What if instead of wakey wakey eggs and bakey, the party woke up to a daytime wilderness encounter? Or, how about all three? Where would one find eggs, bacon, and a daytime wilderness encounter along the Triboar Trail, anyway?

Why, Abner Feldman’s farmstead, of course! Oh Abner. You poor, unfortunate bastard.

The morning is heavy with the smell of smoke as the first rays of sunlight chase away the chill night air. A thin plume of black smoke curls into the sky behind a distant grove of trees to the east.

If the party investigates the source of the smoke, they witness dead livestock carpeted with black flies laying about pastures before arriving at the smoking ruin of Abner Feldman’s farmstead. All of its buildings are burnt down to their foundations.

As they approach the farm, read the following:

The charred ruins of a small farmstead are reduced to silhouettes in the haze of smoke. Somewhere among the pop and hiss of the smouldering embers, harsh, quarrelsome voices echo through the murk. They bark at each in a guttural speech that is unpleasant to the ears.

Characters proficient in orcish can hear an argument and threats of violence between a group of orcs bickering over items plundered from the farm.

Other orcs can be spotted amongst the carnage, preoccupied with collecting grizzly trophies from the fallen such as scalps, fingers, and teeth. One orc appears to be wearing the scalp of a woman in a failed attempt at humor as he acts out the woman’s last moments.

Let’s be mutuals over on Bluesky! If you’re interested, I’m @ticklecorn.bsky.social. I always follow back.

If you’d like to support my work, please consider checking out my supplements for Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak over on Dungeon Master’s Guild! All of my titles are Free/PWYW offerings.

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