Chapter 3 The Wayward Inn
3.1 Overview
This opening section unfolds over the course of a single, long night and is at its core a survival scenario. The players happen to find themselves, for various reasons, in the Wayward Inn for a night of rest on their individual journeys. Late in the night, a wounded stranger enters the Inn and collapses. The players have to safe the stranger and begin to unravel the mystery surrounding the injured ranger, who is carrying valuables and a mysterious glass shard. A hunting party of Goblins are approaching the Inn and are determined to catch the stranger and his loot. The players have to defend the Inn against two waves of assault and then organize a flight of the patrons and staff to the nearby mining town of Bracken in the middle of a third wave of attack. En route to Bracken, the players have to fend off a final attack by the hunting party and make it to safe haven. At the same time, the players have to deal with a group of NPCs in the Inn that will pose their own danger, trying to acquire some of the valuables of the stranger, as well as the underlying machinations of the agent of the Church of Andromalion–whose goal it is to acquire the glass shard and kill the stranger.
Major events:
Safe the stranger
Defend the Inn 2x
Stop the Hjalford Gang
Flee the Inn
Reach Bracken
3.2 The Setup
I think it is easiest of players come up with their own reason for having formed an adventuring party. I mostly assume they are familiar with each other and are traveling towards the town of Bracken. Here are some possible hooks for the party:
A druid circle has discovered some water contamination in a river that flows from the mountains near Bracken into the nearby Tallwood, poisoning animals and plants alike. A senior druid asked them to travel to Bracken and find the source of the problem.
PCs may have been hired by a thieves’ guild to deliver a coded message to a contact in Bracken (likely Renard).
The PCs may have just finished a job escorting some prospectors in the area and are arriving at the Wayward Inn for some well earned rest and respite after a long time in the wilderness.
A PC with a crafting background was asked to deliver guild papers to the blacksmith in Bracken.
The PCs arrive after a long day of travel at the Wayward Inn. Give the PC time to arrive, take in the surroundings, and settle in. They should have the chance to meet the staff and patrons of the Wayward Inn and engage in some social interactions until the Stranger appears.
3.2.1 The Wayward Inn
The Wayward Inn is a regionally known establishment to the East of the larger town of Rumnahold. The Inn sits at the crossroads of the road to the mining town Bracken (2 hours travel at normal pace with a wagon, 1 hour on a horse), roads to other mountain towns, and the road to Rumnahold. It is not far from the Tallwood–a dense and wild forest rumored to harbor Orcs, Goblins, and brigands. The Wayward Inn is known for its reliable stable and associated services, hearty stews, and fair prices. A lot of commercial traffic comes through from the more remote mining towns to Rumnahold. The road to Bracken is patrolled by the Bracken Mining Corporation guard force.
The Inn has a large common room at ground-level, a cellar for provisions, an upstairs with four private rooms, and one shared sleeping room. The Inn also has stables (with room for six horses, 4 stalls occupied), and a barn (with a cart).
Figure 3.1: Wayward Inn Ground Floor. Source: Dyson Logos
Figure 3.2: Wayward Upstairs. Source: Dyson Logos
3.2.2 Staff and Patrons
Staff:
Lutan–the Proprietor, middle-aged, blonde hair, friendly, use stats of a Commoner.
Dala–wife of Lutan, the cook. Use stats of a Commoner.
Terrin–son of Lutan and Dala, 14-years old, helps with the stable.
Volin–Stable Master, mid-50s, doesn’t talk much. Commoner.
Lynn–the Maid, human 23-years old, red hair, fairly attractive, secret agent of the Church of Andromalion. Use stats of an Assassin.
Patrons:
Cilian–traveling bard, 19-years old, stringy black hair, stats of a Commoner but knows 2 bard cantrips.
Boren–local leatherworker and drunk, former soldier, has stats of a Veteran but is impaired by alcohol. Only carries a dagger.
The Hjalford Gang. Hjort, Halfir, and Falf. (see section below). They are posing as a traveling merchant of salves and potions with his two guards.
Alosius Mendaban–Scholar and gem expert. Traveling back from Bracken on his way to Rumnahold. Aloof and snobby. Tall, thin, nicely coiffed hair and trimmed beard. High-quality traveler’s robe. An expert in gems, uses that to finance is scholastic endeavors. Visited Bracken to assess the quality of some gems. Sits by himself, drinks a bit of wine, nibbles cheese and is reading a tome. Stats of a Commoner but high intelligence and proficiency in lore, history, gems, religion. Skilled gem artificer. Will try to acquire the gem of the Stranger without revealing its value.
