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Prepare to buckle in for a ride through the twists and turns of Phandalin as we join forces with the indomitable Zanros Bemblebomble in our latest escapade! Our crew, laden with tales of narrow escapes and healing hijinks, faces the Redbrands and contemplates the fate of our dear friend Gundren. With an arsenal of strategies and a sprinkle of moral debate, we tackle the challenges of setting up shop amidst the criminal underbelly of Phandalin.
Strap on your adventuring boots and saddle up with us as we traverse the treacherous paths of Phandalin, where we navigate the politics of arming goblins and ponder the power dynamics of the town. Our journey is strewn with laughter, market research, and the occasional pie review – because what's an adventure without a slice of the Heartlands Rose Apple and Blackberry Pie? Zanros Bemblebomble's expertise in hospitality becomes our guiding star, promising a beacon of safety for the locals once we cleanse the town of its lurking threat.
The stakes soar in this episode as we square off with the enigmatic Halia, strategize the takeback of Tresendar Manor, and unearth the chilling secrets of hidden tunnels and goblin sorcery. Our quest to rid Zanros' homestead of the Redbrands takes a turn when political aspirations bubble up, and we find ourselves knee-deep in a conundrum of power and responsibility. So, join the crew for a session filled with heart, humor, and the promise of glory. Whether by sword or by pie, we're on a mission to reclaim Phandalin and etch our names in the annals of heroism.
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01:13 - Adventuring Party's Banter and Quirks
21:32 - Barthens Provisions Market Research and Campsite
27:36 - Business Opportunities in Phandalin
39:21 - Task Completion and Unresolved Questions
55:38 - Trouble in Phandalin
01:10:05 - Dealing With Redbrands in Town
01:26:25 - Finding Jobs and Building Trust
01:38:27 - Harper's Mission to Agatha's Lair
01:56:40 - Missing Map and Goblin Captivity
02:13:04 - Discussion on Phandalin Information
02:26:32 - Redbrands and the Surly Orc
02:35:24 - Suspicious Conversations and Secrets Revealed
02:53:11 - Quest for Removing Redbrands
03:07:48 - Murder, Goblins, and Hidden Tunnels
Welcome everyone back to yet another wonderful episode of Legends Loot and Lore. We've got the adventuring party back together for another exciting adventure in Van Delver and below the Shattered Obelisk. I just love saying that name. Van Delver and below the Shattered Obelisk Just sounds like fun. It's so much danger.
Iquium:Aminus.
DM:So let's welcome everyone back. Catherine, you traveled long distances today from upstairs to get here, so that was wonderful. Thank you so much. And your character Zanrose. So what did your character do the last episode?
Zanros:She recruited a bunch of goblins to work at the B&B.
DM:Yes, yes, she did so. Zanrose has now, I think, about seven employees and two wolves. Are the wolves employees or are they? They're security? Do they earn a salary Like?
Zanros:I mean, they get food for being very good boys.
DM:Okay.
Zanros:Or girls I don't know what they are yet, but their names are Fluffy and Bitsy.
DM:Well, there you have it Fluffy and Bitsy.
Iquium:That's going to be the best thing ever to name a dog like Fluffy or Bitsy. That's like you know something that can kill you and you have to show up at the gates of the afterlife going well. What killed you, fluffy? Fluffy killed me. That's right or Bitsy killed me.
DM:Fluffy the rabid. Hellhound, wonderful and Fable, coming from the far distance of next door, and your character Dahl. So what did your character do last when last we met?
Dal:Like was that right after the river or is that after we fought?
DM:You went in the cave. You were at the hole, the whole cave. So, yeah, you got washed away by the flood, the waters from the waterfall and nearly nearly got washed away, but you held on for dear life. So that was good, excellent, and you've been helping out recruit, recruit employees for the BN base. That's wonderful, and James.
Iquium:Yes, hello, james.
DM:And your character, Iquium.
Dal:Yes.
DM:So, as I call him, mr Glass, mr Glass.
Iquium:Here, hold this Crack, you're dead again.
DM:I was talking with somebody else about Iquium's unarmed strike and that Iquium's unarmed strike is zero, zero, and that does damage to himself. That's right, yeah, I hurt myself.
Iquium:I pulled something. How many points of damage did you? Yeah, five strength, that would be a minus three. So you've actually healed people by putting hands on them.
DM:That's right, oh my God. So what was Iquium doing? Well, you have not just Iquium, but Iquium and Callie. Iquium and Callie.
Iquium:You're direwolf, yes. So Callie, being or intimidating, yet happy self, you know, chomping on goblins when appropriate, or intimidating them, or just, you know, fetching them Right. And then, hey, I got to Rick roll a bugbear, so I'm pretty happy about that.
DM:That's fantastic, yeah, so Always a good time, always a good time. So some of the things that happened, so you. So let's recap. So you are now when we left, you're getting back to your wagon and you're getting ready to head back to fan or not heading back to, but heading, continuing on your journey to the fan dail, excellent. So a couple of things. You rescued Sildar all winter and Sildar was in really rough shape, so he offered you 50 gold pieces to escort him safely to fan dail and then, so he could recuperate there, you took the supplies right from inside the cave.
Iquium:Oh, from inside the cave. Yes, from inside the cave, yes, and we had the additional supplies that we're transporting to Correct. So you see a rock seeker.
DM:So just so you're aware I don't know if I mentioned this in the last episode, but it's a good refresh for you the supplies that you found in the cave were labeled property of lion shield costar.
Zanros:Is that where we're taking the stuff?
DM:No, you're taking your supplies to Barthens provisions.
Dal:Okay, what was the name again?
Zanros:Lion shield costar lion shield costar. It's on the map.
DM:Yes, which I so kindly provided to you.
Zanros:You're so kind.
DM:Wow Feel the love.
Iquium:Well, it already, it already auto corrected to coaster. So we're delivering a batch of coasters. Yes, it is, it is.
DM:That's what they do. They're coasters of all shapes, sizes, materials, you name it.
Iquium:Maybe if we return their coasters we'll get a break on coasters for your B and B.
DM:There you go. They'll also put your logo on them, so yes. Absolutely 100%.
Zanros:Perfect.
DM:They will make coasters out of the shattered obelisk. If you get that, they will.
Iquium:You could make things interesting and just take it directly to your B and B and that way, if they ever show up and use the B and B, they're like where did you get these? These look familiar.
DM:Exactly.
Iquium:It lost these years ago.
DM:Don't know what you're talking about.
Iquium:I have no idea. We got them in a goblin garage sale.
DM:Exactly.
Iquium:Cave sale, I mean.
Zanros:Instead of garage sale on a Saturday you go cave sailing, yes, cave sailing, absolutely All right.
DM:So you've got those supplies to return to Lion Shield Caster. You've got the original supplies that are going back to Barthyn not going back to, but being delivered to Barthyn's provisions. On behalf of Gundren Rockseeker Sildar has requested that you just take him somewhere where he can convalesce. Yes, yes, yes.
Iquium:Yes, didn't we? Did we heal him at all?
Dal:Or.
DM:Maybe healed him a little bit, but he's still he's stable. He's basically stable, but not not doing well. Not nowhere near full health.
Zanros:We looked at him and said, ooh, that seems bad, and did nothing that looks like it hurts man.
Iquium:Here we have salt in the provision wagon. Would you like to rub it in your wounds? Absolutely.
Zanros:That doesn't seem comfy. Meet Vincent, he's doing just as well here. Put your drink on a coaster while you die slowly.
Iquium:Here we're giving free coasters away with every rescue. No, we're just giving away coasters.
DM:Oh my God, free coaster with every rescue Fantastic.
Zanros:That's how I'm advertising the B and B.
Iquium:Free coaster with every rescue.
Zanros:Free coaster with every rescue.
DM:All right, so are we ready to head into Fandaylon?
Iquium:I just pictured what the coaster's going to look like. It just says around the things like just a round coaster. Congratulations on not dying, here's your free coaster.
Zanros:In the middle it has the BumbleBumbleB and B logo.
DM:That's right. Should look into QR codes for that.
Dal:Oh yeah, scan this, if you want.
Zanros:I mean I'm unemployed so I could make a website for the BumbleBumbleB and B.
Iquium:I can make you coasters Nice.
Dal:I already made your menu.
Zanros:Fable has made the menu.
Dal:There's over what 30 things on there.
Zanros:Yeah, I hope the goblins are good cooks.
DM:That's a Greek diner menu right there.
Zanros:Gordon Ramsay would be very angry about that. A Greek diner is 30 items.
Dal:on the appetizers alone, that's fair You're right.
Zanros:Gordon Ramsay would be pissed about a 30 item Gordon Ramsay would be menu.
DM:displeased Gordon.
Dal:Ramsay can suck it.
Zanros:Can we clip that out and tag Gordon Ramsay in it, because I wanted to see his?
DM:reaction to.
Zanros:Gordon Ramsay can suck it.
DM:Wow, we love Gordon Ramsay though. Oh, I know yes.
Dal:I'm proud of my menu.
DM:You should be proud of your menu, but Gordon Ramsay would have something to say about it.
Iquium:All I know is I followed Gordon Ramsay's advice and I got the X-clad pans and they're pretty awesome, I gotta say.
DM:Really.
Iquium:Surprisingly so. I really thought this is going to go one way or another. It's just going to be either a shallow celebrity endorsement or it's actually going to be a good thing, and it's actually a good thing.
DM:Fascinating. So you guys get back to your. The adventuring party gets back to their wagon. Now you are. If you look at the big map on the, look at the big map on the table. So you're still by the Kragma hideout, that big X. Okay, so it will probably be evening by the time you get to Vandalin. So what do you guys want to do on your way there? What's the plan? Any thoughts?
Iquium:So we have all the provisions. We had everything we took from the caves, yes, and two extra horses from the, from the ones we found on. Was it two horses?
DM:Yes, it was two horses. Correct, those were Gundren and Sildar's horses. So you have the provisions, the original provisions.
Iquium:But they were just on horses, they didn't have wagons. I'm sorry to interrupt Correct.
DM:There were. There were no. That's why. That's why you're transporting the supplies, because they just went. They went quickly ahead on horseback and left the supplies behind, so that's why they had them, as that's why you were escorting the supplies to Vandalin for them.
Iquium:Gotcha, yes, Um, okay, so assuming that our, our wagon, oxen and horses are all still there, right, yep, okay.
DM:Sorry, fair question. Fair question. Yeah, it's your. Your camouflage job was successful, excellent. Nobody. You and you, the, the goblins, the ones that were causing trouble, are now in your employee. So there was there's no, no other threat on on the tri-board trail other other than those goblins.
Dal:So how many goblins do we even have? Now we have six.
DM:You have seven.
Dal:And two, uh, two wolves.
DM:No two regular walls.
Zanros:Yeah, so we have Vincent Michael Creed, oscar Stanley, toby and Nard dog the goblins and Fluffy and Bitsy the wolves.
Dal:I love Fluffy and Bitsy.
Zanros:Fluffy and Bitsy.
DM:So yeah, so you, you've got all that. You've got the horses, you've got seven goblins with you, sildar, um the wolves, so you've got quite a large Get a non-terrage. You have quite, yes, you have quite a large group of new yes, so you're going to, you're going to continue your way to Vandalan.
Zanros:Yes, yes.
DM:Okay. So, again, it's going to be about a day's journey to get there. So it's, it's right, about sunset when you, you're, you're now. So you went, you're, you were heading east on the tri-bore trail, and then you turn south toward Vandalan. Who is this? This village in the foothills of the sword mountains? So, again, it's about it's about sunset by the time you get to to Vandalan. So the the, the rutted track that you've been on, emerges from a wooded hillside and you catch your first glimpse of Vandalan. The town consists of 40 or 50 simple log buildings, some built on fieldstone foundations. More old ruins, crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street as it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside to the east side of town.
Zanros:What you call it ruins. That's what B and B.
DM:You've had a lot of work to do. As you approach, you see children playing on the town green and townsfolk tending to chores or running errands at the shops in town. Many people look up and smile as you approach, but all return to their business as you go by. Would someone like to roll for a roll of a history check?
Zanros:Ooh I think I have a plus three on history.
Iquium:Yeah, you roll it Plus, plus nothing.
DM:Plus nothing.
Zanros:I'll roll it 20.
DM:20. Yeah, Ooh, A little more. A little more backstory on Van Dalen. The frontier town of Van Dalen is built on the ruins of a much older settlement. Years of years ago, old Van Dalen was a thriving town whose people were firmly allied with the dwarves and gnomes of the Van Delver Pact. However, the same bandits who sacked the mines at Wave Echo Cave attacked the settlement and Van Dalen was abandoned for centuries. In the last three or four years, hardy folk from the cities of Neverwinter and Waterdeep have begun settling atop the ruins of Van Dalen. A bustling frontier town has developed on the site of the old settlement. It's home now to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders and prospectors drawn by the stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains. Unfortunately, more than a few Ruffians and bandits have settled here as well. Taking advantage of the fact that there is no official local authority to chase them off, A gang known as the Red Brands have been hounding Van Dalen, extorting and bullying everyone in town.
Dal:The.
Zanros:They need to look fancy for when guests arrive at the B&B.
Dal:I just have a little bow like what do you call it? What the hell is it called? Bow tie yeah.
DM:They will have a negative on intimidation if you do that to them. So if you, try to.
Iquium:She's like Callie doesn't wear a bow.
DM:See, exactly so if you try to attack with them, they will not be very intimidating. Your enemies might try to just pet the wolves.
Zanros:Not even one. I mean that might be better. Try to pet the wolves, See what happens.
DM:Yeah, oh, they're so cute.
Zanros:You like that hand?
Iquium:Nice. So they might get negative to intimidation, but maybe advantage on charm, Deception oh yeah.
Dal:Oh, ok, yeah. Deception check you know, maybe they're there the bows are a go the bows are definitely a go Is what I'm hearing.
Zanros:Lull them into a sense of security.
Dal:I will draw that right now.
Iquium:Pardon me, does your dog bite? That's not my dog.
DM:One of my favorite scenes out of all the Pink Panther movies, so so fantastic. I'm glad you referenced that. That was good, all right, so you have. So I printed out maps for you. So, again, you're coming from the north, heading, heading south into town, so you're some of the first things you come across there's a couple of outbuildings there on the outskirts of town. As you kind of come into the town remember the town green, which is where the kids are playing so you're seeing people kind of coming in and out of shops.
Zanros:Things are starting to close down for the night, so can we make it to Barthens before it closes, because it's right there?
