29. Thorne's Cottage

A Cabin at the Edge of the Knife

On the far eastern fringe of Nulb, where the skeletal fingers of the Gnarley Forest creep toward the fields, Heward Thorne’s cabin squats by a narrow stream. The water runs from the Fens of Tor, past his chopping yard, and on toward the village’s docks — carrying whispers of all the dark work that flows between the Temple of Elemental Evil and Nulb. The cottage is quiet most days, but there’s a sense about it… like a lone sentry standing in no-man’s-land, waiting to see which army will pass through first

The Cabin and Surroundings

Description

• Cabin – Heavy timber walls, weathered but tight against the wind. Heward’s axe-work is as clean as any master carpenter’s, and the stacked woodpiles are an unspoken warning: he works alone, and he’s well-armed.
• Interior – Sparse but sturdy. The trapdoor in the kitchen floor leads to a root cellar where food, tools, and a few hidden weapons are kept. It’s also where the family hides when the wrong boots crunch up the path.
• Land – Cut logs wait for collection in the yard. Edric and Tomas’s crude hideouts in the nearby trees offer lookout points toward Valegrave’s fields and the village road.
• Woodshed: Filled with tools of the trade—axes, saws, chisels, and wooden planks—but also a makeshift barricade, prepared in case of an unwanted incursion.

The Land

• Streams & Forest: Freshwater flows from the Fens of Tor, winding through the edges of the Gnarley Forest and irrigating the southern farm fields of Nulb.
• Hiding Spots: The boys, Edric and Tomas, have built crude shelters in the woods, used for play but also as hiding spots when bandits come too close.
• Timber Yard: Stacked logs are prepared for Madame Selentis men, who arrive to claim their share in "the protection of Nulb”—a thinly veiled demand for tribute. These supplies are sent on to the TOEE ruins for contruction.

"A tree only falls when its roots give up. I won't be the first to bend to Nulb’s filth."

— Heward

History and Current Position

Once simply the home of a self-reliant woodcutter, Thorne’s Cottage is now a contested waypoint in Nulb’s shadow economy. Heward’s timber feeds Valegrave’s farm repairs, the grain tower, and — unwillingly — the Temple’s fortification works via Madame Selentis’s men. His refusal to openly side with any faction has kept him alive, but only barely. Neutrality here is as brittle as sun-dried pine.

Politics and Faction Influence

Madame Selentis (Nysera Krivaltis)

• Demands Heward’s timber under the guise of “Viscounty requisition,” routing most of it to Feldrin’s Hunting Cottage for Temple construction.
• Keeps a pair of her bandits posted near the eastern road, watching for Heward’s “extra” deliveries.

Feldrin (Temple Logistics Commander)

• Has no patience for Heward’s evasions. Would rather bring him under direct control than rely on Selentis’s intimidation.
• Rumored to have an offer ready: protection and coin for exclusive supply rights.

Romag (Earth Temple Prophet)

• Sees Heward’s location as a potential covert supply point to bypass Belsornig’s pirate control of the Wharf.
• Uses Dick Rentsch’s network to float “quiet work” offers Heward’s way — all of which have been refused… so far.

The Crimson Reapers

• Approached Heward with jobs moving stolen goods through the forest to the Mistwatch Huts. He turned them down. They took it personally.

Smigmal Redhand

• Keeps an eye on the cottage as a fallback safehouse should her Nulb network be burned. Hasn’t told Heward.

"One day, those bastards in the village will learn what it’s like to be hunted."

— Edric Thorne – The Defiant Son

Guardian Hounds

• Breeds: Two large, well-trained Gnarlhounds, a breed known for their keen senses and fierce loyalty.
• Names: Bran (black-coated, older, experienced) and Fenn (younger, brindle-furred, energetic).
• Roles:
• Guardians: Act as an early warning system against approaching threats, barking fiercely at strangers or intruders.
• Hunters: Accompany Heward and his sons into the Gnarley Forest, tracking game and ensuring the family remains well-fed.
• Companions: Deeply bonded with the Thorne family, especially Tomas, who often sneaks them extra food from his plate.

Current Threats and Hooks

• The Timber War – Selentis and Feldrin are quietly competing to control Heward’s supply. The party might be pulled in as negotiators… or enforcers.
• The Boy’s Gambit – Edric has spotted a hidden cargo transfer between Valegrave’s men and bandits in the woods. He wants help, but knows it’ll put his family at risk.
• The Unwelcome Safehouse – Smigmal’s operatives may suddenly arrive at the cottage with wounded assassins in tow, demanding sanctuary.

Plot Hooks & 1 Featured Quest

Heward Thorne’s place sits where the Gnarley creeps toward Nulb—one cabin, two gnarlhounds, a family trying to stay invisible while every faction tugs at their woodpile. Keep the tone low and tense; threats arrive in pairs and leave muddy bootprints.

