DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games LMP: Lost Mines of Phandelver N-3.0 Where to next?

Davroar

Finding a basic dagger that will do for a backup weapon, he hastily backs away when Chandan starts practicing with the longsword and exclaims, "Ahh! Watch where you're swinging..."

Noticing Chandan's bloody and torn clothes he suggests, "You should've gotten new clothes at Barthen's, Chandan. Orc's and wolves will be smelling us coming if you stay in those rags."

Chandan

"How does a swordsman not kill himself with one of these!?" He wonders aloud, sheathing and hanging the sword back up.

Looking down at his clothes, he nods in agreement to Davroar.

"Tonight, wash and fix. Good as new!" Chandan says to reassure the druid.

He isn't sentimental about his homespun robes. His yellow silk scarf has some significance, denoting him as sadhu, but even that is more for the benefit of the layman than himself.

Seeing Davroar looking at weapons, Chandan suggests, "How about a spear? Similar to your staff but more versatile."

[Ah well, I doubt we were gonna nick anything anyway. ]

Kallista

The only thing Kallista is interested in purchasing with her share would be some additional Healing Potions, so she looks at both Barthen's and the Lionshield Coster to see if any are available. If not, she recalls passing a Shrine in the middle of town, so she will look there. Clerical types usually are good sources for such things.

Jaliera

"Davroar, I was thinking of casting my Find Familiar spell tonight. I thought a magical animal that is small and can scout without attracting attention might be very useful. Maybe you could advise what creature might be best? I was thinking of an owl as it can fly ahead and I can see thought its eyes in the dark, meaning I could scout without light. What do you think? Plus I could use the company and a lookout whilst I do it."

She smiles at him hoping that he can help. She also keeps an eye of Chandan and his weapon swinging tendancies.

Davroar

He gives Jaliera a brief look of surprise and replies, "I didn't know you could do spells too."

He knows enough about owls to help and continues to say, "But yeah, sure I can help. You thinking on a small one or large?"

Davroar has seen a few on his travels, the smaller barn owls the most common naturally around rural areas. Further afield there are the larger eagle-owls and the great horned owls. The smaller ones would have an advantage of getting into smaller places and less likely to be seen, while the larger ones could easily take care of themselves if it came down to a fight with another animal.

Jaliera

"My mentor trained me in magic but told me it would likely awaken in me when I was ready. Seems I am, had been feeling a tingling for a while. I cast that coloured spray back in the cellar. First time I really tried it, kind of surprised me too."

She grins.

"As to owl, hadn't really thought about size but smallish would be good. I'd like to carry it on my shoulder when we are exploring and I'm not that tall myself."

She is pleased that Davroar wants to help.

Party at the Lionshield Coster
The Lionshields are a merchant company based in the city of Yartar, over a hundred miles to the east from Phandelver. They ship goods here and to other small settlements throughtout the region, but this one had been hit hard by banditry. The most recent caravan was attacked by the Cragmaw goblins and once word spread that you had defeated them, most of the missing merchandise had been retrieved.

The weapons and armor at the Lionshield Coster are not readily on display, but once the proprietress, a human woman about 35 years of age named Lienene, realizes who you are, she leads them into a back room and pulls aside a curtain to reveal the,.

"I don't sell weapons and armor to just anyone. Those Redbrands, for instance," she says.

You are able to purchase swords, daggers, shields, and arrows as well as other weapons and armor. She has a decent selection to choose from. Much to her disappointment, cannot find healing potions at either the Lionshield Coster or at Barthens.You may purchase any non-magical weapons or armor that you like here at PHB prices. Let me know if you want anything.

Kallista at the Shrine of Luck
Kallista makes her way over to the Shrine of Luck, in the middle of town. Before he left the party, Karok had visited there. But the dwarf didn't say much about what he learned there.

It's a small temple, really only a small structure made of old, hewn stones. It is dedicated to Tymora, the goddess of luck and good fortune. The shrine is being cared for by a young elf who turns around once she notices Kallista. "Greetings she says simply. "Aren't you one of those who came here with Karok?"

Jaliera and Davroar in the Town Green
The Jaliear and Davroar separate themselves from the others to summon an owl for the young trickster. They take a stroll after leaving the Lionshield Coster towards the town green which is just a few hundred feet away. It's a lush, green, open space that is bordered by a small orchard and a single home in the north. Davroar explains that owls are likely to be found near trees so they make their way closer to the grove.

The druid had been up this way the other day in animal form and had spied into the cottage where he had seen an aging man the other day. Although they did not approach the cottage directly, the man emerged, by chance and spotted the pair. He waved to them at a distance, and continued about his business which, at this time seemed like chopping firewood. As he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, it became apparent that this was a strong man.

To summon her familiar, Jaliera knew that she needed to mix together incense and herbs and then burn them slowly. The ritual would take her over an hour to complete. The druid watched intently as she started it.

ooc: Although the PHB says that the familiar is a "spirit that takes on an animal form", I'll play it the old fashioned way, the owl will be a real owl.

