Phandalin 2

Author's Note:

To the Trolls,

I will be replying to every comment you make. And I will make you look stupid. Oh, I know. You lack the moral courage to read my responses, but everyone else will be laughing their motherfuckin asses off!

To everyone else,

Sorry about that. This one's going in the "Loving Wives" Category and there's a horrid troll infestation of nasty little InCels there. 🙂

So, I meant to say this in the first chapter but I got so excited about posting it that I forgot. Sorry. This story is based on the NPC's of the D&D adventure sets

"Lost Mine of Phandelver" set in the year (DR 1491)

"Dragon of Icespire Peak" set in the year (DR 1492)

"Beyond the Dragon of Icespire peak Part 1: Storm Lord's Wrath" year (DR 1493)

-Storm Lord is an unofficial Fan content.

"In Volo's Wake" set in the year (DR 1494)

-

Volo's Wake doesn't have a year officially but 1494 sits well with this storyline so I chose that. Volo's Wake is also a piece of unofficial Fan content. It's a nice little collection of mini-adventures. I just wish they'd spent a little more time on the logistics side of things in the game. I had to adjust a few things for it to fit but overall I really liked their ideas for the development of the town so I'm using it here.

(DR 1495) Doesn't have a module associated with it but fear not. It will be a hectic year all the same.

And finally, "Acquisitions Incorporated" set in the year (DR 1496)

Thank you.

Hayden D. Linder

Chapter 5

Thalia Horton stood in the rear doorway of the Stonehill Inn. Watching as the self proclaimed "Town Drunk" unloaded barrel after barrel for the "Sleeping Giant Tap House." Now that the Redbrands were gone, Grista's little pub was getting the miners' business again. And they seemed to be celebrating.

Thalia wasn't sure how. But somehow, he had six horses pulling at the front of three wagons that had been cinched together in a train. When it appeared that Pete was almost done unloading the liquor. And Thalia's curiosity couldn't take it anymore. She paid Toblin for a new bottle of port and walked over to Pete.

"Morning, Mistress Thalia. How is your day?" Pete smiled as she approached.

She gave him a sultry smile in return. "Rather curiously, if you must know."

"Oh, I must, dear lady. I must." He exaggerated.

That won him a small laugh. "How did you put these wagons together?" She asked as she walked toward the back of the first wagon. "Huh." She blurted in surprise.

"Yep. Just chained the Neck to the back of the first wagon and then chained the tongue to that. Gives it just enough play as we're movin." Pete commented.

"Ingenious."

"I try, Love."

"And just how much

play

are you giving Ander?" She asked as she handed Pete the bottle.

Pete shrugged and pulled the cork without missing a beat. "Enough." He said just before taking a swig from the bottle.

"You don't feel the need to tell the town about his helping the Redbrands?"

"What help?" He shrugged as he proffered the bottle to her.

Thalia shook her head with a grimace. "Too early."

"True." He nodded. "But I have an image to uphold." He smiled before taking another drink.

"He met up with them outside of town to fence their stolen goods."

"And what was he supposed to do? Tell em, no?"

She sighed. "He sold them information."

Pete made a face "Please. They could've gotten that information on their own. Heck, if they'd waited five minutes they would've known about the Sisters all on their own." He took another drink as Thalia found herself nodding. "It just made em feel like big men to have a spy."

"So, just let him get away with it?"

"Sure. Why not?" He took another big gulp from the bottle. "He made some easy money for a while. Heh heh. He's workin for it now though." Pete laughed as he drank the last of the port.

"What do you have him doing?"

Pete eased a quiet belch out and blew it away from Thalia. "Well, I first had him help me load all of the liquor and food from the Redbrands, before it goes bad. Now, he's pilling wood onto the dead bodies to burn em. While

I

find buyers for the food."

"So now you're off to Stonehill." She commented.

"Not yet. Kettlecopp wants a few loaves of bread, and some of the salt pork and beef."

"Well, then I will leave you to it, Master Pete."

"Please, call me "Pickled," dear lady." He bowed with a flourish.

Thalia laughed and headed off to her Miners' Exchange thinking, 'Pete was just a friendly old drunk.' That "friendly old drunk" was thinking that if he ever needed to know anything about anyone? Thalia was the woman to talk to.

