"Greed and thrills, those are the true motives of a man," says Tal Rusef as he leans low across the tavern bench. His eyes glint openly with avarice as he smiles with a mouthful of rotten teeth. "Now, I can see you're of a brave sort, not like the rest of these women who turn white at the mention of a few old tales" (he gestures as he speaks to include the rest of the tavern). "So my friends, are you interested in getting rich?"
It is with this charming tavern encounter that the stage is set. It can occur in almost any medium sized town within two or three days travel of a burial ground. I ran it after the events of The Troll Siege of Dunstal so the first encounter occured in Viddersted and the place names refer to areas around there. However, any lull time or location is okay (just substitute other names), or even as a teaser for a future adventure where the players agree to Tal's proposal (though prehaps when they next hear word of him, he has already succeeded or more likely been killed).
Tal Rusef is a man of indeterminate age. He is dressed in worn clothes but has managed to avoid becoming a thrall or a beggar by his wits and his scheming. He speaks with a quick, low tone and his eyes constantly dart around the room as if he fears people are watching him. He quickly marks the characters by their weapons and their new faces. He will approach them in a tavern by buying them a drink, calling them over to his table, or trying to sit at their table. He will act a bit ingratiating but he has few manners and bad breath.
If the characters seem unwilling, Tal with try to draw them with talk of riches (this is his main focus). He will downplay any danger unless characters seem to be thrill seekers (to which he will react by challenging their honor or courage). If they will listen to him, he will tell them a tale.
"Three winters ago I was traveling across the moors between here and Ryeston. There was an icestorm one night, and I was forced to take shelter in the lee of a group of hills. Well, I found a bit of an overhang and huddled shivering there until morning. But when the sunlight finally spilled over the hills, I had a terrible fright. The entire night I had spent crouched against the gravedoor of a barrow. In the light of day it was revealed to be a carved arch above a straight, well-milled piece of solid stone that blocked the entranceway. I'll tell the truth when I say I fled like a wolf was at my heels, but I soon got my courage up and had a proper look. It was ancient, of that there weren't a doubt. Strange marks were carved in the arch and it was all finely done. Surely the burial hill of a forgotten king or mighty warrior. And if he had such a fine barrow, why then the treasure inside must be a sight to behold! Just think of the coffers of silver and the bands of gold. Just sitting beyond that stone, gathering dust and useless. But if a few smart fellows were to nip in and take it, why no one would know the difference and they'd be as rich as any Thane. Well my friends, are you up to a journey from which you'll all return as wealthy as a guildman?"Tal won't be too forth coming about specific details, as he is afraid that they might try to reach the place without him (also because he was there only once and his memory is a bit hazy about where exactly he was). But he will cajole and egg the characters as much as possible into joining him. He wants at least three others, including himself. So if there are only two characters he will enlist the aid of a mercenary he knows by the name of Bravdr Jogulsson for a cut of the profits. Otherwise, it is just the characters and him.
Tal is anxious to get there but will allow time for supplies (he has a mule with his gear at a nearby stable). After that, the journey to the barrow will take about three days of travel. Tal will follow the north road for most of the first day, then turn off it east into harder territory. Anyone with a map or knowldege of the area and orienteering skills can tell that the journey will take them slightly south of Ryeston. Depending on the time of year, travel may take longer than three days. Possible encounters along the way include bandits, shepards, and hungry moor trolls.
Towards the end of the third day of travel, a lonely set of hills should be visible a few miles away. They stand out a bit above from the surrounding moors, very green and huddled close together. The characters can reach them by nightfall if they presss hard, but Tal will be cautious and say "No sense asking for trouble. Let's just camp here and wait 'til morning to get any closer." He won't admit he's scared, but he's afraid of what might be lurking in the barrow at night. Only if the weather is particularly bad will he agree to head for the hills for shelter.
The first site of the hills up close should surprise the characters with a feeling of loneliness and disconnection to the surrounding. Mist wreathes the hills as their interior stands in shadow this early (or late) in the day. The tops of each hill appear like green islands adrist in a grey sea. Here and there, dark shale gleams wetly from condensation. Water appears almost to be weeping from within the stone. As you walk under the shadows of the hills, they seem to hump up above you, making you feel a bit claustraphobic. But a small rock strewn path seems to lead deeper between the hills.
As you follow the path between the hills, Tals' mule whickers with fear and his eyes roll in thier sockets, showing white att he edges. Try as you might, you can't seem to make the beast take another step further. You can see as you walk further along the path that the sun doesn't seem to reach here in between the hills. The ground is clammy and fog clings in crevices and along the shaded slope. On each side the hills become more sheer and jagged with fallen rocks. The air is appreciable colder here and somewhat stale, as if unstirred by breezes. Finally, suddenly, the path becomes straight and as your eyes follow it, they widen. Before you, at the end of the path is a carved stone lintel in the side of a shale cliff. A smooth and arched piece of solid stone fills the space under the lintel, blocking what must be the entrance into an underground barrow.