This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Welcome to the campaign thread for the Search for the Silver Quivers, a continuation and expansion of a Lost Mines of Phandelvar game.
This post will serve as your reference for rules, formatting, and other admin items. The game, and in-character posts, begin immediately after.
Rules
This is an new process for me, so if there is anything that is dragging the game down, we can revisit any of these rules.
Please try to post a minimum of once every two days, if possible. If we are in combat and waiting on your turn and you haven't posted after two days, your character will either do a basic attack or the dodge action so that we can move on. If we can sustain at least one post per person per day, that would be ideal. More is always better, but this is not meant to be overwhelming in time requirements.
Keep your posts and descriptions in-character. What your character says or does in a post is considered canon as soon as you hit the submit button. Do not assume another character or NPC's reaction to what you are doing, however.
If you want to add out-of-character (OOC) comments, do so at the end of your post in italics. We can also use a Discord channel for out of character stuff, planning, etc, to which I will send you a link.
Use the in-forum dice roller for all rolls. In order to speed up the game:
I will handle group rolls, such as initiative, saving throws, passive perception, etc
When you roll an attack, also roll damage in the case that you hit. Feel free to flavor how you prepare for your attack, and I'll narrate the results.
If you think I'll call for a specific skill (such as a knowledge, sleight of hand, thieves tools, etc) go ahead and roll a D20 and your intent at the end of your post. If applicable, I'll give you the results, or if I want you to refer to a different skill (say, arcana vs history) I'll use your d20 result with the appropriate skill
Initiative will initially be in blocks by sides - PCs, NPC allies, neutrals, and enemies. I will roll an average initiative for each block to determine the order. You can act in any order during the PC block, so that there is some flexibility.
Most of all, have fun with this! Ultimately this is not a super serious game, but a chance to collectively write an entertaining and epic story.
Formatting Guidelines:
Descriptions and actions in normal text. ("Sia sprinted to cover, loosing an arrow before diving prone behind the table.")
Speech in bold, pick a color for your character. ("Get down! He's got a bomb!" she shouted.)
<If your speech is not in common (e.g. speaking in Elvish or another language) use greater/less than brackets.>
Rolls in bold italics. Attack: 18 Damage: 5
Out of character text in italics. (Is someone going to shoot him or are we screwed?)
Things that are not apparent to all characters, such as whispers or the results of a knowledge or perception skill, use a spoiler tag.
Feredir:
Your keen elven eyes see that they are taking the hobbits to Isengard!
Our story begins in the rough-and-tumble frontier town of Phandalin, nestled between the Neverwinter Wood to the north and the crags of the Sword Mountains to the southeast.
The town consists of forty or so wooden and stone buildings, some of which are built on top of old fieldstone foundations. There are many old ruins set between the newly built buildings, where crumbling stone walls covered in moss and briars lie between the fresh timber constructions. You get the sense that this town was once much larger, with almost a hundred homes, but tragedy befell it at some point in the distant past. Most of the new buildings are set along the north-south running cart path, which begins to widen into a muddy main street of sorts. The road passes through a main square, and turns from the south to the east, rounding several larger buildings, where it then snakes up a hill and finally leads to the ruins of a large manor house. From a distance, you can tell the manor must have shared the same fate as the other ruins, as there is no roof and the northern wall has crumbled down the hillside it is built upon.
It is a crisp spring day, with chilly air and a sunny sky only interrupted by a scant few puffy white clouds. It is an hour or so past noon, and a few children are playing in the town green, no doubt burning energy outside before the afternoon grows long. Some townsfolk go about their business, but you notice they tend to move directly, not giving you much more than a quick glance before returning to their tasks.
On the east side of the town’s central square is a large roadhouse, which looks newly built. A fieldstone base is about three feet high, and roughhewn timbers form the walls and second story, with set glass windows denoting possible rooms. The door is solid wooden planks, with a brass round handle. Above the door is a painted round sign depicting a white-capped rounded mountain on a yellow background, along with text in Common reading “Stonehill Inn”. Small dwarven runes adorn the bottom of the sign.
Inside the common room is a rather bustling tavern, even for the early afternoon hour, with several folk nursing drinks contained in horns or tankards as they sit around small round tables or on barstools. A serving girl, who is a brunette human girl of about 18 or so in a bright yellow dress and white apron, brings a tray of drinks and food to a group of what appear to be a group of farmers. On the right side of the tavern, a stew is being cooked over a roaring fire, being stirred by a young dwarven child. Most of the smoke escapes up the nearby chimney, but the air is heavy with the smell of cooking food and spilt ale. Along the left side of the tavern is the bar, being tended by a black-bearded, bald dwarfwearing a leather apron over a simple gray linen shirt. A pair of figures sit in a booth in the far corner of the inn, and a half-elf sits on a stool near the fire, tuning a dulcimer.
Feredir:
As you enter the familiar taproom of the Stonehill Inn, your three companions proceed to the closest corner of the bar. As you approach, the dwarven barkeep Toblin Stonehill motions you over. "Ey, lad. Ye were mentionin' that ye were lookin' for a group of elfs like yourself, same symbol andall. Ye might want to take a look at the booth in the back. I'm thinkin' she's one of the ones ye were talkin' about." As you turn to look, you see the familiar face of Sia Larnathai, a fellow Silver Quiver and one of the scouts who accompanied Beleg and the rest of his team. She looks rather more haggard than your remember, her cloak torn and a cut on her eyebrow, and she is seated next to a small gnome wearing a heavy armor coat. Both have cups of ale infront of them, and are mid conversation.
Gnippen:
After you first encountered the half-elf Sia on the High Road south of Leilon, she spoke of some truly intriguing things. Dwarven fortresses hidden in mountain paths, a horde of undead, masked assailants? It's no wonder the captain thought her addled or mad. Regardless, she requested assistance in finding her friends, and your order would oblige. Now you've found yourself well separated from the common patrol routes between Neverwinter and the Mere of Dead Men, and have been in Phandalin since the morning. Sia and you have been asking around if any other members of her mercenary guild, the Silver Quivers, have passed through recently. Apparently, there is one who stayed in the inn last night. So you've been killing time in the taproom, hoping her lead on an ally is correct... and that you can discover the truth behind her seemingly tall tales. In the meantime, this "Walloping Ale" that the dwarf barkeep sold you on is quite tasty.