DM:You would tell you. You go up. You go up to the door of Barthens provisions, you knock on it. However, you do notice there is a sign that says closed.
Zanros:Can we go to Barthens house next door? I don't take no for an answer Are you closed.
Iquium:I just need one thing, just, just, just, just one thing, just one, just one thing. I won't be long, I promise.
DM:Just one thing. So you want to. You want to try to knock on the, you want to try to knock on the house.
Zanros:I don't know, do you?
DM:Well, you don't, you don't know, see. I mean so you don't know that it's Barthens home. I mean, it says it on the map but you don't mean, I don't have this map. You don't have this arrows to each item.
Iquium:It tells me what it looks like, but you do not have the label, unless, for some odd reason, we look down on the ground and see writing.
DM:Right.
Zanros:It's Barthens outside his house.
DM:Barthens provisions is run by a woman named Elmina Elmina Barthens.
Zanros:Oh is she outside.
DM:She is not. The store is closed, but is she?
Zanros:outside her house. Maybe she's doing something milking a cow, hanging off laundry, watching people walk by you don't.
DM:You don't see her anywhere.
Iquium:So I think we should go to the. I think we should go to the in.
Zanros:Sus out my competition?
Iquium:Yes, yeah, we're doing market research, so the letter that I got from Gundren obviously Gundren's been Acquired by someone else. Bear this message, can I? I'm just going back to the letter I was given by the from Gundren.
DM:Yes.
Iquium:Because we have to. We do have to deliver those provisions to Elmina Barthens.
DM:Correct. So you want to go. You want to go to the Stonehill Inn, is that where?
Iquium:you go yeah.
Dal:I do but here's, the here yeah.
Iquium:My, my thing is if, if there are there, are these people shaking people down in this town?
DM:Yes.
Iquium:I'd rather. I'd rather know that they're Coming and deal with them, rather than risk the entire wagon of. Yes, my thought is this Since Barthens isn't open, do we stay in the town?
DM:Now remember when in town would you suggest you stay? Because, again, remember, there are three of you a dire wolf, two wolves and seven goblins. And where'd?
Iquium:you say the BNB was, it's just under Manor.
Zanros:So over to the east of town. It's a building in ruins.
DM:It's a building in ruins.
Iquium:Yes, Okay, still.
DM:So I mean your option is you could. You could camp outside of town. You could set up camp just just outside of town and and spend the night, take a long rest. Yeah, I would, sildar. Sildar is going to, because he just needs to get to town. So Sildar is going to ask that you Drop him off at the Stonehill Inn. And he is, he is going, he is going to lodge there for for the night and rest up. Okay, literally, drop him.
Zanros:Like roll him off the card Wow.
DM:As long as you are, you are not a five star Uber driver at all. Your rating just went way down. Tell you what, sildar, could you get the pullout?
Iquium:caught for Vincent there in your room Trying to conserve funds there until we get paid. Absolutely. There's a pullout couch.
DM:The pullout couch in the in the, in the little sweet area of the of the room, so definitely somewhere in Fendale and there's an artificer slash furniture maker making pullout couches.
Iquium:Yes, absolutely.
Dal:Yeah.
DM:So you're going to, you're going to make camp just outside of town.
Dal:Correct.
DM:Yes, okay, hang on. I have to get our our ampere and we have to get our ambient music.
Iquium:Oh, nice, nice.
DM:Courtesy of pocket barred. Okay, so you have taken a long rest, not that you not that you needed it, but this will help. This will definitely help Vincent.
Zanros:Yeah, poor Vincent.
DM:Poor, poor Vincent. So Vincent will be all, all healed up.
Zanros:Oh, vincent healed both, both broken legs and A dislocated shoulder.
DM:It's amazing. All is better, all right. So now you are. You are waking up, sun is rising over the horizon, it's a beautiful day and I'm going to go to the camp site In Fandain. Are you going to? Are you going to leave? Are you going to leave all the goblins here and there Like what are you going to? Are you going to leave stuff at camp? Or is like the wolves Like what do you? What are you bringing into town and what are you?
Zanros:leaving at your, your, campsite. I'm going to take the wolves at the campsite because that's going to look a little menacing if we wander into town with our entire entourage.
DM:Yeah, that's an excellent thought. So there's going to be the three of you. Probably the dire wolf probably do you want to bring Cali with you into town.
Iquium:It's not a big town. It's not a big town.
DM:You've heard, you've heard a little about the red brands, but you know very little, you don't know much about them. So you don't, you don't know how much of a threat they are in town, but you just you've heard the name, you've heard, you've heard the goblins on your, on your, on your, on your drive into town. You're driving to town, you're talking with the goblins and everything. You heard this name about the red brands brought up. But you don't know, you know they're kind of troublemakers, but you don't know what, what to make of them yet.
Iquium:So I think I want to bring. So are we coming from the north, from the Tribor Trail, correct? Okay, so that we discovered Barthens was closed. I'd say I would bring Callie as far as Barthens, but maybe not into town, okay, just to where she can scope out a place to put her disguise on. Her cow disguise, yeah, really bad cow disguise. Yeah, so we'll go at least that far.
DM:All right, so you're going to head to Barthens Provisions this morning. Barthens is open, so I'll give you a little bit of the background of Barthens Provisions here. Barthens Provisions is the biggest trading post in Fandaland. It stocks most ordinary goods and supplies, including backpacks, bed rolls, rope, rations all the typical supplies you would need. It's open from sun up to sun down, so that's why you just missed it. Barthens doesn't stock weapons or armor, so if you need that, you have to go elsewhere in town. Elmira, like I said, elmina Barthens is the proprietor. When you walk into the store you see her behind the counter. She's a young, human woman, the kindly manner. There's a couple of clerks as well and they wait on the customers and everything. So these two clerks come up to you and say how can we help you?
Iquium:I'm actually here to deliver something to you. I need to speak to Elmina.
DM:Oh, certainly she's right there behind the counter. Thank you.
Iquium:I go up to Elmina and I show her Gundren's letter and I said I have a delivery for you. Specifically, I was delivering these to Gundren and Roxy.
DM:Oh, yes, yes, We've been waiting. Where is Gundren? We haven't seen him.
Iquium:We don't quite know. I was going to ask you if you've seen him.
DM:No, I knew he was coming this way, but I haven't seen or heard of him. I was starting to grow concerned.
Iquium:Well, I brought you the wagon of provisions.
DM:Wonderful.
Iquium:When was Gundren last here?
DM:Oh, it's been some time. He comes in and out. He's been spending a lot of time in the mountains looking for something, but he hasn't been in town for some time.
Zanros:Do you know what he's looking for?
DM:He never says he's very excited, but he never says what he's looking for.
Iquium:Did he say generally where he was in the mountains, or just in the mountains?
DM:No, just in the mountains. He's been very secretive about everything.
Iquium:Well, perchance you don't happen to carry dire wolf goblin beorns, do you Just looking for a little collar slash harness thing that I can put on my companion? Now is this are we? Are we inside? By the way, yes, we are inside. Okay, and I would ask just a simple favor, just so I don't alarm anyone, because my companion is a rather well, maybe you'd like to come and meet my companion.
DM:Sure Ander this all outside.
Iquium:So I take Elmina out and I and I whistle for Callie, who is just nearby, not just kind of skulking around, but anyway, just she knows to remain out of sight when we're in town. So I figured this is no different and I introduced them to Callie.
DM:That is quite an enormous animal.
Iquium:Yeah, so I don't want to. You know, obviously I came to meet you. You know Gundren, I know Gundren, and really my only hope is that I can give Callie a place where she can kind of you know, kind of watch. She'd be helpful to you and everything, but just so she remains out of the way. So people don't get alarmed, because you know, a small town like this, a dire wolf might be a bad thing in some people's eyes, since we're on the edge of the wilderness.
DM:So you'd like some lodging for.
Dal:No, I just wanted to know if it's OK.
Iquium:If she, you know, if there's places, she'll be fine on her own. But if she knows you, you know, it's just that much more comforting for me to know that she's around somebody. And if anybody causes trouble for you, you know, you can tell them. You can just tell her to fetch and she'll go get them. They might not survive but she'll fetch for it.
DM:Well, there certainly has been some trouble in town, so it wouldn't hurt to have some protection.
Iquium:So Maybe we could just kind of just come to an arrangement of you know, letting her prowl around, and that way you have some protection nearby. If, what are the reasons you need protection?
DM:Well, I don't know what you've heard, but there are some unsavory characters in town. They've been shaking down all the businesses and we don't have a sheriff or anything. So they're kind of taking advantage of that fact that there isn't an authority system here in town and they are taking full advantage of that fact. It's making it very hard to do business.
Iquium:I think, speaking for myself and my trust and companion, callie, I would speak to my friends and see and maybe we could be a little Challenge for those people shaking you down, because I don't like to hear that you seem like a very nice person. If Gundren sent me to you, then you're good with me.
DM:Any help we could get would be tremendous. It's just Like I said, all the business people in town, the whole Chamber of Commerce. When we get together, we talk about this and they're making it, like I said, very hard to do business here. We're just trying to rebuild this small town and they're the criminal element in town and it's making it difficult for people to want to stay here.
Zanros:I mean, I think we need to do something. Then, guys, because if I'm going to open the B&B here, I cannot have an unsavory element. How will I attract tourists?
Iquium:Let me now allow me to introduce.
Zanros:Hi, I'm Zanrose Zanrose Bumblebumble.
DM:Bumblebumble, the name sounds familiar.
Zanros:My family owns the Trissenter Manor out on the edge of town.
DM:Oh my, that old rundown place.
Zanros:I'm sorry what.
DM:Well, I don't, I mean no offense, but it's kind of fallen into disrepair. No one from the Bumblebumble family has been here in years.
Zanros:That is true, my family doesn't tend to like to leave home, but I'm going to make it a beautiful B&B breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
DM:That would be lovely. That would certainly attract people to this town.
Zanros:Yes, but not if there's a criminal element here.
DM:You're absolutely right. As a representative of the Chamber of Commerce, would you be willing to join as a member, and we would love to have you.
Zanros:Absolutely.
DM:We meet on the third Tuesday of every month at the Stonehill Inn for breakfast and we talk about how we can work together as a business community in town and how we can attract people. There's a tourism subcommittee that you might want to be a part of.
Zanros:That's excellent. I'd also like to talk to the proprietor of the Stonehill Inn about what kind of spirits he has available, so that maybe I can offer some local beverages in addition to my really fabulous menu that we have planned.
DM:I'm sure you could definitely go over there. There are just a couple of buildings down from here.
Zanros:Excellent.
DM:Lovely. It's so nice to meet you.
Zanros:Thank you. It's nice to meet you too, Elmina May. I call you Elmina May.
DM:Wonderful. So while you're having this conversation with Elmina, andrew and Thistle, her two employees have completely unloaded all the provisions that you were there to deliver to her, and Elmina pays you the agreed upon 10 gold pieces each. So she is very grateful for you bringing those.
Zanros:Cha-ching.
Dal:Right to the Bumble Bumble B&B savings.
Zanros:Exactly the Bumble, bumble. I'm just trying to find something else with the Bumble Bumble savings account.
Dal:The Bumble, bumble, bureaucracy savings. So when one of your employees messes up, wait five or ten.
DM:Ten, ten gold pieces each.
Iquium:So yes, Did Sildar give us gold because he was going to give us gold to get him to fan down right?
DM:Sildar did not have any gold on him. Sildar is going to procure a loan in which he can repay you once he has recovered from his injuries. He hasn't left town. He's still at the Stonehill Inn, so he's going to. As soon as he's able, he's going to secure funds to pay you the 50 gold pieces.
Dal:Did we also drop off the extra supplies that we got from the Cragmaw?
DM:You have not yet.
Zanros:No, because those are supposed to go to Lion Shield Costa.
Dal:Oh yeah.
DM:That is correct.
Zanros:I paid attention.
DM:I'm so glad.
Iquium:But are we supposed to give them? Are we supposed to deliver the wagon and the oxen to Elmina as well, or those ours to use?
DM:Those are Elmina's property. But if you, you can we just want to ask her.
Iquium:If you know, I'll ask her if we can, you know, just utilize the wagon to return this, you know, property to Lion Shield Costa.
DM:Oh, so certainly. They're just right down on the other side of the town center, so you can bring it down there and just return it here. That's perfectly fine, I would. I am truly concerned about Dundran. If you can find him, that would mean so much to me. He is such a dear friend. So please, please, don't give up on him.
Iquium:Please find him, oh well, I also promised to buy him a drink once we dropped you off the provisions. So unfortunately, you know, we we found we feel we found Sildar Hall winter, so we don't know where Gundran is. Oh no, and Sildar was pretty banged up, so we have him down at the Stone Hill in and we're going to go see him and then return the stuff to to Lion Shield Costa, and then we'll return the wagon and oxen to you.
DM:Wonderful. Okay, well, thank you. Please, please, let me know what you, what you find of and here of Gundran.
Iquium:Absolutely.
DM:Fabulous. So you have completed the task of of delivering the provisions. To Exactly, check that one off, check them. Where would you all like to go next?
Zanros:We should run by Lion Shield, costa, right yeah.
DM:All right, so you want to. You want to continue down the path to Lion Shield Costa.
Iquium:Yeah, yeah Is it? Is it worth stopping at Stone Hill in to see Sildar, or should we just come back and see Sildar after that?
Dal:Come back yeah.
Zanros:I can come back, so you got to pass it going both ways.
DM:If we're returning the cart and oxen, you can always stop there for a lunch after you complete your morning errands. Okay, so you you pull up to the Lion Shield Costa. A wooden sign shaped like a shield and painted with a blue lion hangs above the door of this trading post. The building is owned by the Lion Shields, a merchant company based in the city of Yartar, over a hundred miles to the east. They ship finished goods to Fandelen and other small settlements throughout the region, but this outpost has been hit hard by Banditry.
Zanros:Not Banditry.
DM:Banditry.
Zanros:Banditry.
DM:The most recent Lion Shield Caravan, due in Fandelen, never arrived and you all know what happened with that.
Iquium:Yes, yeah, I think Now we I'm sorry I'm going to- Go ahead the provisions that we got there were all marked with the emblem of Lion Shield, costa Correct. So we haven't opened any of these things.
DM:Correct, not that.
Iquium:I don't know, do I have you?
DM:No, Not that I remember.
Iquium:Questioning whether we should or not.
Zanros:Oh what was included in those provisions.
DM:You don't know. You don't know what's in these.
Iquium:We don't know these provisions.
DM:I mean, we know the other.
