Encounter

Old Macridi E.3

Old Macridi Locations

The Gilded Ledger Tavern

Social Hub, Frontier Rumors, and Mercenary Contracting

A roaring stone hearth casts a warm, amber glow across crowded trestle tables made of thick darkwood planks. The heavy air smells of spiced river cider, roasting venison, and wet wool. Off-duty loggers, river barge pilots, and traveling merchants huddle in noisy groups, their laughter occasionally drowned out by the thrum of a bard's lute. Hanging above the bar is a massive, gilded slate ledger where town guards and independent merchants chalk up bounty notices, lost cargo warnings, and river escort contracts.

Located near Old Macridi's southern gate road, The Gilded Ledger Tavern is the primary social center for the working class and visiting adventurers. It is owned and operated by Garrick "Gold-Sieve" Vance (LN male human ex-Blackjacket), a retired mercenary whose sharp eyes miss little that happens in town. While New Macridi's elites gather in private parlors, the real news of the Palakar Forest flows freely across Garrick's bar top.

GM Note: Tavern Environment

Patrons here are nervous. Rumors of silent logging camps downriver and strange blackened timber have made workers jumpy. Garrick keeps a pair of heavy iron bludgeons beneath the bar to maintain order, but he welcomes anyone who looks capable of handling frontier trouble.

Establishment Offerings

Food, Drink & Lodging

  • Spiced Palakar Cider — 2 cp per mug
  • Roasted River Trout & Rye — 1 sp
  • Private Bunkroom (Per Night) — 5 sp
  • Bounty Board Posting Fee — 1 gp

Tavern Challenges

Challenge 1: Gathering River Rumors

Primary Check Diplomacy or Society DC 17

The party spends time buying drinks, engaging off-duty timber crews, and listening in on conversations to gather intelligence regarding Reiver's Right and the downriver conditions.

Critical Success The party connects with several pilots who recently passed the bluffs of Reiver's Right. No smoke has risen from the camp for three days, and one sailor saw strange crimson lights moving along the riverbank after midnight. The sailors also identify a narrow, largely forgotten landing below the camp that could provide a less obvious approach.
Success The party confirms that all commercial traffic from Reiver's Right stopped four days ago. Blackjacket patrols have been ordered to protect the profitable upriver channels rather than investigate an isolated downriver camp.
Failure The workers are nervous and suspicious of outsiders. The party hears plenty of stories about ghosts, disappearing boats, and cursed timber, but nothing reliable enough to act upon.
Critical Failure The party mistakes tavern exaggeration for reliable intelligence and loudly repeats one of the more ridiculous rumors. For the rest of the evening, half the room becomes convinced the adventurers are either gullible newcomers or attempting to stir up panic.

Challenge 2: Passage on the Long Dividend

The fastest route to Reiver's Right is aboard the Long Dividend, a broad, shallow-draft cargo barge captained by Captain Sella Varn. Sella knows the river better than almost anyone in Old Macridi and is willing to take the party downriver—but she has two problems she needs solved first.

Minor NPC: Captain Sella Varn

LN female human river captain

Sella is lean, weathered, relentlessly practical, and almost impossible to hurry. She has spent twenty years carrying timber and trade goods through Profit's Flow and insists that every favor, injury, delay, and risk has a value whether or not anyone bothers writing it down.

She is not particularly impressed by adventurers, but she respects people who solve problems without creating three more.

Personality: Dry, suspicious, transactional.

Tell: When concealing something, Sella begins describing irrelevant details with unusual precision.

Sella is willing to conceal information when her own interests are threatened, but she does not casually break bargains. Once she agrees that a problem has been solved, she considers the resulting debt hers to honor.

Mini Victory Point System

Transport Points

Transport Points represent favors owed by Captain Sella.

  • 1 Transport Point — Sella takes the party from Macridi to Reiver's Right.
  • 2 Transport Points — Sella takes them there and returns later to retrieve them.
  • Unspent Points — A Transport Point is spent when that leg of the journey is completed.

The party can earn one Transport Point from each of Sella's two problems. They do not need to solve both unless they want guaranteed transportation home.

If the party earns only 1 Transport Point, they can still travel to Reiver's Right by barge but must arrange another way back. If they earn none, the adventure is not blocked: they can travel by the bluff trails or purchase passage from another captain at the GM's discretion.