Elyham:
Your travels have lead you to Phandalin, and you see great value in the remoteness of it. You have spent well over a week providing nightly entertainment for Stonehill Inn, and have gotten a good lay of the land. Sure, there is a bandit problem here or goblin problem there, but nothing really INTRIGUING has come across your keen ears as you trade tales with travelers and locals. But, you are always looking out for interesting people and interesting times. A gnome and a half-elf walk into a bar? Perhaps there's a punchline to be found.
Feredir, Gnippen, Elyham. Please give a physical description of your characters to the other players. What would you like to do?
Though the gnome Gnippen barely reaches half your height, that hasn't stopped him from adorning himself fully with heavy ill-fitting armor and a large shield on his back that reaches down to his kneecaps. The sight would likely be comical if it were not for the creepy bright green emerald gnome eyes or the Order of the Aster heraldry adorning the shield hinting towards a hard martial life.
Ever present at his feet is the giant Mastiff, Tim, covered in curly black hair that is only broken by a narrow patch of white extending through the middle of his face and down past his neck.
Turning to Sia, Gnippen states: "As much as I enjoy your company and the Walloping Ale, I believe the trail towards your friends may be becoming ever colder. Let us ask around to see if any of these other kind patrons knew which room your friend sought refuge in last night. Perhaps we could refresh the barkeeps memory. The Dwarf undoubtedly seems to be a kindly fellow, if only he knew the dire situation he would perhaps lend a hand, and if not there are always other ways to loosen a tongue of a local businessman."
Figured I would also add a little intro for myself here, I'm Steve and I met Josh through a mutual work friend. Also, fair warning, this character may be kind of a hilarious disaster... Looking forward to playing with everyone!
This is the fourth string this week that has busted on this damned dulcimer.... why do I keep using this ancient junk?, Elyham muttered to herself, sitting by the fire. At least it was warm in this inn; much better than the last place she was holed up, laying low from what she thought were some trackers on her tail. It was becoming harder to stay off the beaten path lately. Phandalin seemed quiet enough for a change. The people hadn't really been that welcoming though, but they weren't prodding into her affairs either.
Scanning the room, Elyham can't help but chuckle when she sees a half-elf seated with a gnome in some over-sized armor in a corner. He looks like a child wearing adult clothing. Heck, his dog is bigger than he is. There's a few other patrons in the inn, but not any wearing such regalia. Maybe him and his friend have some interesting tales to share....
Elyham popped up from the stool and strolled across the inn to the corner where the gnome and the half-elf were seated. As she crossed the path of the window by the front door, a strange figure outside caught her periphery. She turned her head to see who or what the figure was, but promptly slammed into a table spilling the contents onto the floor. A bowl of stew slid across the floor towards the gigantic dog by the gnome, skidding to a stop right between his paws.
Hey everybody! Doing the same thing as Steve here. My name is Lowry and I met Josh at school in 2nd grade, 27 years ago. We shared a love for Lego's and computer games ever since. If you want to know anything about him, just ask. My character can't keep a secret, so neither can I?
This is my first DnD adventure though, outside of the computer based RPG's . Feel free to coach me through battles or sticky situations if you know what to do, because this may be rough lol... I look forward to not setting anyone on fire, or burning down a forest....
Sia is a lithe half-elf, maybe in her early twenties, with light brown eyes. She has mousey brown hair, undercut on the left side, the rest tied into a long braid down her back. She wears dark brown leather armor over a dull green tunic, and a long brown cloak is folded on the seat next to her, though you can see that there are several blade scars on her armor and the edges of her tunic are a bit tattered. She has a small cut on her eyebrow, one that will likely leave a scar when it is fully healed. A shortbow and sheathed blade lean on the wall next to the bench she is sitting on.
She takes a sip of her ale as Gnippen speaks, and then sets the wooden tankard back on the table. "You may be right, and I'll be honest, I was perhaps too hopeful that I could sit here with an ale in hand and let the world solve my problems for me. We'll finish our drinks and see if we can pick up the trail, or perhaps find the dwarf who paid for our expedition in the first place. Get word back to Neverwinter. I don't think he meant to send us into a deathtrap outside some ancient dwarven door."
Sia pauses for a second. "At least... I hope not?"
About that time is when Sia is surprised by another half elf slamming into an adjacent table and scattering a bowl of stew everywhere...
Sia Dexterity Save 19 - Success
Gnippen Dexterity Save 8 - Fail
Tim Dexterity Save (automatically fail)
Sia shifts out of the way of the splatter of the bowl, while Gnippen gets a large portion of stew deposited on his heavy mail boots. Tim begins licking the spill, the bowl, and the boots almost immediately, his heavy tail thumping on the table leg.
Sia stands, looking at the half-elf. "Uh... hello?"
Visibly flustered, Gnippen looks down at his boots, whatever little joy remained on his face after another fruitless day quickly evaporates. A flush of red hot anger crossed his face, but it passed as quickly as it had appeared. A dejected Gnippen murmurs, "These are my only set of boots."
With a heavy sigh, Gnippen unwraps a pouch from his pocket containing a variety of hand-tools, small clothes, and other objects and begins to try to clean the slobber and stew off of his boots. As his tiny hands move, the beady green eyes between Gnippen's furrowed brow impressively remain locked on the intruder, staring.
Of course the Commander picked him to follow this lunatic out into the middle of nowhere. It was bad enough he had spent the last month trudging back and forth between Neverwinter and Waterdeep guarding the High Road. While Gnippen had overheard plenty of hushed conversations and gossip concerning "the Gnome acting as a Paladin," at least back on the High Road he was among members of his own faith.
Tim, having finished his unexpected meal saunters tail-wagging over to new Half-Elf, looks up with big eyes and drool running from his mouth, and gives a deep low bark, undoubtedly requesting seconds.
Feredir is a tall, stoic elf with long straight red hair. He wears well-traveled leather armor and upon his braided belt he carries two silver-steel short swords, engraved on each hilt with his family crest. Slung across his back is a yew longbow and a quiver with a leather quiver which appears to have a faint and sun-bleached grey quiver emblem hand-decorated. His emerald green eyes seem to morph color not only in response to light, but also seemingly to mood. Cold and green-grey they appear as he enters the tavern and speaks with the dwarven barkeep. Suddenly, his glance shoots to the commotion where he recognizes a familiar - though wearied - face of a friend. His eyes blaze with a sudden yellow-gold fire as he marches straight toward Sia.