Iquium:we had all the you know packed provisions for Gundar and Sildar Gundar and Sildren. Yes, Is it. Is it Sildar or Sildren? It's. Sildar no because she said like it's.
Zanros:Gundar instead of Gundren, so it's Gundar and Sildren.
DM:Gundar and Sildren.
Iquium:I was thinking they sounded like a new Sigfried and Roy, but you know that's, that's totally different.
DM:Gundren and Sildar Amazing, and they're direwolves.
Iquium:And they're direwolves and they're direwolves, couldn't resist.
DM:New traveling show.
Iquium:We had trouble with capital T and that rhymes with fee and that's for Fendalen.
DM:Oh my.
Iquium:And all of a sudden we opened the crates and they're all musical instruments.
Zanros:Yeah, right Starting a band.
Dal:That's what you do with the extra goblins. They have entertainment.
Zanros:Yes.
Dal:Live dinner.
DM:Seven is extrambles.
Iquium:How many?
Zanros:goblins we had seven goblins. Seven goblins, yes.
Dal:It's bigger than a Mariachi band, six plus Vincent. Oh, okay, okay.
Iquium:Imagine having a goblin Mariachi band follow you around through town.
Zanros:That would be amazing, that would be so funny. In fact, I think we should we drive the bandits out of town.
Dal:We annoy the shit out of them.
Zanros:They're trying to hold people up and we've just got the goblin Mariachi band behind. Give us a like money. That's the way they go.
Dal:They're walking through town.
DM:Boom, boom boom.
Zanros:Just make, yeah, just stop, oh my God.
DM:So what are you doing? You're at the Lion Shield Coster. What would you?
Zanros:I think we should open these up before we take them in. Make sure there's nothing in there we want You're going to steal.
DM:You're going to steal from someone.
Iquium:No, I just want to understand what we're carrying here.
Zanros:I'm sorry. All knowing Dungeon Master, did anybody ask?
DM:I'm just asking questions, I think what is your alignment? What is your character alignment? Damn it Foiled again.
Zanros:Chaotic, neutral. Okay, go through these boxes and feel a little chaotic.
DM:It's up to you. What would you like to do?
Zanros:I'm not saying we take anything necessarily.
Iquium:I'm just saying maybe we look we're carrying and understand what we're carrying and also see if it's worth a reward.
Dal:What we're supposed to get paid 50, right.
Zanros:But that's just for getting Seldar here. We already did that.
Dal:No, I wait.
Iquium:How, how, what are we talking about? Are we going to have to take a pry bar to them?
DM:You are going to have to. They are sealed.
Dal:Nailed shot. See it All of our money. Think the supply is where we're 50 if we brought them back, unless my writing is wrong, which it very well could be.
Zanros:Wait, are we getting 50 gold pieces for returning these? Why are you looking like you don't know?
Dal:I don't know, If there's one thing I do take notes on it's money. I may have said that I may not have.
Iquium:It depends on the notes you wrote.
Dal:That's what I wrote down.
Zanros:I mean if we're getting 50 gold for returning it.
Dal:Well, because I wrote about a Seldar after this.
DM:So what would you like to do?
Zanros:I'd like to get money.
Dal:I say we don't look through the crates.
Zanros:Everybody's talking about how ruined my B&B is. I'd like money.
Dal:My Seldar.
DM:My Seldar is crazy. Yes, would you like to. What do you want to do? Are you going to go into the Lion Shield Coster? Yeah, I mean giving it to them.
Iquium:What do we know about Lion Shield Coster? I mean giving it to them. What do we know about Lion Shield Costar? But they, I thought I heard you say they ship finished goods.
DM:Yeah, so they're a rather large company. This is a trading post owned by the Lion Shields. They're a merchant company. Their headquarters is 100 miles east of here, but they deliver. They deliver finished goods to this weaponry armor shields, et cetera, that type of stuff. But you don't know that, you don't, you've not.
Iquium:Oh, we don't have any experience with that.
DM:We, I'm just telling you You're telling me not Right. Gotcha, you have not. You have not heard of Lion Shield, costar, because you've come from Neverwinter and there's no outpost there.
Iquium:See, my curiosity is like what are the Goblin Steel?
DM:But if you're pretty torn, the Goblin Goblin stole everything.
Iquium:They, they just stole everything, they stole everything. But, but what we know?
DM:This was the only stuff that was labeled, that you knew it belonged to somebody else, because you opened the chest and everything there was. There was other stuff that you found but that was not identified, but this, this, had a specified owner to it.
Iquium:Okay, Um, well, here's, here's my question. So is a chiefly an armory? Well, let's go in and talk to them. And my, my thought is this if we go in and talk to them, we give them sealed crates. Are they worth more? I don't know, I don't know. I don't know, I don't know I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Do you have? Do you have an qualité? Or because, of course, my alignment is lawful?
Zanros:So am more likely to don't break into their crates.
Dal:We will be in their good graces. Perhaps that's fair. You're gonna open up B and B N. Yeah, wow.
Zanros:You're really giving me the stare down.
DM:And what's your? What's your alignment to?
Dal:Joe.
DM:I can't say that five times fast. Ok, so you're going to enter the line Shield Coster. So there's a woman by the name of Linene, linene Greywind.
Iquium:Linene Greywind.
DM:Actually I have a little picture of Linene for you. Here's Linnean.
Zanros:Oh she looks nice. I like her pointy boots.
DM:And Linnean says welcome, welcome you. I don't recognize you are. Where have you come from? I haven't seen you in town before.
Iquium:Well, we came looking for my friend Gundren Rockseeker, who had asked me to escort a wagon of supplies for him.
DM:Oh yes. Yes, I know, I know Gundren. He's been in here before.
Iquium:Oh well, in our we we seem to have run across some crates that have your symbol.
DM:Really, you found them. Yes, I've been waiting for them.
Iquium:Well, we found them. And Gundren's horses, on the road coming up the Troy board trail Ran into some trouble. And well we found, we found your crates and we wanted to return them to you.
DM:Well, that is that is very nice of you. You know it. Where? Where are they? Do you have them with you?
Iquium:Have them in the wagon outside.
DM:It's fabulous. Leneen goes running outside and is looking at all the crates and she's very aware she knows exactly what was supposed to be delivered. So she's you kind of see her counting the boxes, looking at them, inspecting them, and notices that everything to her, everything seems to be there. She's like this is, this is everything that I've been waiting for, thank you, thank you so much. I couldn't, I couldn't possibly begin to repay you, but allow me this. This is, this is just a small, a small token of my thanks, and she gives you 50 gold pieces, not each, 50 gold pieces total. As a small thank you. She's like it's, it's so. It's been so difficult these days between what's going on in town With with the red brands and provisions. Provisions are I don't know. I don't know what's been going on outside of town, but things, a lot of things seem to to keep going missing.
Iquium:So what kinds of things have have you seen? Because we, to be completely transparent, we just spoke to Elmina, so we're just trying to get an understanding of, like all the things, like what do you know? It's most generous of you. I'm glad we could return your property, by the way.
DM:Again, thank you. Thank you so much for that. No, it's the these red brands. They keep. They keep coming around trying to extort money from the businesses in town. They keep they want to come here and buy weapons, but I know they're no good so I refuse to sell them any weaponry or arm or anything like that. I'm not, I am not going to support, support them. But they keep coming in here trying to trying to take, take money from the business people in town and it's, it's been absolutely terrible. It's people. People don't want to come out, people don't want to shop in our stores for fear of being attacked by the red brands. They're just, they're just a terrible group of people.
Iquium:So they've come here looking for weapons. But you wouldn't sell them weapons, but they're. They haven't threatened you or anything. Have they or they? Are they just threatening other people that are coming into town?
DM:Well, if I don't, if I don't pay them, oh so, you're having to pay them like I have to. I have to, I have to pay them to for protection, because if I don't they might burn the place down. They you see, you see what they did to the Trissender manner. What oh.
Zanros:I'm sorry.
Iquium:Allow me to introduce my, my friend Zanros.
Zanros:Hi, I'm Zanros Pemblebombo. Yes, family owns the Trissender manner.
DM:Oh my.
Zanros:I was coming here to open it as a B&B.
Dal:She's whole plans Great.
Zanros:I have a quick question for you. So your accent sounds like it's from Waterdeep, but I thought you said you were from never winter Equine. Have you ever heard an accent like that on somebody who is from never winter?
Dal:Hmm, can't say that I have.
Zanros:Tell me you put on a fake accent.
Iquium:You're hiding something from us.
Zanros:I thought we were friends.
Dal:Well, I just got a little bit stuck in it.
Zanros:Oh see, that's more of the accent I've heard before. Never winter.
DM:It's definitely starting to sound more like someone from never winter, right? Yeah, yeah.
Zanros:Sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that, but it just kind of occurred to me. All right Back to the records. Where do we find them and how do I kill them?
DM:I don't think you want to go looking for trouble.
Zanros:I don't think I want them messing up this town when I'm trying to open a business. I'm going to be joining the Chamber of Commerce Thank you, I'm going to be joining the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism Subcommittee. Obviously, and we need to make this a town where people actually want to come. So I'm happy to go. Look for the red brands. Listen, we got a lot to do. We got a foreign country, we've got to get the red brands. We've got to apparently rebuild an entire B&B. I only have seven employees right now.
DM:Sounds like you're going to be a very busy person.
Zanros:I mean yeah.
DM:Well, if you're looking for trouble, Sounds like I am. The place you could start is the sleeping giant, so the place is called the sleeping giant, the place is called the sleeping giant, so we're not, we're not taking on a sleeping giant, I'm just making sure, better, better to be sure.
Iquium:It's a large sleeping giant. They set up a bar while he was sleeping. He hasn't woken up since, and if you wake the giant then the whole bar is flipped.
DM:That's right, it's built on top of a sleeping giant. The sleeping giant is another. It is a roll for well. Yeah, roll, history check 16. So the sleeping? So you. So you're talking with Lenine and Lenine tells you about the sleeping giant. It's a run down tap house, dirty, dangerous watering hole at the end of the main street of Van Dahlen. It is frequented by the red brands and operated by a Surly orc named Greska.
Zanros:I love more than a Surly orc.
DM:That's really should be the name of it the Surly orc. That's a great name.
Iquium:I got to write that down.
Zanros:But how many of these red brands?
Iquium:are there, would you say. That was my next question. Oh, just rough estimate, if nothing else, unless you have a specific number.
DM:There are. There are many of them in town. You're you're likely to run into quite a few of them.
Zanros:There's quite a few less than 10, more than 10, less than 50.
DM:They, they don't, they don't. Hang out in in big groups, usually in teams of two to three. You see them going in and out of the shops extorting us for money, but you, I know I can't tell you how many there are of them in general. I don't. I've never seen. I've never seen. I don't know where they hide out, so why?
Zanros:do? I feel like it might be at the Bumblebumble B&B.
DM:I don't know. I know where they. I know where they like to drink.
Zanros:It's not far from the Bumblebumble B&B.
Iquium:It's very conveniently located.
DM:It certainly is.
Zanros:Listen, one of the one of the charming aspects of the Bumblebumble B&B is that it's a walking distance to the entire town.
DM:Fandelen is a walkable town.
Zanros:Park your horse and walk everywhere.
Iquium:That's me scry. I'm going to look. I'm going to visit Fandelen. Let me scry walkable towns, Fandelen, oh, look at that.
DM:The ten most walkable towns on the sword goes.
Iquium:So there's no sheriff constabulary of any kind here in Fandelen, is that right, linnea?
DM:Right, linnea, there is no. You know the this? We're kind of on the frontier, here it's. We're just the town is just getting rebuilt. So there is no official government or law enforcement of any kind. We do elect a town master who kind of helps organize things. He's the president of the Chamber of Commerce.
Zanros:And he is. I'd love to meet him.
DM:His name is Harbin.
Zanros:Harbin.
DM:Harbin Wester.
Iquium:Harbin Wester, the town master of Fandelen, and he's, he's elected, you said.
DM:Yes, like I said, he's also the president of the Chamber of Commerce, but he's it's on a biannual basis. We have elections and so he's been the most recently elected town master, so he just kind of helps settle any differences between people in town. So, like I said, it's not a very established government, but it helps to keep things organized.
Zanros:It sounds like he's doing a great job. If we got red brands running all over the place, we talk about this at every Chamber of Commerce meeting.
DM:It's so difficult. We try to stand up to them, but have you thought about arranging a mob.
Iquium:There's seven coblins constituted mob, by the way.
Zanros:I mean it's a good start.
Iquium:It's certainly a good start.
Dal:There's 12 more people, so not yet 12 more people as a mob.
Iquium:Not quite. We're getting close.
Zanros:We have seven goblins and two wolves and the three of us.
Iquium:And a dire wolf.
Dal:So, I think we might have a mob.
Zanros:I think we have a mob.
DM:Kill the beast. Oh sorry, and when Ian says pitchforks, do you say Pitchforks and torches?
Zanros:Listen, we got an extra two gold after we split up that 50, so maybe we can buy some torches, pitchforks.
Dal:Oh wait, how much was it after we split?
Zanros:Signs. Should be 16 gold each, and then we do have two left.
DM:Go home, Red Brands.
Zanros:Which I think we could probably throw to the coblins to keep them happy.
Iquium:Yeah, my thought is we, yeah, just exactly that is, we use whatever leftover and turn it to silver.
Dal:That's exactly what I was thinking.
Iquium:That's good because First paycheck. By the way, we're committing a hostile takeover of where you'll be working.
Zanros:Is there a bank in town where I can open a business checking account?
DM:As a matter of fact.
Iquium:Get a free arcane toaster Every new account.
DM:Harbin. Harbin Wester actually runs the bank in town.
Zanros:Of course he does. I don't think I'm gonna like Harbin Wester.
Iquium:Hmm, he could be.
Zanros:This is an election year, so so do you have some poster board and some markers?
DM:We're more of armor and weaponry here, but Barthens, barthens might have those types of supplies.
Iquium:Fabulous Friends with them already so so can I ask you prices of things for armor and weapons? Sure.
Zanros:How much armor and weapons can you even carry?
Iquium:No, I don't. My thought is to. My thought is actually to Weaponize your staff. That's a good idea. Whatever they have, let's make it a little better.
Zanros:I mean they want to kill stuff.
Iquium:So this is an opportunity for them to kill stuff. Here we go. We have to clean up town.
Zanros:Yeah, guys, we gotta clean this town up, and once that's done, your jobs at the B&B can commence.
DM:Okay, so what are you interested in purchasing?
