Lost Mine of Phandelver

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After dealing with the Redbrands in the next rooms and deftly navigating the trapped hallway, they pushed through the double doors to find three stone sarcophagi against the walls, each one with a skeleton wearing bits of rusty mail pushed up against it. Two doors offer exits from the room, one to the north and another on the same wall as the doors they just entered through.
 
Ioanin had sprung into battle against the unknown threat, only to find that the bridge he attempted to cross couldn't support his weight. He landed with a hard crash, feeling something crack in his left leg. "Persana's zounds! What unholy tactics are these?" He quickly healed his leg and struggled to ascend his way out of the pit, but his companions ended the fight before he could rejoin it. He spied a chest and emptied it of its contents, taking one of the potions for himself, and distributing the rest.

Ioanin followed his companions into the next room, surprised to find Redbrands resting so close to the one eyed monstrosity. His first strike with his pick swung wide of his target, leaving him open to a long slash from one of the Redbrands. Gritting his teeth, Ioanin channeled divine energy into his next strike, driving it headfirst into the Redbrand's skull and burying it into the ground below. Yanking his pick from the wreckage, Ioanin looked around and saw that the rest of the threat was dealt with. He lead the way into the next room, and noticed that the floor was slightly dipping in the center of the room. He waved over his allies and pointed to the section of floor. "That there is a dastardly underhanded trap laid by our foes. Thou must use caution so as to not fall." He took a few steps back before bounding over the trapped area with ease. Upon opening the room to the next room and spying the skeletons laying outside their resting place, Ioanin closed his eyes and extended his sixth sense out, detecting a foul semblance of life permeating through the bones. He quietly hissed back at his allies. "These ancient wretches hath been touched upon by black magic. Their skin may have rotted, yet thy spirits are bound by a dark and evil presence."
 
Merimar had tried to get in position for a shot, only to find she couldn't. By the time she could, there was one Redbrand left that was being drowned by Fuska. Firing a spell, Merimar's aim was off slightly and she missed, though it soon didn't matter, the remaining Redbrand of the group was dispatched.

Following along with Ioanin, Merimar listened to his warnings. When he mentioned undead, Merimar felt her heart skip a little. 'Undead. I might have just the thing for them.'

Keeping her voice in a low whisper, Merimar said, "I might be able to channel some of The Shining One's power here. Might be able to turn the tables on the undead and keep them away from us so long as they don't take damage. Could use that to our advantage."
 
Deciding to go with the idea she'd come out with, Merimar took her holy amulet in hand and walked into the room, holding the symbol aloft towards the skeletons.

"In the name of The Shining One, I invoke his divine fury to force you back!" Merimar shouted at the skeletons. Seeing them cower away from her, Merimar was surprised all three were affected. 'I'd been told this was powerful but this - this seems surprising.' Merimar thought as her friends came into the room and focused their attacks on one target then another. Taking her mace and swinging it at one of the skeletons, Merimar missed in her enthusiasm to hit something. In no time at all however the room was clear.

Taking a breather as she put her mace back in her bag and readied her crossbow once again, Merimar looked to the group, "Where to now?" she asked.
 
Following the group into the next room, Vutha had remained on alert, still untrusting of the relative ease they'd had in their current task. It turned out she wasn't wrong -- as soon enough some redbrands emerged from a back room. Seeing the area was crowded, she moved nimbly onto some barrels piled by a wall, using her jaws to snap at the scale-less who attacked her allies, though unable to dodge a blow from one of their blades as it cut deeply into her scales. With a low rumble she continued her attacks, until finally the battle was done. Curious of the pond in the room she dove down, finding near the surface what appeared to be a hidden satchel, some gold inside along with a two potions -- one of which she kept, interested in "invisibility".

After continuing to scout the room she followed the others as they moved north, nodding approvingly at Ioanin for pointing out a trap and easily jumped across it with the others. Moving into the next room with the skeletons she didn't fully understand the hesitancy about the dead -- until she saw them move away from Merimar. A low rumble escaped from her throat once again as she charged at them, teeth snapping apart bones with ease as they were quickly dealt with.

When the group looked to be taking a break, Vutha attempted to patch up her injury and managing it well enough for her to move instead to surveying the remains of the strange moving undead. Sitting with a few of the broken bones she noted a platinum ring -- though to her more just a worked piece of metal. Pocketing it, she attempted to work, however with the damage the party had done, hardly any bits were able to be salvaged. With her equivalent of a frown she only managed to fashion one crude bolt for Merimar's strange mechanical bow.

Gathering her things Vutha stood and padded towards the half-orc, holding it out. "Here. Use in bow-thing." She looked at the two doors on offer before giving a limp shrug. "Don't know. Still need to find prisoners. Maybe can hear now? We were noisy, likely alert now too."
 
As Vutha held out the small carved bolt, Merimar smiled. "Thank you Vutha," Merimar said, quickly unloading her current bolt and loading the one she could see had been carved from the bone of one of the skeletons. It fit perfectly. "Will make sure to use it for a really strong adversary." Merimar said as she unloaded the bolt, put it in her quiver in such a way she'd wouldn't grab it unless she was actively looking for it then loaded a regular wooden bolt in. 'That is impressive how Vutha managed to carve that.' Merimar thought to herself, 'Wonder how she learned to do it?'