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The last few days had been some of the most exhausting Ander ever had. He hadn't been this sweaty since he was a kid on the streets of Neverwinter scrambling for food. Pete had forced him into dragging all the bodies into the field away from the village. They made a neat pile of the bandits, and probably some of the victims bodies. They found those in the chasm of the hideout. That was another fun little treat. Pete had gone ahead and just purchased the block and tackle from Master Barthen. Pete tied the pulleys to a large box and lowered himself into the pit. Ander got to be the one to pull the thing up after Pete piled bones into the box. There must have been a mountain of them in that chasm.

The Bugbears got their own little pile, the Goblin got his own pile and whatever the hell that cycloptic thing was got its own little spot too. Pete was pretty thorough about marking them, he said they would be pretty hard to find once the fire was done. Which made Ander wonder 'why' they wanted to find them after the fire?

Then they started building a large woodpile on top of those bodies. Ander asked him several times "What the hell are we doing?"

"Don't you worry about it, Love."

While Ander was building the woodpile, Pete managed to sell some of the food and liquor. Between the Sleeping Giant, Stonehill's and Barthen's it was pretty easy. By the time they needed to light the big fire they had sold most of the food, dry goods, liquor and household items. Furniture, tools and such. What few weapons and armor they found went to Linene Graywind at the "Lionshield Coster."

Ander stood there in the dark having just finished shoveling the last of the dirt onto the remains of the fire. "What now?" He croaked.

Pete balanced himself on his shovel as he stretched his back. "Ahhh, there a gristmill around here?"

"What's that?"

"Two large stone wheels that grind wheat into flour." Pete answered.

Ander shook his head. "No, we get our flour from Neverwinter... But... I think Mistress Adabra, the Midwife, has something like that at her windmill."

"Yeah, a windmill would do it." Pete smiled. "Where is it?"

Ander shrugged. "About five miles outside of town, towards the mines."

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Adabra Gwynn sat in her rocking chair, reading "Love's endurable burning." The story of a common barmaid. Who's true love for Prince Gofond pulls him away from his philandering ways and back to the path of righteousness. Gofond had just pushed the girl against the wall. Their lips sealed in a kiss of a thousand flames. While his dastardly hand slowly crept up her"WHAT IS THAT NOISE!?"

The ever loudening clatter forced Adabra out of her chair, storming to her window to see... the oddest wagon train she'd ever imagined.

She watched in mild confusion as a three wagon train was being led by a team of six horses. It only took her a moment to understand the advantage of that, as you only needed one driver. But then her eye was drawn to the passenger next to him. The passenger was reclined in a rear facing high back chair. It had been strapped at an angle to the front of the first wagon. So the person sitting in the passenger seat could watch the rear in comfort. All three wagons looked fully laden.

"Huh." She blurted.

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"I assume this is the place, Love?" Pete asked.

Ander craned his neck over his right shoulder to see the three story windmill on Umbrage hill.

He nodded. "That's it."

Ander noticed Mistress Adabra stepping out of the doorway as he answered Pete's question. So he waved to her. Pete had to swing the wagon wide to find a flat spot not too far from Adabra's home, where he could park the train. Once he'd set the brake, Pete jumped down with Ander just a few steps behind him.

"Ander, what is this?" The lady asked with a smile as she approached them.

"Well, Mistress, this is Pete." He shrugged. "Our new Town Drunk."

"Oh." She laughed. "Finally a decent class of people coming to Phandalin then?"

It was their turn to laugh.

"Something like that." Pete nodded.

"And what brings you out this way?"

"The Redbrands have been destroyed." Ander answered.

Adabra's brows rose.

Pete went on to explain, "A group of adventurers called "The Sisters of Steele" came through town and did for every last one of em."

Ander wasn't sure why Pete didn't mention how much he had helped with that. But he thought it best to leave it be.

"Well, that is good news. How about we step inside for some tea and you can fill me in on all the bits of it?"

The men nodded and followed her up to the second floor. Adabra served tea while Ander retold what happened in town. He was careful to avoid Pete's part in the initial fight. While being mildly surprised that Pete drank tea without commenting to their host about her need for something stronger.

"So where are the Sisters now?" She asked.

"They left for Thundertree a couple of days ago." Ander commented. When he saw her confused expression, he explained. "Supposedly there's someone out there that knows Neverwinter Wood like the back of their hand. The Sisters are hoping he'll know where these Goblins took Sir Sildar's friend."

