A chase into the hills
The Goblin Who Stole the Lantern Flame
The great lantern above the tavern door has burned for a hundred years — until tonight. A goblin named Snagg swiped the flame in a copper thimble and bolted for the hills, and winter’s first night is coming with real dark and real cold. Without the flame, travelers won’t find the tavern. The heroes have until moonset to get it back.
Cold hearth, hot trail
Set the sceneThe great lantern hangs dark for the first time anyone can remember, and the whole tavern feels wrong — dim, hushed, cold at the edges. On the doorstep: one muddy goblin footprint, a dropped fish bone, and a tuft of green fur snagged on a nail, all pointing toward the Whistling Hills.
Ask the tableThe hills are full of paths and it’s getting dark. How do you follow a goblin?
If they're stuckGoblins can’t resist snacking as they run. A trail of fish bones, apple cores, and one small stolen spoon dots the path north.
Snagg’s front door
Set the sceneThe trail ends at a hill with a crooked little door, and Snagg is no fool: the path to it is rigged. A tripwire of braided grass, a bell on a string, and a very suspicious pile of leaves that is absolutely covering a pit. From inside the hill comes a warm orange glow and a small voice singing to itself.
Ask the tableThree traps between you and the door. How do you get past them?
If they're stuckTraps can be jumped, unhooked, or turned around — a hero could reset the pit so it catches a fleeing goblin instead.
✦ Roll for itAny bold move through the traps earns a roll: on a 1–3 the bell rings, the singing stops, and Snagg’s eyes appear at the keyhole. Now he knows you’re coming.
The goblin’s reason
Set the sceneInside, the copper thimble sits on a little stone table, the stolen flame dancing in it — and around it huddle five tiny goblin pups wrapped in a scarf, holding their hands out to the warmth. Snagg jumps in front of them with a tin-pot lid for a shield. "The cold came early," he growls. "The tavern has fire to spare. We had none. I’m not sorry."
Ask the tableThe flame belongs to the tavern — but look at the pups. What do you do?
If they're stuckThe flame can be shared: a candle lit from a flame doesn’t make the first flame smaller. Someone probably has a candle, a lantern, or dry twigs in their pack.
Racing the dark home
Set the sceneHowever it’s settled — traded, shared, or won — the flame must ride home in the thimble through wind that has teeth in it now. The moon is dipping toward the hills, the first travelers of winter are out on the road somewhere, and a single gust could end a hundred years of light.
Ask the tableThe wind is rising and the flame is one thumb tall. How do you shield it all the way home?
If they're stuckCloaks, cupped hands, walking in a tight huddle with the smallest hero carrying the thimble in the middle — teamwork is the shield.
✦ Roll for itOn the exposed ridge the wind hits hardest — roll: on a 1–3 the flame gutters down to a spark, and someone must give up their scarf, hat, or hood to save it.