Welcome to Phandalin!

The Thursday game, recapping 1/21/21 – Advancing further into the cave, the party easily kills more orcs! As we look around, we see the gear packed up. It looks like the orcs were moving out. On one of the dead, we find a note saying the White Scar orcs were getting ready to grab a castle from the Cragmaw clan. Urdak, says that he has heard of the Cragmaw orcs, but a band of heroes cleared out their stronghold sometime ago. During our encounter, we ran into another adventurer, a Paladin, who joins forces with us.

A spring runs deeper into the cave and separates into two pools. Further up, we find a battered female dwarf named Irin Bonegrip lying against a wall amid open crates. She is surprised when we tell her that all the orcs are either dead or have fled. The Druid finds a small ebony box that contains twenty-five silver and two potions of healing.

The party leaves the orc encampment and takes two days to travel to Phandalin. The entire town is under construction as workers build walls and towers. Urdak states that Davik is staying in Tresendor Manor which is just outside of town. On our way to the Manor house, we pass a general store, an inn, and a shrine.

Arriving at Tresendor, we see tents set up to house workers who are restoring the western side of the building. Davik greets us, “Welcome to Phandalin!” Once we update him, he is concerned that the dragon is the reason the orcs are agitated.  He tasks us with warning an alchemist at Umbridge Hill and two prospectors at an ancient dwarven shrine.

Umbridge Hill with its windmill is only five miles away so we head there first. When we arrive, we see a large-winged animal shouting curses in common and trying to break down the door. The alchemist, Adabra Gwynn, calls out a window for help. Help we do by killing the creature! Once dead, we see that this manticore had been injured; its flank had been frostbitten, possibly by the dragon. Adabar comes out to tell us she is grateful for our help. She relates that the manticore flew in from the northeast. She explains that she had been using the windmill to brew potions and rewards us with a potion of healing. She quickly gathers her things and we escort her back to Phandalin. As Davik greets us, we feel more experienced!