While most of the party was busy giving Riswynn the opportunity to demonstrate her Revivify spell, Almalexia was "reconnecting" with townmaster
Harbin Wester in
Phandalin. Later, Harbin reminded Almalexia of her party's contract with him, and she dutifully paid him 14 gold for two months. Harbin then informed her of a prisoner being held in the townhall's cell. The human male, "Black Bart" Haskill, was arrested for trying to steal from the shrine of Tymora, and then attacking the townspeople who apprehended him.
Harbin said that some of Haskill's kinfolk were scoping around the townhall, and he was worried they might try to break him out. Fortunately, Harbin added, they'd discovered that Bart was wanted in Westland for escaping from a prison chain gang. He informed Almalexia that, per their contract, the
Scurry were to deliver Bart Haskill to the
Westport constabulary and collect the reward for him. He then handed Almalexia a sealed envelope to hand to the constable when they turned over their prisoner.
At the inn eating breakfast, the rest of the adventurers met Val Brightwood, a paladin in the service of Mielikki, who joined the party. Almalexia entered and told them of the mission to deliver Bart to Westport. They purchased a draft horse and used wagon at Barthen's Trading Post. At the townhall, they found Bart locked in a wrought-iron cell. They put him in manacles, and tied the manacles to the inside of their wagon. On their way out of town they collected
Marcus Dendrar, who also rode in the wagon. Marcus and Bart were occasionally seen quietly talking to each other.
As they traveled east, they did pass two wagons of prospectors heading west towards Phandalin. They also though they spotted someone trailing them in the distance, but they were not able to get a close look at them.
They paused upon reaching the detour around Cragmaw chasm, while Almalexia, Cressidien, and Koravhik went to check on the ruined castle that Almalexia had purchased. They found that someone had trimmed back the brush from the windows/arrow-slits. Searching inside, they found evidence that someone had been clearing out the debris. They also found that the idol of Kelemvor was missing from the shrine. In its place, was a crudely carved wooden eagle statue, painted yellow. Cressidien destroyed the eagle statues with a number of expertly-aimed eldritch blasts.
The party then continued following the detour to the north. As they were travessing the ford across Cragmaw creek, a silence spell suddenly fell upon the wagon, and they were attacked by archers who emerged from hiding. Koravhik used his rune-carving abilities to warp the first incoming arrow away from him, and instead plunging deep into the chest of Bart Haskill. As Bart died of his wounds, the attackers abandoned the attack, and fled into the underbrush.
Riding his warhorse Sassafras, Val was easily able to run down one of the figures who was trying to hide, a young red-headed man who had not actually fired his bow. Subduing him, Val took back to others. Meanwhile, attempts by Koravhik to revive Bart with bandages and a healing potion had failed. Not even Riswynn's spells nor her scroll of Revivification had any effect.
Interrogation of their prisoner revealed him to be
Jimbo Haskill, second cousin on his mother's side to Bart. Jimbo said that his clan was trying to free Bart, but that his sudden death at the hands of Koravhik's rune-magic caused them to abandon the attempt and instead "head for the hills".
Even though Jimbo had not actually taken part in the attack, they party decided to keep him prisoner in the wagon. The removed the manacles from Bart and used them to restrain Jimbo. They then tied Bart's body to the inside of the wagon, and continued their journey to Westport. However, the next morning they found that Bart's body was missing. An examination revealed that Cressidien's elaborate knots had been untied, then imperfectly re-tied. A search of the area found no tracks or trail, so the party reluctantly continued on their way along the detour back to the
Tri-Boar Trail.
When the party arrived in Westport, Marcus started to leave to reunite with his wife and child, but Koravhik refused to let him leave. The altercation attracted town guards, who demanded to know why Koravhik was restraining Marcus. The party then decided to let Marcus go, but Riswynn followed him, along with Val's warhorse. Marcus headed north towards the dwarven neighborhood.
The rest of party went to the Mortar & Pestle apothecary shop, and delivered the Dendrar family heirloom to
Mirna Dendrar. When they mentioned Marcus offering to deliver the necklace for them, she said that he wanted it so that he could be the one to give their grandmother, thus convincing her to leave the family business to him instead of to Mirna.
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