The Collected Quarterlies of the Phandalin Gazette

Here lieth the public record of our lovely first D&DV campaign.  They players discovered the Lost Mines of Phandalin and routed the evils within.  Gundren the Dwarf and Nooner the Hobbit now run the place as a lucrative mining cooperative.  Althea's adventures continue...

Phandalin Gazette Spring 

"Four strangers walked into our town today, dragging a snotnosed goblin behind them. They had wagon full of supplies for the town that we were all very happy to receive. They even brought some goods to the Lionshield Coster that old Linene had completely given up for lost to bandits. The strangers went to the Townmaster, who didn't impress them much but he locked their goblin in his cell and offered 100gp if for the heads of 20 orcs from Wyvern Tor. They visited the Stonehill Inn and Nooner reacquainted himself with the innkeeper Toby, who told them the Red Brands gang had been getting worse, extorting the town and even killing the Woodworker and taking his family! This was no good. After a short visit to Sister Gahaele of the Lucky Lady Shrine, and a late night visit to the Miner's Exchage proprietor, the fiery Halia, these new to towners proceeded to the Old Manor Hill by way of Alderlead farm. There they were lead by a quarterling named Carp to a secret tunnel entrance that lead to a creepy cavern with a chasm. The group chose to sneak left/West where they found a door at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Rashly opening the door, there were discovered therein three large and hairy goblins tormenting a tiny runt of a goblin. The goblins were confused at first, but violence focused their minds and they attacked with fury.
When the battle was over, Red Branch guards were running down the hall to investigate but they forgot to look under the bed and soon followed a fleeing goblin rather than look under the bed...

Phandalin Gazette Summer

It seems the wizard had been seduced by the powerful promises of this Black Spider. Next stop, Cragmaw Castle!   But in the meantime the elf wizard is hard at work scribing while the others enjoy a well earned flagon of ale. The townspeople are helpful, but worry there is more to do, flushing out a rumored band of Orcs, for instance.  Gather provisions and prepare for the two day trek to the Crags of the Goblin King.

Hero of the town! Those who stood up to the ruffians plaguing Phandalin have left the burgeoning burg to search for their lost cousin, brother of the same stone, Gundren, who may be held captive in the Goblin Castle of Cragmaw, just within the Grimm Forest. Indeed the castle perches seven towers haphazardly atop a rocky tor, doors ajar and masonry crumbling. A stealthy approach was soon scuppered by a silent kick upon a door, disturbing the meal making of the goblin fleet, and setting up a blood bath of greenskinned chaos.
The running battle came to a close thanks to the Sleep spell of Althea and the skull splitting axe of the new boy, Toulon GoblinCleaver. Still, the halfling was sore wounded, and the fighter as well, nearly eaten by a tentalcled and beaked foe. They took stock of golden prayers tools, even as the sun began to set outside, and the gobbo Danzig lover had gotten away. The party is wounded, low on spells, but determined to make their mark.

Phandalin Gazette Fall

Lo, the intrepid three had lost a friend to the tentacles of crawling beast out of time yet they forged ahead, unwilling to leave a task unfinished, yet they kept their wits about them. In the heart of an inhospitable lair they hatched a plan. The redheaded Althea used her mystic arts to disguise herself so that she looked to all as one of the hulking hairy goblin kind that lurked about these ruins. If only she could sound like one! Drawing her companions along as if captured prisoners, she came upon a barracks with two skinny brutes bewildered and terrified to release a great beast who pushed out from behind the door. An owl-headed bear! The dwarf offered it warm rations, and then a freshly slain goblin to sate its insatiable hunger and the three decamped to the camp of the Goblin King Grol, long of beard and broad of axe. Again, Althea's trickery came to the fore as she Charmed the old man with pleasantries and turned him to battling his own formerly captive owlbear, which was to be the death of him. With the escape of the Dark Elf, King Grol dead, and Cousin Gundren rescued and revived, the heroes headed home to Phandalin, to carouse and recoup, and think of the lost riches of Wave Echo Cave, said to hold the very Forge of Spells.