The Lost Mine of Phandalin
In the city of Neverwinter, a dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked you to bring a wagon load of provisions to the rough-and-tumble settlement of Westhill, a couple of days’ travel southeast of the city. Gundren was clearly excited and more than a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, saying only that he and his brothers had found “something big,” and that he’d pay you ten gold pieces each for escorting his supplies safely to Barthen’s Provisions, a trading post in Westhill. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sildar Haliwinter, claiming he needed to arrive early to “take care of business…”
The party came upon the dead horses of Gundren and Sildar while escorting the wagons to Barthen’s Provisions in Westhill. They survived a goblin ambush, and tracked the goblins to a multi-caved hideout. After a series of encounters that split the group in three, most of the party has come together again…
Having successfully cleared the Cragmaw goblins (and bugbear) out of their hideout, the party has escorted the freed Sildar back to Westhill. Now, however, they not only need to uncover the location of the so-called “Cragmaw Castle,” but also any signs of their missing Tabaxi companion…
Maybe they shouldn’t have laughed so hard at his futile climbing attempts…
As the townfolk were trying to forget the events of their supernatural Feast of the Moon celebration, our missing Tabaxi returned to town a hero in his own right. He left the cave complex to save another prisoner, the mage Turgen Pead, from the goblins. The next day, Turgen, T’Sai, and Sig assisted with the retrieval of the captured goods for the Lionshield Coster.
Sildar offered the group 500gp to find Cragmaw Castle, eliminate the tribe there, and return with Gundren or news of him. The Townmaster asked the group to eliminate an orc threat on the eastern Triboar Trail for 100gp. Daran Aldermath asked the group to look into an undead threat that seemed to be eminating from the Netherese ruins at Old Owl Well, southeast of the ruins of Conyberry. Finally, Sister Garaele has asked the group to treat with someone named Agatha for information, including possibly the whereabouts of Cragmaw Castle. Agatha can be found northwest of Conyberry.
The intrepid trio has made their way to Conyberry…
The party followed the trail out of Conyberry, coming upon a domelike shelter made of warped and bent tree branches. Inside, Sig successfully offered Sister Garaele’s jeweled comb in exchange for the information about her father’s spellbook. He was not as successful, however, in garnering the location of Cragmaw Castle…
A few skeletons and orcs later, they returned to Westhill to regroup and resupply. Despite some rumors uncovered in town, the party thought it best to find Wyvern Tor and finish eliminating the orc threat. T’Sai lured the orcs (and an ogre!) out of their cave, and the party did just that.
Now, let’s see if they have any connection to the Cragmaw goblins, so we can finally locate Gundren!
When the party caught up with T’Sai at the orc hideout, the leader was dead and his body burning in the fire. Sig took the leader’s head back to Westhill to collect on the bounty for the group, while T’Sai and Turgen traveled north to investigate Old Owl Well.
T’Sai negotiated with the red robed wizard to leave the area if he could uncover some information for him… Which required a return to Agatha’s lair. Following successful negotiations with the banshee, they returned to find the wizard was already gone.
Upon returning to Westhill, negotiations with the Townmaster have earned the party free room and board at the Stonehill Inn. A spurned proposition resulted in Elsa walking out of the Inn. When T’Sai went to find her, she was nowhere to be found.
The last place to look was the Sleeping Giant taproom. Our scene opens with two dead drunks, a dying barmaid, and then the four Redbrands: two dead, one unconscious, and one that seems to have left the vacinity…
The Redbrand ruffians have been harassing Westhill.
Elsa is missing.
A fight broke out at the Sleeping Giant tavern, leaving five dead and the building ablaze.
It was time to deal with this threat. Halia, of the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange, recommended three recent caravan escorts to assist our party.
Descending into their base of operations beneath the ruins of Tresendar Manor, the Redbrands’ reckoning has come…
Quite a few doors were kicked in.
A few Redbrands and bugbears died.
The girl, a family, and a goblin were saved.
But… Where is the Glasstaff?