Iquium:Um.
Zanros:I guess we're looking for seven shields.
Iquium:Seven shields, seven. Well, here's the big question Did the goblins actually leave their weapons in the caves?
Zanros:Oh yeah, or did they take their stuff with?
Iquium:them. Well, they're gobbling and kutremont they're traveling with, just out of curiosity.
Zanros:Nothing I love more than goblin and kutremont.
Iquium:Well, they didn't. They found this in goblin and kutremont.
DM:Their weapons really weren't anything of. Anything great, anything great. It was more for looks than it was anything else because people didn't really put up much of a fight on the trail Because no one they weren't expecting to be attacked, so it was more just an intimidation factor.
Iquium:Yeah so, but do we want to arm goblins who are only recently?
Dal:I think two or three paychecks then.
Zanros:Yeah.
Dal:Okay.
Zanros:Once we've established a certain level of loyalty. Yeah, that's what you're thinking.
Iquium:Well, my thought is, yes, we can use them as allies to get rid of the red brands and help the town, and that way it's kind of a dual purpose if we, if the goblins kind of Are reformed, more or less Working for you in your B&B, but they will obviously gain some notoriety, having helped save the town that they're not working in.
Zanros:Right.
Iquium:That's just. That's me thinking out loud.
Zanros:Yeah, I mean, if they help get rid of the red brands, it will certainly help the townspeople feel more comfortable with the fact that there's a bunch of potentially Um shirtless bowtied goblins working at the B&B.
Iquium:And it'll help if we can't find the Bermuda shorts and they're going full poo bear. It's probably better than yeah.
Zanros:They have a little Chippendales goblin suit.
DM:So if you are looking for standard gear for your goblins, short swords and shields are 10 gold piece each. Wow, okay, fyi.
Dal:I feel like we need to eat on those.
Iquium:We could find, you know, like a Nicholas Cage type arms merchant to sell us stolen goods or something like that. True?
Zanros:Yeah, we could find some sticks in the woods.
Iquium:Those are free Well you know, I mean if they, if they're armed and we take out a few at a time. Well, my thought is that if we're going, if we're going through the town and if we go, we would have to pass Sleeping Giant to go to the.
Zanros:B&B.
Iquium:Yeah, yes. So I don't think that's that far of an assumption to think that that's where the red brands are hold up.
Zanros:I think that's a safe assumption. Yeah.
Iquium:And basically they have what looks to be high ground, so Like the three of us can't go in.
Zanros:Against them, no, but I feel like if just the three of us go in, we're going to get dead.
Dal:Safe assumption.
Zanros:I know James is thinking thoughts yeah.
Iquium:So they're usually seen in town, two or three at a time, and they shake down the merchants.
DM:Correct.
Iquium:Is there a specific day that I asked Linnea? Is there a specific day that they come and they take money from you?
DM:From me.
Iquium:And I explained to Linnea that the reason I'm asking is I want to get an idea of how often they come into town. Or is it that just go to another business and they rotate through all the businesses? Or do they just come on one day and go to all the businesses?
DM:They usually come in on Mondays because everybody gets paid on Friday, so there's a lot of spending that happens over the weekend. So before we can deposit our money at the bank on Mondays, they come in first thing Monday morning and shake us down for a good portion of what we've earned over the weekend.
Iquium:And then my feeling is, of course, harbin Western is getting a deposit either way. Otherwise, where are they keeping all that gold?
Zanros:Maybe it's at the B&B. That would be a really nice way to rebuild my B&B.
DM:Harbin is an honest man, he would not take money from those thugs.
Zanros:Here's my problem. If the money is at the B&B, do we actually have to return it to the townspeople rather than keep it for ourselves?
Dal:We can give them some. They're like oh, look what we found.
Zanros:Oh, yeah, look what we found but I need the rest to rebuild my B&B. Did you say you lost?
Iquium:a bag with a thousand gold in it. We found the bag. And nine gold. There was nine gold in the bag, yet I guess they spent it all. As an aside overall, outside of game, I'm always suspicious when somebody says, oh, he's a really good man or a really honest man, and I'm like I don't believe you.
DM:Roll an insight check.
Iquium:I will roll an insight check.
DM:We haven't done many rolls yet today, so 16.
Iquium:Wait, wait, wait 18.
DM:She appears to be 100% truthful. She's just conviction, she knows, harbin. I mean, he's for your edification.
Zanros:He is a pompous ass.
Iquium:Yeah.
DM:He's a dandy, he's a dandy, he's a dandy, wow, but he is. He's a real fancy pants, but he is. He's not very brave. He's again. We elected him. This is all. Lenine is telling you all this information. He's not a very brave man, so he's not. He's not one to stand up to the red brands, but he is an honest man. That much I can tell you. He's a good man.
Iquium:But if he's a fearful man, my thought is that he would bend quite easily and kind of be submissive towards the red brands, which he's technically being because you still have them in town, right.
DM:Correct, yeah, so your thoughts are correct. Okay, and they just.
Iquium:I'm just workshopping something. So I'm going to ask you this Is there workshop in hand? Hi fantasy? I just I'm asking for a friend. My thought is this Would you consider a trade, would you consider a trade of armor and weapons at some point, if I could bring you protection, and I don't mean like shaking you down protection, I mean ridding this town of the red brands.
DM:If you rid this town of the red brands, I would be willing to offer you if. Are you staying in town or you are, you just are you? Are you protecting the town or what are you? What are your thoughts? Just getting rid of the red brands? Because my fear is someone in a power vacuum, someone is just going to take their place.
Iquium:Oh, clearly, clearly, you need some sort of can I trust you. All fair questions. I mean, if you know Gundren, I think you would know the company that I keep. So you know that. That's true, that's my thought. But I've, clearly I've brought you your. You know, the three of us have brought you your supplies back unopened and I think that merits at least some trust.
DM:Fair point, are you?
Zanros:familiar with my family. I know of the.
DM:I'm originally from Neverwinter and I, I, I know the Bumblebumbles.
Zanros:So I met Iquium here not very long ago at all and I'd say he's a trustworthy man and I put my family's reputation behind that.
DM:I appreciate that. I appreciate your, your words. I will. I would be ever in debt to, to the people who removed the red brands from from this town. I would, I would be willing to offer you a 25% discount on on any purchases in my store as long as, as long as the red brands are not in this town anymore.
Iquium:Just out of curiosity, since you have armor weapons, what do? You have in the way of something that might fit say a dire wolf.
DM:I don't necessarily have anything here, but if you're familiar with the Lion Shield organization, they've they've been known to craft things on on commissions. If there's something you're looking for in particular, I'm sure we could have something brought into town for you. What did you have in mind?
Iquium:A war collar for a dire wolf.
DM:A war collar Interesting. If I could take some measurements, I'm sure we could have something constructed for you.
Iquium:I'll bring it by Wonderful, of course, outside of this, my first instinct was like whistle for the dog and then freak out. The entire town might not be the way to go.
DM:Might might not be yeah yeah, she's, she's.
Iquium:She's having quiet time, getting lots of scritches from Elmina. So, yes, oh, by the way, what was Elmina's reaction to Cali and her staff? Can we, can we do it an insight check and see? Elmina's yeah, or would it be a charisma?
DM:You want to know Elmina Barthens reaction to Cali Elmina's not.
Iquium:She's not a dog person.
DM:She's not a dog person, so she treats it like like any other, like farm animal, which is not necessarily the way you would approach a dire wolf.
Iquium:So kind of neutral maybe.
DM:But yeah, she not overly like, oh my gosh, she, she brings out some food and kind of just tosses it on the ground for for Cali, okay, okay. So do you want to make any purchases at Lion Shield Coster or are you going to? Where do you want to? What would you like to do next? So you know, you know Harbin Wester is the town master. You know that much. You know that the red brands typically hang out at the sleeping giant, or the Surly Orc, also known as the Surly Orc. Other things in town, dow.
Dal:Sister G.
DM:You're looking for Sister G so, and you know, Sildar is at the Stonehill Inn recuperating.
Zanros:I would suggest we go nowhere near Trissunder Manor until we have a little bit more in the way of force, because we're in for a fight over there.
Iquium:So, just as a reaction, as a sort of a plan of reaction, if we meet them in streets now they come around on a Monday is what we've gotten from linear, but they usually come around on Mondays before people can make bank deposits suspicious.
DM:Anyway, yes, why is this suspicious?
Iquium:Why? Because then the bandits get to make the deposit at the bank and not the merchants.
DM:But they're not depositing at the bank, so so says we mean yes, so right.
Iquium:So, says everyone, because he's just perfectly like. Really I predict that I will be beating him with that cane, but anyway you beating somebody with a cane.
Dal:What Right yeah?
Iquium:What.
DM:Good luck to you.
Iquium:You know, I looked at that. I just looked at that again on my character sheet because it said unarmed strike. And I'm like, why the hell would I do an unarmed strike?
DM:because it literally says this literally, because I want to say zero.
Iquium:It says you can punch, kick, headbutt or use similar forceful blow and deal bludgeoning damage equal to one plus strength modifier. I would be healing them for two points. That's right. Every time I hit them.
Zanros:We talked about it on the podcast last week.
DM:Yes, we did.
Zanros:Yeah, it's so funny.
DM:I just I find it so funny that it's just like, it's like the gentlest of touches. Oh, you oh you naughty red brand.
Iquium:Yeah, and then I'll be going. Eldridge blast mother.
Zanros:Equium goes in for the unarmed strike and the red brand is like they're flying.
Iquium:Exactly, just watching till I get my dissonant whispers fired up and karaoke night and it's all over.
Zanros:Oh, karaoke would be good for the B and B.
DM:Oh, karaoke night, I think. I also think you need to have like a trivia night.
Dal:Yeah, absolutely.
DM:All right.
Dal:So, where?
DM:what would you like? What would you like to do next? So you've got, you've got a lot of different options. So so discuss and figure where you'd like to go next.
Dal:Do you drop by the stone in stone in check on a silver.
Iquium:Do you want it? You were looking for somebody. Do you want to ask Linne, because she's obviously giving us some information?
Dal:so she might be good one to ask. How do you say her name correct?
DM:Lenean Lenean. Who Sister Gary L.
Dal:Can I ask her about sister G?
DM:You'd like to ask Lenean about sister Gary L. So roll, roll an insight, roll a history check.
Dal:Jesus Re-sure insight. Okay yeah, wait, history, history, I got a 10.
DM:You got a 10. Lenean knows a little, has has heard of, obviously, because she's. She's heard of sister Gary L Because it's again, it's a very small town. She doesn't know much about about her, but she knows that you passed by. You didn't know what it was but you passed by the Shrine of Luck and sister, sister Gary L, tends to the Shrine of Luck.
Dal:Okay.
DM:So if you're looking for sister Gary L she she lives right near it. So right here, right here on the town center, you'll find the shrine, so you could go over there. Roll another history check.
Dal:Two.
DM:So you all, you know that it is, it's just a stone shrine, that's all, that's all you know. You noticed it as you walked by it, as you try, as you walked by it when you're heading from Barthens provisions to Lion Shield Coster. But that's all you know, you just, you just noticed a stone, stone shrine, that was it. And when he has told you that sister Gary L is the one that that tends to, tends to the shrine, so what's up?
Iquium:I want to ask the need, if there's any, are there any other? Obviously we've just gotten through with, you know, a job for Gundren and yes are there other job boards or what have you? Is there a place where people post jobs or is it at this Don't Hill Inn, or anything that you can tell us? And do you have any juicy gossip for us? Oh, gossip, you say. Why not?
Zanros:We also might want to consider that Gundren is probably not having the best time right now, so at some point we might want to think about when we're going to try to find Gundren.
DM:Right.
Iquium:Right, but we think that he's been taken to Cragmaw Castle right.
Dal:Yeah.
DM:You've heard of Cragmaw Castle. You have no idea where Cragmaw Castle is. I know you can see it on the map, but it's you.
Iquium:Does my patron James know where it is in the real world?
DM:Unknowns to the party but knowns to you people, is the location of Cragmaw Castle. So, yes, there is a job board. It is at the town master's hall, which is kind of like the town hall. There's, okay, there's a couple, a couple of prison cells there and things like that. So that's that's kind of our main main center of operations for for Van Dahlen Great. So if you're looking for any type of jobs or anything you can, you can, you can find those there. Okay, so before the break not that any of you listening know there was a break, but before the break you were still you were still at Lion Shield, coster or, or as Equium is wanting to call it, lion Shield, costco swords and shields and weapons and bulk. So you found out a couple of things. So you know, you know there is Harbin Wester, the town master. If you're, if you're looking for for some jobs to do, there's a job board there. There's the Shrine of Luck that that Sister G is is maintaining taking care of. Sildar is at the Stonehill Inn. The red brands are hanging out at the Sleeping Giant. That's their, their watering hole there. There's other other places in town. So so what would you like to do next Thoughts?
Iquium:So do we know we? We asked where the, we asked where the board, the jobs board, was. Yes, and you said it's on the town master's hall.
DM:Yes.
Iquium:And will she give us just generalized directions to where that is, comparably to where we are now?
DM:You. You are basically right now, if you're. You are standing in between the Lion Shield Coster and the town master's hall. It is directly across the little path across. It's right on that whole town town kind of town square. It's right on the southeastern side of of that area. So it's right across, basically right across the street. If you want to call, call that from Lion Shield.
Iquium:So, since it's across the street, what I'd like to do is I'd like to take a look at the jobs board and see what is there before you know before. Obviously, we have other things to do, but I just kind of want to get an idea of what's out there for us.
Zanros:Would you?
Iquium:Yes, I would, because I'd like to know like, if we're going to be guns for hire, let's go all the way.
DM:Allow me to. What do you got? I don't even know what you got. I am really. We're going to hang on one second. I got to shuffle the deck.
Iquium:I need to know that it does not say say deck of many things.
DM:On it it does not say deck of many things. I almost, I almost said let me shuffle. I have the deck of many things, but this is not it. Before we go into this, I want to just give a shout out to Dice Dungeons and their quest decks. This is the quest deck for the crown and there are there are numerous quests available in here, so I am going to cut the deck once. Please draw three cards, Three cards.
Iquium:Okay, do I look at them or do I give them to you?
DM:You can just hand them to me.
Iquium:Okay, oh boy. So, somebody flicks you in the back of the head. You, as a spellcaster, are now dead.
DM:So there are three jobs posted Three jobs.
Iquium:Okay.
DM:Fantastic, posted on this board that you may. You may choose to choose any of these. One says manor house for sale. Highly motivated seller. Sold as is. It is not the trascender manor.
