Lost Mine of Phandelver

Rigel and Ronk notice nothing out of the ordinary in their surroundings. When Rigel catches up to Sildar, the man stares straight ahead and does not break stride even as the ranger beckons him back to the campfire: "I understand your cause for caution and concern, young man. But I fear that my presence will only further incite your fellow traveling companions. I journeyed through the dark to get here, I can do it just fine to return. Perhaps we will reconvene in Phandalin, maybe then your temperamental farmboy will realize I am who I say I am. You know, if he goes through life with that approach, he is bound to find someone who sets their sights on teaching him some manners...let us hope so anyways..."

Sildar increased the pace of his departure such that Rigel would soon have to choose whether to keep following him or return to the others.

(OOC: Anyone refusing to sleep tonight must make a CON save vs. DC 11 or take one level of exhaustion, does not gain any benefits from a long rest.)

END OF ADVENTURING DAY

Rigel stops and watches with dismay as the man disappears into shadow. Turning around he heads back to camp arriving just in time to hear Vans statement about a fight. Unable to put the mages comment in context the ranger declines to join the conversation and instead simply gives Marcon a disapproving head shake before laying down upon his own bed roll. Sleep comes quickly to the half self.

With his own little ritual done, Van looks around the inside of his sphere. "Well, it's no mansion. But it'll keep us safe than a watch schedule."

Rigel wakes rested and feeling restored. He quickly and neatly packs his gear. When the others stir they find him tending the fire and munching on some dried meat.

He thanks Van by saying, "Thank you for providing some shelter for us. I slept much better knowing I could let my guard down a bit. Should reach Phandelin tomorrow afternoon at the latest. If my calculations are correct. Provided we head out soon."

Once everybody is up and ready he'll lead the party along the same general path that Sildar took. 

Tracking check: 24

Marcon met Rigel's disapproving look with a flat one of his own; but, he would say nothing to further incite the Ranger, tempting in some strange way as it was. As for the dome, Marcon looks confused for a moment. "This doesn't...?" He starts to question Van, but then stops upon fully registering the wizard's words. Realizing then as well that Van had -- intentionally or not -- ignored his earlier inquiry about truth telling magic in favor for another, and might've been prepared to just willy nilly allowed Sildar inside, Marcon gathered up his things to sit outside the dome without another word.

Attempts to speak with him at that point fall on deaf ears for the rest of the night. For unless someone wished to risk getting physical with the distrusting young man, he had no intention of doing anything less than stay up that entire first night, keeping watch as best he could via a separate camp or torch fire.

Con Save(DC 12): 13.

When the others awaken, Marcon is still conscious and seated just outside the dome, watching the sun rise over the horizon and chewing on a cold breakfast. And unless engaged, he is content to let it be a quiet morning on his part. One in which he hardly looks at anyone if it can be helped, and kept his distance.

All in all, it seems a night of reflection hasn't exactly restored the man's trust in the others. Because while Rigel takes point on navigation, Marcon is ever looking around, and even slow at times to reconfirm they were at least on a southerly track back to Phandalin. But at best, he only slows things down a little, or doze off at the wheel a few times to many to figure much of anything.

Survival: 19.

After carefully packing his gear Garet eagerly fallows group as usually towering his fellows with a polite smile 

Ronk yawns after a night of likely snoring very loudly in the dome. While the others gather up their things, the bugbear sits and meditates a bit - with some light snoring - and heads to Phandalin with the others.

Rigel has little trouble picking up the path that Sildar followed and leads the party along the way towards Phandalin. Their journey lasts another day and a half, though the remainder of the distance was traversed without issue or danger. Around noon of the second day, the party walks through the modest stone archway leading into the town.

All appears normal: they can see smoke rising from chimneys and children playing outside, they smell cook fires burning and hear a few men laughing at one another's jokes as they stand around outside Barthen's Provisions.

The party takes a brief pause once inside the perimeter of the settlement to consider where they want to go first:
   Sister Garaele usually hangs around the Shrine of Tymora near the town square
   Deran Edermath owns the small orchard in the southern part of town and can be found in many places around town telling stories of when he was an adventurer
   Elmer Barthen is most often behind the counter at his general store, Barthen's Provisions
   Toblen Stonehill can be found tending bar at The Stonehill Inn, which is also where Sildar Hallwinter was staying when the party was last in Phandalin
   Halia Thornton is never far from the Phandalin Miner's Exchange and is always willing to trade cold, hard coin for any gems, artwork or other valuables
   Linene Greywind buys and sells most types of weapons and armor at her trading post, The Lionshield Coster

"I'll meet you all in a bit at the Stonehill and we can decide what to do next. That should give Gundren time to resupply and decide if he trusts us enough to help him reclaim his cave. In the mean time I have a couple tasks to complete." says Rigel before heading off to see Linene Greywind at her forge. 

 On his way he attempts to locate Mirna Drendar, the female prisoner, and return her families heirloom as promised. 

