July 10th, 2019
Players
- Ender the Rogue (Steven)
- Sore Gash the Barbarian (Eric)
- Maardaar the Warlock (Matt)
Phandalin – Unfinished Business / Story Recap
Ender & Sore Gash helped Sildar limp back to Phandalin after slaying the bandits in the Cragmaw Goblin cave. As they entered town around sun down, they recognize the blue lion logo of Barthen’s Provisions from the stolen goods at the cave and stopped in for a chat with the proprietor, Elmar Barthen. They informed him of the location of his lost cargo, and he rewarded them for their information. He said he was a friend of Gundrens, and had been expecting his two brothers Nundro & Tharden back for the resupply – but hadn’t seen them in at least a tenday. They were supposed to pick up the supply wagon that was attacked. Before setting out, he warned them that he had trouble with “red cloaked thugs” and that he would give a similar reward for whatever justice he could get.
Sildar encouraged them to lodge at the Stonehill Inn on the Lord’s Alliance dime, the only real accommodations in this frontier town – new timber buildings built on top of the stone ruins of the old. Over some glog he repeated his knowledge of the area: that long ago a magical mine had brought prosperity to Phandalin – and peace – through an ancient agreement known as Phandelver’s Pact, before the whole region was sacked by orcs. Gundren had rediscovered that mine, but was now kidnapped and missing, taken by the “Goblin King”. Sildar is in town on Alliance business looking for a lost wizard named Iarno.
The Redbrands
The adventurers celebrate & raise their glasses to a traveling warlock, Maardaar, who has just arrived in town seeking adventure and is listening to Sildar’s tale with interest. The bartender Trilena Stonehill, overhearing their conversation as well as she refilled their glog, informed them of a gruesome murder that had happened recently in broad daylight. Thel Dendrar, a local woodworker, had fought with the “Redbrands” after they harassed his wife, but they slit his throat and left his body in the street. No one had seen his wife or son since. A drunk local farmer [edit: Halvin Graingle] chimed in: he was certain the red cloaks had killed his cow, and he knew it wasn’t monsters from the wood – he would never go in the wood – no one in town went in there.
After a good night’s sleep, Sildar sets out for to look for his lost wizard and the 3 adventurers decide to find out what these Redbrands are up to. Sore Gash suggests checking out the Sleeping Giant, and they do find 4 drunk bros in red cloaks sleeping off their hangover outside a closed bar. They immediately get into fisticuffs and insults, results in the remaining Redbrands running off up the hill towards the manor. Ender picks the lock on the bar, and they go inside – to find a mess made by partiers and red banners hanging on the walls.
Tresendar Manor
They follow the road up to the abandoned Tresendar Manor, which is in much disrepair. A wood door appears to be an entrance that’s recently been used, but the adventurers stake out the house and see another stone door on the side of the building. They choose the wood one, and end up descending into a cellar. They find a back room being used as a bunk, and kill one of the Redbrands while his friend watches. They interrogate him, learning that the wizard Glastaff runs the place, there are bugbears somewhere nearby and a “one eyed monster”. Then Sore Gash crushes his throat with his boot. The party barricades the door & rests.
They find two red cloaks hanging on the wall: Ender and Maardaar disguise themselves. Back in the cellar, they find a bag hidden in the water of the fountain containing a Potion of Invisibility and & disguise kit.
Heading on further into the house, they enter a hallway & Ender immediately discovers a pit trap under a rug. He successfully rigs a rope and everyone gets across safely.
In the next room is a crypt with 3 dusty skeletons wearing rusty armor propped up against sarcophagi marked with the crest of Tresendar. As Sore Gash enters first, one skeleton reaches out and grabs his wrist asking: WHAT IS THE PASSWORD? They have no idea so a fight ensues with the animated skeletons.
The commotion from the fight alerts the Redbrands in the next room – who are standing guard over Mirnar Dendrar and her son Nars. The adventurers successfully convince them that they have been ordered to relieve them of their watch, and need to take the prisoners with them. The prisoners escape back through the cellar – and promise a reward back in town.
Continuing on they find a closet of weapon supplies, and a secret passage into a store room – where Sore Gash also dons a red cloak. The store room opens up into a grand cavern, with much taller ceilings and a large crevasse running the center. A nothic lurks here, but it is more curious than aggressive. It implores the adventurers to feed it meat, but Maardaar subdues it’s hunger by communicating with a Comprehend Language spell. The other two adventurers however face the telepathic intrusion of Weird Insight and are forced to admit a deep dark secret from their past. The Nothic lets them pass.
Crossing a bridge over the crevasse, they enter back into the west side of the manor. Facing two doors at the end of the hallway, they hear screaming from one of the rooms. They open the doors, still in disguise, and see two bugbears beating their goblin slave, who passes out at the sight of the intruders. The players apologize for interrupting and slowly close the door.
Through the other door they find a barracks where Redbrands are drinking ale and playing dice. After successfully persuading the thieves that they are the new recruits who just arrived in town, they offer to play a round of Threes and match the loot on the table. Ender narrowly wins the pot, which enrages the thieves when they immediately try to skip out of the game. Maardaar suggests a round of glog and Ender obliges with the bottle he took from the Sleeping Giant.
Before proceeding into what the adventurers think is the back end of the house, the party listens at the door and hears bubbling sounds. Sore Gash chugs his Potion of Invisibility and goes into the room. The room is filled with alchemy supplies and is brewing a potion. No people are here, but a rat squeaks as the door opens, but it can’t see Sore Gash. Sore Gash smashes the potion apparatus, which brings a surprised wizard to the door.
Glasstaff aka Iarno greets them politely and invites them to sit down in his office for a chat. He understands their concerns from the villagers, but he says what can you do, good help is hard to find. Iarno attempts to bribe them off with some treasure, but the fighters realize their advantage against Iarno’s surprise, and they attack and disable him instead before he can prepare a spell.
On Iarno’s desk, they find a note:
Lord Albrek,
My spies in Neverwinter send word that strangers are due to arrive in Phandalin. They may be working with the dwarves. I want them captured or killed – we cannot let outsiders interfere with our plans.
See that any maps or information the dwarves carry is delivered directly to me with great haste.– Black Spider
You will not dissapoint me
Iarno is taken into custody back in town, and Sildar imprisons him in the town jail beneath the Townmaster’s Hall.
