With a POP and a shrieking groan, the century-old welding, though well crafted, of one of the cell bars snaps loose, and with a light dusting of rust poofing down from the bars, Berry succeeds in creating an opening wide enough for the lad to snake through. All but his head. But Nosam and Berry together pull on the remaining bars, allowing just another inch of space between the bars – just enough for the boy to escape, a look of joy writ on his features, not just from being newly free and enjoying a hug from his own mother for the first time in two weeks, but also an unspoken pride in being small enough to wiggle his way of the cell despite its being mostly still intact.
And the family does embrace, and there are tears of sorrow for their loss, and in remembrance of their fears, and of joy for their salvation from a life of enslavement.
You walk them to Sildar, Sister Garaele, and Crissie, and the six move slowly down the long tunnel towards the bright spot of daylight at its end.
Marten
The stone lid of each sarcophagus is carved to depict the person entombed within—two human males and one human female, all of noble bearing. Pushing the lids aside, Marten finds mostly moldering bones and scraps of clothing. But amid the bones in each sarcophagus is a platinum signet ring, the value of which must be as much as 50gp each.
"we should all regroup" he says to sildar and the sister "and Get Out. i dont know why the others are lingering, i hope they didnt get trapped" he seems nervous, and keeps a constant watch on one eye, then calls out "found anything?" rather loudly, hoping for a response from the others
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This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
"we should all regroup" he says to sildar and the sister "and Get Out. i dont know why the others are lingering, i hope they didnt get trapped" he seems nervous, and keeps a constant watch on one eye, then calls out "found anything?" rather loudly, hoping for a response from the others
Vidruth
It must be just as Vidruth utters this shout that Nosam or Berry or both approach the half-orc with the Dendrar family in tow, and then joins them to Sildar’s group before they depart together (as posted above).
Vidruth no doubt returns with Nosam and/or Berry to find Marten as he pushes aside the last sarcophagus lid, producing the last signet ring.
All
All four of you are now in the crypt room.
(OOC: From here we can assume the party will stay together. As long as you leave One-Eye to its own devices, it will leave you to yours. For today, at least. There are no more enemies to discover.)
Marten The stone lid of each sarcophagus is carved to depict the person entombed within—two human males and one human female, all of noble bearing. Pushing the lids aside, Marten finds mostly moldering bones and scraps of clothing. But amid the bones in each sarcophagus is a platinum signet ring, the value of which must be as much as 50gp each.
Marten pauses his search for a moment as Berry and Nosam take the Dendrars through the room and back toward the crevasse chamber. He stands there with what he hopes is a pleasant expression and winks at the Dendrar boy when the lad looks at him. He doesn't want to add to the horrors that the family has experienced by seeing him rummaging around inside an open sarcophagus.
Vidruth no doubt returns with Nosam and/or Berry to find Marten as he pushes aside the last sarcophagus lid, producing the last signet ring.
All
All four of you are now in the crypt room.
Marten looks at the other three as they enter the room and looks up the hallway through which they came. With a somewhat blank expression and flat tone, he simply asks, "Kis'lina? Sister Daphyra?" Once it's clear to Marten that their friends are dead, he looks down and his head bobs for a minute as he silently deals with a flood of emotions. Marten has seen -- and experienced! -- simple healing spells that revive the grievously wounded, but as far as he knows, dead is dead. He has heard stories about powerful magic that can resurrect the dead, but he's never seen it and doesn't know whether it's real. Or, even if it is, how common it is. Marten finally says, "We dealt a blow to the Redbrands today, 'n' I don't think they'll be botherin' Phandalin again." He shakes his head, "But 'twas a terr'ble price to pay, losin' our friends like that. If Sister Garaele can still do anything t' revive 'em, I s'ppose she'll let us know 'n' tell us the cost..."
Marten hold up the signet rings to show the others, saying, "I found some rings in these here coffin things." He gestures at the sarcophagi. "M'ybe that'll tell us somethin' about who they were 'n' why their skeletons were walkin' around. Or if Glasstaff just magicked their bones, 'n' they were just some long-dead folks from back in th' old days o' th' Phandelver Pact, with no kith nor kin to claim them...Well, I guess they have no use for such trinkets now anyway." He drops the ring into his pouch with the other two for now. The group can divide the treasure later.
Marten smiles at the others, "I'm proud t' know you all. Many men would ha' run when we got swarmed by them Redbrands. It seemed hopeless, but we held our nerve! I'm glad t' have you at my back, 'n' I hope we can all keep walkin' this road together. But -- well, now that Kis'lina 'n' Daphyra...." He gets a little choked up. After clearing his throat, Marten continues, "I mean...um...now that it's just us, I wouldn't blame anyone if you wanted to call it quits. But like I said a couple o' days ago, I'm gonna keep at it until I find Gundren or hit a dead end. I'd be glad to have you all with me!"
Marten continues, "I mean...um...now that it's just us, I wouldn't blame anyone if you wanted to call it quits. But like I said a couple o' days ago, I'm gonna keep at it until I find Gundren or hit a dead end. I'd be glad to have you all with me!"
Assuming that the 4 remaining party members are sticking together, Marten says, "I reckon it's best to focus on what we can do here t' make the best o' this disaster. At least we saved the Dendrars -- and from slavery, it sounds like! Glasstaff did a runner, but m'ybe we can track 'im down later 'n' make him pay. And that nasty Redbrand who brought all o' th' reinforcements through there,"he points down the hall toward the secret door to the treasure room. "He stabbed me 'n' left me for dead. Without Mistress Daphyra's magic, that pro'bly would have been it for me! But then, when I thought that we had 'em on the run, he stabbed me again! By that secret door by the cistern. I hope I get a chance to repay him!" Even if the man fled, Marten briefly imagines tracking him down in some disreputable pub years from now, miles away from Phandalin. Marten doesn't generally hold onto grudges, but when one man stabs you multiple times in one day and knocks you out twice! "I should ha' learned at the Cragmaw Cave, when that goblin kept slippin' away 'n' warning' th' others. When we let that Redbrand slip away at the beginning? That's what led t' all th' others showin' up at once. In th' future, we gotta stick together 'n' surround our opponents. When a fight breaks out, make sure that none of 'em get away. No mercy until they actually surrender 'n' lay down arms."
Coming back to the here and now, Marten perks up: "Anyway, Glasstaff ran pretty quick' once Sildar showed up. If we're lucky, p'rhaps he left behind some clue about Gundren. Or about this 'Black Spider' we keep hearin' about. Whatever Gundren found must be worth a fortune if the 'Black Spider' took this much trouble ov'r a tiny minin' town. Kidnapping Gundren, settin' up the Redbrands t' oppress the folks o' Phandalin, sendin' out Glasstaff 'n' the bugbears..."
Assuming that Vidruth reassures them that he doesn't think that One-eye will be a problem for now, Marten says that there didn't seem to be anything else of value in the prisoners' room, and he has finished searching the skeletons' room. He proposes that they go room by room through the rest of the Redbrands' base to search for information about Gundren or the Black Spider. Since it seems the Redbrands were a criminal gang, Marten also feels no guilt about looting everything that they can carry from this place. "I don' know when we'll finally find Gundren, 'n' we're goin' t' need funds to keep up the search. It seems like justice t' steal from th' Black Spider's agents t' fund our effort to thwart th' Black Spider's plans," Marten says with grim amusement.
Marten proposes that they take a short rest in the cistern room now that the immediate danger is passed: he'd love to get a chance to bandage his wounds!
After that, they could start by searching the cistern room and the room that adjoins it. Then they could go through the skeletons' room to the hallway and check that door opposite the secret door at the end of the hallway. Then they could just continue counterclockwise: gathering the pelts from the treasure chamber before going down the stairs to Glasstaff's room. After they finish searching the others rooms on that level, they would end their search at the bottom of the stairs (the ones in the southwest of the crevasse chamber where Berry spread caltrops and Vidruth created ice). They could gather up the caltrops and then get back out the secret tunnel back to Phandaline before One-eye gets too curious and pokes his head out of the crevasse.
