Three days later, the household reaches Hearthhollow, where red-stone cliffs cradle a valley of wind-bent ash trees, terraced fields, and smoke rising from round, low dwellings.
The treaty seals open the guarded gate without challenge. Sava, Theon, Krae, and Veyra begin examining shelters near the spring, speaking quietly over roofs, walls, and winter stores.
A middle-aged beastfolk woman steps from the gatehouse, tall and broad-shouldered, with russet fur, swept-back ears, a white muzzle, and a dark green cloak pinned with red stone.
the Hearthhollow matron
I am Marra, keeper of Hearthhollow’s welcome. Willowmere’s seals grant you entry, shelter, and protection beneath the old compact.
the Hearthhollow matron
They do not decide what place you take among us. That is learned through shared work, witnessed conduct, and the trust of those who will call you neighbor.
Marra gestures toward a broad gathering court cut into the valley floor. Beastfolk pause beside ovens, workshops, and garden walls, watching with guarded curiosity rather than hostility.
the Hearthhollow matron
Raedwulf, the residents will hear you there. Speak of what you seek, what you can offer, and what life you mean to claim in Hearthhollow.
✓ Quest Accepted
Earn Hearthhollow’s welcome
✓ Quest Accepted
Build a life in Hearthhollow
Director's note
I step into the gathering court and introduce myself. And tell them what work I can offer.
Director's note
I offer my skills as a ranger and hunter
Director's notewhole tale
After my speech, I let Sava, Theon, Krae, and Veyra say there parts
Raedwulf steps into Hearthhollow’s gathering court beneath the red cliffs. Wind moves through the ash trees as residents gather around ovens, garden walls, and the central well.
Raedwulf
I am Raedwulf. I come with Sava, Theon, Krae, and Veyra beneath Willowmere’s treaty protection. I seek a life freely chosen, and I offer honest work in return.
Raedwulf
I am a ranger and hunter. I can patrol your borders, track threats, guard travelers, hunt game, and help keep your roads safe.
Sava
I am Sava. I can keep a household, tend stores, and teach what I know of the roads and the people who travel them.
Theon
I work with wood and pack animals. Give me a roof to repair or a trail to clear, and I will make myself useful.
Krae
I can haul, build, and stand watch. I ask only that our work and conduct be judged fairly.
Veyra
I know old roads and warded paths. I can guide travelers, tend boundaries, and help Hearthhollow remain difficult to surprise.
“Does crowd agree with our offers?”
YES, BUT (Likely, rolled 58)
For a moment, only the well rope creaks. Then several residents nod, and murmurs of agreement pass from the ovens to the garden walls.
the Hearthhollow matron
Your offers are useful, and your household has spoken plainly. Hearthhollow will judge you by shared work, not by the blood that drove you here.
A broad-shouldered badgerfolk elder steps forward from the crowd, his gray-brown fur silvered at the muzzle. He studies Raedwulf with guarded, practical eyes.
Dorran
I agree to shelter and work, but not to blind trust. Our border stores have been raided twice this month. Patrol the eastern ridge before winter, and let your conduct answer for you.
the Hearthhollow matron
So it shall be. The household receives shelter, rations, and standing beneath the compact. In return, the first month’s stores will be drawn from the common reserve.
The agreement earns a steadier murmur, though several residents glance toward the grain sheds. Hearthhollow can receive them, but the cost is concrete: its winter reserve loses one month of grain.
the Hearthhollow matron
Welcome, Raedwulf, Sava, Theon, Krae, and Veyra. At dawn, we begin learning whether your promises can become neighbors’ safety.
Director's note
I ask for names of the maton and elder bagerfolk
Raedwulf
Before we begin at dawn, may I know the names of the matron and the elder who spoke for Hearthhollow?
the Hearthhollow matron
I am Marra, keeper of Hearthhollow’s welcome. You have already heard my name, though formal introductions matter here.
Dorran
And I am Dorran, keeper of the eastern ridge and grain stores. I speak plainly because winter punishes courtesy without preparation.
Marra inclines her head, while Dorran plants his staff beside the well. Around them, residents resume their work, listening without pretending not to listen.
the Hearthhollow matron
At dawn, Dorran will show you the eastern ridge. Marra will arrange shelter and the first ration allotment for your household.
Dorran
Bring back knowledge, not boasts. If the raiders left tracks, find them. If they left none, learn why.
The gathering loosens into purposeful motion. Hearthhollow has offered no effortless welcome, but its terms are clear, lawful, and open to proof.
Director's notewhole tale
I help Marra organize our shelter. Once everythingis settled. I speak to Sava, Theon, Krae and Veyra
Before sunrise, Hearthhollow’s eastern gate opens onto frost-stiff grass and red stone. Dorran leads with his staff, while Marra remains behind to settle the household’s shelter and ration allotment.
Dorran
The raids began at the grain terraces. We found broken latches, missing sacks, and one set of tracks descending toward the ashwood ravine.
He points toward the ridge. Thin snow lies undisturbed across the upper path, but below, windblown soil shows several deep impressions near a collapsed boundary marker.
Dorran
That marker stood upright yesterday. The raiders knew where our ward-stones ended, or someone showed them.
From the terrace, a young wolfkin woman in a russet scarf calls that the eastern storehouse has been checked. No resident is missing, but another latch hangs open.
Dorran
There is your first test, Raedwulf. Track the intruders, learn whether they are desperate thieves or organized scouts, and return before nightfall.
The broken marker casts a short shadow over the trail. Beyond it, the ashwood ravine descends into mist, carrying faint scents of wet earth, grain dust, and unfamiliar fur.
“Can raedwulf pick up her scent of the wolfkin female?”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 43)
The wind shifts across the broken marker, carrying the scent of russet fur, damp wool, and grain dust from the young wolfkin woman above the terrace. Her trail is distinct beneath the ravine’s wet earth.
Raedwulf
Her scent reaches the marker, then turns downslope toward the ashwood ravine.
The impressions below are not the only trail. Smaller disturbances thread beside them through the frost, where someone approached from the storehouse and crossed toward the collapsed ward-stone.
Dorran
You have her trail. The young wolfkin checked the storehouse before calling to us, but she did not descend into the ravine.
Dorran lowers his staff toward the overlapping marks. The scent remains strongest near the boundary, mingling with unfamiliar fur and the sharp odor of disturbed grain.
Dorran
That means the open latch may not belong to the raiders. Someone from Hearthhollow came here first, and may have seen where the strangers went.
Above them, the young wolfkin woman pauses beside the terrace wall, scarf bright against the pale morning. She looks toward the ravine, then raises one hand in warning before speaking.
“Did a Hearthhollow resident see the strangers?”
YES (Likely, rolled 35)
Young Wolfkin Woman
I saw them. Three figures came through the ashwood ravine before dawn, carrying sacks and moving beneath the ward-stones.
The young wolfkin woman descends from the terrace, her russet scarf pulled tight against the wind. Frost clings to her dark boots, and her wary gaze stays on Dorran.
Dorran
You saw strangers and raised no alarm. Why?
Young Wolfkin Woman
I was checking the storehouse. They stopped when I called, then vanished below the marker. I thought they were watching me.
Dorran’s grip tightens around his staff. The witness confirms the broken marker was part of the strangers’ route, and that they knew the ward boundary before entering the ravine.
Young Wolfkin Woman
One carried a red cord around his wrist. Another limped. The third looked back toward Hearthhollow, as if waiting for someone inside.
Dorran
Then these were not desperate thieves. Someone may have guided them to our stores, and the eastern ridge is no longer secure.
“I ask Dorran. Who here in Hearthhollow has ties to the outside world to?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Raedwulf
Dorran, who in Hearthhollow has ties to the outside world? Traders, messengers, anyone who might guide strangers to the ward-stones.
Dorran
Three households deal regularly beyond the valley. The salt traders know the western roads, the smith’s family visits Elarin Vale, and the gatewarden receives travelers.
Dorran turns from the ravine toward Hearthhollow, weighing each connection against the broken marker and the strangers’ knowledge of the ward boundary.
Dorran
Mirael, the gatewarden, is the first to question. She records every visitor. Tovan the smith sends ironwork east, and Orra’s salt caravans reach the treaty roads.
Dorran
None are accused. Their ties are practical, not treacherous, but one of them may know who has been asking about our stores or eastern wards.
The young wolfkin woman lowers her scarf and glances toward the gate, while frost lifts in pale curls from the ravine below.
