The Triboar Trail, Chapter 6. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

6.1 Refuges

The five adventurers safely reach the top of the stairs. They quickly escort Mirna and her daughters away from the manor and take a defensive position in the nearby woods.

“The village isn’t far. I except they’d like to return home,” suggests Ivandale.

“True, but they’ve been captured there once. We need a safer location for them to stay,” counters Nalfos.

Ivandale considers Nalfos’s concern. “The inn?”

Valoric shakes his head, “Too obvious. If the Redbrands know you’re staying there, they may be waiting for us to return.”

“I think the orchard is the only safe place in this town,” Nalfos responds.

They each agree. Meza tosses her axe over her shoulder and leads the way to town.

A somber mood has settled on the inhabitants of Phandalin. As they pass through town the nervous stares begin to weigh on the group.

Halia nods to them as they pass the Miner’s Exchange. Ivandale stops to quietly ask, “What have we missed? The town is less joyous than when we left.”

“Aye. Daran took the two Redbrands back to his cabin. Once the excitement of the fights died down, everyone started to worry about retaliation. It’s been quiet, but everyone is frightened.”

Ivandale feels the weight of the her words. “Stay safe Halia. Our fight with the Redbrands isn’t over.”

The elf takes several long strides and catches up to his companions. They turn west towards the orchard. He looks over his shoulder and watches as Halia closes the door to the miner’s exchange. The dull ring of the bell echoes the dismal mood of the small town.

As the group approaches the cabin, a new face appears from behind the door. “Mirna? Is that you? You’re safe!”

The two girls jump and dart behind their mother, but she raises her hand in a feeble wave. She brings her other hand to her face to stifle a sob.

He opens the door completely and welcomes the large group in. “C’mon in then. It’s not safe to stay out in the streets.” His rough hands are cut and calloused. A rugged brown shirt hangs from broad shoulders and is tucked roughly into a matching pair of heavy pants. He wears the heavy boots favored by miners in the region.

Daran’s main room is more cramped than usual. The two bandits who wandered into town earlier are lashed to chairs. Both of their faces show signs of fresh cuts and bruises.

Daran wipes the blood from his hands with a rag. “I can’t get them to talk. This one says he just joined. That’s about it.”

“I’m no fool! There’s no way I’m crossing Glasstaff!”

Shaking his head, Daran heads back outside. “Let’s go out back. We can talk there.”

Safely out of earshot of the captured thugs, Daran speaks again. “Thanks for returning Mirna and the girls. I know a safer place for them to stay, but we should leave under the cover of darkness.”

Nalfos asks, “Daran, we don’t want to endanger more of the townsfolk. Can we set up some tents? We need some rest before we stage another attack.”

Daran nods, “Yep, if you want to set up camp in the orchard here, you should be safe for a bit. I have some veggie-root stew on the stove. I’ll have Zaf bring you each a bowl.”

The adventurers recuperate and are woken by Daran after sunset. “Still haven’t been able to get anything out of those bandits, but I might have a lead for you. While you guys slept I visited a friend. She’s going to look after Mirna and the girls. She has a nice little farm on the edge of town. While I was there, her kid Carp let slip that he knows of a secret tunnel near the estate. Might give you a chance to get a drop on the Redbrands.”

“Worth a shot,” shrugs Nalfos.

Ivandale nods his head in approval. “The Innkeeper’s kid said something about Carp’s secret entrance over dinner. Maybe there’s something to it.”

Daran leads the mismatched parade of adventurers and displaced family through town. They stop at a small homestead which has been carved out of a small hillside. Slopping dirt walls meet at a slate rooftop. A squat chimney protrudes awkwardly and a gentle stream of sweet smoke delights the adventurer’s senses.

A halfling opens the door, peers outside quickly and then beckons the wife and child in. She steps outside and shakes hands with Daran. “Don’t worry, they’ll be safe with us.”

“Thanks Qelline. Before we go, we have a favor to ask,” Daran hesitates for a moment and then asks, “Carp said something about a secret entrance near the manor. We think it might give this lot an advantage. They’re planning another raid.”

Qelline glares at the group. “I’m already risking our necks Daran. Now you want to drag m’boy into this!? I want those bastards gone, but that’s asking too much!”