Headless of the stew catastrophe, he places his right hand upon Sia's left shoulder and says, barely audible, in elvish: "Hail friend. How glad I am to see a familiar face in this town. Though it seems, one somewhat worse for wear. I'll admit I had all but given up hope that I would find one of you again alive."
Hey friends, I'm Adam, or "Burner", if you like, and I knew Josh as "Viper" for a couple years before I knew his secret nerd side. I just moved to the UK, so this is a bit of a long-distance RPG for me, but I'm happy to give it a shot. Started my first DnD campaign with Josh, Amy and a few other friends a few months ago and loved it - looking forward to seeing where this offshoot takes us. Obviously I'm also a huge RPG and video game nerd in general.
Elyham gathers herself from the incident with the table, wiping off a few remnants of slop from her cloak. A few feet in front of her, the group of patrons she was heading towards were staring at her, waiting for some explanation or utterance of word. The dog is now a pace away, looking with some expectation for more stew.
"Oh, I am so very sorry about that.... I uh... well.. I was on my way over to ask if you had any interesting stories to share, but it looks like I may have worn out my welcome here.... except for the dog at least." Elyham said to the group sheepishly, not really knowing what to say in the moment.
"My name is Elyham, may I buy you a round of ale from the barkeep? I hear the walloping ale is quite a tasty treat!"
Without waiting for a response, she turned towards the bar and started calling for 3 ales, but promptly ran right into another table.
Sia gives Feredir a warm smile, and responds in Elvish "<I am glad Yala sent you when we did not report back. Come, sit.>"She gestures to an empty chair opposite where she and the gnome had been previously sat. As Feredir approaches the table, Sia watches the odd half-elf proceed towards the bar.
Switching back to common, Sia motions to Gnippen. "Feredir, this is Gnippen. He and his order found me half-dead on the side of the High Road about five days ago, and through their kindness got me back on my feet. He has been gracious enough to accompany me back here. Gnippen, Feredir is a ranger of my guild, and the one I was hoping to meet today before we continued on."
As Feredir and Sia take their seats, she continues, explaining to both Gnippen and Feredir. "Our contract was to locate some dwarven ruins in the Sword Mountains. Looking for an ancient mine that supposedly had some great power. Beleg, guildmaster of the Silver Quivers, lead our team of six. We'd found a series of old waystones deep in the mountains, and had followed them to a ravine. Most the stones were worn smooth, but one had a dwarven rune... the name Duregen. To our surprise, the ravine marked by the stones eventually opened up to a massive stone door, covered in more carved runes. I had been scouting up along the ridgeline, while the rest were down by the door itself."
She paused, gathering herself to continue. "It was an ambush. Bones dug out of the dirt and from behind rocks and started attacking everyone below, swinging rusty swords. I saw Telos take a blade to the gut, and then the entire ravine was covered in darkness. I heard screams. I... tried to help, from where I was above. But in the chaos I got distracted. Two others, cloaked in black and red and wearing masks, attacked me on my perch." Sia lifts up her arm, and motions to the side of her leather breastplate, which has a huge, dark-stained gash in the armor. Underneath her tattered tunic you can see fresh bandages. "I got one of them as good as they got me, but I couldn't stay. I... fled. It must've taken me three days to get out of the mountains. I honestly don't remember it."
She sighs. "I want to go back. I want to find out what happened to my friends. And see if this giant rune-covered door of Duregen was worth the blood spilled."
Elyham, you hastily proceed from the table of strangers to the bar. Toblin, the dwarven barkeep, gives you a hearty chuckle as he lays out four tankards of Whalloping Ale. The malty scent of the strong dwarven brew is almost overpowering. "Right mess ya made, lass. I'll add the three silver to yer tab for a new bowl of stew fer ol' Lanar as well as the ales. Ya look like you could use a nip of one yerself."
Elyham Perception: 5
As you proceed back to the table, clutching two tankards in each hand, you catch but a single word of tale the half-elf is telling. "Duregen."
Gnippen slowly becomes less flustered as he continues to labor over his boots and listens to Sia's story. Leaning back into the booth, Gnippen tries to recall if he has ever run across any mention of "Duregen" during his life or adventures.
Gnippen History 1
"Sia your cause is undoubtedly worthy and just, but before we rush off it the night, it may be prudent if we knew more. While I do not ascribe to discretion being the better part of valor, let us not befall the same fate as your friends. We shall not tarry too long, a few hours well spent in preparation is unlikely to significantly alter the situation and may yet later birth fortune. Perhaps someone with more local knowledge may be able to assist us?"
As Gnippen is talking, he looks over to see Elyham returning to the table with the promised round of Walloping Ale. Conspiratorially Gnippen motions to Elyham, "Young Lady, you appear to be someone who may know the lay of this land. Have you perchance heard any mention of "Duregen"?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
BWHAHAHAHAHA turns out my character has been struck by amnesia. Also, just testing here to make sure I can re-edit words in posts without changing rolls. 451
It appears you can and the rolls will stay the same.
You concentrate on your thoughts, thinking deeply about all the lessons you had learned in the past - from your schooling, from your mentor, from every tome and scroll you have ever read. Your keen mind focuses, and you can feel it... just barely... but you can feel the knowledge of Duregen boiling up from within you. Bubbling forth from within your very core, the height of the gnomish mind at its pinnacle.
Then, you are forced to stifle a belch. Nope, that was actually just the ale. You got nothing.
Feredir listens intently to the harrowing tale of misfortune. As Sia concludes, Feredir leans back in his chair, cupping his chin in his hand and running fingers from his other along the cool metal hilt of his right-side short sword. His eyes search the ceiling, recalling his recent encounters and attempting to put the pieces together. After a few moments lost in thought, he slowly leans forward again and stretches out his right hand to Gnippen, and says "Thank you for your service to my kinsman, friend. It seems fate has brought our paths together here in this place. Should this quest prove at all similar to my mis-adventures these past days, we shall need all the preparation we can muster."
Do I recognize Gnippen's Order of the Aster heraldry? RELIGION -6
Does the description of Sia's assailants match the bandits I saw in town the past two days? INVESTIGATION - 21
You haven't heard of this particular Order. You know mercenary companies pretty well, as they are oftentimes competition for the Silver Quivers, but you haven't had much exposure to the more divine-aligned organizations.
