It wasn't until summer solstice that any of the heroes of Phandelin were able complete their individual trainings at the earliest. A few more months would pass and they each went on about their lives until Harvesttide approached. The Autumnal Equinox was their individual signals to make their way back to Phandelin for the festival which would commence in under a tenday.
The town was abuzz when they approached. There were dozens of carts wagons pulled by various beasts of burdens filled with supplies and crops jammed the road leading to the town green. The sounds of people talking, yelling and laughing blended with the sounds of annoyed draught animals made for a scene as lively as the last time they were all here after liberating the mines and saving Nundro Rockseeker from the clutches of the Drow known as the Black Spider.
As each hero weaved their way through the crowd, the townsfolk instantly recognized them. Attention was drawn to them immediately and the noises of people toiling changed to cheers and applause as each approached. To their surprise, children were ready with garlands and wreaths of woven fall leaves and baskets of fruits, candies and cookies. Among them was Carp Alderleaf, the boy who led them to the secret tunnel into Tresendar Manor. The children encircled each hero upon return and led them all past Bathan's Provisions which was too busy to approach anyway and the Stonehill Inn toward the center of town. As the stepped into the town square, they joined a swelling crowd that parted way to let the children lead the heros forward towards a large tent had been erected in the town green on the far side of the square.
A stage had been erected and there were about a dozen still-empty seats there. In front of the stage you were led towards familar faces. Over to one side are in the square as were Sildar Hallwinter who was arguing with Harbin Wester, the fat, pompous old Townmaster of Phandelin that Sildar had pushed aside when Harbin wouldn't tackle the problems with the Redbrands in town. Linene Graywind who ran the Phandelin post of the Lionshield Coster merchant company was directing traffic for supply drop-off's. Not far away was Daran Edermath and Sister Garaele conversing by the Shrine of Luck with an old friend, Luminmorn. But front and center were the surviving Rockseeker brothers, Gundren and Nundro who were having a discussion with Halia Thornton who ran the miner's exchange. When the dwarves spotted the approaching heroes, they rushed in to greet each returnee with warm hugs.
"Welcome to Highharvestide!" Luminmorn called out.
He was pensive as he approached the town. It had been a while and he was not looking forward to what he expected would be a 'big ta do'.
He had spent most of that time with the Enclave, training himself as well as being trainer those who needed wanted to learn what he could teach. He had a =bit= of time with his friend who was kept pretty bust with his own initiation and training. And a bit of time in solitude in the wood.
He was also thinking back on the 'ordeal' that they had found in the mines and what they had discovered and recovered. It was good to know that they =had= accomplished something important and worth while.
Now, unfortunately, he had been 'recognized'. He did his best to accept their 'enthusiastic' greetings humbly and with as much 'reciprocal cheer' as he could muster.
He had a smile and a nod of greeting for the 'town officials' as he was let to the stage. He was a bit 'put off' by the enthusiastic hugs from Gundren and Nundro, but accepted them, none the less. They had their ways, after all.
The Dragonborn noble was well dressed for the occasion, representing as he was all of Norixius Keep when it came to Clan Rockseeker. He accepted the garlands and gifts with equanimity, for truly, they had put in the necessary work to secure this town and the mine from that which imperilled it, and thus were due this reward and recognition as befit the natural order of things.
Being hugged was a tricky one to deal with, an expression of mammalian affection that did not translate well to those with hard scales and sharp claws, but given the source, the Eldritch Knight accepted the embrace in the spirit it was intended, for as much as he might carry himself as a lord in most places, the ancient debt of honour placed him as a servant where Gundren and Nundro were concerned.
He returned Luminmorn's greeting in kind, glad not to be the only Dragonborn present, holding the diligence and skills both martial and arcane of the other in high regard.
As it becomes clear that this 'welcome' is for them, she shares her surprise with both of her companions, Davroar and Bern, as they had travelled back together. None of them seem to have been expecting this.
She feels shy with all these people paying them so much attention but tries to accept it all with good grace, remembering to smile from time to time. She greets the Rockseeker brothers more warmly though.
"Good to see you both again. All the left over issues in the mine resolved now?"
She has a concern that maybe their greeting is because they are not.
Ryssa entered the town alongside Kriv, her traveling companion, and was surprised at the welcome they received. Her hand instinctively moved to her hair, pulling a large strand across her left cheek and covering the disfigurement there. She blushed slightly but smiled and waved with her right hand to the crowd, offering the blessings of the Morninglord to all around them.
Seeing Sister Gareale off to one side of the crowd, she nodded her acknowledgment as she continued toward the town leaders.
He is quite surprised at how many people are here in town. Getting caught up along with Jaliera and Bern with the children encircling him to be escorted to the town's square, Davroar takes things in stride, smiling to everyone, and grabbing an apple from an offered basket. Luckily he manages not to lose an mouthful of apple when greeted by the hugs from Gundren and Nundro. He mumbles around his full mouth a "Well met!" to both dwarves and then looks up as Luminmorn calls out to them and waves a hand in return.
"Yes, yes" Nundro said to Jaliera. "Things could not be better!"
The heroes of Phandelin were each led by the dwarves to seats on the stage and the dwarves didn't take 'no' for an answer. Up there they were joined soon by several of the town leaders and Luminmorn. As they looked out onto the square, they could see food and drink being brought out to the tables that surrounded the square. The townsfolk all gathered in front of the stage.
Luminmorn excused himself from Kriv after they exchanged only a few scant words and down sat next to Daren Edermath, the aging adventurer. Luminmorn seemed to be very involved in the planning of this day's activities. Sister Gareale walked up to her fellow priestess, tucked her skirt and sat down next to Ryssa. "It's our great fortune to have you join us!" she said with a genuine smile. Gundren and Nundro walked over with Halia Thornton and Linene Graywind to Bern, Davroar and Jaliera who had arrived together. Linene, the prioprietor of the Lionshield Coster led the three heroes "It's good to see all of you all again. Let's get seated." Sildar made his way directly over to Kriv and addressed him as if he was the leader of the returning team, "I trust that your journey was easy. It is good to see you again, friend." He led Kriv to a seat and took his seat next to him, "Let us hope that the pompous old weasle keeps this short" as he glanced towards Harbin Webster who was walking out in front of the stage.
The rotund townmaster made his way to the front of the stage and started to wave his arms to the assembled throng to quiet down. It took a few minutes and he was assisted by random snickering taunts directed at him from voices in the crowd that got the assembly to focus on him. It didn't seem that the fool understood the barbs because they didn't seem to insult him and soon he was able to begin his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, It is so wonderfult to welcome you all here on this glorious Autumn day! And a very Happy Highharvestide to all! It is my distinct pleasure to welcome back some of our greatest heroes: Bern, Chandan, Davroar, Jaliera, Kriv, Luminmorn and Ryssa!"
The crowd cheered loudly at that and someone called out "Hey Harbin, Chandan's not here!".
Once again the townmaster didn't react to the outcry and continued as the cheers died down. "As you all know, several months ago, before Greengrass, I asked them to help us remove those awful Redbrands. Not only did they do that, but they also liberated the mines!" Although it was an outright lie that he had asked the heroes for help, nobody corrected him. "And today marks the day that we reopen the mines! Those on the stage behind me will escort our great heroes to the mines after lunch for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. I, unfortunately because of some pains in my knees will need to stay behind. Sildar will officiate in my stead."
The speech went on and on with Wester making up lie after lie, most to make it seem like he was the orchastrator of all that led to this day. Eventually he came to an ending, "And now I ask you all to enjoy the Highharvestide festivities!"
With that the relative silence was broken as the crowd flocked to the tables with food and drink. This was really the first opportunity for the honored guests to find out what has transpired in the town since they were gone.
He did his best to 'go with the flow' with a smile, a hand shake, nod as required.
He acknowledged Gundren, Nundro and Halia Thornton with a smile and nod as they joined him and his friends 'on stage'. He did his best to avoid the 'congratulatory praise' from the locals as he took his seat. He reallt =didn't= like all this 'fuss'. He did try =not= to chuckle at the 'jibes' from the crowd. If he were not up here, on stage, he might well have offered one or two of his own.
He was not particularly pleased to be the first mentioned by the 'mayor', but did his best to suffer that without issue. He did manage a smile and acknowledging nod when mentioned though.
He managed not to sigh at the discussion of a 'ribbon cutting' that had not been mentioned, but could not quite suppress the groan at 'his' explanation of why he could not attend.
He frowned as the man continued on and on about how =he= had been so important, but managed to resit the urge to take him by the throat and sake him senseless ... since it seemed clear that he was =already= senseless. As the 'diatribe' proceeded, he =did= ... idly ... wonder why the town put up with him ... and why =he= continued to sit here smiling.
=FINALLY= the man ran out of breath. The 'populace' didn't seem to mind, but he was going to be looking for an opportunity to 'escape' this madness. He would rather have had to face a tribe of goblins!
Lies. Lies upon lies upon lies, spoken brazenly and before a vast audience, most of whom lapped them up credulously, their placid mammalian faces devoid of guile. It was a good thing that being bad at reading Dragonborn expressions was amongst their many, many faults and flaws. By all the Gods, what a putrid, teeming mess these humans were!
The absence of the vagrant was a small mercy, not truly surprising given his fickle nature, and the lack of olfactory telltales. He made small talk with Sildar, one of the few exceptions to the general trend. “A forlorn hope, it seems. Anything of particular interest in our absence?”
The cleric of Lathandar waved to the crowd, smiling a bit and holding her icon of the Morninglord out toward them to offer his blessing to the cheering group. She scooted slightly over to make more room for Sister Gareale as the holy woman took a seat beside her.
