Spoilers below

A Bit of Background

The party recently was assaulted by a group of bounty hunters. They found a "bingo book" which listed each of them as well as several other individuals/groups wanted by a familiar name: Zal Esarus (Big Bad Evil Guy). Here's the list:

• Silas Gorian [500/1000] Pale, long dark hair. Tall man with a powerful build, likely in the southern Duskwood. Known to have escaped Dentura Morbum. Vampire likely.
• Barlow Hatcha [500/750] A Swarthy man with dark blond hair, he wears a thick mustache, red armor with an emerald plume. He carries a flaming sword and rides under the device of a Rooster.
• Mirek Golovin: [500/750] An undead knight, made by the secrets of the acolytes of the god of Death. It has a doubled arm and Flamberge. It is accompanied by a gray-eyed woman and devil-skin with long horns.. Last seen at the Temple Ruin near Jagged Edge Hideaway.
• Axius Astramind [1000/1500] Powerful mage, his mark is fire, most of his left side is charred from long service. White-blonde hair, shorter build. Whereabouts unkown.
• Magnus the Red [500/750] Red Dragon Knight, short for the knights but wide. Prefers glaives and polearms. Whereabouts unknown.
• Georg Alhund: [alive only 2000] Young boy, likely tall for his age. Keeps a thick gold signet ring of a hound grappling a dragon. Likely accompanied by Magnus the Red. Whereabouts unkown.
• Any Quick-Tooth Goblin Deserters: [dead only 20]
• Hox Longfeather [50/75]: Goblin sniper, leading the last of the Quicktooth Goblins that rebelled against Esarus after the fall of Queen Bargnot. Last seen in the northern duskwood, near the Ghostcliffs.
• The “Face Eater”: [alive only 200] Three toed beast. Likely undead, ambush predator. Its hunting grounds are believed to be north of Nighshade Clearing.
• Armored Blond Man: [100/150] taller than average, scar near his eye. Wears the sign of a flower over breastplate. Last seen at the Temple Ruin near Jagged Edge Hideaway.
• Tan, Redheaded magician: [100/150] average height. Carries a deck of cards. Green eyes. Last seen at the Temple Ruin near Jagged Edge Hideaway.
• Braided haired woman: [100/150] she has many trinkets in her hair, swarthy but may be able to wear animal shape.
• Stout Hunter [50/100] with long greasy hair. He wears deerskin boots and hunts with a bow. Known to live in Anton’s Mill

The [X/Y] is the reward (in gold crowns) for Dead/Alive. The party has met Mirek Golovin and its group, Axius Astramind currently lives in their stronghold, they've fought the Quick-Tooth Goblins before, killed the "Face Eater," they are themselved the Armored Blond Man, Tan Redhead Magician, and Braid-Haired Woman. The Stout Hunter is their friend Lars Bailey, who even if his stories are twice as tall as reality is still the best hunter Anton's Mill has seen in 80 years.

They've decided that this might be a good list to find "enemies of my enemies." They are planning on seeking Hox Longfeather and his rebel goblins next.

Politics

There are tensions that the party hasn't really bothered to look for: Zal Esarus has raised an army of the dead (Zal is a title reserved for very powerful necromancers, which aren't inherintly evil in my setting). He has additionally gained the use of a well-educated and formidible general in Khazran the Warbreed (Warbreed are what I call Half-Orcs, and are magically created beings, not literal half-breeds) who won the respect of the local Orc tribes and brought them into Zal Esarus' army. That left the local goblins, who they strongarmed into doing their bidding, an arrangement most of the goblins resented. Hox and his band were such members of the Quicktooth tribe and disagreed with Queen Bhargnot about whether to stand up for themselves now or bend to the might of Zal Esarus and bide their time for rebellion. That rebellion ironically saved their lives, as they were banished from the Jagged Edge Hideaway (the capital warren of the Quick-tooth Tribe) when the party busted in and killed most of them.

Of course all of these leaders and factions have desires of their own that could be played against each other. Khazran is being "lent" to Esarus, and doesn't care for or about him personally. The Orcs don't like the undead and find them a distasteful way to fight. They are more loyal to Khazran for his obvious strength and tactics than to Esarus' wizardry and cunning. They don't typically marshall themselves to war, just to raid, so the idea of ranks, files and maintaining discipline is foreign. Esarus has a pupil (Arlen) who might stab him in the back for his own ambitions, the different tribes of Orcs don't always get along. The whole thing could be peeled apart, but we'll focus on the goblins and Hox's Gleeful Band of Free Greens.

