Lost Mine of Phandelver (Kolbitr DM)

Tibern will move to stand in front of the creature, looking to thenothers to help him hold it down.

The creature slowly regains consciousness and finds itself face to face with Tibern. (I am assuming that Lothar and Vandar are standing by to prevent him fleeing, or possibly holding him down?) It takes only a moment to assess it's situation and says, "Oh very well then, it appears the ruse is over. You have your map. You will find my employer in that mine, his spies followed the dwarves there weeks ago. I was sent to recover that map so no one else would know the location of the mine, but I know when I am beaten. I have nothing else you want and I will only slow you down. Let me free, I've no allegiance to the Black Spider this was just a job."

"Where is the real Gundren?" Vandar asks.

"Dead, his corpse is back there in that castle. It was the bugbear, when he learned that my employer only wanted the map he decided to use the dwarf as dog food."

Tibern curses in infernal as he hears that Gundren is dead but will watch the doppleganger suspiously.

Insight to see if it is lying: 8

Mustering some courage Silas steps out from his hiding spot. "That's a terrible fate, and you let it happen. If you had no allegiance to the black spider you wouldnt have let that bugbear feed Gundren to his wolf. Well this just our job" feeling very vindictive Silas will walk over put his hand on the doppelgangers shoulder and cast inflict wounds. Attack 7 damage 20

As far as Tibern can tell the creature is telling the truth.

In Silas's anger the gnome he fails to properly cast his spell, he damages only the clothing worn by the creature. "I have no control over what a bugbear decides to do with his prisoners, and I was certainly not about to start a fight with him and his wolf over some dwarf I've never even met before. My job was simply to retrieve the map and deliver it to the Black Spider's agents to collect my reward. Thanks to you lot I won't be collecting that reward, which means I'll be sleeping under the stars again tonight thankyou very much. We are no different you and I, just people doing a job to get paid so we can keep food in our bellies and a roof over our heads. Look just cause your employer doesn't like my employer doesn't mean we cant be civil to one another. You've won, congratulations, now let me go. If you kill me now you're no better than that bugbear."

"I agree with him on that last part," Vandar says.  "I have no desire to kill an unarmed prisoner.  We should get back with the map."

(Just a heads up, I'll be out of town all weekend starting this afternoon, and probably wont be able to post until monday)

"I do not trust what he says but at l least for now as far I as can tell he is being truthful with us." Tibern says as he looks at the other to let them decide what they would like to do with the doppleganger.

So what will you do with the doppelganger, and has your destination changed or will you continue to Phandalin?

"We should bring him with us so he can tell his story to our current employer." Tibern suggests as he looks at the shape changer. "If he cooperates he should be free to go."

Vandar nods.  "Seems like a plan.  Let's get back to town."

After securing the bonds on the doppelganger you resume your march until sunset. If you continue marching through the night you can make it to Phandalin that much quicker but marching through the forest at night has its dangers. If you would like to set camp who will take first watch?

"Would should probably stop through the night.  The forest isn't safe in the dark."

(I only need 4 hours of sleep, so I could be on both first and last watches, Silas and Tibern for the 2 middle watches since they both have darkvision as well, then Lothar join me on either the first or last watch?)

Tibern is good with mid watch.

Fortune smiles upon the party and the night goes by without incident. The doppelganger continually attempts to struggle free of his bindings but is caught each time by the person on watch.

The morning air is crisp and clear, and the sunrise is greeted by lively birdsong. Your captive is as uncooperative as before but he seems a bit drained after spending his entire night in unsuccessful escape attempts. If all goes well you should make it to Phandalin by nightfall.

Is there anything anyone would like to do on the march today? Discuss the situation? Interrogate the prisoner more? Witty banter?

Silas will take some time on his watch to prepare some spells. He wont say much to the doppelganger feeling somewhat bad about trying to hurt it. But he will lag behind a bit and try to talk to his cousin Byron in the staff. " have you ever seen such a thing in your travels cousin. The way that thing changed ?"

Lothar sauntered along with the others as they made their way back with the prisoner.  The map to the cave was intriguing, to say the least.  He asked the doppleganger, "You will tell us, though, about your current employer.  Who are these agents that you worked with?  Where did you meet them, and where and when were you supposed to deliver this map?  How did you know that you needed to impersonate the dwarf to retrieve the map, and how did Black Spider know where it was located?"

Tibern will make sure that the prisoners does not escape. As they walk be will keep his rapier pressed to it's back as warning to quit with all the escape attempts. 

The Doppelganger replies to Lothars questions not wanting to anger the man while his friend holds a rapier to his back. "I know nothing about my employer except that they call themself The Black Spider and they are obviously after whatever it is that makes the dwarfs want that mine so badly. I meet his agents in various places, never the same place. I was sent to acquire the map and take it to the location indicating on it as Wave Echo Cave. And I did not impersonate the dwarf the get the map, I impersonated a drow, but when you came along I assumed you would be less likely to attack a dwarven prisoner than a drow so I took the dead dwarfs appearance and hid his corpse in the closet."

Byron's voice is still faint but he does reply, "I have heard rumors of such things but never seen it before myself. However I find myself disappointed in your reaction to it's behavior, cousin. Such petty acts of retribution do you shame, I find I have trouble regaining my strength when you act so. Please try to remember the teachings of Illmater."