Dorran
Begin with Mirael. She will know who entered Hearthhollow before dawn, and her ledger can tell us which outside ties matter.
Director's notewhole tale
I head over to Mirael first
Dorran leads Raedwulf back toward Hearthhollow’s gate, while the young wolfkin woman follows at a cautious distance. Frost glitters along the terraces as the valley wakes.
Mirael, a middle-aged foxfolk woman with russet-gold fur, a white throat, and a weathered blue cloak, broad-shouldered with a square muzzle and dark eyes, stands beneath the gate arch beside a carved visitor’s ledger.
Dorran
Mirael, Raedwulf is investigating the eastern raid. He needs your visitor records and any word carried in from beyond the valley.
Mirael
Then he may read them. Three travelers entered before dawn: a salt-caravan guard, a peddler from Elarin Vale, and a cloaked guide claiming kinship with Orra’s household.
Mirael opens the ledger beneath the gate’s shadow. The first two names bear ordinary marks, but the cloaked guide’s entry is written in a hurried hand and lacks a household seal.
Mirael
He knew the eastern terraces without asking directions. He also carried red cord around his wrist, though he entered alone and left by the ashwood path.
Dorran
That matches the witness. Orra’s caravan returns at midday. Until then, the unsigned entry is our strongest thread.
✓ Quest Accepted
Identify the Hearthhollow resident who guided the raiders
− Scene Quest Removed
Earn Hearthhollow’s welcome
“I ask Mirael what the cloaked guide said before leaving by the ashwood path.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Raedwulf
What did the cloaked guide say before leaving by the ashwood path?
Mirael rests one clawed hand on the open ledger, eyes narrowing as she recalls the exchange beneath the gate arch. The morning wind stirs her blue cloak.
Mirael
He asked whether the eastern stores still drew their winter grain from the common reserve, and whether Dorran inspected the ward-stones himself.
Mirael
When I asked why a traveler cared about our stores, he said he carried a warning from the ashwood pass. He claimed raiders were coming.
Mirael turns a ledger page and taps a blank margin beside the unsigned entry. Her expression grows guarded, but her account is precise.
Mirael
Then he asked whether Hearthhollow welcomed outsiders without questioning their past. I told him our gate records every name. He smiled, thanked me, and left toward the ravine.
Dorran
That was no warning. He was measuring our stores, our defenses, and the limits of our welcome.
Director's notewhole tale
Me and Dorran, go to the smith Tovan
Dorran closes Mirael’s ledger and leads Raedwulf across the waking court toward the smithy. The gatewarden watches them go, one claw resting over the unsigned entry.
Dorran
Tovan’s forge opens onto the eastern lane. If the guide used Orra’s name, the smith may know whether strangers asked about ward-iron or repaired tools.
Tovan, a middle-aged badgerfolk man, with a broad muzzle and dark eyes, stands broad and soot-darkened beside his open forge, with black-and-gray fur, a leather apron, and one chipped iron tusk.
Tovan
Dorran. I see the ridge has given you another question. If this concerns the eastern raid, ask plainly and keep your accusations outside my workshop.
Dorran
Three strangers entered through the ashwood path. One wore red cord and knew our ward boundary. Did anyone seek ironwork, directions, or news of the stores?
Tovan sets down his hammer. Behind him, newly repaired hinges and ward-stone brackets hang from the rafters, their surfaces marked with fresh reddish dust.
Tovan
A cloaked guide came before dawn asking for a boundary hook. He carried his own, but wanted to know whether our eastern markers were iron-bound or merely carved stone.
Director's notewhole tale
Me and Dorran, go to the smith Tovan
Tovan
A boundary hook is ward-work, not ordinary iron. I told him our markers use both stone and metal, then asked who sent him. He claimed Orra’s name and left without buying anything.
Tovan points to a shallow red smear on the forge floor. Beside it lies a curled shaving of iron, stamped with a three-pronged maker’s mark unfamiliar to Dorran.
Dorran
That is not Hearthhollow iron. Could the guide have carried a replacement piece, or was he testing whether our ward-stones had been tampered with?
Tovan lifts the shaving with iron tongs and turns it beneath the forge glow. A faint residue clings to its edge, glittering like ground red crystal.
Tovan
This was cut recently. The mark belongs to a smithy beyond Elarin Vale, not to Orra’s caravan. Whoever made it knows treaty-border fittings.
Dorran
Then we question Orra when she returns, but we do not wait for her. Raedwulf, inspect the eastern marker with Tovan. If that fragment came from it, we may still catch the breach.
Beyond the forge, a bell sounds once from the eastern gate. Mirael raises her voice, calling that Orra’s salt caravan has reached the valley road.
Director's notewhole tale
Me and Dorran, go to the Orra and her caravan
Dorran leads Raedwulf from Tovan’s forge toward the eastern gate. The caravan bell sounds again, and salt-laden wagons roll beneath Hearthhollow’s red-stone arch.
Orra, with a broad, sturdy build, a blunt muzzle, and a pale scar over one eye a mature hyenafolk woman with tawny fur, a dark mane, and a weathered ochre cloak, climbs down from the lead wagon. Three broad salt mules stamp behind her.
Dorran
Orra, your name was used by an unsigned guide who measured our stores and ward-stones. Did you send anyone ahead?
Orra
No one. My guards entered together, and none bears red cord. But yesterday, a stranger bought salt-road directions and asked about Hearthhollow’s eastern boundary.
Orra reaches beneath her cloak and produces a torn scrap of red cord, caught on a wagon peg. A faint dusting of red crystal clings to its fibers.
Orra
He called himself a broker from beyond Elarin Vale. He knew treaty fittings, offered too much silver, and watched the road whenever I mentioned your eastern ridge.
Dorran
Then the guide and the caravan broker are connected. We have a trail, a foreign iron mark, and a ward breach to examine before nightfall.
“I ask Orra to describe the broker’s face”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
Orra, describe the broker’s face. Any feature, mark, or manner that would let us recognize him.
Orra
He was a lean middle-aged man, pale-skinned, with a narrow face and close-cropped black hair. A trimmed iron-gray beard framed his jaw.
Orra folds the torn red cord between her thick fingers, searching her memory while the salt mules shift and clink their harnesses beneath the gate arch.
Orra
His left eye was clouded at the edge, and a thin white scar ran from his temple to his cheek. He wore a brown travel coat, too fine for a common road broker.
Orra
His gloves were red leather, polished despite the dust. He spoke carefully, with the clipped accent of Elarin Vale, but his hands bore a smith’s dark staining.
Dorran
A marked face, foreign fittings, and a smith’s hands. That is enough to put a name to the shape, even if the broker offered none.
Dorran looks toward the eastern ridge, while Orra points along the salt road where the broker departed. The description joins the red cord and unfamiliar iron mark in the investigation.
“I asked Orra, was this man a Elf or human?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
Orra, was the broker an elf or a human?
Orra
A human, without doubt. His ears were rounded, his face lacked the fine angles common among elves, and his build was narrow but ordinary for his kind.
Orra taps the torn red cord against her palm while the salt mules shift beneath the gate arch. The broker’s human identity sharpens the trail beyond Elarin Vale.
Orra
He carried himself like someone accustomed to elven courts, though. He knew the treaty roads, spoke their formal phrases, and wore that fine coat to appear more important than a trader.
Dorran
A human smith working with treaty fittings, using my stores and Orra’s name. That points toward someone trained to cross borders without belonging to any one court.
Dorran studies the road while Tovan’s unfamiliar iron shaving glints in his hand. The clues now connect the human broker to the ward breach, the red cord, and the ashwood raiders.
Orra
If you find him, look first at the hands. That dark staining was not dust. He works iron often, and he hides his trade beneath a broker’s manners.
“I ask Orra. "Do you see this man often?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +3)
Raedwulf
Do you see this man often?
Orra studies the road beyond Hearthhollow’s gate, one hand resting on the torn red cord. The salt mules shift as she searches her memory.
Orra
No. I saw him only yesterday, when he bought directions and questioned me about the eastern boundary. He was not part of any regular caravan.
Orra
But he had asked after Hearthhollow before. A teamster from Elarin Vale mentioned seeing the same red gloves near the treaty road two weeks ago.
Dorran’s ears angle forward. Tovan’s iron shaving and the red cord now point to a broker who has been studying Hearthhollow well before the raid.
Orra
There is more. He asked whether the eastern ward was repaired after the last winter storm. That means he knew the marker had been damaged before he reached my caravan.
