1
The Red Road
The Red Road Chapter is intended for
Characters with 35 Traits. It can be played in a
single session.
All Blood and Bone adventures are structured
around the events, characters, or locations that
are used to drive the story.
The material in this book is meant for the
Arbiter's eyes only, as they facilitate the Players
journey through the various problems that will
arise over the course of the Adventure. The
Arbiter should read through the Adventure
Background before running the Adventure. The
informtaion presented in the Adventure
Background is for the Arbiter alone.
All italic text is meant to be read aloud or
paraphrased and shared with the Players at
appropriate times.
Adventure Background
A Mercish caravan is set to leave from the small
trade city of Saval near the border of Mercos and
Caros, south of Tarille. Purportedly, it is carrying
a cargo of iron to sell in Caros. In reality it is
carrying a more risky and valuable haul of
Mercish swords and chainmail. Slazaro Mereeni,
the small-time merchant in charge of this cargo,
works for a Trade Prince who has many such
caravans bringing him wealth daily.
Slazaro is deep in gambling debts back in Saval.
Wishing to pocket more money for himself off
this venture, he has lied to the Characters and the
rest of the caravan, telling them it is only carrying
iron, as a cargo of arms is far more likely to
attract trouble.
The caravan is suspiciously over-guarded for
hauling mere freight, with Gerardo, Slazaros
personal Caroan bodyguard; Kasad and Hibaal, a
pair of Abkhazi mercenaries; plus any of the
Player Characters acting as guards. Gerardo is in
on Slazaro's plan and has been promised a cut.
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Slazaro also intends to smuggle the goods
across the border, over the Spine into Caros,
skipping the river taxes normally incurred by
crossing at the city of Ramamat and going
through Abkhaz. This will save a hefty sum for
himself, unbeknownst to his employer who
would never risk an entire caravan on such an
undertaking.
To accomplish this venture, Slazaro has hired a
local guide, Farri, who claims to know a secret
pass through the Spine. Farri is really the servant
boy for a bandit gang that hides out in a cave near
the foothills of the Spine. Through Slazaro's
gambling house exploits, the bandit gang found
out about his desperate plan and planted Ferri to
lead the caravan into the bandits trap.
The third factor that entangles this ill-fated
journey is the presence of Lothir. Lothir is a
Tarnish deserter, previously a captain in their
army, who in escaping to Mercos was captured by
slavers and sold to Slazaro. The petty merchant
believes he can sell Lothir for a higher markup to
Abkhazi slavers bound for the fighting pits of
Maribzul. He is bound on one of the carts, but
will attempt to escape however and whenever he
can.
Saval
The game begins with the Characters meeting
outside the walls of Saval. The Players could be
hired guards, tinkers or peddlers, slaves being
transported for sale, or simply travelers using the
caravan for safe passage.
In this first scene the Characters especially if
they are new to one another should describe
themselves and introduce themselves in
character, as well as familiarize themselves with
the various NPCS. This can continue as they
begin their journey.
 Saval is a typical Mercish city, surrounded by high
dusty red stone walls. You are just outside the city,
near a small side gate open to what little traffic
passes.
Three carts sit along the dusty road. The front cart is
covered with a cloth tarp, and seated at the reins is a
grizzled Caroan with an eye patch over a long shiny
scar on his face. (If any of the Players are there as
guards, it is Gerardo, who would have hired them.)
The second cart is much the same as the first, cargo
protected with a faded cloth tarp, though no one sits
at the reins, and the two horses idly paw the dry
earth. Behind it, the third cart is clearly the supply
cart. Two Abkhazi, mercenaries by the looks of them,
swaddled in dark cloth, sit at its front. In the back,
behind sacks of food and a large water keg, sits a
man with long shabby hair and a matching beard.
Alongside the carts, checking the horse's reins, is a
ratty-looking boy in sandals and ragged clothes.
If anyone approaches the long-haired man on
the cart (Lothir), they will notice immediately that
he is blindfolded, and upon closer inspection, that
he is manacled to the cart. He will remain
unresponsive to most questioning. He may even
be asleep.
One of the Abkhazi mercenaries, the man, (Hibaal)
says in his harsh accent, Let him sleep. He has a
long road ahead of him, this accursed one.
If either the Abkhazi or Gerardo are asked
about the man (Lothir) they will reveal that he is a
Tarnish deserter, caught crossing the border, and
that they believe Slazaro will sell him in Tarn.
Hibaal speaks of Lothir with respect, as a fellow
warrior. Gerardo speaks of Lothir with contempt;
it is clear he has no love for the Tarnish, or
deserters, or people foolish enough to be taken
prisoner.
If any Character chooses to look around for the
leader of the caravan (Slazaro, the missing driver
from the second cart), they will notice him off by
the small gate.
A fat, bald man in the latest style of Mercish robes
stands with two brutish-looking men in the shadow
of the wall. They converse in low tones.
Should a Character get close enough without
them noticing with (Stealth CR 10) or (Perception
CR 15), they will overhear snippets of the
conversation. If they fail, read them only
fragments of the below.
You hear the merchant (Slazaro) hiss, I will have it
for you when the caravan returns, you have my
word.
The shorter of the two brutish men spits into the
dust, Your word is worth nothing, Slazaro. Try to
run, and we will find you. Come back empty-handed
to Risani, and you will wish we had found you.
I will not fail him again, insists Slazaro.
Aye. You will not. This is your last chance, Slazaro,
says the short man flatly.
A few more hushed words are exchanged, and the
two brutes move off towards the small gate and
disappear. Slazaro returns to the caravan.
Should a Player ask Slazaro about this
interaction, he will tell them to mind their own
business. Should they succeed on a (Manipulate
CR 10) he will comment that his higher-ups
demand much of him and that he has a lot riding
on this caravan trip.
The trip to the border is supposed to take three days.
It is across the rough terrain of Taberos, the dry,
rocky badlands that run between the more temperate
Mercos and the harsh Abkhazi desert. Parched and
arid, Taberos is effectively a desert itself, though
much more vegetated than the sand-seas of Abkhaz.
It is peppered with scrub grass and the occasional
cluster of palms or wizened trees.
The sun over Taberos is hot and high as you begin
your trek into the badlands. Soon the walls of Saval
are lost to the shimmering heat rising from the ridge.
You walk for most of the day as the hot sun beats
mercilessly down. Finally, after walking along a dry
river bed, your guide leads you into the ruins of a
small village.
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 The Ruins
Behind crumbling half-walls of dusty stacked stone
sit the ruins of a small village of similar
construction. A cluster of hollow stone houses huddle,
ruined, around a dry well. Most of the houses have
crumbled into scattered stones, but a few have most
of their walls, empty doors and windows open to the
wind and sand. Your guide, Ferri, says We should
camp here for the night, we will not find better
shelter out in the wastes.
shambles towards you, emaciated arms outstretched,
clawing the air with long-fingered, gaunt hands.
Once the Risen has been dealt with, exploration
of the cellar reveals it to once have been a store
room. Old crates, empty barrels, and long-ago
mouldered sacks of flour are stacked high. An
Investigate or Perception check will reveal a patch
of differently-colored earth, yellow on the gray
sand something is buried.

