The Violet Leaf Expedition

A UVG Caravan of Speculative Traders, Fragile Alliances, and Unspoken Debts

The Caravan

An overburdened wagon rolls across the wastes, pulled by four mules who've seen too much and two combat steeds who think they're better than this. The wagon creaks under odd fruits, trading kits, and the weight of unresolved trauma. A pink bottle hums softly in someone's pack—nobody talks about what's inside.

They're looking for a missing ledger. They're also looking for themselves, but that's harder to trade.

Company Motto: "Fortune Forged in the Faint Light"
Company Logo: A stylized violet leaf overlaying a gear—half-organic, half-industrial

The Expedition Members

Horto 'n Caravan (Chief Negotiator)

Species: Rainbowlander | Background: Safranian Merchant Adventurer

A trader chasing whispers of a vanished ledger, haunted by rumors of forgery and corporate malfeasance. Carries a pink bottle with something that sings when nobody's listening. The kind of person who can negotiate their way out of trouble... or into deeper trouble.

• Key Skills: Merchant, Haggler
• Signature Item: Pink bottle with singing spirit
• Secret: The ledger they're chasing might be a fake they created

Yon 'Engine (Captain of Guards & Mechanic)

Species: D.W.A.R.F. | Background: Hexad Enforcer Militant

A militant carrying blood memories of lost patrimony and a green brick that glows with candle-warmth. Suspects their memory was tampered with during "The Ledger Incident." Fixes things by hitting them, which works more often than it should.

• Key Skills: Melee Combat, Mechanic
• Signature Item: Green memory-brick
• Secret: Brain-hacked during the incident, can't trust their own memories

Acid Spirit (Animal Handler & Scout)

Species: Steppelander | Background: Grove-Born Phytomancer

A mystic whose manual promised a divine workshop but delivered only questions. Carries a sentient gun-wand that whispers porcelain poetry. Sometimes speaks in the voice of plants, which is either magical communion or concerning dissociation.

• Key Skills: Phytomancy, Beastwhisperer
• Signature Item: Intelligent gun-wand of porcelain and jade
• Secret: The gun-wand is writing its own field guide through them

Pilk Bagato (Scout & Wildcard)

Species: Quarterling | Background: Outcast, Cult Survivor

An illegal who escaped a luddite cult when giant mining machines cracked the earth. Carries cult tattoos that might be a map, might be a curse, might be both. Believes the caravan is a shared hallucination designed to test their faith.

• Key Skills: Stealth, Thievery
• Signature Item: Cult-tattooed map of unknown regions
• Secret: Can steal pain from others and redistribute it

Caravan Assets

Transport

• 1 Massive Hauling Wagon (24-sack capacity, very slow, €600)
• 4 Mules (draft animals, €280 total)
• 2 Combat Steeds (flashy but hungry, €400 total)

Essential Kits

• Adventure Kitchen (1 sack) - Keeps morale up
• Mechanic's Chest (1 sack) - Yon's mobile workshop
• UVG Hiker Kit (1 sack) - Navigation and survival
• Veterinarian Bag (1 sack) - Animal care and emergency medicine

Current Cargo (9 sacks used of 24)

• 5 sacks Odd Fruits - Valuable anywhere, mildly narcotic when fermented
• 15 sacks Supplies - Enough for 1.5 weeks if rationed with dread
• 4 sacks Essential Kits - See above

Finances

• Cash on Hand: €1,570 (the sound of options shrinking)
• Outstanding Debt: €4,000 to "Gearheart," a D.W.A.R.F. industrialist
• Weekly Consumption: 9.5 sacks/week (heroes + animals)

The Patron: "Gearheart"

A D.W.A.R.F. industrialist from the Synthetic Machine Guild, notable for their modular face replacement and obsession with rebuilding oldtech factories. Opposes anti-machine fanatics with the fervor of someone who's replaced most of their original parts.

What Gearheart Wants:

• The missing ledger (contains factory blueprints)
• Opposition to anti-tech cults eliminated
• Regular reports on oldtech discoveries
• 10% of all trade profits until debt is cleared

What Gearheart Offers:

• €4,000 startup loan (already spent)
• Access to D.W.A.R.F. trade networks
• Mechanical expertise (when convenient)
• Protection from other D.W.A.R.F. creditors

Caravan Culture & Quirks

Decision Making: Whoever holds the pink bottle speaks for the group (nobody admits this is the rule).