Glancing around at the doors, Merimar turned to Ioanin, Calal and Fuska, "We should probably assume the Redbrands know we're coming. I haven't got much magic left, probably enough for two spells." Merimar said as she held her crossbow ready.
 
The skeletons slain, Merimar peeks her head into the doorway to the north, finding a short hallway. At the end, on one side is a barred, locked gate. Inside are racks upon racks of weapons, displaying spears, swords, crossbows and bolts. A dozen dirty red cloaks hang on the wall inside.
 
Smiling as she saw what appeared to be the Redbrands' armory, Merimar looked to her friends. "We've got their armory. There's a gate we need to pass but once we're in, there's lots of weapons if anyone fancies taking them."
 
Fuska had been towards the front of the group throughout most of their adventure throughout the Redbrand's hideout, and he was quick to deal with the different threats as they presented themselves. He wasn't sure what it was exactly that surprised them in the dark, but luckily his allies were able to deal with it quickly, even though Fuska heard a loud crash.

Upon entering the next room, Fuska attempted to creep up around the cistern and listen at the door for any signs of life. Before he even reached the door, it swung open to reveal 3 Redbrands. Realizing the tight space they were in and the disadvantage his size would give his allies in dealing with this threat, Fuska managed to wrap a large muscled arm around a Redbrand's torso and pull him into the water, which was deeper than he expected. The awkward space and the strain treading water in chainmail made it hard for Fuska to draw his sword and attack, so he instead took a deep breath and pulled the enemy under the water in hopes of drowning him. A shout from Meri was enough to cause Fuska to release the red cloaked figure, and his allies finished him off.

Before they stopped to rest, they entered another room and something that Meri did made the skeletons turn in fear, and Fuska leaped on them and began to use his new sword to put them back in the ground. He was wielding it with surprising ease, the balance was better than anything he had ever used before. Because of this, when Calal brings up collecting some weapons, Fuska merely shrugged disinterestedly.
 
Following the group after their destruction of the skeletons, Merimar was surprised when a few Redbrands attacked Vutha and Ioanin. Shooting one of them with her crossbow, Merimar immediately looked to Vutha and Ioanin. "Shining One, please seal their wounds." prayed the cleric as she tapped each of them on the shoulders. Seeing a now familiar flash of light erupt out of her hands and dissipate over the pair before their wounds closed up, Merimar took a moment as Ioanin walked towards the door of a cage.

'Oh, we should get these survivors out.' Merimar thought as Ioanin tried to bust the lock but didn't have much success on his own. Tapping Fuska on the elbow, Merimar smiled up at him, "Go on Fuska, you can do it." the small half-orc said as cheerfully as she could. As the two tried again to batter the door down without success, Merimar looked to the prisoners, "Erm, this is sort of embarrassing, you wouldn't happen to know where the key is for your cell would you?"
 
The older woman clutches her daughter to her, huddled in the far corner of the cell. She stares off in the distance, seeing nothing, but the daughter speaks up.

"Are you here to ... to save us?" the daughter asks. "From the men who killed our dad? They said they had to bring the key back to their boss. The wizard guy."

"They said they were gonna sell us!" the boy shouts. "And feed our mom to a monster!"
 
Approaching the bars, Merimar looked to the prisoners in the cell. "We're going to try." Merimar said after she'd heard the children talk. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Calal hand Ioanin a crowbar. "That's a good idea Ioanin!" Merimar said, walking over for a second and putting one hand on Ioanin's bicep, "Put that Persana strength into that door! The Shining One would surely bless you too for this." the cleric said before walking back to the children.

"Don't worry, everyone looks a bit bloodied up, but we're here to stop the Redbrands." Merimar explained, before introducing everyone in turn, "That lady over there is Vutha, she is very wise but doesn't talk much. That man with the pointy ears is Calal who is very powerful. The big guy's Fuska, he's as strong as ten men. The guy with the anchor is Ioanin whose going to flex your door down today and I'm Merimar."

Hearing the sound of the door ceasing its occupation as a door, Merimar gave a cheer. "Way to go Ioanin! That was perfect!"
 
After taking turns with Fuska at attempting to hammer down the door, Ioanin overheard Vutha mutter something about 'crows bars'. He repeated the word curiously. "Crowbar?" Upon being offered a long metal rod and being praised by Merimar, Ioanin shrugged, assuming that Persana was merely guiding him in manners less visible than usual. "Ah, yes, naturally. I appreciate thine praise." He looked to the innocent victims in the cage and nodded to them, offering a smile that showed off his vaguely shark-like teeth. "Do not fret. Thou shalt be freed by Persana's grace!"

Ioanin took up position near the lockpad of the door, and after having Fuska brace it and receiving a divine boon from Merimar, pulled so hard that the walls shook, sending both the cell door and another across the room flying open. He grinned and held up the crowbar, dropping it and flexing his powerful muscles before stepping into the cage to check on the prisoners. "Art thee wounded? I am afraid I have little divine power laying within me, but I would gladly share it if required."
 
