Harbin shakes his head sincerely at Barkas.  "I'm afraid I don't keep a supply on hand.  I know the Stonehill is running low as well.  Their shipment of spirits didn't come in this week."

"Which leads me to my primary concern.  This dragon is bad news, but the raiding and banditry on the roads is the current direct threat to Phandalin's survival." 

He turns to look at Aranea.  "So tell me, what kind of manpower is Neverwinter sending with you?  I think - I hope - even a small garrison should be enough for us to head out and pacify the Orcs raiding in the west and then perhaps setup a semi-permanent guard post out on the Triboar Trail until this blows over...".  He looks at her, expectantly, for good news.

Aranea turns back to the town master with a serious expression on her face. "My superiors in Neverwinter sent me ahead to assess the threat in order to gauge what sort of response to send," she explains. "I will send word back to Neverwinter immediately if you have any messenger birds, but I am afraid it will take some time for the Watch to assemble a force and for it to arrive in town."

She looks around at her new companions. "For the moment, I fear, we are all you have at your disposal."

"Bah!!" Droknin lets out a loud chuckle. "Orcs? Just point me to the right direction and I will take care of them in no time!!" The Leonin is ready for some action after several days of peaceful travels. He looks at the other. "You are all welcome to join the hunt!"

The Townmaster lets out a long sigh.  "Of course.  It was too much to hope that we would receive a proper fighting force."

He pauses and seems to think for a moment.  "I don't mean that as an offense.  I would still be languishing in the tender care of the Redbrands if not for some of you.  You're obviously capable.  Its just... there is so much havoc breaking loose right now.  It seems like too much."

When Droknin erupts in exuberance, he smiles.  "Now that's the proper spirit.  If you can clear those Orcs off the western trail, or at least bloody their noses enough that they give our supply wagons a break, it will do this town a lot of good.  At the moment, I only have 100gp, but I'll petition the merchants here in town to chip in and contribute.  I can't guarantee what I'll have when you return, but it should be enough to make it worth your efforts.  It might also be worth your time to make the rounds in town before you leave... remind the merchants here you're doing all this on their behalf."

He clears off a dining room table and unrolls a well-worn map of the Triboar Trail region.

He points to the hills in the west, just north of the Sword Mountains.  "There's a promontory rock here... the locals call it 'Wyvern Tor' on account of some monsters that were driven off long ago.  A month back, some prospectors warned us Orcs had taken up there.  I've been trying to organize somebody to deal with it, but it may be too late."

He points to three spots along the Triboar Trail.  "Traders have been hit by Orcs here... here... and here.  They've only killed those who resisted, but they've taken everything they could carry, including food, weapons, alcohol, and even the horses and oxen.  Now, these spots are a good distance from Wyvern Tor, and the attacks have been on subsequent days.  Either its a different group of Orcs entirely, or they've made a home closer to the trail, somewhere in this region..." he points again where the attacks have occurred.

"That's all I know... but I'm sure if you head out that direction, the Orcs won't escape you for long."

Barkas listens and smile at Droknin’s comment, but he becomes very interested when the map comes out.  He brings out his own map and takes a couple of notes, then *sigh* he brings out his star map, turning it this way and that, trying to hold it in orientation over the map on the table, discerning who knows what from it.   Thankfully, he rolls it up and puts it away before speaking.  

“Aye.  We can do that.  What if we approach Wyvern Tor from the west, avoid the trail, try to be all sneaky like with our small force instead of using the Triboar Trail, where we’ll be sure to be ambushed.  Since we are small in … numbers … (he looks around, almost daring anyone to comment on his size), perhaps we should have a more careful approach.  If we have proper support, rations, ale (lingering longer than normal on that word), supplies and whatnot.  Right right?”  He looks around the table for other thoughts.

T'laren wonders on the changes in the area that may have tipped the balance in the favor of the orcs in the region. 

"How long has it been since the orcs stepped up their activity? Do we think they may have had some sort of arrangement with the orcs, or at least were keeping them at bay? Do we know where the white has been denning up? It may be driving orcs down out of the hills."

“Talking about gold.” Droknin takes 250gp from the bag from Sildar, and tosses the bag to T’laren. With his big paws, he scoops the gold pieces and he gives them to the Townmaster. “Here. Use this as a starting funds to hire capable people to guard the town.” He pats the human on his shoulders. “Good luck.”

Dronkin turns to Barkas. “However you choose to approach those Orcs. Just let me do the head bashing.”

T'laren's knobby but wiry fingers pluck the bag from the air and it is tucked away.

"Hiring guards is a start, but they've gotta be willing to take the job and do it decently well to be worth the coin... did the Redbrands leave many alive who are capable and willing to lift a blade to defend the town?"

He turns to Aranea, saying bluntly, "It doesn't seem like much investigating is called for to deal with orc banditry, I'm hoping you've other skills to hand besides a keen eye and deductive reasoning? Droknin's physique speaks for itself, and while I've not fought shoulder to shoulder with Barkas here, he brings certain... capabilities beyond his star charts and penchant for ale. I'm a fair shot with this," a few fingers trace the carved limb of his bow, "but I want to make sure we aren't going to be getting heat from your commander for taking you off into the wilderness and you getting killed before we get the job done. If you traveled here alone, I trust you can handle yourself out there?"

Aranea stares calmly back at T'laren. She doesn't seem to perturbed by his apparent distrust or skepticism of her abilities. Instead, she pats the hilt of the rapier at her side. "I'm a dab hand with this," she says. "I've also got a few spells up my sleeve."

