A farmer’s knowledge of Phandalin and its hinterlands would likely come from elders, folk tales, superstitions, and regional sayings – stuff most scholars overlook.
Intelligence (History) – Farmer Background (Phandalin Lore)
| DC | Difficulty | What the Farmer Might Recall |
| 10 | Easy | Phandalin was once abandoned, but folks have moved back in recent years. The land is stony, but there’s decent soil if you roll up your sleeves and clear it out. Mining interests have brought folks back to the town in recent years, along with travellers, merchant caravans, and a significant bit of coin. |
| 15 | Medium | Old-timers used to tell children about the orc raids that wiped out Phandalin, saying the town was cursed because greedy miners dug too deep, bringing the town’s ruin upon themselves. However, its been said that a wondrous mine nearby is what brought the orc hoards screaming down from the hills and mountains, destroying the mine and Phandalin in the process. |
| 20 | Hard | Your grandpa told you stories about a wondrous nearby mine called Wave Echo Cave – where dwarves made strange glowing weapons and magic tools. It’s said there was a Forge of Spells inside the mine, capable of “singing to the metal” and blessing tools for harvest or battle. |
| 25 | Very Hard | There’s an old song or prayer passed down among homesteaders that hints at the Phandelver Pact. You might not know what the “Phandelver Pact” means exactly, but you can still recall the old proverb about “mines going silent when greed grows loud.” |
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