You ask Sia to further describe her assailants. She describes a pair, who she guessed was a man and a woman. Both were wearing ebony black leather armor, and had black hoods and cloaks, though the cloth mask each wore from nose to chin was a scarlet red. They had silvery, curved swords. They spoke in a language she didn't understand. She said she managed a good rapier strike on the man, but the woman is the one who sliced her up.
Compared to your encounter with the Redbrands, these don't seem to be a match. The Redbrands seem to be more a group of local ruffians, more akin to the brute Trevor or his seedy friends at the Sleeping Giant. Her description of this pair sounds foreign, almost exotic.
Cautiously pacing through the tavern towards the remnants of the disaster just brought about, Elyham clutches ales in her hands for the patrons whom she disturbed. As she is slinking along, she catches a word from their distant conversation: Duregen. A chill runs down her back, standing up the scruff of hair on the back of her head.
The gnome calls out to Elyham from the table, asking if she knows of this "Duregen". Elyham remembers it clearly, a page in a tome written in Draconic, bound in deep red leather and inscribed with runes. She does not remember precisely WHEN she first read this page, during the timeless studies in the archmagus' repository, but the content of this page has stuck in her mind.
Gathering her composure, Elyham saunters over to the table and places the ales in front of her new acquaintances.
"In the vault of Duregen, where the swords scrape the sky, the gilded bones of the mountain guide the path to great treasure. Only the worthy guest may pass the grand door, as all other paths are sealed to those who who are not allies." Elyham is mostly confident in your translation, but it seemed like an old and odd dialect.
She doesn't know who or what a Duregen is, but she's at least surmised that the swords that scrape the sky are the Sword Mountains. It is, at least, part of why her path has lead her to Phandalin.
Gnippen's small hand reaches out and clasps Feredir's, "Agreed Feredir, fate is indeed at play. Your friend Sia is fortunate, I can tell you that. We do not patrol and camp out on the High Road merely for fun. It saddens my heart hearing that these mountains are yet another area plagued by the restless and unholy undead."
"Sealed vaults and great treasures? While I have no need of wealth, you have sparked my interest Elyham." Gnippen's eyes have appeared visibly brighter after the mention of treasure, you doubt he is entirely honest about being above materialism. "Sia and Feredir's guild were unlikely to be the first drawn or hired to collect on the promise of such riches. I wonder if the undead and the couple Sia mentioned were somehow working in coordination. Either way, we cannot allow skeletons and zombies to roam freely, even in areas as remote as here!"
"Unfortunately I have little further information add to which may illuminate this puzzle. Assuming my intuition is correct, before dusk falls, there is one errand I wish to run , otherwise I will be outside this tavern in holy meditation preparing for the trials ahead."
Gnippen slowly stands up from the booth and bids his farewells. Tim, seeing Gnippen move, eagerly jumps up and follows. Approaching the bar, Gnippen asks Toblin if there are any churches or clergymen within the town of Phandalin.
I would like to see if there is a way for someone to obtain either Holy Water or Silver Dust within this town, it may come in handy against undead, but I don't have the resources to buy it!
As Gnippen departs, Feredir stands - in typical elvish courtesy - and suggests: "Perhaps we should meet here again in the morning, share what we have discovered about this "Duregen" fellow?"
He's not entirely sure where the search should begin, but something about Elyham's prophetic description doesn't sit right in his mind. He suspects that Elyham may be keeping something to herself. INSIGHT - 3
Taking his seat again, he looks past Sia to the clumsy half-elf bard and rather abruptly asks "Well, Elyham, aside from hastily distributing meals among the tavern patrons, what brings you to this town and this tavern of all places?"
Do I notice anything about her that I recognize? Articles of clothing, emblems, crests, etc.? INVESTIGATION - 9
As you exit Stonehill Inn, you stand on what could be considered the town's central square. On the north side of the square is a simple shrine constructed of stacked stones in a tower about 8 feet high, with a few simple wooden benches forming a semicircle around it. A wooden depiction of a gold coin is set just below eye-level on the tower of stones, and a small copper offering bowl is placed in front of the shine. The shrine is flanked by flowering bushes, giving a dash of pink and white colors to the otherwise plain area. Next to the shrine is a small log cottage, constructed with the door facing the shrine.
You see a slight young elven woman with dark blonde hair. She is currently tending to one of the flower bushes, and a small pile of trimmings lay at her feet.
Feredir:
She's a bit hard to read. You don't see any identifying crests or emblems on her gear.
Gnippen stares at the tall--correction, tall by only Gnome standards--stone shrine. Looking at the gold coin, Gnippen thinks to himself that he could have sworn he remembered seeing such a shrine near one of the many markets in Waterdeep. Religion - 14
Casually approaching the elven woman, Gnippen makes a show of scolding Tim back away from the flowers. Not that Tim needed any scolding, what would a battle-hardened Mastiff do with a bed of pansies?
"Well met madam! Lovely day to tend to one's flowers? If it isn't too much of a bother, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about this striking shrine? It is the first one that I have seen in Phandalin!"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gnippen:
You recognize the symbol of the gold coin to be that of Tymora, the goddess of good fortune. She is very commonly worshiped by adventurers and travelers, and it is sometimes said that your fate will be determined by a roll of her dice. The shrine itself isn't as grand as the one you have seen in Waterdeep, but is quite passable for this austere location, and it's obvious that the elf has taken great care to make it a bright and cheery place in the otherwise plain town.
The elf turns to you, and gives you a warm smile. She is probably 100-120 years of age (equivalent to a mid-20s human), with dark blond hair in a long-braided ponytail that reaches her waist. She has blue eyes and fair features. She wears a blue tunic underneath a leather breastplate, light gray pants, and a pair of long leather boots. A small gold coin dangles on her chest, attached to a solid leather necklace. She is soft-spoken,and seems friendly.
"Hello, kind sir. This little corner of Phandalin is the Shrine of Luck, dedicated to Tymora, and my contribution of color and fortune." She looks at Tim, and smiles. "Cute dog!"
She returns her eyes to you. "I am Sister Garaele, priestess of the Lady of Luck. I maintain the shrine here, and pass on the blessings of my goddess to the people of this town when required. And you are, if I may ask?"
Gnippen Perception - 4
You notice she seems to be favoring one side as she moves. Perhaps a recent injury?