The party takes a short rest, then commences a thorough search of the premises.
Crypt. After a thorough examination of the room, Vidruth may find it perplexing that there is no evidence that Glasstaff himself raised the skeletons. Indeed, poking around the de-animated undead, you find that their armor bears the ragged emblem of the Tresendar House – the fallen line whose manor stands above you right now. It seems they were created long ago by the Tresendars themselves to guard the crypt.
Cistern Room. There is an area where water is pooled outside the pool. It seems that someone – probably Glasstaff himself, you somehow surmise, had some items hidden there that he managed to retrieve before leaving the hideout.
There are many barrels of provisions in the hideout, none of them bearing the light blue marking of the Lionshield Coster.
Armory. twelve spears, six shortswords, four longswords, six light crossbows, and eight quivers holding twenty crossbow bolts each.
Common Room (downstairs). The Redbrands in this room had been drinking and playing cards. Their bets remain on the table: The total amounts to 75 cp, 55 sp, 22 ep, 15 gp, and a gold earring set with a tiny ruby (30 gp).
Wizard’s Workshop. The books and notes scattered around the room are basic texts on alchemy. Vidruth, in time, your arcane investigation reveals the same as your lived experience: Glasstaff’s apparatus is set up to brew potions of invisibility, though obviously it is still a work in progress.
Among the books in the room is a tome written in Dwarvish. The journal of an adventurer named Urmon, it describes the history of the Lost Mine of Phandelver and the Forge of Spells, supporting the oral history Kiselina had shared with you the prior night. In addition, Urmon records that a magic mace named Lightbringer was commissioned by priests of Lathander, the god of dawn, from the mages working with the gnomes and dwarves of the Phandelver’s Pact. The mace was lost when Wave Echo Cave and its mine vanished from history.
Treasure: three small bottles hold rare reagents: mercury, dragon bile, and powdered nightshade. These are worth 25 gp each to an apothecary or alchemist, Vidruth would estimate.
Finally, you find Glasstaff’s chamber. The walls of this bedchamber are covered with drapes of scarlet cloth. The furnishings include a small writing desk with matching chair, a comfortable-looking bed, and a wooden, unlocked chest at the foot of the bed. It contains 180 sp, 130 gp, and a silk pouch containing five carnelians (10 gp each), two peridots (15 gp each), and one pearl (100 gp). It also contains four magic items stamped with makers marks from Neverwinter: a scroll of charm person, a scroll of fireball, and two spell scrolls (OOC: holding two 2nd-level spells of Vidruth’s choice that he can copy into his spellbook).
In the desk drawers are the expensive inks and material components needed to write and practice casting those two spells.
Iarno (“Glasstaff”) seems to have habitually burned his correspondence, so there is little more by way of clues. But he missed one letter:
Lord Albrek,
My spies in Neverwinter tell me that strangers are due to arrive in Phandalin. They could be working for the dwarves. Capture them if you can, kill them if you must, but don’t allow them to upset our plans. See that any dwarven maps in their possession are delivered to me with haste. I’m counting on you, Iarno. Don’t disappoint me.
I hope the bugbears I sent you have helped to keep the pathetic townsfolk under control.
[In place of a signature, there is a small ink-drawing of a black spider.]
"Kiselina and Daphyra aren't dead yet, I think. I think I saw them moving a little and breathing. Though they are in pretty bad shape. I hope the sister can help them."Berry informs Marten about what he observed when the other group left.
During their short rest, Berry approaches Vidruth and presents him with the scroll that contains Banishment, "Look what I found in that chest under the bridge. Perhaps, you know what to do with that. I also found this," he says and draws his new scimitar and presents it to Vidruth, "I'm not sure if it is magical, but it does look pretty. I really like it." Lastly, he also shows the last remaining healing potion and offers it to the group in case someone wants to keep it safe.
"That Mace would work wonders in your hands, Nosam, I'm sure of it! We must find it." he comments to Nosam after the mention of the magical mace in the Wave Echo Cavern.
At the end of the search, Berry sits down and munches on a ration (I discounted 3, one for Berry for now and during the rest, and 2 for the prisoners), "This looks like a real dilemma. This Black Spider has spies as far as Neverwinter. Do you think there is still a chance that we can rescue Gundren from someone so powerful? And now Glasstaff is there, too. They will be prepared if we go there. And what is that Wave Echo Cavern? It doesn't say where it is right? Is the black spider trying to find that place? They're so desperately searching maps. Dwarven maps..."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
during the short rest vidruth will use arcane recovery and both hit dice, regaining a spell slot and 15 hp
"alive, but not for long if it doesnt go well" vidruth agrees grimly, then, scanning the scroll "banishment" he says, eyebrows raised "as for what to do with it... it is well beyond my capabilities, perhaps i could cast it at the expense of the scroll, but it would be difficult and require some luck or good timing" as for the sword, give me a moment after i catch my breath and recover, i wont be able to tell you what it does, but if its magic? thats easy enough" he laspses into silence, trying to bring some of his dissipated power back. after the rest he spends another ten minutes finishing a ritual to enhance his vision once again, gazing on berry's sword to see if its magical, then indicating the result (cast detect magic as a ritual)
much later, while they are searching the building he speaks again "i dont like the idea of continuing against this black spider fellow, but its too late now, wed have to run far, and besides you lot are stubborn. ill stand by you"
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This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
The party takes a short rest, then commences a thorough search of the premises.
Marten tries to rest and bandage up his wounds, but being knocked out twice in the span of a few minutes isn't good for your health! (Spent both HD and still only regained 8 = 3 + 5 HP)
There are many barrels of provisions in the hideout, none of them bearing the light blue marking of the Lionshield Coster.
Marten is unsure how much work they want to go through, just the 4 of them, to roll / carry out these barrels. There may be some trade / barter value for them, but they're not compact, like the gems that the party finds or even the beaver pelts.
Marten suggests, "Now that we don't have Kis'lina t' calm down th' villagers, m'ybe we could earn some good will by givin' away the provisions to the town? Or just hold an auction to sell 'em 'n' raise some funds for Dendrar's widow 'n' kids? I know that we're not responsible for what th' Redbrands did here, but I'd like t' undo some o' the harm they did in Phandalin."
Armory. twelve spears, six shortswords, four longswords, six light crossbows, and eight quivers holding twenty crossbow bolts each.
Marten dropped his shortsword in the crevasse room. He equips himself with two shortswords (and a sheath for each) in case he ends up in melee again. He also examines the crossbows and takes the one that he deems the highest quality. He also takes two cases of crossbow bolts. He plans to switch over to using a crossbow after today. He can leave his father's shortbow in the care of Toblen Stonehill for a while. Once they've found Gundren, Marten can finally visit his sister and give the bow to his nephew.
Once everyone in the party has an opportunity to pick from the weapons if they want (e.g., does Berry want a longsword for when he's using his shield?), Marten carries the weapons in batches over to the southern tunnel. He explains, "They'll jus' rust away down here if we leave 'em. We might be able to trade 'em to the Lionshield Coster woman in exchange for upgradin' some o' our other gear." As he says that, he looks down at his armor, which is bloody and badly torn after today's fights.
Common Room (downstairs). Their bets remain on the table.
Wizard’s Workshop. These are worth 25 gp each to an apothecary or alchemist, Vidruth would estimate.
Finally, you find Glasstaff’s chamber. a wooden, unlocked chest at the foot of the bed. It contains 180 sp, 130 gp, and a silk pouch containing five carnelians (10 gp each), two peridots (15 gp each), and one pearl (100 gp).
As they start to gather more things, Marten puts all of the beaver pelts, coins, gems, and apothecary supplies in Glasstaff's chest. He says, "I reckon that we should just gather up ev'rything 'n' carry it out. Once we get back to Stonehill's, we can figure out how t' split it up." But he suggests that Vidruth should go ahead and take possession of the spell scrolls and any of Glasstaff's other arcane supplies now since Vidruth will know best how to handle them and put them to good use.