"I am pleased to see you again, Sister," Ryssa said, reaching over to pat Gareale's hand. Half-listening to the words of the politician, she rolled her eyes briefly skyward and head-gestured toward the pontificating man.
"I will be glad when he has completed his... sermon."
She cannot believe the audacity of the man and his claims.. and worse he seems to believe his own propaganda!
She is pleased though to hear that the mines are being reopened. That surely means all the problems have been sorted and many in the area will have gainful employment again. A good reason to celebrate.
He follows Linene as instructed yet remains somewhat fidgety being seated up on the stage with everyone looking up at them. He leans slightly to Jaliera and says "Hope this doesn't go too long", but his spoken wish is not granted as the old mayor gives a long boastful speech. Davroar does not listen much to the speech and instead will make small talk with Linene asking about the town. Only when Harbin Webster finally announces that they can enjoy the festivities does he stand up, eager to be off the stage.
The spread of food was impressive. It seems that anyone who owned a pot or a pan prepared something delicious to eat. And Toblin Stonehill provided barrels of wine, ale and soft ciders to quench the thirsts of all the guests.
Sildar accompanied Kriv to the tables and continued their conversation there, "We cleaned out the mines. It wasn't easy but you did most of the hard work. Luminmorn showed us how the Forge of Spells worked and that helped. We encountered undead and there was one room that had a poisonous fungus but we finished that early. Then the dwarves got to work preparing for today. Otherwise, Luminmorn has really done a great job of rebuilding Tresendar Manor. He's been working a lot with old Daren and they're not done, but you and the rest of your team have places to stay there sine it's yours."
Sister Gareale was eager for Harbin Wester to be done and when he finally was she said, "I'm glad to see you too and I hope that my sermons are not that boring! By the way, am I to understand that you're wearing that pin I gave you?"
[ooc: I'll give everyone an opportunity to talk to NPC's, to see what you can learn. I'm still finishing up the last of the PM's.]
He was relieved when the 'formalities' were done. It had been difficult to listen to the pompous ass that passed for a mayor. He sampled bits from many of the 'offerings', happy to offer praise for the dishes. But there wasn't anyone here he really wanted to get to know. He was happy to leave it to the others to do that and figure out their next 'job' ... or maybe he could take some time off and enjoy the wilderness around.
"I cannot imagine your sermons being anywhere close to so incipient," Ryssa said with a smile. She folded back a lapel-like piece of her cloak to show the Harper's Pin.
"You can see for yourself," she said in an even softer tone as they moved off the stage and down to the heavily laden tables where the scion of the Morninglord availed herself of wine, bread and fruit.
The noble scion provided human-style nods as Sildar outlined Luminmorn's contribution: To him it made perfect sense that a Dragonborn would prove exceptionally useful, especially compared to the average specimen in a town full of humans.
"Run that by me again. Tresendar Manor has been accorded to us for our habitation here? Good to know, are we responsible for its disposition in our absence as well, or is Luminmorn handling that for the time being?"
He lowered his voice for the power behind the town's ears only, and enquired,
"Any reports of potential giant activity of late, and are you aware of why I might be asking?"
The dragonborn had not had a chance to talk to his friends since they returned so he approached Bern, Davroar and Jaliera who were all nearby.
"My friends! Welcome back to Phandelin. How have you been?"
Sildar He nodded to Kriv, "Yes. The town, grateful for your heroism, and not knowing what to do with the manor after the Redbrands were removed, offered it to all of you. Luminmorn stayed behind and has been repairing it these past few months. It is my understanding that he wants to build a chapel to his god there. But it is your residence while here. Yes, there was some argument with Toblen who claimed he would lose business if you weren't renting his rooms at the inn, but the town will compensate him when you visit."
"What is the deal with the giants? I have not heard."
Sister Garael She grinned once she saw the pin, "That's good. I have not heard news from outside since you were gone. Is there news that I should concern myself with?"
"Well", he began slowly, "we seem to have survived another one", he added ... with a big grin for Luminmorn. "What have you been about ... other than relaxing and enjoying the local drinking establishments", he added, then chuckled.
Ryssa took a sip of her wine and smiled, nodding slightly in response to her fellow Harper's question.
"I have not heard little while traveling," she said after a moment's thought and a glance around to make sure no one else was in earshot.
"I spent most of my time communing with my mentor, Father Athelor, and other followers of the Morninglord at the monastery which is under the leadership of Father Athelor."
Ryssa again looked around the area.
"I suppose we will have to keep our eyes and ears open."
Last edited by Exeter; Mon 23/09/1919:24 UTC. Reason: Correct Misunderstanding about Harpers
He gives an enthusiastic nod to Jaliera's suggestion and says, "Yep, lets go!" He shrugs his shoulders at her question as to her question why the old mayor did most of the talking and only offers, "Perhaps the people still like him. Old folk typically don't like big changes anyways."
He lets his nose lead him around a few serving plates, sampling a few items when Luminmorn approaches. Davroar smiles at the dragonborn oddly finding him a little more approachable than Kriv at times. "Hello Luminmorn! I am good, thanks." Davroar holds his tongue for the moment since Bern has asked the same question he would have, being curious of all the changes going on here in Phandelin.
She isn't convinced though, finding it strange however Davroar's enthusiam to go and raid the food tables brings a happy grin to her face. So she joins him, taking a plate and adding a few of the choices on offer, happy to try items new to her.
"Hi Luminmorn. Good to see you again. I've been back to Neverwinter to see my mentor and square up with him. And yes, please update us on what has been happening here?"
Quietly and discreetly, Kriv almost casually turned his palm face up and mentioned,
“Word from on high is that certain individuals...” At this he tapped his insignia ring twice with his thumb talon, in Sildar’s line of sight alone, “...May be being targeted by them. Discretion is advised, but getting ahead of any threats of that magnitude will be lucrative. We should probably discuss this between ourselves in the near future, if clarity is needed.”
with Davroar, Bern and Jaliera... Luminmorn is in an especially jovial mood, as far as the less lizardlike humanoids can tell. "Yes, yes. All is well! I've made great progress on our home. There's much, much work left to do, but you all can stay there tonight. I've made sure that private quarters are all ready for you!"
He looks in a funny way at the trio and then continues. "Oh, you are probably not aware. The town gave us Tresendar Manor. It's ours, and I've spent the past few months fixing her up with Daren...you rememeber Daren, right? He's been a big, big help. After I helped the town clear the undead out of the mines, we started work."
Luminmorn looks around and spots Daren Edermath. The fit, silverhaired half-elf is with a silver haired elven woman. The paladin waves towards the pair and they make their way over. Daren approaches and says "It is so good to see you all again. I hope that you've fared well these past months!" He stops a moment and then adds, "How rude of me! This here is Zhuirentel Elendaril." He turns to the elf, whose skin has a blue-white tone to it and says, "These are the ones we've been telling you about, well not all of them. That there's Bern, and next to him is Davroar. And of course there's Jaliera."
with Kriv... The look on Sildar's face grows slightly ashen, "That is troubling. I think that was what needed to be private," he said glancing at the signet. "Two of the merchants asked me about giants. It seems that the rumor is quite widespread within the cities. The trouble you speak of is likely common knowledge. Let us talk privately later."
He slapped the dragonborn on his shoulder, "I think we better get together with some of your other friends over there". Sildar glances over to the group around Luminmorn.
with Ryssa... "Then our fortune has yet to be determined," Sister Garael said. "Thankfully today is a day of great fortune as the mines will reopen."
The young priestess then went on to describe what she saw in the mine "That place was quite interesting. One area in particular, I think you know the one I speak of, the forge, was amazing. I would be surprised if when word of it's existence gets out, it will be coveted."
Her mood then darkened somewhat, "I worry that the changeling that got away will either want to return to take control of it or would sell the information to those who might. We searched far and wide for him to no avail."
She looks across the square and says, "Perhaps we should heed your own advice, and put our eyes and ears to good use. It looks like a small crowd is gathering around Luminmorn. Some of your old associates are there. Maybe we can learn something. Shall we join them?"
"Both for the future and the present, that seems wise," the Dragonborn concurred with the town's true power, rising to his feet and heading to join Luminmorn and the bulk of their human companions, save the one with whom Kriv had travelled considerably of late. He spake at his approach,
"It is good to see each of you once more. I trust your sojourns have been interesting and instructive? Luminmorn, I hear excellent tidings of your recent endeavours here on behalf of our group and in the service of Clan Rockspeaker."
He glanced over at those to whom Luminmorn had beckoned, inclining his head in a vaguely human-style acknowledgement to Daran Edermath, aware of his interactions with others of their group but having had little direct contact so far, before settling on the elf. "I hight Kriv Norixius. I trust you are well?"
She nibbles some of the food on her plate as she listens to the Luminmorn, her mouth dropping open as she hears about the manor.
"The manor is ours?"
So she shares ownership of a mine and now a manor house. This adventuring could be very lucrative, assuming one survives of course. She is well aware of the high risks they had undergone. She remembers the manor and the chasm below it. Then she turns as Daren and his companion join them, followed by Kriv, Soldar and she can see Ryssa approaching too.
She greets the half-elves warmly, nods and smiles to Kriv and Sildar and gives a little wave to Ryssa as she draws nearer.