"Ah." She nodded. "And now, what can I do for you?" As she turned to look at Pete.

His brows rose in contemplation. "To start, and at the risk of being rude..." He smiled at Adabra. Who looked dubious. "What are you doing out here on your own, woman?!"

She gave a loud laugh as she nodded. "I like my solitude. Plus, I'm close enough to town if a need to run arises." She smiled back.

Pete gave an unconvinced shake of his head.

"Alright. I won't harass you about it, but still..." He gave another shake of his head. "How much do you charge for your Healing potions?"

"The standard, 50 Gold."

"And where do you sell them?"

"At Barth... why?" She suddenly asked.

"Because we have so much from the Redbrands hideout that I think we're gonna wind up in Neverwinter before it's all gone. But I didn't know if you'd be interested in us taking some of your potions up there to sell. I honestly don't know how hard they are to make."

"Most people don't." She mused as she sipped her tea.

"So, how many do you normally sell?"

She gave a slight shrug. "I'll take a bundle of 25 to Barthen's once a month or so. It just depends on how many adventurers have come through in the last month."

So If I convinced you to let me take 25 of em with me to Neverwinter. Would that be a good thing?" Pete asked. When he saw that she looked interested, "Now for the hard part..."

"Oh!?" Adabra laughed.

"Would you be willing to sell em to me for 30 each?"

She was suddenly serious. "I can't do that."

Pete slouched. "Adabra, you cannot expect me to believe it costs you that much to make..."

He stopped talking when he saw her shake her head at him as she waved him off.

"No! No. No, that's not what I mean." She sighed." If you try to sell healing potions for less than 50 gold?.. It's..." She sighed again. "Every organized group of mages and apothecaries will come hunting for your head."

"Trully?!" Pete squeaked out.

Adabra nodded. "It's the one thing that Blackstaff and the Red Wizards agree on. That price is set for the benefit of the many lesser skilled practitioners who need the money."

"Iiiii did not know that." Pete stated before sipping his own tea. "However..." Adabra's head came up. "I was not planning to sell them for less."

"Oh?"

"If you can settle for thirty, then I can sell them to a merchant for 40. Then he can, of course..." He would have finished but she was already nodding. "Would that work for you, Love?"

"Very much so."

"Good. Once we get some more gold into our purses I'll be able to buy more but for now, I only have enough for four or five of em."

"That's fine. I only have three ready."

"How long do they take to make?" Ander asked.

Adabra shook her head. "Only a day. As long as I have enough bottles and can collect enough herbs? I can make quite a few."

"Well, let's go easy at first. I think they should be pretty easy to sell, but let's be sure before you put too much into it." Pete commented.

"That sounds good. Where you headed from here?"

"From here, I was gonna take us to Leilon. Might be able to sell em there easy enough. If not, then we'll try in Helm's Hold or Neverwinter." Pete replied.

"What about Gnomengarde?" Adabra asked.

"Right, I forgot about them." Ander commented.

Pete was lost. "Where now?"

"The Gnomes of Gnomengarde, they helped me build this place. They pass by here on their way to Phandalin when they want to trade."

"How do we get to em?" Pete asked.

"They're about ten miles from here but the trail will take you right to them." Adabra answered.

"So, they're on the way to Leilon."

Adabra cringed. "Not really. They're ten miles in the other direction."

Pete, "Can't win em all... Still, a group o Gnomes could be worth lookin into. They tend to make fantastical things." He nodded in thought. "Are they happy about visitors?" He asked Ander.

Ander nodded. "I think so, they've always been friendly whenever they come to town."

"That sounds fine then." Pete mused. "Lady Adabra, how much of an inconvenience would it be for us to borrow your mill?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Pete explained about the chasm and how much bone they had found there. As well as the process they went through to clean it. AND just how much of the stuff they had to work with.

"So you have almost a thousand pounds of bone with you?!" She exclaimed.

"You know it's worth about a silver for every ten pounds." Pete nodded.

"It IS!!!?!!" Ander asked?

Pete laughed. "An we got about another 2000 pounds o the stuff back in town. Just didn't wanna have to grind it all, right - now."

"Wooof." Adabra sighed. "That's a lot."

"Be willin to pay ya a copper per 10 pounds once we sell the stuff, love."

"You'll handle all the clean up?" Adabra quickly pointed at him.