Transport Job

1. The Darkwood at Mudjaw Beach

A timber tow broke loose from one of Sella's upriver contacts during a storm. Six valuable darkwood boles drifted into a sluggish backwater called Mudjaw Beach, where few river crews willingly work because the flooded banks are infested with aggressive reefclaws.

Sella wants the timber recovered before another merchant claims it as salvage.

  • Objective: Recover the six marked darkwood boles from Mudjaw Beach and return them to Sella.
  • Threat: Three reefclaws lurk beneath the floating timber and react aggressively to anyone entering the water or disturbing the logs.
  • Alternative Approaches: Clever characters might avoid or reduce combat by using Athletics to haul timber from shore, Survival or Nature to predict the reefclaws' feeding territory, magic to manipulate the logs, or another plausible plan.
  • Reward: Recovering the required cargo earns 1 Transport Point.

Sella takes a drink, considers you for a moment, and sets the mug down.

"Six boles. Not five. Six."

"Fourteen to sixteen feet each. Blue double-slash cut into the bark, near the butt end. You'll know them when you see them."

She taps one finger against the tabletop.

"Bring those logs back and I'll carry you to Reiver's Right."

Secret: The Timber Isn't the Whole Cargo

Sella describes the lost wood as "six darkwood boles, fourteen to sixteen feet each, marked with a blue double-slash." This is considerably more detail than she gives about almost anything else—and matches her established habit of becoming unusually precise when concealing something.

There are indeed six logs—but one has been carefully hollowed and resealed. Hidden inside is a waterproof copper cylinder containing several packets of unregistered Cedar Court amber, acquired through an illicit arrangement with an upriver timber broker.

The amber itself is not inherently evil or dangerous. The problem is that it was harvested and transported outside Macridi's approved trade agreements with the fey courts and never entered into the municipal ledgers.

This is why Sella cannot simply request Blackjacket assistance. Recovering the logs through official channels would expose the smuggling arrangement immediately.

Sella would like all six logs recovered if the party remains ignorant of the secret because that preserves the appearance of an ordinary salvage job. In truth, only the hollowed bole matters to her.

Reading Captain Sella

Sense Motive Secret Perception DC 17

A character paying attention while Sella describes the timber can notice that her manner changes when the missing cargo comes up. She becomes far more exact than the practical captain usually bothers to be.

Critical Success The character recognizes Sella's unnecessary precision as deliberate misdirection. She does not care equally about six valuable logs. One specific piece of the shipment matters far more than the others.
Success The character is certain Sella is withholding an important reason why these particular logs must be recovered.
Failure Sella appears to be nothing more than a demanding captain who keeps careful track of valuable cargo.
Critical Failure The character concludes that Sella's unusual concern is purely financial and substantially overestimates the market value of the missing timber.

Why Not Use the Blackjackets?

Question the Arrangement Society, Mercantile Lore, or Legal Lore DC 17

Characters familiar with Drumish commerce can find another weakness in Sella's story. Six valuable darkwood boles are supposedly sitting within reach of Macridi, yet she has filed no formal salvage notice, hired no licensed recovery crew, and requested no Blackjacket assistance.

Critical Success The character recognizes the hallmarks of off-ledger trade. Something associated with this shipment is almost certainly contraband, undeclared cargo, or both, and Sella needs the recovery kept outside official channels.
Success The character realizes that Sella cannot use ordinary legal salvage procedures without exposing something she does not want entered into Macridi's records.
Failure Nothing about the arrangement seems unusual enough to establish wrongdoing. Independent recovery work is common along Profit's Flow.
Critical Failure The character incorrectly concludes that Sella is merely attempting to avoid an ordinary salvage fee or bureaucratic inconvenience.

Put the Contraband on the Table

Characters who realize Sella is hiding something can confront her here at the Gilded Ledger. They do not need to wait until Mudjaw Beach to discover what the job is really about.

If the party produces direct evidence of the smuggling arrangement, Sella knows the deception has failed and admits the truth without a check. Otherwise, a character who has uncovered either of the clues above can press her.

