Chapter 2-10: Betrayal in Phandalin
General Summary
Aetilius awoke with a start from the most vivid dream of his life. It had felt so real, but as he tried to recall details it quickly dissolved, slipping through his grasp like sand through fingers. He was left with the impression of a nebulous force like gravity drawing him South, and an image of a flat plain of black polished stone.
The rest of the party gradually woke up, each suffering with their own particular brand of hangover. The group had mostly passed out where they had sat, underneath the tree in Tam's valley. With a loud grunt and a few choice curses, Tam dragged himself to his feet and staggered into the shack. After a few minutes, he emerged carrying another pitcher of ale and a few hunks of bread and roasted meat,
"Hair o' the dag that bit ye?" he peered at the party through eyes which squinted against the moonlight,
The group muttered agreement and accepted the offer. They sat in relative silence for a while, nursing their heads. As the food (and more likely the ale) started to take effect, everyone's mood brightened.
Before the party left, Tam took Clootie aside to teach her a couple of wresting moves and reversals,
"So tell me lass - whit's the deal here? How did ye end up runnin wi a crood o Bigjobs? Ah mean - they seem soond an that. The scaly one's pretty tasty - if I wis after sommin weird and that. But aye - how come yer no wi' yer clan?"
Clootie explained her history to the gnome. When she had finished, Tam scoffed good naturedly,
"Fuck 'em. They dae ken what they're missing. You're as gid a McToot as any I've drank wi"
He punctuated his comment with a heavy slap across her back.
The group collected their belongings and readied the horses. Tam offered them some directions back towards Phandalin.
"Aye, if yi hied soothwes' aroont five miles, yell hit a wee dirt track. Ye can prolly git on yer nags then and it's aroont anoor twenty five, thirty miles tae Phandalin"
The party bid their farewells to the gnome. He gave Ryoko a wink as she pulled herself up on Pepper. Ramas shook his hand, but as he walked past him, he slipped his hand into the gnome's ass crack and gathered a good handful of sweat. Tam spun around instinctively to punch him, but the nimble half-elf dodged backward. He turned and wiped the sweaty hand across Miaug's nose. The tabaxi instantly collapsed, gagging at the smell. At the sight of Miaug rolling on the ground, retching and rubbing her face in the grass, Tam grinned and gave Ramas a thumbs up,
"A'right. Well... Fuck off noo. I'm needin' peace" and with that final profound statement, he wandered back into his shack. The party shrugged and set off.
As Tam suggested, they found the track a few miles from the valley and were able to get on their horses. Clootie and Miaug checked the horses over. They seemed to be healthy and in good condition. The group decided to push the horses slightly and try to make it back to Phandalin the same day.
Towards late afternoon, the party found themselves on a dusty road which wound through a familiar narrow pass in the hills. Beyond the pass, the road curved left and descended into the valley below. Ahead, the ground ended abruptly in a steep cliff, a picturesque vista framed the town of Phandalin, sprawling across the valley floor, nestled in the midst of the craggy hills.
Two figures on horseback made their way up the winding path at a leisurely pace. The group recognised the gaunt looking face of the lead figure as Lanar Eitron, the old miner they'd met in the Stonehill Inn on their first night in town. They didn't recognise his companion, a dumpy fellow dressed in prospector clothing, with a bushy moustache. Lanar gave Aetilius a brief smile, pulling the brim of his hat down in a gesture of respect, as they neared the party,
"Hoped I'd catch you" he drawled lazily, "Good job dealing with those orcs. Can finally get back out in the hills. Next time I'm in town, I'll buy you all a round"
He gave a wave as they passed and headed out into the wilds; and the party made their way down into town.
The group stopped at the Stonehill Inn first. They spoke to Toblen, the innkeeper, to arrange lodging for the evening. Clootie also asked if they could stable the horses here. Toblen whistled on his son Pip, who took Clootie and Ramas around to the stable. Ramas tipped him an extra gold piece to ensure they were well cared for. Pip eagerly pocketed the coin and gently stroked Punch's flank as he led him into a stall.
