The adventurers intend to return to Tresendar Manor but first head to the Stone Hill Inn, wake Sildar Hallwinter and then they return to the Townmaster’s Hall to quiz Harbin Wester.
They are accompanied by Sildar Hallwinter, a battered and bruised Elsa and Mirna Dendrar and her eighteen-year-old Nilsa. Elsa told Lofty that A few days ago, the Redbrands murdered Mirna’s husband, Thel, for defying them.
The Adventurers demand to see Harbin Wester and the clerk wakes the Townmaster. Harbin Wester denies any wrong doing or involvement with deaths or other non-white collar crimes. Astrid locks Harbin Wester in the cells below the Townmaster’s Hall.
Galdor had called for Sister Garaele and she tended to the patients and stayed with Sildar Hallwinter. Before the adventurers leave Sister Garaele suggested that they go and speak with Halia Thornton, owner of the Miner’s Exchange, as she had no love for the Redbrands and could help with knowledge of other possible ways into the Redbrand Hideout.
The Adventurers are confronted by well-armed guards at the Miner’s Exchange and Lofty persuades then to wake Halia Thornton. Halia Thornton meets with the party and explains they might wish to visit the woods under the cliff upon which Tresendar Manor was built.
The Adventurers make their way to the woods followed by 2 of Halia Thornton’s guards, who then go back once they had entered the wood.
Lofty and Astrid each take their ‘Potion of Darkvision’.
Astrid is able to pick-up the sign of tracks which leads to a hidden tunnel entrance at the base of the hill.
Astrid: “I can see that there are various tracks of large booted humanoids and many barefooted humans. But no barefoot tracks head towards the tunnel entrance.”
The adventurers, under Tresendar Manor, move down a tunnel 5’ feet by 100’ feet long and eventually emerge under Tresendar Manor. The Manor seems to have suffered damage from a sinkhole of crack in the earth and a 20’ foot deep crevasse runs north to south.
Lofty moves in first, stealthily moving into the Manors basement. With his ‘Darkvision’, Lofty can see various tunnels heading off East and west, an old makeshift bridge over the crevasse and a large stalagmite.
Lofty then hears a voice in his head of a slightly crazed individual who seems to know of his darkest secret. The creature offers to help Lofty if they enter into an agreement and payments made. Lofty ignores the voice and goes back to inform Astrid and Galdor.
Astrid is also probed and services are once again offered in return for being fed. Astrid wants no part in the bargain. The Monk also notices that the south-eastern corridor leads to the Secret Door and onto the Cellar room with the cistern under Tresendar Manor.
Galdor cast a Spell to boost the adventurer’s resistance, they jump over the bridge and they head to the Secret Door. Here Astrid’s keen senses smell out a Bugbear and could also hear the sound of others behind the Secret Door and so Galdor casts his ‘Silence’ spell and that allows Astrid to spike the Secret Door shut without being heard.
The party then head back and choose to head north. As they move onwards, they pass another bridge crossing the crevasse and spot a room filled with barrels and crates under Tresendar Manor.
Astrid: “Lofty check that corner for a Secret Door.”
Astrid and Galdor keep guard, whilst Lofty begins to look for and finds a Secret Door. The Rogue listens at the door but can hear nothing beyond.
Lofty: “The coast is clear.”
Lofty quietly opens the door and realises that he is in the corridor by the Armory and Slave Pens.
The team head South, crossing the Crevasse, and move stealthily West down a 5’ foot corridor. Galdor still carrying the arrow with ‘Silence’ cast upon it and behind Astrid and Lofty. The party then head West over the second bridge and find stairs leading down. Astrid moves ahead without being stealthy and at the bottom of the stairs she find a Redbrand guard staring up at her. Luckily, the arrow with ‘Silence’ means the fight is not initially heard but the Redbrand guard opens the door to his South and not the door to his North under Tresendar Manor.
Another battle begins with 2 Bugbears coming from the Southern room, 1 stands by the doors, 2 rush to fight the heroes and 2, drunk, Redbrands also exit the room. The Bugbear is dispatched quickly by Astrid and Galan, who had to fire his arrow with ‘Silence’ as it was loaded on the bow. Astrid looks into the Southern room beyond and finds it empty and looks to be a guard’s common room. Astrid remembers these men from the fight behind the Sleeping Giant.
Astrid then checks the door and room to the North and finds what appears to be a Wizard’s Workshop. Under one of the many tables is a Rat looking up at the Monk. Astrid immediately throws a Dart at the Rat and it is killed instantly but not as a normal Rat as it disappears, leaving behind no physical form.
Astrid believes she had killed the Wizard Glasstaff and so does not check the room or the door on the East wall of this Wizard’s workshop.