Dorran
Then we have a concrete trail beyond the valley, and a warning that his preparations began weeks ago. We should inspect that ward before he returns.
“I inspect the damaged eastern ward with Dorran”
SUCCESS (Superb Perception, rolled +0)
Raedwulf follows Dorran from the gate toward the eastern ridge. Frost thins over red soil, revealing the damaged ward marker beneath windblown ash leaves.
Dorran
Here. The stone shifted during the storm, but these cuts are fresh. Someone worked beneath the old damage.
Raedwulf crouches beside the marker and examines its iron binding, the collapsed socket, and the disturbed earth around its base. Red crystal dust glitters between the roots.
Dorran
The ward was not simply weakened. Someone removed the binding, tested the boundary, then replaced it badly enough to leave a breach.
The broken iron shaving from Tovan’s forge fits the socket’s fresh scar. Nearby, three sets of tracks descend toward the ashwood ravine, while a fourth returns toward Hearthhollow.
Dorran
The raiders used this opening, but one person came back alone. Whoever guided them knew our ward and had reason to report what they found.
Dorran marks the tracks with his staff and gathers a pinch of red crystal into a cloth fold. The damaged ward now proves deliberate tampering, and the trail toward the ravine is clear.
“Are the tracks still fresh enough to follow them to their source?”
YES (Likely, rolled 33)
The tracks descending toward the ashwood ravine remain sharply defined in the damp red soil. Edges hold, and beads of displaced earth have not yet hardened beneath the morning frost.
Dorran
They passed recently, no more than a few hours ago. The moisture preserves their weight and direction, even where the leaves cover the trail.
The largest prints show a steady descent, while the limping track breaks its rhythm near exposed roots. A third set veers toward the ravine wall, avoiding the open ground.
Dorran
Their source lies below, not far ahead. We can follow before the wind or the raiders themselves erase the trail.
Above the marker, the returning tracks lead toward Hearthhollow, confirming that one of the four travelers came back alone after the boundary was tested.
Dorran
Fresh tracks, a deliberate breach, and one witness returning home. The ravine may show who guided them, and whether someone here still waits for their report.
Director's notewhole tale
me and Dorran press ahead to follow the tracks
Raedwulf descends first, placing each clawed foot beside the preserved impressions. Dorran follows with his staff raised, while the ravine narrows between red stone and ash roots.
Raedwulf
The limping track carries more weight on the left side.
The trail bends beneath a shelf of stone. There, crushed leaves surround a dropped grain sack, its torn mouth dusted with the same red crystal found in the ward binding.
Dorran
They stopped here. Three came through, but only two continued downslope. The limping one waited while the third returned toward Hearthhollow.
Beyond the sack, a narrow side path climbs toward a hidden overlook. Fresh heel marks cross it, and a smear of dark material stains the stone where someone braced themselves.
Dorran
The guide may have watched the raid from above. If he saw our patrols, he knows we are following. We must proceed quietly and keep the ravine mouth covered.
A faint clink echoes deeper in the ravine, followed by the hush of hurried movement. Dorran looks to Raedwulf, then points toward the divided tracks without speaking.
Director's notewhole tale
me and Dorran press ahead to follow the tracks
“we use stealth”
SUCCESS (Great Stealth, rolled +1)
Raedwulf lowers his body and moves along the ravine wall, placing each clawed foot on stone or bare root. Ash leaves whisper, but his passage leaves no fresh trace.
Dorran follows only when Raedwulf signals, keeping his staff from the rock. Together they pass beneath the overlook without drawing notice from the hurried movement ahead.
Raedwulf
The third track turns toward the overlook, while the two heavier trails continue below.
At the ravine’s bend, Raedwulf reaches a screen of ash roots overlooking a concealed hollow. The limping figure crouches, a lean young adult human man in a mud-stained brown cloak with a narrow, weathered face, beside the torn sacks, while another watches the upper path.
Dorran
Good. They have not seen us. The watcher guards the path back to the ward, and the limping one is waiting for a report.
Below, a third figure emerges from the deeper ravine carrying an iron-bound bundle. Red crystal dust glitters across its clasp, confirming the breach was prepared with deliberate ward-work.
Dorran
We know where they are, and they still believe Hearthhollow is unaware. Hold here, and we can learn who leads them.
Director's notewhole tale
I remain hidden with Dorran. We both lost to what these men say out loud
Raedwulf remains pressed beneath the ash roots, Dorran crouched behind him. Below, the limping man shifts beside the torn sacks while the iron-bound bundle changes hands.
The Limping Man
The breach holds. Hearthhollow still thinks the storm damaged it, and the stores will be open again tonight.
The Iron-Bundle Bearer
The marker was weaker than promised. Who tampered with it before we arrived?
Neris
Someone inside the valley. The guide said the eastern ward could be opened without a fight, if the grain drew patrols away.
Dorran’s grip tightens around his staff, but he stays silent. The men speak as though Hearthhollow’s stores are only the first payment, not the purpose of the raid.
The Iron-Bundle Bearer
Tell the broker the red crystal is placed. His master wants the ward tested before the treaty delegation arrives, and we have done our part.
The Limping Man
Then we leave by the lower ravine. If the beastfolk discover us, the broker will deny our names, and the valley will blame its own traitor.
Director's notewhole tale
I remain hidden with Dorran. We both wait too see which one of these leave first and alone
Raedwulf and Dorran remain concealed beneath the ash roots, motionless as the hollow settles. Below, the three men wait among torn sacks and red-dusted iron.
Neris
I am leaving first. The valley must hear nothing from me until the broker sends word.
The Limping Man
Take the upper path, then circle toward the western road. If anyone asks, you were checking traps.
The watcher climbs toward the overlook alone, testing each foothold. The other two remain below with the bundle, their attention fixed on the ravine mouth.
Dorran
One separates. If he reaches Hearthhollow, he can warn whoever opened the ward.
The watcher pauses beneath the ash roots, close enough for Raedwulf to see the red cord at his wrist. He scans the stones, then continues upward, unaware of the hidden pair.
“I intercept the watcher before he reaches Hearthhollow. I lay on the ground, pretend to be unconscious. While Dorran hides himself, but remaining close by”
SUCCESS (Great Stealth, rolled +1)
Raedwulf slips ahead beneath the ash roots, then drops across the narrow upper path, limbs slack and breath deliberately shallow. Dorran melts behind a red-stone outcrop nearby.
The watcher climbs toward Hearthhollow, red cord bright against his wrist. He rounds the bend, sees Raedwulf sprawled before him, and halts.
Neris
What in the deep roots? A patrolman? No, too quiet.
He crouches beside Raedwulf and reaches toward his shoulder, then glances repeatedly toward the valley. Dorran remains concealed, close enough to strike if needed.
Neris
If you belong to Hearthhollow, you chose a poor place to fall. If you belong to the broker, wake and tell me who sent you.
The watcher shifts onto the path’s outer edge, blocked from reaching Hearthhollow without stepping past Raedwulf. His suspicion fixes on the feigned body, while Dorran silently holds the escape route.
“I speak in a raspy voice. "My leg... I .. I can't feel my leg"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +2)
Raedwulf
My leg... I... I can't feel my leg.
Raedwulf lets his voice rasp and his body remain slack across the path. The elf watcher’s suspicion falters, replaced by wary concern as he studies the apparent injury.
Neris
Curse it. You are no patrolman if you were left here like this. Stay still, stranger. I will see whether the break is clean.
The elf watcher leans closer, exposing his side and keeping his attention on Raedwulf rather than the concealed outcrop. Dorran remains hidden, staff ready, while the upper path stays blocked.
Neris
If he is only an injured traveler, moving him may draw the valley’s notice. If he serves Hearthhollow, I can still learn who sent him.
Neris
Can you crawl? Speak clearly. Who are you, and how did you come to lie beneath these roots?
Director's note
I use reason
“As the watcher leans in to inspect my injury. I silently put my dagger, under her neck. And in a calm cold hush voice, I speak to her. "Apologies, but I'm new around... So let's talk, quietly."”
SUCCESS (Great Stealth, rolled +0)
As the elf watcher leans closer, Raedwulf’s hand moves beneath his cloak. His dagger rises soundlessly, its edge settling beneath her throat before she can react.
Raedwulf
Apologies, but I’m new around. So let’s talk, quietly.
