SETTING THE SCENE:
The narrow road that has led the adventurers through the forest takes a turn to the right and within moments, brook can be heard. It is the only sound that anyone can hear at this moment. A mile previously, the adventurers had notice that there were no sounds of wildlife and as the day was still, no wind in the branches could be heard.
As they continue along the road, they will notice that it gets wider. Along the way, they will see roads start to come off of the one they are walking. The first road goes to the left, away from the brook. The adventurers will feel a distinct desire to quickly pass by due to an almost suffocating sense of dread. The road disappears into the foliage and darkness made by thorns and gnarled trees that seem to block sunlight. The adventurers will only be able to see about 60' down the road before it fades into the lack of light.
(DM's Note: the magical effect automatically makes the party move on as the effect increases in intensity as it grows darker and then when night takes into effect)
The time that the adventurers come across this road is shortly before nightfall. They are very close to a hamlet and two farms where they can spend the night. As the road continues, they will come across two others: each a small farm where they can spend the night in the barn and be given a simple dinner of mead and cheese for one copper piece. The head of each household will inform the party that the town is just ahead on the main road if they do not wish to pay for the night.
The head of the household will respond to any questions about the dark road with, "Death is down that road...and death comes from the road only at night, but a horrible death it would be. Stay here and stay safe behind the locked doors, or hurry on to Sar Es-Salaam!"
The adventurers will be safe at the farms or will make it to Sar Es-Salaam about 30 minutes before twilight. Either way, as the party makes it way to the hamlet, the road becomes wider with several wagons tracks and runs parallel to the brook, on the right. The forest gives way to an open plain where they can see Sar Es-Salaam.
Sar Es-Salaam is one of a handful of hamlets that are close to the northern frontier border of the kingdom of Salatine. The hamlets are each connected by east-west roads with one road going south. And no roads going further north. To the north are the wilds where no human kingdoms exist, but the are the lands of fantastical creatures and lands of other races.
Sar Es-Salaam has two reasons for existing like the other hamlets. First, they are trading posts with some of the more friendlier races to the north. Races like the dwarves and the little folks known also as halflings. Elves are also known to trade and appear in these small villages. Most of the time, the elves are mostly half-elves. Every few decades, a trade delegation from the Grey Elves may pass through. The Wood Elves deal with the humans as little as possible...but are reliable in passing on warnings to the hamlets of any evil afoot.
The second reason is that they are starting points for most adventurers. Each hamlet has an inn, a stable and a small store to equip adventurers with in addition to three or four huts that house the main families. Given the size of these hamlets, there are no forces from the Salatine army to protect them. Often adventurers are hired for special missions or to help guard the hamlet for a time.
The road will enter into the middle of Sar Es-Salaam. However, the brook will continue to go to the right of the town and then go north into the tree-line just 100 yards beyond the hamlet. The east-west road cuts straight through the hamlet to take travelers to the other hamlets.
The first thing the party will see is a recently destroyed, wooden structure. There is only one, charred wall standing. The party will see as they move on, black and fallen wooden beams laying in great mounds of ash. It looks as if the building could have held the entire population of Sar Es-Salaam easily. The ground around the burnt down structure is black. The last thing the party will see is a graveyard just to the right of the ruin...with six newly made and filled in graves.
As the party enters the hamlet, the sky darkens and they head towards the Blacktree Inn. There is no one outside and the hamlet appears dark except for lights from the inn and a couple of the other structures. The inn is on the left side of the road, with a stable attached to it. Next door is the hamlet forge and a small building that serves as the trading post for the hamlet. Across from the Blacktree Inn are five family dwellings. While Sar Es-Salaam is a small hamlet, it services several area farms. Or did.
(DM's Note: Use equipment and tavern item price lists as provided in D&D source materials.)
The inn is fairly large and has room for the party to secure lodging for the night. The mood is subdued inside the large tavern room, which is only a quarter full. Everyone is looking down, not really eating much, but drinking somewhat heavily. As the party enters, no one looks up and there is no greeting from the bar.
Once the party goes to the bar to secure lodging, the bartender and owner of the Blacktree Inn, Silus Sareni will inform the party that a funeral service has just been held and that some of those present are family members of the deceased and apologizes for the lack of festivities and barmaids. If asked what happened, Silus will shake his head and politely change the subject by seating them at a table and have a meal served.
As the party eats, the door to the inn opens and this time, the patrons look up briefly before looking back into their cup of mead. A large man with a scar along his left check steps in and surveys the inn. He is wearing a dark cloak, the hilt of a sword and a dagger sticking out from underneath.
(DM's Note: hidden underneath the tunic he is wearing is a chain mail shirt, giving him an AC of 14)
The man sees the party and immediately walks up to them, pulling back his cloak so that they can see his weapons. He is dark-haired and of serious demeanor. He speaks in a deep voice of authority and reveals himself to be the Sarif, the leader of the hamlet, and says his name is Cavadal Pherenti. He is a 4th level fighter (St:15, Dex:13, Con:13, Int:16, Wis:11, Cha:11) and is well-regarded.
He tells the party he saw them entering the hamlet. He will pause for a moment...and then offer the party a job....
(let me know what kind of monsters that a 1-3 level character can handle you would like to see in the comments!)
