From: Gyre Leaper 771
Quest Giver: Fendrel, a worried and anxious proprietor of a small trading post at the edge of the wilderness leading to the great canyons. His younger cousin, a brash and ambitious youth named Bryn, went into the canyons ten days ago, boasting that he would return with a Gyre-Leaper pelt to make his fortune. He took his savings and a new set of climbing gear but has not been seen or heard from since.
The Task: Fendrel’s primary concern is finding Bryn, dead or alive. He asks the party to follow Bryn’s trail into the canyons, find out what happened to him, and if possible, bring him back. The hunt for the Gyre-Leaper is secondary, but intertwined with the quest, as Bryn was almost certainly in their territory and may have fallen victim to the inherent dangers of the hunt. The party will need to use their tracking and survival skills to pick up a cold trail and navigate the treacherous cliffs. They might find Bryn’s abandoned camp, a dropped piece of gear, or even a poorly set trap that could give clues to his fate.
Details and Rewards: Fendrel can offer a modest upfront payment of 20 Silver to cover initial expenses and a map showing the trail Bryn intended to take. He promises a reward of 5 Platinum coins for confirmation of Bryn’s fate, and the reward increases to 15 Platinum if the party can bring Bryn back alive. Any of Bryn’s gear that the party recovers is theirs to keep. Fendrel also mentions that Bryn had spent his last coin on what the merchant called an “Echo-Pinpoint Scope,” a rare and valuable item that would be a significant prize if it is found. The true challenge of this quest is balancing a rescue mission with the constant environmental hazards of Gyre-Leaper territory.
Instructions from Quest Giver: “He was a fool, but he is my blood. Please, start at his last camp on the canyon’s edge; his journal is there. The last pages were… panicked. I could not make sense of them. Bring him back if you can, but if not… bring back something of his for his mother to hold. A keepsake, his climbing axe, anything to give us peace. Be wary, he mocked the old canyon spirits before he left, and I fear they may have taken offense.”
Gold Reward: A reward of 50 Gold coins (equivalent to 5 Platinum) will be paid for proof of Bryn’s fate. This reward is increased to a total of 150 Gold coins (equivalent to 15 Platinum) if he is brought back alive.
Uncommon Magical Reward: In addition to the promised coin and Bryn’s recovered gear, Fendrel will gift the party a Wayfarer’s Friend Waterskin upon their return. It is a simple, well-made leather waterskin that is enchanted to magically refill itself with cool, clean drinking water once each day at dawn.
Difficulties: Bryn’s trail is over a week old and has been scoured by canyon winds, making it extremely difficult to follow. As an amateur, Bryn’s path is erratic and often leads into unnecessarily dangerous terrain, forcing the party to take risks he didn’t know he was taking. The geology of the Echoing Chasms is notoriously unstable; rockslides may have completely erased crucial parts of the trail. Furthermore, the strange acoustics of the region can distort sounds, making it easy to become disoriented or separated.
Problems: Bryn may not be dead, but trapped and injured after a bad fall, his calls for help lost in the echoing winds. The rare Echo-Pinpoint Scope he carried may have attracted the attention of a flock of territorial Harpies, who now see the party as intruders trying to reclaim the shiny prize. It is also possible that Bryn stumbled upon a hidden camp of poachers, who have captured him to silence him. The rescue may turn into a hostage situation.
Who to Ask for More Information: Grak, a local trapper who trades at Fendrel’s post, was the last person to see Bryn and can point the party toward his abandoned campsite. Old Meg, a reclusive wise-woman on the edge of the settlement, can offer a cryptic reading or omen about Bryn’s fate if she is approached respectfully. Fendrel himself holds Bryn’s journal, and while he can’t decipher the frantic, final entries, a character with the right knowledge might uncover a vital clue within its pages.
Tags: Rescue, Tracking, Investigation, Search, Missing Person, Wilderness, Environmental Hazard, Survival, Mystery, Exploration, Mountaineering, Recovery, Deduction, Canyons, Remote, Hostage Situation, Man vs. Nature, Perilous, Reward-Driven, Humanoid Conflict
Environments: Remote Trading Post, Wilderness Trails, Canyon Rim Campsite, Steep Ravines, Unstable Scree Slopes, Narrow Ledges, Bat-filled Caves, Harpy Nests.
Mood setting excerpt from:
A Traveller’s Warning: Of Perilous Roads and Foolish Hearts
Chapter V: Of the Canyon’s Maw and the Pride That Doth Precede a Falle
…Take hede, ye men, of Canyons deepe and wide, Wher foolish pride hath nowhere left to hide. The stone itself doth keepe a patient watch, A wight to humble, or a soule to snatch. Ful oft a stripling, with a boastful tongue, Hath sworn a prize from out those cliffs be wrung. He takes his coyne, and buys a shining gear, And mocks the counsel of the olde in feer. He enters bold, his chin held to the skie, And does not know it is his time to die.
A trail of ten days hence is but a ghost, A whispered rumour on that windy coast. For stones do slide and ledges fall away, And turn a safe path to a grim affray. The very air, it plays a wicked game, And makes a friend’s shout sounde an other’s name. An echo here, a twisting, lying sounde, Can lead a man wher he cannot be founde.