Confront Sella Diplomacy DC 18 or Intimidation DC 20
Critical Success Sella admits the entire arrangement. One bole is hollow and contains unregistered Cedar Court amber. She explains exactly how to identify it and tells the party plainly that the other five logs are irrelevant to her.
Success Sella admits that one hollowed bole contains undeclared cargo. She tells the party how to identify it and confirms that retrieving that single log will satisfy their bargain.
Failure Sella refuses to confess. She tells the party that if they want passage, they can recover the six logs she asked for or find another captain.
Critical Failure Sella concludes that the character is attempting to threaten or extort her without proof. She ends that line of discussion, though another character or meaningful new evidence can reopen it.

Sella watches you across the table without speaking. Around her, the Gilded Ledger carries on—mugs striking wood, dice rattling, somebody laughing too loudly near the hearth.

Finally, she leans forward.

"All right. Enough."

"I don't care about the damned darkwood."

"One bole is hollow. There's a copper cylinder sealed inside it. Cedar amber. Unregistered."

"That's why I'm talking to you instead of a Blackjacket."

She drums two fingers against the tabletop.

"Blue double-slash, same as the others. But the hollow one rides higher in the water. Bring me that log intact."

"The other five can stay at Mudjaw until the forest grows legs and comes looking for them."

Objective Change

Sella's Real Job

If Sella admits the truth, the objective for Scene 3: The Darkwood at Mudjaw Beach changes before the party ever reaches the encounter.

  • Objective: Recover the hollowed darkwood bole containing Sella's contraband.
  • Identification: It bears the same blue double-slash as the other timber but floats slightly higher because its core has been removed.
  • Other Timber: Sella no longer cares whether the remaining five boles are recovered.
  • Tactical Consequence: Because the party needs only one lighter, hollowed log rather than six massive boles, Stealth becomes a viable way to complete the Mudjaw encounter.
  • Reward: Returning the hollowed bole intact earns 1 Transport Point.
GM Note: Two Versions of Scene 3

If Sella keeps her secret: The party arrives at Mudjaw Beach believing that all six darkwood boles must be recovered. Moving that much timber creates enough noise and disturbance that stealth cannot realistically complete the entire job.

If Sella admits the truth: The party arrives knowing that only the hollowed bole matters. They can identify it from Sella's description and may attempt to reach it, secure it, and float it away without ever alerting the reefclaws.

The social victory here therefore creates a real tactical advantage later rather than merely revealing background information.

GM Note: Sella Honors the Bargain

Once Sella admits that the hollowed bole is her real objective, she does not later demand the other five logs. Returning that single bole completes this Transport Job.

Sella may be irritated that the party uncovered her secret, but competence matters to her. Characters who expose the deception without immediately threatening to turn her in can earn a measure of grudging respect.

Story XP: Following the Money

Award 10 XP as a minor accomplishment if the party discovers the contraband arrangement.

If they go further and identify Sella's upstream conspirator or conclusively reconstruct the smuggling arrangement, award 30 XP instead as a moderate accomplishment. Do not award both.

Discovering the secret does not automatically cost them their Transport Point. Sella promised passage for solving her problem, and despite her other faults, she honors bargains she actually makes.

Transport Job

2. The Cook Who Owes a Blood Price

Sella's former cook, Tovin Brask, vanished after a galley fire damaged the Long Dividend. The Blood Price assessment holds Tovin responsible for 18 gp in repairs—far more than he can pay. Under the judgment, he must work aboard the barge without wages until the debt is discharged.

Instead, Tovin disappeared into Old Macridi.

  • Objective: Find Tovin and resolve his disputed Blood Price well enough that Sella can crew the barge again.
  • Finding Tovin: Characters might question dockworkers with Diplomacy DC 16, follow signs of someone hiding near the docks with Survival DC 17, or pursue another reasonable approach.
  • Reward: A satisfactory resolution earns 1 Transport Point.

Tovin looks from you to the door, then to the window.

"She says I burned her galley down."

He rubs both hands across his face.

"I was the cook. I was standing there when it happened. But I didn't cause that fire."

Sense Motive Secret Perception DC 17
Critical Success Tovin is telling the truth about the fire. He is concealing one thing: he fled because he believed Sella would have the Blood Price assessed before anyone properly inspected the stove.
Success Tovin genuinely believes the fire was not his fault. His fear comes from the debt and forced labor, not from being caught in a lie.
Failure The character cannot confidently determine whether Tovin is telling the truth.
Critical Failure The character mistakes Tovin's panic for guilt and becomes convinced he is hiding responsibility for the fire.
The Truth About the Galley Fire

Tovin did not cause the fire.

