• Date: 2018.03.06
• Present: Alex, Corey, Drey, Ryan, Chris O., Chris B.
• Party
  • 🤹‍♂️ Buldrick, Eladrin Swashbuckler
  • 😈 Fisty, Tiefling Tome Pact Warlock
  • 🐲 Hiro, Dragonborn Samurai
  • 🦆 Ducky, Gnome Wizard
  • 🛡 Tumutch, Human Paladin of the Silver Flame
  • 🛠 Dug, Dwarf Forge Cleric.

tl;dr: The gang is hired to deliver a cart from Neverwinter to Phandelin. Along the way they meet a goblin defector fleeing the Cragmaw, a gang of thieves fleeing Phandelin, and are ambushed by a bunch of Cragmaw thugs. They defeat the ambushers and take one captive.

1. Hired
2. Visitor
3. Visitors
4. Ambush

Gundren Rockseeker hired Steel Reserve to escort a cart of goods from Neverwinter to Phandalin. Gundren and his pal Sildar go on ahead on horseback and will meet them there.

Our scene opens on the High Road. Ducky is at the reins of the wagon. Things proceed uneventfully.

At first.

During one of the first nights on the road, a lone goblin--of the Cragmaw clan--approaches the campfire. Famished and near exhaustion, the goblin is cautiously welcomed around the group's campfire, and he tells them that conditions are currently quite bad for the Cragmaw. King Grol is spending precious resources on his beloved direwolves while goblins go hungry. They're forced to increase their raids on travelers and caravans. Tough times. Gronk, the goblin, after eating and resting, steals away in the night while his new friends sleep.

Ducky has enough time to create a tinker construct: a little blinky lights and noise making toy. Some might say it looks like a sonic screwdriver, but Ducky isn't sure what you mean by that.

One of the following nights, they then encounter the Bluebrand Gang with whom they do a lot of drinking and merry making. The leader of the Bluebrand Gang tells them of the nasty Redbrand Gang, previously also harmless revelers, but currently under the leadership of a Mysterious New Leader, and experiencing higher than usual levels of evil. Killing folks, that sort of thing.

In fact, it is because of the nasty Redbrand Gang that the Bluebrand Gang is fleeing Phandalin.

Ducky has enough time at some point to summon her familiar, Thatso, in the form of a raven.

Bits of Revelry:

1. Ducky plays Stabby Hands and wins some gold! And with only minimal injuries thanks to some guidance from Dug and her own nimble fingers.
2. Buldrick (?) challenged one of the brigands to an arm wrestling match.

Item Get: Gang Leader Carl sells a forgery kit to the party.

The Bluebrand Gang packs up and leaves early in the morning before our party wakes, leaving them on their own.

Steel Reserve becomes used to waking up alone after spending the night with new friends 😢

Continuing on their way, our heroes are surprised to find the corpses of the horses--horses' corpses, I say!--of Gundren and Sildar strewn across the trail. Upon investigating they are ambushed! Bugbears, goblins, and wolves! Oh my!

Struggle ensues. Buldrick gets stabby. Hiro gets smashy. Ducky, newest member of the team, proves her worth as a spellslinger. Team members are overheard, "She does have some skills!"

One lone goblin remains in the aftermath and Fisty charms him with a spell.

the end?

• debut appearance of Ducky