The group headed downhill towards the village green. Miaug was eager to visit Sister Garaele. As they entered the Shrine of the Five Gods, they saw Sister Garaele tending to a familiar figure. Tharden lay unconscious on one of the beds in the main hall. Garaele mopped his brow with a cool cloth, and replaced poultices strapped onto each of his stumps. She smiled as she saw Miaug, who immediately started to blush. The party spoke to Garaele for a while, inquiring to Tharden's condition. Reidoth the druid had delivered him to the Shrine early the previous day. The appearance of a giant white owl clutching a mutilated dwarf on the village green had caused quite a stir. Garaele had used her healing magics and apothecary skills to treat the infection, which appeared to now be clearing up. Gundren had stayed with his brother through the night, and earlier today Tharden had woken in a lucid moment and recognised him. Confident that the injured dwarf was on the road to recovery, Garaele had sent Gundren back to Quelline's to rest.
As a thank you for speaking with Agatha, and for saving Mother Redwald in Neverwinter from the aboleth, Garaele gave Miaug a gift: an ornately crafted wooden arrow. The arrow's shaft split at the head into five curved wooden tendrils, which entwined around a smooth round jewel. As the group was just about to leave, Miaug stammered for a moment, then shyly asked Garaele for a drink. Garaele smiled gently and accepted, suggested that Miaug take her to the Tari Ce Mortè dance the following week. Elated, Miaug nearly tripped over her own feet on the way out of the Shrine.
The group then decided to head out to Edermath Orchard, to inform Daran that the orcs had been reasoned with. The group also wanted to highlight that the orcs were not a threat in the first place. Ryoko knocked on the door of Edermath Cottage, and Daran answered brightly. Recognising the party, he smiled warmly and invited them all in for some cider. As he brought them through to the kitchen, they noticed another figure sitting at the table holding a mug of cider. It was Lanar, the old miner they'd passed on the way into town. Daran thanked them for dealing with the orcs, handing them a beautifully wrought silver short sword,
"The Kapatki Tear. This blade saved my life many times when I was a Warden. But there's no sense in it sitting rotting here with me." he grinned, handing the blade to Miaug.
Ramas smiled at Lanar, "That was a quick trip. Where's your pal?"
Lanar looked confused. Ramas reminded him that they'd met on their way into town today. Lanar and Daran both looked at each other,
"I've been here all morning. I haven't left town in a week" Lanar explained
The party was suddenly alarmed. Aetilius's hand went to the hilt of his sword. They started to question Lanar, trying to confirm his identity. Ramas asked him to tell them something only Daran would know, to confirm it was him. Lanar told them that he and Daran specifically timed their rounds at the Stonehill Inn to ensure that they never bought Narth a drink. For the last three months, both of them had drunk for free. Daran nodded in confirmation. Just to be sure, Aetilius opened the Lens of True Sight. Lanar looked perfectly normal, but Aetilius noticed that Daran's body appeared to be covered in a huge number of extra scars, and his left leg was covered with strange runes below the knee. Aetilius pulled out Talon and demanded he explain.
"The scars? You remember I told you I took an arrow to knee, and that's why I retired from the Wardens. That's not strictly accurate. I hoped I'd never have to talk about this again." he sighed,
"My squad were manning one of the bastions in the Northwatch Mountains, when a couple of half-dead Rangers stumbled in. It was deep in the winter, and we didn't really expect much action. The Ranger's warned us they were just ahead of huge demonic force heading up the pass. We dispatched one of the young lads to gather reinforcements from Kildrasil, and the rest of us dug in. Sure enough, within the hour we could see them. More demons than I could count. There were three squads in the bastion; the eighteen of us held them off as long as we could. We held the line for five days and nights. One by one, my squad all fell until I was the last standing. On the fifth night, the Glabrezu commander of the vanguard broke through the line and I intercepted him. We fought for a while, but i was outmatched. He crushed my left leg, and nearly tore my guts out. But it was long enough, reinforcements arrived and broke the demon's assault, routing them. I was taken back to Kildrasil. The healers managed to save me, and they fitted me with this dwarven prosthetic leg. I was awarded a Medal of Distinction, but I was no longer fit for duty so I was discharged. I decided to get as far from battle as I could. I traveled across the Sundered Sea and set myself up as a farmer on the frontier. It seemed about as far away as I could get."
Aetilius sheathed Talon and apologised. Daran assured him that no offence was taken. Ramas mused that a shapeshifter might be loose in the town. Aetilius and Clootie decided to fly over the pass to see if they could pick up fake Lanar's trail. After the pair took off, Ramas pointed out that a shapeshifter was potentially loose in town. They should ensure they had some way to identify one another. Ramas suggested they adopt an identification password: 'Goblins are Fags'. Daran asked them to quietly gather the other council members for a meeting at the Townmaster's Hall in an hour.