3.3 The Stranger in the Night
The atmosphere in the Inn is very cozy and nice, everyone seems to be enjoying the talking, eating, and interacting (even Alosius). The weather outside is a bit stormy, rain is about to start.
Falf will ask the patrons to engage in a card game. The game is 19 Fingers. Similar to blackjack. Goal is to get as close as possible to 19 but not over. Every players gets a private D10 rolled (value of their first card). Second private D10 (value of their second card). Two 10s count as 19\(+\) and are the best possible roll. Then betting starts. First entry bet (5 SP). Falf will start with 2 GP. Players can attempt Sleight of Hand against the passive perception of the table. They can change one of their die rolls. Second round of betting. Third D10 roll is public.
Before the third roll is revealed–BAM–the main door suddenly bursts open, a stranger staggers into the room. Everyone is shocked, the singing stops, the stranger walks in, the door keeps clanging due to the wind, and after a few feet, the stranger collapses–an arrow sticking our of his back.
3.3.1 The Stranger
The Stranger is at zero hit points and poisoned. Players will have to stabilize him to stop him from dying (DC 10 Medicine). Or use spell or other healing ability. After healing, the stranger will wake briefly and mumble:
``..have to get away…they are after me..’’
and looses consciousness again. The poison is vicious and can’t be cured easily by the players. It will make the Stranger worse throughout the night. Hjort, if called upon, will proffer a tincture, but it won’t do anything.
Things to observe and note about the Stranger:
A large gem–Alexandrite, transparent dark green, worth 500 GP, needs a hard DC 20 Intelligence check to identify. Alosius will immediately see it’s worth, a passive perception check for Alosius, roll D20+2, compare to players’ passive perceptionto see if anyone spots his reaction. Hjort will also immediately spot its worth.
Short sword
Dagger
Empty vial with some blueish liquid (haste and endurance potion)–Medicine/Arcana DC10 check.
Satchel
Rugged but high-quality leather armor
Some bread
23 gold coins
Rope
Map (of the area around Olmen Hill, 3.5 days march from here)
Glass shard with markings. This is one of the five glass shards that make up the Sun-Harp that Mencius us trying to assemble. The outward appearance is that of an odd bauble of little value, especially in contrast the Alexandrite gem. A Perception DC-12 check reveals that the light catches and refracts in it interestingly, quite mesmerizing to look at. Detect magic reveals a faint magical aura. Whoever is in possession of the shard might receive dream messages from Andromalion conferring banes or boons on them. E.g., Shargak was able to use the shard to amplify his mind and emotion control magic to unify warring goblin tribes. Any benefit comes at the cost of sublt influence from Andromalion.
A tattered note with instructions: Deliver to the Wayward Inn. Ask for the reserved single room. Contact will approach. Code word ``Heavenly Reward’’, Signed, M.
Room was reserved via letter from a courier, Adalbert Toyne, from Bracken.
Investigation DC-12: Must have traveled/run a far distance, good but worn clothes, vials suggest some kind of endurance potion.
The arrow: Shortbow arrow, with a coating. Intelligence or Nature DC-12 check reveals it to be Goblin-made. Intelligence-14 check reveals information on Goblins (slavers, vicious, only attack in numbers, sometimes band together with Bugbears, use rats and wolfs, if it’s a raiding party, they may be coming, especially if the Stranger stole something from the Goblins.) Raiding parties have groups of scouts, and then a main attack force. Can range in size from 20-60 goblins.
Let the players determine their course of action. Do they want to secure the inn? Block the doors? Hide in the cellar? Do they also want to secure the stables? Do they want to scout the area (no immediate sign of Goblins, but Stranger did not come from the road)?
3.4 The Attack
NOTE: Shargak’s war party is under the influence of his spells and potions. Goblins and Hobgoblins appear emaciated, a bit sickly, and extra manic. The use of the shard has generated these effects.
Attack Wave 1:
1 Goblin Boss (MM)
4 Goblins (MM)
2 Wolfs (MM)
If the players take position outside, they can try to spot the Goblins approach. Fight outside.
