The Gnarleymen

This down-at-heel mercenary group pretends to have experience fighting bandits, goblinoids and worse (an owlbear or two, etc.) in the Gnar- ley Forest. Elkiaer Rusman is usually their spokesman, since he has the highest Charisma (15). He indeed comes from the village of Five Oaks in the Gnarley (GoF, pp. 35-36), where he grew up as a woodsman and has dispatched a few orcs in his time.

Each member of this group has a personal tale to tell, although they’d prefer not to. They try to pose as accomplished fighters, despite their poor equipment and humble lodgings in a River Quar- ter flop-house. This group is badly down on its luck and manages to get by with a little incidental laboring and pilfering, not to mention an odd mugging by the riverside. Their morale is poor (7-8) but would be significantly improved if they were paid reasonably, fed, and equipped.

Each Gnarleyman has but leather armor and a hand weapon (DM choice). Elkiar also has a short bow, and his broadsword +1 is the only magic this group possesses. The Gnarleymen, as they call themselves, would be very loyal to any patron who treated them honestly and well. They know a lot about the local area, so for PCs new to this campaign area, paying these mercenaries for help and information mav serve as a natural wav of getting a guided tour round the lands.