Last edited by Neptune; Tue 24/09/1917:00 UTC. Reason: FIFY: Gypsy meant "Sildar"
She nods politely to each member of the group as Luminmorn introduces then. Upon closer inspection, Jaliera can see that this Zhuirentel is not a half-elf like Daran, but a full elf, and possibly one of the most unique elves she's seen. Her skin is not simply white, but blue-white, giving her an otherworldly, somewhat ethereal appearance.
She is dressed in a black blouse and pants with red leather boots, arm and shoulder guards. A black cloak, tucked into a red leather corset falls almost to the ground behind her. Her hands are clad in elbow length red leather, fingerless gloves. Around her neck is a fine silver necklace bearing a red ruby. Around her waist is a weapon belt bearing a sword on one side and a Wand and dagger on the other. Bern can also see the telltale calluses on her fingertips of an archer.
Turning to the one who addressed her, her lips turn up in the semblance of a smile. "Well met, Master Norixius. Indeed I am well. Master Luminmorn has spoken quite highly of all of you. It is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
He bowed to Zhuirentel when he was introduced. She was not like any elf he had met before and based on her attire, she was someone of importance. He wondered if she was the reason they were here. Well, he would find out one way or the other at some point.
Seeing Bern bow to Zhuirentel, he will do the same too as he politely replies, "Hello Zhuirentel." Standing back up from his bow, Davroar has a hard time not staring at the elven woman for she is unlike any elf he has seen. Not that he has seen many elves in his young lifetime, but his curiosity gets the better of him as he asks, "Where are you from?" Perhaps where she is from might give a hint as to her racial heritage.
She smiles softly at the bows, waving them away with a casual hand. "No need for that." She says.
At Davroar's question she quirks an eyebrow. "A curious question, and not one easily answered. Of late, the City of Silverymoon, where I am a member of the Spellguard. Prior to that.....," she pauses, as if searching for the proper words. "...the place is called Sildëyuir. It is not of this plane of existence."
He admired her 'candor' in explaining the 'recent events'. But that did not really address the issue at hand. But ... at least for now ... he was willing to allow her to 'get to the point' in her own time.
She does not try to hide the confusion on her face.
"If I might be so bold?"
She pauses for just a moment.
"What is the Spellguard?"
It sounds like something to do with magic so she is interested. But she is not even sure how to phrase the next question.
"Not of this plane of existence..?"
She settles for repeating the phrase, thinking that it might not show her ignorance as much. But her mentor taught her that you only find things out by asking questions.
Turning to Jaliera she smiles slightly. "The Spellguard serves as the city of Silverymoon's protectors, in conjunction with the Knights in Silver. Before the Spellplague", a brief frown crosses her face, "we kept watch over the city's Mythal and protective wards. With the Mythal now destroyed we are more proactive in our role as guardians of knowledge in the North."
To the question that follows she pauses, then asks a question in response. "Have you knowledge of the Feywild?"
She continues, responding to Davroar's line of query.
"Luminmorn has told me quite a bit about you and your exploits. The Warrior", she nods towards kriv. "The Scout", a head tilt back to Jaliera. "The Warrior, Archer, Naturist, and Healer", nods towards the others in turn. "But not much about where you all come from?"
She blushes slightly.. found out.. before responding in a more open and honest matter.
"I know little of this world, nothing of any others. To be honest most of your other explanation meant very little to me. I'm sorry. I am trying to learn."
The scholar and historian (And, yes, warrior was also apt) weighed up the words from the elf, places and worlds, events and spells, digging up what he could of his knowledge of such things before replying.
So far there had not been anything that he felt needed his 'input'. And since he wasn't the most talkative in normal situations, he was quite happy to wait for questions to be directed his way.
He does not know much at all of the Spellplague other than some oral histories told by his tribes elders when he was a child. Davroar figures the Spellplague probably happened around the time of his great great grandparents. A time far removed from now, yet from the sounds of it Zhurientel lived through it. Not entirely unusual though since she is an elf. Much like Jaliera, his knowledge is limited about the events and places during the Spellplague so he does not inquire any further on that.
As to her questions he replies, "The Feywild. It's where the Fey came from right? My mentor told me a little about the Fey, mainly to be cautious around them." While they originated elsewhere, the Fey have been on this world longer than humans and Davroar was taught to be respectful to them. He also quickly adds, "Oh, and I'm from Narfell."
She frowned in thought and twisted a small lock of hair between her thumb and forefinger as she thought upon what she'd learned about the Feywild from Father Athelor.
Feywild Roll 1d20+4 = 16
Ryssa went on to tell the Elf what she remembered about the Feywild.
"Where the Fey come from. Yes. I suppose that is as apt and direct a definition as any. Though the planes overlap now, at least much more than they used to."
She pauses when Davroar mentions his own place of origin. "Narfell?" She looks at him curiously. "I, myself have never ventured so far to the East."
And Ryssa's knowledge of the Feywild isn't as deep as Kriv's of history so the following is sufficient:
"The Feywild, also known as the plane of Faerie, existed as an "echo" of the Prime Material Plane. It was from here that the fey originated, giving the Feywild its name, and it was also a place of unusually potent magic. Much of the elven or eladrin civilizations had their earliest roots here and abandoned remnants of their culture littered the landscape. Unlike the elves, however, who had all but abandoned the Feywild, some eladrin remained behind in the Feywild, most notably the "noble" eladrin. These eladrin still maintained strong kingdoms and citadels, in addition to the newly arrived citadels of Evermeet and Sildëyuir from Toril." ]
Luminmorn responded to Jaliera's comment, "Why yes! The manor was given to us before you all left. Of course it was barely there. The upper level was completely destroyed. But the foundation was solid. Wait till you see it now. I have much more work to do yet but after we get back from our short visit to the mines, you'll see for yourselves."
Kriv was able to explain much of the history that the eladrin woman had mentioned and it seemed that both Luminmorn and the grizzled warrior Daren had a good relationship with her. The others soon learned that she was already staying at the manor, as a guest of Luminmorn's.
The group continued to chat, much of it was small talk but there were some questions left unanswered. Most specifically were questions about what was to come next. This was just a visit to the mines; a ceremonial formality. While it was nice to be honored as they were, it was only that, ceremonial.
After a bit, the towns folk, those not too inebriated to do work, started to clean up the town square. The place becomes a beehive of activity. As the cleanup process began, a small contingent of townsfolk, led by the Rockseeker brothers, gathered around the heroes. Sildar says, "I think, if we're to get to the mines and return before dusk, we better head out now."
They all then set out for the trip which meant about three hours of travel one way, even with transport. Several horse drawn carts were supplied along with several horses. The heroes were offered a choice of riding in on a horse, taking a wagon or walking along.
There were about three dozen people in the group. Sildar led the entourage. Luminmorn also asked Zhu to come along. Sister Garaele insisted on coming along to consecrate the mines as the town's cleric and the Rockseeker brothers were all for the good fortune she promised. Halia would stay behind along with Daren Ederleaf and most notably absent was the townsmaster. At least a dozen other men and women stood out by the equipment they were bringing along. They hefted rock picks, hammers, sacks of pitons, rope and other mining gear. They were ready for work.
With regular townsfolk within earshot of the small group, few had been willing to bring up the question about the giants but the heroes had gathered near each other on the trek to converse with each other and there seemed to be murmurs in both Waterdeep and Neverwinter about the giants. Word had started spreading. The giants were suddenly very hostile and aggressive. By the wary look on the eyes of those miners, this was less of a ceremonial trip than an escort.
He listened to the 'discussions' and decided that anything more 'in depth' should take place 'behind closed doors' ... hopefully at what seemed to be their new 'home' in town.
He sighed inwardly when it seemed like they were going back to the mines ... rather than to their new residence. But to be honest, he would rather have 'taken his leave' and gone back into the forest.
He chose to walk. He was usually more comfortable waling than riding. He was uncomfortable with the 'entourage' ... being more comfortable in a small group ... preferably consisting of friends.
He listened to the ... 'discussions'. But from what he knew of giants, they were reclusive ... unless something caused them to not be. They =could= be allies in what ever was going on. All that he needed was for this group to not be 'confrontational' if the giants were encountered.
He waited for a break in the 'discussions' to suggest his 'plan' that any giants not be 'confronted' if encountered.
She thanks the human female for her blessing and finishes up the polite conversations just as the group of townsfolk arrive with wagons and horses. She accepts the offer of a horse, preferring to ride when she can, adjusting her bow and sword to slightly different positions that are more aligned to being mounted, then waits for the group to head on.
The Dragonborn was rarely more animated than when revealing ancient or little known lore, and he was happy to fill in the blanks for his companions. However, when it came to the ride down to the mine, it didn't take an an anthropologist to read the emotional state of the miners: Human fear was a pervasive stink, and there was enough wariness to disturb even the horses. Knowing what he did, Kriv kept his eye on the horizons and his ear open for the crack of broken branches: He did not expect an uninterrupted ride.
"You're not missing much", he dryly replies to Zhuirentel's comment about his homeland. Other than family and tribal ties that will forever bind him to Narfell, it is an unforgiving land and the subsistence lifestyle pales to what he has seen up to now.
Davroar was expecting the festivities to last right through to the evening, and is surprised to find that they are tasked to head out to the mines just as they arrived here. He does not complain though as the walk will do him some good to burn off the extra candied apples he ate.
Now mounted, she glances at Davroar. "I'd be interested in knowing how the land fares, now that it is no longer ruled by Demonic Bloodpacts. Have the people, and the land, recovered?"
Accompanied by Sister Gareale, Ryssa accepted the use of a horse but, at least for the moment she took hold of the steed's reins and led the horse, intending to walk at least for a while.
