Quartz 4

Stonewake Crossing

4 min read

A fortified ferry town built beside the ruins of an ancient bridge, serving as the last safe passage before the wetlands begin.

Here’s a fully fleshed-out write-up of Stonewake Crossing you can drop straight into your campaign binder. It’s written to be player-facing in tone, with clear NPC hooks and a single encounter drawn cleanly from your monster list.

STONEWAKE CROSSING

“No one owns the river. We just survive it.”

Stonewake Crossing is the last reliable passage across the River Lornwater before the wetlands of Heterland begin. Built around the ruins of an ancient stone bridge, the town survives on ferries, tolls, and secrets carried in both directions.

The Crossing is neutral ground by necessity. Valin’s banners hang on one watchtower, Heterland’s on another, and neither side fully trusts the other to keep the peace.

THE SETTLEMENT

Stonewake is small but stubborn:

  • Wooden buildings raised on stone pylons

  • Rope walkways near the riverbank

  • Constant mist from the Lornwater

  • Smell of wet wood, pitch, and river-mud

The broken stone arches of the old bridge still rise from the water like ribs, and locals avoid passing beneath them at night.

KEY NPCs

Jorren Pike, Ferryman of the Lornwater

Human, late 40s, river-lean, weathered face

Jorren operates the Nightwake, the largest and most reliable ferry at the Crossing. He knows every current, sandbar, and superstition of the river.

  • Speaks plainly, wastes no words

  • Will not cross after full dark unless heavily paid

  • Claims the river has been “restless” for weeks

Secret:
Jorren has seen something pacing the riverbank at night, watching the ferries, but refuses to name it aloud.

Quote:

“The river decides who crosses. I just hold the rope.”

Mara Fenlock, Innkeeper of the Broken Span

Human woman, early 50s, sharp-eyed, no-nonsense

Mara runs the Broken Span Inn, built using stones salvaged from the fallen bridge. It’s the only place in Stonewake where Valin and Heterland folk will sit in the same room without knives drawn.

  • Keeps meticulous mental notes on travelers

  • Offers fair prices and strong drinks

  • Knows every rumor worth knowing

The Broken Span Inn

  • Low-ceilinged common room

  • River-stone hearth

  • Rooms smell faintly of damp wool

  • Ferry schedules chalked on a board by the door

Quote:

“Everyone crossing that river thinks they’re leaving something behind. They’re wrong.”

ATMOSPHERE & RUMORS

Common talk in Stonewake includes:

  • Ferries found adrift at dawn, ropes cut clean

  • A body pulled from the river with no visible wounds

  • Old bridge stones shifting in the night

  • Heterland smugglers refusing to cross at certain hours

Players should feel like this is a threshold, not just a stop.

ENCOUNTER: THE WATCHER IN THE REEDS

Monster: Shadow (CR 4)
Location: Riverbank near the broken bridge ruins
Theme: Crossing borders has consequences

Setup

On the night the party plans to cross—or the night after they arrive—Jorren refuses to ferry anyone. A faint, unnatural chill creeps along the river, and the mist thickens unnaturally near the old bridge arches.

A shadowy figure moves against the current, clinging to the reeds.

The Truth

A Shadow has manifested from the accumulated deaths and fear tied to the Crossing. It is bound to the ruins of the bridge and grows stronger when travelers die unburied or unnamed.

It stalks lone travelers, ferrymen, and guards—draining strength before slipping back into the mist.

Encounter Options

  • Combat: The Shadow attacks near the riverbank, using darkness and water to its advantage.

  • Containment: Proper rites or burning river offerings weaken it.

  • Avoidance: Crossing during daylight avoids the encounter—but leaves it to claim others later.

Consequences

  • Defeating the Shadow allows safe night crossings for a time

  • Ignoring it results in increased tolls, fear, and disappearances

  • Jorren offers free passage once if the party deals with it

Rewards

  • Shadow essence or residuum

  • Gratitude from Stonewake locals

  • Reputation as people who handle problems rather than run from them

WHY STONEWAKE MATTERS

Stonewake Crossing isn’t just geography—it’s the moment the world stops being safe.

  • Valin’s laws weaken here

  • Heterland’s dangers begin to seep in

  • Supernatural forces start responding to the party’s presence

After Stonewake, things do not simply go back to normal.

If you want next, I can:

  • Write The Broken Span Inn menu & rumors table

  • Add a smuggling subplot

  • Tie the Shadow directly to Utarnian runes

  • Design a second Stonewake encounter using a Wererat or Bugbear Tormentor

Just tell me where you want to deepen next.

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