Fiend of the Forest Scene 2 - Clear Run Falls

by Matthew K Green

Okuvan leaned back in his chair and placed his boots on a brandy keg. He had just checked in on the pair taken in the other day’s ambush. They were a little rough around the edges from their handling and travel, but not mistreated. He would get the noble to pay their ransom, but he did not need a lifelong vendetta if he turned them over abused in some way. He could hear Uveyn practicing her magic in the next chamber. Her creatures certainly had been useful, dealing with the guards in a way that drastically reduced the risk to his band. The Snake Mystic was a strange one to be sure. It did not seem to matter to her to be so far from home. Okuvan felt her ambition to start a snake cult in the nearby lands could only lead to disaster. He did not concern himself with that overmuch, though. He would be long gone before she took things too far. The Black Thorn did not stay in any one place for any length of time and certainly not with allies such as this.
Not trusting magic to entirely get the job done, he had tasked Sahol and Talfanar to patrol outside the cave entrances to ensure they were not surprised. Tonight, he would send Felarek out to obtain more horses so their group could begin the journey north. It was unfortunate the farmer’s wagons were destroyed but allowing the beasts to have their way made sure any evidence of his people had been lost in the mayhem. This old druidic temple was a great hideout, but after several successful ambushes it was time to be leaving. You always need to stay one step ahead of the law, even when dealing with the “metal-heads” of Haradel.

The trail you follow mirrors Clear Run, a stream known for excellent fishing but not much else. The horsemen were not in any particular hurry and did little to conceal their tracks. You can just make out the rushing sounds of Clear Run falls in the distance when the trail breaks into a clearing in the forest. At that moment, a Haradelan Patroller rides into view.
“You there, what is your business here?”

The freeband enters the encounter area from the western edge. The group can hear the roar of the falls and see the spray and top of the waterfalls, all else is obscured until they breach the woodline.
Lighting: Normal. Weather: Normal. Encounter area is not friendly to the Adventurers. Surprise: GM's discretion. If the players do enough to gain contact with a sentry without being detected, they should benefit from Surprise.
The Black Thorn Bandits have a temporary lair in a cave complex behind the waterfall. Due to the noise and spray of the waterfall they have two groups of sentries outside the cave, one group on each side of the stream.
The northern group is between the cliff/woods/difficult terrain, and the southern group is between the stream and the cave.
The illusionist has cast cloak on all of the sentries, so they all have stealth tokens, except the Poacher, who has a camouflage token. The Patroller is the Roughrider, currently the beneficiary of a mask spell from the Illusionist, made to look like a Patroller. He will notify the freeband that this is a Patroller matter and that they no longer need concern themselves with the girls’ disappearance. Once the Patrollers find them, he will see to it they are returned unharmed to Sir Kreflan. This should be roleplayed until the freeband determines in some manner that the Patroller is not who he seems. The Patroller/Roughrider should play out the deception to make as many freeband members as vulnerable as possible until the ambush is sprung.
The girls are being held hostage inside the lair. The freeband must deal with the sentries and discover the lair entrance.
Black Thorn Sentries
Northern Group: Mercenary Crossbowman, Illusionist, 2 Outlaws
Southern Group: Poacher, Roughrider, 2 Thugs

The Poacher’s longbow arrows are finely crafted and so are d8+1 damage on a TH3 hit.
Experience:
1 AP for reaching the waterfall entrance, and additional AP for preventing any heroes from retreating to the lair to bolster its defenses.

Plot type

Scene

Parent Plot

The Fiend of the Forest Campaign

Subplots

• Freeblades - Clear Run Falls