As Ramas, Miaug and Ryoko headed back into town to notify Garaele, and then headed out to Alderleaf Farm to invite Quelline; Aetilius and Clootie flew up the cliff to the mountain pass out of town. Aetilius dropped Clootie off to check for tracks, while he gained altitude to see if he could spot movement. He was unable to spot any sign of life north of the mountains, however Clootie managed to pick up the trail of the two horses. The pair followed the tracks through the pass beyond the mountains, where the trail quickly left the road and headed into the wilderness. Clootie lost the tracks almost immediately in the undergrowth. Dejected, the pair headed back towards town.
The rest of the party knocked on the farmhouse door at Alderleaf Farm. A young halfling man answered the door, looking curiously at the group. Ryoko explained that they were looking to speak to Quelline.
"Mum!" the halfling yelled as he gestured the group inside.
Quelline appeared from the dining room. The old halfling looked at the group, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sought to place them. Ryoko explained who they were. She tried to reminder Quelline that they'd met briefly before,
"Oh yes. You lot asked a lot of very strange questions. I remember that now..." Quelline nodded,
"Come in, get a cup of tea"
With that she led them through to the dining room at the back of the house. Sitting at the dining table, they recognised Gundren. The dwarf immediately leaped up and shook their hands warmly, thanking them all for saving Tharden. His smile faded slightly as he thought of Nundro. Quelline came back through with fresh pot of tea, and lightened the mood with a smile and a tray of biscuits.
As they sat and enjoyed the halfling's hospitality, the group explained the situation with Lanar's doppelganger and the council meeting. Quelline's eyes narrowed and she looked thoughtful for a moment.
"If anyone has taken an interest in our little town, that cannot bode well. What could they be after?" she mused, "I'll gather my things. I'll be at the Townmaster's Hall shortly. Do me a favour please. Check in on Halia Thornton on your way back up."
The group bid her farewell, and made their way back towards town. As they reached the Phandalin Miner's Exchange, the building looked unusually deserted. No lights twinkled in any of the windows, and the usually busy building seemed unusually still. They tried the front door, but it was locked. Scouting around the building, they discovered the warehouse door at the back gaped open. Two sets of horse tracks led away from the open door, up towards town. Ramas and Ryoko elected to sneak into the building, while Miaug kept watch outside. Inside the office, they found evidence of Halia's quick exit. Piles of papers had been dumped on the floor, and a hidden drawer under the desk hung open and empty.
Before Miaug, Ryoko and Ramas reached the Townmaster's Hall, two figures descended from the sky. Aetilius and Clootie informed the group that they'd lost the trail. Together the party headed up the steps to the Townmaster's Hall and knocked heavily. The door swung open with a dull groan. Ramas noticed that the lock appeared to have been blasted open. Inside the group headed left into Harbin's office. Behind the desk the saw Harbin slumped forward in his chair. Aetilius and Clootie went to investigate. As they lifted his head, Clootie gasped in shock. Harbin's face was frozen in a horrifying rictus of terror; and distinctive burn marks criss-crossed his face and torso. Aetilius recognised the wounds as evidence of powerful warlock magics. The group started to search the rest of the house, looking for any clues. Nothing appears to have been disturbed, either in the main office or elsewhere in the house proper. The group followed the winding stone corridor leading to the jail cells at the back of the building.
Stepping into the jail, the group was immediately hit by the smell of ozone. On the far side of the room, a large iron cell door lay across the floor, it's hinges scorched and warped. The doorframe where to door once stood was now jagged and uneven, and rubble lay around the floor. The cell door had apparently been blown off its hinges by a powerful blast. The group recognise the now empty cell as the one which had previously housed Iarno Albrek - Glasstaff.
The group headed back upstairs to wait for the council members to arrive. Daran arrived first, quickly taking in the scene. Quelline and Garaele arrived moments later. Both were shocked by the discovery of Harbin's corpse. After everyone had repeated the password, the group started to discuss.
There was no evidence of theft from the Town Hall, or from the Phandalin Miner's Exchange. It also seemed unlikely that Harbin himself had been the target of an assassination. It seemed most likely that he had merely been in the wrong place, and had been killed because of it. The target appeared to be Iarno. The assassin had been willing to leave Harbin's corpse where it lay, so it seemed likely that whoever it was had taken Iarno alive. Possibly an accomplice. Given the sudden disappearance of Halia, and the two horse tracks, it seemed likely that Halia was the culprit. Aetilius deduced that Halia was most likely a warlock. This would explain both the murder method, and the unexpected encounter with Lanar earlier.