"It's been Ander's

dream

since he met me." Pete smiled.

Ander shook his head at Pete while he muttered something dark under his breath.

The discussion quickly turned to what Pete and Ander had brought with them. Once Adabra had a chance to skim the list, she made a few purchases. Mostly foodstuffs but she also bought a large table and all of his alchemical equipment. To include a few Alembic & Retorts.

Soon it was decided that they would be staying with Adabra for a few days. Because it would take a day or two to grind through all of that bone. She had room for guests on the third floor of her windmill, so it wouldn't be too bad for any of them.

Chapter 6

Brawn McGable woke up in his jail cell. Oscar no thumbs snored in the cell next to him. Suddenly he could sleep fine now that he knew they weren't going to be executed. Brawn laughed. The kid had been just a ball of nerves for the last two days. Until the news finally came in from that tub of lard they called a Townmaster, Harben Wester. Thank - the - gods no one had ever seen any of the horrid garbage Brawn had done. They all believed that he and his buddy were innocent down on their luck little cherubims. Who made the desperate decision to join the redbrands due to some privation. Ha! Still... As dark as Brawn might actually be? HE never would have killed a man for defending his wife's honor.

His initial thought had been to slit Gigref's throat and free the family. He probably could have convinced the others but he hadn't been a Redbrand long enough to know for sure. And now there was nothing left to do but play it out.

"Whatchya doin?" He heard a gruff voice ask from the doorway.

Brawn turned to see Alger the Blacksmith standing there with a pair of manacles.

Brawn laughed. "Being grateful this isn't my last morning on Toril." He smiled.

"Ha." Alger blurted out a laugh and nodded. Then he tossed the manacles through the bars at Brawn's feet. "Get those on an lock em with these." He dropped a pair of locks on the floor near him. "Then show me." The Blacksmith said before stepping far away from the bars.

Brawn nodded as he began to put the manacles on his ankles. "What've you got me doin today?"

"Wood carver needs help now that her husbands dead."

Brawn cringed. "You sure that's wise? That poor woman..." He shook his head.

Alger shrugged. "She said she needed the help."

Brawn nodded and showed the man his manacles once they were locked in place. He had about two feet of chain to walk with, but that wouldn't be enough to run. Once Alger was satisfied he unlocked the cell and escorted Brawn to the Woodworker's shop.

"Now listen up, this is important."

Brawn looked at him as they walked down the main street.

"You remember Pete?"

Brawn nodded. "Uh, yeah." He laughed. "Stabbed us in the back pretty good."

Alger smiled. He'd heard the story. "Yeah, he did." He laughed. "Couldn't've happened to a better group of blackguards." Brawn gave him a chagrined smile. "So, that Pete says he's a bit of a tracker. Says if you or the young'un try to run? He'll be more'n happy to track ya down. An cut on ya, the way he saw orcs do it."

Brawn cleared his throat before commenting. "Well, that's unpleasant news."

Alger shrugged. "Just thought ya should know."

"No. No. Thank you. Definitely wanted to know that."

"Yeah." Alger laughed.

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Pete was ecstatic. The kings were cautiously optimistic about his trade caravan. BUT were willing to sell him a few telescopes and owl eyes at half cost as a sign of trust. He would return another quarter of the final sale price. To confirm he could be trusted with their creations.

If

he returned. But Pete was also very excited about the consumables these gnomes had to offer. Mushroom bread that tasted like mushrooms.

"Some garlic butter and salt and these things are gonna be worth a fortune." He told Ander. "We'll take five 10 pound bags of the flour, Panana dear." He smiled at the Gnomish woman.

Mushroom oil that was cheaper at a quarter of the price of lamp oil.

"We'll take 10 barrels, Master Dimble." Pete nodded.

And mushroom wine that tasted like... "Wow!.. That - is - awful! ...Fill her again, Love."

They sold quite a bit of the food stuffs they had left over from the Redbrands. But as they were helping to store the stuff Ander noticed a couple of devices in the store room.

"What are those, Master Orryn?"

Ander couldn't stop looking at what appeared to be two large wooden barrels with six legs and two pincer arms.

"The Barrell Crabs?" Orryn shrugged. "Fibblestib and Dabbledob made them to help with loading supplies. But they're more trouble than they're worth."

Pete followed Ander when he walked over to the vehicles. Ander opened the hatch on the top to reveal a seat with several levers inside.