The watcher freezes over him, breath shallow. The blade holds her in place, while Dorran remains concealed behind the red-stone outcrop, staff ready.
Neris
Understood. Quietly, then. Keep that blade steady, stranger, and no one in the valley needs to know this happened.
Neris
He was waiting beneath the roots. Not injured, not helpless. If I call out, he may cut before the old badger reaches me.
Below the path, the limping man and the iron-bundle bearer remain unaware. Their voices drift faintly through the ravine as the watcher keeps her hands visible.
Neris
Ask what you came to ask. I will answer without raising my voice, and you will tell me whether Dorran is hiding nearby.
Director's notewhole tale
I whistle for Dorran to come out
“"Dorran? I don't not know who your talking about?" "Unless you mean my new boss?"”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Raedwulf
Dorran? I do not know who you mean. Unless you mean my new boss.
The elf watcher studies his face, then the dagger beneath her throat. Raedwulf’s answer preserves Dorran’s concealment, but her eyes sharpen with suspicion.
Neris
Your new boss? Hearthhollow has many names for its leaders, stranger, but none who send injured men to block this path.
Beneath the cloak, Raedwulf’s dagger presses too firmly. A bead of blood marks the elf watcher’s skin, and her breath catches despite her effort to remain still.
Neris
I will accept that you do not know Dorran. Tell me about this boss, and I will tell you which of the men below is waiting for his command.
Below, the limping man shifts beside the iron-bound bundle. The elf watcher keeps her gaze on Raedwulf, now certain he is protecting someone hidden nearby.
Neris
Your story bought silence, not trust. Keep the blade steady, and perhaps we can both leave this path without blood or alarm.
“"How can you assure me, that you trust me stranger?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Raedwulf
How can you assure me that you trust me, stranger?
The elf watcher keeps both hands open beside her shoulders, careful not to touch the dagger. Her eyes flick once toward the ravine, then return to Raedwulf.
Neris
I cannot ask for trust while your blade rests at my throat. I can offer proof instead: the limping man below takes orders from the red-gloved broker, not from me.
Slowly, she draws the red cord from her wrist and lets it fall onto the stone between them. Beneath it, a narrow silver key hangs against her palm.
Neris
This opens the old ward cabinet beneath the eastern marker. I took it so the broker could not reach the remaining bindings. Search me, or keep your dagger steady. Either way, I will not call out.
Neris
He protects the hidden elder and questions before striking. That is not the broker’s manner. If I speak plainly, perhaps he will hear the difference.
Neris
If you want assurance, take the key and ask me what lies below. I will answer everything I know, and I will not betray the one hiding behind that outcrop.
Director's notewhole tale
I take the key and ask her name, and Dorran comes out of hiding. Having heard everything
Raedwulf
Your name?
Raedwulf takes the silver key without removing his dagger. Below, the limping man and the iron-bundle bearer remain unaware as Dorran waits concealed behind the outcrop.
Neris
Neris. I serve no broker. I watched the ward cabinet after discovering someone had tampered with the eastern marker.
Raedwulf studies the key, the red cord, and the elf watcher’s careful restraint. Her evidence fits the broken ward, while the men below openly await orders from the red-gloved broker.
Dorran
You heard enough. I am Dorran, and I stand with Hearthhollow. Neris, explain the cabinet and the broker’s purpose.
Neris
The cabinet holds the remaining bindings. The broker wants the ward tested before the treaty delegation arrives, then weakened enough for someone to claim Hearthhollow cannot protect itself.
Dorran steps from hiding, staff ready but lowered. Below, the two men begin packing the iron-bound bundle, giving the hidden witnesses a narrowing chance to learn who leaves first.
+ New Item Acquired
Silver ward key
Director's notewhole tale
I ask Neris to identify Hearthhollow’s insider. I lowered my dagger. But still hold it
Raedwulf
Neris, identify Hearthhollow’s insider. I have lowered the dagger, but I still hold it. Tell me who opened the ward.
Raedwulf lowers the blade from Neris’s throat without releasing it. Dorran stands nearby, staff ready, while the men below remain unaware of the changed balance above.
Neris
The insider is Pellan, one of the eastern storehouse keepers. He knows every ward inspection and has been taking silver from the broker.
Neris
He loosened the binding before the storm, then reported that weather caused the damage. I took the cabinet key when I discovered his work.
Dorran’s gaze hardens toward the ravine. Below, the limping man lifts the iron-bound bundle, while the other watches the path toward Hearthhollow.
Dorran
Pellan can be confronted at the storehouse, but these two must not reach him first. We need their broker’s message and a living witness.
Neris
The broker meets Pellan at dusk beneath the eastern terraces. If you let these men leave, they will lead you to the meeting, and Pellan with them.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure the household's welcome in Hearthhollow
Quest Complete
Identify the Hearthhollow resident who guided the raiders
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Good→Great
Director's notewhole tale
I ask Dorran if he knows a short cut to get back to Hearthhollow?
Director's notewhole tale
I ask Dorran if he knows a short cut to get back to Hearthhollow?
Raedwulf
Dorran, do you know a short way back to Hearthhollow? If Pellan is at the storehouse, we should reach him before these men can warn him.
Dorran
There is an old shepherd’s cut beneath the western shelf. It reaches the terraces above the storehouse, but the path is narrow and exposed.
Dorran points beyond the ravine wall, where a shadowed cleft climbs between red stone and ash roots. The route avoids the lower trail and the departing raiders.
Neris
Take that path, then. Pellan watches the eastern gate whenever he expects the broker. If he sees us together, he will run.
Raedwulf
The raiders are bait or messengers. Pellan is the fixed point, and the broker’s meeting gives us a time and place.
Dorran
We leave the men below to their retreat and reach the storehouse first. Neris can guide us over the shelf while the trail remains fresh.
Dorran gathers the red crystal and silver key, then signals Neris toward the hidden cleft. Below, the two raiders begin descending, unaware that their path now leads into a waiting net.
✓ Quest Accepted
Protect Hearthhollow's eastern stores
“Can we reach the storehouse before dusk?”
YES, AND MORE (Likely, rolled 3)
Neris leads through the shepherd’s cut, where red stone closes around a narrow shelf above the terraces. Dorran keeps the silver key and crystal secured beneath his cloak.
The route reaches the storehouse ridge well before dusk. From the ash roots, the three see Pellan, an adult human man with a lean build, weathered brown skin, short dark hair, and a russet work coat, below, alone beside the eastern storehouse, checking the loosened ward binding.
Dorran
We arrived ahead of him. The broker has not warned Pellan, and Pellan believes the valley still suspects only the storm.
A narrow drainage cleft opens behind the storehouse, concealed by fallen ash branches. It leads directly beneath the rear wall and offers a hidden approach without crossing the eastern gate.
Neris
That cleft was sealed last winter. The storm broke its stones open. I never knew it reached the storehouse.
Dorran
Then Hearthhollow has given us more than time. We have a covered way in, and Pellan has not seen us arrive.
Below, Pellan removes a small brass token from his coat and places it beneath the loosened binding, marking the ward for the broker’s return.
− Scene Quest Removed
Secure the household's welcome in Hearthhollow
Director's notewhole tale
I silently climbed down from the hight edge, and quietly walk behind Pellan
“I put him in a choke hold”
FAILURE (Mediocre Brawl, rolled -2)
Director's notewhole tale
I silently climbed down from the hight edge, and quietly walk behind Pellan
“I put him in a choke hold”
FAILURE (Mediocre Brawl, rolled -1)
Raedwulf slips from the drainage cleft and closes on Pellan from behind. His arm locks across the storehouse keeper’s throat, but Pellan twists sharply before the hold settles.
Pellan drives an elbow backward and tears free, stumbling against the loosened ward binding. The brass token drops from his hand and strikes the red stone.
Pellan
You! How did you get behind me?
The token flashes with a thin red shimmer. The ward-stone groans, and a pulse runs along the eastern boundary, announcing movement without revealing its source.
Dorran
Pellan, stand away from that binding. You have been caught, and the ward will not hide your treachery.
Pellan backs toward the storehouse door, one hand raised defensively while the token glows between him and Raedwulf. Above, Neris remains concealed, watching the marked breach.
✓ Quest Accepted
Bring Pellan to justice
Director's notewhole tale
I silently climbed down from the hight edge, and quietly walk behind Pellan
“I put him in a choke hold”
SUCCESS (Great Strength, rolled +0)
Raedwulf closes the distance and locks Pellan in a choke hold from behind. Pellan struggles, but the grip settles firmly, forcing him away from the loosened ward binding.
