Friday Encounter: The Charcoal Burners

Here's an encounter you can use to add some life to your game world, and explore some of the lesser-seen parts of your setting.

In my opinion, there's something to be said for mundane encounters. They serve as a reminder that there is more to the world than monsters and magic - that outside of the adventures of the PCs, there are still ordinary people living ordinary lives. They ground the setting and the character, which makes the fantastic seem all the more special when it's juxtaposed against a backdrop of mundanity - something I feel that a lot of officially published D&D material has gotten too far away from. If you depict certain professions in your games, then you've established that your setting has certain industries in it, which goes a long way toward making it feel more alive. Particularly when those industries delve into aspects of life we often see overlooked in stories.

One of these industries is that of the charcoal burner. Charcoal burning - that is, the practice of gathering wood and carbonizing it in a kiln to serve as fuel for other industries, like smithing and glassmaking - is one of the oldest professions in human history. It's quite an interesting one, too. Because charcoal burning in the pre-industrial era takes a long time, and because the temperature of the fire must be carefully controlled during that period, medieval charcoal burners would often live in huts in the woods where they could observe the process, and this led to them being perceived of as people on the fringes of society, viewed with suspicion. This provides plenty of fodder for fun interactions with NPCs, and could tie into worldbuilding if charcoal burning in your setting is associated with races, cultures, or castes viewed as outsiders. The reclusive and antisocial lives of charcoal burners often led to them being suspected of witchcraft - in a fantasy setting, that could even be true!

Despite all this, I can't think of any time charcoal burning has come up in fiction, let alone TRPGs. Most writers seem to think that everyone in the Middle Ages (either in real life or in a medieval fantasy world) was either a noble or a farmer, and that's doing a disservice to just how interesting the period was.

Let's change that.

The Charcoal Burners

This encounter should take place in a forested area on the outskirts of civilization. While traveling, the PCs should come across Lolor and Eral Zocikvaz, two dwarven brothers who make a living as charcoal burners. Perhaps they run into the brothers while they are out gathering wood for their kiln, or they might come across their camp.

Either way, the brothers are happy to run into unexpected company this far out in the woods. They introduce themselves to the PCs and explain their profession, noting that due to the isolation their job involves and the notion of dwarves as outsiders in human society, they don't often get the opportunity to speak to others. They have grown lonely and would be happy to have someone to talk to. Seeing that the PCs look like weary travelers, they invite them back to their camp to stay a while and warm themselves by the kiln, and perhaps even share a drink or two (they are dwarves).

If the PCs decide to follow the brothers to the camp, they will gather around the fire and share bowls of mushroom stew, eager to hear stories of the party's exploits; they are particularly curious about any fabulous treasures they might have won by their heroic deeds, particularly those they might have obtained recently - if they can see them, Eral notes, that's even better. For their own part, they will note sightings of troll tracks in the woods along the path the party is headed and advise them to be careful.

As the sky grows dark, Lolor produces a keg of dwarven ale - "a treasure of his ancestral lands," he calls it, despite the fact that the brothers have lived near a human village their whole lives and only obtained the ale from a passing trader, as Eral is quick to note. The ale is particularly strong, especially for those not used to it, and the brothers will insist on sharing it liberally, pressuring those who refuse by appealing to the virtue of hospitality. Anyone who consumes the ale must make a DC 12 Constitution save; if they fail, they will pass out as soon as they settle in to bed. Dwarves have Advantage on this save.

After the meal, Lolor invites the PCs to spend the night at the camp, noting that it is a safe place to rest, and that night is swiftly approaching. However, this is a part of their scheme. The Zocikvazes aren't just starved for company. Looking to add some extra revenue with which to buy trade goods from merchants, they hope to get the PCs drunk and then rob them in their sleep, hoping they won't notice their valuables missing until it's too late.

During the night, each PC must make a DC 20 Perception check. PCs who have passed out drunk automatically fail this check. Any PCs who pass the check will be able to feel the brothers rummaging through their belongings during the night and are woken up by the disturbance. The brothers won't attempt to rob the party if at least one member stays awake to take watch, though they'll insist such precautions aren't necessary.

If they aren't detected, the brothers will check each PC's inventory, taking anything small enough to not be immediately noticed as missing but that looks of value. They will favor magic items if any fit this description. Failing that, they will look to take one item worth 100 GP or more from each PC, or enough items to make up this value if there is no one item that fits. They will bid the PCs off on their way the next morning, wishing them good luck and not letting on about their plot.

If the brothers are caught in the act, they will plead mercy from the PCs, explaining their motives and stating they didn't think they'd be caught. Eral will offer his most valuable possession - a Wolf Sage's Signet (from The Book of Many Things - when attuned by a spellcaster, it allows the wearer to cast Augury, Freedom of Movement, and Pass Without Trace using Intelligence as a spellcasting ability once per day). He doesn't know its properties and believes it to simply be fine jewelry.