Among the books in the room is a tome written in Dwarvish.
Marten listens with interest to whatever Nosam reads them from the journal.
Iarno (“Glasstaff”) seems to have habitually burned his correspondence, so there is little more by way of clues. But he missed one letter:
Marten grunts, "Hm...that doesn't tell us much about th' black spider, but let's take the letter 'n' show it t' Sildar."
(OOC: Can we assume that with a few hours work and maybe sending someone to Barthen's to get a pack animal or a couple of hand carts that the party can take the scrolls, the chest, the pelts, the spare weapons, the barrels of provisions, and maybe even the chair and writing desk back to the Stonehill Inn?)
much later, while they are searching the building he speaks again "i dont like the idea of continuing against this black spider fellow, but its too late now, wed have to run far, and besides you lot are stubborn. ill stand by you"
Marten doesn't have a detailed philosophy, but he knows what "feels right" to him. But he has a much harder time grasping Vidruth's values. Half-orcs just seem to think differently from humans. He chuckles at the last comments, saying, "Aye. Stubborn like a mule, my sister used t' say. But it's not that complicated to me. Someone took Gundren, a friend. I've got t' try t' help him, if I can. I can't imagine stoppin' until I hit a dead end or until I'm sure he's lost for good."
At the end of the search, Berry sits down and munches on a ration (I discounted 3, one for Berry for now and during the rest, and 2 for the prisoners), "This looks like a real dilemma. This Black Spider has spies as far as Neverwinter. Do you think there is still a chance that we can rescue Gundren from someone so powerful? And now Glasstaff is there, too. They will be prepared if we go there. And what is that Wave Echo Cavern? It doesn't say where it is right? Is the black spider trying to find that place? They're so desperately searching maps. Dwarven maps..."
As they rest among the "loot" that they've pulled up outside the Redbrands' base at the end of the southern tunnel, Marten also has a snack and some water (from the waterskin that he refilled from the cistern). He sighs deeply and looks back down the tunnel to the Redbrands' base. Marten responds, "It's a risk -- no doubt! -- fightin' against the powerful. We've seen that. We're puttin' our lives on th' line if we keep goin'. But you know, when you're followin' tracks in th' wild, you don' know where they'll lead. All you can do is take the next step. Look for the next sign. But if you keep doin' that, 'n' you keep at it long enough, you eventually track down your quarry."
Marten scratches his beard for a moment before continuing, "Even Glasstaff don't know that much about us. He wasn't expecting us t' raid his base like we did, that's for sure! It seems t' me that someone ought t' challenge powerful 'n' greedy people like Glasstaff or the Black Spider. Otherwise, they just kill 'n' take what they want. If not us, then who?"
Marten shrugs, "Besides, I don't have any other jobs lined up. With what we took from the Redbrands' today, 'n' if we get the provisions from the Cragmaw's cave tomorrow, I'll have plenty o' coin to keep a room at Stonehill's for another couple o' weeks. That's plenty o' time t' strike out from Phandalin, follow the trail, keep looking' for the next sign. Who knows what we'll find next?"
Finishing his ration, Berry jumps up, „One thing is sure. These supplies don’t do any good down here and they’re not going to move up all by themselves. Let’s pack up as much as we can and get it up. I don’t mind we can just give the basic stuff to the people as it was likely taken from them. The more valuable things we can sell, I’d agree. Tomorrow we can see what we do from here. There’s still the goblin cave. We might even find clues there. Maybe they didn’t burn their letters so diligently.“
Nosam enjoys the rummaging through everything more than he should. "If there's anything particular needs carryin', load me up. And I agree Mister Marten, the sortin' should be handled back in the safety... or the relative safety of town."
He picks up the dwarven journal and begins skimming for anything that may be helpful.
Quote from Ben_Evolent>>o peridots (15 gp each), and one pearl (100 gp).
As they start to gather more things, Marten puts all of the beaver pelts, coins, gems, and apothecary supplies in Glasstaff's chest. He says, "I reckon that we should just gather up ev'rything 'n' carry it out. Once we get back to Stonehill's, we can figure out how t' split it up." But he suggests that Vidruth should go ahead and take possession of the spell scrolls and any of Glasstaff's other arcane supplies now since Vidruth will know best how to handle them and put them to good use.
"might as well carry it" he nods "ill take em for now, but im no alchemist, i reckon we just sell the reagents, and as for the scroll, the only one i can think of in leagues who its useful for is glasstaff, and id rather he didnt get it-" he trails off "why would he keep the scroll though- i suspect either he already has the spell in his book or else he is not strong enough to cast it"
As they rest among the "loot" that they've pulled up outside the Redbrands' base at the end of the southern tunnel, Marten also has a snack and some water (from the waterskin that he refilled from the cistern). He sighs deeply and looks back down the tunnel to the Redbrands' base. Marten responds, "It's a risk -- no doubt! -- fightin' against the powerful. We've seen that. We're puttin' our lives on th' line if we keep goin'. But you know, when you're followin' tracks in th' wild, you don' know where they'll lead. All you can do is take the next step. Look for the next sign. But if you keep doin' that, 'n' you keep at it long enough, you eventually track down your quarry."
"do you make a habit of tracking wyverns?" he asks slightly sharply, still quite stressed and with every fiber of his being fighting against the choice he made "yes persistence is what will catch him, i will just pay heed he doesnt catch us instead"
Finishing his ration, Berry jumps up, „One thing is sure. These supplies don’t do any good down here and they’re not going to move up all by themselves. Let’s pack up as much as we can and get it up. I don’t mind we can just give the basic stuff to the people as it was likely taken from them. The more valuable things we can sell, I’d agree. Tomorrow we can see what we do from here. There’s still the goblin cave. We might even find clues there. Maybe they didn’t burn their letters so diligently.“
"id say its equally likely they did or did not burn correspondence. its worth a try at least, and i hope there is something more to go on than what we have at the moment"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
Word travels quickly as later that day the companions return from the woods and then the road near the Alderleaf Farm, and around the town hall to the green, where the townsfolk of Phandalin stand with stoic faces, seemingly bowed under the proverbial crack of the Redbrands’ whip, as the breeze whips at their weathered beards and head kerchiefs. As the companions move closer though, they spot the cleaned-up faces of Mirna Dendrar and thirteen-year-old Nars and eighteen-year-old Nilsa Dendrar among them, and then, Sildar Hallwinter, who had been speaking to Crissie, turns and with his good arm gestures toward you.
“Here they are,” he tells them. And as the players, blood-stained and battle-scarred, approach (walking in exquisite slow motion with a crescendo of dramatic music!), they start to clap, first Sildar, and soon, everyone, and the players are embraced and given draughts of sweet mead, and their backs slapped with admiration and gratitude as the children, with a new sense of freedom, skip and play and laugh joyfully on the green. This afternoon, the sun shines brightly, and the entire town turns out for an impromptu celebration with lantern lights and a great roasted buck, as the people of Phandalin sit together and listen to Sildar and you relate the story of bravery that resulted in the routing of the Redbrands from Phandalin.
Of course there is still a tint of sadness, and Sister Garaele remains in her home, at the bedside of Daphyra and Kiselina, who remain at the very brink of death, although somehow, be it due to the Sister’s prodigious wisdom or the courage and willpower or connection to the divine possessed by the two fallen companions – somehow, they hold on through the night.
Notably absent, too, is Harbin Wester, the townmaster.
The following day after a good night’s sleep at the Stonehill Inn, Sildar appears, looking much better, though it seems his fighting days are definitely in the past.
“You may be wondering about those goblins. First off, on the way out of the Tresendor tunnel, I noted that their tracks – the goblins and a bugbear – headed north, overland. It might be possible to track them at a later date.” His expression sours. “Also. Harbin Wester had an arrangement with the Redbrands, I have learned, guaranteeing his own safety if they were given run of the town. They possessed keys to the jails, and simply released the goblins hours after you escorted them there, to join their ranks. Harbin is remorseful, the old fool. But as of today, you see before you the new townmaster of Phandalin.”
