Ranger Trials

Looking back at the forest he has wandered for so many years Stee feels a slight sense of loss. But then turning back to look beyond the familiar hills and woods of his youth a thrill enters his heart. His trainer says it is time he learnt for himself just how much he has learned and what more he need to know. Stee is to leave his hove for at least a year before returning. Having spent his time preparing for this day Stee considers his two options

The Hunt for a Legendary Beast:
Tales of a legendary beast roaming the wilderness with occasional sighting by the townsfolk. A few of the locals believe the beast to be responsible for recent troubles in the woods and offered a reward to any who will track down and either capture or slay the creature.

The Bandit Camp:
Rumors of travelers on the main road falling victim to a group of bandits who have set up camp in the hills between this area and the main trade center. A few of the regular tinkers, merchants, and minstrels have been long overdue and the bandits are suspected of being the source of the issue. Though not true local of the area the missing individuals are commonly respected and their delay or disappearance is troubling.

Shall you head west to try and track the beast or north to investigate the bandits?

Here are some basic game guidelines.

Ste heads into the wilder stretches of the hilly woods stretching out his legs ans he stolls through the cool morining air. Heading first to one of the areas the "beast" was spotted you then rove the land searching for clues of the beast. Leaving the known lands behind the area is still very familiar with trees, rocks, and streams being much the same but your intimate knowlde gained from years of wandering the lands about your home become less and less useful as the day wears on.

Roll 2 tests.
Use your background for to guess/anticipate where the beast might visit
User Perceptive to notice traces of an unfamiliar beast
Both roll with advantage,3d6.
Dice Roller Guide
I allow story content to enhance rolls at time so if you have any ideas, for thie test or latter, add details you feel are relevant and/or intersting

Stee wanders for half a day looking for likely spots and any trace at all. Following a hunch you start looking for dark, secluded, areas with water in them or nearby. Finding a gurgling stream in a gully you follow it from the top as it winds through the hills. As you do you see a track of unusual size and shape in the mud by the stream. Success? Continuing you follow the deepening ravine to its end in a grotto surrounded by thick tall trees making the entire thing hard to notice much less approach. Sliding through as carefully as possible. Roll a standard save test the move through the tangled growth surrounding the gully without getting snagged.

Crouching low you scan the area below you in the grotto around the spring. You spot some tracks that look to be like a large cat of at least your size. However their arrangement is odd but at this distance you can't quite place what makes you think so. You also spot a caverns entrance off to one side of the spring. This seems to unlikely to simply be a beast.

The woods around you are calm, the regular noises of insects and birds as well as other small creatures reassures you, slightly, for if a large beast were present they would shy away from where the beast is. Now as you stand atop the lip of the grotto and looking around it almost appears manicured as if the very land and plants themselves were arranged to hide this place.

Circling the grotto you find an easy(ish) descent a short ways down the streams ravine. Moving along the stream towards the grotto and cave you scan the area carefully. Whatever it is seems to almost intentionally try to walk on stone to hide it's tracks until in the grotto itself. The grottos is about 20 feet wide and 50 long with the spring at the far end and the cavern about 2/3 of the way back on the east side You see no track save those of the beast and realize what is wrong with them. At times they appear normal as a large cat but other times there are only 2 foot pads as if it stand upright. Though possible for a cat this seems unnatural and would be difficult for a cat to maintain.

Roll me an Perception test, advantage = 3d6 from your trait

I forgot you swapped out tracker, so your earlier test for tracking should havee been 2d6 but it works out anyhow so just for future refference let me know if I make a mistake like that. I am running multipe players here sna my loose track or mix things up .

You look around and sniff the air of the grotto as you listen for moment or . . . anything out of place. Other than the tracks you find not trace of the beast. The grotto smells of damp earth and rotting vegetation but there is a faint animal trace. As you look around you recall stories of how the very nature of fey is magical and through not all can do magic their presence is often enough to alter things over time. Those they like may have good crops or their animals will birth healthy offspring. Unsure if such stories are simply folklore or have a seed of truth this grotto seems to support their ability to shape their environment.

The pring burbles up out of a small cleft stone about a foot up from the base of the grotto. It smells fresh and clean. A slight sip tells you it also tasts clean and is guite cool. As you squat down to take a drink you hear a noise and tune..

Out from the cave you see, first a set of long multi pronged horns, then a large dark and motled fur covered head. Percing green eyes gaze at you as the small creature exits the cave. It is about 3 feet long and 2 feet high at the shoulder and likely has to hold its head down so that its antlers do not interfere with entering and exitng the cavern.

