The players are travelling along the road towards the village of Myrehall. It's a beautiful spring morning and the road winds through the outliers of the Shadow Woods. The sun is out and the light under the trees is dappled. As the party walk along they can see black smoke rising from behind a rise in the ground ahead. As they pass around the higher ground they can see that the source of the smoke is an overturned wagon smouldering from an attempt to set it on fire. Around the wagon are signs of a struggle and some blood on the ground, but no bodies. The contents of the wagon, mostly food and building suppliers, have been scattered widely around.

Should the players search the wagon they will find a sealed letter addressed to Molgond at Myrehall from the mysterious “D”. If the players decide to take the letter to Molgond, continue to part 2. If they continue searching the wagon site then continue to part 3.

The rest of the journey to the village is without event, reaching the outskirts the players will first come across cultivated fields with the occasional peasant working the land before the see the small collection of cottages - stone or wattle walls with mostly thatched roofs. If they ask anyone where to find Molgond they will be directed to a large stone built cottage on the outskirts of the village. Knocking on the door it is opened immediately by Molgond who demands to know what they players want. Assuming they show him one (or both) of the letters he responds as follows:

Well come in then. I've been waiting for these letters. Where did you find them and why is Fared not here, he was supposed to bring them to me?

If the players explain about the wagon attacks, but have not yet explored both Kobold lairs:

Hmmm. This is not good. The road between Feyharbour and Drakeholt has been safe for many years.

He thinks for a while.

Look, could you look into this? This village will suffer greatly should the road become too dangerous to travel. If you investigate, and can find out what happened to Fared I will reward you, say 75 crowns?

Molgond can be haggled up to 100 crowns, but will be grumpy about it and will not add the potential additional reward at the end of the story.

If the players have encountered the Kobolds and mention this to Molgond he will become clearly very interested before remembering himself and becoming more reserved:

Really?! My my, well now.
Hmmm.
Well. Hmmm. Yes.
Well this is on the outskirts of the forest after all, it's not surprising to find some strange creatures lurking around I suppose.

If the players hang around or watch Molgond after this we will try to leave the village surreptitiously and work back to the wagon site himself, although he will not follow the trail all the way to the lairs, instead relying on the players to follow through.

The end result should be to send the players back to either the site of the wagon attack, or possibly to the first Kobold lair if they didn't make it all the way through.

When investigating the area around the wagon a successful Wisdom (Survival) check (DC11) reveals tracks leading off into the forest to the East. If the roll is 16 or more also reveals that the tracks were made by a smallish creature. It also turns up a necklace made of small animal teeth on a string, the size suggesting it belonged to a small creature. The necklace is worthless.

The players will find it easy to follow the trail once they've found it. Whoever left it was in a hurry to get away. It winds away into the forest ending at a small opening in a low hillside. It's only about 4 feet high and 3 feet wide, going through reveals a low tunnel of about the same dimensions requiring most players to crouch. Unless the players charge along it, after travelling about 400 feet they will begin to here whispers from up ahead in a language they don't understand (draconic). If the players attempt to sneak from here they should roll a contested Dexterity (Stealth) check against the Kobold's passive perception of 9 to reach the end of the tunnel without alerting the Kobolds.

The tunnel ends about 100 feet further on and opens into a larger room about 50 feet across and 7 feet high. It is filled with a pile of rubbish and there is no other obvious exit. If the players successfully sneaked to here then they find four Kobolds sifting through the rubbish and can test for surprise by checking Dexterity (Stealth) against the Kobold's passive perception of 9. If they didn't, then the Kobolds will have concealed themselves under the pile and will jump out and attack them when the players enter the room and will check for surprise against each player's passive perception.

Searching the room after the battle, the players find 12 silver florins in a small pile and another letter addressed to Molgond. A successful Wisdom (Perception) check (DC12) reveals a small additional entrance concealed by roots which leads to another small tunnel. This leads back up to the open forest, but this time includes a trap. The leading player must pass a Wisdom (perception) check (DC15) to spot it, allowing each player to step past a tripwire. If the trap is triggered, the tunnel is filled with noxious fumes making all the players nauseous for the following hour unless they pass a Constitution check (DC13). And they will smell terrible until they've had a chance to wash and change.

Whichever tunnel the players exit, they find a bedraggled Fared outside resting on the ground holding a rag to a graze on his head. When he sees them he beckons them over.

Please help me! I was attacked by some… creatures. Like nothing I've seen before. They scattered everything the wagon, and I had letters to deliver and all.

They took what they wanted then trussed me up and left me in a ditch. I'd just managed to get free when a few of them came running out of that hole - you must have scared them off. They bolted in that direction.

Fared waves vaguely in the direction of the deeper forest.

You should go after them, we've got to keep the road to Myrehall open.

My name? It's Fared. If you can spare some water, I'll head into the village and let them know we've got trouble.