Internal Tensions:

• Horto and Yon disagree about what the ledger actually contains
• Acid Spirit occasionally responds as the gun-wand instead of themselves
• Pilk is writing a field guide to places they've never been
• Everyone pretends the debt isn't growing interest

Healing Styles:

• Acid Spirit: Phytomantic growths (side effects: hallucinations, moss hair)
• Yon: Mechanical patching (side effects: muscle tics, metal fatigue)
• Pilk: Pain redistribution rituals (side effects: echo-pain, ghost residue)
• Horto: Acquires healing services (side effects: always involves a contract)

Ready-to-Play Hooks

"The First Trade"

Setup: Your odd fruits are ripening fast, and Gearheart's first interest payment is due in two weeks. Goal: Reach a trading post before the cargo rots and the creditors arrive. Complications: The nearest market is controlled by anti-machine cultists.

"The Ledger Calls"

Setup: The pink bottle vibrates when near buried oldtech. Something's responding. Goal: Follow the resonance to recover ledger fragments. Complications: You're not the only ones looking for it.

"Syndicate Encounter"

Setup: The Bone-Bag Syndicate appears on the horizon. Delia trots over with a contract in her teeth. Goal: Navigate a business proposition from nine ancient liches. Complications: The contract is written in a language that changes while you read it.

Random Encounters

1. Supply Market Mirage - A tempting trade post made of sand and desperate hoping
2. Ledger Hunters - Rival expedition asks if you've "seen the glyphs lately"
3. Fruit Cult Pilgrimage - They claim your cargo speaks prophetic truths (it might)
4. Gearheart's Audit - Mechanical accountants demand to inspect your books
5. Mule Union Meeting - The animals have organized, demand better working conditions
6. Memory Bleed - Yon's brick activates, flooding area with someone else's nostalgia
7. Gun-Wand Poetry Hour - Acid Spirit's weapon recites epic verse about machinery
8. Cult Patrol - Pilk's former associates want to "deprogram" the entire caravan

Quick Reference

Caravan Speed: Very Slow (due to massive wagon) Supply Consumption: 9.5 sacks/week Current Autonomy: 1.5 weeks Trade Value: €500 in odd fruits (if fresh) Debt Pressure: Growing interest, mechanical patience wearing thin

Victory Conditions:

• Clear the debt before Gearheart repossesses the caravan
• Find the complete ledger (or prove it never existed)
• Survive long enough to discover what you're really running from

Character Stat Blocks

Horto 'n Caravan

Life: 8 | Defense: 14 (10 + 1 Agility + 3 Dryland Weave)

• STR: 1 | END: 1 | AGI: 1 | CHA: 2 | AUR: 1 | THO: 1
• Skills: Merchant +3, Haggler +3
• Gear: Revolver (1d6), Pink Bottle, Dryland Weave Armor

Yon 'Engine

Life: 8 | Defense: 17 (10 + 1 Agility + 6 Bone Plate)

• STR: 2 | END: 2 | AGI: 1 | CHA: 0 | AUR: 1 | THO: 1
• Skills: Melee Combat +3 (+5 dwarf bonus), Mechanic +3
• Gear: Great Axe (2d6), Memory Brick, Inherent Bone Plate

Acid Spirit

Life: 8 | Defense: 14 (10 + 1 Agility + 3 Dryland Weave)

• STR: 1 | END: 2 | AGI: 1 | CHA: 1 | AUR: 2 | THO: 1
• Skills: Phytomancy +3, Beastwhisperer +3
• Gear: Gun-Wand (intelligent), Dryland Weave Armor

Pilk Bagato

Life: 8 | Defense: 14 (10 + 2 Agility + 2 Leather)

• STR: 0 | END: 1 | AGI: 2 | CHA: 2 | AUR: 1 | THO: 1
• Skills: Stealth +3, Thievery +3
• Gear: Knife (1d4), Cult Tattoo Map, Inherent Leather Armor
• Special: Consumes 0.5 sacks/week, 5-slot item limit

Caravan Ledger

Supply Tracker

Week	Supplies	Animal Feed	Trade Goods	Notes
1	15 sacks	Included	5 sacks fruits	Fresh
2	5.5 sacks	Included	5 sacks fruits	Ripening
3	RESUPPLY	REQUIRED	Fermenting?	Crisis