Kriv and Chandan at the Inn
The dragonborn and monk go to the inn. Chandan has promised to bathe and change and Kriv seemed eager to help the monk stay focused on that task. There was a stench that hung like an aura around the old man. The fetor was particularly rancid to the reptilian's nostrils. Perhaps a cleansing would also be an opportunity to discuss combat ethics with the monk.

As they enter the inn, they are greeted by townsfolk that were eager to raise their mugs in a toast and to buy drinks for the pair.

Kallista

"Yes", she replies. "My name is Kallista. Nice shrine."

Kriv

He considered trading in for stronger armour, but refrained for the time being: The chainmail had served him well so far. He was in no hurry to be anywhere near the vagrant, and made sure to give him plenty of room. Showing mercy to the Monk for his actions, offering a chance for redemption, forgiving what he had done, these were anathema to the Dragonborn, who would much rather apply the law in all its fullness. If nothing else, that would be a permanent solution to the stink, and likely far more effective than any attempt at ablution.

Davroar

Walking with Jaliera he returns the older mans wave out of courtesy and remembers him from yesterday. His curiosity gets to him and decides to walk over to talk to the man after he helps Jaliera.

Right now though he will watch Jaliera prepare, and if she wants guidance (cantrip) or a flame to burn the incense he can provide both.

Jaliera

She is feeling good. They had succeeded in disbanding the Redbrands and the town should be in a much better state now, especially with their new mayor. A good result. She has learned much on this adventure, hopefully made a friend.. she glances at Davroar with a smile.. and has come into her magic. She feels her mentor will be pleased with her progress.

Between the two of them, they make the preparations, chatting easily as they do so. She sees Davroar wave at a man and decides to ask him about that after the casting. At the moment she is too excited by the summoning.

Settling herself down cross-legged by the small fire that Davroar had built, she focuses and recalls the steps she needs to take. Then she starts...

Chandan

According to his vows, he can only bathe in running water, and there is a stream outside of town to the north-west.

However, Chandan's spiritual awakening has led him down from his mountain to foreign lands, and there are also edicts that talk about respecting other beliefs.

In these northern lands, it's widely believed that having a hot bath in an inn is cleansing. The inn also sells a variety of beverages. Two birds with one stone! Most auspicious!

DM - Kriv and Chandan at the Stonehill Inn

By the time he was done, Chandan's bathwater was the color of mud and had absorbed some of the stench which followed him like his shadow. No longer rancid, he was as clean as he could ever be when he made it downstairs to the taproom. The monk and the dragonborn then caught each other's gaze from across the room. Kriv's glare was icy.

He had found himself a quiet place to rest and was drinking a beverage that a local peasant had bought him earlier. A tray of smoked meats and a block of hard cheese was a gift from a couple that sat at a nearby table. Justice had been served today and these folk were showing their appreciation.

There was work to be done for the dragonborn. He had found himself a new purpose. He was a member of the Lord's Alliance. When he had asked Sildar about any other reports of violent groups of thugs in the area, the new tonwmaster had mentioned that Harbin (his cowardly predecessor) had mentioned orcs to the east on the Triboar Trail. There would be a meager 100 GP reward for eliminating them. But the greatest interest seemed to be finding Cragmaw Castle. The reward would be significant but it would be a difficult task. First they had to find it.

Sadly, Mosk was dead. The bugbear swore that he knew where it was. They would need a new source of information. Sildar's suggestion was to search the lands around the Triboar Trail for raiding parties. To gather the information, they needed to capture someone that could provide it. As Kriv looked over towards the monk across the room, he had to wonder what it would take to keep prisoners alive with Chandan around.

Kriv

The answer was simple, straightforward and self-evident: Remove the problem, end the risk. An execution, however, did not appear to have popular support, and without legal recourse that was an end of it for the time being. He spared not a moment more, not a glance or a flicker towards the murderous vagrant, not when surrounded by those eager to please and who knew the local area.

In his erudite way, he made enquiries about the Triboar trail and listened with a sympathetic ear at any tale of raids in that vicinity. Anything to verify and help pin down an actual threat: The fact the objective had previously been given by a man in collusion with their enemy, peon of their peons, was a concern, and Gundren was the absolute priority.

DM - Jaliera and Davroar in the Town Green near the Edermath Orchard

It was just after sunset. The incense and herbs that burned over red hot charcoal in the small brass brazier gave rise to a pungent plume of smoke that twisted up towards the cresent moon. The air around her tingled every so often as she concentrated on keeping the fire going. The scent reached an owl that had made its lair in the orchard. Almost immediately the young rogue felt the connection with the bird. Although it was dozens of yards away, they were connected.

The ritual was time consuming and Davroar spent most of that time time talking Daren Edermath, to the silver-haired half-elf that was chopping wood. It turns out he was a retired adventuer. He was over a hundred years old and had served as a marshal and herald for many years in the lands of the Dragon Coast, far to the southeast. When he retired, he settled back to this region.