A small halfling boy shoves the farm door open. “I can show you where it is! I can help!”

Daran spreads his hands wide in front of him. “They only need to know where the entrance is Qelline. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

“I can do this mom!”

Her eyes bounce between Daran and Carp, balancing like a needle settling on a scale.

Finally, she sighs and her scowl softens, “I don’t like it, but I understand I want them gone too. We’ll both go with you lot. Daran, after we find this entrance, you’ll escort Carp and me back here. That’s my terms.”

Daran smiles. “Thank you Qelline. I promise that I wont let anything happen to you and your boy.”

6.2 Hunger

The group of adventurers lead the townsfolk through the safety of the woods. Carp directs them as they make their way under the cover of darkness. They skirt the south edge of Phandalin and enter the dense forest that borders the remains of Tresender Manor.

The manor sits at the top of an elevated hill. The once well-kept grounds are being taken over by crabgrass and thorny greenbrier. The vines rip at their clothing as they pass.

Carp points to an odd clump of brush and stone along the side of a hill. “There. Do you see it?”

Ivandale moves towards the place and parts the brush. A stone arch hides behind the greenery. “Nicely done kid!”

“That’s it. Our part is done Daran! Take us home,” Carp’s mother scolds.

“Sure enough Qelline. Thanks for your help.”

“Hey kid,” says Nalfos. “Have you ever gone inside?”

“No way.”

“Why not?”

As Qelline drags her son off, he responds, “It smells bad. Like dead things.”

Nalfos turns back to Ivandale and shrugs. “After you friend,” he says through a coy smirk.

Ivandale steps forward into the stone arch. The revolting air immediately fills his nostrils making his stomach turn. He regains his composure and leads the group through a short tunnel which soon opens into a large stone room. The air still smells fetid, but the ceiling is higher and the smell dissipates some.

Antique scrolling designs are carved into the walls of the room, interrupted by doorways and entrances throughout. The designs continue around two massive support columns which straddle a natural crevice. Wooden bridges provide safe passage across the jagged fissure. The reeking scent of death wafts up from the crevice, and dark bloodstains splatter the edges.

Meza enters the cave last and they discuss their options. Confident in their bearings, Ivandale and Valoric agree that a nearby entryway on the eastern wall may lead to the storeroom that they entered previously. It’s one of the closest openings, but it lies across on of the wooden bridges.

Valoric takes the lead and begins to cross. The bridge appears to be well-made and rarely used. He puts a foot on the first beam. Pleased with the craftmanship supporting part of his weight, the paladin breathes a sigh of relief and confidently crosses.

Suddenly, a piece of lumber snaps and the bridge collapses inward. Valoric tumbles forward into the shallow cavern below.

A high-pitched growl rings through their minds, “I smell meat!” The sensation is unfamiliar and sends chills down each of their spines.

Ivandale turns to Nalfos while extracting a length of rope from his pack, “You heard that, right?”

“I think we all heard that.” He raises his voice, “Valoric, are you ok!?”

Valoric rises to a knee and smooths his chainmail. “Yeah, I am at the moment, but I don’t think I’m alone.”

Ivandale tosses one end of his rope down to the paladin. His sharp elven eyes catch sight of a gray shape slowly exiting a small cave on the opposite side.

Valoric spools the heavy rope around his wrist and tests Ivandale’s footing. “Guys. Something is down here.”

“Meza. Get over here and give me a hand!” Ivandale plants his feet and starts to pull as the barbarian joins him. Together, they quickly pull Valoric over the lip.

As his feet clears the crevice, a freakish creature scrambles over the edge. A single large eye surveys them. Ropes of putrid drool leak from it’s mouth. “I want meat!” echoes painfully loud in their minds. “You are meat!”

Ivandale reaches into his pack and draws dry jerky from his rations. “Here. I have some meat,” he says as he tosses the stale food to the creature’s feet.

It reaches out and picks up the jerky with long ragged claws. Inspecting the dry aged meat with it’s large single eye, it’s brow furrows in frustration. With a snort of anger it advances on the group chattering at them while it’s words ring through their brains again, “Not fresh! You are fresh meat!”

The thing takes two steps towards them and Ivandale raises a hand. “Woah, hang on a second. We can get you fresh meat. We know of some nearby.”