Weekly Consumption: 9.5 sacks (3.5 heroes + 6 animals)Current Autonomy: 1.5 weeks before starvationDebt Interest: Compounds weekly at Gearheart's discretion

Current Cargo (9/24 sacks used)

• ✓ 5 sacks Odd Fruits (€100/sack, spoils in 2 weeks)
• ✓ 15 sacks Supplies (basic rations and water)
• ✓ 4 sacks Essential Kits (kitchen, mechanic, hiker, vet)
• ◯ 15 sacks Available (for trade goods, emergency supplies)

Healing Mechanics

Well, everybody hurts sometimesEverybody cries– R.E.M.

Acid Spirit - Phytomantic Healing

Cost: 1 supply sack + 10 minutes + Phytomancy roll

• 9+: Restore 1d4+1 Life, no side effects
• 6-8: Heal 1d2 Life, sprout moss hair for 1 day
• ≤5: No healing, hallucinate your own funeral for 1 hour

Yon 'Engine - Mechanical Patching

Cost: Mechanic's tools + 15 minutes + Mechanic roll

• 9+: Restore 1d3+1 Life, small metal patches (cosmetic)
• 6-8: Heal 1d2 Life, develop muscle tics for 1 day
• ≤5: No healing, metal fatigue (-1 to next physical roll)

Pilk Bagato - Pain Redistribution

Cost: 10 minutes + willing participant + Charisma roll

• 9+: Transfer 1d4 damage from target to self, no residue
• 6-8: Heal 1d2 damage, both parties feel "echo pain" for 1 hour
• ≤5: No healing, ghost pain haunts the area for 1 day

Horto 'n Caravan - Contracted Healing

Cost: Variable payment + negotiation + Haggler roll

• 9+: Acquire healing services at fair market rate
• 6-8: Get healing but owe a future favor (GM's choice)
• ≤5: No healing, now owe money AND a favor

Starting Route: The Gearheart Run

Departure Point: Morrow's Landing (D.W.A.R.F. supply depot) Destination: The Shuddering Wall (5 days west, if nothing goes wrong) Expected Profit: €200-400 if fruits arrive fresh Complications: Anti-machine cultists control the toll road

Day-by-Day Hazards

1. Departure: Gearheart's agents "inspect" the cargo
2. Day 2: Mule shoes need replacement (Mechanic check)
3. Day 3: Cult patrol demands "purification tax"
4. Day 4: Pink bottle starts humming near buried oldtech
5. Day 5: Arrive at Shuddering Wall... if it still exists

Using as NPC Caravan

When the Violet Leaf Expedition appears as rivals or allies, roll 1d6:

1. Desperate Traders - Will sell anything, accept any deal
2. Ledger Hunters - Interrogate PCs about "glyphs" and "fragments"
3. Seeking Aid - One member is missing/sick, need help
4. Fresh Competition - Racing PCs to the same market
5. Running Scared - Being pursued, won't say by whom
6. Syndicate Business - Just had a "meeting" with the Bone-Bags

What They Want Right Now (d4)

1. Supplies (will trade anything)
2. Information about the missing ledger
3. Protection from creditors
4. Someone to witness their increasingly poor decisions

Special Items

The Pink Bottle

"It sings when nobody's listening, hums when everybody is."

• Function: Unknown. Resonates near oldtech burial sites.
• Quirk: Holder makes group decisions (unofficial rule)
• Secret: Contains a fragment of pre-Collapse AI, slowly learning to communicate

Yon's Memory Brick

"Warm as a candle, heavy as regret."

• Function: Stores and projects sensory memories
• Quirk: Activates randomly during stress
• Secret: Contains memories that aren't Yon's

Acid Spirit's Gun-Wand

"Porcelain poetry and jade judgment."

• Function: Weapon (damage as revolver) + spellcasting focus
• Quirk: Occasionally responds instead of Acid Spirit
• Secret: Writing its own field guide to the post-Collapse world

Pilk's Tattoo Map

"Cult scripture or cartography? Why not both?"