As soon as it exits the cave it stands upright and you realize it is wearing a neclace and belt with a pouch at its side. As it stands up it grown larger until it is now about 8 feet tall and is glowers down at you with a snarl.

"Unless you might have a magic item that would be you use to me."

Before entering you scan the dirt around the cave entrance but other than the feystag prints you see nothing. The cavern is low and you almost have to crawl as it winds more than 15 feet back before opening up. Just before you lose the ability to see you hear a muttered word and a small glowing orb flies over your shoulder to illuminate the are ahead of you. Standing up you see that the cavern has a mix of stone and packed earth with roots for walls and floor with the ceiling being almost entirely roots that criss cross each other.

The feystag steps up beside you and with a flick of its wand sends the glowing orb into a side chamber. In there I keep things Moving in you see that this room is very organized with roots and flat stones making many alcoves of various sizes.

Give me a roll and let me know what things you are looking for

No other tracks are found inside but you are able to have the slime to just outside the cave mouth. There the trail dies. Expanding the search in the grotto and beyond you find a faint and small path leading to the edge of the grotto across from the cave. The trail is odd in that anytime there is a clear area you lose it but find it a bit further on.

rolla standard test, 2d6, to see how well you are able to track

Moving through the grove you find the trail ends, again. Now familiar with the tricks of whatever does this you begin scouring the grove. It takes a bit of time for you to find the trick but you notice that there is a patch of slime high in a tree on a branch. It seems that anytime the trail "vanishes" it is resumed at a point that could be seen from the beginning of the gap. Up in the tree it likely has a good view of the area. With a sigh you climb up to check the perspective. Once at the appropriate height you scan the area and determine the most likely destination to be a cluster of stones and what looks like a small cavern formed by the gaps between the stones.

Climbing back down the tree you make your way toward the boulders and are about 100 feet from them when you pause. You get the sense you are being watched. You scan the area but the thick woods provide too many places to hide and you see nothing in you initial search.

Stee tries to back up but the little grey creature, vaguely goblin like but with even thinner arms and legs and a larr head scampers after you and hurls two globs of something at you that explodes when it strikes a surface into a large sticky mass.

Roll 2 Save, 2d6 each
If you fail the first your legs are struck and become stuck to the ground preventing you from moving from that spot until you Save as an action to break free
If you fail the 2nd your chest is struck covering your arms and bow so you can not attack until you break free of the mass with a sucessful Save as an action.

Choosing to stand and swat at the pesky creature Stee looses a couple of arrows The first flies true and a soft thump and squeals can be heard from the rock jumble and the target vanishes from view as it is knocked back and falls.

With no immediate counter attack you slowly start moving across the slippery patch of slime. As you do you notice that it is already drying out and evaporating or being soaked into the plants and ground. Once clear of the slippery area you make your way quicky to the rock jumble and pause to listen. Within you hear shuffling sounds and slight whimpering.

As you move closer another glob of some kind flies from the rocks to expand and cover the area around it.

Save to cross without falling. If you fall you can not attack or move normally. You have 2 options
1. Use an action to attempt to stand, must save again
2. crawl out using 2 actions.

Now standing you can use your bow but will need another save to walk out of the mess

Within the rock you hear some movement but see no targets at this time.

I will counter if possible. I don't trust that it would stop if I left.

I figured 2d6 since Caly was holding it.

So will I continue on from here with a different link?

Both groups would be happy to have Stee join, though I have no idea how you'd get him down to the Underdark.

For the Remnant group, I'm not sure the best way to get him there, but it'd be far, far easier than with the Underdark group. But, either way, he is welcome in either group!

I like the thought of the Underdark but whichever is easiest

Thank you sir

Taking the cloak and making your way back toward known, if never previously visited landmarks and trails Stee feels good about the resolution. The Calygraunts seemed reclusive enough that he doubts there will be trouble for the local and wonders if his old master already knew about it . Making your way back to familiar lands you leave word at one of the outermost homesteads that there were two fey at odds, a small trickster that could teleport and the other that was knowledgeable and could be negotiated with. Knowing the word would spread to give a recount of your exploits to the family in exchange for a meal and bed for the night and wonder what the tale will be like when you return.

Heading back out to the unknown you make your way this time to check out the bandits. The woods are welcoming as you move through the hills and cross new streams. As you near the area where the attacks were held you move off the trail and begin your search for their track. Sigh, perhaps you should have paid more attention to your masters lectures of propper tracking. The are is more rocky with several of the hills having stoney crowns and dry creek beds that fill only after a rainstorm. You assume the bandits are taking advantage of these to hide their camp and tracks.