Welcome to the campaign thread for the Search for the Silver Quivers, a continuation and expansion of a Lost Mines of Phandelvar game.
This post will serve as your reference for rules, formatting, and other admin items. The game, and in-character posts, begin immediately after.
Rules
This is an new process for me, so if there is anything that is dragging the game down, we can revisit any of these rules.
Please try to post a minimum of once every two days, if possible. If we are in combat and waiting on your turn and you haven't posted after two days, your character will either do a basic attack or the dodge action so that we can move on. If we can sustain at least one post per person per day, that would be ideal. More is always better, but this is not meant to be overwhelming in time requirements.
Keep your posts and descriptions in-character. What your character says or does in a post is considered canon as soon as you hit the submit button. Do not assume another character or NPC's reaction to what you are doing, however.
If you want to add out-of-character (OOC) comments, do so at the end of your post in italics. We can also use a Discord channel for out of character stuff, planning, etc, to which I will send you a link.
Use the in-forum dice roller for all rolls. In order to speed up the game:
Most of all, have fun with this! Ultimately this is not a super serious game, but a chance to collectively write an entertaining and epic story.
Formatting Guidelines:
Descriptions and actions in normal text. ("Sia sprinted to cover, loosing an arrow before diving prone behind the table.")
Speech in bold, pick a color for your character. ("Get down! He's got a bomb!" she shouted.)
<If your speech is not in common (e.g. speaking in Elvish or another language) use greater/less than brackets.>
Rolls in bold italics. Attack: 18 Damage: 5
Out of character text in italics. (Is someone going to shoot him or are we screwed?)
Things that are not apparent to all characters, such as whispers or the results of a knowledge or perception skill, use a spoiler tag.
Feredir:
Your keen elven eyes see that they are taking the hobbits to Isengard!
And now, onto the story...
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Our story begins in the rough-and-tumble frontier town of Phandalin, nestled between the Neverwinter Wood to the north and the crags of the Sword Mountains to the southeast.
Theme - Phandalin
The town consists of forty or so wooden and stone buildings, some of which are built on top of old fieldstone foundations. There are many old ruins set between the newly built buildings, where crumbling stone walls covered in moss and briars lie between the fresh timber constructions. You get the sense that this town was once much larger, with almost a hundred homes, but tragedy befell it at some point in the distant past. Most of the new buildings are set along the north-south running cart path, which begins to widen into a muddy main street of sorts. The road passes through a main square, and turns from the south to the east, rounding several larger buildings, where it then snakes up a hill and finally leads to the ruins of a large manor house. From a distance, you can tell the manor must have shared the same fate as the other ruins, as there is no roof and the northern wall has crumbled down the hillside it is built upon.
It is a crisp spring day, with chilly air and a sunny sky only interrupted by a scant few puffy white clouds. It is an hour or so past noon, and a few children are playing in the town green, no doubt burning energy outside before the afternoon grows long. Some townsfolk go about their business, but you notice they tend to move directly, not giving you much more than a quick glance before returning to their tasks.
On the east side of the town’s central square is a large roadhouse, which looks newly built. A fieldstone base is about three feet high, and roughhewn timbers form the walls and second story, with set glass windows denoting possible rooms. The door is solid wooden planks, with a brass round handle. Above the door is a painted round sign depicting a white-capped rounded mountain on a yellow background, along with text in Common reading “Stonehill Inn”. Small dwarven runes adorn the bottom of the sign.
Theme - Stonehill Inn
Inside the common room is a rather bustling tavern, even for the early afternoon hour, with several folk nursing drinks contained in horns or tankards as they sit around small round tables or on barstools. A serving girl, who is a brunette human girl of about 18 or so in a bright yellow dress and white apron, brings a tray of drinks and food to a group of what appear to be a group of farmers. On the right side of the tavern, a stew is being cooked over a roaring fire, being stirred by a young dwarven child. Most of the smoke escapes up the nearby chimney, but the air is heavy with the smell of cooking food and spilt ale. Along the left side of the tavern is the bar, being tended by a black-bearded, bald dwarf wearing a leather apron over a simple gray linen shirt. A pair of figures sit in a booth in the far corner of the inn, and a half-elf sits on a stool near the fire, tuning a dulcimer.
Feredir:
As you enter the familiar taproom of the Stonehill Inn, your three companions proceed to the closest corner of the bar. As you approach, the dwarven barkeep Toblin Stonehill motions you over. "Ey, lad. Ye were mentionin' that ye were lookin' for a group of elfs like yourself, same symbol and all. Ye might want to take a look at the booth in the back. I'm thinkin' she's one of the ones ye were talkin' about." As you turn to look, you see the familiar face of Sia Larnathai, a fellow Silver Quiver and one of the scouts who accompanied Beleg and the rest of his team. She looks rather more haggard than your remember, her cloak torn and a cut on her eyebrow, and she is seated next to a small gnome wearing a heavy armor coat. Both have cups of ale infront of them, and are mid conversation.
Gnippen:
After you first encountered the half-elf Sia on the High Road south of Leilon, she spoke of some truly intriguing things. Dwarven fortresses hidden in mountain paths, a horde of undead, masked assailants? It's no wonder the captain thought her addled or mad. Regardless, she requested assistance in finding her friends, and your order would oblige. Now you've found yourself well separated from the common patrol routes between Neverwinter and the Mere of Dead Men, and have been in Phandalin since the morning. Sia and you have been asking around if any other members of her mercenary guild, the Silver Quivers, have passed through recently. Apparently, there is one who stayed in the inn last night. So you've been killing time in the taproom, hoping her lead on an ally is correct... and that you can discover the truth behind her seemingly tall tales. In the meantime, this "Walloping Ale" that the dwarf barkeep sold you on is quite tasty.
Elyham:
Your travels have lead you to Phandalin, and you see great value in the remoteness of it. You have spent well over a week providing nightly entertainment for Stonehill Inn, and have gotten a good lay of the land. Sure, there is a bandit problem here or goblin problem there, but nothing really INTRIGUING has come across your keen ears as you trade tales with travelers and locals. But, you are always looking out for interesting people and interesting times. A gnome and a half-elf walk into a bar? Perhaps there's a punchline to be found.
Feredir, Gnippen, Elyham. Please give a physical description of your characters to the other players. What would you like to do?