He shakes his head and says, "Some. Not much though, Zhuirentel. My tribe and others like mine, we survive, but there are places where evil spirits and demons still lurk. Ruins of cities and forts are rife with them."
Tales of the bigger tribes sometimes foray into the ruins for old weapons or treasure, but his tribes elders and a few others have taken it upon themselves to attack any who would dare to venture into them. The fear of unleashing a demon is still there even after all this time.
She nods to Davroar, musing in her mind how much time has passed on this plane since the time of the Bloodpacts and on his phrase 'we survive'.
"Not surprising", she says of his comment that ancient cities and forts are still rife with evil spirits. "Such entities can linger for ages. Most prudent to let them lay."
She listens to the talk of the giants, wondering just how big they really are. In some ways she would like to see one if only at a safe distance.
She elects to walk, figuring that she can always ride on the cart later if she gets tired. More of a habit - though one well grained in precautions necessary to travel - she sends Whisper aloft to watch for any movement in their vicinity or heading their way.
DM The trek up to the mines took several uneventful hours. It would need to be a quick tour of the mines if they had hope of getting back to Phandelin before nightfall. It was a little over a ten mile hike up into the the foothills of the Sword Mountains. As they traveled it became clear that much of the work that had been done was not inside the mines themselves, but to the path that they were taking there. It had been flattened and cleared so that wagons could make their way between Phandalin and the Wave Echo Cave.
As they climbed the last leg of the trail, now more of a road than the overgrown path they had taken when they first found the place, they saw that the cave mouth was bustling with activity. Nearly a dozen miners were outside the entrance to the mines going about their work. A large clearing had been created and a several small huts and two larger structures which looked like barracks had been built. A water tower had been erected and there was a long hitching pole where horses could be tethered and a nearby was a small corral and other structures that looked like barn and tool sheds. It looked very different than the last time the absentee partial owners had been here.
Gundren and Nundro step forward and when they are identified by the miners, one of them puts down a crate of equipment he was carrying and approached the two dwarves and simply says "Misters Rockseekers," and seems to await directions.
Nundro replies, "We're going to do the ribbon cutting very shortly. Is it all ready?" and when he sees the affirmative nod, he adds "These are the liberators of the mine. You've heard their names before. Bern, Jaliera, Kriv, Davroar, Ryssa and Luminmorn." Before he could say any more, the man said "He was here just last week". He was looking at Bern.
He really didn't need ... or want ... all this. But there didn't seem to be any way to avoid it. He did his best to keep it all 'inside' ... smiling and waving and shaking hands, wishing them success and all. But it couldn't be done soon enough for him.
He looked askance of the brothers: This was their show, after all, and it would ill-behoove him to castigate someone for interrupting when protocol dictated their priority.
He looked puzzled as well. "Not unless I have an undiscovered twin or something", he said. "Who saw the 'other me' here? I would like to talk to those that saw him."
Gundren replied before anyone else could, "This is Oren, he's our foreman."
He turns to the man and said, "What are talking about? He just arrived in Phandelver and was in Neverwinter until then. Are you sure it was him?"
The man looked somewhat confused for a moment. He looked Bern up and down and shook his head. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't you, it was your twin. You ... or your twin, was here with two other men, big guys. And not for long, just a short visit and you...I mean whoever it was, said his name was Bern."
With a thought, the Dragonborn noble’s maul was in his hands.
“Everyone, on alert. Oren, you have done your duty well enough, but right now everything here is under threat and there may have been sabotage or theft. When we did battle here there was a shapeshifter that got out alive. I suspect it heard our names in the battle, and saw us well enough to copy us. It knows where this place is and is no stranger to unsavoury allies. We will need everyone here to be checked, it could be anyone if it remained behind.”
Having reached the mine she dismounts and casually moves around, examining the activity and the entrance. She noted all of the recent work that had been done to the approach and can see that the mine is looking closer to a 'going' concern than she'd thought.
At the conversation between the foreman and the group, she looks around more carefully, adding to Kriv's comment. "If it was a Doppleganger you encountered it had no need to hear your names. Those creatures can read the minds of those they focus upon to help them better impersonate their targets. Luckily only recent thoughts can be obtained."
She knows some think they can ask a question that only the true person might know as a way to detect such Shapeshifters, but the Doppelganger's ability to read thoughts can foil such a plan as it can pick the answer out of the mind of the questioner.
The cleric nodded and smiled, then lifted her icon of Lathandar and spoke to the miners, "The blessings of the Morninglord be given up to you."
Before anything else could be said, however, the possibility of the shapeshifter's return was shared among them. Ryssa pulled her shield and her enchanted mace from their holding places and turned slowly, studying their periphery.
He is momentarily puzzled too when the foreman says Bern was already here until Kriv mentions the shapeshifter.
Since Kriv mentioned the possibility of theft or sabotage, Davroar asks the foreman, "So, sir. Bern's twin, how long exactly was here then? Did you see him leave the same day or longer, and did they bring anything down or out of the mines?"
The more time that shapeshifter had been down there will give Davroar a lot more pause as to what it was doing.
At Kriv's mention of the shapeshifter a general uneasiness befell the assembly. The miners that had traveled from Phandelin here started to look at each other like the others were devils. Whether or not there was trouble, now the miners were on edge and they started to mumble. One of the miners that just arrived here asked, out loud, "When are you going back to Phandelin?" as if wondering if he could bail on the work and return to safety. This had the potential to spread to the other miners like a demoralizing epidemic.
Oren listened to Davroar's question and said, "Like I said, he was here with those two big men and he walked around here like he knew the place. He went down into the mines but I didn't see where. They weren't here long and did not stay the night."
He paused and added, "I don't think they took anything but the two big men seemed very happy and made quite a spectacle when they left the mine. They were slashing and hacking at every tree and rock and kept looking at their blades to see if the blades got nicked or something."
"I don't suppose you noticed which way they headed when they left?" She asks. From the actions described, she presumes they did something to their weapons with one of the magical effects she'd been told existed in the mine.
“Well, at least we can deduce what they did.” Mused the Dragonborn. The Forge of Spells would likely have been open to its finders or those capable of replicating them, and the witness testimony lent credence to that.
“It seems likely they genuinely left, then. Sabotage remains a possibility, particularly pertaining to that which they used.”
Oren He took a long, hard look at the strange elf. He had never seen one that looked so pale, so frail. "They went the same way that you came, up the only trail here."
Sildar
He expected nothing less from Kriv.
"Yes. It seems that this other Bern came and left. We should find out where exactly the trio went but this is not the time and place to discuss what to do about it." he said, responding to Kriv. "We need to check things out, talk to miners to and see if, indeed, anything was sabotaged or trapped. Otherwise, we best be getting on with the matters at hand."
It was clear by the way he glanced over to the gathering of miners that was starting to murmur that he didn't think discussing this in front of the laborers was prudent.
Last edited by Neptune; Fri 18/10/1901:29 UTC. Reason: removed reference to Forge of Spells
While he was listening and watching, he was also thinking. "Is there some 'recognition sign' that we can come up with that the changeling won't know", he asked the group.
She shakes her head at the Ranger's question, and motions the group off to one side a bit for privacy as the other miners seem unnerved by the conversation.
"It would be able to pick the needed counter-sign out of your mind as soon as you tried it."
She glances from one to the other. "One thing I've seen work is a multi-layered process. I tell one of you a secret sign to give to others but I tell no one else what it is. When someone suspects you may not be the 'real' you, I must leave the area. They ask that person for the sign, and since they do not know what it is the Doppelganger cannot Mind-Read it from them. They then come to me and I confirm whether the correct sign was given or not. With a large group it can get a bit convoluted, though, with all the combinations."
"For now, though, perhaps it is best to check on the mine and we can discuss this in privacy later"
"I could turn into a bear now, get a good sniff from everyone. I doubt the shapeshifter can copy scents?"
That determination would then solely lie upon him, so he is not sure how everyone would feel about that. At any rate, he quickly adds, "Anyways, yes. Let's just get down there to take a look..."
"That's a good idea Davroar.. but I don't know enough about shape-shifters to know if that would work."
She frowns, thinking hard.
"Maybe we could mark our Bern with something.. maybe like one of Davroar's markings.. in a place it could not be seen. Then at least we would know the real one!"
She grins at Bern as likely he wouldn't like the idea.
He listened to the discussion and considered Jaliera's question for a moment before responding.
After a moment, he replied. "Maybe 'tagging' me with a specific scent is the answer. Not something someone could see ... something =one= of us could 'track' if needed. But will that work in this situation", he asked.
There's conflicting information but I've made a decision. First, Davroar needs to make a 1d20+3 Nature roll. You get 1. It's a DC 15 roll so it's close to 50-50. Making that Nature roll will let me tell you what my answer is (whether or not that'll work). If you fail, you cannot try that again. But, you can attempt to do it (trial and error) and you learn, once you encounter a doppelganger, if it smells different (which is an ACTIVE perception check requiring a full action.
Or you can visit a sage, or ask another person who is proficient in Nature what they think, and they can make the same nature roll.
And btw, just because (you assume) the doppelganger turned into Bern this time, it doesn't mean that if it was the doppelganger that it'll change into Bern the next time.
Last edited by Neptune; Sun 20/10/1904:38 UTC. Reason: made red
"Believe me, when you got the nose of a bear everyone has a unique scent. No need to tag any overpowering scent on anyone."
He does not want to shapechange in front of all the workers and adds, "How about once we get inside I'll sniff everyone, and in the low chance that this doppelganger tries to copy one of us I might have a chance of detecting it."
[ I rolled but failed the Nature roll, so will go the trial and error route.
