Phandalin Episode 1
General Summary
24/5/317AG
Langley van Arc stared up at the sky as it faded into a pleasant purplish-blue colour that he didn't know the name of. His head jolted around as the wagon he was laying in went over a bump. The earth genasi driving didn't make any apology, nor did Langley ask for one - both were too intimidated by the other to attempt dominating the situation. Besides, they were only working together for a single day, delivering this wagonload of mining supplies to a town - Falcon's Hollow - for some dwarf, and then moving along their separate ways.Two dead horses lay on the road, filled with crude black arrows. They had only recently been killed, and looked...familiar somehow. Langley squinted, thinking hard as Valanche silently dismounted from the driver's seat. The entire wagon creaked and tilted as he hopped lightly to the ground, and picked up the closest horse's head. It hung limply in his arms. Valanche paused, seeing movement out of the corner of his eye. He shrugged to himself - if anything wanted to fight him, he could oblige them. He heaved the horse to one side, and that was the moment the goblin ambushers had been waiting for.
Goblin war cries filled the air as tiny green figures scampered out from behind trees and bushes, filling the air with dark arrows only to disappear again. Valanche growled as he slid his shield down his arm, and withdrew a longsword of cold grey steel. A second later he ran off after of chuckling green shape and disappeared into the underbrush. Langley's eyes darted around and an arrow flew past his head. He leapt off the exposed wagon, but not soon enough - midair, he felt the cold agony of an arrow as it pierced his left shoulderblade.
Langley dropped to his hands and knees. "Enough!" he snarled. He tapped his spellbook, a curious device that was likely made by the ancient Technicians and quickly skimmed over his notes made from the previous night. He lifted his hand and uttered another invocation, eyes fixed on the words glowing brightly before him. Four transparant darts shimmered into view behind him, twirling gently in some unknown dance. Langley's eyes darted up to where the wounded goblin hid behind the tree. He jabbed with his forefinger and a single dart sauntered forward, trailing a curious low whistling sound as it went. Behind the tree, the goblin leant out to see, fearful of more magic. The dart circled behind the tree and slid into Langley's view behind the target. Langley raised his finger sharply, and the magic missile followed likewise - puncturing through the light green chest and disappearing. The goblin dropped dead. Langley's arm continued down in a smooth arc, rolling back up behind him to point at the goblin to most recently wound him. A dart leapt forward, and the whistle it trailed screamed
as it punctured the thigh of the creature. It dropped to one knee, glaring at the wizard with glowing red eyes. Langley gestured gently, and the two remaining darts somersaulted gently through the air to take up position behind the crippled goblin. It dropped the sneer, replacing it instantly with a pitiful look of fear. Langley clenched his fist and the two darts flew into their target - one for each shoulderblade. The last goblin turned and ran, Valanche's heavy footsteps followed briefly, but then returned. Wordlessly, the stony humanoid began to bandage his wounds.
Lugh watched them for an hour, perched in a tree like some absurdly well-armed peacock. Finally, the pair broke camp and continued towards town. Lugh followed from the trees, flitting here and there. Occasionally the sturdier-looking one would glance curiously at a shadow but nothing he was concerned about. The wooden wheels trundled onwards as they moved from forest to clearing, and then through the palisade of Falcon's Hollow. They had arrived.
The wagon finally creaked to a stop outside the Goose & Gander general store. Langley went in, and a few minutes later Valanche helped him to unload the cart into the store.
"Tavern?" Langley directed the question at Valanche's back as they (really just Valanche) heaved the last of the delivery onto the shop's floor. The owner, a gnome, thanked them and promptly shut the door. Valanche shrugged, and walked towards a building where music and laughter poured out of its well-lit windows. Lugh stepped cautiously out of the shadows - and then back in again as the gnome peered out of the doorway. Lugh held his breath, and gently moved a hand onto the hilt of his rapier. The gnome scurried forward and pushed the huge wagon slowly into the undersized shop - Lugh could only assume it fit in the tiny shop due to some kind of magic.
