Tag Archives: Halia Thornton

4: Thundertree to Cragmaw

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The group return to Threftor’s aunt’s farm. They need her and Joe out of the way for them to properly ‘question’ Glasstaff so Quelline is sent into town to fetch provisions while Joe is dispatched to get beers. Despite being charmed by Enderman Glasstaff reveals nothing useful, so on his return Joe fetches Sildar who comes to arrest the rogue wizard. Impressed with how the situation has been resolved, Sildar gives a 200gp reward and offers everyone membership of the Lords’ Alliance. Unfortunately Enderman then offends Sildar so the offer to him is revoked, but everyone else accepts and is granted the title ‘Cloak’.

Joe and Threftor then head to meet Halia Thornton as per the agreement. She is pleased and takes the letter that was found in Glasstaff’s quarters, giving a reward of 100gp in return. She offers the whole group membership of the Zhentarim; Threftor accepts and gains the title ‘Fang’, but Joe doesn’t like the sound of it all. The offer remains on the table for the others.

Still not knowing the location of Cragmaw Castle, they decide to pursue the lead of the druid Reidoth in ruined Thundertree a few days’ journey away. Joe is particularly keen on this idea as Thundertree was his family home and he wants to drive off the dragon that is rumoured to have made its home there.

On arrival, a sign on a post reads “DANGER! Plant monsters AND zombies! Turn back now!”. After much searching for tracks Joe spots some twig-creatures hiding outside a ruined house; he shoots one and the other is quickly dispatched. A larger group is seen hiding in another ruin so a trap of oil-covered rubbish is laid. Joe shoots one to draw them to attack and as they rush forward, Hadron lights the fire and they are all burned.

Investigating a ruined tavern, Hadron is surprised when four corpses on the floor stand up and attack. When Balrag tries to fight one he is choked by a cloud of ash that it puffs out, but Hadron manages to force the zombies back with his holy power and they are carefully picked off with coordinated attacks.

The road to the centre of town is blocked by large spider webs, so the group explores the southwestern area instead. One house looks not only still sturdy but recently fortified, so they knock on the door and discover that its occupant is the man they’re looking for, Reidoth the druid. He warns them against the dangers of Thundertree – the rumours of a dragon are true and he has also seen giant spiders and some strange cultists around.

Reidoth marks the location of Cragmaw castle on the map and a decision is made to head there as soon as possible to try to find and rescue Gundren. Also, Enderman’s god has tasked him with reconsecrating a defiled altar at Cragmaw.

When they arrive the heroes hide in the trees near to the mostly-ruined Cragmaw and stake the place out for a few hours. Their patience pays off when a patrol of four goblins emerges and heads their way, wandering straight into their ambush. Three are killed but the last one is tied up and charmed by Enderman. He’s given a grilling: how many goblins are there? “Many”. Where is the altar that Enderman wants to find? The best way is through the north side-door. What is upstairs? This confuses him: “goblins don’t go upstairs” and he doesn’t understand what ‘downstairs’ means. Where is the captured dwarf? “The king has him”.

Getting nothing more of use from the captive he is quickly disposed of and the team sneaks round to the north side to find the side-door, where they spy a piece of canvas hanging against the wall of the castle. After much discussion Threftor creeps up to it and finds that it does indeed conceal an entrance. He sneaks through and scouts around before summoning first Joe and then the others. Behind a curtain some creatures can be heard, while behind a door is the sound of an argument. Peering under the curtain Threftor spies two hobgoblins and with the help of a sleep spell from Enderman they are quietly put to the sword.

Everyone readies themselves outside the door from where the arguing is heard. They throw open the door to see a fierce old bugbear in discussion with a female drow; at the bugbear’s side is a grizzled wolf while near the wall is an unconscious dwarf …

3: Redbrand hideout

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You end up deciding to accept an offer from Halia Thornton (guildmaster at the Miner’s Exchange) to eliminate the leader of the Redbrands, a band of ruffians who have been extorting and bullying everyone if Phandalin for the last two months. This leader is known as Glasstaff and Halia wants you to bring her any correspondence found on him or in his quarters. She wants this job done discreetly.

Threftor has discovered that his aunt’s son knows a secret way in to the Redbrands’ lair so you follow his directions and head down a hidden tunnel in the woods, emerging in a large cavern split by a deep crevasse. After briefly fighting the strange, flesh-craving one-eyed telepathic beast guarding the room you negotiate with it and it tells you where to find Glasstaff.

Locating a secret door in a store-room you surprise Glasstaff in his bedroom and manage to capture him without a fight. A note from the Black Spider leads you to believe that he is probably Iarno Albrek, the Lords’ Alliance contact that Sildar was looking for. He reveals that the family the Redbrands kidnapped is held in the slave pens, but his directions are vague. You leave him bound, gagged and guarded by Enderman.