Pellan
Release me! The token is not mine to command. I only marked the weakness!
Pellan’s boots scrape hard against the red stone, making enough noise to carry across the terraces. The brass token rolls beneath the storehouse wall, still glowing faintly.
Dorran
Hold him there. Pellan, speak plainly, and perhaps Hearthhollow will hear more than a traitor’s excuses.
The effort tears a sharp ache through Raedwulf’s bruised shoulder, but Pellan remains restrained. Above, Neris shifts into view, keeping watch over the eastern approach.
Pellan
The broker promised silver and safe passage. He said the ward would be tested, not broken. I never meant for the raiders to take the grain.
Neris
He is lying about the purpose, not the payment. Ask who ordered the test, and where the broker carries his messages.
“I talk to Pellan while still holding him. "You trying to be an idiot thief? Here's the first rule... Don't make it obvious."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +3)
Raedwulf
You trying to be an idiot thief? Here is the first rule: do not make it obvious.
Raedwulf keeps Pellan pinned against the storehouse wall, voice low beside his ear. The warning lands harder than the hold, and Pellan’s resistance slackens.
Pellan
No. I made it obvious because the broker said subtlety no longer mattered. He wanted Dorran angry, the ward weakened, and the valley looking inward.
Pellan’s gaze flicks toward the glowing brass token beneath the wall. Neris watches from above, while Dorran steps closer without drawing attention from the eastern terraces.
Pellan
The broker carries messages in the lining of his red gloves. His next one is for the master at dusk, beneath the old ash bridge.
Dorran
You hear that, Neris? The ash bridge gives us a meeting place, and Pellan’s confession names a method of contact.
The token’s red shimmer fades as Pellan identifies a concealed seam inside his coat, revealing a second brass mark bearing the broker’s three-pronged smith sign.
Director's notewhole tale
I use Pellan to bait the broker
“"I have an offer for that I request you don't refuse." I say with a smug smile. "We we're never here. This never happened. You carry on you meet as normal." "But the three of us will be watching you from the shadows. It's your boss we want not you. But at least expect you to cooperate when this is over." "Call it a mutually beneficial arrangement"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -3)
Director's notewhole tale
I use Pellan to bait the broker
“"I have an offer for that I request you don't refuse." I say with a smug smile. "We we're never here. This never happened. You carry on you meet as normal." "But the three of us will be watching you from the shadows. It's your boss we want not you. But at least expect you to cooperate when this is over." "Call it a mutually beneficial arrangement"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
I have an offer you should not refuse. We were never here, and nothing happened. You continue your meeting as normal. The three of us will watch from the shadows. We want your boss, not you, but expect your cooperation when this is over. Call it mutually beneficial.
Raedwulf keeps Pellan pinned against the storehouse wall, wearing a smug smile. Dorran remains close, and Neris watches from above, all three positioned to vanish into the shadows.
Pellan
You want me to carry on as if nothing happened, lead you to the broker, and keep silent afterward. I can do that.
Pellan
The broker promised protection, but these three already control the meeting. Cooperation is safer than becoming the next loose end.
Dorran
Then make the arrangement useful. You will draw the broker to the ash bridge, and you will not warn him that we are waiting.
Neris
I will watch Pellan’s route from above. If he keeps his bargain, the broker reaches us unaware, and Hearthhollow gains the master behind this breach.
“Is there a vantage point that Raedwulf and Dorran can hide and remain close by to listen?”
NO (Likely, rolled 90)
The ground around the ash bridge offers no concealed hollow or raised shelf. Its red-stone banks lie open to the road, and anyone close enough to hear would be plainly visible.
Dorran
No. The bridge is exposed on both approaches. We can watch from the ravine, but not remain near enough to catch every word.
Beyond the storehouse, the eastern terraces descend without cover toward the bridge. The ash trees are too thin, and the old ward-stones cast only narrow shadows.
Neris
The upper ridge gives a clear view, but sound carries poorly there. Anyone hiding near the bridge would be seen when the broker arrives.
Dorran
The meeting can still be watched, but not safely overheard. Pellan must keep the broker talking in the open.
Pellan
Then I will meet him beneath the bridge and keep him facing the road. If he suspects anything, he will run before you learn who commands him.
The ash bridge remains the only fixed meeting place, but it offers no hidden vantage close enough for quiet listening. Pellan’s cooperation must carry the conversation into the open.
“Is there a vantage point that Raedwulf and Dorran can hide and remain close by to listen?”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 26)
Dorran’s staff finds a narrow fissure behind the eastern ward-stones, concealed beneath hanging ash roots. It opens into an old drainage passage running beneath the bridge approach.
Dorran
There. The passage reaches the bridge’s underside. We can hear whoever stands above, while the red stone and roots conceal us from both roads.
The cramped channel follows the bank beneath the road, close enough for voices to carry through the stonework. A broken grate leaves a dark slit overlooking the bridge’s shadow.
Neris
That drain was part of the old ward works. The broker will see only the bridge and the empty approaches, not anyone beneath the bank.
Pellan
Then I can keep him facing the road. If he speaks plainly, you will hear him through the grate.
Dorran
The passage gives us distance without surrendering the words. Pellan can draw out the master, and we can learn who truly commands this breach.
Below the ash bridge, the drainage passage lies dark and dry, its old stone carrying every footfall from above. The meeting can be watched and overheard without exposing the hidden observers.
Director's notewhole tale
After Raedwulf, Dorran, and Neris have taken positions. We wait for the meeting
Raedwulf and Dorran remain hidden beneath the ash bridge, listening through the broken grate. Above, Pellan waits alone beside the road, facing the empty eastern approach.
At last, a human man approaches from the western road: lean and middle-aged, with pale skin, close-cropped black hair, an iron-gray beard, and a scar from temple to cheek. His red gloves are polished despite the dust.
Pellan
You came late. The eastern ward is weakened, the grain was moved, and no one saw us.
The Broker
Good. Then Hearthhollow believes the storm did our work. Did the outsider discover the breach?
Pellan
Not yet. But Dorran is searching the ridge, and a new ranger has begun asking questions.
Beneath the bridge, Dorran’s claws tighten around his staff. The broker turns toward the eastern terraces, revealing the three-pronged smith mark stamped inside one red glove.
The Broker
Then the ranger must be drawn away. Once the delegation arrives, the ward failure will prove Hearthhollow cannot govern its own border. My master will claim the valley under compact law.
Director's notewhole tale
After Raedwulf, Dorran, and Neris listen to more of the meeting, we wait for Pellan to give the signal, and spring the trap
The Broker
My master will arrive after dusk. When the delegation sees the failed ward, he will invoke the compact and demand Hearthhollow’s stores, gate, and eastern terraces.
Pellan
And if Dorran refuses? The valley has stood under its own law for generations.
The broker smiles toward the darkened terraces, one red glove resting over the hidden message in its lining. Beneath the bridge, Dorran and Neris remain motionless.
The Broker
Then the treaty wardens will see a failed settlement, frightened residents, and a keeper unable to protect the border. Fear makes lawful claims easier to accept.
Pellan shifts his weight and taps his heel twice against the bridge stone. The faint signal travels through the grate. Above, Neris moves along the bank while Dorran readies his staff.
Pellan
You should leave before the ranger finds the lower ravine. I will report the ward’s failure and prepare the eastern gate for your master.
The trap closes. Dorran rises beneath the bridge mouth, Neris steps onto the western road, and Raedwulf emerges behind the broker, cutting off the eastern path as the man turns.
Director's note
Raedwulf makes a fast dash towards that Broker
Director's notewhole tale
I use my strength to pin the broker to the ground
Raedwulf bursts from the bridge shadow and crosses the road in a sudden, powerful dash. The broker turns too late, red gloves flashing as he reaches for a hidden blade.
Raedwulf collides with him and drives him onto the packed earth, pinning his shoulders with his strength. The broker’s face twists beneath the weight, while Dorran and Neris close the approaches.
The Broker
You should have stayed in the ravine. Do you understand whose claim you are obstructing?
Dorran
We understand enough. You planned to seize Hearthhollow’s stores under a manufactured failure. Name the master behind you.
Pellan gives the agreed signal, tapping his heel twice against the bridge stone. Neris steps behind him, securing the retreat, while Dorran lifts the broker’s fallen blade.