The group decided to go after Halia and Iarno. Quelline agreed that the rest of the council would keep an eye on things in Phandalin, in the unlikely event that the murder, the jailbreak and the shapeshifter were unrelated. She asked the group to keep quiet to avoid causing undue alarm. Everybody agreed. Clootie headed back to the inn the check on the horses and get them ready, while the rest of the group said their goodbyes to the council.
Clootie checked the horses. Pip had taken good care of them, and they all seemed surprisingly well rested given the relatively short time they'd been in town. Clootie popped her head into the taproom to explain that they wouldn't be staying tonight, they had to leave on urgent business, but that they'd be back in a day or two.
The rest of the party were outside when she emerged from the taproom. The group quickly saddled the horses and headed out of town.
Once they were through the mountain pass, Clootie showed Miaug where she'd lost the trail. The ranger was able to pick up their tracks - two people on horseback, lightly loaded, travelling with great haste. From the strain they were putting on their horses, Miaug was certain that they were heading to specific destination, not too far away. Based on the direction of the tracks, she was fairly confident that Halia and Iarno were heading to Conyberry.
The party decided they could make better time on a road than cutting through the forest; unlike their quarry, they could afford to not travel discreetly. Miaug and Clootie mounted their horses, and as one the group wheeled around and took off at a gallop along the road.
Riding through the night, the group made it to Conyberry. Miaug dismounted and searched around for the trail. After a few minutes, she found two sets of fresh horse tracks, one leading the other. They emerged from the treeline on the south side of the town and joined the road heading east. The group set off again following the road east. They travelled slower this time, allowing Miaug to look out for any evidence of their quarry leaving the path.
Around twenty miles east of the ruined village, the forest narrowed on either side of the track. As the party rounded a bend in the road, they came across the site of a massacre. The path was stained deep crimson and emerald with blood, corpses lay strewn across the road and scattered through the treeline. Clouds of flies, disturbed by the group's intrusion, rose from the dead and begin to undulate hypnotically in the air. The sickly sweet stench of death hung heavy over the scene, cloying tendrils seeming to reach down their throats, causing them to gag.
Most of the corpses seemed to be goblins. Scanning around the group identified a couple of dead bugbears in the melee. Then, with a sinking in the pit of his stomach, Aetilius spotted a familiar face. Brughor lay dead beneath a tree, a snapped short sword blade sticking out of his chest, his torso covered in gashes. Around him lay the battered corpses of five hobgoblins and two bugbears. Slumped against the tree behind Brughor sat Tulmak's corpse, his side pierced by a huge crude wooden spear. On the other side of the road, Ohctar lay staring up at the sky. His lifeless eyes were frozen open in pain, and the top of his rib cage has been crushed. Durraugh lay face down beyond Brughor and Tulmak, a dozen black fletched arrow protruding from his back, in front of him lay dozens of crumpled goblin corpses. In the trees to the right of the road, the decapitated corpse of the remaining orc, Grusk, lay slumped against a tree. His head was nowhere in sight.
Miaug slipped gracefully from her saddle and began to pace around the battlefield, examining the scene. Bit by bit, she pieced together the orc's fate. Brughor's party had evidently rounded the corner, where an overwhelming force of goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears lay in ambush. Based on their apparel, the goblins seemed to be the remnants of the Cragmaw Goblin tribe, possibly seeking revenge. The orcs fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered and surprised. The first casualty had been Tulmak, it appeared that the goblins had targeted him specifically. As he lay dying, Tulmak and Durraugh had set up a perimeter around him, massacring any goblin who came near their friend. Durraugh had been shot in the back by a group of goblin archers. Ochtar had been killed in combat with a group of bugbears. Grusk had gone after a lone hobgoblin, only to be ambushed by his allies. Surrounded by hobgoblins, Brughor had finally been overwhelmed.
Based on the recent tracks, the surviving goblins had waited at the battle site until Halia and Iarno arrived hours later. The goblins had then headed north, while the warlock and Glasstaff had turned off the road to the south, heading in the direction of Old Owl Well.
Before they continued their chase, Clootie demanded they show the orcs proper respect. The rest of the party agreed, and together they built a funeral pyre, giving the orcs a warrior's burial. Determined, the group then set off in pursuit of Halia. The group had only been travelling for a few minutes, when a thunderous cracking sound broke the silence and a beam of brilliant purple light erupted from the hills on the horizon, tearing a hole through the clouds above. The beam lasted for a few seconds, then abruptly disappeared. Miaug looked to the horizon with a growing feeling of unease. That had almost certainly come from Old Owl Well.
