Chapter 2: Phandalin

Lost Mine of Phandelver is an adventure for four to five characters of 1st level. During the course of the adventure, the characters will advance to 5th level. The adventure is set a short distance from the city of Neverwinter in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms setting. The Sword Coast is part of the North-a vast realm of free settlements surrounded by wilderness and adventure.
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Shurijo
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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by Shurijo » Mon Sep 23, 2019 2:00 am

The frontier town of Phandalin is built on the ruins of a much older settlement. Hundreds of years ago, the old Phandalin was a thriving human town whose people were firmly allied with the dwarves and gnomes of the Phandelver’s Pact. However, the same orc horde that sacked the mines at Wave Echo Cave laid waste to the settlement, and Phandalin was abandoned for centuries.

In the last three or four years, hardy settlers from the cities of Neverwinter and Waterdeep have begun the hard work of reclaiming the ruins of Phandalin. A bustling frontier settlement has grown up on the site of the old town, and is home now to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, and prospectors drawn by stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains.


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Last night (before downtime activities)

The rutted track emerges from a wooded hillside, and you catch your first glimpse of Phandalin. The town consists of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. More old ruins — crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars — surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street of sorts as it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside at the east side of town.

As you approach, you see children playing on the town green and townsfolk tending to chores or running errands at shops. Many people look up as you approach, but all return to their business as you go by.

Sildar seems much more at ease. "My friends," he says, "let us secure lodgings. I’m told the local inn is very quaint."

In the center of town stands a large, newly built roadhouse of fieldstone and rough-hewn timbers with a sign showing the symbol for rest. Once inside Stonehill Inn, they group finds the common room is filled with locals nursing mugs of ale or cider, all of them eyeing you with curiosity.

A short, friendly looking young human male quickly approaches the strangers. "Greetings. I'm Toblen Stonehill. Welcome to Stonehill Inn. Are you looking for some rooms?"

Sildar quickly steps up and shakes the man's hand and whispers something into his ear.

"Well, why didn't you say so. We've been waiting for you. I.. uh.. expected more dwarves.." He responds loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Their rooms will go on the Lords' Alliance tab until I say otherwise. I owe them a favor or two." Sildar says.

"Well, there's already one of your alliance here. Should I put her on your tab as well?" Toblen asks.

The puzzled Sildar responds, "Let me talk to her first. I need to see if she's here on business or pleasure. I wasn't informed of any others coming to Phandalin." Meanwhile, a shady looking human drinking chugging a mug of ale moves over to inquire with Panjad and Grogg, the two largest of the group.

Toblen says, "Follow me." The innkeeper leads you upstairs to your rooms.

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After you stow your gear and change into more comfortable and clean clothes, most of the companions gather in the common room to grab a drink, bite of fresh food, or mingle with the locals.

Rumors gained:

Narth, an old farmer: "Sister Garaele, who oversees the Shrine of Luck, recently left town for a few days, then returned wounded and exhausted."

Elsa, a gossipy barmaid: "Daran Edermath, the orchard keeper, is a former adventurer."

Lanar, a miner: "Orc raiders have been seen on the east end of Triboar Trail. The townmaster is looking for someone to run them off."

Trilena, the innkeeper’s wife: "Thel Dendrar, a local woodcarver, stood up to the Redbrands a tenday ago when they came by his shop and leered at his wife. The ruffians murdered him. Several townsfolk saw it happen. The Redbrands grabbed his body, and now his wife, daughter, and son have gone missing too."

Pip, Toblen’s young son: "Qelline Alderleaf’s son Carp said he found a secret tunnel in the woods, but Redbrands almost caught him."

Freda, a weaver: "The Redbrands hassle every business in town, except for the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange. They don’t want trouble with Halia Thornton, who runs it."

Toblen Stonehill, innkeeper: "Krusk is an amazing hunter. In our first winter, we were starving, and he saved the entire town by feeding us. Here, taste this roasted boar that he brought in yesterday. I can’t wait until he opens a hunting lodge. His lodge will bring in a lot of business for the town and the inn."

