A merchant caravan traveling toward Aldor failed to arrive at the city. It carried ordinary trade goods and was accompanied by several merchants, hired guards and drivers. No warning was sent ahead, and none of those traveling with the caravan have returned.
The caravan was last seen along the old trade road several days before it was expected to reach Aldor.
Travelers have searched portions of the route, but no overturned wagons, abandoned cargo or bodies have been reported. An entire caravan appears to have vanished somewhere along a well-traveled road.
Merchants in Aldor have begun discussing the disappearance, particularly those who regularly travel the same route.
Some believe bandits attacked the caravan and moved the wagons somewhere hidden before taking the cargo. Others suspect the merchants deliberately changed course to avoid taxes or settle some private business.
Travelers tell stranger stories. Several claim that the old trade road has felt unusually quiet lately, with fewer animals and travelers along certain stretches.
One merchant insists another caravan passed through the same area shortly afterward without seeing any sign of the missing group.
If the player investigates the caravan's disappearance, clues may gradually appear:
Wagon tracks can be followed along part of the old trade road before abruptly leaving the main route.
A broken piece of harness lies partially hidden beside the road.
Small pieces of cargo appear scattered far from where the caravan was last seen.
An abandoned campsite nearby contains evidence that someone left unexpectedly.
No significant blood or signs of a large battle can be found along the road.
Travelers disagree about exactly where the caravan was last seen.
Someone may possess an item belonging to one of the missing merchants but refuse to explain where it came from.
The clues should suggest several possibilities rather than immediately revealing what happened.
The player may overhear merchants discussing the missing caravan in Aldor, notice that expected goods have failed to reach the market, encounter someone searching for a missing relative, or hear Oak Guards questioning travelers arriving through the city gates.
The mystery may also begin while traveling. The player could discover one of the first clues along the old trade road without knowing its significance.
No one needs to formally hire the player. Curiosity alone may be enough to begin the investigation.
Franz may create the caravan's merchants, guards and drivers, their relationships, the goods they carried, witnesses, relatives and minor locations encountered during the investigation.
The caravan should have genuinely traveled the old trade road before disappearing. Beyond that, conflicting testimony and misleading clues may create several plausible explanations.
The investigation may lead away from the main road into wilderness, ruins, isolated settlements or other appropriate locations.
Do not reveal the fate of the caravan prematurely. The player should be able to follow physical evidence, question people and gradually reconstruct what happened.
Unlike Eldrath's larger established mysteries, Franz may determine the eventual explanation for the caravan's disappearance, provided it remains consistent with Eldrath's setting, existing lore and low-magic dark-fantasy tone.