Once he was gone, Lugh followed the pair into the inn - Jak-a'-Napes, the sign on the outside read. Valanche waited outside, apparantly uncomfortable with drinking at an unknown establishment. Langley entered, and Lugh slipped in through a window.
"Excuse me, gentlemen" Lugh slid over a small table on the other side of the window and tipped an imaginary hat at the two muscled men sitting on either side. He stepped forward, easily sauntering through the crowd as he made his way towards his mark.
"Morning, uhh...Bob" Lugh tilted his imaginary hat at a lumberjack sporting a rather bland moustache. 'Bob' nodded back politely. Lugh wondered if his name was actually Bob, then cast that thought from his mind - Langley was facing away from him, scanning the bar.
"Tavern?" Langley directed the question at Valanche's back as they (really just Valanche) heaved the last of the delivery onto the shop's floor. The owner, a gnome, thanked them and promptly shut the door. Valanche shrugged, and walked towards a building where music and laughter poured out of its well-lit windows. Lugh stepped cautiously out of the shadows - and then back in again as the gnome peered out of the doorway. Lugh held his breath, and gently moved a hand onto the hilt of his rapier. The gnome scurried forward and pushed the huge wagon slowly into the undersized shop - Lugh could only assume it fit in the tiny shop due to some kind of magic.
Once he was gone, Lugh followed the pair into the inn - Jak-a'-Napes, the sign on the outside read. Valanche waited outside, apparantly uncomfortable with drinking at an unknown establishment. Langley entered, and Lugh slipped in through a window.
"Excuse me, gentlemen" Lugh slid over a small table on the other side of the window and tipped an imaginary hat at the two muscled men sitting on either side. He stepped forward, easily sauntering through the crowd as he made his way towards his mark.
"Morning, uhh...Bob" Lugh tilted his imaginary hat at a lumberjack sporting a rather bland moustache. 'Bob' nodded back politely. Lugh wondered if his name was actually Bob, then cast that thought from his mind - Langley was facing away from him, scanning the bar.
"Go on. Explain yourself." Langley said, never turning his eyes from the thief.
"Well, you see...it's like this!" Lugh began, then suddenly rolled backwards and disappeared behind a passing halfling. Langley's bracelet glowed with arcane power as he scanned the crowd.
"How is that even possible!" growled Langley, tapping his newly-earned coinpurse to make sure it was still there.
The front doors smashed inwards with a loud crash and Valanche stumbled backwards into the inn. The music trailed off, and the crowd parted as if by magic. Sauntering men with long, curved swords tucked into belts and a single red bandana wrapped around each one's right upper-arm. A wave of fear swept through the crowd, and they began quietly pressing for the exits.
"Come on, big stuff. You know how a tax works, right?" the foremost thug asked. A long, curved scar running the length of his right arm rippled under muscle as he reached up to tap Valanche grey-skinned forehead. "Or do I need to explain it to you?"
There was no answer from Valanche, he simply stood there. The scarred-arm man turned to his friends and gave an exaggerated shrug.
"Well now boys, maybe we have to educate this here fellow" he said in a mocking tone. He turned back to face Valanche.
"Now, rates have risen in recent times so let's see what you've got firs-" the thug reached for the coinpurse on Valanche belt, but the second his fingers touched the fabric Valanche drew his longsword from its holster and launched the hilt into the thug's face, stunning him. As he took a step back Valanche reversed the sword and grabbed his victim's collar. There was a crunching, squelching sound as Valanche gutted him, holding the weapon like an oversized hunting knife before finally throwing his dead body aside. Lugh gulped.
Blood pooled across the floor, dripping through the wooden floorboards and onto the ground below as Valanche easily kicked the carcass aside. He looked up, locking eyes with the foremost Redbrand. There was a brief lull, and then rain began to fall - lightly at first, then quickly rising to a downpour.
"Come on lads, there's only one of him!" yelled the first with either false bravado or else pitiful stupidity. Whatever the case, the Redbrands charged, pummeling Valanche's armour with their scimitars. He grunted in pain as one found an opening in an elbow joint, and again as a sharp blade bounced off the chainmail.