A retaining collar inside the galley's alchemical heating assembly had cracked from months of vibration. When the Long Dividend struck a submerged log, the fitting separated and sprayed burning fuel across the galley.

Sella does not know with certainty that the assessment is wrong. She does know the stove had been "temperamental," which is a fact she neglected to mention when the Blood Price was assessed.

Inspect the Damaged Galley Crafting DC 18
Critical Success The character proves the fitting had been failing for weeks and finds old tool marks showing repeated attempts to tighten it. This evidence substantially strengthens any attempt to challenge the Blood Price.
Success The character determines that mechanical failure is significantly more likely than cooking negligence.
Failure The fire damage is too extensive to establish a reliable cause.
Critical Failure The character misreads the damage and initially believes it supports the original finding against Tovin.

Resolving the Blood Price

The players decide how to approach Sella. The following are the most likely options; other reasonable approaches can work at the GM's discretion. Strong physical evidence from the galley reduces the DC of Diplomacy or Legal Lore checks by 2.

Reason With Sella

Check Diplomacy DC 18

The character argues that suspending the judgment is fair, keeps the barge crewed, and avoids enforcing a Blood Price that may later prove invalid.

Critical Success Sella accepts the argument and admits the stove had caused trouble before. She agrees to seek reassessment and offers Tovin paid work in the meantime. The party earns 1 Transport Point.
Success Sella agrees to suspend collection of the Blood Price until it can be formally reviewed. Tovin returns to the barge and the party earns 1 Transport Point.
Failure Sella remains unconvinced but will reconsider if the party produces stronger evidence.
Critical Failure Sella believes the party is accusing her of deliberately exploiting Tovin. She ends the discussion unless new evidence is presented.

Challenge the Assessment

Check Legal Lore or appropriate Mercantile Lore DC 17

The character attacks the validity of the Blood Price itself, focusing on the rushed assessment, missing inspection, and Sella's failure to disclose the stove's previous problems.

Critical Success The character identifies a clear procedural flaw that makes the existing assessment difficult to defend. Sella immediately agrees to submit it for review. The party earns 1 Transport Point and knows exactly what records at the Veridical Scriptorium would support Tovin's case.
Success The character establishes enough doubt that Sella agrees to suspend the Blood Price pending reassessment. The party earns 1 Transport Point.
Failure The argument is plausible but incomplete. Physical evidence or records from the Veridical Scriptorium could justify another attempt.
Critical Failure The character overlooks a provision that currently favors Sella's claim. Another legal challenge requires new evidence.

Pressure Sella

Check Intimidation DC 20

The character makes it clear that continuing to enforce a questionable Blood Price may bring scrutiny, trouble, or consequences Sella would rather avoid.

Critical Success Sella backs down and agrees to suspend the judgment. The party earns 1 Transport Point, but Sella's attitude toward the character worsens after she fulfills her promised transport.
Success Sella grudgingly allows Tovin to return without immediate collection of the Blood Price. The party earns 1 Transport Point, though future dealings with her are noticeably colder.
Failure Sella refuses to be bullied and tells the character to either produce evidence or leave the matter alone.
Critical Failure Sella ends the conversation and refuses further threats from that character. Another party member may still approach her differently if circumstances change.
GM Note: Reward the Solution, Not the Skill

The party earns the Transport Point when they resolve Sella's practical problem and get the Long Dividend operational. Diplomacy, legal pressure, intimidation, new evidence, or an unexpected player solution can all accomplish that—but they should not necessarily leave Sella, Tovin, and the party in the same relationship afterward.

Sidequest

Garrick's Missing Scout

Garrick Vance pulls the party aside. He secretly dispatched a trusted young mercenary scout, Joran, downriver two days ago to investigate rumors near Reiver's Right, but Joran has failed to report back.

  • Objective: Locate Joran or discover what happened to him in the vicinity of Reiver's Right.
  • Identification: Joran carries Garrick's old Blackjacket signet ring on a leather cord beneath his shirt.
  • Reward: Garrick awards the party 25 gp, a voucher for one week of free lodging at the tavern, and a salvaged striking rune from his old Blackjacket gear.