5. Slave Pens

For the past two months, the Redbrands have been capturing travellers in the area and holding them in these pens until they can be sold into slavery. This long room is partitioned into three areas, with iron bars walling off the north and south. Filthy straw lines the floors of those cells, the hinged doors of which are secured by chains and padlocks.  A pair of disheveled human women are held in the cell to the south, while a human boy is confined to the north. All are dressed in plain gray tunics and have iron collars fitted around their necks. A heap of discarded clothing is piled carelessly against the far wall.
Two Redbrand ruffians in scarlet cloaks stand guard here, though they spend most of their time taunting the hapless prisoners (see the "Captives" section). If they hear fighting in area 5, they take up positions against the wall near the door, then try to surprise intruders. The captives are too intimidated to shout warnings or call for help. The heap of clothing belongs to the various captives who have been housed here over the last two months-at least a dozen people to judge by the size of the pile.
Cell Doors.  The cell doors feature simple locks requiring thieves' tools and a successful DC 10 Dexterity check to pick. The doors can also be wrenched open by brute force with a successful DC 22 Strength check.
CAPTIVES The three human commoners imprisoned here are Mirna Dendrar and her two teenage children, thirteen-year-old Nars and eighteen-year-old Nilsa. A few days ago, the Redbrands murdered Mirna's husband, Thel, for defying them. (His corpse can be found in area 8.) That night, the gang returned and abducted the family from their home in Phandalin. The gang plans to sell the family into slavery. The Dendrars are grateful to the characters for rescuing them, but they can't provide much information about the Redbrand hideout. All they know is that the boss is a wizard (though they haven't met him and don't know his name), and that he has "tall, furry monsters with big ears" (bugbears) working for him.
Side Quest: Mirna's Heirloom. Though her family has nothing to offer as a reward, Mirna tells the characters that she might know where a valuable heirloom is hidden. When she was a young girl, she and her family fled from the town of Thundertree after undead overran the place. Her family had an herb and alchemy shop, inside which a case containing an emerald necklace was hidden beneath a section of storage shelves. She never dared to return and retrieve it. The shop was in the southeast part of Thundertree. If the characters decide to explore the ruins of Thundertree, see part 3 of the adventure.

Parent Plot

Redbrand Hideout