“You might also wonder how I knew the true name of Glasstaff, as the Redbrands called him. Iarno Albrek. It was in part in order to find him that I agreed to accompany Gundren here. I am a member of the Lords’ Alliance. So is – was – Iarno. Iarno Albrek. He was sent here two months ago to establish order. After the Lords’ Alliance received no word from Iarno, I came to investigate. I could not be more disappointed. But that brings me to the other reason I have come this morning.” He adopts a proud and formal tone.
“I am naming you four as members of the Lords’ Alliance. You exemplify a desire for the security of civilization through action. If you agree, you have each earned the title of Cloak.”
“I have new responsibilities to attend to, but you can find me at the townmaster’s hall, where I will assume Harben’s quarters and he’ll move back to his cottage. But now that I have the town’s welfare in my hands, there is nothing stopping me from seeing to your being rewarded for your actions yesterday.
“First off, you four stay at the Stonehill Inn as long as you like. That’s covered by the town’s bursar. Second, the Cragmaw goblins. I can offer a 500 gp reward if you have the gumption and resolve enough to locate Cragmaw Castle – that’s where they took Gundren and his map, and I bet you’ll find the Black Spider and Glasstaff there too – and defeat or drive off the tribe’s chieftain. I still don’t know where it is exactly. But by searching the lands around the Triboar Trail for more raiding parties, I bet you can find more clues.
“That’s all for later though. For now, we all await word from Sister Garaele about Lady Daphyra and Sir Kiselina.”
Five days pass during which both Daphyra and Kiselina’s hearts stop beating more than once, and hope seems lost, and it is only Sister Garaele’s fervent prayers and centuries-old knowledge of healing herbs that pulls them back from the brink.
Finally she finds the companions at the Stonehill Inn.
“By Tymora’s grace, they yet live,” she says. “They are both flying in the land of dreams, asleep, and weak as can be, but steady. With the support of our new townmaster and herbs from the High Forests that have been obtained at some cost with the support of the townsfolk, the worst has passed. It may take time for them to wake and open their eyes to the land of the living once again, but they are stable. I will keep them safe. In the meantime, their temples and families have been contacted. With Tymora’s luck, we can hope.”
(OOC: Go ahead and narrate what your character has been up to during this period of enforced downtime as they have leveled up.)
vidruth gets visibly uncomfortable with the praise, usually hes the one heroes return to, not the other way around, and he distinctly dislikes this, and its even worse when hes made part of the lords alliance, a group he knows little of.
the first day he spends distraughtedly wandering the streets and the areas just outside of town, refusing to speak to anyone. after that he spends most of his time either in his room or in the inns common room, either way he is messing around with his spellbook, sketching things out with chalk and then erasing it completely, and generally muttering as he tries to make a breakthrough with some of his spells
when FINALLY he discovers that his comrades are alive, if seemingly in a coma, he seems extremely releived, and thanks sister garaele profusely
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This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
“Here they are,” he tells them. And as the players, blood-stained and battle-scarred, approach (walking in exquisite slow motion with a crescendo of dramatic music!), they start to clap, first Sildar, and soon, everyone, and the players are embraced and given draughts of sweet mead, and their backs slapped with admiration and gratitude as the children, with a new sense of freedom, skip and play and laugh joyfully on the green. This afternoon, the sun shines brightly, and the entire town turns out for an impromptu celebration with lantern lights and a great roasted buck, as the people of Phandalin sit together and listen to Sildar and you relate the story of bravery that resulted in the routing of the Redbrands from Phandalin.
Marten is deeply uncomfortable with the attention of such a large crowd. He also finds it difficult to feel in a celebratory mood when they could have easily all died under the Tresendar Manor today. Indeed, they would have at least been captured if it hadn't been for the arrival of Sildar, Crissie, and Sister Garaele!
But after a few drinks and seeing the elation of the people of Phandalin and their children, Marten tries not to ruin the party by being a "Grumpy Gus." When pressed for details, he tries to relate the heroic deeds of his friends, like when Berry flew up and flipped right over a bugbear or when Vidruth cleared a path for Marten with his thunderwave or how Nosam saved Sildar from animated skeletons by bashing them to smithereens with his hammer. He tries to leave out the gory details and does not tell anyone about One-eye or the creature's grisly feast.
Marten thanks Sildar for offering to pay their lodging at Stonehill Inn. He suggests that the party could donate the provisions that they took from the Redbrands' base so that they're not a complete drain on the town coffers. He just asks that Sildar give some consideration to the Dendrars.
Marten had already planned to try to rescue Gundren from Cragmaw Castle, but he's happy to hear that there may be a reward involved. He also asks Sildar about the orcs that the former townmaster, Harbin Wester, had asked them to chase off or kill. Is the town offering some sort of bounty on the orcs too, or was that just something that Wester made up?
The idea of factions and secret societies is largely foreign to Marten. It takes Sildar a few tries to get Marten to understand what the Lords' Alliance is and that they're being asked to join but that it's not just a simple "job". Marten knows that he would have been captured by Glasstaff if it Sildar had not arrived when he did, so he's happy to help however he can. Marten asks Sildar to explain what joining the group means. What would be expected of him? What would he have to do?
After Sildar's visit, Marten adopts the general opinion that Harbin Wester is a foolish and stupid man. He's upset that their goblin prisoners got away, mostly because they were going to lead the party to the Cragmaw Castle. That'll set them back days more while they explore the wilderness along the Triboar Trail and try to find a goblin raiding party to follow back to the castle.
Marten is unwilling to go far from Phandalin while Kiselina and Mistress Daphyra are at death's door, but he hates being idle. He sets up targets on the town green and spends many hours getting used to his new crossbow and practicing his aim. If he attracts attention there, he's willing to give a few pointers to any men and young boys who ask.
During the middle of the day and into the evening, Marten wanders around the town. He doesn't say much, but he learns the layout of the town and its surroundings. He watches and listens and tries to learn a bit about who's who in Phandalin. Then he starts wandering in the wilderness around the town, never far from the town, just to get a sense of the geography and the local flora and fauna. He's happy to take Nosam and/or Berry along on these excursions or to spend some time learning swordplay from the fighters.
In the evenings, Marten is always back at the Stonehill Inn for dinner. While he is uncomfortable in crowds, Marten is much better one-on-one. As he begins to learn the names of the people who frequent Stonehill's, he starts to engage more with them, though he still doesn't talk much. Marten is also eager to discuss tactics with his friends: what went wrong in their fight in the Cragmaw cave or in the Redbrands's base? How could they fight together better in the future?
If Vidruth is willing to leave his studies during this downtime, Marten proposes that the party go to the Lionshield Coster to see whether they can sell or trade the weapons that they took from the Redbrands' base to its formidable proprietor, Linene Graywind. He is confident that Vidruth would drive the hardest bargain, especially with help from the others.
Berry trudges out of the manor in low spirits, little was gained but so much was lost there. However, the show of respect and gratitude by the villagers quickly lifted him up higher than his wings could. He enjoyed the attention and bathed in their praise. Expeditiously, he forgot the dangers they faced mere hours ago and joined the children playing on the greens. The afternoon felt to him like if he was back in the fey wild, where play and joy were his foremost occupations.
During the following days, most of his time he continued to play with the children but they were more and more often called back into their chores and Berry was forced back into his own reality, his own new life of adventure. He regularly visited Daphyra and Kiselina, brought them fresh flowers and fragrances from the forest. He strongly believes that the smell of nature alone can bind a soul to its body and bring back the nearly lost. Though Sister Garaele acknowledges his wisdom with little more than raised eyebrows. But he's sure of it, he's seen it happen.
"A Cloak?" he replies to Sildar, "I think a cloak would be real stylish. Just imagine how it would flutter in the wind when I zip around like this," and he lifts off before Sildar can educate him, "You mean a cape... but..., " that a title isn't a piece of cloth to wear, or was it meant to be both?
