Trail Cairns of the Merchant Minders

We need to watch the Forest carefully for the next half-day. There are dark creatures in this stretch of woods and we need to keep the wagon formation tight and our eyes wide open. How do I know they're out there? Trust me... I know.

— A Merchant Minder Captain speaking with his employer after passing a nondescript pile of rocks on the roadside

The Merchant Minders have been supporting trade caravans large and small along the coasts of Icefell Bay and the The Farsea for 134 years. In the past 25 years or so, a growing part of their business has involved merchants plying a route between Endmere and the city of Karnstown deep in the Feywood. Many years ago, the Merchant Minders started developing a method of ensuring that any team on the road knew what was ahead. At first, the open roads along the coasts had only limited hazards to worry about, but the recent ventures into the Feywood have introduced whole new threats. Nevertheless, the Merchant Minders have a system to ensure that they are always prepared for what is ahead.

To be effective, we learned long ago that it was important for every team to know what was ahead on the road... where danger was likely... where terrain became difficult. But we also know that warning the world of all this would be bad for business. So we have developed a code, written with small, unobtrusive piles of stones placed along roadsides. To become a Captain of the 'Minders requires a complete understanding of this code. So study well... there will be an examination.

— Preface from the Merchant Minder Cairn Guide

Types of Cairns

There are seven basic cairn designs, though it is possible to combine elements of them to provide information beyond what a basic cairn can tell. The components of each are two mandatory "base rocks", and one or more optional "small rocks". The seven basic cairns are as follows:

No Campsites Next 5 Miles

No Good Camping Ahead

This cairn is the only one that does not use the extra small rocks. It consists of placing the larger of the two base rocks on top of the smaller one, forming a "mushroom-shaped" cairn. This cairn indicates that the terrain ahead (for at least 5 miles) is not suitable for making an evening camp. This could mean the ground is swampy, or covered with sharp, broken rocks, or be too barren for animals to graze. If a Captain sees this cairn at any time after mid-afternoon, he will call an end to the day's travel.

Dangerous Predators Ahead

Dangerous Predator Ahead

This cairn indicates that the caravan is about to enter a region patrolled by a large, dangerous predator. One small rock is placed atop the two base rocks to indicate this. Typically this refers to natural predators and beasts; there is a separate cairn for creatures with discernable evil intent. The captain will assume that the next two miles will be dangerous; if the predator's range is larger, another cairn will be placed farther down the road. Bears, Great Forest Cats, Marsh Alligators are examples of the creatures marked by this sign. The small rock can be placed upon the "no campsite ahead" cairn as well to indicate the extra threat of a predator prowling the unwelcoming terrain.

I know we've got a few more hours of daylight, but we need to stop here for camp. A few more hours and we'll be in a fen with no place to set up a camp - a fen with Marsh 'gators just waitin' for a meal. Why am I so sure? Trust me... I know. It's what you pay us for.

— Another Captain with another employer

Pack Predators Ahead

Pack Predators Ahead

While the earlier cairn usually represents a solitary large predator, this one indicates the need to beware of a pack of smaller - but equally dangerous - hunters. Instead of the one small rock for a large predator, this cairn has four small rocks placed atop the two base stones. This could be a pack of wolves or a flock of Bloodsuckers, or any of a number of other hunting creatures. Once again, the cairn denotes two miles of danger; if the predator's range is larger, another cairn will be found down the road.

Poisonous Predators Ahead

Poisonous Predators Ahead

If the dangerous creature ahead is capable of delivering venom or other poison into its victims, the cairns will have an additional pair of small, pointed stones propped up against the two base stones facing the road. This additional warning can be used with either the large predator (one top stone) or pack predators (four top stones) cairns. The Merchant Minders experience tells them that knowing a venomous enemy is ahead allows for extra care if combat is needed, and to have antidotes ready at hand just in case.

Evil Creatures Ahead

Evil Creatures Ahead

If the threat ahead is due to a creature with intelligence and evil intent, there are two notable adjustments to the cairn. First of all, the top smaller stone is specially selected to have a noticeably different color (usually darker) than the base stones. Second, two narrow, pointed stones are arranged leaning against the top stone. The threat represented by this cairn could range from a small group of bugbears to a green Forest Dragon. When this cairn is found, assume the worst. The customary two mile rule should be assumed.

