The Ancient Road

 Should the characters travel up the other stream that feeds the Rowan forest, either before they meet the gnomes, or as an alternative to taking on their proposed task, they will find that after a couple of miles they begin travelling steadily uphill, and they will encounter a series of rapids. The grass is growing rougher, and there are more open patches of rock.  

Beyond the rapids, thorn trees predominate, but the rest of the land, as far as they can see through the mist, is barren.

After a further five miles, during which a couple of small rivulets have joined the stream, the terrain is decidedly rocky, and lacking in vegetation.  If the characters make it this far, they will see a roadway beside the stream, which parallels it about thirty yards to the left.

The road is made of stones closely fitted together.  However, it is clearly old and worn, there are several slabs missing, and there are strange, spiky plants growing between the slabs.  In a few places, it is clear that attempts have been made to repair a few of the major holes with smaller stones, or something that looks like wattle and daub.  None of these attempts have been particularly successful.  

Strangely, the road is only forty yards long.  At each end, it has been abruptly severed.  At these end points, even the most robust stones have been clearly sliced in half.  On each side of the road is a verge of grass, maybe two yards wide at best.  A druid or ranger will notice that the grass verges are looking parched, and do not match the other nearby species of grass.  

A very careful inspection will reinforce the notion that the old road seems to have been put there, or arrived, quite recently.  At one point, a clump of thorn bushes have been half crushed by the stones, but half of a couple of them each remain splayed outside.

Sitting on the road, five yards from the far end, is a cheap carriage.  In the grass beside it, a rudimentary camp has been made.  A dead human man lies there - he has been brutally attacked.  Bolsano recognises this as the person the goblins killed and looted.  He is sure this is the road he saw.  

The goblins appear to have done a reasonably thorough job of stealing the dead man's belongings.  The carriage has been ransacked.  A search by the adventurers will turn up nothing of interest.  Whatever beast pulled the carriage is nowhere to be seen.  It is very difficult to see any tracks in the barren lands beyond the grass verges.

If the adventurers continue upstream, they will find it peters out rapidly.  Within a mile and a half, its final source appears.  A weak spring at the foot of a barren cliff.

It appears they have hit a dead end.  Bolsano will admit defeat, and suggest a return to the rowan woods.

Wandering Monsters

This is a relatively depopulated area.  So only 10% chance per day of an encounter. If an encounter is indicated roll d100 and use the table below

(Note if the roll indicates a creature that has already been encountered during the Adventure of the Dragon’s Scale, then no creature appears).

%Roll	Creature	Reference and Notes
1-10	Will O’ Wisp	MM 5e.  The light will appear on the edge of visibility and attempt to entice the characters away from their path.
11-25	Wolves	MM 5e. Three wolves appear.  They will attack cautiously, if the party appear uncertain or weakened.  Otherwise they can be driven off, although there is a 30% chance that they will continue to track the party.
26-35	Poisonous snake	MM 5e.  Will attempt to bite a party member in self defence.
36-65	Axe beak	MM 5e.  Will automatically attack. Bad tempered.
66-80	Boggle	VGM 5e. The Boggle will latch onto the party and attempt to cause quiet mayhem amongst the party for an hour or so.
81-90	Banshee	MM 5e.  The Banshee has already used its Wail  attack that day, so cannot use it on the party.  The undead creature will rise from the stream about 40’ from the party, and move towards them over the water.
91-100	Giant wasps	MM 5e.  Two wasps will be disturbed by the party, and attack from irritation.  They an be driven away (50% hit points or fewer remaining).