Zanros:I was going to say he's trying to sell my house.
DM:It is not the trascender manor, there's another one that says an infection seems to be spreading in the eastern portion of the town. Any help will be accepted for finding a cure. Finally, a witch that someone posted this job. A witch cursed my son when he was born, saying he would become a beast on his 18th name day. It is two weeks until the celebration and I don't know what to do.
Iquium:That's just an excuse for an ugly baby.
DM:So those are some of the jobs available, and give me a second. So if you can figure out what's going with the manor house for sale, the manor house for someone keep keep notes on this because I'm not going to remember the manor house for sale job is paying 79 gold pieces. The infection, the spreading illness, is paying 59 gold pieces and the witch, the son who was apparently cursed, is paying 96 gold pieces. If you so choose to pick any of those quests, I mean you've got a lot of things going on, but those are some of the jobs. If you're looking for things to do, that's what's available to you. Thank you, dice Dungeons, for your dice and your side quests.
Iquium:Okay.
DM:Sponsorships available, correct. So you've checked out. Now what do you want to do? So you're in between Lion Shield Caster and the Town Masters Hall it's now probably getting close to noon somewhere between 11 and noon in the morning because you've been to Barthens provisions. You've been to Lion Shield Caster dropping off all the things that you brought back from the cave. What would you like to do next?
Iquium:I think Dall wanted to meet.
Dal:Sister G.
DM:You want to meet Sister Garriel. So again, the Shrine of Luck is right on the north side of this little town square, so you're going to make your way over to the Shrine of Luck. I mean, you knew very little. You got from Elanine, you got very little information about the Shrine of Luck. So now there's the Shrine itself, and Sister Garriel's home is right next to the Shrine. Do you want? What would you like to do? What would you like to do?
Dal:You can knock on her door, I guess, see if anyone's home who?
DM:is it?
Dal:Traveler from Neverwinter.
DM:You don't sound like you're from Neverwinter.
Iquium:Walks right into that one A little bit of a little water deep tone, do you there?
DM:And the door opens a little bit and you're standing at the door because you knocked on the door. So you see this young elf there, kind of as she opens the door kind of eyes go very wide because you are quite tall, so you are very intimidating to look at and Sister Garriel is. You're assuming this is Sister Garriel because you know it's her, because Lenine at least told you this was her house. So you're under the assumption this is Sister Garriel. She is very, I don't want to say intimidated, but very leery. She's just there's a lot of bad things that have been going on in town and so she's just very cautious of and she goes who sent you?
Dal:No one sent me. I just heard she put grapevine.
DM:What have you heard?
Dal:That you might have something I'm looking for.
DM:Might I and what might this something be?
Dal:Something pertaining to the goddess Seluna.
DM:I think I know what you're looking for, but I don't have it. I tried and the door opens a little bit, a little bit further at this point, and Sister Garriel is taking it back because she sees there's more people in the party and so she kind of closes the door a little bit and it is very hesitant because, maintaining the shrine of luck, she's very concerned about the red brands and things, so she's very concerned about what's been going on in town and so she sees new people and she doesn't know what to make of you. How do I know I can trust you? I know you're talking about Seluna I mean that is who the shrine is dedicated to but again, how do I know I can trust you?
Dal:I mean, I've traveled all this way just to see if you might have something of mine that was stolen from me.
DM:What was stolen from you?
Dal:A certain artifact.
DM:There is someone I know I think I can help you. She asks you to come in, but not the other two. Rude, you will forgive me, but I need to be careful.
Zanros:Probably won't forgive you, but that's fine.
DM:It is only for my own self-preservation that I am this cautious. I'm 3.5.
Zanros:I weigh 29 pounds. How much damage could I do?
DM:And how many packs a day do you smoke?
Zanros:That's none of your business. I'm a rock gnome lady.
Iquium:I can't bench press a biscuit, so there's that.
Zanros:I have to lift his lunch for him.
DM:Fair, you don't seem like you're part of the red brands.
Zanros:My ultimate goal is to take the Ultrasender Manor, which my family owns, and turn it into the preeminent B&B of this region. So you'll be seeing a lot of me.
DM:We get a lot of pilgrims that come this way to pray at the shrine. Perhaps they might stay at your B&B once it gets built, oh.
Dal:I might be able to forgive you then, Well, why don't you all come in then?
DM:Thank you, thank you, and please close the door behind you. I'll close the door. You're now all inside Sister Garriel's home. Sister Garriel starts telling you a story. Have you ever heard of the Harpers?
Dal:Very vaguely.
DM:Very vaguely. So roll a history. Give me a history check.
Dal:Six, you know what I mean.
Zanros:Roll one because I've got a plus three on history.
DM:Why don't you all? Let's see if any of you know anything about the Harpers 17. 17. Equium, 16. 16. 17 and 16. So the two of you, because you spend more time in Neverwinter. You have heard of the Harpers, so you know. The Harpers are gatherers of information throughout Faerun to help thwart tyrants and despots. They aid the weak, the poor and the oppressed. Sister Garriel is a member of the Harper's. Recently I was asked to undertake a mission. I've been trying to persuade a dangerous banshee named Agatha. I've been trying to get information from her, but she is also a keeper of items and I believe this banshee may have what you are seeking. I underestimated Agatha's wrath. When I attempted to speak with her before I fled for my own life, I did notice that she had many, several items of value in her possession and I believe if you bring something to her, you might be able to get back what you are looking for. And Sister Garriel goes back to her, her shelves and the pole, opens a drawer and pulls out this jeweled silver comb and says try trading this for what you are looking for with the banshee. That may be helpful.
Dal:Where would we find this banshee?
DM:Agatha lives near Coneyberry. She lives on the outskirts of the Neverwinterwood and she lives in the Far East from here. And just a metagame moment if you look on the map, you'll see Agatha's lair.
Iquium:There it is.
DM:Agatha has a lair.
Iquium:Her name is Agatha. So I'm wondering, what kind of like does it have? You know like curtains and you know blue and white china and stuff like that. I'm just curious. I guess we'll find out.
DM:You will find out. So, Dal, Sister Garriel hands you this jeweled silver comb and gives you a hand-drawn map to the location of where she last encountered Agatha, so you can hopefully find her and trade. You can either try trading or somehow get back your item. It is your looking for it, If Agatha in fact even has it but this is the only lead you've gotten, so up to you how you want to explore it.
Iquium:I would think hair care for the undead is kind of a growing market maybe.
DM:Are Banshee undead.
Dal:I'm telling you it's not to be dead.
DM:I must now look this up. Yes, a Banshee is a medium, undead, chaotic evil. Also, by the way, dal, sister Garriel asks you if you happen to find there's a spellbook that I'm looking for. That is what the Harper sent me there for to find the spellbook. If you can find the spellbook, or what happened to it, please let me know. I will do that. Thank you, and with that Sister Garriel disappears. I'm just kidding. Are we still in her?
Zanros:house. I was going to say we're in her house.
Iquium:The truth is, Sister Garriel and Agatha were besties and one took the other one's comb. That's right.
DM:All right, so it's now about lunchtime. Sister Garriel, again being the polite person, offers to make you a meal. If you want to have lunch here or do you want to continue on going through town, what would you like to do?
Iquium:Well, my suggestion would be to check on Sildar.
Zanros:That's what I was thinking. I think we'll go across.
Iquium:My thought is to go across the street and to the Stone Hill.
DM:And right, yeah, check it out in the center of town, opposite the town green, stands a large newly built roadhouse of fieldstone and rough hewn timbers.
Iquium:Quick question yes, with or without Sam Elliott.
DM:I don't know what was Sam Elliott in Roadhouse? Yeah, I was gonna say it because I don't remember Sam Elliott being Patrick Swayze.
Iquium:Sam Elliott was the older guy.
DM:Oh, got it. I love Sam Elliott.
Iquium:Love Sam Elliott.
DM:Yes, Big Lebowski is like.
Iquium:Absolutely. I go to the Stone Hill Inn and I order a carcassian. Thank you.
DM:You got a cuss so much.
Iquium:I'm really tempted now to walk into the Stone Hill and go. The carpet really pulls everything together.
DM:There's one of the red brands named Lou and he's going to come in and pee on the carpet, sorry, so you're gonna. You're gonna go into the Stone Hill Inn.
Iquium:Look at her guy named Jesus.
Zanros:I was just gonna say his. Anyone named the Jesus here, the Jesus, the Jesus.
Iquium:Jesus.
DM:Jesus, you don't fuck with the Jesus. Yes, and I'm going to grab that gun, show it up your ass and pull the trigger until the gun goes click.
Zanros:Or fable.
DM:Big Lebowski. Big Lebowski references Sorry.
Zanros:That's another one we need to add to the list of movies we need to show fable.
DM:Oh, oh God.
Zanros:I'm not Lebowski, you are Lebowski, I'm the dude.
DM:Is that what you wear on a weekday? Wait, is this? Oh my God. Anyway, as you enter the Stone Hill Inn, you come into the common room. It is filled with locals nursing mugs of ale and cider. The room grows quiet and all eyes are now on you three. As you stand there, a young human walks up to you. He says greetings, hello, hello, hello.
Iquium:Hello there.
DM:I am Toblin. This is my establishment.
Iquium:Pleased to meet you, Toblin.
DM:Cause no trouble and you are welcome to drink and eat. Please feel free to find yourselves a table or sit at the bar, whatever you choose.
Zanros:I'm going to find a table.
Iquium:It's fine.
Zanros:I feel like bellying up to the bar, I'm going to have to, have doubt, lift me onto a bar stool.
Iquium:We'd like to repeat episode one, the bar, episode one of this campaign, not as a thing.
DM:So you're going to sit by yourselves.
Zanros:I feel like we'd sit by ourselves near some other people. Yeah, okay, strategically listen to see what's going on around us and if we need to stir shit up Danros is good at that Just start handing out business cards.
DM:All right, so you got yourself a table.
Iquium:One for you, and one for you, and one for you Come to the B and B.
Zanros:Come to the B and B.
Iquium:So, just that's the way we get another Intel's handing out business cards. It's like I thought that place was haunted, I thought that place was filled with bandits, I thought that place was filled with monsters like whatever, and then we'll get all the.
Zanros:That's the way we get all the clues and what's there, you don't say Our intelligence gathered mechanisms like new.
DM:As you are. You're so. You guys are so funny. You cracked me up as you're sitting at the table. A dwarf comes up to the table.
Iquium:I greet him in Dwarves.
DM:She.
Iquium:She.
DM:Yes.
Iquium:Fantastic.
DM:She says I know what you're saying, but I can't quite pick up the accent. Where are you?
Zanros:Where are?
Dal:you from oh.
Iquium:Well, never winter.
DM:Oh, my sister, my sister attend school. Don't she Up in never winter.
Zanros:Fantastic.
DM:She is, she is the, she is the bright star of the family. Me, I'm just the, I'm just the bartender here, but she, she's the brilliant one, she is, she is going places. But yes, gwen, gwen, my sister is, is up in never winter.
Iquium:So can I ask what your sister does to? She served drinks, because if she doesn't serve drinks, then you're the bright star in my day today.
DM:Oh, you, you are, you're, you're something. You don't, you don't you don't look like much, but you there's anything I can lift at Z Not me it's a flag and a veil.
Dal:No, no, no, no, no, no, no much else.
Iquium:I'm, I'm good, I'll be not arm wrestling over here.
DM:So nail for you. Hey, what? What about the? Oh, my oh, you're like three of me. What will you be having? Oh, my goodness, I have never seen someone quite like you around here. What is your name? I'm sorry, I'm Dal. Hello, dal Hello, what Pardon the bluntness, but what are you?
Dal:A tiefling.
DM:Oh really, we don't get many tieflings at all around here. I get that a lot, and none quite as tall as you. What can I get for you?
Dal:Do you have shepherd's pie?
DM:We do have shepherd's pie. Would you like something to drink with that?
Dal:I'm good.
DM:You sure Staying hydrated is very important. I'm fine, okay, and you, my fellow short friend.
Zanros:Hello, hello, I'm Zan Rose, bumblebumble.
DM:I know that name.
Zanros:Well, yes, if your sister attends school in never winter, you'd probably be familiar with the Bumblebumbles. That is my family. I'm moving here to take over the Trissender Manor for my family and open a B&B. Why does everybody have this reaction guys.
DM:I mean you're going to need quite a lot of work on that place.
Zanros:That's all right. I have a small army of goblins that are willing to help.
DM:You have goblins, how will you?
Zanros:Yes.
DM:Goblins are pretty nasty creatures.
Zanros:All they want is to be understood and to be able to sow and perform.
Dal:It's true, they really want to make their own uniforms. Yeah.
Zanros:Interesting and hopefully we've got some decent chefs in the group because we have a very robust menu for the B&B.
DM:Interesting. I can't wait Welcome. Welcome to town, thank you.
Zanros:Can I have a cider please?
DM:A cider. You, I'm most certainly Thank you. So one cider, one ale and a shepherd's pie for the horny one. She's a tea fling.
Zanros:Tea fling. She's very nice. She does not discriminate based on height.
DM:Well, that's good to know. We should be short ones, have to stick together, all right. So Elsa. Elsa runs off and see her pouring, pouring she. She places the ordering with the kitchen, comes back she's, she's pouring drinks at the bar.
Iquium:Is it wrong? I ask her if she wants to build a snowman.
Zanros:Why isn't her sister named Anna? Does she have another?
Dal:sister.
DM:There is not another sister.
Zanros:Dang it.
DM:I would like you all so. Are you just sitting there talking amongst yourselves? What is what's tell me? Tell me what's going on here in in Stone, at the Stone Hill Inn?
Iquium:I am definitely people watching.
DM:Okay.
Dal:Same.
DM:Same and.
Zanros:I'm listening.
DM:Okay, so, if you're listening, give me a perception check. Actually, all of you give me a perception check, since you're all kind of just taking, taking in everything that's going on.
Dal:A four 24.
DM:24. 20. 20. Three.
Dal:Perception is plus five.
Zanros:Mine's plus one, but I rolled a three.
DM:Got it.
Dal:My history is plus one, so I rolled a one last time.
DM:All right, let's see. Let me think, equium, yeah, you over here someone at a table nearby saying more something about marauders have been attacking trade caravans on the east end of the tribe or trail. Harbin's been looking for someone to run them off. I think the goblins are working with the marauders too. That's what you hear.
Iquium:Okay, the east end of the tribe or trail the east end of the tribe or trail.