Components of a Cairn

Each Cairn consists of at least two base rocks, one larger than the other. These are rougly flat to help ensure they stay where they are placed, and are typically about two inches thick (tall). The larger is generally around 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23cm) in diameter, while the smaller one is about 6 inches (13cm) in diameter.

All but one of the signal cairns requires the inclusion of additional stones beyond the base stones. These additional stones are always much smaller - 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7cm) in diameter and are either rounded or pointed. Some cairns require both rounded and pointed be included.

Maintaining the Cairns

All Merchant Minder Captains on the roads of the Frontier Regions, and between the Frontier and the Kingdoms, are expected to not only be alert to notice the cairns, but are also tasked with making sure that they remain readable, yet unobtrusive. Storms, passing creatures, and errant wagon wheels will occasionally disrupt a cairn, or weeds and other growth may partially obscure them. When a Captain finds a cairn that is in need of attention, he is expected to repair the cairn so the next team passing through will be able to read it. This is not as easy as it sounds, because of the secrecy the Merchant Minders expects with regard to the meaning of these cairns. One cannot simply stop a caravan for the sole purpose of the Captain repiling a bunch of rocks on the side of the road. Such behavior would elicit questions.

The proper procedure would be for the Captain to call a short halt within a mile of the damaged cairn, and during that halt, she should ride back to the cairn alone to repair it. If it is a cairn that suggests significant danger, the next senior 'Minder should accompany the Captain. If this is not feasible because of dangers to either the caravan or captain, the cairn can be left alone, but in this instance, the Captain must remember to include the damaged cairn in the trip report.

The last aspect of maintenance involved being prepared to recommend when old, obsolete cairns should be removed, and when new cairns must be placed to represent new threats. From time to time, a solitary predator may no longer be a threat either because the creature has been dealt with, or it has moved to a new area. Other times, an unmarked area may suddenly become the scene of an engagement suggesting that warnings to other trains should be necessary. Once again, the trip report is crucial.

Bandits Ahead

Bandits Ahead

One particular type of evil threat does deserve its own cairn - that is the the presence of a band of highwaymen or bandits. Whether they be goblins or humans, anticipate an attack from a party that believes it is large enough to take on a Merchant Minders team. (Small groups have either learned to leave guarded caravans alone, or they no longer exist.) This cairn looks very much like the pack predator cairn, except that it has additional small rocks resting on the lower base rock surrounding the smaller base rock in the middle of the cairn. The Captain should ensure that all of the 'Minder guardsmen have weapons drawn and ready to face bandits.

Supply Cache Nearby

Supply Cache Nearby

The last type of cairn is not a warning sign, Many a time in the past, a Captain of the 'Minders was thrilled to come across one of these. This is the cairn indicating that there a secret emergency supply cache buried nearby. In this cairn, there are no smaller stones atop the base stones, but there are two smaller stones placed carefully on opposite sides of the pair of base stones. In this cairn, there must be a discernable size difference between the two smaller stones, as they are used to point a direction. The larger of the two stones is assumed to be an arrowhead; the arrow points in the exact direction of the buried cache. The Merchant Minder Captain must simply mark off fifteen standard paces, then dig down between one and two feet. A small, tightly sealed iron chest will be found containing a few basic non-perisable supplies: a pouch of gold coins, four blankets wrapped in an insect-repelling oilskin, 4 lesser healing elixirs, 4 alchemical Antidote elixirs, 4 alchemical Antiplague elixirs, and six special elixirs which, when consumed will provide the benefits of a full, hearty meal. These caches and the cairns that mark them are only placed in areas where it is more than a five-day journey to the nearest settlement. (There are only 6 placed in all the Frontier Region at this time.)

They're amazin', those Merchant Minders... I'll tell ya... never saw their Captain so much as glance at a map, but she knew where we was and what was ahead ev'ry step of the way. Knew where the bandits would be hidin' and rousted them before the wagons went through... knew where the swamps would be risen after that big storm blew through... I tell ya... they're a bit costly, but they're worth every copper ya pay 'em.

— One merchant to another recounting a recent trade journey with a Merchant Minder team

All Cairn artwork is original by DinosaurBob.