L1-5B. Stew-Hearth Barracks

Former kitchen/mess converted into an orc barracks. Both doors are spiked open for fast response. Eight orcs are assigned here—six asleep on wall-lined pallets, two awake cooking at the blackened stove. A long Suel mosaic of a fantastical walled city runs the length of one wall (useful lore cue). Five battered chests sit along the east wall: common kit, bones and leather scraps, a small crate of coin, a chest with acid/rust traces (echoing 5A), and one holding Thuldon Rockspitter’s dwarf-sized chain mail. Any loud noise or a horn/howl wakes the room; one orc will try to sprint to Room 4 to blow the bray-horn while the rest form a line using kitchen tables as half cover. This room will reinforce any nearby fight on your response clock.

Chests & contents (east wall)

All are iron-banded and dented.

• Chest A (unlocked): soup bones, knuckle piles, butcher’s cleaver; bits of damaged leather cut into thong.
• Chest B (locked, DC 10 / STR DC 14): mixed loot in a small crate inside: 17 ep, 37 sp, 52 cp bound with gut string.
• Chest C (unlocked): field kit—bowls, ladles, 2 oil flasks, 1 wineskin of rot-spirits (see 5A effect).
• Chest D (plank missing): the loose board leans nearby; interior stains and acid pitting match the rust flecks on the floor (Perception DC 11). Once held caustic jars (removed).
• Chest E (locked, DC 12 / STR DC 16): a neatly folded dwarf-sized chain mail—Thuldon’s work (superb rings; fits a dwarf, counts as chain mail, 55 lb; sale value 75 gp to a collector, 150 gp if returned to the right dwarves).

Clue: The acid/rust traces mirror the melted hinge observed in Room 5A—Vhakra once stored caustics here.

Tactics & response

• The two cooks grab cleavers (treat as handaxes) and bark: “Huh? A noise?” → “Found you! Now try and hide from this!”
• If a round passes, one orc sprints to Room 4 to grab/blow the bray-horn while the others form a kitchen line (two behind the table as half cover).
• Use your dungeon clock: fighting here triggers 5A in 2 rounds, 5C/5D in 4.

Orc barks: “Bleed! Bleed and die!” “Die, metalman!” “Stop moving, stupid human!”

Checks & clues

• Survival DC 10: The stew is mostly boar and bone; a few eel pieces (marsh fare).
• Investigation DC 12: Hidden border glyphs in the city mosaic—rune-inlays of Wee Jas worked into the architectural scrolls.
• Perception DC 12: A small jawbone howl-whistle tucked on a stove hook (functions as horn).

Treasure summary

• Coins: 17 ep, 37 sp, 52 cp (Chest B).
• Thuldon’s dwarf chain (Chest E).
• 4 rations (stew if saved 2 oil flasks; rot-spirits wineskin.

Quick 5e plugs

• Orcs (8) as MM. Optional spice: once/encounter Moon-Frenzy (+2 damage on next hit when first bloodied).
• Kitchen cover: Flipping the prep table (object interaction) grants half cover to two orcs until moved (AC +2).

Hooks

• Returning Thuldon’s chain earns advantage with dwarven smiths and may soften Thuldon Rockspitter if rescued later.
• The mosaic’s city script can be used as a puzzle key or as proof of Suel provenance for Verbobonc authorities.