A Scorched Crater

An unsettling scar on the landscape, another Scorched Crater sits in the grasslands - the site marked by blackened, twists of brush from the charred cracked earth surrounding a crater blanketed in soot, peppered with pools of cooling slag and magma. In the crater sparse patches of scorched grass crunch underfoot, releasing faint traces of burnt wood and ash. Despite the open skies, the air here remains stiflingly warm, and the occasional gust carries the bitter sting of soot. Heat shimmers across the crater in waves, a mirage of steam and mirrored sky.
Deeper: Though no dragon has been seen in living memory, the devastation here bears all the hallmarks of one. If true, then this crater marks not just a random attack but a deliberate assertion of territory, a claim on the surrounding lands as its hunting ground. The thought is chilling—if dragons are, in fact real and not just creatures of myth and legend, and have indeed returned, then this is only the beginning.
Clever adventurers may piece together these conclusions on their own by examining the site for clues - three such successes will reveal the new threat, and the adventurers will have advantage to avoid encounters with Dragons when rolled on the Beast random encounter table, being wary of threats from the sky.
Each of the following scenes contains one or more clues that adventurers can investigate and find. Each clue is uncovered with an [Investigation (Difficult)] check. If all clues are uncovered, the adventurers are rewarded with a detail about the nature of dragons in Corrhéo:
Scene 1: Oxen Remains
In the center of the crater, the violently disturbed earth around the remains of the oxen is most prominent, the bodies charred and burnt beyond recognition.

• Clue: Huge furrows of earth, far too large for any known predator, are gouged deep into the ground near their bodies.
• Clue: The earth is raked as though something massive tried to grasp them.
• Clue: The drag marks suggest a struggle, as if the oxen were seized violently, then abandoned.
• Takeaway: The creature is strong enough to sieze an ox, but not powerful enought to drag it away suggesting the creature is no larger than Huge in size.

Scene 2: Wagon Wreckage
Among the wrecked wagons, some pieces of cargo remain, though most are charred beyond use.

• Clue: Scattered barrels, their contents vaporized, and crates burst open to reveal blackened goods.
• Clue: The soil around this wagon is scorched more deeply, as though it had been subjected to an extra burst of flame, hinting at something that caught the attacker’s eye.
• Clue: A closer inspection of the soil surrounding the wagon reveals several dozen bolt heads and steel crossbow parts scattered among the debris of charcloth and brittle bone.
• Takeaway: The creature prioritizes targets, it is not merely a mindless beast. It will go after those with ranged attacks first.

Scene 3: Guard Remains
Near the perimeter, the remains of the caravan’s defenders lie as grim markers of the futile resistance. A light blood trail leads off toward the wetlands.

• Clue: While evidence shows helmets, paldrons, curiass and shields litter the ground, burnt and twisted from the heat. However, it appears boots, belts and grieves seems less damaged.
• Clue: The guards’ positions suggest a desperate defense, foolishly grouped to form a line that became their last stand.
• Clue: Dotting the field surrounding the crater, several dozen javelins lie unscorched, a few sticky with ichor and scale.
• Takeaway: Cover is crucial and grouping together for defense is a death sentence. It can be harmed with conventional weapons, and will flee if wounded.