Davroar Nature roll Dugan rolled 1d20+3 and got 11 ]
“Let’s get inside and see what we can find. I will say this: There are answers that no amount of mind reading would help with, and whilst of limited utility for general detection, they are worth bearing in mind amongst ourselves.”
Dropping his maul, Kriv called the glassstaff to his hand. Stowing the staff, he recalled the maul.
OOC: To make a determination of scent, where you take advantage of Davroar's "Keen Smell" trait which he gets when in bear form. He would need to make an active perception roll for each creature you sniff and you do so with advantage, so roll twice for every single individual that you sniff. The entourage that you traveled here with was 3 dozen. There's about two dozen miners that were here already. Let's call it an even 50 people here. That includes all of you. If you want to do it I'll take 100 rolls and if people were gathered in a very organized, orchestrated manner he could do 6 per minute. If you do it in a less conspicuous manner, how much time it takes will be DM discretion on a case-by-case manner.
[ooc: Neptune I am only thinking on getting the scent of everyone that is going to go in to investigate, PC's and the main NPC's. Correct me if I am wrong, but we are wanting to have all workers exit (or they already have exited) the mine while we investigate? ]
OOC: You'll be going in for a "tour" but yeah, you'll investigate . That's fine. Just remember, it's one at a time. You'll have to discuss (role play) what you tell the "labor union" to get while you (investigate) tour the mines. They'll want to know why you're stopping them from working. No. Not all miners are out of the mine. Some are working.
Sister Gareale agreed immediately with both Davroar and Kriv. "Let's move quickly to the entrance and get the ceremony underway. The men expect us to give you a tour of the mines inside, to show off the work. The best chances for privacy are there."
Her word seemed to be enough to get the Rockseekers, Sildar and the other town leaders to start the short march to the entrance of the mines. Past a few trees and rock outcroppings they found the familiar entrance. It was not so easily recognized after all the work done. The mouth was widened and the path had been flattened and smoothed. In that path there were now two parallel grooves carved into the rocks. The grooves had obviously been cut to guide the large cart whose wheels fit neatly into those groves. Also, the main tunnel into the cavern had been widenned from 10 feet wide to 20 feet. And now the passageway was well lit with lanterns and torches.
After about 50 feet they reached a large cavern that was supported by a natural pillar of rock. This was where they had found the body of Thardren Rockseeker. It was the campsite Rockseeker brothers where the Black Spider and his men ambushed the dwarves, killed Tharden and captured Nundro while Gundren was off to Neverwinter procuring supplies. Off to the right a tarp covered a section of the wall. To the left was a dwarven sized sarcophagous. Straight ahead was a ramp that led down. When the heroes first came here they had to climb down a rope to get into the mines.
She follows along, staying a little bit behind the others. After all, this tour is for the Heroes who retook the Mine from the Black Spider. She is just a guest.
As she walks, she notes the conditions and recent work. She doesn't enjoy being underground. Not that she is claustrophobic, but the fresh woodland air is her element.
As they stop in the large cavern he is impressed and quietly says to no one in particular, "Lots been done."
He steps forward a bit, stopping at the top of the ramp, and remembering how he almost had a bad fall getting down this particular section. Not sure what sort of ceremony they have in plan, Davroar steps back and looks to the town leaders for what will be happening next.
Once they were all in the entry cavern, Sister Gareale stepped towards the sarcophagus where she was joined by Luminmorn and the two living Rockseeker brothers. Sister Gareale waved Ryssa over to join them there and once she moved forward, each member of the clergy would get an opportunity to say a prayer for Tharden.
"A copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold," she began, using a common prayer to Tymora to begin. "Tharden's fortune will now pass on to his brothers..." Her prayer went on for a bit and then Luminmorn said his prayer which began with "From death, life for there is always another dawn..." and his prayer also went on for a few solemn moments before turning to Ryssa to say her prayers. All the while, the Rockseeker brothers knelt by their brother's tomb, with their foreheads resting on the stone slab that covered him.
Finally, after the prayers were done, Sildar walked over to the tarp and all eyes turned to him as he pulled it down. Under the tarp and in the flickering torchlight, you can see words etched into the now smoothed polished stone. The words told the story of the Rockseeker brothers. It told the tale of how the heroes were simply hired to escort goods to the mine, stumbled upon the wagon that Sildar Hallwinter and Gundren Rockseeker took ahead of the, found out that they were ambushed by goblins, rescued Sildar, tracked down Gundren who was being held by the Goblin king, rescued him, and finally searched out and found the Wave Echo Cave and then rescued Nundro.
Sildar read it, word for word, slowly, his voice cracking as he recounted the horrors they faced and the obstacles that they overcame. Those who paid attention to the attendees might have noticed the Rockseeker brothers wiping tears from their eyes. All in all, the ceremony was brief but poignant. Sildar finally ended the reading and said, "I hereby declare the Mines of Phandelver OPEN!" and that was followed by applause and cheers.
Gundren brought out enough iron goblets for each person. He filled them all (except for one) with the rich dwarven which he poured from a large bottle. He handed one to each, except for Jaliera, to whom he handed a separate goblet and whispered, "It's just apple juice".
Nundro raised his goblet and said, "To dear friends who we'll never forget and to those who are not here, Salute!"
She is pleased that proper tribute was paid to Tharden. She did not know him except through his brothers but she liked them well enough.
She had not thought much of their whole adventure, things had lead to the next, they just followed the path laid before them, but hearing it recounted like that seemed to give it more meaning and importance. Anyway she clapped and cheered along with the rest.
When Gundren brought her an apple juice, she grinned at him, pleased that he had remembered. Considering though the dwarven penchant for alcohol, it must have seemed odd enough to him and therefore stuck in his memory. Nevertheless she is grateful and thanks him, then raises her glass, murmuring 'absent friends' before she drinks.
While he was not real big on all the 'ceremony', he =did= mourn the loss and knew that it was important to others. So he followed the testimonials and remembrances for the fallen patiently. He did have a smile for Sildar's announcement reopening the mine. That gave him a feeling that they had accomplished something good. He raised his goblet and echoed the "Salute" with the others, and then enjoyed a sip with the group.
It was right and proper that the observances be made, that the deceased brother be honoured by those that remained. Norixius Keep had not forgotten, and here carved into the stone and proclaimed before witnesses was a fresh chapter towards that debt of honour. Besides his part, the work that their group had put in was acknowledged in perpetuity, as was fitting. He accepted the goblet gracefully, briefly pondering if the wine had been here during the doppelgänger’s visit, but he would not insult clan Rockseeker by not drinking.
"Salute!", and he empties his drink in a single go. Upon Sildar's announcement that the mines are open and with the ceremony done he returns the goblet to Gundren with a respectful smile and adds, "Very nice. I hope this mine will benefit everyone well."
Now getting back to investigating he asks him, "Have the miners been through the forge room at all?"
Davroar silently wonders if it has been kept off-limits then he might be able to pick up the scent of the doppleganger and its two henchmen.
She has no strong feeling about visiting the mine or not at this time, happy to go with the majority. She does feel that they should discuss the shape-changer though, once an opportunity arises. She finishes her welcome apple juice.
Ryssa The young priestess knelt at Thardan's sarcophagus, tears dripping down her cheeks and began her short prayer.
Here we are at your grave to weep, You rest here but you do not sleep. Your spirit lives on in the winds that blow. Your strength endures as diamond glint on snow. Your essence flows as gentle autumn rain. May Lathandar's light burn away our pain.
After Ryssa's prayer summed up the ceremony, the group came at ease, the moment of silent observance was over and now it morphed into a discussion. Gundren, upon hearing Davroar's question, replies in the negative. "We told the miners to stay out of several areas" and Nundro continued for his brother by adding "And they are more than happy to stay out of there!"
Luminmorn cleared his throat before adding, "There was a wraith that haunted the cavern adjacent to the area of the forge and we also found and destroyed ghouls. The miners only go in areas we tell them that are safe." Then, turning to Zhu he responds, "Of course. We can show you everything."
He doesn't turn to leave right away. Instead, he waits to see if any of the others have further questions.
"No need to worry about a plan," Luminmorn says to Jaliera. "Let's take a look."
He led them, walking alongside Sildar and and Sister Garaele, into the depths of the mine. They soon reached the intersection where stirges had attacked them when they first came into the mines.
"We haven't seen anything in the lake and we've sealed off much of that side of the mines. The ore is on the other side and the workers are more than happy to avoid this side," Sildar said.
The intersection was quite different than it was before. They approached from the west and to their right, where the passageway had been collapsed, was now a main exit outside. "This was the primary entrance to the mines long ago. Orcs and dwarves fought here. We found old, dried out corpses in the two antechambers on either side there," Luminmorn said pointing to two doors that faced each other in the southern passageway. "Some of the skeletons attacked us as we cleared this place out." he added.
Where they had cleared out the southern passage, the passage to the east was now bricked up. "That's the area that the laborers are told to keep out of," Lumi added. "We avoided that way in when we first got here and that was a good idea. There's a poisonous fungus that grows in that cavern and rather than try and clean it out, we avoid that area. Beyond the fungus cavern was a chamber that some wizards must have used hundreds of years ago. When we first entered the area we had to battle an undead spirit of a wizard that had died there. I dispatched it but knowledge that it had spent hundreds of years there helps convince the workers to avoid the area. There's an entrance up ahead" he added.
