The roads have gotten dangerous and the wilderness even more so. For reasons that are their own The Leilon...Some? are all heading to Phandalin and have become part of a long caravan heading the same way as there is safety and comfort in numbers. The caravan consists of several large carts with enough supplies to last the growing town months. It is led by a dwarf named Ghelryn, an individual that has seen quite a few centuries as evidenced by His blond hair now balding, what remains, streaming into an equally blond beard.
The night before the caravan would have reached Phandalin the band was found sitting around a campfire getting ready for sleep. Siax and Koraliki Verque, both not comfortable with being still looked around the area. Nothing entirely out of the ordinary however Siax's keen senses noticed that there had a been an unusual number of boars present in the underbrush around the road. Idris enjoyed a healthy helping of beans that he would later find were not as good as they had appeared. And finally, Pine and Zenari stayed quiet, sleep slowly claiming them. Ghelryn approached this group and made them an offer - a gold per head if they agreed to walk by the lead caravan. He admitted that there were rumors of bandits and orcs in the area, and he wished to have a showing of force which would hopefully deter and ne'er-do-wells. While not overly motivated by money the group agreed. The day after the group started walking by the lead caravan. One of the horses got spooked but Pine was able to soothe it earning an invite on the carriage by Ghelryn who seemed intrigued to see a Tabaxi in these parts of the world. He said he had seen one before, years ago but didn't know much about them.
A few hours passed, travel both peaceful and a bit boring when the whole caravan jerked to a stop as an individual stepped up from behind a rock. This was no ambush but more a standoff as this massive Orc approached the caravan, other orcs appearing all around, from the forest and loose terrain around the caravan. Clothed in hide armor and sporting wicked hunks of metal, fashioned into a myriad different type of weapons, the orcs seemed fearsome. The one who had approached seemed different, much larger, with tusks jutting out of its mouth akin to a boars. What's more, it was armored in thick slabs of plate and wielded a greataxe too big for a simple human to wield.
Leave the food carriage and go back! it yelled out, in a deep commanding voice. While Idris bravely stepped forward and tried to appeal to peace and compromise it seemed neither the Orc or Dwarf were willing to back down. A fight broke out!
The melee was terrifying and quick with several orcs being felled but party members being greiviously injured. Even with healing provided by Ghelryn, revealing himself to be a life cleric did not seem enough as he fell under the blows of the Orog. All this was moot however as Siax's keen eyesight saw white on white, something streaming in from the peak. A massive white Dragon flew in, freezing Ghelryn and instantly killing the Orog. It landed o nthe main caravan, said something in the tongue of dragons "Hawrk'ghukech rekisixi! l'gra ve for si mi Cryovain, vemcin viharar kagh verthicha nocu!" then flew off taking the cart and horses with it. Siax seemed especially shaken by the encounter.
The orcs having lost their leader fled and the caravan members regrouped. Miracusloy Pine was able to detect and maintain Ghelryns lifeforce for long enough for the rest to break through the ice and free him so Zenari to administrate first aid thus saving his life. With spirits down the party scurried to Phandalin and left the remaining carts in the town green. Ghelryn thanked them and awarded them four gold each, noting especially his gratitude to Zenari. He told them he would be busy unloading and that he would see them later.
Wearily looking for an inn, Pine walked inside the Lionshield Coster where he was greeted by Velleen Firecrow but quickly left when he realised what this place was. By that time the group noticed a mob of villagers being assembled outisde a building, specifically the Townmaster's Hall. A man was banging on the door and asking for Harbin Wester to come out while also attempting to clam the villagers who had heard news of the Dragon. Seizing on the opporrtunity the group presented to him he called the mobs attention to them proclaiming them as adventurers he had specifically hired. Idris played along and molified the crowd enough that they left, worry still evdent upon their faces. While this was hapening Koraliki Verque was casing the building and found that not only was it physically barricaded but that it also had arcane wards on the back door. Seeing a tower with a possible entrance she put the information in her mind and went to find an inn.
The man introduced himself as Sildar Hallwinter, apologised for the deceit and asked the group for a favor; he knew they were likely not all together and were in the town for their own goals but this was a time of emergency and he pleaded with them to go out and warn folks who hadn't heard of the Dragon sighting. As the group reluctantly agreed he gave them a letter guaranteeing free lodgings in the Stonehill Inn. The party was asked to warn Adabra Gwynn, the towns healer and apothecary who lives by herself in a stone windmill on the side of a hill a few miles south of Phandalin. He also mentioned that the Rockseeker brothers, two dwarven miners, were in the mountains southwest of here, and have been working an archaeological dig seeking treasure and relics. Finally he asked of them to go to the settlement of Gnomengarde, a clan of reclusive rock gnomes reside in a small network of caves in the mountains to the southeast and see if they had something to counter a dragon. The gnomes of Gnomengarde are known for their magical inventions, and they might have something...anything. All three of these were accompanied by a promised payment.
The party sought out their free lodgings and rested, wounds healing and bruises fading. What would tomorrow bring?