If the players barricade inside, Goblins will try to break down the door. Roll a Strength or Athletics against the goblins (PC receive advantage). If they can’t get in the door, they’ll try to get in the back and climb on top and enter via the roof.
Attack Wave 2:
This is a substantial part of the hunting party. There are three attack teams.
Team 1: 2 Hobgoblins (MM), 2 Goblins (MM). Team 1 will attack the Inn when players leave to save the horses.
Team 2: 1 Bugbear (MM) and 2 Goblins (MM). Team 2 will attack the stables to kill the horses. They will kill the Stable Master unless the players intervene. Only two horses survive. Players need to get out to save the horses.
Team 3: 4 Goblins using their shortbows. Team 3 covers any outside area with arrows from the treeline (half-cover).
The goblins scream about Shargak during their attack.
If the second wave goes badly, one option could be the capture of the players. The Maid will kill the Stranger, abscond with the shard and leave the players for capture. This will lead to an escape sub-adventure. The Goblins will try to enslave the characters. They’ll have to plot an escape. The goblins will bring them to a cage on a wagon and transport towards a slaving trading post.
3.5 Flight!
After the second wave, there is a period of calm. Players can tend to their wounds and wounds of others. Players may want to organize a flight to Bracken, because:
They have discerned another attack is coming, led by the leader of the Goblins Shargak.
The Stranger is getting worse and needs more medical attention.
The surviving staff and patrons want to flee for safety.
The players should make a plan for escape. Need to convince Alosius and the staff to leave some things behind. Need to load the cart, get horses/donkey.
At some point on the way, the group will hear wolf howling to unsettle them. A large bird is following them (+6 D20 stealth roll against passive Perception DC of each player unless they are actively looking, then it’s a Perception DC-16). They may be able to shoot it down (ranged attack AC 16).
Further down the road, a fallen tree blocks passage. PCs need to find a way to remove the tree trunk (group Athletics check DC-14). During that attempt the Hjalford Gang will attack to kill everyone and grab the Alexandrite gem. They will try to take the Maid as a hostage and then take the bag with the gem and the horses to get away.
3.5.1 The Hjalford Gang
Members:
Hjort Hjalford: older, big belly, balding, grey face, leader of the group, strategist, proficient with a mace, calculating and brutal, poses as a merchant, stats: Hired Thug (MM).
Halgir: nephew of Hjort, tall, muscular, the fighter and muscle, has an explosive that will go off close to the horses), stats-wise a Thug (MM).
Falf: lanky, long black hair, throwing knives and crossbow, rogue-like, smells a bit, handsy with women. Stats of a Spy (MM).
If the Hjalford Gang is successful, they abscond with the gem, shard, and the Maid as a hostage, only to be found later murdered and without the bag.
If the gang is unsuccessful, the horses might still get away.
Figure 3.3: Hjalford Gang Ambush. Source: Homemade
3.5.2 Shargak’s Attack
Further down the road, Shargak will ambush the PCs. Shargak will step out of the forest and block the road. Threaten enslavement and commands his troops to claim his shard. The Ogre and wolves will come out of the forest behind the group.
Shargak’s attack:
Shargak– Goblin Shaman. Adjust stats to: HP 18, +4 spellcasting, no necrotic damage on staff, only 1d6 for staff. Treasure: potion of firebreath, 45 GP.
3 Goblins (MM).
1 Ogre (MM)
If the attack becomes too difficult, guards from Bracken arrive and will try to save the group. Shargak will surrender to survive.
When opportune, the Maid will strike, kill the stranger, and abscond with the shard during Shargak’s attack. Players are left with a reduced group and without horses.
Don’t railroad this. The Maid will try to steal the shard and get away, but if the players prevent that–so be it. Shargak may die here, flee, or be captured.
Figure 3.4: Shargak’s Attack. Source: Homemade
3.6 Safe Haven
The group arrives in Bracken and is rewarded for saving the staff and guests of the Inn. A representative of the Bracken Mining Corporation rewards the players with 50 GP each.
3.7 Conclusion
Next stop: Bracken. The PCs get to explore the town and take on new challenges.
Open questions:
What is the shard? Who wants it? Who is M.? Where is the maid?
The gem. If the players acquire the gem, it could be sold or they could donate the gem/proceeds to the Wayward Inn people. Alosius will give a good price.
PCs should advance to Level 2 after concluding the opening chapter.