The rest of the party gradually woke up, each suffering with their own particular brand of hangover. The group had mostly passed out where they had sat, underneath the tree in Tam's valley. With a loud grunt and a few choice curses, Tam dragged himself to his feet and staggered into the shack. After a few minutes, he emerged carrying another pitcher of ale and a few hunks of bread and roasted meat,
"Hair o' the dag that bit ye?" he peered at the party through eyes which squinted against the moonlight,
The group muttered agreement and accepted the offer. They sat in relative silence for a while, nursing their heads. As the food (and more likely the ale) started to take effect, everyone's mood brightened.
Before the party left, Tam took Clootie aside to teach her a couple of wresting moves and reversals,
"So tell me lass - whit's the deal here? How did ye end up runnin wi a crood o Bigjobs? Ah mean - they seem soond an that. The scaly one's pretty tasty - if I wis after sommin weird and that. But aye - how come yer no wi' yer clan?"
Clootie explained her history to the gnome. When she had finished, Tam scoffed good naturedly,
"Fuck 'em. They dae ken what they're missing. You're as gid a McToot as any I've drank wi"
He punctuated his comment with a heavy slap across her back.
The group collected their belongings and readied the horses. Tam offered them some directions back towards Phandalin.
"Aye, if yi hied soothwes' aroont five miles, yell hit a wee dirt track. Ye can prolly git on yer nags then and it's aroont anoor twenty five, thirty miles tae Phandalin"
The party bid their farewells to the gnome. He gave Ryoko a wink as she pulled herself up on Pepper. Ramas shook his hand, but as he walked past him, he slipped his hand into the gnome's ass crack and gathered a good handful of sweat. Tam spun around instinctively to punch him, but the nimble half-elf dodged backward. He turned and wiped the sweaty hand across Miaug's nose. The tabaxi instantly collapsed, gagging at the smell. At the sight of Miaug rolling on the ground, retching and rubbing her face in the grass, Tam grinned and gave Ramas a thumbs up,
"A'right. Well... Fuck off noo. I'm needin' peace" and with that final profound statement, he wandered back into his shack. The party shrugged and set off.
As Tam suggested, they found the track a few miles from the valley and were able to get on their horses. Clootie and Miaug checked the horses over. They seemed to be healthy and in good condition. The group decided to push the horses slightly and try to make it back to Phandalin the same day.
Towards late afternoon, the party found themselves on a dusty road which wound through a familiar narrow pass in the hills. Beyond the pass, the road curved left and descended into the valley below. Ahead, the ground ended abruptly in a steep cliff, a picturesque vista framed the town of Phandalin, sprawling across the valley floor, nestled in the midst of the craggy hills.
Two figures on horseback made their way up the winding path at a leisurely pace. The group recognised the gaunt looking face of the lead figure as Lanar Eitron, the old miner they'd met in the Stonehill Inn on their first night in town. They didn't recognise his companion, a dumpy fellow dressed in prospector clothing, with a bushy moustache. Lanar gave Aetilius a brief smile, pulling the brim of his hat down in a gesture of respect, as they neared the party,
"Hoped I'd catch you" he drawled lazily, "Good job dealing with those orcs. Can finally get back out in the hills. Next time I'm in town, I'll buy you all a round"
He gave a wave as they passed and headed out into the wilds; and the party made their way down into town.
The group stopped at the Stonehill Inn first. They spoke to Toblen, the innkeeper, to arrange lodging for the evening. Clootie also asked if they could stable the horses here. Toblen whistled on his son Pip, who took Clootie and Ramas around to the stable. Ramas tipped him an extra gold piece to ensure they were well cared for. Pip eagerly pocketed the coin and gently stroked Punch's flank as he led him into a stall.
The group headed downhill towards the village green. Miaug was eager to visit Sister Garaele. As they entered the Shrine of the Five Gods, they saw Sister Garaele tending to a familiar figure. Tharden lay unconscious on one of the beds in the main hall. Garaele mopped his brow with a cool cloth, and replaced poultices strapped onto each of his stumps. She smiled as she saw Miaug, who immediately started to blush. The party spoke to Garaele for a while, inquiring to Tharden's condition. Reidoth the druid had delivered him to the Shrine early the previous day. The appearance of a giant white owl clutching a mutilated dwarf on the village green had caused quite a stir. Garaele had used her healing magics and apothecary skills to treat the infection, which appeared to now be clearing up. Gundren had stayed with his brother through the night, and earlier today Tharden had woken in a lucid moment and recognised him. Confident that the injured dwarf was on the road to recovery, Garaele had sent Gundren back to Quelline's to rest.