In discussions with the party, Berry agrees that they should search for the castle and root out that black spider. He had been joining Marten with training sessions and tried his new scimitar. When he had time to spare but no one to play with, he started to play a few tricks on the people with his innate magic. Not all were as bad-mannered, though, as snuffing out candles for the reading folk. No, he also enjoyed make flowers bloom behind their backs and generally speed up the growth process. He experimented more with his magic and found new ways to illuminate things and people and manifest small wonders of a different kind than before. After all these experiences these last couple of days, he felt he's grown much in so many ways since he embarked on his adventure but little does he know how much this is literally true.
He also visited the Lionshield Coster and asked if it is at all possible to manufacture a shield that could be released quickly. He had employed this tactic with a regular shield but felt that it wasn't ideal. Couldn't someone fashion a shield with a quick release so that he could free himself quickly of the shields restrain if he needed. He thought that it should be somehow possible.
(Note: It exists Cast-Off Armor but there is no indication for shields, but I feel it should be even easier to make. I'm asking if this is something Berry would be able to obtain. )
(Note: It exists Cast-Off Armor but there is no indication for shields, but I feel it should be even easier to make. I'm asking if this is something Berry would be able to obtain. )
Marten thanks Sildar for offering to pay their lodging at Stonehill Inn. He suggests that the party could donate the provisions that they took from the Redbrands' base so that they're not a complete drain on the town coffers. He just asks that Sildar give some consideration to the Dendrars.
Sildar thinks this is a thoughtful course of action, especially given that the Dendrars' breadwinner has been removed from the picture.
Is the town offering some sort of bounty on the orcs too, or was that just something that Wester made up?
Yes, the bounty still holds.
Marten asks Sildar to explain what joining the group means. What would be expected of him? What would he have to do?
The newly dubbed town master answers in as much of a sagely tone as he can muster. "If you keep doing what you've been doing since you I met you: standing up for the oppressed and for what is right and fighting against those who act forcefully to overthrow the rules and laws of society, then you will earn your title simply by being exactly who and what you are." He takes a breath, and his tone grows more excited, his eyes lighting up. "And. There are annual jousts and archery contests, in which only members may participate."
As [Marten] begins to learn the names of the people who frequent Stonehill's, he starts to engage more with them, though he still doesn't talk much.
Most of the residents are likewise prone to being quiet. They are content to match Marten's pace. Perhaps trust will grow in time. The exception is of course Elsa, who is happy to sit with Marten when she has a free moment, and (over-)share at length her thoughts about her current reading endeavors.
Berry & Nosam
With a POP and a shrieking groan, the century-old welding, though well crafted, of one of the cell bars snaps loose, and with a light dusting of rust poofing down from the bars, Berry succeeds in creating an opening wide enough for the lad to snake through. All but his head. But Nosam and Berry together pull on the remaining bars, allowing just another inch of space between the bars – just enough for the boy to escape, a look of joy writ on his features, not just from being newly free and enjoying a hug from his own mother for the first time in two weeks, but also an unspoken pride in being small enough to wiggle his way of the cell despite its being mostly still intact.
And the family does embrace, and there are tears of sorrow for their loss, and in remembrance of their fears, and of joy for their salvation from a life of enslavement.
You walk them to Sildar, Sister Garaele, and Crissie, and the six move slowly down the long tunnel towards the bright spot of daylight at its end.
Marten
The stone lid of each sarcophagus is carved to depict the person entombed within—two human males and one human female, all of noble bearing. Pushing the lids aside, Marten finds mostly moldering bones and scraps of clothing. But amid the bones in each sarcophagus is a platinum signet ring, the value of which must be as much as 50gp each.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"we should all regroup" he says to sildar and the sister "and Get Out. i dont know why the others are lingering, i hope they didnt get trapped" he seems nervous, and keeps a constant watch on one eye, then calls out "found anything?" rather loudly, hoping for a response from the others
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
Vidruth
It must be just as Vidruth utters this shout that Nosam or Berry or both approach the half-orc with the Dendrar family in tow, and then joins them to Sildar’s group before they depart together (as posted above).
Vidruth no doubt returns with Nosam and/or Berry to find Marten as he pushes aside the last sarcophagus lid, producing the last signet ring.
All
All four of you are now in the crypt room.
(OOC: From here we can assume the party will stay together. As long as you leave One-Eye to its own devices, it will leave you to yours. For today, at least. There are no more enemies to discover.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Marten pauses his search for a moment as Berry and Nosam take the Dendrars through the room and back toward the crevasse chamber. He stands there with what he hopes is a pleasant expression and winks at the Dendrar boy when the lad looks at him. He doesn't want to add to the horrors that the family has experienced by seeing him rummaging around inside an open sarcophagus.
Marten looks at the other three as they enter the room and looks up the hallway through which they came. With a somewhat blank expression and flat tone, he simply asks, "Kis'lina? Sister Daphyra?" Once it's clear to Marten that their friends are dead, he looks down and his head bobs for a minute as he silently deals with a flood of emotions. Marten has seen -- and experienced! -- simple healing spells that revive the grievously wounded, but as far as he knows, dead is dead. He has heard stories about powerful magic that can resurrect the dead, but he's never seen it and doesn't know whether it's real. Or, even if it is, how common it is. Marten finally says, "We dealt a blow to the Redbrands today, 'n' I don't think they'll be botherin' Phandalin again." He shakes his head, "But 'twas a terr'ble price to pay, losin' our friends like that. If Sister Garaele can still do anything t' revive 'em, I s'ppose she'll let us know 'n' tell us the cost..."
Marten hold up the signet rings to show the others, saying, "I found some rings in these here coffin things." He gestures at the sarcophagi. "M'ybe that'll tell us somethin' about who they were 'n' why their skeletons were walkin' around. Or if Glasstaff just magicked their bones, 'n' they were just some long-dead folks from back in th' old days o' th' Phandelver Pact, with no kith nor kin to claim them...Well, I guess they have no use for such trinkets now anyway." He drops the ring into his pouch with the other two for now. The group can divide the treasure later.
Marten smiles at the others, "I'm proud t' know you all. Many men would ha' run when we got swarmed by them Redbrands. It seemed hopeless, but we held our nerve! I'm glad t' have you at my back, 'n' I hope we can all keep walkin' this road together. But -- well, now that Kis'lina 'n' Daphyra...." He gets a little choked up. After clearing his throat, Marten continues, "I mean...um...now that it's just us, I wouldn't blame anyone if you wanted to call it quits. But like I said a couple o' days ago, I'm gonna keep at it until I find Gundren or hit a dead end. I'd be glad to have you all with me!"
Assuming that the 4 remaining party members are sticking together, Marten says, "I reckon it's best to focus on what we can do here t' make the best o' this disaster. At least we saved the Dendrars -- and from slavery, it sounds like! Glasstaff did a runner, but m'ybe we can track 'im down later 'n' make him pay. And that nasty Redbrand who brought all o' th' reinforcements through there," he points down the hall toward the secret door to the treasure room. "He stabbed me 'n' left me for dead. Without Mistress Daphyra's magic, that pro'bly would have been it for me! But then, when I thought that we had 'em on the run, he stabbed me again! By that secret door by the cistern. I hope I get a chance to repay him!" Even if the man fled, Marten briefly imagines tracking him down in some disreputable pub years from now, miles away from Phandalin. Marten doesn't generally hold onto grudges, but when one man stabs you multiple times in one day and knocks you out twice! "I should ha' learned at the Cragmaw Cave, when that goblin kept slippin' away 'n' warning' th' others. When we let that Redbrand slip away at the beginning? That's what led t' all th' others showin' up at once. In th' future, we gotta stick together 'n' surround our opponents. When a fight breaks out, make sure that none of 'em get away. No mercy until they actually surrender 'n' lay down arms."
