The Border Cairns

There is a new one at the eastern edge of the field. It has no name on it, no caravan has been reported lost this year, and it has grown a foot and a half since the first day of the month.

SOMETHING OUT HERE WORKED OUT THAT IF IT COVERS WHAT IT KILLS, THE ROAD WILL FINISH THE JOB. It has been fed for four weeks by people being kind.

THE HORRIBLE PART IS THE CUSTOM, NOT THE CREATURE. Every stone on that cairn was placed by somebody doing the decent thing. Nobody did anything wrong. The adventure never lets the party off that, and it never lectures them about it either.

WHAT YOU GET - 37 pages, and nothing left for you to invent

- 5 scenes, every one written out in full: read-aloud text, what happens if they fail, what to do if they skip it

- 2 battle maps in three versions each - DM, player, and no grid, 70 px per 5-foot square

- 4 ready-to-play 4th-level characters. No session zero

- 11 secrets, tables and printable handouts

OPEN GROUND, NO COVER FOR A MILE IN ANY DIRECTION. The field is flat and featureless on purpose, and both stat blocks are written to make that matter.

PART OF THE SALT ROAD. Sixty miles, sixteen stops, each a day apart. Every one of them has noticed the same thing and not one of them has said so out loud. This adventure stands completely alone - it needs nothing from any other - but a table that plays four of them starts comparing notes without being prompted.

THE FILES - four PDFs: A4 and US Letter, each in colour and in a printer-friendly build. The printer-friendly version is the same book in pure white, nothing removed. Plus 6 map images.

Compatible with Fifth Edition. Instant digital download - nothing is posted.

Made with AI assistance: the text and maps of this adventure were written and generated with AI, then edited, checked and laid out by hand.