Three Plot Hooks

1) The Tally in the Woodpile (Intrigue • Forgery)

A dock tally token (used to pass cargo without inspection) turns up inside a split log Heward sold yesterday. Someone is using Thorne’s deliveries to smuggle papers past the Wharf.

• Leads to: Waterside runners (Earth Temple) and a forged chit at Boatman’s (Water Temple).
• Choices: Return it to Heward and lie low, deliver it to Selentis for favor, or plant it on a rival to ignite a faction fight.

Gnarlhounds by 3orcs

2) Gnarlhound Howls (Scout • Hunt)

Bran and Fenn start howling at midnight. Edric saw lanterns moving along the hedgerow toward Poacher’s Cut—bugbear musk in the air.

• Leads to: A Reaper cache under a split elm; route markers used by riders bound for the Hunting Cottage.
• Choices: Ambush the pickets, shadow them to learn the convoy timing, or salt the cache and let it walk to a bigger target.

3) Brother’s Letter (Social • Evidence)

A courier from Verbobonc’s waterfront brings a sealed note from Heward’s brother. If the Thornes can document Selentis’s illegal levies (names, weights, signatures), the brother can push a quiet inquiry in the city.

• Leads to: Stolen copies of weigh-slips at Boatman’s Brothel (the Broker’s books) or at the Gilded Shackle.
• Choices: Gather proof and smuggle it upriver, sell the evidence to Selentis for protection, or trade it to Smigmal to hurt Selentis’s grip.

Featured Quest: Roots of Defiance

Escort • Ambush • Choice-of-Enemies (Tier 1–2)

Premise. Feldrin’s timetable needs timber. Selentis’s men come to “requisition” Heward’s stacked logs at dusk; a second team—Reapers—waits in the trees to “tax” the taxmen. If the party sides with Heward, they inherit both sets of problems.

Scene A: The Knock at Dusk

Two of Selentis’s collectors and a scribe arrive with a stamped chit and three mules.

• Social: Persuasion/Intimidation DC 14 to reduce the take by half; Insight DC 12 spots the scribe’s fear (he’s seen Reapers in the hedgerow).
• Complication: Refusal means the collectors return with more men in an hour; agreement means the Reapers strike en route.

Collector (flat): “By order of the manor—Viscounty share. Put your mark… or we take it unmarked.”

Scene B: Poacher’s Cut (Moving Ambush)

If the log-sled leaves the yard, Verric Colbane’s crew hits at the narrow hedgerow path.

• Low Tier: 1 scout, 2 bandits. Mid Tier: 1 veteran (Verric lite), 2 scouts.
• Terrain: Waist-high brush (difficult), thorn snare (DEX save 12 or restrained).
• Tactics: Smoke pots, grab a hostage, bolt with the scribe’s satchel (it carries the chit and signatures).

Bandit (calling): “Leave the wood and the pen-man, and you go home with all your fingers.”

Scene C: Forked Road — Follow the Money

Clues on the scribe or satchel point to one of three paymasters (choose to taste or roll):

1. Boatman’s back office (Broker’s ledger)
2. Gilded Shackle coffer (Zilchus hush-ward)
3. Waterside tally wall (Earth Temple runner)

• Heist Option: PCs swap the chit with a forged one (Forgery Kit or Sleight of Hand DC 14), sending the timber credit to a different faction.

Outcomes & Faction Reactions

• Side with Heward & foil both sides: Selentis adds a tithe next week; Feldrin reroutes riders to Durnic’s yard; Heward becomes a loyal ally (hideout, warm meals, 1 free Advantage on a forest Survival check per week).
• Sell the proof to Selentis: She grants a one-time bridge/dock pass and leaves the Thornes alone for a tenday; Reapers mark the party for “future attention.”
• Let the Reapers win: Verric pays in coin or favors but expects more work; Tolub hears you’re helping land-rats and raises his cut at the Wharf.

Treasure & Evidence

• Stamped chit (can pass one load through the Wharf uninspected).
• Broker’s ledger page (leverage on Selentis if copied, on the party if stolen).
• Route token (advantage to shadow a Hunting Cottage convoy this week).

Scaling & Quick DCs

• Low Tier: remove one scout; collectors are common thugs.
• Mid Tier: add a bugbear bruiser in Scene B; collectors return with a second wave (two more thugs) if the party stalls.
• Spotting pickets: Perception 13; Gnarlhounds grant advantage if with the party.
• Fire discipline: If the Thornes’ thatch catches, 2 actions douse it or the cottage takes 1d6 fire at round end.

DM Tone. Keep dialogue short and edged—axes on the woodpile, dogs at the door, the forest listening. Every signature is a blade; every tally mark, a bruise.