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A1-S1 — The Town Hires Adventurers

A1-S1 — The Town Hires Adventurers

Premise

The town of Kridorfrost hires the party to descend to river level and inspect the lower pillars of the Bridge of Kridorfrost. The bridge stands roughly 200 feet above the Noyrus River. It is ancient, unknown in origin, and far more massive than any bridge serving a frontier village should be.

Town Request

The town does not yet ask the party to clear a dungeon. They ask for a dangerous inspection.

The bridge rises through the morning fog like a wall built for giants. Its black stone arches vanish beneath the roadway and descend into mist, spray, and shadow. Far below, the Noyrus River flashes silver between wet rocks. Town engineers have rigged ropes, pulleys, and a swaying platform to reach the lower pillars, but none of them are willing to go down again. Not after the last workers vanished.

Key NPCs

NPCRoleWhat They Want
Master Engineer Volrik HeddBridge engineerWants the lower pillars inspected before repair crews descend.
Bridge Warden Serah VonnTown authorityWants the bridge safe, trade restored, and panic contained.
Worker Tovin RuskSurvivorClaims something moved below the pillars and that tools were stolen before the collapse.

Skill Checks — Investigation & Information Gathering

Before committing to the official rope descent, the party can spend time gathering intelligence in Kridorfrost. These checks determine what they learn about the sinkhole, the smugglers, and potential alternate routes. Clever players may avoid the town‑watched ropes entirely.

Objective Suggested Check DC Success Result Failure / Fumble
Gather rumours in the tavern Diplomacy (Gather Information) 15 Learn that smugglers use the bridge at night; they have been seen carrying heavy sacks toward the western bank. Locals grow suspicious; future social checks in town take a –2 penalty.
Press Worker Tovin Rusk Intimidate or Sense Motive 14 or 12 He confesses he saw lantern light and heard chiselling below the pillars the night before the collapse — but was paid 10 gp by a “toll‑collector” to keep quiet. He clams up permanently. If Intimidate fails by 5+, he reports the party to the bridge‑wardens.
Inspect the bridge foundations (surface level) Perception 12 Spot fresh chisel marks and tiny obsidian fragments embedded in the mortar — not consistent with normal river erosion. See nothing unusual; believe the collapse was natural.
Find the hidden smuggler’s trail Survival or Perception 13 Discover a narrow, unguarded path descending the cliff face about 200 yards east of the bridge. This bypasses the town‑watched ropes and leads directly to the river shelf. You miss the trail entirely. If Survival fails by 5+, you disturb loose rocks, alerting the bridge watch.
Analyse the structural damage Knowledge (Engineering) 15 Realise the sinkhole was excavated from below, not caused by erosion or age. The stone was cut, not broken. Assume it is ordinary wear‑and‑tear; no deeper insight gained.
Recall local folklore about cyclopean tunnels Knowledge (History) or Knowledge (Local) 14 Remember old stories that the cyclopean builders of Koloran hollowed the river cliffs — there may be ancient service tunnels beneath the bridge. Nothing useful comes to mind; the tales seem like children’s stories.
GM Tip — Information Economy: The party doesn’t need all these successes to proceed. Each success gives them an advantage: the hidden trail lets them bypass the official ropes (avoiding the town’s watchful eye), while the Knowledge (Engineering) check confirms the sinkhole is artificial — a key clue pointing toward the larger conspiracy. Reward creative approaches: a character with Climb or Acrobatics might scout the cliff edge for a better view, granting a +2 circumstance bonus to the Survival check to find the hidden trail.
Core Truth to Reveal: The hidden smuggler’s trail is how the raiders have been moving supplies without the town noticing. If the party takes the official ropes, they are watched. If they take the smuggler’s trail, they may spot a guard patrol rotation and gain a surprise round in Encounter 1.

Optional — Aid Another & Group Checks

If two or more characters collaborate on the same check (e.g., two characters searching for the hidden trail), the lead character gains a +2 circumstance bonus if the assistant succeeds on a DC 10 check in the same skill. For gathering rumours, the party may take 10 if they spend at least 2 hours in the tavern.

TODO: Prepare a short handout of rumours (3–5 bullet points) to give players who succeed on the Diplomacy check. Include red herrings (e.g., “the bridge is haunted”) alongside genuine clues.