The Glasstaff has fled, the remaining Redbrands eliminated from their hideout beneath Tresendar Manor. Townmaster Wester demanded to know why the party would do such a thing, when Sir Sig remembered that the former banker was revealed as the owner of the recently burned Sleeping Giant tavern… Where the Redbrands frequented.
T’Sai shared this info with Halia, of the Miner’s Guild, who found his reaction to the party’s accusations extremely interesting. T’Sai also hired her to find some help that would clear out the bodies from the Manor.
Droop led the party north, where several goblins were dispatched near the border to Neverwinter Woods. The warband’s bugbear leader, Gregek, did not provide much intelligence about the “many” goblins serving “King Grol,” even under tickle torture.
Having rejoined the group, Bob shapeshifted into a goblin himself. Wearing Gregek’s Cragmaw necklace, he has approached the ruined entrance to Cragmaw Castle, with a Goliath of a door kicker as his “prisoner”…
Cragmaw Castle and Gundren have been found! While the dwarven prospector can barely walk, “Cragmaw” Castle has been (at least mostly) cleared of its goblinoid infection.
What’s behind that final door?
Is the Glasstaff there? If not, where has he gone?
Behind the final door at Cragmaw Castle, our party found four other adventurers that had been captured by the Cragmaw tribe. These four joined the group, escorting Gundren back to Westhill, for a night of revelry was in order!
Gundren asked this combined group of seven to escort him back to Phandalin Cave, to find the fate of his two brothers and uncover the truth behind this “Black Spider” that has orchestrated the chaos around Westhill. For the group’s assistance, he has promised them 10% of the famous mine’s proceeds.
En route to the mine, the group was ambushed by the Glasstaff and the last of the Redbrands.
And the last of the Redbrands it was!
Finally: Phandalin Cave!
Upon arriving at the long-lost cave, Gundren was distraught when the party discovered his brother Tharden’s body by their campsite. He implored our group to find his other brother, Nundro, and to rid the caves of the Black Spider.
Several stirges, skeletons, poison clouds, and a wraith later… and we have still seen no sign of either…
While continuing through Phandalin Cave, our party met ‘Bob,’ a Spectator guarding an eerie green flame that he called the “Flame of the Forge.”
We discovered a giant underground lake, with waves crashing up against the cavern cliffs.
Another cavern that had a collapsed floor and a stream running through it also had a few bugbears working with what seemed to be a drow overseer.
Finally, we came to a room with a giant water wheel-powered smelter that was populated by several skeletons and a floating skull with green flames. This flameskull was very fond of fire, as it dropped a fireball on most of the party, and shot rays of flame out of its eyes… Rays that took Turgen from our company forevermore.
When the party, battered after the flameskull battle, pressed on, they found a smelly guard barracks… And the world went black. Beset by five bugbears and led by a drow, it was a tough fight. Things weren’t looking good for the talkative monk, but the crew prevailed!
T’Sai managed to take the drow female fighter, Zesstra, captive. While he and Thaminor interrogated her, Sig & Sum Chi led an expedition through some more of the unscouted tunnels.
Zesstra has agreed to provide the following information in exchange for her freedom:
• Nezznar, the Black Spider, is a drow mage that has broken away from Bregan D’aerthe—a mercenary band. He has come here to claim the magic of the Forge of Spells.
• Nezznar has at least three more bugbears and four giant spiders guarding him in the old dwarven temple.
• a map of their scouted areas, which seems to compliment and complete the areas that the party had not yet ventured into.
Nezznar is dead.
Nundro is alive.
Zesstra helped you.
Gundren awaits.
Phandalin Cave has been cleared. The Forge of Spells has a new Spellmaster. Gundren has named the members of our party as 10% owners of the mine. It was a night of celebration!
What’s next?
Elsa is the Tresendar heir!
The manor is being restored!
Westhill elections are coming!
We need funds to get plans rolling, and…
There be a dragon here!
The young green dragon has been defeated, its half dozen Cult of the Dragon servants Ramboed. But why were they here, and where is Reidoth?
Thundertree’s dragon is slain.
Reidoth is freed.
We have returned home.
The town council vote is in two days…
