Lofty and Galdor ride back to Deadwood to take the body of Tharden to Sister Garaele and hope they don’t meet a Redbrand. They discover that Astrid had returned and that she had left the Stonehill Inn and went to check on The Sleeping Giant tap house, the hangout for the Redbrands.
Lofty and Galdor follow after Astrid across Deadwood.
Meanwhile, Astrid had walked, cross-country, to the rear of the Sleeping Giant Tap House, know hangout for the Redbrands, to see if she could spot anything of interest. After a short while, having seen a few Redbrands enter the premisses passed the 2 Redbrands on the door, 3 Redbrands bring out a civilian to the rear of the Inn and begin roughing them up. Astrid, unable to see a anyone get away with bullying, decides to jump-in.
Redbrand
After the initial scuffle, more Redbrands come out of the Inn after they hear a cry from the third Redbrand and Astrid found herself surrounded and outnumbered. It was at that time that a lone figure, swathed in black threw 2 Darts at the Redbrands from a nearby rooftop and the 2 of the Redbrands fall. Astrid deals with another of Redbrand as the last one runs away.
Lofty and Galdor catch the end of the fight and see the appearance of the black clad figure.
She introduces herself as Astraea and Astrid thanks her for her help. Astraea appears to know of Astrid, her Brother Lofty and their companion Galdor. She says that she can help find their friend Gundren and all she asks for is the Puzzle Box which one of them has on their possession. The party declines her offer and she leaves disappearing into the darkness.
Astraea
The full team head back to the Stonehill Inn and rest, everyone that is apart from Lofty who has a late-night encounter with his old love, Elsa Fairfoot. The next day the party visit Sister Garaele as she communes with the dead body of Tharden. The party have 3 questions:
- Can you see who killed you?
- Yes, it was a Giant Spider and it bit me
- Is the Black Spider there?
- Yes, there is a tall black hooded figure, pale skinned and whom they call the Black Spider.
- Was it the Black Spider that commanded your death?
- No, I was looking at his face and he did not command the dark creature
Sister Garaele notices after preparing the body of Tharden that his boot radiate Magic. The Boots of Striding and Springing are given to the party, until Gundren and Nundro decide what to do with them, and they are worn by Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry.
While you wear these boots, your walking speed becomes 30′ feet, unless your walking speed is higher, and your speed isn’t reduced if you are encumbered or wearing heavy armor. In addition, you can jump three times the normal distance, though you can’t jump farther than your remaining movement would allow.
The party walk over to the Townmaster’s Hall and eventually head back to the Stonehill Inn. There Lofty notices that Elsa Fairfoot is not working and that is when her finds out that she is to be married in the next few days but that she had not been in so far today. Alarm bells ring and the party head off to Elsa Fairfoot’s house. There they find signs of a struggle and track leading off towards the rear of the Sleeping Giant and towards Tresendar Manor.
I knew it said Astrid.
The party head directly to the ruins of Tresendar Manor.
The party find the Manor in a ruined state but manage to find a door, behind which are stairs leading down. Fresh tracks can be seen all around this area. The party heads down quietly and discover a used basement with a cistern of rain water.
In the first chamber there are 2 doors leading off the room West and North as well as barrels and creates. The adventurers decide to head off Northwards. In the adjacent corridor Lofty, using his catlike Dexterity, manages to avoid falling down a hidden Pit Trap making a deafening noise as it falls.
At the end of the corridor are 2 large copper plated doors and as the party enter the room, having listened for foes within, to find a large chamber containing 3 Large Stone Sarcophagi and 2 other closed doors to the North and East. The party, discovering that the door was locked, wait for Lofty to pick the well-maintained lock and the Rogue is successful.
Opening the door Astrid can see a short corridor with a thick Oak Door banded with Iron. Once again Lofty uses his Thieves Tools and picks the door and discovers an Armoury behind it. The Armoury contained many new weapons and Redbrand cloaks. Astrid is convinced that there must be a secret door in this corridor and so the party check but all fail to successfully find anything, not even tracks.
The party then head back to the Tresendar Crypt and realise that they had overlooked the door to the East. Astrid heads over to the door and when she reaches it all 3 Sarcophagi lids are pushed open and 3 Skeletons emerge. A fight begins and the party manage to defeat the 3 Skeletons while only taking minimal damage. The party do not check the sarcophagi and listen at the eastern door.
Behind the door they hear the noises of whimpering and movement. Astrid attempts to open the door and a warning is called out from the room. Redbrands were in the chamber and they had Elsa Fairfoot and another 2 women and a girl. Astrid attempts to strike a deal with the Redbrands and they kill one of the hostages to show they mean business.
The party strike up a plan to have Lofty getup on Astrid’s shoulders, place one of the new Redbrand cloaks on, Lofty to cast ‘Disguise Self’, try and persuade the Redbrand guards to open the door and then they would storm the room.
Having persuaded the Redbrand Jailers to open the door the 2 Halflings enter to they find that the room beyond were 2 Cells and found 2 Redbrands, one dead woman, Elsa Fairfoot and a woman with her child (Mirna Dendrar and eighteen-year-old Nilsa). One of the Guards is killed whilst the second makes a break for it and falls down the pit trap.
Elsa Fairfoot, who looks to have been beaten, explains how they took her as Lofty and his friends were sticking their nose where it shouldn’t be. While Mirna Dendrar explains how her husband had disappeared soon after criticising the Redbrands and she and her daughter were taken that night. Also, in the holding area in between the cells a heap of discarded clothing is piled carelessly against the far wall. The party believe this could be the remains of other townsfolk that were sold, or killed for sacrifice Astrid offers.
Elsa Fairfoot
The party decide to head back to town and check the basement before they escort the prisoners out. Back in the Cellar with the cistern the torch above the door out had gone out, or put out, and the party were suspicious.
Another ambush as several Redbrands had moved the barrels and crates, to make barriers, and they started firing arrows at the party. 2 Redbrands to the North-West of the basement and in front of the second door, not investigated by the party, are killed. To the South-West 2 more Redbrands fight and whilst one is killed the seconds escapes through a secret door in the South-West corner. Astrid follows behind and discovers a dark large natural cavern, a Crevasse too dark for her Halfling eyes and so she returns to the party.
The Adventures, and the prisoners, all exit and return to the Deadwood Stonehill Inn were they meet with Sildar to discuss their findings.
Elsa Fairfoot gives Lofty back his half of a, heart shaped, love locket. It later turns out that it was Magical Healing Amulet and, if worn next to the skin, it would revive a dead person (0 hit points) and they would recoup 10 hit points.