While Davroar kept an eye out for Jaliera, he listened to Daren speak and it became clear that the man was passionate about ridding the world of evildoers. He was elated that the wizard and the Redbrands were taken care of "It was high time someone took care of those thugs!"

The aged warrior eagerly shared tales of battles with giants and dragons and Davroar listened patiently these to his tales of adventure. And as time passed, Daren brought up recent stories about prospectors in the hills to the northeast of Phandelin who were digging around in the ruins of the Old Owl Well. The reports were that these prospectors were chased away by undead.

"The ruins are an old watchtower of an ancient magical empire called Netheril," he told Davroar. "I am worried that there is dangerous magic lying dormant in those ruins. It would take brave adventurers to take care of this problem. It is only a few days northeast of here. If you would visit the ruins and find out who's there and what they are up to, it would be greatly appreciated."

Eventually, Davroar noticed the bird arrive to land on his friends arm from a short distance. He was connected to wildlife too, so seeing a human and an animal connect seemed somewhat natural. It was getting late and Jaliera and her new familiar were bonded now. Davroar said his goodbyes to the old warrior and rejoined Jaliera.

DM - Kallista at the Shrine of Luck

"Thank you. It is small but I've been fortunate to be able to keep it up like I do with those thugs around. Your friend Karok stopped by here on his way out of town and told me about what you were doing. I saw you bring out the wizard bound with his hands tied behind his back. His luck ran out when you came into town!"

"I am Sister Garaele," the scholarly looking elf said. "You've done this town a great service and I thank you for that. We need to thwart tyrants like that no matter where we find them. They are a scourge on this land."

"And so what are your plans to do now?" she asks.

Kallista

She digs into a pouch and takes out a few gold pieces and places it in front of the shrine. "Never can have too much luck", she says gently.

She listens to Sister Garaele and nods. "Yes. Those Redbrands should trouble the town no longer. Glasstaff is a prisoner and the rest are dead or fled. I think Sildar will be able to establish some order here now."

She ponders the final question. "Well. We are searching for the dwarf who hired us. He was captured with Sildar by Goblins and we've heard he was taken to a place called Cragmaw Castle. His name is Gundren. He and his brothers were miners around here. I don't suppose you know where Cragmaw might be?"

Chandan
(at Stonehill Inn)

His clothes are washed and repaired and hanging to dry, so he tries to venture downstairs in a loincloth...

That doesn't go so well, so it's somewhat later that Chandan reappears in his robes again, yellow silk scarf loose around his neck.

The greybeard half remembers his conversation with Alzok, Borim and Carmil from the day before. Something was said about white cider. Chandan can't recall exactly what, but he asks that his new wineskin filled with the stuff.

He pays what has to be paid, since upon contemplation, his vows of poverty are unaffected by any coin he carries.

It was the town's coin, and he'd carried it out of the Redbrands hideout. He carries it still. Without any record of who it was stolen from, distributing it as circumstance dictates is as fair a way as any, and adheres to the town's own customs.

Seeing Kriv regarding him with what he inteprets as an inviting and friendly face, he shambles over to sit with his companion.

"Wow! Hot bath! Now I know how rice feels!" He says.

"So, to Thundertree next you think?"

Jaliera

She is sitting on the ground cross-legged still and beaming at the owl on her arm. As she hears Davroar approach, she glances around, eyes shining.

"She says her name is Whisper."

Davroar

He gives a warm smile to both Jaliera and Whisper, and says, "Pleased to meet you Whisper."

Pointing back to where the half-elf has retired to his house in the orchard, Davroar adds, "I hope you did not mind. I wandered over to talk with Daran, the half-elf chopping wood there, while you're doing your summoning."

Davroar will plan to share whet he had learned from Daran Edermath later when everyone else is around at the inn.

"So how does it feel to have such a connection with nature?"

For him it has been a way of life since he was little, and he hopes it will bring Jaliera a greater peace of mind and more awareness of the natural world that they live in.

Jaliera

"No, that's fine."

She smiles but Davroar could be forgiven in thinking that she might have said the same thing if he'd just confessed to robbing her and murdering the half elf as almost all of her attention is on the small owl whose breast she is gently stroking with one finger.

His second question obviously takes some time to filter through as there is a delay before she responds.

"Wonderful."

Though whether she is talking to him or to Whisper... or maybe to both of them isn't clear.

Davroar

He will help in safely putting out the small fire used, and asks Jaliera, "Should we find the others then, I guess at the inn. Or, do you want to stay outside with Whisper for awhile longer?"

Jaliera

Her eyes are still shining but she grins at him.

"No let's find the others, besides I'm hungry!"

She helps to tidy up and then makes her way with Davroar to the inn. Before going in, she pauses.

"Do you think I should take her in? Perhaps I should ask her?"

She concentrates, wanting to know if Whisper will be happier inside with her and lots of other people, or whether she wants to stay outside. Also does she need to hunt for food?