The dark elf has fled. His spiders and bugbears and shapechanger are dead.
The ghouls and ghasts are all dead or fled.
The wraith is dead.
The flameskull still needs to be dealt with but, essentially, Wave Echo Cave has been cleared.
What now?
The flameskull, seeing people appear from the tunnel it was protecting, assumed its duty was done and left.
With Wave Echo Cave cleared, the party headed back to the surface.
Askith's retainers were not happy to see the party return without Askith's body or, indeed, any idea of his whereabouts. They left, saying they would head to Emmech to report to Lord Askith.
The party buried Nundro next to his brother.
The next day, they returned to Phandelin, fighting a couple of ankhegs on the way.
They arrived in town on Greengrass eve. All the rooms and floor space in the Inn were taken, so the party spent the night on Daran Eldernath's floor. Except for Jeremus, who left town and kept to himself all evening, reading Gaedynn's books by torchlight.
In this part of the world, Greengrass is celebrated with eating the last winter stores and ceremonial lighting of spring fires. Adults also celebrate the festival with smoking funny weed, being promiscuous and engaging in formal brawls. Children dance around a pole, weaving patterns with long ribbons.
There were newcomers to the town, a group of adventurers who had just claimed the bounty on some Orc trouble the town was having. They were Caladan, an extremely strong human cleric, Thanarion, a talkative halfelf fighter, and Venthrax, a quiet human mage who could really handle his alcohol.
The evening got messy. Lots of drinks and smokes and talking and laughter and sadness.
Sildar, the militia leader, refused to let adventurers brawl with townsfolk, so some of the party entered the ring with two of their new friends.
The rules were simple: Six (or less) enter, one leaves. No hitting below the waist or above the neck. No armour, no magic, no weapons apart from the ceremonial clubs. Betting is encouraged, but this day, the bets are not for money but for favours.
Oskar, Baleon, Gundigar, Thanarion and Caladan walked into the ring. The only one to walk out was Baleon, though it was close.
Jeremus bet Sildar that Oskar would win. Jeremus now owes Sildar a favour.
Sildar owes Baleon a research favour.
At Halia's suggestion, the party filled out a formal claim on the mine. On the claim, they filled in the names Rufilim, Oskar, Baleon, Sheepstrangler, Gundigar, Zai and Milo.
Aglarond law is pretty strict on these claims. The mine is now safe from claimjumpers.
Oskar sent word to his scattered clan to head to the mine. Perhaps this will be the start of a new home for the Silverblade clan?
Jeremus reported all he knew of Wave Echo Cave to the Order of the Gauntlet.
The party gave Garaele the history books written by Gaedynn, to her clear delight.
2 ankhegs 180
Plot - Giving the books to Garaele 200
Plot - Filling out a claim 100
Battle Royale 90
Characters are at 5,691 XP each.