At the Ghostcliffs

The Ghostcliffs are beyond the north eastern edges of the Duskwood (the party's main stomping ground). That's where the goblins went into hiding. It's tough mountain country with steep walls hiding many caves, perfect for a subterranean gang going into hiding. It helps that Hox is pretty sure of where Zal Esarus' stronghold, Dentura Morbum, is. Even though they're in the same region, he's posted watches and scouts to make sure they don't catch unwanted attention from the necromancer.

We'll have a few days of travel inside the Duskwood, perhaps a few random encounters.

The familiar ancient pine forest reluctantly gives way to mountain country. The Ghostcliffs loom above you, sheer and pale. Spears of rock spread like wings from the foreboding stone formation. Wind howls and moans down from the tall peaks above you, giving these hills their name.

The trail continues ahead as a narrow path cutting back and forth, too steep and treachourous for any mule or horse. Scanning the way before you, there are many ravines and steep places. In a few areas, small waterfalls pour down near the switchbacks. Clouds and mist seem to settle down, undisturbed by the occasional gusts of air. In spring this place may be entirely impassable, but in summer it is merely difficult and dangerous.

As far as how they might find the goblins, they have a starting point from the bingo book, Winora can speak with animals and Armond can use his familiar. I'm sure they probably have some other skills or ideas that I haven't thought of yet.

The Trail

The party continues up the Ghostcliffs for several hours, eventually the trail comes to a rope bridge.

The trail ends abruptly at a narrow rope bridge spanning a gulf about 150 feet across. The bridge creaks as it sways and bucks with the occasional gust of air.

Terrain Encounter I think a rope bridge between cliffs would be good. If they overload it, it could break. Even if they don't we'll have Dex Checks to stay on as it swings in the wind. If the party uses some creative thinking we can skip over it. Perhaps they will be accosted by harpies instead.

As they continue in the Ghostcliffs for another hour or two, they'll find dead bounty hunters to show they're on the right trail. They were killed by Hox's scouts in an ambush, picked over, and dumped into a ravine. The hunters have cursed red gold (Zal Esarus pays in cursed gold, it's how he finds bodies for his undead army) in their pouches, but otherwise nothing of much value or interest.

I like the idea that they get close, maybe have a "random" encounter with a monster (cyclopes, hill giants, ettins, wyverns), some goblins show up during the fight and they have a chance to roleplay a bit.

Hox's Crew

The Band consists of a few dozen goblins, most of whom are "uneducated" (can't speak Giant). The following are his core council, who he consults and delegates to. Languages are in the order that they prefer speaking (giant is a lingua franca in my world). Titles in goblin society are typically in giant, but are translated here (because I didn't want to make up more words in giant). Among goblins, if you are a great/important person your title will likely be a point of pride or something to brag about. On the other hand, if you're lowly you might have no title, or a sarcastic one.

The Officers I'm not planning on needing them in combat really, but decided to link some statblocks as starting points. Most of the officers probably need bumped up a little

• Hox Longfeather [goblin, giant, common] male: he wears a hunter's cap with the titular griffon's feather over a scalplock. In his ears he wears a few earrings. He is tall for a goblin and build like a whip. He's clever and proud, unwilling to bend a knee. Around his men his is charismatic and jovial, but behind closed doors, he's a hardnosed negotiator.
• Thexni Wiitherose [goblin, giant, abyssal, common] female: an older cursespitter (demon worshipper) and spiritual leader of the group. She wears many pieces of bone jewelry and tattoos cover most of her body. Her staff is topped by a three-eyed "human" skull with deer horns and fangs. Hox knew he'd need someone to reassure the spiritual base of his group so he strongarmed her into his group. She doesn't appreciate what happened but has nowhere to go.
• Tozg Venomfang [goblin, giant] male: an assassin. He assumed everyone wants to kill him, except Hox, who he loves with extreme devotion. His ear is clipped and he wears a golden ring on a leather thong around his neck. He has deepset dark eyes and doesn't blink much. His dagger is of course, magical. He funcitons as Hox's spymaster and tactician.
• Krebz Stonefist [goblin] male: brute. Almost as tall as a man, weilds a maul, doesn't talk much.
• Qesh Sparrowtail [goblin, giant] female: archer. She is Hox's lover and prodigee. She is slight of frame and short, even for a goblin. She wears a few small earrings, but not any specific piece. She might become jealous of the party if they spend too much time with him.

Emergency Names

Male: Grikx, Helk, Slummex, Yalb, Triq

Female: Srift, Imzonee, Ilmea, Ifsi, Pronx