A sailor’s knowledge of Phandalin and its hinterlands would likely be sourced from port gossip at dockside taverns and inns while on shore leave, as well as tales told by passengers and coastal merchants who book passage aboard their ships.
Intelligence (History) – Sailor Background (Phandalin Lore)
| DC | Difficulty | What the Sailor Might Recall |
| 10 | Easy | Phandalin is a small inland town on the Sword Coast, far from the Sea of Swords. “Careful now, or you might wake up in Phandalin” has become a popular maxim among seafaring folk in recent years – a warning for sailors to drink responsibly while carousing on shore leave. |
| 15 | Medium | Smugglers are said to offload ill-gotten goods at Quayside, a shallow water harbor in Leilon. From there, booty is said to find its way to fences residing in smaller towns and locations along or near the Triboar Trail, such as Leilon, Carnath Roadhouse, Phandalin, Triboar, and Longsaddle. |
| 20 | Hard | Ol’ Grista, proprietor of a dirty and dangerous tap house in Phandalin called The Sleeping Giant, is believed to be one such trader of ill-gotten goods. It’s said she has criminal connections as far as Carnath’s Roadhouse, Skullport, and Bargewright Inn. Grista is also said to have a soft spot in her heart for deserters. For a favor, she’ll allow absconders to sleep by her fire, free of charge, for up to a tenday. |
| 25 | Very Hard | For high-value or wondrous contraband in need of offloading, it is whispered that a member of the Zhentarim (a criminal organization also referred to as the Black Network), resides among the townsfolk in Phandalin. However, few are willing to put a name to this shadowy figure. |
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