The Broker
The compact belongs to those strong enough to enforce it. My master has witnesses, sealed petitions, and a delegation already riding west.
Neris
Then your master can answer for the red crystal, the altered ward, and the grain raid. Pellan, tell them who paid you.
Director's notewhole tale
Raedwulf look down at the broker and speak to him
“"Nice to meet you.. names Raed, the new Range. Your friend mentioned." I say with cold satisfaction smile. "Let's go somewhere my private. And a drink."”
FAILURE (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -3)
Director's notewhole tale
Raedwulf look down at the broker and speak to him
“"Nice to meet you.. names Raed, the new Range. Your friend mentioned." I say with cold satisfaction smile. "Let's go somewhere my private. And a drink."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -2)
Raedwulf
Nice to meet you. Name’s Raed, the new ranger your friend mentioned. Let’s go somewhere private and have a drink.
Raedwulf keeps the broker pinned beneath him, dagger lowered but still in hand. His cold smile makes the invitation sound less like hospitality than a controlled negotiation.
The Broker
Raed, then. You have an unusual way of arranging introductions. Very well. A private drink, and we speak without an audience.
Dorran searches the broker, taking his hidden blade and red-gloved message. Neris watches Pellan while Raedwulf escorts the broker into a disused bridge-keeper’s chamber nearby.
Dorran
You get your private conversation, not your freedom. One false move, and the meeting ends.
Inside, dust veils an old table and two stools. Raedwulf spends a small flask of Hearthhollow spirits, its sharp scent filling the chamber as the broker sits under guard.
The Broker
A drink, then. Tell me, Raed, are you bargaining for Hearthhollow, or hunting the master whose claim I carry?
“"I choose both... And before you say anything, no those terms are not negotiable." "You want a way out of this trap. You tell us everything you know. And I buy the first round." "Call it a mutually beneficial arrangement."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
I choose both. You want a way out of this trap, so tell us everything you know. I buy the first round. Call it mutually beneficial.
Raedwulf
And before you say anything, those terms are not negotiable.
Raedwulf keeps the broker pinned beneath him, dagger lowered but ready. Dorran guards the door, while Neris watches the narrow window and Pellan waits outside under restraint.
The Broker
Accepted. I want out alive, and I want my master’s protection withdrawn before he learns I was taken.
The Broker
His name is Caldris Vey, a human treaty factor based beyond Elarin Vale. He intends to invoke the old compact at tomorrow’s delegation, claim Hearthhollow has failed its border duty, and seize the eastern terraces, stores, and gate.
The Broker
Pellan weakened the ward on my instruction. The red crystal was supplied by Caldris’s smiths, and the raiders were meant to create proof of disorder. The delegation carries forged witness statements and a sealed petition.
Dorran’s expression hardens as the broker names the forged petition. The trap has yielded its master, his legal weapon, and the exact ground of the coming claim.
Director's notewhole tale
I sit across from the Broker.
“I ask him. "Why does he want to put Hearthhollow under he's control?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -3)
Raedwulf
Why does Caldris want Hearthhollow under his control?
Raedwulf sits across from the broker in the dusty bridge-keeper’s chamber, dagger resting within reach. Dorran guards the door, while Neris watches the window.
The Broker
Because Hearthhollow commands the eastern approach to Elarin Vale. Whoever controls its gate controls the treaty road, the grain stores, and every delegation that passes west.
The Broker
Caldris calls it security, but he wants leverage. He can tax caravans, deny passage to rivals, and sell protection to nobles who fear beastfolk holding a lawful border.
The broker shifts toward the table, and Raedwulf’s dagger hand tightens as the man tests the distance. The flask is nearly empty, spent on the promised negotiation.
The Broker
Once Hearthhollow is declared failed, Caldris becomes its appointed protector. The compact gives him the authority to occupy the gate before anyone can challenge the claim.
The Broker
He wants the valley because it is a lawful key disguised as a poor settlement. With it, he can make every western treaty road answer to him.
Director's notewhole tale
I bargain with the broker for Caldris's forged petition
“"let's make a better deal." "How much would it be to get that petition from you?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Raedwulf
Let’s make a better deal. How much would it be to get that forged petition from you?
Raedwulf sits across from the broker, dagger within reach and the chamber door guarded by Dorran. Neris watches the window while the broker measures his chances.
The Broker
The petition buys my life if Caldris learns I surrendered it. I want safe passage out of Hearthhollow, protection from his men, and my name kept from the first accusation.
The Broker
He has the strength, the evidence, and no patience for bargaining games. Better to sell Caldris than die preserving his secret.
The Broker
In return, you receive the forged petition, the witness list attached to it, and the seal Caldris intended to present tomorrow. I will also identify the clerk who prepared the copies.
The broker reaches slowly into his red coat and withdraws a folded, wax-sealed packet. He places it on the dusty table, plainly within Raedwulf’s reach.
The Broker
That is my price. I will surrender everything now, and testify to Caldris’s scheme before Hearthhollow’s matron and the treaty delegation. In exchange, I leave alive.
Director's notewhole tale
I turn my head to Dorran.
“"What do you think?" "It's sounds like a good deal. But your my boss. And it's technically still my first day, I don't authority to make this call." I say, as a lean back into the chair I sit in”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Raedwulf
What do you think? It sounds like a good deal, but you are my boss. It is technically my first day, so I do not have authority to make this call.
Raedwulf leans back into his chair, leaving the sealed packet on the table within reach. The broker watches him while Dorran considers the offer from the guarded doorway.
Dorran
You have authority to negotiate a capture made under Hearthhollow’s protection. But accepting testimony and granting safe passage belongs to the matron and the treaty delegation.
Dorran
My judgment is that the offer is sound. Take the petition and seal into custody, and promise nothing beyond protection until Marra hears the broker’s testimony.
The Broker
That is acceptable. I need protection from Caldris, not authority over Hearthhollow. Let the matron decide the final terms after I surrender the packet.
Dorran
Then make the exchange, Raedwulf. I will witness it, and Neris will confirm the broker’s account. His safety is secured for the hearing, not beyond it.
Director's notewhole tale
I extend my hand to the Broker, and accept his deal
Raedwulf turns his head toward Dorran, then extends his hand across the dusty table. The sealed packet remains between them, while the broker watches for hesitation.
Dorran
Take the deal, with the limits stated. The petition and seal enter Hearthhollow’s custody, and his protection lasts until the hearing.
The broker places his hand in Raedwulf’s and releases the packet. Its wax bears a three-pronged mark, pressed over older treaty lettering beneath.
The Broker
Agreed. The petition, witness list, and seal are yours. I will name Caldris Vey before Marra and the delegation, if you keep his men from reaching me first.
Dorran takes the packet and breaks no seal, while Neris enters from the window to secure the broker’s wrists with a leather restraint. Outside, Pellan waits under guard.
Neris
Then we move before dusk. If Caldris expects his agent beneath the bridge, he may already suspect the silence.
The Broker
He will send riders when I miss the next signal. The delegation must hear my testimony before those riders reach Hearthhollow.
+ New Item Acquired
Sealed Petition Packet
“I as the broker, "Whe the delegation arrive?" "And more importantly, who's in it?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +2)
Raedwulf
When does the delegation arrive? More importantly, who is in it?
Raedwulf keeps his hand extended across the table, the broker’s surrendered packet secured nearby. Dorran and Neris remain positioned between the chamber and the road.
The Broker
At first light tomorrow. They will reach Hearthhollow by the western treaty road, before the second bell, with Caldris’s riders behind them.
The Broker
The delegation includes Warden Seralyth of Elarin Vale, two treaty clerks, a Willowmere assessor, and three witnesses named in Caldris’s petition.
The Broker
The warden decides whether the compact has been breached. The clerks authenticate seals. The assessor measures stores and defenses. The witnesses will claim Hearthhollow has failed its duty.
The Broker
One witness is a caravan master bought by Caldris. Another is a former ward surveyor. The third is Pellan’s contact beyond the valley, though Caldris presents him as an impartial guide.
Dorran’s expression hardens at the names. Neris takes the sealed packet from the table and holds it beneath the lamp, while the broker waits under restraint for the next question.
“Does Seralyth sound familiar to Raedwulf?”
YES (Unlikely, rolled 23)
Raedwulf
Seralyth is familiar. I have seen that name in treaty records and heard it spoken by those who feared a warden’s judgment.
The name catches in Raedwulf’s memory, linked to Elarin Vale’s treaty office and old disputes over protected roads, border rights, and unlawful seizure.
