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From a housewife in Nivakta's Crossing: "There's gremlins and kobolds and all sorts of monsters out in the hills. Michal's a hunter, see; he hasn't seen them himself, but he usually goes north. Some of the others that like to go west towards the forest have seen the little rascals. No one's done that for a while though, with the bandits getting so uppity. If you're here to tame the Kamelands, you could start by getting rid of those monsters! Nasty little things. Almost as bad as the bandits! At least kobolds don't kill people usually, just steal our sheep. Gremlins, though, yuck. Nana always put out a bowl of milk for the little folk, but... that's for pixies. I don't think gremlins care about milk quite so much. At least they never come too close to town, anyway."

• Update: the Thorn River bandits have certainly faced trouble from gremlins, and confirm that there are definitely kobolds out there somewhere, but your captive isn't sure where. The gremlins of the Old Sycamore are a bloody nuisance. Sophia can tell you that this is typical of mitflit gremlins; they're well organized but cruel and mean-spirited. Mitflits suffer from a species-wide inferiority complex from having lost most of their gremlin magic at some point in the distant past, and are normally bound in service to some more powerful fey, but failing that, some particularly strong gremlin will take charge and the others are happy to follow. They're natural, instinctive henchmen, basically. The Sootscale kobold tribe lives somewhere to the east of the Old Sycamore; they and the gremlins are mortal enemies.
  
• Update: You have slain the mitflits' leader and dispersed the hive. The Sootscale kobolds have sworn eternal friendship, although not exactly fealty or allegiance just yet.

A bridge old Davik once had made, down south on the Shrike below the cascade. He charged the toll for shepherd or knave, but the bandits said they wouldn't pay. They burned his house and killed his hounds, they cut the bridge and left Davik to drown. But no thief could build the bridge once more: for in the dark of night, old Davik crawls back on the shore. From the bandits that him they slew, old Davik now demands his due. Of old Davik's bridge, just one rope yet stands. But the toll is no coin struck by mortal hands. Heed this tale and listen well, or Davik's spear shall be your knell.

The drunkard trapper Breeg Orlivanch been missing for almost a month now. Sure, sometimes he stays out for a long time watching his traps, but never this long, and his daughter's worried about him, Erastil alone knows why. Maybe young Miss Orlivanch is just worried that he might come back. If Breeg made it south of the road, either he got caught by something, or someone, or more likely he joined that bandit gang that's hassling Oleg.

• Update: the bandit captive Charlie has never heard of Breeg Orlivanch. The bandits don't all use their real names, though.
  
• Update: you found a man answering to Breeg's description, killed beneath his own deadfall after having seeded dozens of square miles of forest with deadly traps.
  
• Update: you've delivered Breeg's custom skinning knife to Oleg, who has promised to get it to his newly orphaned daughter.

The bridge several miles south of the bandit camp is too weak for more than one person at a time, and much too weak for horses. You'll have to be careful, or you'll get dumped in the river.

• Update: Yes, it's sabotaged. You couldn't figure out how, but at least you put up a sign to prevent anyone from falling through until you can get it fixed properly.

Weird stuff keeps happening in an area north of the Thorn River camp, but Charlie never found out the details.

• Update: this is almost certainly related to the fey pranksters that you've been dealing with whenever you venture into this part of the Greenbelt.

One of other bandits had a lucky rock that he insisted was gold, or at least gold ore, which he'd found to the southeast of the bandit camp. Probably just fools' gold, though: Petey was certainly a fool.

• Update: Yes, there's actually a gold seam there. You found a pair of escaped Technic League slaves, having taken shelter in the cave.

Old Bokken is a real hermit, lives in a little hut on the plains about a day's ride southeast of Oleg's trading post. He spends his time making elixirs mostly, and sells 'em to Oleg to sell on to the trappers, but Oleg hasn't heard from him in a few weeks.

• Update: Bokken is alive and well, although the bandits have been looting him so badly that he was barely able to sell enough stock to keep himself alive. With the Thorn River bandits dispersed, he should be able to make a much better living in his little hut.
  
• Update: Bokken warns you about his brother, should you ever encounter him. Apparently said brother is a much more evil hermit, living somewhere to the south. Bokken will not be disappointed if the younger brother meets a grisly end.