The Driftwood at Mudjaw Reach

Transport Job – Captain Sella Varn

The Long Dividend drifts to a halt where the river broadens into a sluggish, tea-coloured backwater. Moss-hung trees lean over the banks, their roots tangled in the murk. Half-submerged logs – the darkwood boles you’ve been sent to recover – float in a loose cluster, their blue double-slash marks barely visible through the scum.

The water is unnaturally still. No birds call. No fish break the surface. The only sound is the soft drip of water from the overhanging branches.

Then you see them: dark, chitinous shapes shifting just beneath the surface, circling the logs like submerged vultures. Reefclaws – aggressive crustaceans that claim any floating debris as their territory. They haven’t attacked yet, but they’ve noticed the barge.

Captain Sella mutters, “I ain’t stepping foot in that water. Those logs are your problem now. Get ‘em, and we’ll be on our way. But mark me – those claws can snap a man’s leg like a dry twig.”

Challenges to Detect the Reefclaws

Before you can retrieve the timber, you need to know exactly what you’re dealing with. The reefclaws are well-hidden, but a sharp eye or a clever approach can reveal their numbers and behaviour. Use the checks below to gather intelligence that might turn the tide.

🦀 Assess the Threat

Primary Check Perception DC 16 or Nature DC 17

Scan the water, watch the shadows, and interpret the creatures’ movements.

Critical Success You count exactly four reefclaws – two large, two smaller. You notice that they react to vibrations on the surface; heavy footfalls on the logs will draw them instantly. You also spot a narrow sandbar to the south that allows you to approach one of the logs from dry land.

Success You identify three reefclaws and note that they are most active near the central cluster. You’re fairly sure they will attack anyone who enters the water or tries to move the logs.

Failure The murky water and floating debris make it impossible to get a clear count. You know they’re there, but you can’t tell how many or what they’ll do.

Critical Failure You mistake a submerged tangle of roots for a reefclaw and sound a false alarm, costing time and earning a withering look from Sella.

🎣 Lure or Distract

Primary Check Survival DC 18 or Crafting (bait) DC 16

Can you draw the reefclaws away from the logs with a tempting morsel or a clever decoy?

Critical Success You craft a potent bait that pulls all four reefclaws to the far side of the backwater, giving you a clear window of two full rounds to move the logs without harassment.

Success You lure two of the reefclaws away, reducing the threat by half. The remaining two will still attack if you get too close, but you have a better chance.

Failure The bait is ignored or stolen without drawing the creatures away. No change in the situation.

Critical Failure The bait attracts not only the reefclaws but also a larger predator (a river crocodile or similar), adding an extra complication to the encounter.

⚡ Gauging the Current & Structure

Primary Check Engineering Lore or Sailing Lore DC 15

Study the way the logs are tangled and the water’s flow to plan the most efficient retrieval.

Critical Success You realise that the central log is resting on a submerged branch. If you free that one first, the others will drift together, allowing you to snag them all with a single line. This reduces the number of trips needed to one instead of three.

Success You identify the best order to retrieve the logs, saving time and minimising exposure to the reefclaws.

Failure No obvious pattern emerges; you’ll have to retrieve them one by one as planned.

Critical Failure You misjudge the current and nearly capsize the barge while attempting to reposition. Sella’s patience wears thin.

🚨 Stealth is not an option – for now

Moving a darkwood bole – each weighing several hundred pounds – requires at least three people working together (two to lift, one to guide). The noise of grunting, splashing, and scraping timber will alert the reefclaws within moments. You cannot sneak this job; you must either drive the creatures off, distract them, or fight through their attacks.

Plan accordingly – and remember, the Long Dividend is waiting.

💡 Alternative Approaches

If brute force isn’t your style, clever players might try:

Bribing the beasts – tossing a substantial amount of meat or fish to keep them occupied.
Using magic – spells like grease on the logs, fog cloud to obscure, or command to send a reefclaw away.
Fishing with a line – snagging the logs from a distance and winching them aboard without entering the water.

Reward creative thinking – the reefclaws are dangerous but not invincible.

Reward: Recovering the six marked darkwood boles secures 1 Transport Point from Captain Sella Varn, bringing you one step closer to passage downriver.

Encounter designed for a party of level 1–2. Adjust reefclaw numbers and HP to suit your group’s strength.