November 11th, 2019
Players
- Maardaar the Warlock (Matt)
- Morgana the Druid (Liz)
- Ender the Rogue (Steven)
- Kif the Ranger (Irving)
The party emerges from the foul depths of the sewer onto the streets of Leilon. It is night and raining. They enter the Rogue’s Finger to a raucous party, with new sailors in town with the reopened port, but are quickly thrown out for their stench.
Back in the streets they find the shrine of Lathandar, god of light, lit up by many candles. They enter and meet a halfling named Merrygold Brighthshine – the new priest of the brand new temple. He politely ignores their condition and offers them sanctuary and a bath in the baptismal shrine. The party accepts, and gladly sleeps off the stench of the sewer.
THE WORTHLESS SHEPHERD
In the morning they awake and notice many giant goats wandering around town eating buildings and anything else they can get their mouths on. Sargeant Hazz Yorum is frantically running around, clearly hungover and still taking a nip from his flask, as he slaps the giant goats on the ass and screams “WHERE IS PINCHWIT, THAT GODDAMNED WORTHLESS GNOME????”
They return to The Rogue’s Finger, where it is clear the large party last night is still being cleaned up by Hergol the barkeep. As they enter, a giant goat leans through a window and eats a tablecoth, and Hergol hurls a pint glass at it.
The party learns that Pinchwit has run up a tab he cannot repay, which the party barters and settles up. Pinchwit explains he has been ordered by Lord Neverember to escort the giant goats to Barthen’s Provision in Phandalin for delivery, but he is worthless as a fighter and has heard the road is dangerous. He promises the party that he will repay them for his bar tab, plus a delivery fee for every goat delivered safely, if they will escort him.
The parties greed is overruled by their annoyance with the gnome, and they agree to do it since they need to get back to Phandalin anyways.
Pinchwit hops up on a giant goat and they set off down the High Road.
THE ROAD TO PHANDALIN
The day is clear and the first few hours of travel pass without trouble. But soon they see a shadow overhead, and glimpse the form of some type of dragon lazily circling overhead. Pinchwit yells for them to circle the goats, and as the dragon – actually a wyvern – makes a swoop down, the goats scatter but are brought under control by the party. Seeing the well armed party, the wyvern makes a lazy attempt at snagging a goat but doesn’t seem to want a fight.
The party continues escorting the goats, and as night falls they decide to make camp. In the middle of the night, the goats begin to stir, and the party successfully ascertains a threat is near. They begin making preparations for an onslaught, and are soon met by 3 trolls. Two begin fighting with the party while a third attempts to sneak around and grab some goats – he succeeds, but his conspirators are decapitated and dealt with forcefully. Pinchwit spends the fight hiding in a bush.
Down a few goats but still doing pretty good, the party makes it to Phandalin where they collect their reward from Elmar Barthen at the store. Pinchwit promptly dissappears with his share to go drink it.
GUNDREN’S UNFINISHED TASK
After a few rounds of beers with the locals, Toblin tells them that Gundren has been acting strange and has locked himself in his room, seeming inconsolable about the fate of his dear brothers. After eating their fill and resting, the party goes to meet him. Sitting alone at his desk, staring at a wall in sorrow, the dwarf apologizes for drawn the party into this mess of death and violence. He says it his duty to avenge his brothers, and says if they will accompany him one more time, he will share in the riches if they are successful.
Morgana & Ender console him, and say they will set out with him at first light.
The next morning, after equipping with provisions, they set out towards the mountains. The sullen dwarf does not say much, but leads them up a winding path that eventually peters out. They continue through the rocky landscape, and come to a ridge. Hidden from view by the remnants of an avalanche, the ridge drops into a small ravine surrounded by hills. Gundren announces, “This is it”.
As he says this colored lights emerge and circle up from a dark pit in the ravine. They carry off into the horizon. Gundren says, “This place is full of great magic, that my ancestors mastered into physical form in the great forge.” He lead them down.
Into a cave like entrance, they find two giant dwarven statues half covered by the avalanche of stone. Laying in this entrance are two bloated bodies of dwarves. Gundren falls to his knees, silent.
The party examines the bodies. One is clothed, one is naked. As Ender turns over the naked body the decayed face stares back up at him – undeniably, it is the face of Gundren Rockseeker.
They look back at their guide, whose face and body convulses and deforms, revealing the gray, lumpen doppleganger that has deceived them. He screams, “PREPARE TO DIE!” but the party makes quick work of him. His body falls next to the two slaughtered dwarves, and the party turns toward the great Lost Mine…