In exploring the town Players will find enough
dry brush and old bleached timber to start a fire
for the night. Other than some ancient stone
pillars and the fallen statue of a warrior, the ruins
are fairly empty. Wild dogs howl as dusk settles
cool and dark over the desert.
Allow the Players time to converse with each
other and the NPCs.
The Trap Door
The fiery orange sun hangs low over a rise, casting
long shadows across the cracked earth. Soon it sinks
below the horizon, plunging the desert into cold
night. A chill wind whistles through the empty town,
and one by one, stars begin to fill the black sky.
At some point during the night, a loud
thumping noise will arise. Any Character who is
awake will be able to hear the noise and
determine its direction. It is coming from one of
the more complete houses. Should they choose to
discover its source, a (Survival, Investigate, or
Perception CR 12) leads to the discovery of a
trapdoor beneath the dust on the floor. It is tied
shut with ancient twine between two rusted metal
loops. If opened, they see a worn wooden ladder
leading down into what appears to be a cellar
there is no apparent source to the noise.
Digging will reveal a small locked chest made of
wood and brass, covered in a nest of black
serpents.
If the Players dug carefully, the snakes may still
be asleep. If a Player dug quickly, the snakes will
strike on sight (Dexterity CR 15). On a failed
check, the Character receives a wound and the
snakes slither into cracks in the crumbling stones.
With an appropriate (Survival CR 15), a Player
may be able to move the snakes a stick without
provoking them. A base Dexterity roll or
(Thievery CR 15) can remove the chest without
aggravating the snakes. Fire will also scare them
off. The chest has a scattering of old Caroan
copper and silver coins at the bottom (Caroan
coins, though larger than Mercish rings, are
actually worth less. A (Learned CR 10) reveals the
coins to be worth approximately 35 copper rings
if sold, or near double that in raw materials if
melted).