They continued moving forward and it's obvious that a great deal of work was done on the place. Sconces were bolted to the wall every ten feet or so and torches lit their way. That was needed because most of the miners were human. The halls had been widened and they soon found themselves in the great cavern which was once a banquet room. Previously they battled ghouls here but now it was being used as a large storage area. They passed through to the smelter cavern where they battled the spectator, a blast furnace and a mechanical bellows which was powered by a waterwheel is now operational. This is where they battled the flaming green skull and dwarven zombies.
"This is the heart of the operation. We will melt down the ore to refine ingots of gold, silver and platinum. We have diverted the steam into that five foot deep channel and the water powered the waterwheel and operated the bellows."
What the heroes all noticed now is a set of new double doors that led east. They all recognized this as the way to the forge of spells. The lake was up ahead.
They bypassed that area for now and continued through the rest of the mines. It was a mundane trek and there were no incidents. Miners passed them on their way from here to there. None said a word.
He was glad when the 'debates' ended and they moved into the mine. He continued to keep an eye open for threats, but it seemed that there had been a lot of work done to isolate the more dangerous parts of the mine from the workers. But as they continued, it seemed clear that several areas that he would have considered 'dangerous areas' were still being used by the miners. He was especially worried about what was going on behind the double doors to the 'forge'.
He hoped that they were not making a big mistake by not sealing that area off, but said nothing ... at least at this point.
"You certainly have been busy since we've been gone."
Her tone is approving and she finds the changes interesting. She would have liked to see the Forge of Spells again but maybe that will come later. Be interesting to see if anything else had been discovered about it.
It suddenly dawns on her that she is a part owner of this enterprise. Gold, silver and platinum ingots..? That takes some thinking about. Maybe her small share is worth more than she thought? Certainly it makes her more inclined to make some effort to protect their investment.
They were now pretty much alone, the original party, the Rockseeker brothers, Sildar and Sister Garaele. The miners were off doing work.
"I'm curious about what you were doing here," Sildar said with a smirk towards Bern. "If that doppleganger came this way, he probably went through here."
Gundren took that as a hint, reached into his pocket and pulled out a large key which he inserted into the lock and turned. "It was open!" he said.
Knowing it is a good chance that the doppleganger was in there, he will change into his grizzly form and move forward sniffing around the door to see what his sensitive nose might be able to tell him. Whether the doppleganger or its two companions, Davroar hopes the scent trail is still possible to track.
The Dragonborn was stone-faced, maul and staff at the ready.Their enemy had stolen a march on them, it remained to be seen what the full consequences were.
"Exercise caution, and expect the worst. They used it, but there's no guarantee they left it usable."
The grizzly bear sniffs around. The scents are old but not too old that the bear can't make them out. OOC: Let's get a perception roll for that and remember to roll with advantage. Note that since humans can't sniff a lick, the number to hit isn't easy. See the OOC thread for some details.
He shakes his head as well as letting out a small growl of defeat as it has been too long to get a good enough scent to track by. Instead since he is right at the unlocked door he will push the door open and step through to look around.
Davroar Finding scent of doppleganger group Dugan rolled 1d20+4,1d20+4 and got 13, 12
DM The bear pushes open the doors and walks into the next area and looks about. Luminmorn follows with Sildar, both with weapons drawn, but there is only silence. They move to the burned out structure that the Forge of Spells was in and open the door. It is still there, intact, unharmed as far as they can tell.
Luminmorn says after looking at the artifact "It would seem that if the doppleganger and his associates were here, they did little more than use the Forge. We will need a better way to guard it."
Stepping away from the wall where she was waiting, she looks at the others and says, "Well, as there is no sign of danger, shall we continue on our tour?"
"The question then becomes ... what are =you= looking for", replied. "If it is a guided tour, that is fine, but if you have something in particular, it would be more efficient to let us know what it is you seek."
(OOC - And Zhu is apparently talking with Bern, so it'd have to be Kriv, Davroar, and Jaliera.)
Zhuirentel Elendaril
"Oh I am here to see for myself what the mine contains. I remember the arguments about whether to come and aid the Dwarves and Humans in their fight against the Orcs and their Wizard allies from when I was small. I always was curious about the Forge of Spells."
"So, just curiosity ... nothing more", he asked ... apparently not convinced that was her 'reason' ... or, more to the point, not her 'primary reason'.
[[ well, we were all pretty much 'together' ... some in the room, others outside guarding the party and the way <g> ]]
[OOC I assume Jaliera would get one as well as whisper? Could find Whisper in the new forum, wnt back to LMP but need adding to her sheet
Owl Tiny beast, neutral CR 0 Armour Class 11 Hit Points 1 (1d4 − 1) Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft. STR 3 (−4), DEX 13 (+1), CON 8 (−1), INT 2 (−4), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 7 (−2) Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +3 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Flyby: The owl doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach. Keen Hearing and Sight. The owl has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight. Actions: Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage. Initiative: 1
Dice roller: Whisper Perception Gypsy rolled 1d20+3 and got 6
DM As Whisper flies about, Jaliera gazes through her eyes. At first, nothing unusual sticks out, but then, a flicker of torch light from outside the dark room makes something shine ever so slightly. It's in a corner of the chamber which was destroyed by fire many centuries ago. Something was thrown carelessly into a pile of burnt rubble.
To be thorough he will walk along the opposite side of the room looking or smelling for anything interesting before heading over to the corner where Jaliera says she has found something.
It was a broken dagger that glistened in the light that poured from glasstaff. Kriv makes his way over, with the bear sniffing away at his side. Davroar smells nothing worrisome so with a quick indication to Kriv, the dragonborn feels safe about reaching down to investigate further. After clearing away some of the ancient debris, the rest of the dagger is found.
There's nothing quite special about the dagger. It certainly hasn't been in these caves for hundreds of years, it's too new. The way that the dagger was broken, with the tip chipped off, one might assume that it was used to pry something that would not budge. Kriv, knowledgeable in weaponry examines it more carefully and finds the small stamp placed there by the merchant company that sold it and other markings as well, some that might identify the smithy. The markings on the hilt indicate that this blade was sold by the Lionshield Coster, the trading company has an outlet in Phandelin that is run by Linene Graywind. the other markings mean nothing to him.
"I suspect a word with Liene Graywind might be in order if our quarry obtained this from that coster." Comented the Dragonborn, transcribing the unknown markings for future edification and looking at the stresses around both sides of the break.
Luminmorn joins the group inside and responds to his fellow dragonborn, "Indeed a prudent approach. I must note that Lady Linene manages this outpost but the Lionshield Coster has many locations as it is a trading company. But perhaps she can provide further direction. I wonder what is that dagger doing here in the first place."
Curious about the broken blade tip, he starts looking around to see if there is any fresh scratches on the walls or near the forge. Perhaps there is a hidden door or something else that the doppleganger or either of its hirelings was trying to get into.
DM Now that the broken blade has been discovered, Davroar, in the light cast from Glasstaff, can now easily see where the dagger was being used around the forge. It was used in a futile attempt to pry the artifact out of it's place. There are scratch marks on the ground it sits on but not on the forge itself, which appears fused to the ground here - a permanent fixture.
He will tap his claws near the forge to show Kriv the fresh scratch marks made. Now while a knife blade makes a poor tool for attempting to steal the forge, it does show the dopplegangers intent to steal the forge. In Davroars mind the question of if the doppleganger will return has shifted to when it will return.
Noting that something of interest has been found inside the room, she says, "Excuse me for a moment?" to Bern and steps inside to see if there is anything she can add.
She nods agreement to Kriv as the Dragonborn indicates an intent to see if the markings on the blade might garner any additional information the group might be able to pursue.
"Indeed. If Mistress Graywind is akin to others in that Coster she maintains excellent records. Perhaps she could point towards a specific location where the blade was purchased."
Of course, if this was an associate of a Doppelganger, and according to what she's gathered from listening to others, a Doppelganger who was actively involved in criminal activity, it is possible the blade was stolen or taken from someone else. However it is a lead that she finds herself interested in pursuing.
DM After some further time searching the room where the Forge of Spells still stood, the group went on to tour the rest of the mines. There was little else of import beyond the progress to make the work area safe and replace some ancient workings. They went over to the underground lake and Sildar spoke about it.
"After Luminmorn told us about the lake we had a crew assembled to research the area. What we learned is that the lake is vast. We spent at least a tenday looking for a way out but could not find any. That doesn't mean that there isn't one, but if there was one, it could be easily hidden or even be under water. Our conclusions is that there wasn't a way out, but it's not conclusive."
Eventually they all made their way out of the mines and Luminmorn said, "It's time for us to head back if we are to sleep in beds tonight. Any questions or suggestions before we head back?"
He continued to 'guard' his friends, but also listened to the 'discussions'. Not much of it meant much to him ... except the 'talk' about a way out from the lake. He knew of some ways to find an 'underwater' path, but wanted to wait until he and his friends were away from the 'townies'.
[ooc: There are no "townies" around - only active NPC's, former (Ryssa and Luminmorn) characters and 1 newcomer (Zhu). The others are Sildar, the Rockseeker brothers and Sister Garaele.]
"Might be worth seeing if the possible lake entrance/exit is a threat. You could scatter some dust around the edge and then occasionally check to see if there are any prints leading from the lake? Just a thought."
She considers for a moment before adding.
"It doesn't seem likely that the forge is subject to removal but if they are determined enough they might find a way. Thinking about that might we come up with any extra precaution or protection that could be put in place?"
"I suspect it would take more than a dozen people to move that ... once it was 'detached' from the floor ... which could easily destroy the forge", he said with a shrug. I would be more concerned about someone coming down here and using the forge for nefarious purposes", he said with a shrug. "So I think Jaliera has the right idea. Lets see what we can do to keep track of any 'visitors'."