Dorran
Warden Seralyth is no ceremonial guest. If she authenticates the compact, Caldris will need more than frightened witnesses and a broken ward.
Neris
I have heard the same. Seralyth listens past prepared testimony and asks who benefits when a settlement suddenly appears incapable of defending itself.
The Broker
That is why Caldris bought the witnesses. Seralyth’s judgment carries beyond Elarin Vale, and a failed claim before her can ruin a factor’s standing.
The broker’s admission gives the delegation sharper shape. Seralyth is not merely the final obstacle to Caldris’s seizure, but a lawful authority capable of exposing the forged case.
Dorran
Then we must place the petition, the ward evidence, and your testimony before Seralyth before Caldris’s riders can shape the hearing.
“I question the broker about Caldris's riders”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
What do you know about Caldris’s riders? Numbers, weapons, route, and how soon they reach Hearthhollow.
Raedwulf sits across from the restrained broker in the bridge-keeper’s chamber. Dorran guards the door, Neris watches the window, and the sealed petition rests beneath her hand.
The Broker
Six riders, all mounted, carrying short bows and hooked sabers. They wear no shared colors, but each bears Caldris’s three-pronged mark beneath the left cuff.
The Broker
They follow the western treaty road and should reach the outer ashwood before first light. Two scouts ride ahead, then the four carrying the writs and provisions.
The Broker
Their orders are to wait for the delegation, not attack Hearthhollow. If Caldris’s claim fails, they will seize the gate by force and call it protection.
Dorran’s staff shifts against the stone floor. Neris breaks the petition’s outer seal at last, revealing a rider schedule folded behind the forged witness list.
The Broker
There is a second route through the old quarry pass. Caldris keeps it for retreat, but the riders may use it to circle behind Hearthhollow if the western road is watched.
− Scene Quest Removed
Protect Hearthhollow's eastern stores
“I will bring Pellan and the broker before Marra and preserve their confessions as evidence.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Raedwulf escorts the restrained broker and Pellan from the bridge-keeper’s chamber to Hearthhollow’s gathering court. Dorran carries the sealed petition, while Neris guards the prisoners’ path.
Marra meets them beside the central well, broad shoulders squared beneath her dark green cloak. Residents gather as Dorran lays the petition, red crystal, and ward token on a stone table.
the Hearthhollow matron
Bring every confession into the open. Hearthhollow will hear what was done to its ward, its stores, and its compact.
Pellan
I loosened the eastern binding before the storm, marked the weakness, and took silver from Caldris Vey through the broker.
The Broker
Caldris supplied the red crystal, forged the witness statements, and planned to seize Hearthhollow under compact law after the delegation declared the ward failed.
Dorran repeats each admission before the assembled residents. Neris records the words beside the broker’s three-pronged seal, while Marra orders the clerk to preserve the petition and witness list under Hearthhollow’s mark.
the Hearthhollow matron
These statements, materials, and seals enter the valley record. Caldris’s claim will meet Hearthhollow’s evidence before the treaty delegation.
Director's notewhole tale
I tell Marra about the upcoming raid, while remaining calm, composed and voice steady
Raedwulf
Marra, Caldris’s riders are already moving. Six mounted men follow the western road before dawn, with two scouts ahead and a second route through the old quarry pass.
Raedwulf speaks evenly across the gathering court, his voice carrying over the well and the murmuring residents. The broker’s confession and sealed petition remain on the stone table.
the Hearthhollow matron
Then this is no distant legal threat. Hearthhollow faces an armed seizure timed to the delegation’s arrival.
Dorran
We can watch the western road, but the quarry pass must be covered too. If Caldris divides us, he may reach the gate before Seralyth hears the truth.
Neris
The riders bear no colors, only the three-pronged mark beneath their cuffs. I can identify them, and I know the old ward paths near the quarry.
Marra places both hands on the petition, then looks across the gathered residents. Fear moves through the court, but her posture stays firm as runners begin gathering near the gate.
the Hearthhollow matron
Dorran, seal the eastern stores. Neris, take watchers to the quarry pass. Raedwulf, stand with the western patrol and bring those riders before they reach our walls.
✓ Quest Accepted
Prevent the armed seizure of Hearthhollow
− Scene Quest Removed
Bring Pellan to justice
Director's notewhole tale
Raedwulf stands with the Western patrol. Accompanied with three armed other beastfolk, as they wait for the arrival of the raiders
Director's notewhole tale
Raedwulf stands with the Western patrol. Accompanied with three armed other beastfolk, as they wait for the arrival of the raiders
Raedwulf stands beyond Hearthhollow’s western gate with three armed beastfolk: a stocky boarfolk woman carrying a hooked spear, a lean jackalfolk man with a recurved bow, and a broad bearfolk man bearing a shield. The western road lies pale beneath the dawn frost.
The Boarfolk Patrolwoman
No riders yet. The scouts should appear beyond the ash trees before the delegation reaches the gate.
Behind them, Marra’s runners vanish toward the quarry pass and eastern stores. The gate closes to a narrow opening, leaving the patrol concealed from anyone approaching along the road.
The Jackalfolk Patrolman
There. Two shapes on the western rise, moving fast. Mounted, as promised.
The scouts crest the rise, lean silhouettes against the gray sky. Neither wears a banner, but dark marks show beneath their left cuffs as they slow to study the gate.
The Bearfolk Patrolman
They have seen us. If they turn, the main riders will know the road is watched.
The scouts exchange a signal and wheel their horses toward the old quarry route. From the valley behind, a warning bell sounds once, carrying across the red stone.
Director's notewhole tale
Raedwulf and the three armed beastfolk, wait in position. Waiting for the raiders next move
Raedwulf and the three patrolfolk hold their concealed position beyond the western gate. Frost whitens the road while the scouts vanish toward the quarry route.
The Boarfolk Patrolwoman
They are testing our response. If we pursue openly, they will draw us away from the delegation road.
The jackalfolk lowers his bow without nocking an arrow. Beyond the ash trees, six mounted riders emerge in staggered formation, following the scouts’ path.
The Bearfolk Patrolman
Main force sighted. They are keeping the road, but the scouts have already chosen the quarry pass.
A second bell sounds from Hearthhollow, answered by a distant horn near the quarry. The riders slow, their dark cuffs turning toward the narrow gate.
The Jackalfolk Patrolman
They expect resistance, but not a lawful challenge. Hold steady. Let them come close enough to hear whose ground they enter.
The lead riders advance through the frost, hands near their hooked sabers. Behind Raedwulf, the gate opens wider, revealing Marra’s assembled witnesses and the sealed evidence prepared for Seralyth.
Director's note
Raedwulf calmly walk out of his position. And proceeds to calmly walk to lead raider in the formation
Raedwulf leaves the concealed position and walks calmly onto the frost-bright road. The three patrolfolk hold formation behind him, weapons ready but lowered.
The lead rider checks his reins as Raedwulf approaches. Behind him, the remaining riders slow, their hooked sabers visible beneath dark travel cloaks.
Garran Holt
Stop there. This road is under Caldris Vey’s lawful protection. Step aside and let the delegation pass.
Raedwulf continues until the distance between them is unmistakably deliberate. Frost cracks beneath his feet, while the western gate remains open behind him and witnesses watch from within.
The Boarfolk Patrolwoman
You stand on Hearthhollow’s road under its compact. State your writ before you advance another pace.
The lead rider’s gaze shifts from Raedwulf to the gate, measuring the witnesses, the patrol, and the absence of any banner authorizing his claim.
Garran Holt
Our writ comes from Caldris Vey, treaty factor of Elarin Vale. Resist us, and Hearthhollow will be recorded as obstructing lawful protection.
Director's note
Raedwulf calmly walk out of his position. And proceeds to calmly walk to lead raider in the formation
Raedwulf stops within clear speaking distance, calm beneath the lead rider’s stare. Behind him, the western patrol holds formation, while Hearthhollow’s open gate frames Marra and the gathered witnesses.
The Boarfolk Patrolwoman
A claim is not a writ. Show the seal, the named authority, and the compact clause that grants Caldris control of this road.
The lead rider reaches beneath his cloak and produces a folded parchment sealed in dark red wax. His hand pauses before presenting it, eyes measuring the patrol’s lowered weapons.
Garran Holt
The delegation will judge the claim. Until then, Caldris’s riders are empowered to secure the valley and prevent interference.