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Though the gnome Gnippen barely reaches half your height, that hasn't stopped him from adorning himself fully with heavy ill-fitting armor and a large shield on his back that reaches down to his kneecaps. The sight would likely be comical if it were not for the creepy bright green emerald gnome eyes or the Order of the Aster heraldry adorning the shield hinting towards a hard martial life.
Ever present at his feet is the giant Mastiff, Tim, covered in curly black hair that is only broken by a narrow patch of white extending through the middle of his face and down past his neck.
Turning to Sia, Gnippen states: "As much as I enjoy your company and the Walloping Ale, I believe the trail towards your friends may be becoming ever colder. Let us ask around to see if any of these other kind patrons knew which room your friend sought refuge in last night. Perhaps we could refresh the barkeeps memory. The Dwarf undoubtedly seems to be a kindly fellow, if only he knew the dire situation he would perhaps lend a hand, and if not there are always other ways to loosen a tongue of a local businessman."
Figured I would also add a little intro for myself here, I'm Steve and I met Josh through a mutual work friend. Also, fair warning, this character may be kind of a hilarious disaster... Looking forward to playing with everyone!
DM for Out of the Abyss | Edvord Reinholdt for Killilli's Waterdeep Dragon Heist | Sergeant Cernan for Viper's Descent
This is the fourth string this week that has busted on this damned dulcimer.... why do I keep using this ancient junk?, Elyham muttered to herself, sitting by the fire. At least it was warm in this inn; much better than the last place she was holed up, laying low from what she thought were some trackers on her tail. It was becoming harder to stay off the beaten path lately. Phandalin seemed quiet enough for a change. The people hadn't really been that welcoming though, but they weren't prodding into her affairs either.
Scanning the room, Elyham can't help but chuckle when she sees a half-elf seated with a gnome in some over-sized armor in a corner. He looks like a child wearing adult clothing. Heck, his dog is bigger than he is. There's a few other patrons in the inn, but not any wearing such regalia. Maybe him and his friend have some interesting tales to share....
Elyham popped up from the stool and strolled across the inn to the corner where the gnome and the half-elf were seated. As she crossed the path of the window by the front door, a strange figure outside caught her periphery. She turned her head to see who or what the figure was, but promptly slammed into a table spilling the contents onto the floor. A bowl of stew slid across the floor towards the gigantic dog by the gnome, skidding to a stop right between his paws.
Hey everybody! Doing the same thing as Steve here. My name is Lowry and I met Josh at school in 2nd grade, 27 years ago. We shared a love for Lego's and computer games ever since. If you want to know anything about him, just ask. My character can't keep a secret, so neither can I?
This is my first DnD adventure though, outside of the computer based RPG's . Feel free to coach me through battles or sticky situations if you know what to do, because this may be rough lol... I look forward to not setting anyone on fire, or burning down a forest....
Sia is a lithe half-elf, maybe in her early twenties, with light brown eyes. She has mousey brown hair, undercut on the left side, the rest tied into a long braid down her back. She wears dark brown leather armor over a dull green tunic, and a long brown cloak is folded on the seat next to her, though you can see that there are several blade scars on her armor and the edges of her tunic are a bit tattered. She has a small cut on her eyebrow, one that will likely leave a scar when it is fully healed. A shortbow and sheathed blade lean on the wall next to the bench she is sitting on.
She takes a sip of her ale as Gnippen speaks, and then sets the wooden tankard back on the table. "You may be right, and I'll be honest, I was perhaps too hopeful that I could sit here with an ale in hand and let the world solve my problems for me. We'll finish our drinks and see if we can pick up the trail, or perhaps find the dwarf who paid for our expedition in the first place. Get word back to Neverwinter. I don't think he meant to send us into a deathtrap outside some ancient dwarven door."
Sia pauses for a second. "At least... I hope not?"
About that time is when Sia is surprised by another half elf slamming into an adjacent table and scattering a bowl of stew everywhere...
Sia Dexterity Save 19 - Success
Gnippen Dexterity Save 8 - Fail
Tim Dexterity Save (automatically fail)
Sia shifts out of the way of the splatter of the bowl, while Gnippen gets a large portion of stew deposited on his heavy mail boots. Tim begins licking the spill, the bowl, and the boots almost immediately, his heavy tail thumping on the table leg.
Sia stands, looking at the half-elf. "Uh... hello?"
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Visibly flustered, Gnippen looks down at his boots, whatever little joy remained on his face after another fruitless day quickly evaporates. A flush of red hot anger crossed his face, but it passed as quickly as it had appeared. A dejected Gnippen murmurs, "These are my only set of boots."
With a heavy sigh, Gnippen unwraps a pouch from his pocket containing a variety of hand-tools, small clothes, and other objects and begins to try to clean the slobber and stew off of his boots. As his tiny hands move, the beady green eyes between Gnippen's furrowed brow impressively remain locked on the intruder, staring.
Of course the Commander picked him to follow this lunatic out into the middle of nowhere. It was bad enough he had spent the last month trudging back and forth between Neverwinter and Waterdeep guarding the High Road. While Gnippen had overheard plenty of hushed conversations and gossip concerning "the Gnome acting as a Paladin," at least back on the High Road he was among members of his own faith.
Tim, having finished his unexpected meal saunters tail-wagging over to new Half-Elf, looks up with big eyes and drool running from his mouth, and gives a deep low bark, undoubtedly requesting seconds.
DM for Out of the Abyss | Edvord Reinholdt for Killilli's Waterdeep Dragon Heist | Sergeant Cernan for Viper's Descent
Feredir is a tall, stoic elf with long straight red hair. He wears well-traveled leather armor and upon his braided belt he carries two silver-steel short swords, engraved on each hilt with his family crest. Slung across his back is a yew longbow and a quiver with a leather quiver which appears to have a faint and sun-bleached grey quiver emblem hand-decorated. His emerald green eyes seem to morph color not only in response to light, but also seemingly to mood. Cold and green-grey they appear as he enters the tavern and speaks with the dwarven barkeep. Suddenly, his glance shoots to the commotion where he recognizes a familiar - though wearied - face of a friend. His eyes blaze with a sudden yellow-gold fire as he marches straight toward Sia.
Headless of the stew catastrophe, he places his right hand upon Sia's left shoulder and says, barely audible, in elvish: "Hail friend. How glad I am to see a familiar face in this town. Though it seems, one somewhat worse for wear. I'll admit I had all but given up hope that I would find one of you again alive."