She nods to Bern's comments. "Items such as these are quite likely to have their magic destroyed if they are physically damaged in such a severe manner as trying to separate the forge from the floor. I'd think putting a guard on it would be prudent, and sufficient."
"It was locked away behind those doors that we built, as was most of this area. It seems that our security was insufficient when it came to dealing with the doppelganger," Sildar said before adding, "The Lord's Alliance will see to it that there is ample security here. If an army of orcs descended on this place again and used the forge to imbue magic into their weapons, it could spell disaster. We cannot allow a nefarious army to gain such strength!"
Ne nodded. "Sounds like a plan", he said to Sildar. He hoped it would work out for them. "You will want to set some pass phrases and the like so that the doppelganger cannot infiltrate your ranks."
With no luck in tracking by scent he will shift back to his human form on the way out of the mines. For securing the forge he simply adds, "With all your miners, maybe just brick over the door ways?"
It would be a pain to take it down if there is going to be legitimate use of the forge, and no one has really said if they do need regular access to the forge.
One eyebrow rises at Davroar's comment. "Surely that won't be necessary? I expect the Forge will be a solid source of revenue for the mine in many ways."
Indeed, not simply as a means of making weapons temporarily magical, but she is certain that Mages and Sages from far and wide will be eager to come and study it. The Rockseekers could sell tickets just for that and make a tidy amount of money.
Luminmorn "We have had this discussion here in town, but of course we should have it once again. But a brick wall will not go up while we stand here and we were hoping get back to Phandelin before nightfall. I assume we are going to talk to m'lady Linene Graywind of the Lionshield Coster about that dagger. So what temporary security measures should we employ?"
He gives an slight embarrassed look to Zhuirentel and says to her, "Oh. Didn't think of that."
Following Jaliera's suggestion then he adds, "Get some guard dogs too. Train them closely with the guards, and they might be able to detect if the doppleganger tries to impersonate one."
"Well, if you intend to try to track down the Doppelganger I'd suggest we talk to Mistress Graywind as quickly as possible. No need to let it get an even larger lead. Shall we go?"
Gundren steps forward while Nundro closes and locks the doors that lead into the area that needs to be secured.
"We'll get this place nailed down. Nobody's gonna fool us. About a dozen of the miners we hired through the Miner's Exchange have battle experience and we can add guard dogs. I like that idea," he adds with a nod towards Davroar. "That should do for now. Nundro and me need to be gettin' the mine running and we can do that as soon as we can shoo you guys away. This room will be the busiest as it's where we are going to clean the ore."
The dwarf went on to explain the process of mining iron. Mined right out of the ground, raw ore is mix of ore proper and loose earth called gangue. The ore proper can usually be separated by crushing the raw ore and simply washing away the lighter soil. That is what will be done in this chamber. The ore will still need to be smelted to remove the impurities from it but that will be done elsewhere.
"We'll get double locks put on right away and make a rule that nobody gets into the forge without two of us, Nundro, me, any of you, but two of us together. Only we will know where the keys are and what the password is. I don't think the doppleganger can be two people at once."
"The men don't want to go in there anyway. They helped barricade the other entrances to the forge. These men know that Luminmorn battled some foul spirit there. They saw the bodies of the undead that you had slain. I think the only reason they let the doppleganger in is that it made them think it was one of you, I don't think they would've let anyone else in. It won't happen again."
It sounded almost defensive. Gundren had faith in these men, it seemed. Although there were some doubters amongst those discussing the matter of security, the dwarves offered to let everyone find out about his men themselves. Sildar led everyon out of the mines and when you were all back at the base camp, Nundro gathered a handful of the men that were eager to earn extra coin in exchange for doing guard duty. They were interviewed, questioned about their battle experiences and tested with sword and bow. It was apparent they were sufficiently qualified for the task.
Any last moment suggestions are entertained but it was now time to head back to town. The mining operation had already begun unofficially a few days early. The sounds of steel on stone now echoed on top of the echos of the crashing waves that gave the caves their name. In the short while that they had been inside the caves, several wagons filled with iron ore previously mined and cleaned had been prepared for transport. They were waiting to head to the Miner's Exchange and the wagon drivers were eager to have the heroes of Phandelin escort them back.
OOC: I've attached a full map of the mines with some major modifications to the Wave Echo Cave since you were here. Also reveals all areas you bypassed exploring.
She is relieved that her offer to stay to guard has proven unnecessary. She nods along to the suggested preparations and heads out with the others, Whisper on her shoulder.
An attempted theft of the forge downgraded into their foes enchanting their weapons was not as bad as it could have been, the Dragonborn supposed. His staff still lit, he took position to the fore for the return journey, wary nonetheless.
It sounds like the mine will be well looked after by the dwarven brothers. Happy to see that their good work is paying off in giving Phandelin a viable mining operation, Davroar is ready to head back to town.
The trip back to Phandelin was uneventful. Remaining at the mines were the two dwarfs but everyone else returned less than an hour before the sun would set. On the way, Luminmorn suggested that the "visitors" all stay at the newly renovated Tresender Manor. The inn would be at capacity because of the Highharvestide Festivities and in any case, the manor was their's now.
Aside from the doppleganger's visit, there were no other major problems that needed solving but even though it had departed, there was a general feeling that it was going to be trouble. The only clue that they had was the broken dagger. The markings indicated that the dagger was a Lionshield Coster dagger.
As they pulled into town, the wagons with the ore went directly to the miner's exchange where the carts would be greeted by Halia Thornton. Sildar made his way to his office at the town hall and Sister Garaele returned to the Shrine of Luck.
She rides back to town quietly, considering what they've learned. Upon arriving at the Manor and Bern's question, she speaks up. "Well, Luminmorn has chosen to stay here in Phandelin. If you have no objections, I find myself intrigued by events, and I would offer to take his place and travel with you."
As she waits for an answer to her offer, she adds. "I suppose first step would be to inquire about the dagger with Mistress Graywind."
"I agree that we should follow up on the dagger straight away. And it seems sensible to make use of the manor's facilities, thank you Luminmorn. That said, I think we should set guards over night, with a doppleganger around we should take no chances. He may well feel vengeful towards us."
She smiles again at the female elf.
"Zhu isn't it? Perhaps you could tell us more about yourself and your capabilities?"
Arriving at the manor, he remembers only a little of it as they had chased the gangsters out. The manor is big enough to house half his clan back home, so he asks Luminmorn, "If we're going to be taking turns as guards, can you show us around?"
Knowing all of the ways in and out of this place, and if there is any weak spots would be helpful in keeping everyone safe.
"Zhuirentel", she starts, still unused to the human predilection for informality. After a brief pause, she nods. "Zhu will be fine. I kind of like it." She smiles at Jaliera, making the Rogue wonder why Zhu doesn't do it more as her face lights up like the sun.
"Your request is certainly reasonable. If we are to work together as a team you should know what role I can play."
She pauses a moment, then continues. "I will not be able to fill the role Luminmorn played in your group. Fighting with weapons is something I can do, at need, but is not something I specialize in."
"So, let's see. As I mentioned during our earlier conversations I am originally from the Feywild and have spent a number of years since emerging in this world in the Spellguard of Silverymoon. I am a caster of magic. Fire and Mystic energies to cause my foes damage and other magics to entrap and enfeeble them."
"My Elven heritage provides me the ability to see in Darkness as well as briefly pass thru the Feywild to move from one place to another. I would also be willing to take any, or all, night watches as I have no need for sleep."
She looks closely at Jaliera. "Might I ask what role you play in the group?"
Of course Luminmorn briefed her on everyone but she'd rather hear directly from each person.
"I am an explorer, mainly to recover artifacts. I can use some magic and as you have seen Whisper is an excellent scout enabling me to see in the dark also. Whisper can easily share watches too. I am a good scout, good with a bow, can hold my own with a sword too. And I can detect and disarm traps and open locks.. assuming they are not too difficult."
She smiles.
"And nice to get to know you Zhu."
Jaliera would never describe herself as a thief, because she is not.
Luminmorn suggested that everyone get settled in the manor and then head over to see what they can learn at the Lionshield Coster.
As the group headed up the hill where the manor stood, the can see that the structure is under repair. There are large portions of the outer walls that are collapsed and other portions where the color of the wood and stone is different than the base. Men are working and seem to notice them but continue with what they are doing. Once inside, you see that much work had been done to repair the old structure. It had been cleaned out and gutted. Walls have been rebuilt. Supporting structures have been fortified. It has not yet been painted. Much work was still needed but it was now a quite livable area and Luminmorn walked everyone to their private rooms and in each there was a wash basin and some clean clothing that, according to him, were gifts from thankful residents.
They did not linger long. After washing up they all gathered to take the stroll over to the Lionshield Coster. Linene was quite busy as the wagonsthat they had escorted from the mines. Halia Thornton was there with her and they were both taking inventory. When she sees the group approach, Halia looks up with a curious look, wondering why they were approaching.
He followed the group, noticing that work in progress. Clearly the town felt the need to 'repay' what had been done for them. He had seen it before and understood it.
Once in 'his' room, he took a moment to 'freshen up', mostly wanting to show his appreciation of 'their' efforts by changing into the clothes that he had been 'gifted'.
He was looking forward to the 'visit' to the bar. He could use a decent pint.