Lavinia, the farrier: "Stay away from the Sleeping Giant tap house on the east end of town. Those ruffians are trouble."

Ander, a clerk for Barthen's Provisions, "You're from Neverwinter, too? A another young lady checked in earlier today. She's from there, too."

After mingling and eating dinner, the companions split up and go into different directions for the night.

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Downtime activities take place

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When morning comes, the companions wake up after a well rested night. They were able to collect their horses, wagon, and cargo from the trail, which is now tied up outside the inn. Their task was to deliver the goods to Barthen's Provisions so they can get paid.

The common room is less filled then the previous night, only a single, young human male is standing and waiting in the room. Tolben and Trilena has placed a basket of warm bread made with berries on the counter along with a handful of apples from the Edermath orchard.
Grogg, Arveena, Sunny, and Lorenzo...

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by RorytheRomulan » Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:44 pm

Arveene takes an apple from the basket, acknowledging the man already waiting in the common room with a polite smile, and takes a bite.

Does the basket look like it's been touched since it was placed?

Last night...
Arveene thanks Sildar for the invitation. She's flattered by the compliment, and since he was the one to bring it up, she asks to know more about his family, and peppers him with questions about his relatives. On the matter of joining the Lords Alliance, she wonders, "Can I?" and asks what the qualifications are.

She gives Wester a nod and tells him that he's certainly done a wonderful job (without further elaboration - she might open an account with his business at a later date, so it would be wise not to call his bluff).

She thanks Sister Garaele for her time and asks if she may receive a blessing at the temple later (or prayers/equivalent).

She finds Daran intriguing. These lands have need of warriors, and she's aiming to recruit them. After Sildar goes off to do his own thing, she's about to go find Daran again when she is cut off by Harlathan.

Arveene agrees to meet the young nobleman Harlathan again the next day, feigning interest in his studies on magical theory. He at least has that much value, although she'd rather crack open the back of his skull and scoop it out. Save for how it concerns mystic harmonies, he certainly would know more than her. Well, maybe - she'd better truncate what Harlathan told her and regurgitate it to Lorenzo to see if he thinks if there's any substance to his screed.

She turns in alone at the end of the night.

Musical number played by Arveene last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pprf7PwW8K8
I'd like to follow up on the kidnapping rumors by talking to Halia Thornton, and then asking people who witnessed the murder, after we deliver the supplies to Barthen's Provisions. I hope we meet the clerk there too.

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by Vardaen » Mon Sep 23, 2019 3:56 pm

Its late morning before your deep gnome with a sunny disposition wakes up and joins the common room folk for breakfast. He takes some bread and berries and sits down munching away. He doesn't speak of his night, or of the money he's made, of the pit fight or his pickpocketing ventures... nope he just sits and eats. After he's done he exhales long and slow, "More trouble, always more trouble for simple folk. Murders and kidnappings, probably everyone is already dead. Wouldn't mess with the Redbrands if I were in this town. Ah well, nothing changes, just the scenery."
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by Shurijo » Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:46 pm

Sildar replies, "Come see me tomorrow and we can go over the details. There's a couple jobs that the Alliance needs resolved in Phandalin where we could use your help. I can't recommend you and approve your application - that requires two signatures from different agents. There's a young agent that arrived last night from the Neverwinter office. If you can get her recommendation, then I can approve and stamp the paperwork."
The counter, basket, and apples are dust free, so there's no way to determine if the basket or apples have been moved since being placed on the counter.

The young man quickly approaches Arveene and she remembers Harlathan Reginald Hillbelly III from the previous night. "Lady Arveene! Lady Arveene! I knew I'd find you here. Even though you never told me where you were staying - there's not many options unless you consider sleeping in a barn or the forest. Are you ready to discuss the origins of magic?"