Hey friends, I'm Adam, or "Burner", if you like, and I knew Josh as "Viper" for a couple years before I knew his secret nerd side. I just moved to the UK, so this is a bit of a long-distance RPG for me, but I'm happy to give it a shot. Started my first DnD campaign with Josh, Amy and a few other friends a few months ago and loved it - looking forward to seeing where this offshoot takes us. Obviously I'm also a huge RPG and video game nerd in general.
Elyham gathers herself from the incident with the table, wiping off a few remnants of slop from her cloak. A few feet in front of her, the group of patrons she was heading towards were staring at her, waiting for some explanation or utterance of word. The dog is now a pace away, looking with some expectation for more stew.
"Oh, I am so very sorry about that.... I uh... well.. I was on my way over to ask if you had any interesting stories to share, but it looks like I may have worn out my welcome here.... except for the dog at least." Elyham said to the group sheepishly, not really knowing what to say in the moment.
"My name is Elyham, may I buy you a round of ale from the barkeep? I hear the walloping ale is quite a tasty treat!"
Without waiting for a response, she turned towards the bar and started calling for 3 ales, but promptly ran right into another table.
Sia gives Feredir a warm smile, and responds in Elvish "<I am glad Yala sent you when we did not report back. Come, sit.>" She gestures to an empty chair opposite where she and the gnome had been previously sat. As Feredir approaches the table, Sia watches the odd half-elf proceed towards the bar.
Switching back to common, Sia motions to Gnippen. "Feredir, this is Gnippen. He and his order found me half-dead on the side of the High Road about five days ago, and through their kindness got me back on my feet. He has been gracious enough to accompany me back here. Gnippen, Feredir is a ranger of my guild, and the one I was hoping to meet today before we continued on."
Theme - Sia's Story
As Feredir and Sia take their seats, she continues, explaining to both Gnippen and Feredir. "Our contract was to locate some dwarven ruins in the Sword Mountains. Looking for an ancient mine that supposedly had some great power. Beleg, guildmaster of the Silver Quivers, lead our team of six. We'd found a series of old waystones deep in the mountains, and had followed them to a ravine. Most the stones were worn smooth, but one had a dwarven rune... the name Duregen. To our surprise, the ravine marked by the stones eventually opened up to a massive stone door, covered in more carved runes. I had been scouting up along the ridgeline, while the rest were down by the door itself."
She paused, gathering herself to continue. "It was an ambush. Bones dug out of the dirt and from behind rocks and started attacking everyone below, swinging rusty swords. I saw Telos take a blade to the gut, and then the entire ravine was covered in darkness. I heard screams. I... tried to help, from where I was above. But in the chaos I got distracted. Two others, cloaked in black and red and wearing masks, attacked me on my perch." Sia lifts up her arm, and motions to the side of her leather breastplate, which has a huge, dark-stained gash in the armor. Underneath her tattered tunic you can see fresh bandages. "I got one of them as good as they got me, but I couldn't stay. I... fled. It must've taken me three days to get out of the mountains. I honestly don't remember it."
She sighs. "I want to go back. I want to find out what happened to my friends. And see if this giant rune-covered door of Duregen was worth the blood spilled."
Elyham, you hastily proceed from the table of strangers to the bar. Toblin, the dwarven barkeep, gives you a hearty chuckle as he lays out four tankards of Whalloping Ale. The malty scent of the strong dwarven brew is almost overpowering. "Right mess ya made, lass. I'll add the three silver to yer tab for a new bowl of stew fer ol' Lanar as well as the ales. Ya look like you could use a nip of one yerself."
Elyham Perception: 5
As you proceed back to the table, clutching two tankards in each hand, you catch but a single word of tale the half-elf is telling. "Duregen."
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Gnippen slowly becomes less flustered as he continues to labor over his boots and listens to Sia's story. Leaning back into the booth, Gnippen tries to recall if he has ever run across any mention of "Duregen" during his life or adventures.
Gnippen History 1
"Sia your cause is undoubtedly worthy and just, but before we rush off it the night, it may be prudent if we knew more. While I do not ascribe to discretion being the better part of valor, let us not befall the same fate as your friends. We shall not tarry too long, a few hours well spent in preparation is unlikely to significantly alter the situation and may yet later birth fortune. Perhaps someone with more local knowledge may be able to assist us?"
As Gnippen is talking, he looks over to see Elyham returning to the table with the promised round of Walloping Ale. Conspiratorially Gnippen motions to Elyham, "Young Lady, you appear to be someone who may know the lay of this land. Have you perchance heard any mention of "Duregen"?"
DM for Out of the Abyss | Edvord Reinholdt for Killilli's Waterdeep Dragon Heist | Sergeant Cernan for Viper's Descent
BWHAHAHAHAHA turns out my character has been struck by amnesia. Also, just testing here to make sure I can re-edit words in posts without changing rolls. 451
It appears you can and the rolls will stay the same.
DM for Out of the Abyss | Edvord Reinholdt for Killilli's Waterdeep Dragon Heist | Sergeant Cernan for Viper's Descent
Gnippen History: 1 (Adjusted)
Gnippen:
You concentrate on your thoughts, thinking deeply about all the lessons you had learned in the past - from your schooling, from your mentor, from every tome and scroll you have ever read. Your keen mind focuses, and you can feel it... just barely... but you can feel the knowledge of Duregen boiling up from within you. Bubbling forth from within your very core, the height of the gnomish mind at its pinnacle.
Then, you are forced to stifle a belch. Nope, that was actually just the ale. You got nothing.
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Feredir listens intently to the harrowing tale of misfortune. As Sia concludes, Feredir leans back in his chair, cupping his chin in his hand and running fingers from his other along the cool metal hilt of his right-side short sword. His eyes search the ceiling, recalling his recent encounters and attempting to put the pieces together. After a few moments lost in thought, he slowly leans forward again and stretches out his right hand to Gnippen, and says "Thank you for your service to my kinsman, friend. It seems fate has brought our paths together here in this place. Should this quest prove at all similar to my mis-adventures these past days, we shall need all the preparation we can muster."
Do I recognize Gnippen's Order of the Aster heraldry? RELIGION - 6
Does the description of Sia's assailants match the bandits I saw in town the past two days? INVESTIGATION - 21
Feredir:
You haven't heard of this particular Order. You know mercenary companies pretty well, as they are oftentimes competition for the Silver Quivers, but you haven't had much exposure to the more divine-aligned organizations.