Coming back to the here and now, Marten perks up: "Anyway, Glasstaff ran pretty quick' once Sildar showed up. If we're lucky, p'rhaps he left behind some clue about Gundren. Or about this 'Black Spider' we keep hearin' about. Whatever Gundren found must be worth a fortune if the 'Black Spider' took this much trouble ov'r a tiny minin' town. Kidnapping Gundren, settin' up the Redbrands t' oppress the folks o' Phandalin, sendin' out Glasstaff 'n' the bugbears..."
Assuming that Vidruth reassures them that he doesn't think that One-eye will be a problem for now, Marten says that there didn't seem to be anything else of value in the prisoners' room, and he has finished searching the skeletons' room. He proposes that they go room by room through the rest of the Redbrands' base to search for information about Gundren or the Black Spider. Since it seems the Redbrands were a criminal gang, Marten also feels no guilt about looting everything that they can carry from this place. "I don' know when we'll finally find Gundren, 'n' we're goin' t' need funds to keep up the search. It seems like justice t' steal from th' Black Spider's agents t' fund our effort to thwart th' Black Spider's plans," Marten says with grim amusement.
Marten proposes that they take a short rest in the cistern room now that the immediate danger is passed: he'd love to get a chance to bandage his wounds!
After that, they could start by searching the cistern room and the room that adjoins it. Then they could go through the skeletons' room to the hallway and check that door opposite the secret door at the end of the hallway. Then they could just continue counterclockwise: gathering the pelts from the treasure chamber before going down the stairs to Glasstaff's room. After they finish searching the others rooms on that level, they would end their search at the bottom of the stairs (the ones in the southwest of the crevasse chamber where Berry spread caltrops and Vidruth created ice). They could gather up the caltrops and then get back out the secret tunnel back to Phandaline before One-eye gets too curious and pokes his head out of the crevasse.
The party takes a short rest, then commences a thorough search of the premises.
Crypt. After a thorough examination of the room, Vidruth may find it perplexing that there is no evidence that Glasstaff himself raised the skeletons. Indeed, poking around the de-animated undead, you find that their armor bears the ragged emblem of the Tresendar House – the fallen line whose manor stands above you right now. It seems they were created long ago by the Tresendars themselves to guard the crypt.
Cistern Room. There is an area where water is pooled outside the pool. It seems that someone – probably Glasstaff himself, you somehow surmise, had some items hidden there that he managed to retrieve before leaving the hideout.
There are many barrels of provisions in the hideout, none of them bearing the light blue marking of the Lionshield Coster.
Armory. twelve spears, six shortswords, four longswords, six light crossbows, and eight quivers holding twenty crossbow bolts each.
Common Room (downstairs). The Redbrands in this room had been drinking and playing cards. Their bets remain on the table: The total amounts to 75 cp, 55 sp, 22 ep, 15 gp, and a gold earring set with a tiny ruby (30 gp).
Wizard’s Workshop. The books and notes scattered around the room are basic texts on alchemy. Vidruth, in time, your arcane investigation reveals the same as your lived experience: Glasstaff’s apparatus is set up to brew potions of invisibility, though obviously it is still a work in progress.
Among the books in the room is a tome written in Dwarvish. The journal of an adventurer named Urmon, it describes the history of the Lost Mine of Phandelver and the Forge of Spells, supporting the oral history Kiselina had shared with you the prior night. In addition, Urmon records that a magic mace named Lightbringer was commissioned by priests of Lathander, the god of dawn, from the mages working with the gnomes and dwarves of the Phandelver’s Pact. The mace was lost when Wave Echo Cave and its mine vanished from history.
Treasure: three small bottles hold rare reagents: mercury, dragon bile, and powdered nightshade. These are worth 25 gp each to an apothecary or alchemist, Vidruth would estimate.
Finally, you find Glasstaff’s chamber. The walls of this bedchamber are covered with drapes of scarlet cloth. The furnishings include a small writing desk with matching chair, a comfortable-looking bed, and a wooden, unlocked chest at the foot of the bed. It contains 180 sp, 130 gp, and a silk pouch containing five carnelians (10 gp each), two peridots (15 gp each), and one pearl (100 gp). It also contains four magic items stamped with makers marks from Neverwinter: a scroll of charm person, a scroll of fireball, and two spell scrolls (OOC: holding two 2nd-level spells of Vidruth’s choice that he can copy into his spellbook).
In the desk drawers are the expensive inks and material components needed to write and practice casting those two spells.
Iarno (“Glasstaff”) seems to have habitually burned his correspondence, so there is little more by way of clues. But he missed one letter:
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Kiselina and Daphyra aren't dead yet, I think. I think I saw them moving a little and breathing. Though they are in pretty bad shape. I hope the sister can help them." Berry informs Marten about what he observed when the other group left.
During their short rest, Berry approaches Vidruth and presents him with the scroll that contains Banishment, "Look what I found in that chest under the bridge. Perhaps, you know what to do with that. I also found this," he says and draws his new scimitar and presents it to Vidruth, "I'm not sure if it is magical, but it does look pretty. I really like it." Lastly, he also shows the last remaining healing potion and offers it to the group in case someone wants to keep it safe.
"That Mace would work wonders in your hands, Nosam, I'm sure of it! We must find it." he comments to Nosam after the mention of the magical mace in the Wave Echo Cavern.
At the end of the search, Berry sits down and munches on a ration (I discounted 3, one for Berry for now and during the rest, and 2 for the prisoners), "This looks like a real dilemma. This Black Spider has spies as far as Neverwinter. Do you think there is still a chance that we can rescue Gundren from someone so powerful? And now Glasstaff is there, too. They will be prepared if we go there. And what is that Wave Echo Cavern? It doesn't say where it is right? Is the black spider trying to find that place? They're so desperately searching maps. Dwarven maps..."
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
during the short rest vidruth will use arcane recovery and both hit dice, regaining a spell slot and 15 hp
"alive, but not for long if it doesnt go well" vidruth agrees grimly, then, scanning the scroll "banishment" he says, eyebrows raised "as for what to do with it... it is well beyond my capabilities, perhaps i could cast it at the expense of the scroll, but it would be difficult and require some luck or good timing" as for the sword, give me a moment after i catch my breath and recover, i wont be able to tell you what it does, but if its magic? thats easy enough" he laspses into silence, trying to bring some of his dissipated power back. after the rest he spends another ten minutes finishing a ritual to enhance his vision once again, gazing on berry's sword to see if its magical, then indicating the result (cast detect magic as a ritual)
much later, while they are searching the building he speaks again "i dont like the idea of continuing against this black spider fellow, but its too late now, wed have to run far, and besides you lot are stubborn. ill stand by you"
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
Marten tries to rest and bandage up his wounds, but being knocked out twice in the span of a few minutes isn't good for your health! (Spent both HD and still only regained 8 = 3 + 5 HP)
Marten is unsure how much work they want to go through, just the 4 of them, to roll / carry out these barrels. There may be some trade / barter value for them, but they're not compact, like the gems that the party finds or even the beaver pelts.
Marten suggests, "Now that we don't have Kis'lina t' calm down th' villagers, m'ybe we could earn some good will by givin' away the provisions to the town? Or just hold an auction to sell 'em 'n' raise some funds for Dendrar's widow 'n' kids? I know that we're not responsible for what th' Redbrands did here, but I'd like t' undo some o' the harm they did in Phandalin."
Marten dropped his shortsword in the crevasse room. He equips himself with two shortswords (and a sheath for each) in case he ends up in melee again. He also examines the crossbows and takes the one that he deems the highest quality. He also takes two cases of crossbow bolts. He plans to switch over to using a crossbow after today. He can leave his father's shortbow in the care of Toblen Stonehill for a while. Once they've found Gundren, Marten can finally visit his sister and give the bow to his nephew.
Once everyone in the party has an opportunity to pick from the weapons if they want (e.g., does Berry want a longsword for when he's using his shield?), Marten carries the weapons in batches over to the southern tunnel. He explains, "They'll jus' rust away down here if we leave 'em. We might be able to trade 'em to the Lionshield Coster woman in exchange for upgradin' some o' our other gear." As he says that, he looks down at his armor, which is bloody and badly torn after today's fights.
