Hook

Not too long into your travel today, you begin to notice the colors of the coast fading away into a much more arid and less green landscape. In the distance are jagged sharp mountains (Slumbering Peaks) and rust-colored, dry rocks and trees. The sky is clear and there is a faint fog over the area as this dry, arid landscape is experiences the first frosts of winter. You can see your breath here, and it collects into small, thick clouds and dissipates more slowly than you've come to expect.   Around 10-11, you can see a horse galloping toward you on the small road. As they get close, you can see it's a small girl riding this horse at full-speed ahead. As she approaches, you can tell that she is a dirty, young girl, maybe 11. She has short, wavy brown hair and light green eyes. She has a cute, oval face and a shaky, cute voice. After she is around maybe 30ft away, you hear her calling "Excuse me! EXCUSE ME! Are you coming from Phandalin? I've heard that there is some sort of group of heroes who saved the town, have you seen them?"  

She will continue:

  "My pa says that there are some bandits who are going to destroy our town and I'm scared // I just knew if I rode to Phandalin I could find help! Please come help us!"

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Arrival

  As you make your way into town, now at around midday, you can see several frightened townsfolk staring out at you through slits in closed windows or with windows peeking open. The streets are empty and there is an ominous tension as the only sounds you can hear are your horse's hooves clacking into the dirt road. You arrive in the center of town, in front of a building with the label "Jail" on a wooden sign nailed into its upper area. There's a good minute of silence and then an older man with a dilapidated hat on and dirty clothes comes out wielding a crossbow, yelling, "We got enough trouble on our hands without anyone else coming to add to the pile. This here town is under my protection. Who are you?"   "I'm Aldo Rhanum, Peacekeeper of this lovely town."  

Help Wanted

  He slowly lowers his crossbow and looks around the town. People are beginning to cautiously leave their homes and funnel out into the streets.   "My apologies for the less-than-warm welcome. We've had some bad run-ins with this group of hooligans that call themselves 'the Growlers'. Rowdy and cruel bunch. They got a leader, people call him Alfric the Pillager . He's demanded a ransom of 15,000 gp or they're gonna sack the town and take it from our dead hands. Some of these good people are packing up to leave their homes behind. Some are preparing to hold their ground. And then you got other sorry saps drinking their time away trying to forget what's comin'. These here people are scared.   Now you three look like a ragtag bunch that can get a job done. The whole town scrounged every bit of gold we could, and we got 1700 gold. If you'd like to aid us in our Growler problem, I'd be willing to let you keep it."  

If they accept

  "All right then." He turns to the crowd and shouts, "Everyone that's stayin' - to Teresa 's!"

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After around 10 minutes, the crowd has gathered into her tavern. It seems that nearly the entire town is in attendance, at around 200 people.   Aldo addresses the town as a whole:   "Now I know you folk here are scared about what's gonna happen to our here little family. I'll tell you - we're gonna defend what's ours and we're gonna kick those damn Growlers the hell out of our town! These here travelers have agreed to do what they can to help us, so I like our chances. They gonna be our saving grace. We're gonna fight, and we're gonna win. Now, anyone who wants to defend our lovely little town, head home and get to work. We got a lot to get ready by the end of the week."   The crowd lets loose a roaring cheer and Aldo speaks to the party as they dissipate, full of energy and chatter: "Come with me, we're gonna go have a chat with the mayor."  

A Visit With the Mayor

  Aldo takes you to the oldest house you've seen. Despite its age, it is still in phenomenal condition and is relatively luxurious. Aldo walks up to the door and opens it without hesitation and beckons for you to follow. He leads you to a parlor where you see a slender man with short curly hair leaned over a large table. He's wearing a simple, but nice outfit. There is a strong herbal smell in the room, almost like someone was growing tea in the room.You see many cups spread out across the room and it it looks like he hasn't been sleeping much. On the table is a map of the town drawn on a massive piece of parchment with small figurines scattered all around the edges.   He looks to you all with a weak smile and a weary face. He turns his head to Aldo and says "So I see you found someone. Thank heavens. I'm Earl Skalin, the mayor of this fine town."   "I appreciate your willingness to stand beside us in our hour of need. I'm afraid we have no time to waste, we have three days until The Growlers come knocking for money we don't have. So if you're serious about helping us, let's get to it."  

Preparations

  Earl Skalin: "We got four days to get ready for those scumbag Growlers. Take the day tomorrow to mingle with some townsfolk and see what you think we should do and come back to me and we'll figure out what we're gonna do. I'll get you set up with a room at The Hot Otter ."   He gets them 2nd floor rooms for free. They're quaint, but simple. There is a lovely smell of lavander in the air and a cozy warm in the chilly night air from small fireplaces.  