While trying to find the pens you stumble into a Redbrands guard room and barely manage to defeat them, with Threftor and Joe both being knocked unconscious. Capturing one of the thugs, you eventually return to Glasstaff and get him to lead you to the slave pens through another secret door and a crypt guarded by skeletons.

Entering the slave pens the unlucky Threftor is once again surprised by hidden Redbrands and taken down. A tense stand-off – with Joe threatening to kill Glasstaff and one of the thugs threatening to finish off Threftor – ends in a close fight with only Balrag and Hadron left standing. Freeing Mirna Dendrar and her daughter & son, Hadron uses the last of his healing and you all take a brief rest after locking all the doors.

The sound of a door being battered down ends the rest and you manage to escape through the crypt only for Balrag to fall down a pit trap. With some clever use of rope you manage to get everyone – party, captives, freed slaves and all – across just as the batterers break down the door.

Returning to the large cavern Threftor leads the way across one of the bridges over the crevasse. Fortunately for him, he doesn’t weigh much. Unfortunately for Mirna Dendrar’s daughter Nilsa, her weight is enough to collapse the rigged bridge and after tasting freedom for only a few scant minutes she plunges to her death. Mirna starts screaming the place down which brings shouts from the other end of the cavern; Balrag lifts her bodily and you all just manage to make it out in time before the other denizens of this place – who, after battering down the locked doors, had been investigating the now-empty slave pens – arrive.

Experience

You gained 162 xp mid-session and you get 254 more for negotiating the trap, bringing Iarno back to the town master, freeing the slaves and negotiating a truce with that telepathic one-eyed thing in the crevasse room; a total of 416 each. I’ll give Enderman (Martin’s wizard) a quarter of this since he was played by Ben for some of this session and was present in a ‘look after the bound prisoners’ role for the rest.

Balrag, Enderman and Joe started on 350 whie Hadron and Threftor – being new – started on 300. That brings you to:

  • Balrag: 766
  • Joe: 766
  • Hadron: 716
  • Threftor: 716
  • Enderman: 454

2: Phandalin

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Your wagon finally rolls into Phandalin, a new town built on the ruins of the old one. You begin by delivering Gundren’s supplies to Barthen’s Provisions, where Elmar Barthen is saddened to hear about Gundren but pays you the agreed fee. He tells you that Gundren’s brothers Nundro and Tharden are camped somewhere outside town and are expected any day now.

Next you deliver the stolen supplies to Linene Graywind at the Lionshield Coster. She thanks you and pays a reward, offering to help you any way she can. She also warns you that a band of ruffians known as the Redbrands have been extorting and bullying everyone in town for the past few months.

On Sildar’s advice everyone but Threftor heads to the Stonehill Inn to secure lodgings. He heads instead to see his aunt Quelline Alderleaf, a farmer. Her little son Carp tells him that he found a secret tunnel in the woods near the ruins of Tresendar Manor. A couple of “big ugly bandits” came out and met with some Redbrands, but they didn’t see him.

Quelline does not know the location of Cragmaw Castle but she knows someone who should – the druid Reidoth, who know every inch of the land for miles around. He recently set out for the ruins of a town called Thundertree, about fifty miles northwest.

The rest of the group spends some time at the inn buying drinks for the patrons. Nobody can tell you where Cragmaw Castle lies but your friendly manner leads you to hear many stories of local goings-on:

  • Sister Garaele, who oversees the Shrine of Luck, recently left town for a few days and returned wounded and exhausted.
  • Daran Edermath, the orchard keeper, is a former adventurer.
  • Orc raiders have been seen on the Triboar Trail. The townmaster is looking for someone to run them off.
  • Thel Dendrar, a local woodcarver, stood up the the Redbrands a week or so ago when they came by his shop and leered at his wife.  The ruffians murdered him and several townsfolk saw it happen. The Redbrands grabbed his body and now his wife, daughter and son have gone missing too.
  • Qelline Alderleaf’s son Carp said he found a secret tunnel in the woods, but Redbrands almost caught him.
  • The Redbrands hassle every business in town, except for the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange. They don’t want trouble with Halia Thornton, who runs it.

When Threftor returns you pay a visit to Halia Thornton, waiting til she closes shop and catching her on the way out. She interested but is wary of you and asks you to meet her clandestinely tomorrow.

Night is drawing near but you decide to visit the old adventurer Daran Edermath. He is a genial old elf who is concerned about the Redbrands and would like to see you teach them a lesson; he tells you that their main safe house lies under the ruined Tresandar Manor. He also asks a favour: he has heard stories that someone is digging in the ruins of Old Owl Well in the hills two days northeast of Phandalin and that some prospectors report being chased away from there by undead. He’d like you to find out who’s there and what they’re up to; the ruins are of an old watchtower from the ancient magical empire of Netheril, and there may be dangerous magic dormant there.

After a night’s rest you visit Halia behind the Miner’s Exchange as agreed.