light blue means strength; the cross means religious; and the tiger means valor or fierceness.)  They were riding almost at a gallop and nearly forced the three adventurers off the track into the forest.  They passed without so much as a word of greeting.

About thirty feet ahead, the track curves off to the left.

If the adventurers are actively perceiving, have them roll Perception checks.  If not, use their passive perception.  If they pass (DC 12), they hear guttural conversation ahead.  Any who can speak Goblin recognize that the voices are arguing over whether to keep searching or to give up and leave, but they don’t mention for what they are searching.

If the adventurers attempt to stealth forward, the dogs’ passive perception is 16.  If the dogs hear them, they start barking.  If they don’t, the adventurers manage to get to the curve and look beyond without being noticed.  If they don’t attempt to stealth, then when they reach the curve and look beyond, the goblins are all focused on them, ready for action.

About twenty feet ahead, scattered along the track, lie the bodies of the six mounted soldiers, pin-cushioned with arrows.  Moving around and among the bodies are eight ragged-looking goblins.  Some of the goblins are poking and prodding the bodies, occasionally turning a body as if looking underneath it.  Others are standing, talking to each other, apparently arguing.  Mixed in with the bodies of the soldiers are several goblin bodies, but the living goblins don’t seem to pay any attention to the dead goblins.  There are also four dogs, each of them tearing ravenously at one of the soldier’s bodies.

Tactics

The dogs attack only if an adventurer tries to drive them from a body.

Upon seeing the adventurers, enough goblins flee into the forest to reduce the number down to fit the party size.

However many goblins remain to fight, they are not brave or determined.  They wanted something that the soldiers had, but not enough to fight off these adventurers to keep looking for it.  Any who become bloodied attempt to flee, and as soon as one of them falls, the rest attempt to flee.

Features of the Area

Illumination:  Bright light.

Treasure

On one of the soldier’s bodies there is a cylindrical leather case.  Inside the case is an aged parchment scroll on which is drawn what looks like a crude map.  On the map two locations are marked.  One near the middle reads “Deklu.”  On one corner is another location marked “chat’oor.”  Beneath the word “chat’oor” is another scrawled word:  “tohiish.”

Any member of the party who can read Goblin will be able to recognize the word “chat’oor” as a goblin term for any species not native to their lands, especially humans, but with the exception of elves.  It is often loosely translated as "defiler." The word “tohiish” means “dangerous.”  The word “Deklu” is apparently a place name.  A History check (DC 20) identifies “Deklu” as the word for the ancient goblin settlement located in the general vicinity of Linden when the goblin empire extended over Woodlea Forest.

Perception (DC 10)

1 healing potion

Perception (DC 15)

130 gp