It is day 8 of month 6, 1042, 07:30, at Dustback Ranch in the Ochre Basin of Hesk. Five dustbacks have gone from the far pens this month. They were stolen by Cole Bartram, a ranch hand the Rowe family let go last year for selling their saddles. He knows the pens, the gate latch and the dogs.
Cole now leads the new men of the Dust Rakers, the half of the gang that works with Compact pirates. His crew killed a crawler driver last month. They want the dustbacks to carry stolen grain sacks off the road and into the badlands, where crawlers cannot follow. They drive the animals across Greywheat Field, because nobody follows tracks into the grey wheat. They keep them in the dry mouth of the Underriver caves.
A dust storm hits on day 9 at 17:00. At 18:00 Cole's crew will rob a grain crawler on the Deepwell road and load the sacks onto the dustbacks. On day 10 at 02:00 a Compact skiff lands in the yard of the old Greywheat farmhouse and takes grain and dustbacks off-world.
Greywheat Field is a Weak Vhal site. The tall figure Della Rowe saw is the last farmer, who is now a husk. One of Cole's men slept in the farmhouse on the last run. He has not spoken since, and Cole left him there.
Cole Bartram (Underriver) wants a full grain run and passage off Hesk with the pirates.
Dunstan Reddle (Raker Camp) leads the old Rakers. He wants out of raiding, and he wants Cole's men gone without a killing that blames the whole gang.
Della Rowe's father runs the ranch. He tells everyone to wait for the militia, who never come.
The crew is the Hesper crew, range hunters on the bulk hauler Hesper. Josephine Calhoun is a ranch daughter who hunts rustlers with a rune hound she built. Hargo Bask is a former Dust Raker who rode with Dunstan Reddle and knows Cole's habits. Caleb Ransome is a dustback racer on a huge red lizard who grew up two farms over from the Rowes. Annegret Volk is a Union militia veteran who does the militia's job when it will not. The player runs one of them. The GM runs the other three as companions.
Della Rowe is the eldest daughter of the ranch family. Abner Haskett owns the Dustcoat Inn. Wade Tolliver is a ranch hand who trains the dustbacks. They are NPCs who follow their descriptions.
Stat blocks. Cole Bartram uses Raider Captain. His men use Raid Chief, and his riflemen use Raider Marksman or Writ Hunter. The skiff's captain uses Raider Captain, his gunners use Swivel Gunner, and his crew use Raid Chief and Compact Raider. The husked farmer uses Hornback Husk, and his two old farm dogs use Husk Hound. Encounter math for four level 12 characters is Low 8,800, Moderate 14,800 and High 18,800.
The far pens, Dustback Ranch, day 8, 07:30. A DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check reads the tracks, and Josephine Calhoun's hound Tucker picks up the scent at once. Two riders on dustbacks led the five away at night, with rags tied on the animals' feet. A DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check shows the gate latch was lifted from outside by someone who knew the trick. A rope left on the fence is tied with the double ranch knot Cole Bartram always used. Wade Tolliver worked beside Cole for three years.
The grey wheat, Greywheat Field. The ride takes two hours. At the edge, a mount refuses to go on unless a rider makes a DC 16 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. The field is a Weak Vhal site (DC 10). The tracks cross it to the farmhouse yard, where a small ship has landed twice. A young man sits on the porch and does not speak. He is one of Cole's men. A DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check shows he is cold but alive, and he gets better a day after he leaves the field. In his coat is a Compact landing pass for day 10 at 02:00. Encounter. When anyone nears the house, the tall figure walks out of the wheat with his dogs, and three Vhal Stalkers follow. 1 Hornback Husk, 2 Husk Hound and 3 Vhal Stalker, 5,800 XP, Low (budget 8,800). None of them follow anyone past the edge of the grey wheat. The black crystal lump sits in the cellar.
The inn, Dustcoat Inn. It is half a day's ride north. The drivers say a grain crawler leaves Deepwell on day 9 at 14:00, ahead of the storm. They will pay for guards. Abner Haskett's friend was the driver killed last month.
The old crew, Raker Camp. Dunstan Reddle sees Abner and Hargo Bask and nobody else at first, because Hargo rode with him for ten years. A DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, with Advantage for Hargo or Abner, gets him to name Cole Bartram, the cave pen and the storm raid. He will not fight Cole himself. He asks that Cole's men go to the militia alive.
The cave pen, Underriver. The five dustbacks are tied in the dry mouth of the caves, an hour from the field. Getting close unseen needs a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) group check. Encounter. 5 Raid Chief and 4 Raider Marksman, 9,800 XP, Moderate (budget 14,800). They run when two drop. Calming the frightened animals needs a DC 14 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. Della Rowe, Wade Tolliver and Caleb Ransome have Advantage, because the dustbacks know them. An Isle Crab, a crab as big as a crawler, lives in the wet cave behind and comes out if guns are fired. With it the fight is 18,200 XP, High (budget 18,800). It goes back into the water after it takes a few hard hits.
The storm raid, Deepwell, day 9, 18:00. The raid happens on the open road an hour out of Deepwell. In the dust storm, everything farther than 30 feet is Heavily Obscured. Cole Bartram and his men block the road with a fallen pole and hit the crawler. Encounter. Cole Bartram, 5 Raid Chief and 4 Writ Hunter, 15,700 XP, High (budget 18,800). In the storm, Tucker can follow Cole by scent when nobody can see. If the cave guards were beaten, Cole has only 1 man and tries to talk his way past. Cole gives up at a quarter of his hit points.
The skiff, Greywheat Field, day 10, 02:00. A small Compact skiff lands in the farmhouse yard to load grain and dustbacks. Encounter. 1 Raider Captain, 3 Raid Chief, 2 Swivel Gunner and 6 Compact Raider, 11,400 XP, Moderate (budget 14,800). The skipper wants no fight. With no cargo waiting he leaves at once. A DC 16 Charisma (Intimidation) check makes him give up Cole's payment, a purse of 160 Crowns. Annegret Volk has Advantage, because she has cornered Compact skippers before.
Day 8, night. The cave guards water the dustbacks at the Underriver lake.
Day 9, 18:00. Cole's crew robs the grain crawler in the storm. The driver's mate is shot and hurt.
Day 10, 02:00. The skiff loads the grain and all five dustbacks and leaves Hesk.
Day 10, morning. The silent man on the porch walks into the wheat and does not come back.
Day 12, night. Cole's crew comes back to Dustback Ranch for more animals.
Good. All five dustbacks come home, the grain is saved, Cole is handed to the militia and nobody dies.
Mixed. The animals come home but Cole gets away on the skiff, or the grain is saved but the dustbacks are lost.
Bad. The skiff leaves with the animals and the grain, and Cole's crew is free to come back.
The Rowe family pays 120 Crowns to each crew member for the dustbacks and gives the crew a young trained dustback to ride.
The crawler drivers pay 80 Crowns to each crew member if the grain is saved. They offer convoy guard work. Use the Freighter Escort to the Tangle job with the note "crawler convoy guard across Dry Reach, 1,600 Marks".
The Order of the Last Light pays 40 Crowns for a written report on Greywheat Field.
Abner Haskett gives the crew free rooms at the Dustcoat Inn. Dunstan Reddle owes them a favour.
Heroic Inspiration for saving the silent man or the crawler crew at real risk.
The knight. The Order sends a knight to Greywheat Field. He needs a guide who knows the basin.
The pirates. The skiff's captain lost his cargo and his payment. He comes back to Hesk with a bigger crew.
The pardon. Dunstan Reddle wants to bring the old Rakers home. He asks the crew to carry his offer to the Grain Board.