As a thank you for speaking with Agatha, and for saving Mother Redwald in Neverwinter from the aboleth, Garaele gave Miaug a gift: an ornately crafted wooden arrow. The arrow's shaft split at the head into five curved wooden tendrils, which entwined around a smooth round jewel. As the group was just about to leave, Miaug stammered for a moment, then shyly asked Garaele for a drink. Garaele smiled gently and accepted, suggested that Miaug take her to the Tari Ce Mortè dance the following week. Elated, Miaug nearly tripped over her own feet on the way out of the Shrine.
The group then decided to head out to Edermath Orchard, to inform Daran that the orcs had been reasoned with. The group also wanted to highlight that the orcs were not a threat in the first place. Ryoko knocked on the door of Edermath Cottage, and Daran answered brightly. Recognising the party, he smiled warmly and invited them all in for some cider. As he brought them through to the kitchen, they noticed another figure sitting at the table holding a mug of cider. It was Lanar, the old miner they'd passed on the way into town. Daran thanked them for dealing with the orcs, handing them a beautifully wrought silver short sword,
"The Kapatki Tear. This blade saved my life many times when I was a Warden. But there's no sense in it sitting rotting here with me." he grinned, handing the blade to Miaug.
Ramas smiled at Lanar, "That was a quick trip. Where's your pal?"
Lanar looked confused. Ramas reminded him that they'd met on their way into town today. Lanar and Daran both looked at each other,
"I've been here all morning. I haven't left town in a week" Lanar explained
The party was suddenly alarmed. Aetilius's hand went to the hilt of his sword. They started to question Lanar, trying to confirm his identity. Ramas asked him to tell them something only Daran would know, to confirm it was him. Lanar told them that he and Daran specifically timed their rounds at the Stonehill Inn to ensure that they never bought Narth a drink. For the last three months, both of them had drunk for free. Daran nodded in confirmation. Just to be sure, Aetilius opened the Lens of True Sight. Lanar looked perfectly normal, but Aetilius noticed that Daran's body appeared to be covered in a huge number of extra scars, and his left leg was covered with strange runes below the knee. Aetilius pulled out Talon and demanded he explain.
"The scars? You remember I told you I took an arrow to knee, and that's why I retired from the Wardens. That's not strictly accurate. I hoped I'd never have to talk about this again." he sighed,
"My squad were manning one of the bastions in the Northwatch Mountains, when a couple of half-dead Rangers stumbled in. It was deep in the winter, and we didn't really expect much action. The Ranger's warned us they were just ahead of huge demonic force heading up the pass. We dispatched one of the young lads to gather reinforcements from Kildrasil, and the rest of us dug in. Sure enough, within the hour we could see them. More demons than I could count. There were three squads in the bastion; the eighteen of us held them off as long as we could. We held the line for five days and nights. One by one, my squad all fell until I was the last standing. On the fifth night, the Glabrezu commander of the vanguard broke through the line and I intercepted him. We fought for a while, but i was outmatched. He crushed my left leg, and nearly tore my guts out. But it was long enough, reinforcements arrived and broke the demon's assault, routing them. I was taken back to Kildrasil. The healers managed to save me, and they fitted me with this dwarven prosthetic leg. I was awarded a Medal of Distinction, but I was no longer fit for duty so I was discharged. I decided to get as far from battle as I could. I traveled across the Sundered Sea and set myself up as a farmer on the frontier. It seemed about as far away as I could get."
Aetilius sheathed Talon and apologised. Daran assured him that no offence was taken. Ramas mused that a shapeshifter might be loose in the town. Aetilius and Clootie decided to fly over the pass to see if they could pick up fake Lanar's trail. After the pair took off, Ramas pointed out that a shapeshifter was potentially loose in town. They should ensure they had some way to identify one another. Ramas suggested they adopt an identification password: 'Goblins are Fags'. Daran asked them to quietly gather the other council members for a meeting at the Townmaster's Hall in an hour.
