DRAGON OF ICESPIRE PEAK

Nestled in the rocky foothills of the snow-capped Sword Mountains is the mining town of Phandalin, which consists of forty or fifty simple log buildings. Crumbling stone ruins surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past.

Phandalin’s residents are quiet, hard-working folk who came from distant cities to eke out a life amid the harsh wilderness. They are farmers, stonecutters, blacksmiths, traders, prospectors, and children. The town has no walls and no garrison, but most of the adults keep weapons within easy reach in case the need for arms should arise.

Visitors are welcome here, particularly if they have coin to spend or news to share. The Stonehill Inn at the center of town offers modest lodging and meals. A couple of doors down from the inn, posted outside the townmaster’s hall, is a job board for adventurers.

DAY ONE - PHANDALIN

 "Well here we are. Phandalin."

Father Thomas scratches the mostly healed skin around his right wrist where his hand used to be. 

 "What a dump."

Anders breaths in deeply then wrinkles his nose at the fresh smell of manure from the nearby fields. "Smells like home."

 Toot giggles as she floats alongside Anders.

She sits cross legged on what appears to be a floating disk of light.

 "Toot you might want to consider walking when we get into town. I doubt the locals are used to seeing flying halflings"

 "Pah! Walking is for muggles. Maybe I'll start a trend."

Father Thomas gives a heavy sigh and Anders chuckles in appreciation of the sentiment.

 Elandra lags behind with their stoic companion Feldoran.

"So you have family here?" she asks the dwarf.

 Feldoran grunts to the affirmative.

"Off east. They run one of the mines."

 "Will you visit them?"

Elandra brushes a wisp of white hair back behind her elven ear. 

 "Doubt it..."

Then under his breath, "We don't get along."

 "I will go to the inn and secure our rooms."

Father Thomas looks back to Elandra and Feldoran to make sure they are listening. "Feel free to take a look around, but do not cause any trouble."

 "I think he's talking to you." Elandra whispers to the dwarf.

 "Piss off."

They all head down into the town and while Thomas goes ahead to the inn the rest of them check out the general store next door.

 The proprietor, Elmar Barthen, is a lean and balding human man of fifty years.

"Welcome, welcome what brings you all here?" His eyes linger for a moment on the floating halfling but he does not seem overly surprised. 

 "We are in town looking for work.. and maybe some fun if there is any to be had."

 Barthen laughs, "Well I dont know about fun, but there's plenty of work."

He looks them up and down for a moment and shrugs, "You should swing by the Lords Hall, Sildar keeps a busy jobs board over there."

 "Who is Sildar?"

 "Lord Sildar is master of Phandalin since they arrested old Harbin ten years back."

Barthen shakes his head, "Nasty business that was, but there is always some trouble or another to worry about if you have a mind.  Some folk in town claim to have seen a dragon flying through the high clouds here about. At that distance, it’s hard to gauge the creature’s size, but some say it’s as big as an elephant and has gleaming white scales. Now that is trouble if it's true”