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Brambleford’s watchtower stands above the village roofs, its lantern lit against the trees. Elira Vale waits beside a table of maps and rope coils, watching the Wyrmwood Reach with a worried frown.

Details

Elira Vale hires the party, explains that the expedition caches vanished into the Wyrmwood Reach, and asks them to bring back the missing supplies before the first expedition fails. She can point to the road edge, the river ford, and the deeper forest on a rough sketch of the region. Her attitude is hopeful but urgent. Quote: “Find the caches before the trail goes cold.” Searching the watchtower shelves reveals a spare trail ration and a marked route note. Treasure placement: The NPC provides 2 Gold Pieces to help the party with the adventure.

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Fresh wagon ruts cut across the muddy verge beyond Brambleford, and torn packing cloth hangs from brambles along the road. The trail bends away from the main way and into the Reach.

Details

The scene is an obvious trail-sign location: wagon grooves, snapped twine, and bits of crate wood show the caches were dragged off-road. The party can follow the marks toward Hexes 3, 4, or 5 depending on where they choose to press onward. Success here advances the search without combat. A careful search also reveals a broken crate seal stamped with the expedition mark.

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A cold campfire ring and collapsed bedrolls mark a forgotten stopping place under the trees. Crates lie open in the leaf litter, and a half-buried list flutters against a tent peg.

Details

This camp belonged to the expedition and shows what was already taken, what was abandoned, and what still needs to be found. The inventory list names food, rope, lamp oil, and tool bundles, giving the party a clear sense of missing gear. The camp is quiet and safe unless the party lingers too long. Searching the ash and crates reveals one intact waterskin and a second route note toward the middle hexes. Treasure placement: Searching this area reveals 8 Gold Pieces, Scroll of Warding.

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Two Wolves prowl between the trees ahead, noses low over the mud and ears twitching at every sound. They are between the party and the cache trail, guarding a stretch of ground that smells of old meat and spilled grain.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 2; Monster: Wolf. Room guidance: Two Wolves belong here because the dragged caches left scent and scraps along the trail, drawing predators to the route. They are aggressive and hungry, and they begin the scene alert at a distance before closing if the party does not avoid them. They attack if the party approaches openly, but they may retreat if badly wounded or if food is offered. Search after the encounter reveals torn sackcloth snagged on briars and a paw-marked path toward the fordlands.

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The stream has torn away part of the ford, leaving slick stones, a deep washout, and a broken span of mud and roots. A black shape moves near the crossing, watching the water and the broken bank.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Black Bear. Room guidance: A Black Bear belongs here because the ford has become a feeding and drinking spot after the collapse, and the disturbance has drawn it to the crossing. It is defensive of the area, not malicious, and it starts the scene alert at a distance. The party must secure the route to keep searching the caches, either by calming the bear, driving it off, or crossing carefully once it moves away. The broken ford still reveals a usable stepping route after the scene, and the washout exposes a crate slat caught below.

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A thicket of fern and root hides a shallow hollow beneath a fallen log. Inside, dry cloth and wrapped bundles sit untouched by rain, tucked away from the main trail.

Details

This hidden stash provides replacement expedition gear: dry rope, spare lamp oil, and preserved rations. It is a quiet, noncombat reward that keeps the search moving. The cache is visible to anyone who searches the log line closely, and the hollow can be reached without a roll once found. A careful look also turns up a mud-smeared trail marker pointing deeper into the Reach. Treasure placement: Searching this area reveals 16 Gold Pieces, Ironbrand Longsword +1.

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An Elk stands unsteadily in a patch of sunlight, one flank bloodied and its breathing tight. It lifts its head at the party’s approach, then stamps once and watches the trees as if remembering a fright.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Elk. Room guidance: The Elk belongs here because it was present when the caches were moved and fled through the forest after seeing the thieves. It is frightened and open to interaction, not hostile, and it will calm if approached slowly or helped. The party can soothe or treat the wound, then ask about the raiders. Quote: “Big ears, small hands, and a chest that clanked.” Its answer points toward the deeper cache sites and the goblin trail. After the scene, the party can search the grass for the direction the Elk fled from.

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A stout supply chest sits in a ring of trampled leaves beside a mossy stump. Two small figures hover near it, arguing over the latch while the forest stays unnaturally still.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 2; Monster: Goblin. Room guidance: Two Goblin belong here because they are raiding the expedition’s supplies and using the hidden chest as a guarded prize. They are immediately hostile, but they are also distracted by the lock and their argument. The chest is the first major cache and must be recovered to continue the expedition. The chest is locked; if the party approaches carefully, they can gain the first action, pressure the goblins away, or go for the chest. After the encounter, the chest contents are obvious once opened, and the surrounding leaves hide a dragged route toward the next hexes. Treasure placement: Searching this area reveals 22 Gold Pieces.

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Broken branches, boot prints, and scraps of rope mark a repeated path through the undergrowth. The signs loop and double back, as if whoever made them wanted to confuse anyone following behind.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Goblin. Room guidance: This hex is a sign-filled search area where repeated raids have left a readable pattern of movement. The party can study the marks to learn where the raider sleeps, hides, or returns after each theft. The clues are enough to continue even on a failed roll, though a miss costs time and may lead the party in circles for a while. Searching the area also reveals a dropped goblin token and a torn strap from another cache bundle.

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The last cache sits beside a rough campfire and a heap of stolen gear, all tucked into a hidden clearing deep in the Reach. A Goblin raid leader stands over the supplies, clutching the final bundle and barking orders into the trees.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Goblin. Room guidance: The final cache is held by a Goblin raid leader who organized the scattered thefts and kept the last supplies for itself. It is aggressive and immediately hostile, but it may bargain if badly wounded or if the party offers a way out. Defeating or driving it off secures the last missing supplies and ends the search objective. The clearing also contains the expedition’s final marked crates and a clear route back toward Brambleford. After the fight, the party can gather the remaining cache and any scattered gear from the camp. Treasure placement: After the encounter, the party can recover 27 Gold Pieces from the guarded camp area.