As Ramas, Miaug and Ryoko headed back into town to notify Garaele, and then headed out to Alderleaf Farm to invite Quelline; Aetilius and Clootie flew up the cliff to the mountain pass out of town. Aetilius dropped Clootie off to check for tracks, while he gained altitude to see if he could spot movement. He was unable to spot any sign of life north of the mountains, however Clootie managed to pick up the trail of the two horses. The pair followed the tracks through the pass beyond the mountains, where the trail quickly left the road and headed into the wilderness. Clootie lost the tracks almost immediately in the undergrowth. Dejected, the pair headed back towards town.
The rest of the party knocked on the farmhouse door at Alderleaf Farm. A young halfling man answered the door, looking curiously at the group. Ryoko explained that they were looking to speak to Quelline.
"Mum!" the halfling yelled as he gestured the group inside.
Quelline appeared from the dining room. The old halfling looked at the group, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sought to place them. Ryoko explained who they were. She tried to reminder Quelline that they'd met briefly before,
"Oh yes. You lot asked a lot of very strange questions. I remember that now..." Quelline nodded,
"Come in, get a cup of tea"
With that she led them through to the dining room at the back of the house. Sitting at the dining table, they recognised Gundren. The dwarf immediately leaped up and shook their hands warmly, thanking them all for saving Tharden. His smile faded slightly as he thought of Nundro. Quelline came back through with fresh pot of tea, and lightened the mood with a smile and a tray of biscuits.
As they sat and enjoyed the halfling's hospitality, the group explained the situation with Lanar's doppelganger and the council meeting. Quelline's eyes narrowed and she looked thoughtful for a moment.
"If anyone has taken an interest in our little town, that cannot bode well. What could they be after?" she mused, "I'll gather my things. I'll be at the Townmaster's Hall shortly. Do me a favour please. Check in on Halia Thornton on your way back up."
The group bid her farewell, and made their way back towards town. As they reached the Phandalin Miner's Exchange, the building looked unusually deserted. No lights twinkled in any of the windows, and the usually busy building seemed unusually still. They tried the front door, but it was locked. Scouting around the building, they discovered the warehouse door at the back gaped open. Two sets of horse tracks led away from the open door, up towards town. Ramas and Ryoko elected to sneak into the building, while Miaug kept watch outside. Inside the office, they found evidence of Halia's quick exit. Piles of papers had been dumped on the floor, and a hidden drawer under the desk hung open and empty.
Before Miaug, Ryoko and Ramas reached the Townmaster's Hall, two figures descended from the sky. Aetilius and Clootie informed the group that they'd lost the trail. Together the party headed up the steps to the Townmaster's Hall and knocked heavily. The door swung open with a dull groan. Ramas noticed that the lock appeared to have been blasted open. Inside the group headed left into Harbin's office. Behind the desk the saw Harbin slumped forward in his chair. Aetilius and Clootie went to investigate. As they lifted his head, Clootie gasped in shock. Harbin's face was frozen in a horrifying rictus of terror; and distinctive burn marks criss-crossed his face and torso. Aetilius recognised the wounds as evidence of powerful warlock magics. The group started to search the rest of the house, looking for any clues. Nothing appears to have been disturbed, either in the main office or elsewhere in the house proper. The group followed the winding stone corridor leading to the jail cells at the back of the building.
Stepping into the jail, the group was immediately hit by the smell of ozone. On the far side of the room, a large iron cell door lay across the floor, it's hinges scorched and warped. The doorframe where to door once stood was now jagged and uneven, and rubble lay around the floor. The cell door had apparently been blown off its hinges by a powerful blast. The group recognise the now empty cell as the one which had previously housed Iarno Albrek - Glasstaff.
The group headed back upstairs to wait for the council members to arrive. Daran arrived first, quickly taking in the scene. Quelline and Garaele arrived moments later. Both were shocked by the discovery of Harbin's corpse. After everyone had repeated the password, the group started to discuss.
There was no evidence of theft from the Town Hall, or from the Phandalin Miner's Exchange. It also seemed unlikely that Harbin himself had been the target of an assassination. It seemed most likely that he had merely been in the wrong place, and had been killed because of it. The target appeared to be Iarno. The assassin had been willing to leave Harbin's corpse where it lay, so it seemed likely that whoever it was had taken Iarno alive. Possibly an accomplice. Given the sudden disappearance of Halia, and the two horse tracks, it seemed likely that Halia was the culprit. Aetilius deduced that Halia was most likely a warlock. This would explain both the murder method, and the unexpected encounter with Lanar earlier.