DM:So now you over here, tablin the inn, the innkeeper, talking, talking about someone in town named fell den drawer, who's a local woodcarver. Something about him standing up to the red brands A 10 day ago when they came by his shop and was and was bullying his wife. So the red brands were bullying fell den drawer's wife. The red brands provoked fight and murdered fell. The red brands grabbed his body and now the wife, daughter and son have gone missing. That is what you hear.
Zanros:I'm dead drunk and hear nothing.
DM:You, Zanrose, are doing something what I like to call thinking thoughts. You are thinking thoughts.
Iquium:Is there any thinking thoughts? Music Just curious.
DM:Little thought thinking.
Zanros:What color should I make?
DM:the livens. So Zanrose is often her own little world thinking about the Bumblebumble B&B. Such a pain to waltz and here's nothing. Elsa comes back with your ale equium Zanrose, your cider and some shepherd's pie for the tall purple Still a tiefling, tiefling. Thank you, I'm just, I don't know, I'm just, it's just, it's a sight to behold. So Elsa drops off your food and your drinks. You're going to. What would you like to? You want to continue? Just obviously going to have your drinks. What type of conversation is going on at the table?
Zanros:Guys, where should we go next? We've got like a million things we need to accomplish. We probably, at some point, should go back and check on the goblins. We probably have to find Gundren at some point. Honestly, I think you'd be a little more concerned about that as your friend, yeah.
Iquium:Well, I am very concerned for Gundren and this is why I haven't said a lot about it, because I don't know who's on whose side here. So it's just me trying to determine if anybody else had it out for Gundren in this town more than anything. So I want to do two things.
DM:Yes.
Iquium:One is I want to wait for a specific moment in order to use a bit of distraction and or sleight of hand and take Dell's shepherd pie. But the other thing is man just get your own.
DM:Okay, so you know. You know what that entails. Yeah, Slight of hand check.
Iquium:Yeah, 13. Down.
DM:Roll a perception check 17. So Iquium is kind of the conversation is going on at the table and to Zen and see it. Roll a perception. Check, Zanros, to see if you notice what's going on 18. So Iquium kind of throws the old yawn, reaches his hands out and grabs just the corner of the plate of the shepherd's pie and starts to slowly slide it his way, as kind of as as, as Dell is listening to what's going on, zanros is thinking thoughts. He's slowly sliding this, this plate away, and then it kind of hits a bump in the table, goes boom, and then all of a sudden all eyes are on Iquium.
Iquium:I stand up quickly and go. Did you feel that?
Zanros:Do not slick Dude we've all got the same amount of money.
Iquium:I was just kidding, because I know that I owe Dell a shepherd's pie, and certainly willing to buy you your shepherd's pie this evening, because I don't think that I was able to give you one that I had given to Cali previously. So I was just kidding around, sure.
Zanros:Keep in mind, I'm going around telling people how trustworthy you are and you're stealing If I'm having a little fun with you.
Iquium:Do we believe that?
Zanros:Well, do you think he was just having fun, or do you think he's hungry and sorry he didn't order one for himself?
Dal:He's feeling a little sorry for himself.
Zanros:Going to eat his feelings.
Iquium:I think I should roll a persuasion check.
DM:Persuasion or deception.
Iquium:Exactly.
DM:Are you being honest with them? Are you being honest with them or?
Iquium:I'll tell you.
DM:I'll text you.
Iquium:We'll let them wonder and I'll text you.
DM:And what was your role?
Iquium:I said it to you.
DM:Oh, you sent me the role too. Yeah, so, dell, you realize that that Iquium is just being friendly and joking and meant no harm whatsoever. He was just trying to be funny in his own way and was not trying to truly steal your shepherd's pie or anything. He's just trying to make friends in the way he knows how.
Dal:Okay, as long as you don't do it again and you pay for my food. All this way Sounds like a thread.
Iquium:I'm really just getting around. I'm not threatening you. What is that accent I?
Dal:don't even know oh okay, I'm just checking.
Iquium:You realize that, as much as he's trying to pass it off as being slick, it's just that he knows that he is weak and awkward, so he might have other things going for him, but strength and deception are really not in his wheelhouse.
DM:No.
Iquium:So you know, he might be.
DM:He's not a good liar.
Iquium:He's not a good liar at all and it's and it's. He's passing it off under the guys of like look, it's absurd that I'm even trying this, because I know I'm no good at it. So his hope is that you just accept it as the joke that it was meant to be like. Hey, remember last time we met and I took your shepherd's pie. That's always true, yeah.
DM:Got it All right, so you're continuing. You, you've finished your first round of drinks and your food. What would you, are you going to still? Are you going to stay here? You can have another round. You know Elsa. Elsa comes by and says hey, you know, hate to see anyone's empty flag in there. Can I, can I fill this up for you?
Iquium:Absolutely. Is Sildar here or is he resting?
DM:In Astablan.
Iquium:And would we have helped him in considering his condition? Would we have helped him to his room?
DM:Yes, you would have.
Iquium:Okay. So if I don't see him here, I just kindly asked Tablan. Like Tablan, I don't think you were here last night, but I brought my friend Sildar here and I just want to check on him, If that's okay.
DM:Last last I saw there was a do not disturb, sign on on his door. But you're, you're, you're welcome to head upstairs and and check on him, if you, if you'd, if you'd like I do. Okay, are the two of?
Zanros:you going to stay at the table for now, I think that makes sense. Okay, so it's not too overwhelmed.
DM:So Sildar All right, so, iquim, you're going to go upstairs, all right, so you knock, you knock on the door.
Dal:I was keeping you.
DM:You hear a little bit of noise but no one comes immediately to the door. You're going to wait a little longer. Do you want to knock again? Or Okay, all right, you knock again. Eventually hear some mumbling and some shuffling of feet and the steps get closer to the door. You hear the door finally unlock and and the door opens. And Sildar is still very, very weak but but at least he can stand on his own two feet and and he's doing somewhat better. So he kind of, he kind of nods to you and he walks back to the bed and kind of collapses back down on the bed and lets you walk, walk into the room.
Iquium:Obviously I ask him how he's doing first, and then I'll ask him if he remembers anything about Gundring before Gundry got taken off.
DM:He's thinking he's just everything takes a lot of effort right now for Sildar and he goes. Gundring was talking about a map he claims he'd found the secret entrance to, to the Wave Echo Cave, but the goblins had taken it from him when they, when they captured him. I vaguely remember over over hearing Clark, he, he, he sent on the map with and and and Gundring to the, to the leader of the, the goblins, somewhere called Cragmaw Castle. I remember hearing Cragmaw Castle. I have no idea where it is, but that's. They kept talking about taking the map to Cragmaw Castle. I would. I would assume it's got to be near Fandailin's. So someone, maybe someone here in town knows, knows where it is, but I don't, I have no idea. There was one weird, weird ass goblin with the rest of them. He had a. He had a weirdly shaped head, I don't know. He gave me, he just gave me the. He gave me a weird vibe man and he said something to me. He said you're not what Ruxthid wants. I don't know what that means and I'm pretty sure, I'm pretty sure, at this Cragmaw Castle, this is where this is where they keep calling someone the spider. I don't know if it's an actual spider or if it's somebody called the spider or what. But there there's something about about the spider. There seems to be in charge, that's, and with that he kind of lays his head back down on the pillow.
Iquium:It's not Boris the spider, is it putting it here? No, okay, just checking.
DM:Ask him for a friend, ask him for a friend. No, so that's he goes. Forgive me, I guess I'm just, I'm still still, still, really just.
Iquium:Oh, rest, rest, my friend, I want you to. I want you to get, I want you to get better, I want you to rest and get back to full health, and and then then I think we should talk about you running for sheriff. But that's another story for when you're better.
DM:I thank you. I owe you. I owe you my life. I will. I owe you a debt. I will gladly give you some gold for for bringing me here and getting me set up and and helping me to recover as soon as, as soon as I can get up and out. I will, I will get you them, that gold. But just just be patient. But you are in my debt, so that's so, that's your at this point.
Iquium:He's he's just he's. He's still out of it.
DM:He's exhausted. Yeah, yeah.
Iquium:Yeah, Do we. Does he know how long he was prisoner? I'll ask him if he knows how long he was prisoner.
DM:They were. They were only a couple of days ahead of you.
Iquium:Okay, they really beat the hell out of them.
DM:Yeah, okay, yeah, they were, they were. They were basically torturing him for for information. Okay, because Gundren, gundren wouldn't, wouldn't talk, so they took it out on Sildar.
Iquium:Okay, gotcha, that was rude yeah.
DM:Well, that's why save too soon, that's why they took Gundren to Cragmaw Castle for further encouragement.
Iquium:Okay, so out of that we know that the goblins at one point, or Gundren, had access to a map that showed the location of the Wave Echo Cave.
DM:Correct.
Iquium:So, as a last thing, I asked him if he wants anything to eat. Or do you want me to send something up to you, or you know what? Have you like that's? Do you need food? Are you okay for now?
DM:I haven't eaten in days. I would. I would love some food when I have the energy to to eat.
Iquium:So do you have energy now to eat? I'm just no, no.
DM:But if you, if you bring, if you, if you send food up, when I, when I, when I have the energy, I will, I will eat.
Iquium:Okay, I, I closed the door, I let him rest, I, I wish him well and I go downstairs, and so I.
DM:Yes.
Iquium:I'm going to text you what I'm going to.
DM:Okay, while while you were, while you were upstairs, I need Zanros and Dal to roll me perception checks 11.
Zanros:11.
Dal:Whoa.
Zanros:Synchronicity.
DM:I'm just waiting to hear back from Iquium. He was communicating with me telepathically. Yes, so at what? At what point does that? After you come back down? Okay, I, I'm just trying.
Iquium:Like I go to him before I go back to the table.
DM:Got it, got it Got it.
Iquium:Range for Sildar is me yelling.
DM:Got it Understood, okay, so you both rolled 11s.
Zanros:Yes, yeah.
DM:Cool. So, zanros, you over here. This is what. This is what Iquium is still upstairs, so you over here. While while you and Dal are hanging out talking you over here from a woman saying something about, the red brands are hassling every business in town except for the Fandelen miners exchange. They don't want trouble with Halleya Thornton who runs it. Do you want to hear that again?
Zanros:The Fandelen miners exchange with Halleya Thornton.
DM:Halleya Thornton. They don't want trouble with her. Sounds like my kind of gal and Dal you over here from a from a young kid, young kid talking to talking to Toblin and he says Carp said he found a secret tunnel in the woods, but the red brands almost caught him. He also saw some weird goblins hanging around. So that's what you hear. So Iquium makes his way back to back to the table. Shortly after Iquium returns, elsa comes back again and places Shepard's pies in front of Dal and Iquium. Thank you, Shepard's pie everywhere.
Dal:I'm going to go back to the table. I'm going to go back to the table.
Iquium:I'm going to go back to the table. I'm going to go back to the table.
DM:I don't know where they came from Enjoy and Elsa walks away, all right. So now, now you've got all sorts of pieces of information that you, that you've overheard in the Stonehill Inn, what would you, what would you like to do now? It's you've been here for a little while, so it's now probably early afternoon. The crowd is starting to thin out a little bit. The lunch crowd is starting to thin out and it's kind of quieted down, and you're one of the the last remaining tables of people here. It's about one or two in the afternoon. What would you like to do? You want to discuss the pieces of information you've learned, Because, again, some of you have heard things that others haven't. So you want to discuss all the all the stuff you guys have overheard in the Stonehill Inn, or do you want to? What would you like to do? What's up, I learned something.
Iquium:I learned a couple of things from Sodar. He's still recovering. I arranged to have a meal sent to him.
Dal:It's good.
Iquium:And on top of that, he said that the goblins at one point had access to a map. And I will use a very hushed tone, as we are in a public place. What language do you speak?
Zanros:Elvish raman and nomish.
Dal:Elvish raman and infernal.
Iquium:Okay, I think that Gundar is in Krikma Castle. Yeah, gundar the Barbarian, I don't know. Gundrin Rockseeker and I immediately went to Thundar the Barbarian. By the way, awesome you, you probably pick that up, maybe I don't know, cause that all happened in my area. That's why you didn't pick it because it happened in my area Got it. Who knows what else goes on there, Right yeah tell me about it.
DM:All right, so what do you want you got? You got a lot to discuss. You're going to share what, what Sildar told you?
Iquium:Yes, yeah, because the weird goblin took the map the wave echo cave. Those are the things we want to listen for, because that's what Sildar mentioned and the map with Gundrin is probably in Krikma Castle, wherever that is. That's what I got.
Zanros:So I overheard that apparently the only people, the only person that the red brands are afraid of is somebody called Halea Thornton at the Fandelen Miners Exchange. So I'd like to talk to her and find out why exactly they don't hassle her or the Huff.
Iquium:Let's go be her friend.
Zanros:Yes.
Dal:I overheard this young kid talking to Toplin.
Zanros:Who really should?
Dal:be a goblin.
Zanros:Toplin.
Dal:Yeah, that's the same thing when I heard it. Yeah.
DM:Missed opportunity. Yeah.
Iquium:He could. Hey, maybe when he gets gets started, just just as a you know, maybe a partnership with the Stonehill is is have him made an honorary goblin.
Dal:I was going to say honorary.
Iquium:Mm-hmm.
Dal:Said, his friend Karp saw a secret tunnel in the woods and the red bands almost caught him, and he also saw some weird goblins.
Zanros:Which might be our goblins, which might be our goblins. So what do you think, guys?
Iquium:Well, I think, I think we go with yours and and find this person that the red band, the red brands don't like.
Zanros:Yeah, yeah.
Iquium:But I would also say, time Not on Gundrand's side.
Zanros:Yeah, not on Gundrand's side. We also don't know where Cragmaw Castle is yet, no, so maybe we go chat with Halia and also see if she happens to know where Cragmaw Castle is.
Iquium:Yeah, how we get there, you haven't heard anything that suggests that the red brands are in Cragmaw Castle right.
Zanros:Not that I know Just that way or a spider is associated with Cragmaw Castle.
DM:Correct. So there's from your, from your understanding. There were the Cragmaw goblins who were, who were thieving and robbing on the trail, on the Tribor Trail.
Dal:Okay.
DM:And that their leader is at Cragmaw Castle the spider, the spider, and there's also the red brands.
Dal:Okay.
DM:Who are not at their. They're in Fandelen. The Cragmaw Goblins, spider Clark Contingent is outside of Fand Fandelen.
Iquium:Okay, do we go see yours first, halia.
