Next Steps

• The party arrives in town around mid-morning.
  • They find Deepdale peaceful, but bustling.
  • As it has been usual at this point, they notice that Droop did not enter town with them.
• They walk by the Miner’s Exchange.
  • With the thought of money spend fresh on his mind, Brannus proposes that this is a good opportunity to try to sell some of the gems they’ve been collecting in their days of adventure.
  • Sigmar and Kiara agree, following Brannus with Grunden and his brothers in tow.
  • Dwolf declines to accompany the party, deciding instead to look for Sister Garaele.
• As the four enter the Exchange, they find the place quiet, without much movement.
  • No one is at the counter to receive them.
• Brannus calls for service and a mildly exasperated reply of “Yes?" echoes.
  • However, they see no one.
• Brannus calls again, and after a loud sigh they begin to hear the sound of something being dragged.
• Having climbed on a small stool, they are finally greeted by a gnome.
  • His name is Aldo Buck.
• The party discusses with him the possibility of selling some goods.
  • He is interested once they mention that they have an assortment of gems.
• The parties haggle back and forth for a bit, eventually settling on a price and closing the deal.
• Transaction completed, they begin to leave.
• Grunden, however, wants a word with the gnome.
  • He asks the clerk if he knows of someone that could have possibly manifested interest in mining claims to the east of town.
  • Aldo replies that such information is considered delicate, and that he is not allowed to divulge it.
  • Grunden asks again, this time sliding some coins towards Aldo.
  • The gnome quietly accepts the bribe and reveals that he has had at least one man come in to ask information about that area in recent days.
  • He does not say anything else beyond that.
• Everyone satisfied, the group leaves and heads to the inn.
• Meanwhile, Dwolf has gone to talk to sister Garaele.
  • He finds her in her shrine.
  • After brief pleasantries, he shows her his new “tattoo” and ask her if she recognizes it.
  • She does not. It looks to her like a perfectly normal, albeit strange-looking, tattoo.
  • With Dwolf’s permission she attempts some healing magic on his arm.
  • This has the opposite effect, hurting him instead of healing him.
  • When it happens, Kiara’s brand (while she is at the Miner’s Exchange with the rest of the group) hurts a tiny bit too.
• Disappointed, and a bit rattled, Dwolf thanks Sister Garaele for her attempt and leaves.
  • He heads towards the inn, to drink.

• The whole group gathers back at the inn.
• With the brothers safe, they all wonder what to do next.
  • Grunden in worried about how his claim to the mine might be in danger.
  • The party does not deny this and also wonders about the ambush as they left the temple with the dwarves.
• The party asks Grunden’s opinion as to what he thinks they should all do next.
  • Grunden is quick to answer, if hesitant to request it: He would really like to leave for the mine.
• However, the heroes do not feel ready to face the possible threats ahead.
  • They fear what might await them on the way to the mine.
  • They fear not being ready.
• The party wants more allies for a more assured victory.
  • They ponder going to Thundertree, to search for the druid they heard that lurks near there.
  • Assuming he’s an expert on the area, he might help avoid dangerous paths.
• Grunden is very uneasy about this, since he would prefer not to imbue to many strange people with the knowledge of the mine’s existence – let alone its location.
  • In return, they try to reassure him it is for the best.
• Brannus point out to Grunden that he has help on the way.
  • This puzzles the rest of the party as they have no idea what he is talking about.
• Left without options, and fully dependent on the party at this point, Grunden concedes.
  • They reassure him again and suggest that he goes ahead and start preparing their trip to the mine.
• Grunden agrees to their decision, but asks that they inform Sildar of everything, first.
• With that settled, the dwarven brothers leave the inn.