The group decided to go after Halia and Iarno. Quelline agreed that the rest of the council would keep an eye on things in Phandalin, in the unlikely event that the murder, the jailbreak and the shapeshifter were unrelated. She asked the group to keep quiet to avoid causing undue alarm. Everybody agreed. Clootie headed back to the inn the check on the horses and get them ready, while the rest of the group said their goodbyes to the council.
Clootie checked the horses. Pip had taken good care of them, and they all seemed surprisingly well rested given the relatively short time they'd been in town. Clootie popped her head into the taproom to explain that they wouldn't be staying tonight, they had to leave on urgent business, but that they'd be back in a day or two.
The rest of the party were outside when she emerged from the taproom. The group quickly saddled the horses and headed out of town.
Once they were through the mountain pass, Clootie showed Miaug where she'd lost the trail. The ranger was able to pick up their tracks - two people on horseback, lightly loaded, travelling with great haste. From the strain they were putting on their horses, Miaug was certain that they were heading to specific destination, not too far away. Based on the direction of the tracks, she was fairly confident that Halia and Iarno were heading to Conyberry.
The party decided they could make better time on a road than cutting through the forest; unlike their quarry, they could afford to not travel discreetly. Miaug and Clootie mounted their horses, and as one the group wheeled around and took off at a gallop along the road.
Riding through the night, the group made it to Conyberry. Miaug dismounted and searched around for the trail. After a few minutes, she found two sets of fresh horse tracks, one leading the other. They emerged from the treeline on the south side of the town and joined the road heading east. The group set off again following the road east. They travelled slower this time, allowing Miaug to look out for any evidence of their quarry leaving the path.
Around twenty miles east of the ruined village, the forest narrowed on either side of the track. As the party rounded a bend in the road, they came across the site of a massacre. The path was stained deep crimson and emerald with blood, corpses lay strewn across the road and scattered through the treeline. Clouds of flies, disturbed by the group's intrusion, rose from the dead and begin to undulate hypnotically in the air. The sickly sweet stench of death hung heavy over the scene, cloying tendrils seeming to reach down their throats, causing them to gag.
Most of the corpses seemed to be goblins. Scanning around the group identified a couple of dead bugbears in the melee. Then, with a sinking in the pit of his stomach, Aetilius spotted a familiar face. Brughor lay dead beneath a tree, a snapped short sword blade sticking out of his chest, his torso covered in gashes. Around him lay the battered corpses of five hobgoblins and two bugbears. Slumped against the tree behind Brughor sat Tulmak's corpse, his side pierced by a huge crude wooden spear. On the other side of the road, Ohctar lay staring up at the sky. His lifeless eyes were frozen open in pain, and the top of his rib cage has been crushed. Durraugh lay face down beyond Brughor and Tulmak, a dozen black fletched arrow protruding from his back, in front of him lay dozens of crumpled goblin corpses. In the trees to the right of the road, the decapitated corpse of the remaining orc, Grusk, lay slumped against a tree. His head was nowhere in sight.
Miaug slipped gracefully from her saddle and began to pace around the battlefield, examining the scene. Bit by bit, she pieced together the orc's fate. Brughor's party had evidently rounded the corner, where an overwhelming force of goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears lay in ambush. Based on their apparel, the goblins seemed to be the remnants of the Cragmaw Goblin tribe, possibly seeking revenge. The orcs fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered and surprised. The first casualty had been Tulmak, it appeared that the goblins had targeted him specifically. As he lay dying, Tulmak and Durraugh had set up a perimeter around him, massacring any goblin who came near their friend. Durraugh had been shot in the back by a group of goblin archers. Ochtar had been killed in combat with a group of bugbears. Grusk had gone after a lone hobgoblin, only to be ambushed by his allies. Surrounded by hobgoblins, Brughor had finally been overwhelmed.
Based on the recent tracks, the surviving goblins had waited at the battle site until Halia and Iarno arrived hours later. The goblins had then headed north, while the warlock and Glasstaff had turned off the road to the south, heading in the direction of Old Owl Well.
Before they continued their chase, Clootie demanded they show the orcs proper respect. The rest of the party agreed, and together they built a funeral pyre, giving the orcs a warrior's burial. Determined, the group then set off in pursuit of Halia. The group had only been travelling for a few minutes, when a thunderous cracking sound broke the silence and a beam of brilliant purple light erupted from the hills on the horizon, tearing a hole through the clouds above. The beam lasted for a few seconds, then abruptly disappeared. Miaug looked to the horizon with a growing feeling of unease. That had almost certainly come from Old Owl Well.
Report Date
26 Jan 2020
Comments