Triboar Town lies south of Longsaddle, west of Yartar, right next to the Cryptergarden Forest and Red Larch Town—a modest but important strategic location, as it sits squarely on the main north-south road of the Sword Coast.
Anyone moving north or south had to pass through Triboar Town. The town had about 2,500 permanent residents, and every seven years elected a "Lord Protector" to serve as the militia commander.
However, the elections were highly habitual, and there were no term limits. The current lord had been in office for thirty years and the townsfolk saw nothing wrong with that.
As for the origin of the town's name, locals said that many years ago, a traveler killed three wild boars that attacked him in a single day.
"Hey, Miss Aoko," Holga asked as the three rode along a country lane outside Neverwinter, "could your familiar deliver a letter to Kira's room?"
"I think after learning you two were rescued by a wizard's familiar, Sofina will be on guard," Aoko replied, glancing at Holga. "That's a basic sense for a 9th-circle archmage. And if my familiar gets killed, I'll be hurt too."
"What about using an arrow?" Holga was unwilling to give up, clearly determined to send Kira a letter. "It's risky, but worth it, right?"
"You want to get my daughter killed?" Edgin snapped.
"Of course not! Besides... Forge is acting more like a proper father to her than I ever did."
"What's with your daughter?" Aoko frowned. "You two raised her for years, and just two years of luxury made her switch dads?"
"It's not like that..." Edgin protested weakly. "Kira's a good girl, but Forge is a professional. Get it?"
"He's a con artist—always was, even before joining us," Holga added. "Tricking a little girl is child's play for him."
"Okay, I get it," Aoko shrugged. "You're sure Simon's in Triboar Town?"
"Simon's been performing magic tricks there for two years," Edgin said. "If he can't earn a living nearby, he always goes back—let's just say the locals are... pure..."
You mean gullible, Aoko mentally added.
A town of a few thousand wasn't large. Besides the central crossroads plaza, the biggest building was the town hall, used for meetings and public performances.
Edgin, familiar with the place, led Aoko and Holga to the town hall. Inside, a young man—looking like a mix of Calishite and African—was awkwardly performing tricks onstage, as the villagers in the audience grew restless.
"No one can burn a candle on their finger, folks," the young man said, lighting a tiny flame on his finger. "Okay, how about this—have you ever smelled the freshest grass?"
He chanted a quick spell, releasing a puff of faint green mist. That was it.
"My daughter could do that at five!" scoffed a woman in the front row. "Can't you do anything new? Think we've never been to Neverwinter?!"
"Tough crowd, huh?" the young magician forced a laugh. "Well, how about this—look, I'm getting blurry!"
...This trick was like a poor man's Silent Image, Aoko immediately saw through it. But his real focus was elsewhere.
"Utterly unimproved," Holga said mercilessly to Edgin, roasting Simon. "No wonder he's always broke."
"His progress isn't in the tricks," Edgin replied, chin-gesturing at the floor.
A stone floated behind the benches, quietly attracting coins and metal ornaments from the villagers. In this respect, Simon had some skill—multitasking like this took hard practice.
But Simon's half-baked skills soon failed him. When the stone floated to the center aisle, he spotted Edgin and Holga waving at him. Distracted, his spell failed, the stone dropped, and coins clattered everywhere.
"Damn, he's stealing from us!" villagers shouted in anger. "Catch him!"
The hall erupted into chaos. The tough villagers lunged at Simon, who tried to cast a spell to push them away.
But the seasoned Faerûnian farmers weren't easy prey. The closest one tackled Simon, covering his mouth and breaking his spell.
But Simon wasn't a helpless caster—while grappling, he fiddled with a magical device at his waist, barely managing to cast a spell.
However, Aoko noticed the spell's unstable pattern and immediately retreated behind the others...
The gravity in the room reversed. Thanks to her preparation, Aoko used magic to keep herself and her companions from tumbling awkwardly onto the beams like the villagers.
"When did he learn that trick?"
Edgin exclaimed. "See, I told you Simon had some skills!"
Aoko wasn't as impressed, but now wasn't the time to argue. She quickly cast a Sleep spell, the magic enveloping everyone in the hall—including Simon, who struggled drowsily to crawl toward Edgin and company.
Holga couldn't stand it. She strode over, slung the dazed Simon over her shoulder, and nimbly returned to Aoko and Edgin.
The four slipped out of the chaotic hall, mounted up, and rode away from Triboar Town. (Simon, thoroughly asleep, was tied to the horse's rear.)
"I say, let's not stay in Triboar Town for a few years," Edgin quipped on horseback. "At least Simon can't show his face here again."