After rescuing Raynor from almost certain mealhood, the party set up in the royal chamber to rest as Elvalur hid himself outside the castle walls to watch for the dragon. Unfortunately, Elvalur's stealth roll was (for once) not enough, and Venomfang chased him back into the castle. As the dragon was about to land, Zaradur leapt onto his back, wrapping a rope around his jaws, and the battle was on! A long, difficult battle ensued, including such gems as Helm dragging Venomfang into the castle, Zaradur running down his back to chop at his wing, Sigrun's Guiding Bolt hitting harder than I thought a cleric could, many called shots for the eyes, an acid breath that downed two people, and more. At the end of the epic battle, Venomfang lay dead, and his corpse was looted by the adventurers. Helm went to the tower that Venomfang had been using for his lair and found an unearthed chest containing a LOT of coins and a beautiful rapier that turned out to be a dancing sword. Once the loot had been looted, the party returned to Phandalin, where Sigrun found Lia Crabopple, a cheery halfling, a new acolyte at her shrine to Sune. Naeris inspected the manor, and found the first floor had been completed. Raynor found Gundren, who was caught up with his crew planning the expedition to Wave Echo Cave, and confided in Raynor his fears that the Spider might have already beaten them there. At the coster, Raynor coordinated with Lianne to harvest the remainder of Venomfang's corpse, and learned that Neverwinter was his best bet to find a leatherworker/bowyer that could work with dragonscale. After a moment of discussion with Sigrun, where she revealed her fears and anxieties about facing the dragon and losing Raynor, the group proceeded to the inn to celebrate their victory with the townspeople of Phandalin. In the midst of the festivities, however, a dour-looking halfling woman with armor, a badge, and a well-armed group of soldiers entered the inn and demanded to see Elvalur...