And worse, foul Maids with wings of shade and feather, Do mock the cries of men in stormy weather. These Harpies vile, with greed in heart and eye, Upon the highest, cragged peaks do fly. They stele the bright things, spyglass, axe, or blade, A treasure trove from foolish plans ill-made. And should a man come seeke what they have seized, His bones shall be by their sharp talons teased.
So whan a goodman begs with tearful plea, To find his kin for al the world to see, Who went to hunt with boast and youthful fire, And vanished in that rocky funeral pyre, Know that ye seeke not for a living soule, But for a story that the stones have stole. Your prize may be a scope of wondrous make, But ‘tis the hunter’s final, grim mistake.
Guide Manager’s Notes: Echoes of a Lost Hunter (QST-509)
Let’s get this rescue mission rolling! This quest is all about building suspense through investigation and tracking in a seriously dangerous environment. Your goal is to make the players feel like expert trackers and daring heroes. Let’s make finding Bryn an epic challenge!
Step 1: The Hook
Kick things off at Fendrel’s trading post. Your main job here is to sell the emotional hook. Fendrel is genuinely panicked about his younger cousin. Emphasize that Bryn is arrogant but not a bad kid. Fendrel should hand over the map and the initial silver payment with a trembling hand, making the players feel like they are Bryn’s only real hope.
Step 2: The First Clue
The party finds Bryn’s abandoned campsite at the canyon’s edge. It’s a mess, a clear sign of his amateurism. The key discovery here is Bryn’s journal. Most of it should be boastful nonsense, but the last few entries must be frantic and hard to read. Use this to drop cryptic clues about what he found: “Too high… silver light… they took it…” This is your first breadcrumb.
Step 3: The Cold Trail
The tracking begins! This needs to feel tough. Bryn’s trail is ten days old and on hard, rocky ground. This is a great place for your party’s best tracker or survivalist to shine. Make it a challenging skill check, requiring them to find subtle signs: a scuff mark on a rock, a discarded bit of ration wrapper, a single, dropped piton.
Step 4: A Sign of Trouble
The trail leads to a precarious, narrow ledge. Here, the party finds a clear sign of disaster: Bryn’s favorite climbing axe, its handle splintered, lying near a spot that looks like a fresh rockslide. This is the moment the quest shifts from a simple search to a potential recovery. Did he fall? Was he attacked?
Step 5: The Shiny Distraction
From the ledge where they found the axe, the party can spot a Harpy nest high up on a nearby spire. Something is glittering within it. If they investigate (climbing, using a spyglass), they’ll see the nest is decorated with shiny things, including Bryn’s lost Echo-Pinpoint Scope. This creates an immediate side-objective and a tough choice: deal with the dangerous Harpies now or continue the search for Bryn?
Step 6: The Unlikely Witness
Whether they deal with the Harpies or not, the main trail has gone cold at the rockslide. This is where you introduce a new lead. They might encounter a reclusive Chasm Warden scout who saw a youth matching Bryn’s description being “escorted” a few days ago. The Warden is suspicious of outsiders and will only share the information if the party can prove their intentions are honorable.
Step 7: The Poacher Connection
The Warden’s information leads the party away from the natural hazards and toward a hidden series of caves. Tucked away inside is a poacher camp. They aren’t home, but the evidence is damning: illegal traps, pelts of protected animals, and, crucially, another piece of Bryn’s gear, like his bedroll. It’s now clear: Bryn was captured.
Step 8: The Rescue Plan
The party now has a new objective. They must locate the poachers’ main camp and figure out how to rescue Bryn. Let the players take the lead here. Do they try a stealthy infiltration at night? A direct assault? Or do they create a diversion, perhaps using the local wildlife, to draw the poachers out?
Step 9: The Confrontation
This is your big action scene! The party executes their plan to rescue Bryn from the poachers. The poachers should be tough and ruthless, fighting dirty in their own territory. Bryn is here, likely tied up, injured, and in need of immediate help. Make this a thrilling and tactical encounter.
Step 10: The Escort Mission
Success! Bryn is free, but he’s in bad shape—dehydrated, a broken leg, and delirious from a fever. The quest has shifted again. Now, it’s an escort mission. Bryn is a liability, slowing the party down and making noise. They must get him out of the canyons safely.
Step 11: Out of the Frying Pan…
The return journey should not be easy. The remaining poachers might regroup for one last attack, or the noise from the earlier fight could attract that territorial Rock-Drake. A sudden storm could also make the climbing sections with an injured Bryn a truly perilous challenge. This is the final test of their skill and resources.
Step 12: The Tearful Reunion
The party finally returns to the trading post. Fendrel’s reaction—overwhelming relief and gratitude—is the emotional payoff. He pays them the full 15 Platinum reward and gives them the promised Wayfarer’s Friend Waterskin. Bryn, humbled and grateful, admits his foolishness. The party are heroes who didn’t just find a lost kid; they dismantled a poaching ring and saved a life. Job well done!