- 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.
- Update: Clan Sootscale has sworn fealty to Caydenlund. They're a pain in the ass, but extremely industrious miners.
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.
- Davik's unquiet spirit has been laid to rest by the death of the Stag Lord. The bridge is in disrepair, but it's now repairable.
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 Thorn River 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.
The Isle of the Lizard King, an iruxi tribe on the Murque River, has recently become significantly more hostile and unwelcoming to travelers.
Scrying Candlemere and the ruined watchtower in its center reveals that there is some kind of pretty serious lingering effect on the island, along with some surprisingly stiff blocks against remote investigation, particularly inside the ruined watchtower, which no one managed to get even a glimpse of. Your people are pretty sure it's something stranger than the fey influence which is much more common in the area, but they can't say what. One of the mages got the sense that something was looking back at her through her ritual.
Watching.
The sailors who got closest report that they saw a dilapidated pier on the south shore of the island. After this, some of the lights often seen floating around the tower started to get closer to the boat, and they rowed away at double-time. An old-timer remembers there was a merchant who tried to set up a secret cache on the island once, about 20 or 30 years ago. He got the pier built and a small warehouse, and then no one ever saw him again.
Jubilost tells you of a region of forest (H16) which seemed excessively dark and oppressive to him. From most people you'd just ignore this, but the gnomish explorer seems to generally have a decent head on his shoulders.