Session 3: Under the Manor

General Summary

The party soon found the tunnel that Carp Alderleaf had talked about, hidden away on the side of the hill leading up to the manor. They went stealthily inside, and were surprised to find themselves in a large natural cavern with a crevasse running through the middle. They carefully investigated down a corridor, discovering that there were bugbears living in one barracks-like room, and behind another door were several Redbrands, evidently gambling over something. While they were listening at this door, a rat scurried under the gap, proceeding to stop and stare at the party; the party quickly scooped it up and continued their investigation elsewhere. At the far end of the cavern, a greenish flash from within the crevasse piqued the interest of Marcus, who descended into the pit to get a closer look. As he did so, however, he began to experience uneasiness and difficulty focusing, but he pressed forward. As the ranger continued, he began to see vivid visions and memories, and his own internal voice began speaking to him. When Marcus asked who it was, the voice only replied, "I am a testament to all your sins." It was at that moment that a rock touched by the Light spell (thrown by Adelaide) landed in the crevasse, revealing a nothic--a horrifying one-eyed creature which quickly scurried farther back into the crevasse. The party quickly retreated, leaving the rock to deter the nothic from following them. The party tried a different route--a cursory examination of one of the two bridges across the chasm revealed that it was rigged to collapse when stepped on, so the party simply jumped across. In the corridor beyond they discovered a secret door that led into what seemed to be an abandoned cellar with a cistern. As the party investigated some of the barrels and crates of storage, Malcolm felt a sharp pain between his shoulder blades--a Redbrand had burst open a nearby door and stabbed him in the back! A short fight ensued with three Redbrands that had been hiding in an adjacent room. The ruffians were no match for the party and were quickly defeated, with one surrendering to the party. They questioned him about the hideout. He revealed that there were a few Redbrands in the place, along with their leader, a wizard, and three human prisoners who were to be sold into slavery. Despite his pleas, the party dispatched him, setting his body along with the others in front of the cistern as a grisly deterrent to any Redbrand sympathizers. After a short rest, and covered with cloaks from the adjacent room, the party made their way down a new corridor. Malcolm and William proceeded together down the hall and fell into a pit trap, but managed to clamber out of it without much incident. In the next room the party found a crypt, with three sarcophagi and skeletons propped up against each. To the party's dismay, the skeletons sprang to life and began to attack them; half of the party defended against the skeletons, while the others barred the door, trying to prevent the Redbrands on the other side who had heard the commotion from entering. Once the party had finished with the skeletons, they allowed the Redbrands to burst through the door, and quickly defeated them. Inside that room, the party found the human commoner Mirna Dendrar, along with her son Nars and her daughter Nilsa. Mirna was enormously thankful for the rescue. Though she had nothing to offer as a reward, she told the party that in the ruined town of Thundertree, in her family's herb and alchemy shop, was a valuable necklace that she had never gone back for. The party escorted the Dendrars to the cellar and from there up to the surface of the abandoned manor, where they began to make their way back to the town. When the party entered the crypt once more, investigation of the sarcophagi revealed that the manor belonged to the Tresendar family: Aldith Tresendar was a great knight of Palisana, nicknamed Black Hawk. He, his wife Cyrna, and his daughter Naru were interred there. From there, the party re-entered the cavern, this time from the other end, near to where they had encountered the nothic. After a quick and harrowing journey across the bridge (aided once more by another Light rock), they moved down a new corridor. One door seemed to be the other side of the gambling room they had seen before; the other door lead to what looked to be an alchemy workshop. On top of many different and interesting alchemy reagents, the party found a book detailing the Wave Echo Cave, the lost mine that Gundren Rockseeker had been looking for. In an adjoining room, the party found a comfortable study with a bed and writing desk. On the desk was a letter to Iarno Albrek, signed with the symbol of a black spider, ordering him to capture or kill the strangers due to arrive in Phandalin, and to deliver any maps in their possession to the author. In this room the party also discovered a secret door providing easy access back out of the hideout towards the cellar. At this point a commotion began to develop behind the gambling room door. As the party discussed what to do, the commotion grew in intensity until it escalated into what seemed to be a full-on brawl. The party resolved to exit the hideout and come back with the guard. As they were leaving, several bugbears exited the barracks room and spotted them, chasing them down the secret tunnel. The party exited the tunnel, but were not followed further. As they rounded the side of the hill, they could see a contingent of several men marching up the road to the manor...