Suddenly there was a burst of colour next to him and a brightly coloured man dispatched a thug not only with efficiency, but with style. He cackled with childish glee as Valanche caught a scimitar on his shield and counterstabbed, only for his foe to skip nimbly out of the way. A Redbrand saw the distracted swashbuckler and attacked - but he could not hope to outdo his opponent, and seconds later was bleeding out on the floorboards.
Fighting next to each other, Lugh and Valanche secured the doorway. Even though they were outnumbered, their swordsmanship combined with Valanche's armour and Lugh's agility allowed none of the six to step past them - although they tried, time and time again. Only a minute later, the thugs' arms began to waver - and the mistakes began. When the first of their fellows was run through by Lugh they wavered.
Fighting next to each other, Lugh and Valanche secured the doorway. Even though they were outnumbered, their swordsmanship combined with Valanche's armour and Lugh's agility allowed none of the six to step past them - although they tried, time and time again. Only a minute later, the thugs' arms began to waver - and the mistakes began. When the first of their fellows was run through by Lugh they wavered.
The lone survivor ran, disappearing into the storming rain. Valanche and Lugh, breathing heavily and smeared with bright red blood but unharmed, glared after him. Langley, who had cast a few spells to weaken and simplify the foes, let the incantation he was halfway through dribble to a stop. Only the dull roar of the torrent outside could be heard.
A staccato of notes on a lute interrupted any thoughts that the trio were having. The three turned to see Jak sitting on a chair behind the bar, with his legs up on the bench as if an attempted robbery followed by several murders, both attempted and successful, had not just been performed within his establishment.
A staccato of notes on a lute interrupted any thoughts that the trio were having. The three turned to see Jak sitting on a chair behind the bar, with his legs up on the bench as if an attempted robbery followed by several murders, both attempted and successful, had not just been performed within his establishment.
"Now, let me tell you how things are here in Jak-a'-Napes. You don't cause any trouble to the fine folk of Falcon's Hollow...and you're welcome in this place. If not, well...Daran might have something to say to you. He's not much of a talker. But, I hear he can make his preferences known."
Jak snapped his fingers and the strings of his instrument faded, as did the stupor of Lugh. He scowled.
"Not cool" Lugh called out across the room. Jak locked eyes with him.
"Do we have an agreement?" he asked. Valanche, Langley and finally Lugh nodded.
"Agreed" Lugh said.
The next morning, Langley and Valanche met downstairs. Lugh, it seemed, had disappeared before sunrise without any explanation. The pair of them set off without him into the town, searching for a store selling weaponry they could make some use of.
They found what they were searching for in a franchise branch named "Lionshield Coster".
They found what they were searching for in a franchise branch named "Lionshield Coster".
- Langley and Valanche went to the Lionshield Coster to ask about purchasing weapons. They were asked to retrieve a delivery that never arrived by the owner.
- Meanwhile, Lugh went to the Sitting Duck and ambushed two Redbrand thugs. His disguise didn't work, so he killed one and incapacitated the other. After a quick interrogation, he discovered that there were 8-ish Redbrands in the Sitting Duck, and they were based out of the decrepit manor(TBD, link) on the hill.
Rewards Granted
Missions/Quests Completed
The Lost Phandelver
Defeated goblin ambush & paid for delivery. found a place to stay at Jak-a'-Napes.Town of Falcon's Hollow
Fended off the Redbrand's bullies, Linene Graywind of the Lionshield Coster knows that they are a friend.Halia Thornton
New quests: Kill leader of the Redbrands and bring his hand to Halia. She informs them that she knows their leader is a wizard.Mayor
Hunt down the nearby orcs.Linene Graywind of the Lionshield Coster
New quest: Retrieve the Lionshield goods that disappeared within bandit territory.Character(s) interacted with
Created Content
- Redbrand thugs wear a bright red bandanna around their left upper arm.
Notes
Second time running Dungeons & Dragons 5e!