You ask Sia to further describe her assailants. She describes a pair, who she guessed was a man and a woman. Both were wearing ebony black leather armor, and had black hoods and cloaks, though the cloth mask each wore from nose to chin was a scarlet red. They had silvery, curved swords. They spoke in a language she didn't understand. She said she managed a good rapier strike on the man, but the woman is the one who sliced her up.
Compared to your encounter with the Redbrands, these don't seem to be a match. The Redbrands seem to be more a group of local ruffians, more akin to the brute Trevor or his seedy friends at the Sleeping Giant. Her description of this pair sounds foreign, almost exotic.
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Cautiously pacing through the tavern towards the remnants of the disaster just brought about, Elyham clutches ales in her hands for the patrons whom she disturbed. As she is slinking along, she catches a word from their distant conversation: Duregen. A chill runs down her back, standing up the scruff of hair on the back of her head.
The gnome calls out to Elyham from the table, asking if she knows of this "Duregen". Elyham remembers it clearly, a page in a tome written in Draconic, bound in deep red leather and inscribed with runes. She does not remember precisely WHEN she first read this page, during the timeless studies in the archmagus' repository, but the content of this page has stuck in her mind.
Gathering her composure, Elyham saunters over to the table and places the ales in front of her new acquaintances.
Gnippen's small hand reaches out and clasps Feredir's, "Agreed Feredir, fate is indeed at play. Your friend Sia is fortunate, I can tell you that. We do not patrol and camp out on the High Road merely for fun. It saddens my heart hearing that these mountains are yet another area plagued by the restless and unholy undead."
"Sealed vaults and great treasures? While I have no need of wealth, you have sparked my interest Elyham." Gnippen's eyes have appeared visibly brighter after the mention of treasure, you doubt he is entirely honest about being above materialism. "Sia and Feredir's guild were unlikely to be the first drawn or hired to collect on the promise of such riches. I wonder if the undead and the couple Sia mentioned were somehow working in coordination. Either way, we cannot allow skeletons and zombies to roam freely, even in areas as remote as here!"
"Unfortunately I have little further information add to which may illuminate this puzzle. Assuming my intuition is correct, before dusk falls, there is one errand I wish to run , otherwise I will be outside this tavern in holy meditation preparing for the trials ahead."
Gnippen slowly stands up from the booth and bids his farewells. Tim, seeing Gnippen move, eagerly jumps up and follows. Approaching the bar, Gnippen asks Toblin if there are any churches or clergymen within the town of Phandalin.
I would like to see if there is a way for someone to obtain either Holy Water or Silver Dust within this town, it may come in handy against undead, but I don't have the resources to buy it!
DM for Out of the Abyss | Edvord Reinholdt for Killilli's Waterdeep Dragon Heist | Sergeant Cernan for Viper's Descent
As Gnippen departs, Feredir stands - in typical elvish courtesy - and suggests: "Perhaps we should meet here again in the morning, share what we have discovered about this "Duregen" fellow?"
He's not entirely sure where the search should begin, but something about Elyham's prophetic description doesn't sit right in his mind. He suspects that Elyham may be keeping something to herself. INSIGHT - 3
Taking his seat again, he looks past Sia to the clumsy half-elf bard and rather abruptly asks "Well, Elyham, aside from hastily distributing meals among the tavern patrons, what brings you to this town and this tavern of all places?"
Do I notice anything about her that I recognize? Articles of clothing, emblems, crests, etc.? INVESTIGATION - 9
Gnippen:
Theme - Phandalin
As you exit Stonehill Inn, you stand on what could be considered the town's central square. On the north side of the square is a simple shrine constructed of stacked stones in a tower about 8 feet high, with a few simple wooden benches forming a semicircle around it. A wooden depiction of a gold coin is set just below eye-level on the tower of stones, and a small copper offering bowl is placed in front of the shine. The shrine is flanked by flowering bushes, giving a dash of pink and white colors to the otherwise plain area. Next to the shrine is a small log cottage, constructed with the door facing the shrine.
You see a slight young elven woman with dark blonde hair. She is currently tending to one of the flower bushes, and a small pile of trimmings lay at her feet.
Feredir:
She's a bit hard to read. You don't see any identifying crests or emblems on her gear.
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Gnippen stares at the tall--correction, tall by only Gnome standards--stone shrine. Looking at the gold coin, Gnippen thinks to himself that he could have sworn he remembered seeing such a shrine near one of the many markets in Waterdeep. Religion - 14
Casually approaching the elven woman, Gnippen makes a show of scolding Tim back away from the flowers. Not that Tim needed any scolding, what would a battle-hardened Mastiff do with a bed of pansies?
"Well met madam! Lovely day to tend to one's flowers? If it isn't too much of a bother, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about this striking shrine? It is the first one that I have seen in Phandalin!"
DM for Out of the Abyss | Edvord Reinholdt for Killilli's Waterdeep Dragon Heist | Sergeant Cernan for Viper's Descent
Gnippen:
You recognize the symbol of the gold coin to be that of Tymora, the goddess of good fortune. She is very commonly worshiped by adventurers and travelers, and it is sometimes said that your fate will be determined by a roll of her dice. The shrine itself isn't as grand as the one you have seen in Waterdeep, but is quite passable for this austere location, and it's obvious that the elf has taken great care to make it a bright and cheery place in the otherwise plain town.
The elf turns to you, and gives you a warm smile. She is probably 100-120 years of age (equivalent to a mid-20s human), with dark blond hair in a long-braided ponytail that reaches her waist. She has blue eyes and fair features. She wears a blue tunic underneath a leather breastplate, light gray pants, and a pair of long leather boots. A small gold coin dangles on her chest, attached to a solid leather necklace. She is soft-spoken,and seems friendly.
"Hello, kind sir. This little corner of Phandalin is the Shrine of Luck, dedicated to Tymora, and my contribution of color and fortune." She looks at Tim, and smiles. "Cute dog!"
She returns her eyes to you. "I am Sister Garaele, priestess of the Lady of Luck. I maintain the shrine here, and pass on the blessings of my goddess to the people of this town when required. And you are, if I may ask?"
Gnippen Perception - 4
You notice she seems to be favoring one side as she moves. Perhaps a recent injury?
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag