2. Phandalin

The interior of the Townmaster's Hall is clean and functional. Sturdy stone walls keep the building cool despite the afternoon sun outside, and the furnishings are simple: a few benches, a large table cluttered with papers, ledgers, and ink pots.

A narrow staircase leads upward to private offices and records, while another descends into the cellar below.

You quickly realize that Phandalin has no true government. The town is too small and too isolated for that. In fact, the townsfolk elect a townmaster each year to settle minor disputes, keep records, and handle whatever administration a frontier settlement requires, but there isn't a noble Baron or significant officials yet — judges, captains and guildmasters are nowhere to be seen.

At the rear of the hall, seated behind a desk that seems to strain under both paperwork and its owner's presence, is a round-faced human man in expensive but slightly ill-fitting clothes. His thinning hair is carefully combed, his fingers glitter with rings, and he appears to be deeply occupied with the important business of reading a document while avoiding eye contact with anyone who might require actual work.

Nearby, you spot another familiar figure.

Sildar Hallwinter stands beside a table covered with maps and reports, speaking with a local clerk. Unlike the other man, he immediately notices your arrival. A smile crosses his face.

Igrem smiles back at Sildar and approaches. "Sildar, it is so good to see you! You are now obviously a notability in this town." he says, before engaging in small talk. He half expects Alex to start talking about the serious stuff.

Redhawk will move to get a glance at the maps. He has always loved looking at maps.

Alex steps forward and addresses Sildar. "Our thanks for your patience, Master Sildar," he begins. "We successfully restored the coster's goods after a brief interlude with a squad of roving hobgoblin raiders." At this point, he turns to the seated man and interjects "that reminds me, TownMaster, you should know that hobgoblins are roaming the environs. Is that regular, or does this portend Maglubiyet," and here Alex spits, "riling up his minions?"

"My friends," he says. "I was beginning to wonder when you would return."
"Allow me to make introductions." Sildar says, smiling warmly as he gestures toward the rotund man behind the desk.

"This is Harbin Wester, elected Townmaster of Phandalin."

Harbin looks up from his papers, gives a dignified nod that somehow manages to be both self-important and distracted, and then folds his hands atop a ledger.

Near Sildar is a young man in plain but neat clothing, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties. Ink stains mark his fingers.

"And this," Sildar continues, "is Ander. Master Wester's assistant and clerk."

The young man offers a polite bow.

"A pleasure," he says.

At Alex's mention of the hobgoblins, Harbin's attention sharpens considerably.

"Unfortunately, that is hardly the only trouble these days."

The Townmaster gestures vaguely toward the maps spread across the nearby table, where Redhawk has wandered.

"The truth is that more than a few bandits, brigands, and other unsavory sorts have settled throughout the region. They take advantage of the simple fact that there is no local lord here, no standing authority beyond what little we can maintain ourselves."

He pauses and glances toward Sildar.

"Phandalin is prosperous enough to attract attention, but not powerful enough to discourage it."

Sildar places a hand upon the map spread before him.

"Which is precisely why I wished to speak with all of you." He looks around at the party, then his finger traces a route across the map. "You've already done much for me, but I believe there is still work that needs doing. You should keep up the pressure on the Cragmaw Goblins. I offer each of you a new and improved set of armor if you promise to locate Cragmaw Castle and defeat or drive off the tribe's chieftain"

"Dangers upon dangers! It was too much to hope that the poor town would be in need of something so simple as extra hands for the harvest." Boggart laughs, standing on a chair to get a good look at the maps with Redhawk.

"What if we befriend these gobs, same as the ones in the cave? Would that be satisfactory?"

Alex smiles at Boggart's naturally good nature. "Boggart, dear chap, I think Master Harbin has the right of it here. Nott took advantage of our presence to remove and depose Klarg, who could have killed her without breaking a sweat. New to her role she was not in position to take us on. The rampaging hordes are much more akin to the hobgoblins who used us for target practice last night. The only negotiations in which they would be interested is whether or not to kill us before cooking us, or vice versa."

Turning to the aforementioned town master, Alex continued "Master Harbin, before we accept, we would need some idea as to the numbers, geographic locations, defenses, and other pertinent intelligence." Continuing with his patented slightly cheeky but engaging grin, Alex finishes with "While even those of us for whom plate mail is more an encumbrance could benefit from new arms and armor, we need to be alive to see that benefit, do we not?"

Boggart strokes his chin with his thumb and sighs. "I fear you speak the truth. I ask only that we consider it, should that path be open to us." He gives his glowing companion a scritch under the chin, and all troubles are soon forgotten.

"Unfortunately I don't have the precise location of Cragmaw Castle or their other strongholds, if any. Intelligence gathering would be part of the job." said Sildar.

"Ahem", interrupted Harbin. "For the orcs, though, I do have their location. Just head east through the Triboar Trail and you will see Wyvern Tor. It can be seen from twenty miles away and is impossible to miss. If you're willing to take care of them, I can offer 100 gp for your party as a reward.", said the townmaster.

Redhawk listens as he studies the map"Both need killing as far as I am concerned. Which is the more urgent?"

Despite his experience, reputation, and obvious competence, Sildar deliberately gives Harbin Wester the floor whenever matters of local authority arise. Whether out of genuine respect for the office or some political calculation connected to the Lord's Alliance, he is careful not to overshadow the elected townmaster in his own hall.

Harbin, for his part, seems to enjoy this arrangement immensely.

---

The townmaster puffs himself up slightly in his chair.

"The orcs are a known threat," he says. "We know where they are. We know roughly how many there are. They have been sighted near Wyvern Tor repeatedly."

Sildar nods in agreement.

"Master Wester is correct. The Cragmaws remain dangerous, but they are presently an unknown quantity. We do not know the location of their castle, the strength of their defenses, or how many warriors remain under their chieftain. Meanwhile, any intelligence you gather while traveling could prove useful in locating Cragmaw Castle later."

Harbin nods vigorously.

"Precisely! Kill the orcs, collect your hundred gold pieces, and make the roads safer for honest folk."

On the map before you, Wyvern Tor stands marked northeast of Phandalin, beyond the Triboar Trail. It will take you 2 or 3 days to get there.

Alex ponders a bit and then responds. "Well, Master Harbin, you make some good points. Better to address the foe about which more is known, and in the process, perhaps gain intelligence on the other. Therefore, in the interests of success and survival, would you kindly let us know roughly how many orcs would you say there are? Do they have a known chieftain as well? Are they more active by day or by night? How are they armed and armored? All this information will help us to determine our needed supplies and plan of attack."

"The reports mostly come from farmers and merchants north of town," he says. "The most anyone has seen at one time was about half a dozen orcs."

Ander consults a few notes and nods.

"Three separate sightings over the past several tendays."

Harbin raises a finger.

"Now, that doesn't necessarily mean there are only six. There could be a few more lurking around Wyvern Tor. Eight, perhaps a dozen. But I would be surprised if it were a much larger band than that." said the townmaster.

Sildar listens quietly while Harbin continues.

"As for leadership, none of the reports mention a chief by name. Their equipment appears crude. Heavy chopping swords, axes, clubs. A few have been seen wearing leather armor, but certainly not all of them. They're raiders and pillagers, not soldiers."

"Most sightings have been after sunset," Ander adds. "Farmers returning late from their fields. Shepherds checking livestock. One hunter reported hearing them moving through the hills shortly after midnight."

Sildar folds his arms and says:

"If the reports are accurate, a capable group such as yourselves should have a reasonable chance of success—provided you approach the matter intelligently. What's your plan?"

"Our plan, Master Sildar? Well, we are neither so experienced nor overconfident to have a plan on the spot to vanquish a foe three times our number and probably six time our collective weight. What we have are a unique collection of skills. Skills we have acquired over a set of very short careers. Skills that make us potentially a nuisance for creatures like orcs." Here Alex shrugs and continues "Or, it could make us orc fodder. Either way. What we will do, I hope—" and here Alex looks at his companions, "is to carefully review the map and the intelligence you provided, and then pool our various expertise in hunting, tracking, woodcraft, stealth, reconnaissance, and the arcane arts to come up with a workable plan."

Looking at the map"I say we travel by road to make better time until we reach these farms. The farmers should be able to provide with enough information to point us in the right direction. Then I will look around for tracks and what not to find them and maybe set up an ambush for them."

"We can inquire about the orcs. We can go there and scout the area of their headquarter. We can trap some of them for interrogation. But I wonder, if they prove to be too numerous for us four, what additional force are you willing to commit to this task?" asks Igrem, while thinking aloud.