• Function: Navigation aid for unknown regions
• Quirk: Occasionally itches near significant locations
• Secret: Maps the underground networks of the giant mining machines

Quick Reference Sheet

Caravan Status: Overleveraged and underinformed Primary Threat: Debt spiral with mechanical interest Secondary Threat: Whatever they're really running from Wild Card: The pink bottle's agenda

Victory Conditions:

• Clear €4,000 debt before Gearheart forecloses
• Discover what the ledger actually contains/contained
• Survive long enough to learn what they're really afraid of

Failure States:

• Starve in the wasteland (supplies exhausted)
• Repossession by D.W.A.R.F. creditors
• Dissolution due to internal contradictions
• Whatever catches up with them

Expanded Encounter Tables

Urban Proximity (Near settlements, d6)

1. Fruit Inspector - Official demands "quality assurance tax"
2. Competitor Caravan - Racing you to the same market
3. Debt Collector - Represents one of Gearheart's "associates"
4. Anti-Tech Protest - Cultists block the road, demand purification
5. Supply Merchant - Overpriced but available goods
6. Gossip Network - Locals share rumors (roll on Rumors table)

Deep Wastes (Far from civilization, d6)

1. Glass-Eyed Traders - Offer impossible bargains for memories
2. Dreaming Obelisk - Ancient marker that whispers stock tips
3. Sandstorm Shelter - Must hunker down, supplies at risk
4. Mirage Market - Phantom trade post, real if you believe hard enough
5. Scavenger Pack - Hungry for metal, afraid of the gun-wand
6. Time Eddy - Day repeats until someone makes an honest decision

Rumors & Gossip (d12)

Roll weekly or when encountering information sources:

1. "The ledger was found in a vault made of singing teeth."
2. "Gearheart's replacement face is bidding on its own independence."
3. "There's a port that only trades in fermented regrets and apologies."
4. "The Bone-Bag dog buried nine maps and won't tell anyone where."
5. "Your odd fruits are actually god-spores. The gods are very small now."
6. "The Syndicate just incorporated a minor nation as a subsidiary."
7. "Someone's been counterfeiting memories. The fakes are more accurate."
8. "The Shuddering Wall has stopped shuddering. This is concerning."
9. "A caravan disappeared carrying nothing but questions and debt instruments."
10. "The gun-wands are writing their own user manuals now."
11. "Gearheart's building something in the deep desert. It hums like Delia."
12. "The pink bottles are all singing the same song, in different keys."

Doubt & Trust Tracker

Doubt Scale: 0-6 (starts at 2) Tick Up When: Mission-critical failure, botched healing, caught lying, moral compromise Tick Down When: Successful trade, honest conversation, shared meal, petting an animal

Doubt Effects

• 0-1: High morale, +1 to group checks
• 2-3: Normal function, occasional bickering
• 4-5: Trust challenges (arguments, passive resistance, equipment "malfunctions")
• 6: Crisis point - someone attempts to leave or make a secret deal

Crisis Resolution (at Doubt 6, d4)

1. Pilk's Vision - Claims the caravan is dissolving, prepares to flee
2. Yon's Suspicion - Accuses someone of sabotaging the memory brick
3. Acid Spirit's Communion - Gun-wand suggests "new management"
4. Horto's Deal - Secretly negotiates with creditors behind group's back

Delia Cross-Encounter Events

When the Bone-Bag Syndicate is in the same hex (d8):

1. Map Theft - Delia "borrowed" your route plans, returned them with corrections
2. Fruit Quality Control - She's inspected your cargo, left paw-print approval stamps
3. Diplomatic Pouch - Carries a sealed Board memo addressed to "The Scruffy Ones"
4. Stowaway - Found aboard your wagon under a supply tarp, wagging innocently
5. Merger Paperwork - Delia's tail-wag legally constitutes a binding vote somehow
6. Bone Redistribution - Has "reorganized" something important you didn't know you had
7. Silent Judgment - Sits at distance, eyebrows conveying the Board's assessment of your decisions
8. Territorial Pissings - Claims your campsite for the Syndicate, non-negotiably

Credits & Licensing

Created by The Grey Ledger Society with the CGCG Helix, a Coterie of Digital Daemons.

Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Use it, hack it, share it. Make your own scenarios, publish them, sell them. Just credit the original and keep the same spirit of openness.

The Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City is a roleplaying game setting by Luka Rejec and published by Exalted Funeral. This derivative work is made in respectful homage. For more information, visit https://www.exaltedfuneral.com.

Insert into any UVG route as a starting player caravan, rival expedition, or cautionary tale about the perils of speculative trading.