Should the Players drop a torch down or make

a large amount of noise, a Risen will come into
view. The Risen is not able to climb the ladder.
Should they descend without seeing the Risen, it
will attack them once they are in the cellar.

You see a man-shaped shadow in the corner of the

room, shoulders slumped, head down. As you draw
closer, it seems to sense you its head snaps up and
its dead white eyes meet your own. It lets loose a
guttural growl, jaw hanging impossibly wide, black
lips rotted away in a permanent hideous grin; it

4
The Oasis
Grey morning breaks pale as the sun rises, but soon
it is as hot and bright as if night never was. After a
quick breakfast of dried bread and meat from the
supply cart, you move out, back into the harsh
expanse of the Taberos badlands, filling your
waterskins from the cask on the cart.
You walk for the better part of the day. As the sun
sinks low and you squeeze the last drops from your
waterskins, you crest a rise, and there below you is
an oasis. Its a small muddy watering hole, ringed by
scraggly trees and sparse vegetation.
The water keg is running low, and Farri says
that this is the only place to refill it for miles
around. As the company refills their waterskins,
Farri will recommend camping here for the night
so as to start fresh the next day with as much
water as can be carried.
Farris Treachery
Farris treachery will begin the attack. He will
start by stabbing Hibaal in his sleep. Players may
be awakened by Hibaals muffled cries as Farri
stabs him repeatedly (Perception CR 15).
If no Player Character is awakened by this,
Farri will move among them, attacking whoever
he perceives as the biggest threat. If this occurs,
Hibaal will throw a knife with his dying breath,
inflicting a wound on Farri and causing him to
cry out in pain just before he slits the Characters
throat.
The Bandits Attack
During the night the gang of bandits Farri has
been working for will attack the caravan camp.
Kassad is also on guard and may be used later to
help balance the fight. His appearance can be held
to save a Players Character in a time of need, or
his actions can be confined to the background.
The number of bandits should scale with the
number of Players. The Bandit Leader and two
followers should always be present. Increase the
number of bandits by one for each Player.
Bandit Leader + 2 + Number of Players
Depending on how many of the Characters are
focused on combat, you can make Gerardo
engage actively in fighting, or take a defensive
position.
The leader of the bandits will stay back and
watch from the top of the rise. Once the bandits
suffer a few casualties their leader will wade in to
turn the tide.
Lothir
Lothir will offer to lend aid in exchange for his
freedom. One of the Characters should find
themselves engaged in combat near his wagon, or
a wounded Character may stumble past.
You stink of blood, unshackle me and I can help
you; quickly!
If Lothir is set free he will be true to his word.
He will heal wounds to the best of his ability with
Knit and Brink, and use Wither if attacked.
However, he will try to use the commotion to
escape, stealing a horse and riding south towards
Sarcosa. He will not attack the Characters unless
they attempt to prevent his escape.
The End of the Fight
The Bandits will not fight senselessly to death.
If they lose more than half their number and their
leader is slain, they will attempt to flee.
If Farri or any of the bandits surrender or are
captured they can be persuaded to give up
information (Manipulation or Intimidation CR
13): Farri was working for the bandits, the bandits
have looted other caravans, and the location of
the bandit's lair.
Roll (Learned CR 10) to remember seeing a
notice in Saval advertising a bounty on the
leaders head. If the Characters dont remember,
or dont bring it up, Kasad will take the mans
head or signet-ring and tie it to his saddle. He
intends to take the money for his tribe, but
Gerardo insists they split it. Its up to the Players
how they handle the situation.
Wild Dogs
If the Characters linger, they will hear distant
howls and yips drawing nearer. A pack of wild
dogs will circle the camp, eating the bodies
towards its outskirts. They are scavengers and
will not attack the Characters. Use the dogs to
reinforce the realism of the fight and remind the
Players of the bodies of those their Characters
killed.
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 The Bandits Trail
When the caravan leaves the oasis and moves
towards the mountains, they will come across
several looted wagons.
Several broken wagons lie like the bones of some
great beast, half buried in desert sand.
(Survival or Investigate CR 12) reveals that the
arrows in these wagons are the same as those
used by the bandits in last nights attack. There
are corpses buried in the sand, mummified from
weeks of dry sun and sand. They have the
tattooed necks of Mercish eunuch guards.
Looking up from the ruins of the cart, as the heat
shimmer clears, you see a dark cave cleft in the
distant rocks.
The Cave
The stones inside the caves mouth are cool to the
touch and it smells of damp. The natural cleft at the
entrance gives way to the crumbled flagstones of an
ancient room. In the center, stacked stones form a
wide well.
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If any of the bandits escaped
Copper rings lie scattered across the cracked
flagstones, spilling from the fractured corner of a
small chest. Barrels and crates appear to have been
hastily moved, some lying in splintered fragments.
Among the wreckage, you can make out two bodies.
The two women are Mercish slaves from the
pillaged caravan, Vivana and Ysbel. Viviana is
beaten, her clothes torn. Ysbel is dead, stabbed by the
fleeing bandit.
The few copper coins scattered on the floor and in
the half-full chest amount to a small but meaningful
sum.
If none of the bandits escaped
The cave is well-stocked with piled crates and
barrels. At the far, shadowed end of the room you see
a wooden cage with two figures inside it.
The two women are Mercish slaves from the
pillaged caravan, Vivana and Ysbel. Ysbel has a
broken leg, inflicted on her by the bandits when she
tried to escape the night before; she is unconcious.
Should they be treated kindly, Vivana will reveal
the loose flagstone that covers the bandits hidden
stash. There are three small chests of copper rings
and a trunk of rich silks that amount to a fair sum.
Caravan Characters Be still or I'll break your neck like a twig. Don't
even think about screaming or drawing your
Slazaro Mereeni weapon, you'll be dead before you move.
Slazaro is a bald, overweight merchant, wearing
many gold rings on his fat fingers. He is a greedy He will attempt to convince the Player to let
coward and cares more for the wellbeing of the him escape.
caravan's cargo than that of those transporting it.
More than the cargo, and indeed all else, Slazaro It's wrong to have a man in chains, surely you know
cares for himself. He will hide at the sight of that. They want to sell me to men who will kill me. I
danger and is unwilling to take any personal risks. have committed no crime. The Caroan has the key,
you can get it from him. I swear I won't hurt you or
Gerardo your companions, I just want my freedom.
Gerardo is a jaded veteran from the Caroan
Army. Grizzled, he wears an eye patch, partially
concealing a long scar that cuts down his cheek
and trails off into his salt and pepper stubble. His
one good eye is cold and black, and Gerardo is as
shrewd and weathered as he appears. He will not
die for Slazaro or the caravan, but he will
certainly kill for it.