Zanros:Yeah, I mean, if they're afraid of her, she might have some knowledge in terms of where things are. She seems like she'd be fairly powerful and she's right in town.
Iquium:Maybe she can confirm whether they're in, whether it's squatting and oh yeah, yeah, just in her manner, yeah.
Zanros:And if not her, then this fancy boy over here, who's name I don't remember.
DM:Harbin. Harbin Wester. Harbin Wester.
Zanros:Oh, I did write him down. Harbin Wester, the town master.
DM:All right, we're back from our short break and we just had the what is it called the Heartlands, heartlands, apple, rose, apple, oh, rose Apple.
Zanros:Heartlands Rose, Apple and Blackberry Pie. I'm just going to call it delicious.
DM:From the Heroes Feast D&D Cookbook. The party can confirm that it is delicious. Yes, 100% yes.
Zanros:Now we used Honeycrisp Apples.
DM:Yes, and the recipe calls for three and a half pounds and we just had the.
Zanros:The recipe calls for three and a half pounds, but we used three and I'd say that was plenty.
Dal:It was like about to overflow if we added any more.
Zanros:Another half pound would have been way too much.
Dal:Another Apple would have sent it. Yeah, it was not.
Zanros:Yeah.
DM:I would definitely go with their recommendations on Apples. I would not use we're talking about this I would not use a Granny Smith because it's tartness versus those Blackberries. I think it wouldn't be a great combination. I think these were sweet enough Apples to really go nicely with the Blackberries in this pie.
Iquium:That's exactly why I asked, because like where. I'm going to make the Apple pie. There would always be Granny Smith Apples, but they were nice and sweet and they blended with the Blackberries really beautifully.
DM:Yeah, it was a nice combo.
Zanros:So the suggestions from the Cookbook were Golden, delicious, ginger Gold, jonathan, johnna Gold, honey Crisp, cortland or Empire, and the supermarket had Honey Crisp, so that's what we did.
DM:Perfect, excellent. So we all enjoyed some delicious, delicious pie Again, another great recipe from the Heroes' Feast Cookbook.
Zanros:Highly recommend this one.
DM:And you said this wasn't a very complicated, because one of the nice things was it used pre-made crust. Yeah, so you didn't have to. I mean you can, if you want, make your own crust I mean that's not stopping anybody from doing that but the recipe calls for a pre-made crust and it was delicious.
Zanros:Yeah, and that's what we did. The what was it, pillsbury, that they had in the refrigerated section over by like the break and bake cookies.
Iquium:Yeah, does it suggest that or does it?
Zanros:It just says it says Pastry for two double-crust pies, thawed if frozen and rested at room temperature until pliable without cracking. We got the one from the refrigerated section so we didn't have to thaw anything and it worked out perfectly. They tell you to roll them out until like 12 inches and I really just had to like push it out a little bit to get it long enough to have the overhang that we needed on the pie plate.
DM:Well, excellent job, katherine, katherine and Vable, on putting together that delicious pie for us today. Thank you, thank you so much for baking.
Zanros:Yeah, we enjoyed it, thanks for the help Vable. It was fun. We had a good time.
DM:When last we met you were in the Stonehill Inn. You had spoken.
Iquium:Iqwiyah met Sildar or Gundar or Sildren, I keep wanting to say Gundren, and I keep mixing Gundren and Sildar, that's right.
Zanros:They are one person, sildar, and Gundar.
DM:You have shipped Sildar and Gundar yeah. It's their love child the.
Zanros:Sildar and Gundren show.
DM:That's right. So you spoke with Sildar, got some more information from him about what his experience was in the cave and where Gundren might be, where the map might be, et cetera, who might have them where they might be. So you got all that. You also overheard multiple conversations, vable. What was the one that you overheard and forgot to mention?
Dal:Yes, Okay, I overheard the Innkeeper talking about a woodcarver. A woodcarver that stood up to the bandits because they bullied his wife and they provoked him into a fight and murdered him and then took his wife and his two kids, a son and a daughter. They've gone missing.
DM:Yes, so people have gone missing from Fandelen as well, but you have all decided to go to the Fandelen Miners Exchange, yeah, okay. So do someone, or all give me a history check? I got a one, I got a one 16., 16. 12. And a 12. Okay, so Dall has been able to gather some information when you were in the Stonehill Inn about the Fandelen Miners Exchange. So the Miners Exchange is a trading post where local miners have their valuable finds weighed, measured and paid out In the absence of any local authority. The exchange also serves as an unofficial records office registering claims to various streams and excavations around the area. The exchange is a great place to meet people who spend a lot of time in the countryside around Fandelen. There isn't any real gold rush in Fandelen, but enough wealth is hidden in the nearby streams and valleys to support a good number of independent prospectors. And the Guild Master is a quick-witted and ruthless human woman named Halea Thornton. In her attempts to establish the Miners Exchange as the closest thing to the town has as a governing authority, she acts as more than just a simple merchant. She is the agent of the Zhentarim, a powerful organization that seeks to exert secret control over the North through wealth and influence. So that's where you're headed, correct, mm-hmm? All right. So you head to the Miners Exchange, which is kind of southwest from the Stonehill Inn. So it's past the Town Masters Hall, past the Lion Shield Coster, past the Woodworker who was murdered. You pass the Murder House.
Iquium:Murder House.
DM:Yes, the Murder House. There's always a Murder House in town, these dead.
Iquium:They're missing is what you said, right.
DM:Mm-hmm. Yes, and you end up at the Miners Exchange. So what do you do when you get here, dow, since you have all the information on the Miners Exchange, what would you like to do?
Dal:I'd just like to look around a little bit first to see what's up.
DM:Okay, so you see there's some activity. It's not a huge again, it's not a huge settlement, but there is some activity. You do see some miners hanging around, sort of some horses and things. Some people are bringing some stuff in to have it weighed and measured and everything and get paid for their fines. So you can talk to them, or you can talk to Hala. Was it Halea? Halea, you can talk to Halea, or what would you like to?
Zanros:do you can Hala at Halea. I think I'd like to do that.
DM:Okay, so you're going to go inside. Yeah, okay, so.
Zanros:I'm going with Dow, because I overheard the thing about the Red Brands leaving Halea alone and I want to find out why they're afraid of her. So I can do that. So they get the heck away from me and Bay.
DM:Yeah, it's very surprising to you that the Red Brands would stay away from this place because, again, all the gold and jewels and whatever people are finding in these mountains is coming here and getting paid out. So this is a big financial kind of exchange happening here and this would be an ideal place. If people were looking to extort money from someone, this would be the ideal place to do it.
Zanros:So she's got to be super tough, and that's why I want to meet her.
Iquium:Okay, I want to go in because my purpose is to find out if Gundren has a claim listed in their records where that is, if that's possible.
DM:What do you want? You got a claim when you got it. You have anything to bring me.
Zanros:Hello, I'm down here. Oh, oh hello. Hi, I'm Sam Rose Bumble Bumble. My family owns the old Tresender Manor out on the edge of town.
DM:You, you, you own it.
Zanros:Yes, my family and I'm going to turn it into a bed and breakfast, so that's why I'm here, I'm relocating to town, but all I hear from everybody in town is about these Red Brands and how much trouble they're causing. I suspect they're living at my future B&B and what I did hear is that the Red Brands don't mess with you. Now, as a strong but small woman, I appreciate other strong women and that's why I had to come and meet you and see what your thoughts were.
DM:Well, first of all, clearly, your family has not been in this area for some time because the Red Brands are using your property as their home base. And I suspect it is much I mean they love to go drinking at the sleeping giant with the Surly Ork. But I just like saying Surly Ork, sorry everybody.
Zanros:Yeah, that's great.
DM:I just I can't, like I want to call it the Surly Ork, like that's really what it should be named.
Zanros:Under new management. Under new management is the Surly Ork.
DM:But that's that's where they, that's where they drink. But, yeah, they've made their home base out of out of Dresden or Manor. It's a. It is a place that I would not recommend going to if you, if you, value your lives.
Zanros:If I had a small mob, would that be enough? Because I have a number of employees for the B&B who would probably relish in the opportunity to shed some blood. Then they're going to make uniforms and cook and yeah, and create an evening show for the guests.
DM:So you want to, you want to clear out the red brands 100%, so I wanted to know why they're afraid of you. They have every right to be afraid of me.
Zanros:I'm sure they do. You seem scary.
DM:I accept none of that nonsense around here. And you notice she there, there's a large curtain behind behind Hulia, and she just kind of moves it gently to the side.
Zanros:Is there a surly orc behind it?
DM:There is not, but there is a cache of weapons. And she just kind of gives you a nod that lets you know that she is not. She is someone that that not only knows how to use these weapons but has used these weapons. And she says, she says to you you look like you're, you're, you're not going to listen to the advice that I give about the red brands.
Zanros:I am here to take over my family's property to make a name for myself and to be the preeminent name in hospitality in the Fandelen region. So no, I'm not going to stay away from them.
DM:I have a proposal for you You're, you're, you're going to need a lot of help.
Zanros:Certainly sounds that way.
DM:Build, a rebuilding that manner.
Zanros:Yes, since everyone says that it's a dilapidated old ruin.
DM:How would you feel? The leader of the red brands is someone they call glass staff.
Zanros:Cool name. What's his story?
DM:No, mine Don't, don't. Don't worry about that, but if you would, in your own way, happen to to get glass staff out of the picture, it would be worth a hundred gold pieces to me.
Zanros:So just glass staff, feeling like it's probably going to be hard to get to him. If you're this invested, do you know where he stays?
DM:Well, you could. You could probably find him up at the manor. Damn it.
Zanros:That's going to be hard. Do you have any men you could send with us or any weapons that we could borrow?
DM:I can. I can only offer you I. I. I don't want anyone knowing that I'm involved in this, so I cannot give you any other help other than the promise of payment. I would like you to roll an insight check Just you, Because you're the one talking to, You're not the one talking to. I'm not going to tell you You're unsure.
Zanros:About how they.
DM:That's wise. You, you distinct, you can. You can certainly tell, but you don't have to worry about it. I'm here for your motives. What those are, you can't say, but you're just picking up a vibe that, based on everything you know about her and just her overall demeanor and what she has said, there's more to it than what she is letting on. So that is the information that she will give you.
Zanros:Okay, is that the information she will specifically give me, should my compatriots ask some questions?
Iquium:I mean, I do have a question for her, but it's not necessarily. It's all right. Hello, halea, I'm Iquium of Arius, a friend of Gundren Roxygerd, and I was wondering if it is possible, given the records you must keep, if Gundren had any claims nearby, as I'm just looking for him and where he might be.
DM:I'm sorry, what was that name again?
Iquium:My name or his name?
DM:His name.
Iquium:Gundren Roxygerd.
DM:Doesn't ring a bell.
Iquium:Inside you, natural 20. She is 22 actually, but natural 20.
DM:She is definitely not telling you the truth. Okay, but I suspect it so. But again, she is a woman who can keep a secret. So you know, you know, she knows, you can, you know it's she's clearly keeping a secret, but she's not keeping it secret enough that she kind of has a tell that you can, you know she is, she knows, like her, like her. Her reaction when you said the name Like there were, there was just a hint of a reaction. Yeah.
Iquium:Kind of like a poker tell yes, exactly.
DM:She's got a poker tell but but she won't reveal it. She won't, she won't outright say anything, but you know for sure she knows something about, not necessarily where he is, but she's heard of the name in her in her business dealings. Let's say, okay, yeah, I'm afraid I, I'm afraid I cannot, cannot help you, canter won't. Same. Thing.
Zanros:No, it isn't.
DM:It's not to saying she can't be bribed.
Zanros:So, she does like her money.
Iquium:Holly, do you know what my two favorite words are? No plausible deniability and I think you could use a lot of that, Even the fact that a group of bandits doesn't like you. He's afraid of you, and obviously you have weaponry and everything to back yourself up. But I think maybe, in order to keep your standing, you need to have a certain amount of my favorite words. It's a little plausible deniability. So I need things, you need things. How can we help each other?
DM:What types of things are you looking for?
Iquium:I'm looking really to understand if he has a claim. I'm not looking for his claim. I'll show you the letter he sent me if you like to show you my intentions. Yeah, you may be looking for his claim as well. I don't know, but I'm willing to take the chance that you actually do know of Gundren. Everybody else seems to know Gundren around here. You're the only person who doesn't. It doesn't sit right with me, but I understand that you could probably use plausible deniability. Maybe you want to protect your interests and you know. Maybe you have a shared claim with Gundren. I don't know. I'm less concerned with that and more concerned with where my friend is.
DM:I have not seen your friend in some time. I will tell you Roll persuasion. Are you trying to persuade or intimidate?
Iquium:I am not intimidating, I don't.
DM:You tell me.
Iquium:I'll say it's the same either way. So it's, it's. It's plus two either way. So I'm going to intimidate him. I'm going to intimidate him 16. Okay, oh, plus 18.
DM:Gundren. I will tell you this much about Gundren. He has been through here many times recently, but but never, never to bring anything of value. He keeps, he keeps looking but has never brought anything of value to me.
Iquium:Okay, or is that really necessary? I mean, she's go ahead.
DM:I mean, it's you can. You can shake it. You got to persuade her to lie to you.
Iquium:True, I wouldn't know. Either way, I have both of two Yep.
DM:You have no idea. A four I have no idea if she's telling you the truth or not, but but she she seemed moved by what you said earlier and you don't. You don't have any reason to believe she's lying about that. It wasn't like. It wasn't like some like fantastical story that she made up. So it was. It's believable.
Iquium:Okay.
Zanros:I have one more question for you. Yes, do you know where Craig Mach Castle is?
DM:Very long pause. Yeah, that's a very valuable piece of information, perhaps, perhaps when you've taken care of Glass Staff.
Zanros:You know I'm glad you have a big opening party when the B&B opens up and I'm going to invite all the local merchants, but not you.
DM:Roll an intimidation. Okay, oh shit.
Zanros:I have a minus one for intimidation. Seven.
DM:You are not very intimidating.
Zanros:No, I'm not. To to Hulia. That's fine. She's still not invited.
Iquium:I arm wrestle.
Zanros:No, no, I'm kidding, I arm wrestle.
DM:Consider again my my monetary offer for taking care of Glass Staff Understood. Hopefully an invitation is included in that. Maybe we shall see.
Zanros:Thanks for your help.
DM:Good luck.
Zanros:You don't need it.
DM:Nah.
Zanros:I'm just kidding, you don't need it.
Dal:You don't need it and you're off the list.
Zanros:Don't meet your heroes.
