Regarding the Blackjacket Scout
From Darno Karland
To The PCs
Subject Regarding the Blackjacket Scout
To the Contracted Party,
Word has just reached my desk from the tavern that you are finalizing your preparations to depart Old Macridi. Before you set foot on the North Road or board Sella's barge, there is a separate complication you must be aware of.
Two days ago, a young mercenary scout named Joran was quietly dispatched downriver to scout the perimeter of Reiver's Right. He was supposed to send a courier back with an initial status report within twenty-four hours. Like the camp itself, he has gone completely silent.
While my primary contract remains focused on Hendrick's ledger and the condition of the logging workforce, we cannot afford to lose eyes in the field. Joran is a capable tracker, and if he discovered what blocked our timber shipments, his notes are invaluable. He carries a heavy Blackjacket signet ring on a leather cord beneath his tunic—look for it if you find his gear.
Locate Joran or secure definitive proof of his whereabouts near the bluffs. Return his field notes or his signet ring to me alongside the camp logs. For reliable intelligence on his fate, I will personally add 25 gold pieces to your final payout, along with a week of free lodging at the Ledger. If he is found alive and returned safely, the bounty is increased to 50 gold pieces.
Enter the camp with your eyes open. If a trained Blackjacket scout can be swallowed by those woods without a sound, whatever is festering downriver has teeth.