Night 1

The party can maybe talk to any of the main NPCs in Woodhurst and get acquainted with what they can do to fortify the town.   Earl Skalin will suggest some of these citizens to visit if the party asks:  

• Teresa

• Tholan Fenwick

• Korvoc Cragjaw

• Rysa Kalysrii

• Aldo Rhanum

  After the first day of preparations, the townsfolk seem to be in high spirits and most of them head to The Hot Otter to drink and calm their nerves. They are miners, so they are used to a hard day of work as well as a strong pint of beer to top the night off. The citizens invite the party to join them as they are heading over in the evening. Things are initially fine, until one group begins to get rowdy and finally the party hears "He can't be trusted! We need to lock 'im up!". A man stands and begins to stomp across the room toward another man silently drinking at the bar, Lukas Black, once a member of The Growlers).   The party can choose to intervene with the conflict, or the lone drunk will get enough goons from the town to drunkenly lock him in a cell in the jail. If they let this happen, the party will lose any standings with him, and he will offer them no kindness.  

Night 2

  On the second evening, Earl Skalin invites the party and Aldo Rhanum to his house for a lovely dinner that his wife, Mallika, has prepared.   As you enter the small dining room, Earl Skalin sits at the head of an 8-person table, with Mallika sitting across from him. There is an elegant fruit and vegetable platter in the center of the table, and @Earl will bring a bottle of one of Teresa's cocktails and pour them for each person personally.   At some point in the conversation, as a fancy apple pie that they discuss being made by Teresa and how amazing of a chef she is, Earl Skalin will say to the table:   "I had an idea I'd like to toss your way. What do ya think of taking all of the women and children in the town up to the mine and hiding them away there on the chance that we fall in two days? I'd rather not risk innocent life if we can help it, and I ain't never heard of them Growlers being the lot to spare anyone."   Aldo Rhanum chimes in:   "Most 'uh the women won't have that - they'll wanna stay and fight, you know that."   @Earl: "Yeah, but I really think that us here will be able to hold our own." He looks to the party: "Would you be willing to help me convince them?"   The party can agree/disagree. He will pay them 150gp for helping. If they convince him that the women should stay, the party automatically adds one day of Arm the Town.  

Night 3

  There is no drinking tonight. Women and children are heading up to the mines since the raid has an unknown time. Many other townsfolk cram into Earl Skalin's manor huddled around a town map, now covered on the table with symbols of the preparations the town has been making.   Here, the party can decide where they'd like to set up for the fight.   As the night comes to a close, Earl Skalin will speak to those present:   "My friends. The time has come for us to stand strong and fight for what is ours. We are a family, and we won't let some thugs mistreat us for their profit. We must stay firm, and remember what we're fighting for. These adventurers here are authority as much as Aldo Rhanum or I. Do what they ask of you in the fray. If we stand together, we will be victorious. We will again hug our loved ones in a safer town.   Go home, be with your loved ones, and rest up. Tomorrow, we lay it all on the line."  

The Growlers Attack

It's an hour after sunrise, and off in the distance, you can see a man step out of the woods and call out: "We're expecting payment, Woodhurst! Looks like you've chosen to die for your pitiful town! You've got one last chance to give us what we asked for... otherwise, well, it's going to get bloody."   This is an ordinary member of the bandits, not a leader. He speaks with the confidence of a man with an army behind him, though no such army can be seen.   Aldo Rhanum responds: "Oh, it'll be bloddy, but it is your kind's blood who will be spilled on this day."   As he says this, a bolt flies *phwoum* and pierces the man's chest, killing him instantly. He collapses to the ground in a quickly growing pool of blood and you hear another voice from the woods call out, "Let the dogs tear them to pieces!" Howls and snarls fill the air and only a few moments go by before you see a pack of wolves and running warriors heading towards you.   Roll initiative.  

Phase I

  This fight consists of 4 wolves set loose on their own and 3 additional wolves/worgs with riders on their backs. The sets of creatures acting as a rider and mount roll for initiative together, so both rider and mount will attack at the same time.   If the party constructed barricades around the city, this group of enemies does not concern themselves with breaking them down.They will circle around to the nearest entryway, the wolves taking Dash actions and their riders taking Dodge actions or using ranged attacks against any exposed targets.   It takes the wolves and riders two rounds to reach the town. The wolves are savage, always attacking the nearest target they can see or smell unless commanded otherwise. They will run over traps without hesitation and will continue to attack their target even after they have been knocked unconscious, ensuring their prey is dead. Once the wolf riders are within the walls, they will continue to use ranged attacks and shout out the positions of any advanced weaponry or party members they can see so that the next wave of attackers will be ready. If their mounts are ever killed or if they get too low on health, they will run into the buildings of the town and fire from the safety of the windows.   During this fight, other bandits are shifting around in the woods outside, and can be noticed barely with an observation from a hight point.  

Phase II

  Three rounds after Phase I, the second wave attacks! These foot soldiers need 3 turns to reach the town as they sprint forward. They are added to the existing initiative order.  

Phase III

  The leader, Alfric the Pillager will launch toward the town, seeing his officers fall (if any), and attacks four rounds after Phase II, taking two rounds to reach the town. He is tactical, and uses cover and hostages.