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by Vardaen » Tue Sep 24, 2019 1:46 pm

The little scamp of a gnome looks up at the young man and then shakes his head. His voice low, and slow, drawls out, "Oh boy, love sick idiot. What can you do." He exhales a long slow exhale and lowers his head before moving as far away from the pair as he can so he's not caught up in that mess.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Sep 24, 2019 9:17 pm

Grogg snorts at his companion's misfortune. Doesn't seem to be anything harmful, just an over-eager scholar or something. That's what excessive book-learning will do to a person. "These Redbrands are trouble. I hate bullies. If we have the chance, I'd love to show them some justice."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by RorytheRomulan » Wed Sep 25, 2019 2:27 pm

Harlathan's sudden appearance fights with Arveene's embarrassment over the flow of blood to her cheeks that it barely balances out. But he's right, and it appears that she may have to change her habits if she wishes to avoid him.

For now, she puts on a polite smile, after a surreptitious wince at the rest of the group while he gushes at her, using the apple as cover by pretending to contemplate taking another bite.

"Harlathan," she replies, pretending to be charmed to see him again. She speaks at a measured pace - in part to coax him to match it, and otherwise to stall. "You're an early riser, too? That's a breath of fresh air after this lot. I'm afraid that just now I have a supply run to wrap up over at Barthen's Provisions, and other errands to see to. I'll have to make a rain check for later in the evening, but I wouldn't mind hearing a synopsis ahead of then, to tide me over. I hope that's no trouble for you?"
Question: is he handsome? This may factor into later interactions.

I'd like to sit and listen to Harlathan and then probe him for information about the recent crime wave. There might be nothing, but who knows?

Diplomacy angle: Arveene is concerned for her safety, and she wishes to hear whatever Harlathan can tell her about the recent crimes committed by the Redbrand gang, and places that she should avoid.

Not that she definitely will, obviously, but that's a secret.

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by Shurijo » Thu Sep 26, 2019 12:56 am

Harlathan smiles and points over to a stack of books on the table in the common room, "I've brought the Raelechan's Treatise of Basic Thaumaturgy, Theoretical Concepts Behind Constructing a Philosopher's Stone, Elemental Psychology Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Magical Aliments Volume Five, Magical Essences: from Amber to Zirconium, The Unabridged Compendium of Philosophical Discourses on the Cause and Effects of the First and Second Sundering and What to Expect for the Third Sundering, Demon Summoning for Novices, Advanced Evocations by Archmage Ashann Highmore of the Illuminated Moon Light Circle, Recursive Non-Euclidean Materials and their Observed Properties, Structures & Approaches to Fundamental Transmutation, Chronicles of the Spellplague, and the Complete Treatise on the Spontaneous Portal Manifestation 1st edition."
You get the feeling that he doesn't want to talk about crimes or towns. He brushes off the questions and starts opening pages in the books that he has bookmarked along with a table full of vellum parchments with scribbles and diagrams of what appears to be nonsensical information.

Average looks, but it seems like he prefers books over bathing.

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:55 am

"Oh my, that is quite a lot of reading..."

The man's no blowhard - The total number of textbooks she read in Waterdeep do not hold a candle to this collection. Even so, when he turns his back, Arveene's eyes roll into the back of her head, and she cringes visibly as she follows him to where he's stacked his belongings.

Putting on the curious frequency of an airhead, she advances to bookmark after bookmark with questions like "what about this one?" to keep this small visit to a synopsis (such as it can be described, for the sheer amount of reading material that he's brought). Harlathan's contagious excitement contrasts with his boring interests.

If not finished with this overview in 10 minutes (and that is generous!), she stands up and politely excuses herself. She simply has to go, but she'll meet him later to listen. Better bring a cup of coffee to stay awake...
Got it. Either way, I may have to ask for directions to the trading post. Shouldn't be too hard for me to get someone willing to point me in the right direction.

Also, oof, no thank you.

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Chapter 2: Phandalin

Post by Shurijo » Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:51 pm

You can assume to have directions to everywhere, it's a very small town and you could probably see half of the places from anywhere in town.

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