Roll to find sign 3d6 then track 2d6 to see how long your search takes. Add ideas and details on your efforts

Before you headed to the region you asked the family about the bandits and got the latest news as well as a name of whom to contact. You had stopped by one than another homestead to talk about the bandits. It seems they only strike at night. At first is was a few minor thefts of tools and small animals but recently they started attacking merchants who were on the road in the area at night as well. Beyond that little is known.

As you try to track the bandits you come across signs of people outside a household that was recently stolen from. The tracks are humanoid bare footed with other tracks that indicate they may have been creeping on all fours. It makes you think of movements of "primitive" people but as far as you know there are no such tribe in the area. Even if there were they might steal animals but why attack the merchants?

Stee has trouble tracking them to anyplace conclusive and it starts to get dark. Do you want to head back to a household or try and lure them out with yourself as bait?

basic map
Stee wakes to soft sounds from the animals outside. Pell is inside his house with his dog. Between the shed your are in and the ghost is a pen holding several goats as well as a chicken coop. To the east of a small cliff that curves a bit and another small cliff is further west being Pell's yard.

You are not certain what it was but something changed that woke you.

As you move to the shed door and eash it open it creaks a bit on the leather hinges but they are well oiled so it makes little noise. Moving to the corner of the pen you peek around the corner and freeze. The goats are all bedded down for the night but there is an extra form moving amung them. Not it is grabbing them and the goats are not stirring at all. Goats do not normally allow strangers to grab them in the middle of the night so how.... The figure carries the goat, that you now see is as limp as if dead, or drugged, then holding the goat above their head hand it off to another figure that lifts it up the rest of the way to the top of the cliff. A scan of the area reveals no other figures in sight. But if you dont do anything the two will soon have all of Pell's litle herd up the cliff then likely taken away well before sunrise.

At your shout the two figure burst into action, no longer concerned with stealth. The one at the top of the 15'-20' cliff to the east quickly scrambles up followed closely by the other, who leaps up to graba and the cliff to follow the first. Both climb at very high speed. In the house you hear the clatter of Pell moving through the house calling his dog, whos barks begin echoing from within. Even with all of this the goat herd has yet to stir.

Both are still visible but the one atop the short cliff will easily be able to move out of sight quickly. The one still climbing will be out of sight just a few seconds behind the first. You currently stand at the short fence enclosing the herd between the house, hut, and cliff.
You can shoot one of the figures, and might be able to get 2 shots off on the lower climber before it gets over the cliff and out of sight.
You might be able to leap the short fence and jump up to grab the climber but if you miss it will be gone.

The man merely hisses and your not even sure he understands you. All you find on him is a bit of homemade twine and an old rusty knife.


Caves? Well there are a bunch but most are small. Makes sense creatures like this might live in caves but I dont know of any large enough for that.

You chat a bit more and Pell relays what he knows of caves in the area. Some of what he says, about plants that grow in or near them aligns with your own expertise, but as these tend to be small it will still be a bother to find. Hopefully you can track them with this recent trail and you recent firsthand experience.

You bind the pale man and secure him in a small cage, normally used for swine, but you doubt it will be enough but it is still better than leaving him out. You agree it it best to watch him and take turns resting through the night. Pell, not being much of at tracker watches first for most of the night then wakes you before dawn to watch the man while he goes to round up a couple neighbors.


Don't expect much. This place is mostly peaceful and people tend to keep to themselves but still, thieving is bad for everyone so I should be able to get a couple of the men and maybe an older boy or two.

Gotcha

The cave is far from the road and there are no paths leading to it but you do find signs of things being dragged into the cave. Searching the the area you find a couple sites with large areas of mud and dark fleck you determine to be blood. By your guess something was butchered at the sites. Sephek reasons that the bandits just took what they could carry to the cave and hi wagons and other things too large. With only a few bandits that might explain why there were large gaps between the thefts. If they had to haul their goods from where they stole them then they might have had to make several trips. And if they only did this when dark then emptying a wagon would take several nights.

The cavern entrance is only about 4' tall and 2' wide with the room beyond being about 20'x20' and 10' tall. The tunnel at the back is initially about 3' in diameter and shows signs of having previously been larger but collapsed and been dug back open.

As you examine you options Sephek's other son returns at a run with two other men in tow. Running up he grabs the tire you found and shows it to one of the men who busted into tears. The other steps up and places a comforting hand on his shoulder before turning to Sephekand you.


That's my nephew's. We were out looking for him. He turned up missing this morning. Must have gone to the out house in the night and gotten taken by those things.


Looking at you and the two men then the small tunnel into the stone under the hill he sighs. looks like this isn't stopping here. Do you have a lantern or torches so we can follow them underground?

The younger bit is sent back running to go fetch more lanterns or torches from nearby homesteads. The older one will remain nearby in hiding to watch the cave while the test of the men go with you into the cavern.