Farri
Farri is a slimy character. Wearing a obsequious
smile, he accompanies all his statements with
sire. He acts as the caravan's guide while secretly
Lothir serving the bandits.
Lothir is a competent and trained Blooded.
Once a soldier in Tarn's army, he deserted after
witnessing a terrible slaughter. He has no desire
to kill anyone, but will do what it takes to escape.
He is shackled to the supply cart with manacles
that connect his wrists, bind his ankles, and attach
to an iron ring in the cart. He is also blindfolded
as an extra precaution to prevent him from using
Blood. Should any Character try and speak to
him, he will remain silent, in the hopes that they
will lean close so he may grab them in a choke-
hold with the chains. He may ask for water to lure
them close.
If Lothir should succeed in snaring a Character
with a (Dexterity or Strength CR 15), he will say
the following in hoarse whisper.

7

Hibaal & Kassad
Hibaal and Kassad keep to themselves, speaking
mostly to each other in Abkhazi. If another
Character is Abkhazi they may be receptive to
them and share food and light conversation.
Kassad will follow Hibaal through anything, and
is willing to die for him. Hibaal is honorable,
legitimately willing to die to uphold his contract
to protect the caravan.
Bandits
Potential Names: Khalid, Sadik, Ziyad
Potential Characteristics: Oily black beard,
scarred face, squashed nose. The leader of the
bandits has an impressive bare chest above a wide
leather girdle. His muscled forearms are wrapped
in studded leather bracers.