Vanzaren grips Marcon by the back of his shirt to stop him. "First things first," he says outloud to everyone. "Let's apologize to Sildar for the rather frosty reception we gave to him."

Rigel only makes it a couple of steps before Vanzaren makes his suggestion. Turning back to the crew he agrees, "You're absolutely correct. He's probably at the Stonehill. What I had planned can wait ,we really should do that first." He accompanies Van to the tavern.

CONSTUTION SAVE to avoid exhaustion (Marcon)
1) 15 vs. DC 11 (applied from previous roll)
2) 20 vs. DC 12 (applied from previous roll)
3) 8 vs. DC 13
4) 7 vs. DC 14
5) 18 vs. DC 15
6) 11 vs. DC 16 (+1 level of exhaustion)
7) 24 vs. DC 17
8) 26 vs. DC 18 (+2 levels of exhaustion) speed is now halved, 2 additional hours required to reach Phandalin
9) 15 vs. DC 19 (+3 levels of exhaustion) attack rolls/saving throws made at disadvantage
10) 23 vs. DC 20 (+4 levels of exhaustion) hit points are now at half of maximum
11) 12 vs. DC 21 (+5 levels of exhaustion) speed is reduced to 0
12) additional forced march CON saves not possible becuase Marcon cannot physically move any further, and is collapsed on the ground an hour north of Phandalin

The party approaches the Stonehill Inn and find Toblen outside wiping down his exterior windows with a dish rag. The man greets them warmly: "Oh, looks like the Phandalin 5 have returned! And with Mr. Rockseeker, I see," he says with a polite nod to Gundren, who returns the man's acknowledgement with a barely perceptible nod of his own. "Shall I fetch you the usual sir? I believe it was '...a gallon of ale that doesn't taste like horse piss and a roasted leg of whatever hasn't been dead more than three days...' " Gundren rolls his eyes at Toblen's obvious attempt to tease him with his impression of the dwarf.

The innkeep then turns his attention to Ronk, who was carrying a sleeping Marcon in his arms the way a parent might transfer a sleeping babe into a house after the conclusion of a long journey by wagon. Toblen, cocks his head with a puzzled look as if not sure how to verbalize the question he was thinking of. Finally, he settles on a simple comment: "Uhm, he looks...tired..."

"Yeah poor little guy tuckered himself out. Think you could put him up for a bit while he recovers? Oh and is Sildar around? We need to speak with him." Rigel produces a couple of gold pieces and presses them into Toblens hand. "I know it more than needed but he make be a bit cranky when he gets up." The ranger proceeds inside suddenly realizing he could use a bit of food himself.

Garet adds few silver coins more looking at exsosted farmboy "a..and p.. please g..give h..him s..some f..fresh s..sturdy travel c..cloths" 

"Of course," says Toblen "but I'm afraid your money's no good here...ye all gots a free place to stay in Phandalin, long as I'm runnin' this Inn! But I don't think I've got any pants to fit the young fella..." he says while tugging at the waist of his own trousers, "...I, uh, well me ma always said I was born with orc-bones..." Garet notices the innkeeper's face blushes a little as the man sinches up his pants around his considerable girth...nearly three-times that of Marcon's lean farmboy frame. "Mirna Dendrar has set herself up an nice little tailor shop though. It's right across the way there," Toblen points across the open expanse of the town square to a small one-room building on the east side of the clearing. "I bet she can fix the boy up with some decent britches. Oh, and you asked about Mr. Hallwinter - he is still here in town and staying here at the Inn, but he's out on an errand at the moment. Went to see Townmaster Wester, I believe but he should be back shortly. I can let him know you folks are looking for him, if you like."

Toblen opens the door and motions Ronk in so that he can show him to a room for Marcon. "That boy need a doctor?" asks tghe inkeeper to Rigel as the party files through the door.

'I..I see' says confused Garet 'oh wait!' says as he runs out of the inn, grabs some mud from the ground, slaps Marcon's butt with it and casts 'Mending' spell. ' T..that sh.should do it f..for nn..now' ends proud of his magic

"Thank you Toblen, I think he just needs to rest. I think if we get him some rest and get him fed he'll recover soon enough. We could all use a bit of food now that I mention it." Rigel finds a table where they can wait while Marcon is taken care of. 

Ronk carries Marcon in as he follows Toblen to a room. "Marcon probably just needs some structure in his life. That's what the abbot always said I needed when I got in trouble." He follows Toblen to a room and unceremoniously drops Marcon onto the bed like he was a sack of root vegetables instead of a sleeping person, only to wince a bit as the farmboy hits the bed and lean over to the Innkeeper to whisper. "That's a soft bed right? It was okay to drop him there?"

Marcon's so far out of it, that neither the butt slap or dropping in any bed elicits than a grunt of pain.  And once in the bed, he instinctively started to curl up, and drift on deeper into sleep, blissfully ignorant of the slight dampness/inevitably crustiness to his pants from any mud left to dry....