5 Within Phandalin

Continuing here.

As if he cannot help himself, Alex takes a silver shard from his coin pouch, dances it across his knuckles, spins it into the air a few times, before having it land with with a pleasant ring right in front of Toblen. One of each, mine host. he says with a large smile. Pulling a second silver out of his picket and spinning it on his thumbnail, he turns to Raven and asks, same for you lad, my treat?

Tatiana pays for two midday meals, and requests that one be delivered to Ammos upstairs. She heads to the booth formerly occupied by Gundren to await her lunch.

On the way, Tatiana looks to the scarred spellcaster. "Decklan. Please join me." Turning to Alex and Raven, she adds, "You two, as well. There is something we should discuss."

"Yeah... alright, sure thing." Decklan will fall in with the others and follow Tatiana. Once they get to where she leads them, he glances around then asks, "So, what's on your mind?"

A bit confused and thoughtful Trakomak returns to the Tavern planning to ask Toblen directions to Alderleaf farm (or house with blue doors if he happen to know where the wizard lived).

Raven watched the coin trick with a slight smile. He was getting ready to order himself, when Alex offered. One should never turn down a free meal, so Raven accepted with a quick a nod, "Yes, thank you. How long did it take you to learn to do that coin trick?"

When Tatiana asked them to follow her to the booth, he paused for a second wondering if he should wait for his meal. Deciding a waitress might bring it when it was ready, he followed the noble to the table she indicated.

Once seated, he waited expectantly for Tatiana to speak.

"With delivery of the supplies to Master Barthen complete and having obtained receipt of your compensation, your obligation to Master Rockseeker has been fulfilled," Tatiana says to those gathered at the booth. "I would like to discuss your future plans."

She continues, "Ammos and I will remain in Phandalin for a while longer. Ammos has promised to help Master Rockseeker beyond the initial delivery and I intend to help him keep that commitment. Even if Sister Garaele is able to remedy his affliction, Master Rockseeker obviously requires more assistance. Towards that end, there appear to be complications in town that might prove too much for us to handle on our own."

Tatiana glances to the door. "You've heard that there are hooligans flaunting their power openly in the streets. I believe they will continue to be a menace to Master Rockseeker's business until someone puts them in their place or drives them out of town. However," and here she looks at Decklan, "I doubt an open confrontation at their watering hole will lead to any improvement. Not without more information as to their organization and numbers."

She turns to Alex. "There is also the matter of the goblins along the Triboar Trail. If Master Rockseeker requires more supplies to be delivered, those caravans will be threatened with attack. The goblins must be destroyed and any goods that were taken must be recovered."

Tatiana's eyes find Raven. "Finally, there is the rumored dragon. Whatever caused the carnage on the road is large, capable of flight, and quite predatory. This is another threat, not just to continued trade, but to the town itself should that creature turn its eyes here."

She clasps her hands together upon the table. "If you have business that will take you away from Phandalin, I wish you safe travels. On behalf of Ammos and myself, you have my thanks." Tatiana unclasps her hands in a gesture to encompass those seated around her. "If, however, you would like to stay here and help us secure this town's prosperity, I can promise no regular pay except for any unclaimed bounty discovered during an operation.

"What do you all intend to do?"

"Go murder a bunch of thugs who prey on the common citizen," Decklan replies rather nonchalantly. "After finding out where their home base is, of course, to stomp them out at the source. Probably by joining their group. Why, what were you planning?"