Each of the men is armed with a large knife of club and together you with you easy down the narrow passage. As you do it becomes apparent that the passage was much larger and cut into the stone of the hill but that old tunnel collapsed and was dug back out to its current size. Luckily it opens to the original carved stone tunnel about 6 feet wide and 8 tall after only 30 feet out so.

After walking another 200 feet, and descending 2 sets of stairs, you arrive at a room. The square chamber is 20 feet to a side and 10 feet tall. The floor is littered with scraps of animal bones and smells of sewage. A corner of the place used as a latrine. Using the light to study the room you find traces of the bare footed thieves but also other booted tracks including fresh ones that are smaller.

Confident you are on the correct track you press on. The passage connects to another room that is empty safe for a closed door on the far side. The double door is made of metal, each being 5'x10' , with heavy rings to pull the door open. Dirt and dust on the floor shows traffic through here leading to the door.

With your are the 3 men.
Let me know if you want to arrange then any particular way, have questions for them, who holds the lantern, etc

One of the men takes the lantern as you pause and check around. The room is simple enought but you hear a faint humming noise from the door. upon moving closer you also hear slight sounds of shuffling and whimpering from beyond the closed entry.

The two men with clubs go to either side of the door while the one with only a large hunting knife stands back with the lantern. Pulling the door open reveals a 10' square passage that opens into a larger chamber. A rush of cool moist air washes over you along with the smells of water and filth as well as the sounds of something stirring. Moving through the square passage you quickly reach the larger area to reveal a cavernous room. The floors and walls show signs of skilled work but also massive cracks and broken and fallen stone. As the light spills into the chamber you see several crude cages with a variety of creatures and a few people arranged in the middle of the room.

As soon as the light reveals the figures within one of the cages Krushkin, the man missing his child and holding the lantern, rushes forwards Cashul, your alive. Nearly dropping the lantern in his haste to open the cage he sobs with joy as inside the cage a small boy rushes to his papa's voice. Moving to assist you watch with eyes peeing around as the other two men also begin to free the people, some of whom are injured and need assistance.

There are several other people, 5 all told in 2 cages, but they all flinch at the light you bring and peer around nervously into the darkness and shadows cast by the lantern. One whispers If you wish to free us do it quickly and quietly. Our captors are many and hear quite well The man if obviously extremely afraid of his captors, a common sentiment of all the people.

The room is at least 100' long and 60' wide and over 30' tall but large sections of the ceiling have collapsed and sections of wall have fallen in, Besides the people there is a variety of small animals, goats, dogs, cats, sheep, chicket, all stuffed in cramped cages built from what looks like scraps of furniture, household goods, and mud. Scattered around the room are scraps of what look to be tools, scrolls, a few coin, clay tablets, and bones. Multiple identical hallways at regular intervals leed away from the room. At one end of the room a dim blue glow can be seen beyond the light of the lantern.

Your arrow pierces the morlock and it howls in agony drawing mor attention your way while the woodsmen and former captives rush to escape. The poor man next to the lantern pummels his attacker in a panic. A lucky blow knocks of his attackers off and he slips free of the other and turns to flee.

The man leaves the lantern and flees to follow the others. All of the men and captives, save the one who dropped the lantern, are now in the passage and Sephek turns to hold the morlock at bay as they retreat.

The Morlock you wounded howls in agony and retreats but one of the ones near the lanter takes up his position and lunges at you. Two other morlock harras the men in the hallway but seem hesitant to assault the crowd of people especially with Sephek laying about with his club on any who get near.

The morlock slashes with claws and bites with teeth in a near frenzy. You avid serious injury and being grabbed but a gash to the thigh let you know these are vicious opponents. 1 damage

Stee moves through the morlock and picks up the lantern runs towards the hallway using the lantern and sword to fend off any attackers. The two morlock turn on the fleeing figure ahead of you and Sephek takes advantage of it to wallop one upside the head, momentarily stunning it and allowing the man to move past them. The other two morlock are hot on you heals. Everyone has escaped to the doors by now and leaping over the recovering morlock you are moments from reaching them when you see them begin to swing the doors close. Calling ahead for they to hold till you make the doors you see Krushkin pause with one door only partially closed but then two of the former captives leap on the door slamming it shut. As it closes you see a slight glimmer on the door before it winks out.

Rushing on you slam into the door knocking it open. Only as the door swings open you see no room, none of the captives or your fellow rescuers. Only a short length of the hall before it devolves to a much rougher cavernous passage. A cool breeze blows in your face and you hear faint shouts and clanging sounds and a faint flicker of light in the distance.