• The party quickly follows and head out to the mayor’s office to speak with Sildar.
  • The place is quieter than the last time they were there, but looks active and maintained.
  • However, as they pass the main room by the entrance, into the interior foyer before Sildar’s office, there’s no sign of Alef – the young soldier that approached and guided the to Sildar – last time.
• Once they’re inside, in sight of the office door, it suddenly opens.
  • From inside emerges an extremely tall, powerfully built, figure of an armored male dragonborn.
  • He is clearly over 2 meters tall, and wears heavy armor emblazoned with the symbol of a platinum dragon.
  • He is missing his left arm, and looks like he had it replaced with a lance-shaped prosthetic.
  • He walks with heavy footsteps towards the party, but ignores most of them – he spares but a glance towards Brannus.
  • He is so tall, in fact, that he seems to not even notice the dwarves.
• The dragonborn abandons the office door open, and just leaves.
• As Sildar gets up to close it he notices the party, and invites them in with a smile.
• Inside, they recount their adventure rescuing the dwarven brothers.
  • They specifically mention the ambush at the temple exit, and the message the drow carried with their physical description.
  • They also add the bits of information Grunden was able to get from the Miner’s Exchange.
• Following this, they also ask Sildar’s opinion on their next course of action.
  • The warrior echoes Grunden’s worries about these foes possibly heading for the mine.
  • However, he also needs the party’s help, so he defers to them.
• The group mentions their idea of going to Thundertree to look for Reidoth, the druid.
  • Sildar is reticent about this, and reminds them that going there and back is – at least – a six-day journey.
  • At the mention of this – a detail they very much forgot – they scrap that idea entirely.
• They ask of Sildar, if he is willing to accompany them to the mine with the dwarves.
  • He explains that he is now busy coordinating the town’s defense with limited resources.
  • For the moment he feels he is more needed in Deepdale.
• In response, the party proposes heading back to Cragmaw castle in hopes of finding the source of the possible attack force threatening Deepdale.
  • If that issue is dealt with, then maybe Sildar can help them.
  • The warrior agrees, but begs them to be quick.
• They assure him they’ll do their best, thank him, and leave.

• Without much else to discuss, and not much in their mind to do, they head back to the inn.
  • They want to have an early night, so they can leave by dawn, and make the best possible time.
  • However, it is still very early, so the party sticks around the inn’s common room for a bit.
• Dwolf pulls out his small drum and starts playing it, for a bit.
  • The beat is pleasant so it attracts some attention.
  • After a while, Kiara joins in by dancing along with the rhythm.
  • This, now, attracts much more attention.
  • Elsa, the barmaid stays for a bit looking at Kiara dance, and their eyes meet with a bit of a spark.
• The performance lasts for a bit, but inevitably dies down.
  • They get a few copper coins out of it, but leave them to the establishment.
• Eventually, everyone retires to their rooms and rest.

• Early next morning, the party gathers their things and leaves north.
• On their way up to the Boar trail they walk past two small patrols of Greyhaven soldiers, and greet them as they move.
• Reaching the east/west intersection, they head east and pick up their pace.
  • They have a while to go to reach the castle and want to be there as soon as possible.
• After a few hours of walking the trail, they stop and go in to Greywood Forest, veering north.
  • Dwolf takes the lead, as they make their way through the green.
• They move for a few hours more and, as they are beginning to feel tired, they find themselves in recognizable surroundings.
  • They are nearing the small hill in which the castle sits upon.
• They pause for a short rest, and during the pause they begin to hear a sound…
  • A rhythmical thump slowly becomes louder and louder as something heavy approaches.
• The group hides as best they can, and after a few seconds hear a loud sniffing of the air followed by a guttural voice speaking in the common tongue, as the heavy footsteps grow ever closer:

I smells sum dwarf!

• Abandoning stealth, the group decides to face the incoming beast: an ogre.
  • A fight ensues, but the creature is no match for their focused efforts.
  • He falls after just a few seconds.
• Spurred by this event, they decide it’s time to move.
• Without any more issues, they arrive at the forest’s clearing that leads to the castle.
  • The place is immediately familiar as they’ve been here less than a week ago.
• Mirroring what they did last time, they task Nori – Kiara’s familiar – to scout ahead.
  • The arcane feline leaves and after a few minutes returns with news that it saw “furred creatures with red faces” inside.
• The party spends a few short minutes pondering how to approach the stronghold, and as they do this a patrol of hobgoblins and wolves emerges in their field of vision.
  • They freeze and hope they pass without noticing them.
  • Unfortunately the wolves keen senses betray them and the group is spotted.
• Hoping to draw attention from within the castle, and fight them outside, Brannus knocks the door around with a thaumaturgy cantrip.
• A battle ensues, in which a hobgoblin and two guard wolves and defeated.
  • Another hobgoblin, however, escapes into the stronghold.
• A few seconds later, the door into the castle taken by the escapee blasts open violently and a hobgoblin is seen being trampled by two large mutated goblins that come running out.
  • These unnatural beasts appear to have been released upon the party, and they oblige their masters by attacking the party.
• In the fray that follows Sigmar downs one of the creatures and is immediately reminded of their threat even in death as it explodes in a burst of necrotic slime.
  • The second monster is defeated swiftly, but with more care to this dangerous detail.
• Following this, the party retreats again to the safety of the tree line.
  • They are keenly aware that they now face a stronghold on high alert…