Iquium:Was there anything you?
Zanros:wanted to ask this one.
DM:You've. You've killed Iqli, that was it. You know he doesn't have much strength. Have you had all of your dealings with this woman? Are you satisfied with the information you've gotten?
Iquium:What's? I'll ask her one more question. So are the red brands content in leaving you alone or do they come back to visit? If they do, when is that? And please understand, I'm just trying to understand their frequency in town and how often try to shape down other merchants, that's all.
Zanros:I'd love to know when they're not at the manor, so there's this few of them there as possible when we go to kick ass.
DM:I've seen them make their way through town several days a week, most notably Mondays, but I've seen them other days as well. I think sometimes actually they've had a little too much to drink at the sleeping giant. They like to carouse around town and cause trouble, get into shenanigans.
Zanros:Not carousing in shenanigans.
DM:And Tom Fullery, tom Fullery.
Iquium:What about hijinks? Are they into any hijinks?
DM:Hijinks do ensue oh wow, this is rough. It all depends on how much they've had to drink, but they are known to cause trouble after having a few. So Mondays are not the only days. It's typically at night. Mondays during the day is when they're seen. Typically it's after sundown when they like to cause trouble.
Dal:I forgot what day is it currently? I don't know.
DM:I don't know, it's midweek.
Dal:Wednesday.
DM:Let's say Thursday.
Dal:Thursday.
DM:Cause you got into town what yesterday. You got into town yesterday, which was Wednesday. It will say it was Wednesday. So now you're getting into the late afternoon on Thursday. Things are starting to wind down in town, so it's up to you. I mean, you could probably. It's not quite yet sundown, so you could probably get one more place if you wanted to go somewhere else. Or obviously the Stone Hill Inn and the Sleeping Giant will be open after sundown for drinking purposes, but pretty much everything else will be shut down after that. So up to you where you would like to go.
Zanros:I think we should go visit the Foppish Town Master and see what information we can get from him.
Iquium:I mean maybe not one of our heroes today, and that's kind of enough for cause I keep on looking at his picture going. I just want to flick him in the back of the head.
DM:I know what you might have information. He's that type.
Iquium:Yeah, we can get him. We can press the town, master, for he's a fancy man Information Foppish Dandy.
Zanros:He is a Foppish Dandy.
DM:Up to you. What would you like to do next?
Zanros:I would like to make a quick stop to pull an egg out of my pack and wing it at Holia's house.
DM:Oh my god.
Zanros:I'm an angry little rock gnome.
DM:Okay.
Zanros:Not going to make me roll for anything.
DM:We'll consider that an unarmed strike. Actually, no, we'll call it like a dart, it's a ranged weapon. So that's a plus six to hit. So roll your D20. Six, six plus six is 12. So your egg goes wide of Holia's house and misses.
Zanros:There goes my breakfast, okay.
DM:So now, however, you hit a goat in the head, and now the goat is charging you.
Zanros:Okay.
DM:So That'll be a 19 to hit.
Zanros:My armors 15. Can I attempt to use my acrobatics to leap out of the way?
DM:That's like a reaction. Yeah, I'll allow that.
Iquium:Do I see the goat coming?
Dal:Can I snatch her out the way 17.
DM:You leap out of the way, just just in time.
Zanros:Sorry, little guy, I wasn't aiming for you.
DM:You kind of just throws his head up at you and trots back into the field and leaves you alone.
Iquium:At least it wasn't a Canadian goose. We would have all been dead, you would have TPK.
DM:TPK by an angry can of the goose.
Iquium:In our next episode, let's roll up some new characters after the goose.
Zanros:In a post goose world.
DM:All right. So I think that's a great place for us to pause for today. We'll figure out. Let's figure out what's our next destination. Are you going to head back to camp for the night?
Zanros:No, we're going to swing by the town, master, you're going to swing by the town, master, and then I think back to camp, all right.
DM:You want to hit town, master, now. Yeah why not? Okay Is that? And then we'll do a long rest night and pick up in the morning. Pick up the morning at camp.
Zanros:That works Okay.
DM:So you head. So you're heading back toward camp and you stop at the town master's hall. So Pham Dailin really, like I said, has no functioning government. The village elects a town master by annually. I said every two years. The town master serves as judge and minor disputes. He also keeps a lot of the important records as well. The current town master is the banker in town, harbin Wester. He's referred to as a cheerful and well liked, however timid leader. He is completely intimidated by the red brands.
Zanros:All right so what's the plan?
DM:You're going to go to the town master's hall and what?
Zanros:Yeah, I have a number of questions for him.
DM:Okay.
Zanros:All right. So where is he Like? Am I going to a desk? Am I going to a?
DM:window so you open the it's. There's a sign on the door that the town master's office is open. So you go inside the building. It's kind of just kind of looks just like a big open office area and there's just a big desk there and there's this big kind of heavy jolly man sitting behind the behind the desk with his feet up on the feet up on the desk.
Zanros:Okay.
DM:Hello.
Zanros:Hello hello there. Who are you? Hi, I'm Zan Rose Bumblebumble. Well, bumblebumble, yes, my family owns the Trissender Manor on the outskirts of town.
DM:Interesting I. I've seen in the in the property records.
Zanros:I've seen that name before, yeah, so I'll be opening a B&B in the manner, Really yes. So here we have to clear out some vermin first. But I was also told that you're involved with the Chamber of Commerce.
DM:Yes, I'm the president of the Chamber of Commerce.
Zanros:So I will be joining the Chamber of Commerce. I'll also be needing to open a business banking account.
DM:Okay, we can. We can handle that.
Zanros:And then I wanted to see if you could give us some information about the red brands, their weaknesses, the easiest way to kill them, because I've heard they've overrun my family's property, but I don't think a stern word from a three foot five gnome is going to be enough to get them to vacate.
DM:I am. Oh, those red brands are awful, awful group I am. I would not, I would not cross them if I were you. You're not me. True, very true.
Iquium:But who are you? I know Zanra's Pimblebunman. You, you, sir, I know Zanra's Pimblebunman.
Zanros:I am Zanra's Pimblebumble of the never winter Pimblebumbles, and I am accustomed to getting my way.
DM:Well, don't well roll for intimidation 14.
Zanros:He's intimidated.
DM:Yeah, he is he, because remember, like I said he was, he's got his feet up on the desk so he's kind of leaning back in the chair. His chair goes just kind of all the way back and he and he falls back, he kind of skitters, skitters back up on his feet and he's like, oh my God, Well, if, if that's your attitude, I say, I say, go after them.
Zanros:Thank you, any insight you can provide that might help us in our quest to rid my family's home of red brands.
DM:There are very few people willing to, willing to stand up to them in this town. It's they've kind of taken over. If, if you're willing to go after them, I the best I can wish you is good luck.
Zanros:I'm just going to say when you're up for reelection, I might take an interest in politics.
DM:If you want to deal with the red brands, it's, it's, it's all yours.
Zanros:If you have this job for another two years, you better believe the red brands will be long gone.
Dal:I'd like to think anyone would be better at dealing with them than you.
Zanros:Thank you, Tom.
DM:Of course. And again, just, he's not that tall a man. So so, again, a little intimidated by you Again, yeah, I'm, I'm, and in his best, Danny Glover, he just goes. I'm getting too old for this shit. If you can, if you can, if you can get rid of the red brands, I will endorse you for town master.
Zanros:All right, Friends. Do we have any other questions for the town? Master Equium, did you want to ask anything about Gundren?
Iquium:When, in fact, is the last time you saw my friend Gundren Rock Seeker.
DM:You know, he, oh he was. He was headed up to Neverwinter I think it gets some supplies because he withdrew. He withdrew some money from his account and then was heading up there. He was all excited about something, but he wouldn't tell me what it was. But he was, he was very excited and he took out quite a sum of money and and said he would be back back shortly. And I haven't seen him since.
Iquium:How much money?
DM:I'm really not at liberty to say, but it was a substantial sum.
Iquium:So I just delivered Gundren's provisions, so I have an idea of what the worth of the provisions are and what he paid for us to get them. That's what I'm trying to understand. If that's all it's true, that's fine. That's why I'm in the idea you might not be at liberty to say, but you're not exactly protecting anything are you? I have a band at stake over your town, failing as a town master.
DM:All right.
Iquium:I almost feel like casting dissonant whispers.
Zanros:We're breaking this poor dude.
Dal:It's gonna go home and cry himself to sleep.
DM:I really feel bad for Harvin Webster, you guys are really shitting on his parade. Oh my God, he's just listen. He is just elected by the people. He is not a lawman, he is just a banker trying to keep this small town together and doing his best to keep it from succumbing to the red brands. And he doesn't know how to do that. He needs help. Help the man, help Harvin Webster. Defeat the red brands and bring Fandelen back to the glory that it once was.
Zanros:Make Fandelen great again.
Dal:No.
DM:Maybe the red brands are red because they wear little red hats. They have a little white writing that says make Fandelen great again.
Dal:In some particular golden high tops.
Iquium:Look Just because you got these mappers running around.
DM:How do you know MP Magpas?
Iquium:Magpas Mag.
DM:Mapkas.
Dal:Mapkas, mapka.
DM:Mapka, mapka, mapka, mapka, mapka, mapka. We're sure gonna Goonie Googoo.
Iquium:What is Goonie Googoo, you guys? Yes, dear Harbin.
DM:Yes.
Iquium:You are a man in need of solutions and perhaps even some plausible deniability.
DM:Oh, what were you thinking?
Iquium:Well, if these red brands were out of your way, what kind of support can the town give you? You have no militia, I gather you certainly have no constabulary. What is it that you do again?
DM:I keep the records. I watch over the jail cells, which is usually just a drunk people overnight. Okay, there really isn't Other than the red brands. There really isn't much crime in this town. There's not much going on.
Iquium:Well, not if you have a group that's cornered all the crime. They're committing all the crime. Your town could be greater than it is, but it seems to have an impediment, and I'm trying to understand whether the impediment is the red brands or you. I don't want it to be you. I want you to be successful. I want you to one day be able to shake my hand and go Iquian the various, your dire wolf, can have the run of the town because she's a good girl. Oh, you don't even know her yet. So that's okay, that'll save for another time. But here's the thing what's it worth to you for us to get rid of the red brands for you? What's it worth to the town? Are there any weapons or any armor that say, if I had some associates that needed to be weaponed in armor? Is there any town budget for that?
DM:Well, there may be. If you're looking to rebuild the manner, perhaps the town could could help with that. You might need infrastructure, you might need plumbing, road work. There's all sorts of things you might need. If you're looking for pure reward for removing the red brands, you know I'm just looking to.
Iquium:In reality, what I'm looking for is to be able to understand what kind of support I can expect as I, as my companions and I, take on this endeavor, because obviously we have a vested interest in the town. Jammar has a vested interest in the manner and obviously red brands are staying in the manner. So it is in our best interest to get rid of them as well. But I don't think that we can do it completely by ourselves.
DM:I'm afraid the town doesn't have much to offer. We are farmers, tradesmen. We are not fighters, we are not soldiers. That's not who this town is. We can help you in other ways, but we're unfortunately ill-equipped to confront and defeat the red brands. If we had that, we would have done it already.
Iquium:I mean, if you had access to, say, a thousand gallons of pitch of rubber beach ball on a paper clip, we could probably build something. No, I do not say that All of a sudden the A team slash McGyver slashed into my brain, McGyver the guy of the ravious.
DM:The guy of the ravious. Also, the Scottish accent comes out Of course you are Harbin Western.
Iquium:What's wrong with you? Are you a man or a fubish dandy in charge of paperwork? You're nothing but a secretary, and not even a good one. Where's my coffee?
DM:Oh, my god, yes.
Iquium:It has terribly.
Zanros:Perhaps I was too hard on you. I have a question.
DM:Yes.
Zanros:If we are able to get the red brands out of town.
DM:I'm listening.
Zanros:You seem like a man who has a lot of friends.
DM:I'm well known in town.
Zanros:Would you be willing to send your friends to a brand new bed and breakfast?
DM:I mean most people I know already live in Van Daylen. However, being the president of the Chamber of Commerce, we have a conference in a city down by the shore and annually we get together and talk about things going in our town. So I could tell other towns about your B&B, I like it, and we can work on driving other people from other towns to Van Daylen to stay at your B&B shop in our stores. It would be a win-win. Sounds good to me.
Zanros:Wonderful, all right, anybody have any other questions for the sky? Because if not, I think we've got to get moving and figure some stuff out.
DM:All right, everybody good. All right, so you're going to head back to your campsite just outside of town. Let's see, I'm going to roll a D6. Oh, unfortunately I rolled a six. Six of your goblins have taken off since you've been away. I'm just kidding. I'm totally fucking with you. Oh my god.
Zanros:Oh rude.
Iquium:That's why we need to get back to the goblins and give them the gold that we unloaded over to.
DM:That's right.
Iquium:Still loyalty Correct.
DM:All right, so you have made it back to your campsite. Yes, you were going to give some money to the goblins.
Zanros:Yeah, we have two gold that we're going to. What did we decide? We changed it to silver and we're going to spread it amongst them.
DM:Well, fortunately you were just talking to Harlan.
Zanros:Yeah, and he did that for us.
DM:Harlan. I was just going to say Harlan Cobain. No, it's Harvan Wester.
Zanros:Yeah, I think Harlan Cobain every time you say it.
DM:I know I did it. I finally slipped and said Harlan Harvan.
Iquium:As we kindly tried to re-establish the self-esteem that we tore apart on him.
DM:All right, so we will come back next month and figure out what else is going on and maybe finally confront the red brands in Van Dalen We've got to figure out. Figure out what their deal is Still. Got to figure out where the Kragmaugh castle is. Got to figure out what Halia is up to. Why is she so interested in the red brands and glass staff?
Iquium:She seems a little too interested in just glass staff, Glass staff not the rest of the red brand. Yes, she does so it's in the presence of a power vacuum.
DM:You've got missing villagers and a murder, murder.
Iquium:Weird goblins.
DM:Weird goblins. You've got so many things going on. You've got the kid that saw the hidden tunnel in the woods. So I mean you've got so many things to follow up on. You've got a lot going on and there's even more to do in Van Dalen, so we will catch up next month, thank you. Thank you all today for playing. This has been a lot of fun. Hopefully you enjoyed it.
Zanros:Yes, it was fun.
DM:Excellent, and we will see you all next month and we've got episodes in between, but we'll see you next month for the next part of Van Delver and Below Shattered obelisk. Thank you all. Thank you for listening.
Zanros:Bye, bye.
