Two sides, one animal
A Pathfinder adventure for level 5 characters
This was the seed for my first published Pathfinder adventure: Following the Tracks.
This is what I wrote in the early days of putting together the adventure, and almost all of it can be found in the finished adventure!
This is what I wrote in the early days of putting together the adventure, and almost all of it can be found in the finished adventure!
Content Warnings: animal trade Intent: In this adventure players will have to decide whether to stick by a deal, or to rescue a group of harmless magical beasts Tone: A (mostly) peaceful and slow adventure set in a savannah Themes: there's two sides to every story Length: Aiming for a 4 hour or so adventure, that can be used as a plug-in quest in any campaign that may need something to do while travelling in the savannah.
Synopsis
The group of adventurers are given a task by a group of caravan traders: retrieve the animals stolen to them. The adventurers soon discover that said animals were liberated by a group of wildlife enthusiasts, who want the players help to return the animals to their original plane.
Major NPCs (traders):
■ Triakal'za (wife of Gankien'za; caravan owner; bard 4)
■ Gankien'za (husband of Triakal'za; caravan owner; cleric 4)
■ Loxi'za (elephant caretaker; cousin of Triakal'za & wife of Farek'za; ranger 4)
■ Farek'za (wife of Loxi'za; accountant)
■ Drabha'za (teenager, son of Triakal'za and Gankien'za)
■ Triakal'za (wife of Gankien'za; caravan owner; bard 4)
■ Gankien'za (husband of Triakal'za; caravan owner; cleric 4)
■ Loxi'za (elephant caretaker; cousin of Triakal'za & wife of Farek'za; ranger 4)
■ Farek'za (wife of Loxi'za; accountant)
■ Drabha'za (teenager, son of Triakal'za and Gankien'za)
Story hook
You spot in the distance a caravan: five people are standing around one elephant mount. Once you approach them, some of them stand on guard, ready to defend themselves, but a female tabaxi stands foward, confident and calm.
Please, excuse my travelling companions. We were just assulted by a bunch of bandits, and they are a bit wary.
Story Beats
Encounter with merchantsSavannah exploration: whislting trees & animals (impalas, giraffe, cheetahs)
A lucrative proposition
Tracking the bandits
Avoiding savannah dangers
The issue is not what it seemed
Battle with merchants/Travelling to the First World Complications:
- Adventurers try to kill the merchants instead of agreeing to find the stolen animals: a warning trumpet and aggressive posture from the elephant mount should make adventurers think twice about this
- Adventurers cannot track the bandits: could have them in peril and then be rescued by the bandits they were searching for
- The adventurers defeat the "bandits": obtain gold or one lilipotamus as a recompense
- The adventurers return the animals to the first plane: obtain a fey boon (?) and a sample of the sleep pollen
Sorry for the double like, I accidentally clicked like a silly! This is such a cool little seed of an adventure. I love that all is not what it seems at first. It sounds like it'd be a really fun little scenario to roleplay. :)
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber 2025
Hi Emily, no worries! I do that too at times xD
Thanks so much for stopping by. Do let me know if you ever end up running it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!