Marra steps through the gate with Dorran beside her. The matron carries Hearthhollow’s sealed evidence, while the old compact’s words are displayed on a second parchment.
the Hearthhollow matron
You will halt here. Hearthhollow has witnesses, restored ward evidence, and a living confession naming Caldris’s forged petition. No armed seizure begins under my seal.
Garran Holt
Then bring out the broker and the traitor Pellan. If they stand against Caldris, their testimony is compromised, and this valley has already chosen disorder.
Director's note
Raedwulf talk to lead raider in the formation
“"That might be a bit difficult and would a little longer to get them processed." "And while we still have the right to ask. Under who's authority, does it give you and me to make such a... Questionable request?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
That may take longer to process. While we still have the right to ask, under whose authority does it give you and me grounds to make such a questionable request?
Raedwulf looks down toward the broker, then turns his head toward Dorran. His voice remains calm across the frost-bright road, with the armed patrol and open gate behind him.
Dorran
None, unless the request concerns lawful custody. The broker and Pellan stand under Hearthhollow’s protection, and their testimony belongs before Marra and the treaty delegation.
Garran Holt
You question our authority while obstructing it? Caldris’s sealed writ empowers us to secure witnesses and prevent interference until the delegation rules.
Marra lifts Hearthhollow’s evidence parchment beside the rider’s dark-red seal. The gathered witnesses remain visible through the gate, making the competing claims impossible to hide.
the Hearthhollow matron
Your writ may request custody, but it cannot grant it. Until Warden Seralyth authenticates Caldris’s authority, the prisoners remain under Hearthhollow’s seal.
Dorran
If you want them processed, name the clause and authority plainly. Otherwise, dismount, surrender the writ for examination, and let the delegation hear both sides.
Director's note
Raedwulf stands and listen, for the raiders to state their clause
Garran Holt
Clause seven of the Border Protection Compact permits an appointed factor to secure a settlement’s gate and stores when its ward fails and its keeper cannot guarantee safe passage.
He raises the dark-red writ so its seal faces the witnesses. Behind him, the other riders keep their hands near their hooked sabers, watching the gate and the patrol.
the Hearthhollow matron
Clause seven requires a verified failure, a named appointment, and notice to the treaty warden. You possess none of those things.
Garran Holt
The ward was breached. The appointment is Caldris Vey’s seal. Notice is being delivered by our presence, before the delegation arrives.
Dorran
A forged petition does not become notice by horseback. We have the tampered binding, the red crystal, and the broker who names your master.
A murmur passes through Hearthhollow’s gate. The lead rider glances toward the western road, where distant bells announce the delegation’s approach sooner than expected.
Garran Holt
Then let Warden Seralyth decide with every witness present. Until she arrives, no one leaves this road, and Caldris’s claim remains in force.
Director's note
Raedwulf speaks to the raiders
“"Given the amount of evidence we'd discovered... I argue that you claim is moot. And subject to be challenged."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Raedwulf
Given the evidence we have uncovered, your claim is moot and subject to challenge.
Raedwulf faces the lead rider across the frost-bright road, voice steady. Behind him, Hearthhollow’s witnesses, the restored ward evidence, and the broker’s confession remain plainly visible.
Garran Holt
You argue that the breached ward and Caldris’s sealed appointment no longer establish grounds for protection under clause seven.
Dorran
They do not. The breach was manufactured, the petition forged, and the supposed appointment lacks verified notice to Warden Seralyth.
the Hearthhollow matron
The claim is formally contested. Until the warden authenticates the evidence, Caldris has no lawful authority to seize Hearthhollow’s gate, stores, or terraces.
The delegation’s bells draw nearer along the western road. The lead rider lowers his writ slightly as the witnesses’ account displaces his claim before the approaching warden.
Director's note
I demand the riders lower their weapons and dismount there horse
“I speak, "You wanna argue this in the square? Fine. But only my enter with the writ. And you enter unarmed." "Your men to dismount."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
You want to argue this in the square? Fine. Only you enter with the writ, and you enter unarmed. Your men dismount.
Raedwulf gestures toward Hearthhollow’s gathering square, keeping his voice level. The western patrol holds behind him, while Marra and Dorran remain beside the contested evidence.
Garran Holt
Agreed. I will bring the writ alone, without weapons. My men will dismount and remain outside the square.
The lead rider removes his hooked saber and hands it to the boarfolk patrolwoman, then dismounts. The other riders follow, securing their weapons beneath watchful patrol spears.
the Hearthhollow matron
The square will hear the claim under Hearthhollow’s seal. No armed rider crosses its boundary, and the writ will remain visible to every witness.
Garran Holt
Then let the square judge whether Caldris’s authority survives your accusations. I will present the writ before Warden Seralyth arrives.
The lead rider walks toward the gathering square carrying only the dark-red writ. His dismounted men remain outside the gate as Hearthhollow’s residents converge to hear the argument.
“I request the raider to remove his helmet and state his name for the record”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf
Remove your helmet and state your name for the record.
The lead rider stops within the gathering square, the dark-red writ held at his side. Hearthhollow’s residents form a silent ring around him and Raedwulf.
Garran Holt
Very well. I am Garran Holt, sworn rider in Caldris Vey’s service. Let the record show that plainly.
Garran unfastens his iron-rimmed helmet and removes it, revealing a weathered middle-aged man with close-cropped brown hair, a broken nose, and a pale scar beneath his right eye.
the Hearthhollow matron
Clerk, record Garran Holt’s name, service, and admission. His identity is now attached to the writ he carries.
Garran Holt
I have given my name, not surrendered my testimony. Caldris’s authority remains the matter before Warden Seralyth.
A clerk writes Garran’s name beneath the contested claim. Outside the square, his dismounted riders wait under patrol watch as the delegation bells draw nearer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Hearthhollow’s lawful standing before Warden Seralyth
“Does Garran’s writ lack Seralyth’s authentication?”
YES, AND MORE (VeryLikely, rolled 1)
The clerk turns Garran’s writ beneath the square’s red-stone seal. Its dark wax bears Caldris Vey’s mark, but no silver tree, warden’s cipher, or authenticated counterseal.
the Hearthhollow matron
Record the defect plainly. This writ names a claimant, but it does not carry Warden Seralyth’s authentication and cannot activate clause seven.
Garran Holt
The warden’s seal was to follow with the delegation. Caldris’s authority was already established through appointment and notice.
A horn answers from the western road. Warden Seralyth arrives before Garran can press the argument, accompanied by two treaty clerks and a Willowmere assessor.
Warden Seralyth
I heard my office invoked. I have issued no authentication for Caldris Vey’s writ, nor authorized armed protection of Hearthhollow.
Dorran
Then the claim fails before it begins. The forged petition, broken ward, and missing authentication now stand together before the proper witness.
Warden Seralyth
Clerk, seize the writ for examination. Garran Holt remains a witness to its presentation, while Caldris Vey’s claim is suspended pending inquiry.
− Scene Quest Removed
Prevent the armed seizure of Hearthhollow
“I present the forged petition and broker's confession to Warden Seralyth.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Raedwulf steps before Warden Seralyth, a middle-aged human woman with a sturdy build, warm brown skin, close-cropped dark hair threaded with gray, and a dark blue treaty coat with a silver warden’s clasp, and places the forged petition beside the broker’s written confession. The three-pronged seal and red crystal residue remain visible to the square.
The broker stands under guard nearby, while Marra, Dorran, Garran, and the treaty clerks watch the evidence pass into the warden’s hands, two young adult human clerks—one a slim woman with dark braided hair in a cream-and-blue robe, the other a lean man with sandy hair in a gray coat—.
Warden Seralyth
These documents will be entered together. The petition bears Caldris Vey’s mark, but the confession identifies its false witnesses, its forged purpose, and the manufactured ward failure.
The Broker
I confirm it before every witness. Caldris supplied the red crystal, paid Pellan, and planned to seize Hearthhollow under a failure he created.
Seralyth compares the petition’s witness list with the broker’s account, then examines the red crystal and the broken ward token laid beside it.
Warden Seralyth
The evidence is coherent and materially specific. The petition is not merely unauthenticated; it is compromised by deliberate fraud and cannot support clause seven.
Warden Seralyth
Clerks, preserve these originals under treaty seal. Garran Holt and the broker will answer separately, and Caldris Vey will be summoned to explain this attempted seizure.
Quest Complete
Secure Hearthhollow’s lawful standing before Warden Seralyth