She turns toward the map laid out on the table. "Barkas, your plan seems sound," she says. "I've always favored the stealthy approach wherever possible. The element of surprise can be a major advantage."

T'laren takes her confident response in stride, answering with only a grunt and a nod that might be interpreted as approval. 

"Stealth is good by me, I'd rather be on the giving end of an ambush than the receiving end."

Harbin thinks for a moment on T'laren's questions (post 1347).  "Our first reports of Orcs sighted near Wyvern Tor was weeks ago, before the dragon made its presence known in the lowlands.  Whether the white beast was already causing havoc up in the mountains, I can't say.  But the Orcs didn't begin raiding in earnest until this past tenday, after the dragon appeared over town."

He looks at the map again.  "As to where the dragon has made its lair, I can't say.  The very first word we had of the dragon was a story from a passing bard claiming to have seen it flying over Butterskull Ranch.  We didn't think much of it at the time... you can imagine the stories you hear from people that have been on the road awhile.  I shudder to think what's become of Alfonse Kalazorn and his ranch now, with so many Orcs prowling that stretch of trail.  He knows how to take care of himself... used to be the sheriff over in Triboar in his younger days... but his livestock is going to put an awful big target on his back."

He moves his finger over Phandalin, adding, "Then it appeared over the town, which some of you witnessed."

He slides his fingers over several points in the Sword Mountains.  "Over the past few days, word has come in from miners of sightings throughout the mountains south and west of here.  Miners from the Broken Hill iron mine claim the dragon landed on a crag over the mine and roared at them until they all fled.  Some dwarves over at the Stonehill Inn claim they were excavating the ruins of Axeholm, to the south of town, when the dragon appeared and chased them off.  There are rumors that the Mountain Toe Gold mine was hit as well."

Then he moves a finger further up the High Road, in the direction of Neverwinter.  "Then last night, a traveler stopped in and claimed he saw a huge white dragon digging in the hills west of the road.  No idea what that could be about, or if it isn't just hogwash made up to gather attention with all the dragon hysteria going about."

Harbin Wester is legitimately shocked when Droknin hands him back 250gp.  "Well... that is a right kind gesture.  I'm not sure we have the manpower here to mount any kind of meaningful defense against a dragon, but perhaps I can put the word out among the miners passing through town that there is gold to be made if they stay and help defend the town from Orcs or Goblins.  Even outfit them from the Lionshield with some simple gear and weapons.  Or, if we get lucky and a few more adventurers like you lot pass through town, maybe we can hire them.  Thanks, I am sure we will figure something out."

Barkas keeps rubbing his wolf skull cap as all of these marks appear on the map and the options really start to broaden.  “Whoa, whoa, whoa here lad.  Seems like this White Beastie is all over the place.  Are we going to this dig site, or the dwarven ruins, or Wyvern Tor, or where?  Ya got me all kerfuddled with all of this hubbub.  I gotta consult the charts on this one.”  He sits down for a moment, bringing out his star chart again, looking at it from all angles, trying to make an arch over the area of land depicted on the map.  Every now and again you hear a “huh..”. Or … “Well, we’re way off the grid on this one, heh?”  Sounds of confusion, frustration, but also - of a challenge.  

Aranea continues to study the map, frowning a bit. "Barkas has a point. Where to begin?"

She looks toward her new companions. "The threat of the orc raiders seems to be the most pressing issue at the moment. I would suggest starting with them unless anyone has any objections?"

"What about we start from the beginning? We go pay the ranch a visit." Says Droknin with his big Leonin arms crossed, and just giving the map a casual glance.

"Ranch is on the far side of where the traders have been hit, so fair chance the orcs have a keen eye on the Triboar between here and the ranch... does this bit of trail that enters the southeast wood go anywhere? We riled things up at Cragmaw, so not sure cutting fully through the woods is a good idea, but perhaps we follow the Triboar part way, but head north into the woods once we're past Cragmaw grounds, and continue along until we pick up that trail then cut east to Butterskull? Besides any aid we may be able to give Kalazorn if he still lives, he may have valuable information."

"Yes," Harbin says. "The threat of Orcs is paramount.  The town needs food, trade good and supplies, and for that we need open roads.  I only shared what I had heard of the dragon sightings because you asked.  Please, if possible, make the Orcs your priority."

He looks at where T'laren points at the southeastern Neverwinter Wood.  "There once was a settlement, here," he says, pointing at where that bit of trail meets the Triboar.  "Conyberry... perhaps you've heard of it?  Well, its been abandoned for some time.  I presume that bit of trail was used for logging access or trading with forest folk."

If he'd been near these parts in the past, he'd almost certainly have heard the name before in his 5+ centuries, but whether he remembers Conyberry...

History: 7

"An abandoned settlement near the Triboar... sounds like it has potential either as a hideout used by orc or goblin, a retreat that folks in the area may have fallen back to, or a base of operations for us to set up in the area.", T'laren says with a nod. "Either way, I think it sounds worth checking out on our way to dealing with the raiders."

T'laren looks to the other three, gauging their thoughts.

T'laren:

“So north to the Triboar trail, east for a bit, then north into Neverwinter wood, then east through the woods over to Conyberry and Butterskull Ranch eh?  Not exactly what I was picturin, but if you are sure, then I’m ok with that plan.  I feel a lot more comfortable in the woods anyway, get north off the trail as soon as we can and then travel under cover.  Do we need horses, gear, equipment and rations for the length of the journey?”  Barkas brings up a large glob of drainage from his sinuses and walks around the room looking for a spittoon to spit it in.