Overview: These three soldiers—wounded, exhausted, and low on supplies—are all that remains of a ten-man patrol sent to reinforce the Greylatch region. They’ve been hunted for days, staying just ahead of an unseen undead threat, and are wary of strangers. They may offer warnings, information, or desperate requests depending on how they are approached.
1. Sergeant Darrin Vale
- Race: Human
- Age: 41
- Role: Hardened veteran, squad leader
- Appearance: Balding, with deep-set eyes and chainmail missing half a sleeve.
- Personality: Gruff, protective of the others, sleep-deprived but alert. Still holds the line in his mind.
Mini-backstory: Darrin served in the last major undead surge ten years ago. He knows the signs—and believes something worse is brewing. He lost three brothers-in-arms in the last two nights and hasn’t slept since.
2. Private Keera Lorne
- Race: Half-Elf
- Age: 29
- Role: Scout and archer
- Appearance: Short brown hair, one eye swollen shut from a fight two nights ago.
- Personality: Cynical humor, runs on adrenaline, masking deeper fear.
Mini-backstory: She was the first to spot the rot-touched wolves that tore apart the rear guard. She blames herself for not raising the alarm sooner and tries to laugh off her guilt.
3. Corporal Joric Pindle
- Race: Dwarf
- Age: 63
- Role: Supply handler and shield-bearer
- Appearance: Limping, using a broken spear as a crutch. Beard singed from a firebomb mishap.
- Personality: Calm, resigned, tells stories to keep the others sane.
Mini-backstory: Joric signed up to fund his family’s smithy back in Emberward. He’s writing letters to his daughter in a notebook he may never deliver.
Dialogue Table (1d6)
| d6 | Soldier | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darrin | “The woods aren’t safe. They follow in silence, waitin’ for you to stop movin’.” |
| 2 | Keera | “If I had one more arrow and a clean line of sight, I’d put it right through that corpse captain’s face.” |
| 3 | Joric | “I’ve fought goblins, bandits, wolves—even a damn owlbear once. But nothing empties a camp like silent death.” |
| 4 | Keera | “You ever seen bones rise without flesh? I did. Last night.” |
| 5 | Darrin | “Sunhaven won’t send more. Not here. Not now. Not after what we saw.” |
| 6 | Joric | “I told the captain to burn the orchard. Should’ve done it. That’s where the howling started.” |
Loot & Gear Table (roll or select)
| d6 | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cracked Signet Ring | Sunhaven military issue, bent and scorched. |
| 2 | Joric’s Notebook | Filled with letters to his daughter; may contain a coded map. |
| 3 | Keera’s Hunting Bow | Sturdy and reliable, string fraying. +1 to survival checks in wilderness. |
| 4 | Darrin’s Short Sword | Bloodstained; engraved with the phrase “For the Living.” |
| 5 | Tattered Orders | Waterlogged papers referencing “Operation Emberwatch.” |
| 6 | Potion of Resistance (Necrotic) | Gift from a village priest, unused due to urgency of retreat. |
Plot Hooks
- “Operation Emberwatch”
- The party learns of a secret Sunhaven operation to reclaim a region that’s now completely overrun. The soldiers escaped before the mission’s failure became official.
- “Burn the Orchard”
- The soldiers describe an orchard near Greylatch that hums with unnatural energy at night. Something was buried there, and now it feeds the dead.
- “The Silent Follower”
- The soldiers believe something is tracking them specifically—a figure they never see, only hear. If the party camps near them, they may encounter it.
- “Letters Never Sent”
- If the party delivers Joric’s notebook to his daughter in Emberward, they may uncover corruption or forbidden rituals behind the region’s fall.
- “The Missing Lieutenant”
- One of the soldiers claims a Sunhaven officer fled the battle and may have joined the undead willingly. A possible traitor now serving a necromancer.
- “The False Signal”
- The patrol was lured into ambush by a signal fire that was never supposed to be lit. Someone used it to draw soldiers into death—why?
How They Might Travel with the Party
- If healed, fed, or persuaded, Darrin may join for one last mission.
- Keera might tag along for revenge or reconnaissance.
- Joric would rather return to Emberward, but can be convinced if his death might prevent another’s.