As they start to gather more things, Marten puts all of the beaver pelts, coins, gems, and apothecary supplies in Glasstaff's chest. He says, "I reckon that we should just gather up ev'rything 'n' carry it out. Once we get back to Stonehill's, we can figure out how t' split it up." But he suggests that Vidruth should go ahead and take possession of the spell scrolls and any of Glasstaff's other arcane supplies now since Vidruth will know best how to handle them and put them to good use.
Marten listens with interest to whatever Nosam reads them from the journal.
Marten grunts, "Hm...that doesn't tell us much about th' black spider, but let's take the letter 'n' show it t' Sildar."
(OOC: Can we assume that with a few hours work and maybe sending someone to Barthen's to get a pack animal or a couple of hand carts that the party can take the scrolls, the chest, the pelts, the spare weapons, the barrels of provisions, and maybe even the chair and writing desk back to the Stonehill Inn?)
Marten doesn't have a detailed philosophy, but he knows what "feels right" to him. But he has a much harder time grasping Vidruth's values. Half-orcs just seem to think differently from humans. He chuckles at the last comments, saying, "Aye. Stubborn like a mule, my sister used t' say. But it's not that complicated to me. Someone took Gundren, a friend. I've got t' try t' help him, if I can. I can't imagine stoppin' until I hit a dead end or until I'm sure he's lost for good."
As they rest among the "loot" that they've pulled up outside the Redbrands' base at the end of the southern tunnel, Marten also has a snack and some water (from the waterskin that he refilled from the cistern). He sighs deeply and looks back down the tunnel to the Redbrands' base. Marten responds, "It's a risk -- no doubt! -- fightin' against the powerful. We've seen that. We're puttin' our lives on th' line if we keep goin'. But you know, when you're followin' tracks in th' wild, you don' know where they'll lead. All you can do is take the next step. Look for the next sign. But if you keep doin' that, 'n' you keep at it long enough, you eventually track down your quarry."
Marten scratches his beard for a moment before continuing, "Even Glasstaff don't know that much about us. He wasn't expecting us t' raid his base like we did, that's for sure! It seems t' me that someone ought t' challenge powerful 'n' greedy people like Glasstaff or the Black Spider. Otherwise, they just kill 'n' take what they want. If not us, then who?"
Marten shrugs, "Besides, I don't have any other jobs lined up. With what we took from the Redbrands' today, 'n' if we get the provisions from the Cragmaw's cave tomorrow, I'll have plenty o' coin to keep a room at Stonehill's for another couple o' weeks. That's plenty o' time t' strike out from Phandalin, follow the trail, keep looking' for the next sign. Who knows what we'll find next?"
Finishing his ration, Berry jumps up, „One thing is sure. These supplies don’t do any good down here and they’re not going to move up all by themselves. Let’s pack up as much as we can and get it up. I don’t mind we can just give the basic stuff to the people as it was likely taken from them. The more valuable things we can sell, I’d agree. Tomorrow we can see what we do from here. There’s still the goblin cave. We might even find clues there. Maybe they didn’t burn their letters so diligently.“
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Nosam enjoys the rummaging through everything more than he should. "If there's anything particular needs carryin', load me up. And I agree Mister Marten, the sortin' should be handled back in the safety... or the relative safety of town."
He picks up the dwarven journal and begins skimming for anything that may be helpful.
"might as well carry it" he nods "ill take em for now, but im no alchemist, i reckon we just sell the reagents, and as for the scroll, the only one i can think of in leagues who its useful for is glasstaff, and id rather he didnt get it-" he trails off "why would he keep the scroll though- i suspect either he already has the spell in his book or else he is not strong enough to cast it"
"do you make a habit of tracking wyverns?" he asks slightly sharply, still quite stressed and with every fiber of his being fighting against the choice he made "yes persistence is what will catch him, i will just pay heed he doesnt catch us instead"
"id say its equally likely they did or did not burn correspondence. its worth a try at least, and i hope there is something more to go on than what we have at the moment"
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
Chapter 6 - Celebrations & Decisions
Word travels quickly as later that day the companions return from the woods and then the road near the Alderleaf Farm, and around the town hall to the green, where the townsfolk of Phandalin stand with stoic faces, seemingly bowed under the proverbial crack of the Redbrands’ whip, as the breeze whips at their weathered beards and head kerchiefs. As the companions move closer though, they spot the cleaned-up faces of Mirna Dendrar and thirteen-year-old Nars and eighteen-year-old Nilsa Dendrar among them, and then, Sildar Hallwinter, who had been speaking to Crissie, turns and with his good arm gestures toward you.
“Here they are,” he tells them. And as the players, blood-stained and battle-scarred, approach (walking in exquisite slow motion with a crescendo of dramatic music!), they start to clap, first Sildar, and soon, everyone, and the players are embraced and given draughts of sweet mead, and their backs slapped with admiration and gratitude as the children, with a new sense of freedom, skip and play and laugh joyfully on the green. This afternoon, the sun shines brightly, and the entire town turns out for an impromptu celebration with lantern lights and a great roasted buck, as the people of Phandalin sit together and listen to Sildar and you relate the story of bravery that resulted in the routing of the Redbrands from Phandalin.
Of course there is still a tint of sadness, and Sister Garaele remains in her home, at the bedside of Daphyra and Kiselina, who remain at the very brink of death, although somehow, be it due to the Sister’s prodigious wisdom or the courage and willpower or connection to the divine possessed by the two fallen companions – somehow, they hold on through the night.
Notably absent, too, is Harbin Wester, the townmaster.
The following day after a good night’s sleep at the Stonehill Inn, Sildar appears, looking much better, though it seems his fighting days are definitely in the past.
“You may be wondering about those goblins. First off, on the way out of the Tresendor tunnel, I noted that their tracks – the goblins and a bugbear – headed north, overland. It might be possible to track them at a later date.” His expression sours. “Also. Harbin Wester had an arrangement with the Redbrands, I have learned, guaranteeing his own safety if they were given run of the town. They possessed keys to the jails, and simply released the goblins hours after you escorted them there, to join their ranks. Harbin is remorseful, the old fool. But as of today, you see before you the new townmaster of Phandalin.”
“You might also wonder how I knew the true name of Glasstaff, as the Redbrands called him. Iarno Albrek. It was in part in order to find him that I agreed to accompany Gundren here. I am a member of the Lords’ Alliance. So is – was – Iarno. Iarno Albrek. He was sent here two months ago to establish order. After the Lords’ Alliance received no word from Iarno, I came to investigate. I could not be more disappointed. But that brings me to the other reason I have come this morning.” He adopts a proud and formal tone.
“I am naming you four as members of the Lords’ Alliance. You exemplify a desire for the security of civilization through action. If you agree, you have each earned the title of Cloak.”
“I have new responsibilities to attend to, but you can find me at the townmaster’s hall, where I will assume Harben’s quarters and he’ll move back to his cottage. But now that I have the town’s welfare in my hands, there is nothing stopping me from seeing to your being rewarded for your actions yesterday.
“First off, you four stay at the Stonehill Inn as long as you like. That’s covered by the town’s bursar. Second, the Cragmaw goblins. I can offer a 500 gp reward if you have the gumption and resolve enough to locate Cragmaw Castle – that’s where they took Gundren and his map, and I bet you’ll find the Black Spider and Glasstaff there too – and defeat or drive off the tribe’s chieftain. I still don’t know where it is exactly. But by searching the lands around the Triboar Trail for more raiding parties, I bet you can find more clues.
“That’s all for later though. For now, we all await word from Sister Garaele about Lady Daphyra and Sir Kiselina.”
Five days pass during which both Daphyra and Kiselina’s hearts stop beating more than once, and hope seems lost, and it is only Sister Garaele’s fervent prayers and centuries-old knowledge of healing herbs that pulls them back from the brink.
Finally she finds the companions at the Stonehill Inn.
