On The Road to Wermspittle I (Encounter Table/Wermspittle)

It is tradition, born of centuries of struggling to survive and to carry on through the worst that Winter brings and to make the most of the kinder seasons, even when it is the Spring that takes away the young and innocent. The days grow longer, warmer, more gentle. The all-pervading horrors of the darkness recede and withdraw back into their haunts and hunting grounds, the old graveyards and the vast wilderness out past the boundary-markers, the Cold Roads, and the cleared fields.

The bandits have mostly pulled back to the highland passes, to prey upon the coming caravans, the few who are left behind either look for work helping the farmers to drive off those things that seek to linger on after Winter's passing, or they head to Wermspittle to seek what fortunes they might find there as bodyguards, deputies, or claims adjusters. If ever there was a time to travel to Wermspittle, it is now. In the Spring. Before planting begins. While the beasts are only just beginning to wake up and there are hundreds of others on the road and no one need travel to Wermspittle alone.

On The Road To Wermspittle (I)

1. (2d6) Children carrying an assortment of walking sticks, hatchets and short bows. The oldest among them, a girl of maybe fourteen winters named Jeelri intends to catch something to roast at the campfire tonight. One of the younger kids thinks that he's spotted tracks from a wild goat. The rest are clamoring to go hunt ducks with their slings, but that would mean leaving the muddy road and maybe wading into the marshes. What if there are leeches?
2. (3d4) Forest-folk in leather or studded leather, all carrying crossbows, short bows, and a selection of mis-matched/random cutlery including at least one cutlass and three ornately inscribed cavalry sabres dangling the green cords of gentlemen sorcerers of Ostvallia. They are sullen and furtive, distrustful of everyone they meet. Their comrades abandoned them a couple of weeks ago and they've been making their way down from the highlands, hunting as they go, heading to Wermspittle with the plan to seek employment as wagon guards for the teamsters. They hope to find a couple of wagons en route to Wermspittle that they can travel beside, to help demonstrate their suitability and integrity. At least long enough to slit the teamster's throat and steal a wagon for themselves.
3. (4d6) Children carrying spears and shell-picks. Each of them wears a suit of armor hand-made from plough-leather. They have already caught, killed and skinned (3d8) moles, voles and assorted other rodents. The (1d4) ratter-kin within their midst are hoping that this will mask their odor.
4. (3d10) Refugees from Karwald in blocky overcoats carrying hunting spears and tine-swords. They have (1d4) Unfortunates among them, and are hoping to find a doktor or surgeon in Wermspittle to help their comrades. They will be stand-offish and try to prevent outsiders from discovering that at least one of their number is also a Plaguecarrier. One of the Unfortunates is carrying an arquebus, but is out of ammunition.
5. (3d20) Children (all first-level, any Class), who've banded together to over-power and hog-tie a pair of scheming teamsters whom they've chained to the rear axle of the lead wagon. One of these children is Odd, another is a Prodigy, and a third is a half-Eloi with a knack for knowing when people are being deceitful. They cannot bring the wagons into Wermspittle without running afoul of the teamsters, so the kids are all arguing noisily about what to do or not do. Several want to kill the teamsters, but most want to work out some sort of a deal. The teamsters are furious, embarrassed and more than a little fearful. One of them definitely intends to exact a terrible revenge. The other one just wants this whole thing over with so he can go back home. Anyone approaching this group could easily get the impression that the children have robbed the teamsters and may in fact be intending to do harm to what could be considered innocent adults.
6. (1d4) Very young Cuckoos are leading a parade of (4d20) otherwise normal children who will do anything to protect or to please their mind-controlling masters. The Cuckoos are not strong enough to affect a full-grown human, yet, which is why they were turned out from their enclave at so early an age. They only need to assert their control a little at a time to maintain their influence over the group that has accumulated around them, so far. But there are too many to really dominate effectively any more and the cuckoos are struggling to maintain order and their control is slipping.
7. (1d4) Steppes folk on riding goats quietly mind their own business as they make their way along the road. Each one carries the traditional curved sword, short sword, daggers, and distinctive scrimshawed long gonne (archaic pinch-locks), for which their people are known. Only one of the riders is a child headed for Wermspittle, the others are accompanying her to the city in order to barter for some more Gunpowder Grubs. A blight has killed-off more than half the tribe's grubs, and they need to acquire a fresh supply before their enemies and rivals learn about their situation.
8. (2d6) Farm-kids have just caught a pair of wild piglets. The things are squealing loudly. The mother-sow (4HD, wild boar) will come running after them in 1d4 minutes. These children are not ready for a boar-hunt. Especially not when it's the boar that is intending to be hunting them.
9. Kunisha walks along the side of the road dragging a tattered rag doll behind her. She is crying softly to herself, her tears making streaks through the ash and dirt caked on her face. She didn't mean to do it. The fire wasn't her fault.
10. (3d6) Hill folk bearing great satchels and bales of trade-goods are walking along, minding their own business. The women all wear copious amounts of purple amber. One of them is an Oneirist, hoping to sneak into Wermspittle and steal a grimoire from a famous scholar. He hopes that this will suitably impress his beloved's mother enough that she'll consent to their marriage. What he doesn't know is that one of his traveling companions is under strict orders to see to it that he dies in the attempt.
11. (4d4) Children are laughing and playing as they follow the road to the city. One of them is taller, longer-limbed than the rest. They are a Larval Ungezeifer, their more insect-like features are not immediately apparent, but the molting has begun. They are trying to guide the others along a route that will take them onto the Cold Roads and through a Weak Point. It plans on killing and eating them on the other side.
12. Ludolf walks along the road like he owns it. He is big for his age, heavy-boned and stout, massively strong and he has every intention of fighting in the arenas. He carries a blacksmith's three best hammers and a set of tongs, the gift of his proud papa. Fearless and well-prepared, Ludolf has given no thought whatsoever to what he'll do after he gets into the fights.
13. (2d20) Children rooting around in the mud just off the road. They've found Spring Caps and other edible fungi and are using some sticks to collect it all. No one has noticed the Horla that is stalking them at a safe distance. Yet.
14. (3d4) Quiet, violet-eyed siblings, each one wearing rough, home-made padded armor composed of old rags beneath sections of old worn-out leather scraps. They all look identical, though half of them carry hand-axes and the others are armed with hunting bows. They also have 1d4 Koponu in rickety baskets to help light their way at night. They might be pseudohumans. They each might also have 1d4 psychic abilities.
15. (1d4) Wagons full of provisions being driven by teamsters. Only one of them has hired-on a guard, a shifty-eyed half-almas with a nasty-looking goatsfoot (crossbow-like stone-thrower). They will light torches and ride through the night. They don't care if they kill the nags pulling their wagons getting into town before the others--they aim to have first pick of the Glimp Shells that'll be waking up soon.
16. Raldi is going to Wermspittle to try and join the crew of an Airship, just like in the stories his grandfather has told him all his life.
17. (3d4) Woods-Children are chasing after (1d4) Zurian children.
18. Sidra didn't just inherit her mother's long, black hair...she also craves blood...more and more...maybe she can find some answers, learn what is happening to her in Wermspittle.
19. (3d6) Low Lander children, all of them wielding hunting bows, long knives and stout cudgels are beating the bushes near the side of the road. They believe that there is an Unseen Beast in the brambly-bush. They intend to take the thing with them into town.
20. Busho has a way of controlling Flidders. It's not much of a talent, really, but it might be something that could maybe help him get a shot at a scholarship or maybe an apprenticeship, if he's lucky.