Meanwhile, Lofty is attacked by the Nothic which had been hiding under the bridge and the Rogue is hit by its Rotting Gaze. More Redbrands can be heard coming from the Common Room up from the South.
The feeling of the Rotting Gaze is not so unpleasant Lofty thinks before he is shcked back into reality.
Astrid rushes to aid her brother and catches, out of the corner of her eye, a Bugbear moving into the Northern room closing the door behind itself.
The Nothic is killed by the party and they turn South to deal with the remain Redbrands. Before the party engage with them the sound of a door closing is heard from the South-East area, had Obadiah Hakeswill escaped again?
Obadiah Hakeswill
The Redbrands are confronted by Astrid and Galdor whilst Lofty moves back North into the storage area, spots a secret door on the Western wall as it had been left slightly open and here Lofty attempts to hide but is spotted by the hidden Bugbear that attack the Rogue. Lofty uses his Rogue skills and manages to run away after being hit by a Javelin. The party come to the aid of Lofty and the final Bugbear is killed.
The party search the area and find the following:
Armoury = 12 Spears, 6 Shortswords, 4 Longswords, 6 Light Crossbows, 8 Quivers holding 20 Crossbow Bolts each and 12 Red Cloaks
Storeroom = 30 Beaver Pelts (2 gp each)
Common Room = The wealth in the room is all on the table, having been bet in the game. (Knocking over the table or mixing up all the enemies’ loot is a great way to distract them for a short time.) The total amounts to 75 cp, 55 sp, 22 ep, 15 gp, and a Gold Earring Set with a Tiny Ruby (30 gp).
One of the coins found by Astrid stands out, as it has a pie on one side, and after Galdor cast ‘Detect Magic’ on the coin it was found to be a ‘Medal of the Meat Pie’.
You gain 2d4 + 2 temporary hit points when you use an action to press this medal to your mouth. Once this property has been used, it can’t be used again, and the medal becomes non-magical.
While magical, this medal is slightly warm to the touch (as if it’s fresh from the oven) and smells faintly of baked pie crust.
The party head to the South of the Common Room and find a closed door to the South which Astrid opens. Behind the door is a Goblin and her sudden appearance causes the Goblin to faint. Astrid kills the fainted Goblin and gone is any information the Droop may have given the party.
Guard Barracks = Mosk the Bugbear leader killed by Galdor has a Belt Pouch containing 33 sp and wears an Eye Patch made of black leather set with Semiprecious Stones (50 gp).
Crevasse = A chest with 160 sp, 120 gp, 5 Malachite Gems (15 gp each), 2 Potions of Greater Healing, and a Scroll of Augury.
+1 Shortsword in a Silver-Chased Scabbard. The sword is inscribed with the name “Talon,” and its hilt is worked in the shape of a bird of prey with outspread wings. It once belonged to a great knight named Aldith Tresendar, known as the Black Hawk.
The party finally head back to the Wizard’s Workshop after realising that the noise of the door closing earlier was Obadiah Hakeswill leaving via the secret door to the Cellar. The party deduce that the Rat was Iarno Glasstaff’s Familiar and the Wizard could see through its eyes.
Wizard’s Workshop = Tome written in Dwarvish. The journal of an adventurer named Urmon, describes the History of the Lost Mine of Phandelver and the Forge of Spells. In addition, Urmon records that a magic mace named Lightbringer was commissioned by priests of Lathander.
3 Small Bottles hold rare reagents: Mercury, Dragon Bile, And Powdered Nightshade. These are worth at least 25 gp each to an Apothecary or Alchemist.
The party go through the door to the East and enter Glasstaff’s Quarters. Various papers and notes are stacked neatly on the desk, mostly consisting of Iarno’s written orders to apothecaries and alchemists in nearby settlements for more materials for his workshop. The party also find a letter signed with the Black Spider’s symbol.
Also among the Wizards papers are a note with the flowing written in Glasstaff’s handwriting:
- The Redbrands are going to get dominion over Deadwood.
- The Bandits (Orcs) of Wyvern Tor will get money and riches from the mines.
- The Cragmaw Goblins have been assured sovereignty, in that region, and that their castle will be repaired.
- The Black Spider will own the Forge of Spell in the Wave Echo Cave.
Glasstaff’s Quarters = An Unlocked Wooden Chest holding the best pickings of the Redbrands’ loot over the last two months. It contains 180 sp, 130 gp, and a silk pouch containing 5 carnelians (10 gp each), 2 peridots (15 gp each), and 1 pearl (100 gp). It also contains 1 Scroll of Charm Person.
In Glasstaff’s Quarters there is also a secret door which was slightly ajar and lead to stairs going up and to the Secret Door which the Bugbear, which threw a Javelin at Lofty, was hiding behind.