The Dragonborn noble inclined his head to the two Coster authorities, and presented the broken dagger to them, one part in each hand. By way of explanation, he commented,
"Doyenne Graywind, Madam Thornton. Whilst I realise and acknowledge this may not be the best of times, a matter of potentially serious importance has arisen. This blade bears the hallmarks of sale from your Coster, and the means to which it was put were nefarious and troublesome. Would it be possible to further discern its origin, or perhaps to whom it was sold?"
Linene, the master of the Phandelin post of the Lionshield Coster trading company takes the broken blade in her hand. She turns it over to see the markings and raises her eyebrows and shows it to Halia Thornton who's reaction is the same.
"This is one of ours. I didn't sell it but I can tell you that it definitely came from our outpost in Triboar. If you want to learn more, you'll need to go there and talk with either Narth Tezrin or Alaestra Ulgar. They run the outpost. I know both of them and they will know more."
Then, interrupting her, Halia says, "Linene, you'll need to give them some sort of letter. I doubt they'll open up their books without one."
"Oh, good idea. Neither of them would talk. It's not good for business to give away information like that," Linene says. "I can write up an introduction letter if you like. Are you intending to look deeper into this? You said it was important. It's a few days travel from here."
He looks over the manor as Luminmorn shows them the place and comments that it would be nice to see when it is all completed. In his own room he will wash up and use the new clothes since his almost always has a rip or frayed stitch somewhere. He will leave his fur armour and weapons in his room for now, taking only his heavy cloak that has his new Emerald Enclave pin hidden in the collar and at the last minute plops his wolf fur hat on since his black hair is still somewhat wet.
Stopping with everyone he listens in as Kriv talks with Linene and Halia.
Last edited by Dugan; Wed 11/12/1909:28 UTC. Reason: Removed comment regarding local area knowledge
OOC: Here's a case where the character knows more than the player. Triboar is the next town over. You took the "Triboar Trail" to get to Phandelin. Look for it on the north east of this map:
A room of her own and new clothes too! The people around here are so nice. She is glad they were able to help them. She decides to keep the clothes for a more suitable occasion and wanders back out to greet the others, following along.
Returning to her room she strips off her clothes and neatly folds and hangs them. Using the basin she washes herself and then examines the clothes critically. With a wave of her hand and a short spoken word the dirt and trail dust falls off of them and the pleats and cuffs take on sharper lines.
She remains unclothed as she moves about the room, comfortable in her own skin and having grown up in a community without any sort of nudity taboo.
Climbing onto the bed, she sits cross-legged and meditates on the events of the day and these new people she may be traveling with.
After a time she rises, dresses, and joins the others to go speak to Mistress Graywind.
She listens intently, simply nodding as it seems obvious they need to follow this lead. She passed thru Triboar on her way to Phandalin, so she knows the way. She didn't spend any time there, wanting to talk to Luminmorn as soon as possible so she isn't familiar with the layout.
OOC: And to make things even clearer, here's a zoom-in of the area. It doesn't include Triboar but you can see that during LMP you were getting really close... Some more reminders. When LMP started, and you rescued Sildar from the goblins at the Cragmaw Hideout, you found treasure in their lair, crates marked with the blue lion symbol of the Lionshield Coster. When you returned the goods to Linene in Phandelin she was very grateful that you recovered it and rewarded the party - your first real earnings.
In terms of distance, it's about 75 miles of travel from Phandelin to Triboar. You'll do 24 miles per day (see chart attached) so it's 3 days travel.
Last edited by Neptune; Tue 10/12/1915:09 UTC. Reason: Added more info
The noble scholar inclined his head in a human nod in reply to Liene's question, affirming,
"We're going to have to, yes. A letter of introduction would be greatly appreciated and I thank you for the offer. Is there any correspondence we can conduct for you to there in the course of our task, by way of fair recompense for that boon?"
Kriv's approach was very much transactional at its core. The attempted theft and successful misuse of the forge was an attack on both the Rockseeker's assets and their own portion thereof, and given the nature of the doppelganger, one that needed to be concluded lest it be repeated. But whilst they were on good terms with the Coster in Phandelin, that did not carry with it obligations of aid: The help they had provided in restoring their property previously had been suitably rewarded, and this new offer of assistance incurred a debt that in the Dragonborn's eyes needed to be paid off swiftly.
He listened to the discussions, but not having anything to add or dispute, he remained silent. And he had faith in his friends. He =did= continue to listen, though ... just in case things got interesting.
"Why most certainly Master Kriv," Linene responds. "A caravan for Triboar is being prepared this evening for a morning departure tomorrow. It will haul some iron ore extracted from the mines that you escorted here from the caves. I am sure that the wagon drivers would not mind the company of heroes. And I have some other business communications that I need passed on to Alaestra. I'll add your letter of introduction to that. Meet the caravan here in the morning."
There did not seem to be much more to be decided. The caravan was leaving early, just after sunrise, to afford as much light as possible. As that discussion ends, Luminmorn suggests that at some point this evening they should have a conversation about protecting the town and the mines while also pursuing the lead to track down the doppleganger. Some in the group wanted to visit the Inn for some dinner, drinks and relaxation so he offered that they could all gather back at the mansion after that for that discussion.
The dinner was simple but good, the atmosphere was festive as the townsfolk all wanted some time with their heroes. Their need to express their love and admiration for these adventurers underscored Luminmorn's suggestion that the conversations be held in private. So, after a while the group agreed to leave for the manor where they reconvened.
"My friends, it seems we have two needs, a presence here and pursuit of our nemesis. How shall we approach it?"
Again he stayed out of the 'discussions'. But he was happy to enjoy an fine meal and a bit of ale before the 'meeting'.
He really didn't have much of a response to Luminmorn's 'question'. He understood that it was always difficult for those in a 'responsible' role to try and balance differing needs. It was one of the reasons he didn't want to be in a leadership role! Hopefully one of the others would have a reasonable idea.
"I for one would like to stay here in Phandelin. I'm growing weary of the travel and need to settle down and establish a parish to spread the word of Lathandar. The Morning Lord will help protect this town and the mines."
"Are we suggesting a 50/50 split? If that is so, and including Luminmorn and Zhu, that makes 7 of us. So if Ryssa & Luminmorn stay, do we look for another 1 or 2 to stay with them?"
She pauses before adding..
"We all have different skills. Perhaps we should each say where we think those skills best place us. For me and Whisper, think we would be better travelling because of the scouting skills."
"This has always been a 'voluntary' group. If anyone wants to stay here, that is their choice. But I have not been the 'settling' sort, so I do not plan to stay here."
He looked to the others to see how they felt about it all.
"Do not forget that Sildar, Daren, Sister Garaele and Halia can all take care of themselves," Luminmorn said. And Reidoth is never too far away."
Ryssa then added, "This where I belong. Besides, while Luminmorn has done a great job with the manor, it could use a lady's touch. But the wagons need an escort. The Triboar Trail is not safe. We know that from experience."
"I do not see much disagreement. Kriv, Bern, Jaliera and Davroar will go. Zhu, you were recently there. You know the way and I think the caravan can use your unique skills more than we could here. Would you please go with them in my stead?"
"Certainly", she responds to the Dragonborn Paladin. Besides, she has no ties to Phandalin like the others, and she is intrigued by what the Doppelganger may be up to.
DM There was agreement about what to do and now that everything was settled the group had time to relax before settling in for the night at the manor. It was just after dusk and dinner time.
It being just a scant few days after Highharvestide, the town was still swollen with visitors. Even had there not have been a festival, the influx of miners and merchants was evident. The inn was going to be busy.
But folks might have other folks to see and talk to. What do you do?
OOC: You are not tied to the hip. Some of you may want to slip away and ... whatever. I'm going to send out some PMs to each of you get your more private thoughts. If you haven't removed yourselves from the older PMs, I'll use those threads.
Also, I updated both Zhu and Arus's sheets. I'll look at the others soon. If you don't see today's date at the top of the sheet 12/19/2019 (remember US format for me), you need to do a ctrl-F5 to force a page refresh. Some people don't know that little trick.
She had though about going to chat to one or two folk.. but honestly, if they are on their way tomorrow, getting some sleep would be a good option. Besides she would rather stay with Davroar.
He was not ... if he could help it ... a socializer. And since there didn't seem to be any need, he was quite happy to enjoy a quiet pint and then turn in for the evening. There was a good possibility that there would be challenges ahead on the morrow and he wanted to be rested and ready for them.
He has worked up a good appetite walking out to the mines and back. Reaching the busy inn he he feels a little bit uncomfortable in the crowded common room. He just wants a good meal first and then retire for the night. Sitting down with Jaliera he gives her a grateful smile for her company and answers, "I will be. A good meal and sleep tonight, and I'll be ready first light."
Leaning a bit back in his chair Davroar whispers a short spell and produces a clear globe in his left palm as he rests it in his lap. He gives it a brief look then it disappears as quickly as it appeared. "Weather should be good tomorrow too."
With no real attachments she simply follows the crowd and heads for the inn with the others. Finding a spot to sit is a bit of an adventure, but eventually she manages to find a chair not too far from the fireplace and orders some wine and a bit of bread and cheese.
Indeed the inn is crowded. Finding seats is a challenge but there was no official business going on. Jaliera and Davroar paired off and started talking. Bern went to get some beer and while he was gone, he spots the elder druid, Reidoth, who pulls him aside for a chat. As they talk, Jaliera spots Halia Thornton at the bar. They make eye contact and Jaliera realizes that the woman in charge of the miner's exchange was interested in talking to her.
Kriv doesn't go directly to the inn. After asking around, he finds Sildar but it's at his office.
Zhu sits down in the tavern. Luminmorn spots her and makes his way over to where she's sitting.
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