Fared will insist the players continue on and refuse any further help. He will also suggest they talk to Molgond who may well reward them for further information.

Assuming the players decide to follow the Kobolds they trail is easy to pick up from the far side of the “dump” tunnel as it crashes through the sparse forest. They could also take a rest along the way without much likelihood of being disturbed.

As evening approaches they will find that the trail ends at another small opening in a hillside with obvious signs of occupation such as debris scattered around the area and a foul smell coming from within.

This tunnel is a little bigger than the earlier one measuring about 5 feet high by 4 feet wide, but still only big enough for one character at a time. The tunnel runs for about 300 feet before opening into a small cavern, again full of rubbish. The cavern is rough hewn and the floor is strewn with rubbish. There is a small campfire burning in the middle 3-4 Kobolds are standing around the fire chattering in draconic. Successful Dexterity (Stealth) checks against the Kobolds' passive perception of 9 may allow the players to sneak and gain surprise if attempted.

Assuming the players defeat the Kobolds, the players hear a loud screech coming from the another opening on the other side of the cavern. If they don't investigate immediately, the Kobold scale sorcerer and the other 1-2 Kobolds will come through the tunnel and attack them in the first cavern.

The other opening leads to a shorter rough hewn tunnel which opens out to higher and precisely squared entrance chamber, with double doors on the opposite side. If the Kobolds have already attacked players the doors stand open, otherwise it is closed. Either way when the players enter the room beyond they find themselves in a neatly crafted room, not a rough cavern. The walls are covered with odd sigils and markings. In the centre of the room is a small altar.

Lying dead at the altar is a (relatively) well dressed Kobold, with another standing over him. This is the scale sorcerer who shrieks and attacks, joined by 1-2 more Kobolds from behind the altar. During the battle, the scale sorcerer will attempt to get around the players and flee out through the cavern given the opportunity. He will focus attacks on the player he perceives to be the greatest threat. The other Kobolds will fight to the death.

Searching after the battle, the players will find a small box on the altar. It is locked, but can be picked by someone with thieves tools and proficiency in their use on a successful Dexterity check (DC6). Inside are 11 crowns, and a strange amulet made of some cheap metal and attached to a chain and engraved with strange indecipherable symbols.

If the players investigate the markings on the walls, a successful Intelligence (History) check (DC15) will reveal that the markings are truly ancient, almost certainly not made by the Kobolds, and that faintly underneath many other scrawlings and right above the altar can just be made out a circular winged dragon with its tail in its mouth. Adherents of the Knights of Icaria have advantage for this check.

Having found Fared and killed the remaining Kobolds, the players can head off to Myrehall. Depending on the choices made earlier the may already have met Molgond. They can now either return or head off to meet him for the first time - and potentially to hand over the second letter and/or show him the amulet - or simply head to the Red Tavern.

If the players present Molgond with opened letters at any point he will become immediately suspicious. How did the letters come to be opened? The players will have to give a convincing answer if they want to interact with him in the future, and he may refuse for example to look at the amulet.

If the players get him to look at the amulet, he will study it carefully and show lots of interest.

Hmmm. This is very interesting. Very interesting indeed. May I borrow this for a time? I would like to study these symbols more fully.
The appearance of these creatures though is most worrying. I don't recall ever hearing of such things, and the village surely cannot long survive their continued presence.
There are rooms at the Red Tavern, perhaps you could stay there while I look at this amulet. I may have another task for you shortly.

He will reward them with 75 crowns and a very common magical item (perhaps a potion of healing) unless they haggled. If they try to cheat him, he will not give them any reward and will ask them to leave the village.

If the players completed the adventure they will get 100 XP each plus 400 XP divided between the players. If the don't complete it, they just get the experience points for the creatures killed.

Small humanoid, lawful evil.

Senses darkvision 60ft, passive perception 9

Languages Common, Draconic

Challenge 1/8 (25xp)

Sunlight sensitivity While in the sunlight, the kobold has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on wisdom (perception) checks that rely on sight.

Pack Tactics The kobold has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the kobold's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Dagger Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Sling Ranged weapon attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage.

Small humanoid, lawful evil.

Skills Arcana +2, Medicine +1

Senses darkvision 60ft, passive perception 9

Languages Common, Draconic

Challenge 1 (200xp)

Spellcasting The kobold is a 3rd level spellcaster. Spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC12, +4 to hit with spell attacks).

Spells prepared

Cantrips: firebolt, mage hand, mending, poison ray

1st level (4 slots): charm person, chromatic orb, expeditious retreat

2nd level (2 slots): scorching ray.

Sunlight sensitivity While in the sunlight, the kobold has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on wisdom (perception) checks that rely on sight.

Pack Tactics The kobold has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the kobold's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Sorcery points The kobold has three sorcery points which he can use on Heightened spell and Subtle spell.

Dagger Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

This scenario is heavily based on “A Chance Encounter” from the Dungeon Master's Guild.

a_chance_encounter_pf.pdf