“By Tymora’s grace, they yet live,” she says. “They are both flying in the land of dreams, asleep, and weak as can be, but steady. With the support of our new townmaster and herbs from the High Forests that have been obtained at some cost with the support of the townsfolk, the worst has passed. It may take time for them to wake and open their eyes to the land of the living once again, but they are stable. I will keep them safe. In the meantime, their temples and families have been contacted. With Tymora’s luck, we can hope.”
(OOC: Go ahead and narrate what your character has been up to during this period of enforced downtime as they have leveled up.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
vidruth gets visibly uncomfortable with the praise, usually hes the one heroes return to, not the other way around, and he distinctly dislikes this, and its even worse when hes made part of the lords alliance, a group he knows little of.
the first day he spends distraughtedly wandering the streets and the areas just outside of town, refusing to speak to anyone. after that he spends most of his time either in his room or in the inns common room, either way he is messing around with his spellbook, sketching things out with chalk and then erasing it completely, and generally muttering as he tries to make a breakthrough with some of his spells
when FINALLY he discovers that his comrades are alive, if seemingly in a coma, he seems extremely releived, and thanks sister garaele profusely
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
Marten is deeply uncomfortable with the attention of such a large crowd. He also finds it difficult to feel in a celebratory mood when they could have easily all died under the Tresendar Manor today. Indeed, they would have at least been captured if it hadn't been for the arrival of Sildar, Crissie, and Sister Garaele!
But after a few drinks and seeing the elation of the people of Phandalin and their children, Marten tries not to ruin the party by being a "Grumpy Gus." When pressed for details, he tries to relate the heroic deeds of his friends, like when Berry flew up and flipped right over a bugbear or when Vidruth cleared a path for Marten with his thunderwave or how Nosam saved Sildar from animated skeletons by bashing them to smithereens with his hammer. He tries to leave out the gory details and does not tell anyone about One-eye or the creature's grisly feast.
Marten thanks Sildar for offering to pay their lodging at Stonehill Inn. He suggests that the party could donate the provisions that they took from the Redbrands' base so that they're not a complete drain on the town coffers. He just asks that Sildar give some consideration to the Dendrars.
Marten had already planned to try to rescue Gundren from Cragmaw Castle, but he's happy to hear that there may be a reward involved. He also asks Sildar about the orcs that the former townmaster, Harbin Wester, had asked them to chase off or kill. Is the town offering some sort of bounty on the orcs too, or was that just something that Wester made up?
The idea of factions and secret societies is largely foreign to Marten. It takes Sildar a few tries to get Marten to understand what the Lords' Alliance is and that they're being asked to join but that it's not just a simple "job". Marten knows that he would have been captured by Glasstaff if it Sildar had not arrived when he did, so he's happy to help however he can. Marten asks Sildar to explain what joining the group means. What would be expected of him? What would he have to do?
After Sildar's visit, Marten adopts the general opinion that Harbin Wester is a foolish and stupid man. He's upset that their goblin prisoners got away, mostly because they were going to lead the party to the Cragmaw Castle. That'll set them back days more while they explore the wilderness along the Triboar Trail and try to find a goblin raiding party to follow back to the castle.
Marten is unwilling to go far from Phandalin while Kiselina and Mistress Daphyra are at death's door, but he hates being idle. He sets up targets on the town green and spends many hours getting used to his new crossbow and practicing his aim. If he attracts attention there, he's willing to give a few pointers to any men and young boys who ask.
During the middle of the day and into the evening, Marten wanders around the town. He doesn't say much, but he learns the layout of the town and its surroundings. He watches and listens and tries to learn a bit about who's who in Phandalin. Then he starts wandering in the wilderness around the town, never far from the town, just to get a sense of the geography and the local flora and fauna. He's happy to take Nosam and/or Berry along on these excursions or to spend some time learning swordplay from the fighters.
In the evenings, Marten is always back at the Stonehill Inn for dinner. While he is uncomfortable in crowds, Marten is much better one-on-one. As he begins to learn the names of the people who frequent Stonehill's, he starts to engage more with them, though he still doesn't talk much. Marten is also eager to discuss tactics with his friends: what went wrong in their fight in the Cragmaw cave or in the Redbrands's base? How could they fight together better in the future?
If Vidruth is willing to leave his studies during this downtime, Marten proposes that the party go to the Lionshield Coster to see whether they can sell or trade the weapons that they took from the Redbrands' base to its formidable proprietor, Linene Graywind. He is confident that Vidruth would drive the hardest bargain, especially with help from the others.
Berry trudges out of the manor in low spirits, little was gained but so much was lost there. However, the show of respect and gratitude by the villagers quickly lifted him up higher than his wings could. He enjoyed the attention and bathed in their praise. Expeditiously, he forgot the dangers they faced mere hours ago and joined the children playing on the greens. The afternoon felt to him like if he was back in the fey wild, where play and joy were his foremost occupations.
During the following days, most of his time he continued to play with the children but they were more and more often called back into their chores and Berry was forced back into his own reality, his own new life of adventure. He regularly visited Daphyra and Kiselina, brought them fresh flowers and fragrances from the forest. He strongly believes that the smell of nature alone can bind a soul to its body and bring back the nearly lost. Though Sister Garaele acknowledges his wisdom with little more than raised eyebrows. But he's sure of it, he's seen it happen.
"A Cloak?" he replies to Sildar, "I think a cloak would be real stylish. Just imagine how it would flutter in the wind when I zip around like this," and he lifts off before Sildar can educate him, "You mean a cape... but..., " that a title isn't a piece of cloth to wear, or was it meant to be both?
In discussions with the party, Berry agrees that they should search for the castle and root out that black spider. He had been joining Marten with training sessions and tried his new scimitar. When he had time to spare but no one to play with, he started to play a few tricks on the people with his innate magic. Not all were as bad-mannered, though, as snuffing out candles for the reading folk. No, he also enjoyed make flowers bloom behind their backs and generally speed up the growth process. He experimented more with his magic and found new ways to illuminate things and people and manifest small wonders of a different kind than before. After all these experiences these last couple of days, he felt he's grown much in so many ways since he embarked on his adventure but little does he know how much this is literally true.
He also visited the Lionshield Coster and asked if it is at all possible to manufacture a shield that could be released quickly. He had employed this tactic with a regular shield but felt that it wasn't ideal. Couldn't someone fashion a shield with a quick release so that he could free himself quickly of the shields restrain if he needed. He thought that it should be somehow possible.
(Note: It exists Cast-Off Armor but there is no indication for shields, but I feel it should be even easier to make. I'm asking if this is something Berry would be able to obtain. )
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
(Note: It exists Cast-Off Armor but there is no indication for shields, but I feel it should be even easier to make. I'm asking if this is something Berry would be able to obtain. )
(Short answer: Not in Phandalin.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Marten thanks Sildar for offering to pay their lodging at Stonehill Inn. He suggests that the party could donate the provisions that they took from the Redbrands' base so that they're not a complete drain on the town coffers. He just asks that Sildar give some consideration to the Dendrars.
Sildar thinks this is a thoughtful course of action, especially given that the Dendrars' breadwinner has been removed from the picture.
Is the town offering some sort of bounty on the orcs too, or was that just something that Wester made up?
Yes, the bounty still holds.
Marten asks Sildar to explain what joining the group means. What would be expected of him? What would he have to do?
The newly dubbed town master answers in as much of a sagely tone as he can muster. "If you keep doing what you've been doing since you I met you: standing up for the oppressed and for what is right and fighting against those who act forcefully to overthrow the rules and laws of society, then you will earn your title simply by being exactly who and what you are." He takes a breath, and his tone grows more excited, his eyes lighting up. "And. There are annual jousts and archery contests, in which only members may participate."
As [Marten] begins to learn the names of the people who frequent Stonehill's, he starts to engage more with them, though he still doesn't talk much.
Most of the residents are likewise prone to being quiet. They are content to match Marten's pace. Perhaps trust will grow in time. The exception is of course Elsa, who is happy to sit with Marten when she has a free moment, and (over-)share at length her thoughts about her current reading endeavors.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer