Fancy seeing you in this neck the woods?

Rest and taxation...
It has been a month since the crash. It was a no-brainer to make the two day journey to Phandalin instead of the five day trek back to Neverwinter. 

Phandalin is truely a frontier town. Run by elected officials from the local business owners. The pompous townmaster, Harbin Wester, was keen to make your acquaintance, obviously seeking to gain alliances with new comers, but his tune played a different note once he found out you were here at the bequest of the Rockseekers, muttering something about there being 'too many godamn Rockseekers and their friends around these parts now'.

The owner of the mines, Gundren Rookseeker and two of his extended family meet you with open smiles, but questioning eyes. But once your tales retold, strong embraces are given out freely, helped a little by the gleam of gold in the dwarves eyes. For your part in the rescuing of the dwarven princess from the clutches of the Dragon Cultists, you have been awarded annual drawings from the mines wealthy profits.

A cut which should have set any elf or gnome up for life, but in these frontier lands, life does not come cheap or easy and a dwarf is never truely willing to part with his riches, without legal clauses and footnotes pertaining to intellectual property rights and the such like.

But never let it be said that a dwarf does not honour great deeds.

For your efforts you have been granted two adjoining rooms at the newly refurbished Tresendar Manor, with a large balcony that looks out over the rest of the town. The rooms are finely furnished, meals of a high quality are available in the shared dinning room, or delivered to rooms on request. And a local tailor available to make any clothing required. A butler is on call to answer any needs.

Once owned by the Tresendar family it was more of a castle than a manor, but the refurbishments made by the masons and carpenters have transformed it into a luxurious manor house.
The rebuilt first two floors house other important dwarven representatives. Gundren is here often but otherwise is found at the mines. Although the lower portions of the old manor are still under repair, Tarquin has been afforded some space to stock a laboratory, and Luna discovered a secret side entrance to the lower levels of the manor.

Tarquin and Luna received a 'pension' as part of being shareholders. They both parties after manor room upkeep, food, clothing, land mining taxes, administration fees and projected market instability, receive 1000gp per month. Amounts are paid in stamped mithral ingots valued at 200gp, 5 bars per month, delivered to the manor. The mithral bars are 5" long by 2" wide, and 1/2" thick, and weigh 5lbs each.
Being a shareholder for the Rockseeker Trust Inc, comes with it's privileges but also with a certain amount of responsibilities.

An annual fee for of 100gp each is required to continue as a voting member (we'll actually the small print - in 4pt medium condensed Dethek), clearly states that failure to pay the annual shareholder fee immediately voids any contract undertaken with Rockseeker Trust Inc, with loss of all outstanding privileges and wealth, including but not limited to shares...it goes on for a bit, but you get the idea. The contract is ironclad, with forfeiture being the only way out.

As a representative of the Rockseeker Trust Inc they were immediately voted in by the local elected council, as 'Protectors' of the surrounding country, reporting to the appointed sheriff of the town, Sildar Halwinter, a 50 year old veteran soldier. Services included; protecting and managing any threats or perceived threats to the safety and prosperity of the town, the mine and lands adjacent to any lands own by members of the community, or mining industry areas, or areas in or around the above locations that may affect mine production, including but not limited to Neverwinter Wood, the Sword Mountains, the High Road, and the Triboar trail.

Failure to comply to the needs and requirements of the town or mine, results in expulsion from the town and/or the local area, on penalty of imprisonment for a term of no shorter than 5 years per offence.
Gundrens' nephew the a barrister and legal mind of the family, pointed out that any misconduct of Rockseeker Trust Inc shareholders, including but not limited to imprisonment or exile, would be in breach of the Trusts code of conduct and result in the immediate cancelation of said contract with the individual with forfeiture of any rights and any wealth as a effectively immediatley.

And if that wasn't enough for our two valiant heroes, all officials including Protectors were 'encouraged' to make an annual investment of 50gp to a local business, randomly drawn from a roster of business owners, as part of a mentorship program aimed at growing the local industry.

​Tarquin received the Shrine of Luck; a small shrine made of stone from the ruins of a once forgotten temple. It is Phandalin's only temple and is dedicated to Tymora. It is in the care of a zealous young elf named Sister Garaele, who is also a member of the Harpers.
Smitten by the charming wizard, Garaele waived the 50gp investment, and will continue to do as, as long as Tarquin continues to gift her with flowers and 'brilliant' ideas for the rebuilding of the ruined temple. Often, sister Garaele has blessed Tarquin with Tymora's luck, which has helped him on more than one occasion at the card table in The Sleeping Giant, a rundown, dirty, and dangerous watering hole, operated by a surly female dwarf named Grista. A debt of 200gp is owed for gambling and drinks at the bar.

Luna received the Phandalin Miner's Exchange; a trading post where miners have their finds weighed and paid out. Run by a human woman named Halia Thornton. Halia is a member of any underground network of spies, and rigged the vote. She recognised that Luna had a very specific set of skills, ones that could benefit both parties.
Halia is now a contact for Luna, and can provide information about the town and members in it. Halia waived the 50gp investment, but more than likely wants something in return, although she hasn't been forthcoming with what it might be, yet...

Akra, as a guest of Tarquin and Luna's has a fine but modest room next door and is treated with the utmost respect by the dwarves who frequent the manor house. Although the head butler can be a little rude.
A middle aged halfling named Flynbul Alderleaf, cousin to Quelline Alderleaf the owner of Alderleaf farm. Often, Carp Alderleaf, Quellines's 12 year old son visits the manor house to see his uncle Flyn, insisting on being told a story from the nice dragonlady. On a visit to Alderleaf farm, Akra found a particular area in a small grove of ancient looking trees that made the voice in her head clear. Many times she has returned to listen to the commune with the voice in her head..

Hundur the barbarian, after rescuing Tarquin form a burning mattress, breaking open the locked crate to free Luna, and tracking down a sap-sticky and concussed Akra, quickly ensured his short term employment to guide the party the remaining journey to Phandalin (mostly as he had a map).
Although initially treated with open distain by the dwarves, he was tolerated as a guest, and for coming to the new 'shareholders' aid, has a room at Stonehill Inn paid for for up to the end of the month.
Stonehill is a modest inn run by a short, friendly young human male named Toblen Stonehill. Toblen came from the east of the Triboar, seeking the opportunity in prospecting like many others. He soon found that he knew more about running an inn than mining, and so he established the inn. Several times Toblen has asked Hundur to escort drunken dwarven miners back home after closing times, the two have become good friends.

On one such escort trip he defended several drunken miners from a hunting Crag Cat out for a tasty midnight snack. Gundren Rockseeker was so impressed that he invited him to visit the forge, after a discussion about smithing. While records for new weapons forged are current, the records of past forged weapons were destroyed long ago when orcs ravaged through the mines.
There was a Spectator, a type of beholder, that had been a guardian of the forge from before the sacking of the mines, it was vanquished back to it's plane, but perhaps it would know if any great axes were made in the forge...

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