“We can get some for you right now. Let us go get it for you,” says Nalfos.

The demon sneers at Nalfos. “Get meat, or you are meat! Fresh meat!” It sniffs the air and retreats down the crevice and into it’s lair.

Valoric looks over the edge he just climbed over and his face goes pale. He looks away, resisting the urge to vomit. “Ah, bad news gang. I think Mirna’s husband was that thing’s last meal.”

“Let’s stay on this side of the room until we can sate it,” says Ivandale. “Let me check this stairway for traps. Valoric, stay close?”

Ivandale leads him down the stairway, carefully inspecting the stonework for facets and seams that may betray the triggers of traps. Finding none, he beckons Valoric to the bottom step. A door is set into the wall directly on their left and another is slightly further down a short hallway on their right.

As he finishes his inspection, a thunderous voice rumbles behind the left door in a screeching language the elf doesn’t understand. He looks to Valoric with a shrug, but the paladin mouths “goblin” in response.

Valoric points at Ivandale and signals him to retreat back up the steps. The elf complies.

Valoric then brings his gauntlet down on the door in a violent, reverberating knock. As he steps backward up the stairway, the door bursts open. A bugbear stabs wildly and then retreats back into the doorway.

A guttural snickering echoes in the stairwell, “Me know your tricks. You come to us!”

Tinkerella sneaks forward and conjures an image of herself which appears at the doorway.

Again, the snickering echoes and the bugbear takes a single step out to hurl a javelin at the exposed gnome. It’s clumsy, but hits her with a glancing blow.

Ivandale let’s his arrow fly, but isn’t able to hit the bugbear before it retreats. He starts to reach for another arrow, but they start to hear the voice in their heads again. “Meeeeeaat. I want meat!”

Ivandale instead grabs Tinkerella and pulls her out of harms way and gestures for everyone to exit to the woods.

As they all move towards the tunnel entrance, the voice in their minds begins to test their sanity. Ivandale draws an arrow on his bowstring and turns his attention to the lip of the crevice. Last to leave, his head spins from the rising assault as he retreats into the glow of the moonlight.

6.3 Retreat

“We’re not safe here. I think I saw Redbrands on our way out,” whispers Nalfos. “Quick, into the forest!”

Each of them follow him, finding brush and thick tree trunks to conceal themselves just as the light of a lantern breaks the edge of the tunnel.

The lantern is held high and plays around the edge of the clearing. “Ha! Cowards! You better stay away!” chuckles a Redbrand to his two comrades.

A twig snaps in the woods on the eastern side, close to Nalfos. Valoric turns quickly and the rustle of his chainmail betrays his position. “Ha, trying to hide from us in our woods!” shouts a human voice from the direction of the broken twig.

Ivandale fires an arrow at the group near the tunnel. The light of the lantern blinds him momentarily and his shot misses.

Nalfos jumps up and surprises the two near him. He casts a spell lulling them into magical sleep. One falls to the forest floor with a light, painless thump. The other takes a step back and then drops to shake his ally from the slumber.

Tinkerella produces a blast of flame, and hurls it into the chest of the lantern wielding bandit. Ivandale follows her attack with another arrow, hitting the scorched opponent.

The bandit advances quickly on Ivandale and slashes him with a sword.

His allies gang up on Valoric, thrusting and stabbing in a synchronous attack. Valoric deflects blows and retaliates as he prays for assistance. The symbol of Helm glows with radiant energy in reply on his shield.

Nalfos hurls a fire bolt at the Redbrands near him. It hits the bandit who resisted his enchantment. His ally stands and runs from the fray.

Meza leaps to Valoric’s aid. She takes the bandit by surprise and decapitates him with a single strike. His ally turns on her, but Valoric deflects the attack and knocks the bandit off balance. Valoric takes advantage of the opening. He swings his axe in a sideways chop, cleaving the bandit in two.

Ivandale ducks another attack from his opponent. He slips behind the thug and skewers him from behind.

Nalfos has drawn his diamond from it’s pouch and holds it in front of him. An arc of lightning rends the air with a violent crack and strikes down the last bandit.

They sheath their weapons. Exhausted and in need of bandages, they silently trudge back to their camp in Daran’s orchard.