The teenage girl blushes, shaking her head.

"We're OK. Maybe a little hungry. Is it safe out there? Did you kill the ... the monster?"

The woman, shaken back to her sense by the crashing cell doors, stands and brushes herself off. She speaks, but barely above a whisper.

"Thank you. I am Mirna, and this is my daughter Nissa, and son Nars. These monsters killed my husband, Thal, and then came for us. I can't pay you, um, but if you're brave enough to explore Thundertree, I can tell you where to find something very valuable. My family lived there before all the trouble."

The son looks at the group, admiringly, eyes wide, then sneers as Mirna mentions his father.

"Are you going to kill them all? I heard them say there were bugbears here. Two of them!"
 
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Fuska was in a pretty sour mood as he and Ioanin tried to break down the door without success, but Ioanin's final effort caused Fuska to grunt in satisfaction as the door flew off its hinges. "Nice job Wananin."

Fuska was about to turn around and check the rest of the room when he heard mention of Thundertree the hulking goliath whipped around and strode closer to the prisoners. The excitement on his face was visible as he asks, "You know Thundertree? I need to get there, please tell me where these valuables are, I may need them to defeat the dragon."

The goliath then looks down at the son as he speaks out, his brow furrowing with distaste at the kid's attitude. Fuska did not appreciate the faces that he made at his mother, it was disrespectful. "The monster is dead. Back that way is a way out, you should find a tunnel that leads back to town."
 
Mirna shakes her head sadly.

"I haven't been there since I was a little girl. It's not a weapon, just an emerald necklace that belonged to my father's mother. She always meant to pass it down to my cousin, but they all died while trying to escape.

"It's in a small herbal and alchemy shop, southeast part of town if I'm remembering right. I don't want it. She was a cruel woman. But you are welcome to the gold it would bring. It's all I can offer as a reward."

While she speaks, Nissa bats her eyelashes at Ioanin and ties her dirty, unwashed hair into a braid.

"Will you come and visit us?" she asks hopefully.
 
Ioanin looked to the younger girl, a bit confused at her question. “Uh... most assuredly, my lady. I would be most remiss to deny thine request. I pray that thou wilt have safe travels on thine journey home.”

He walked over to Nissa and pulled a javelin made of an odd sea stone from his back, pressing it into her hands. “There is a false floor a few rooms back. I doubt that thou could make the leap, so press thineselves against either wall, and it shall not drop. Doth thou understand?” He looked her in the eyes with a serious expression before moving on to Mirna. “Thou doth be the man of thine family. Protect thy sister and thy mother with thine life.” He handed him a javelin as well and looked to the mother, bowing to her. “I thank thee for thine advice. We shall be certain to look for this jewelry, and return to offer our thanks.”
 
Deciding discretion is the better part of valor, the group returns to Qelline's farm to find her in the field, frowning at Carp as he chases chickens around the yard with his new wooden sword. She looks up at their approach and her eyebrows shoot up.

"Well then, that was a quick trip. You must be even stronger than you look," she says. "Now, which once of you do I have to thank for that sword?" She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at them.

"Yay!" Carp shouts from across the yard and runs over sword waving over his head. "Did you defeat those villains and mount their heads on pikes?"

"Carp!"
 
Fuska grinned at the sight of Carp running around chasing the chickens with his sword, but the joy was quickly wiped away by Qelline’s question. Fuska didn’t realize that it would become a problem, he thought he was doing the kid a kindness. “Um...that would be me. I figured he was going to run around hitting things with a stick anyway, might as well give him something that was well balanced to ready himself to defend himself when he is older. If you want, I can easily take it back from him...?” Fuska did not answer the question regarding their progress purposefully, but tried to play it off as not hearing the rest of Qelline’s question.
 
Having listened at the various doors and roughly heard what laid behind them, Vutha was still concerned. However, at least they had weakened the redbrands and collected some of their captives. They had proved an important thing so far: the redbrands were not invincible.

Following the group she tried to keep an eye out as they returned to the camp and at Qelline's words snarls slightly. "Did not get all -- some still linger in their manor. Likely will try to strike back for our actions." Her scaled hand tightened around the head of her handaxe, "Village needs to defend self. We took weapons, bolts. Use against pests, gather together and can defend territory." Vutha watched the young boy run around, "Else they will strike and leave nothing behind. They are weaker now, do not let them rest."

Her reptilian eyes focused back on the woman, "The village is more than them. Defend territory, and fear nothing."
 
Merimar nodded along with Vutha's assessment. She didn't like the idea of leaving Redbrands behind but she knew she was tapped out of magic for the time being. Merimar remembered how close it'd been in the caves, when Klarg had downed Fuska so fast that she worried he might be dead. There was a chance Ioanin might be able to do something but Merimar knew for her own part she was out of all sources of healing that did not come out of a bottle.

"We've got some wolves with us." Merimar said, "They might not be able to do much but if we could bring them onto the farm, they could try and alert us if they see or smell any Redbrands?" the half-orc suggested.
 
Qelline frowns as they tell her about the remaining Redbrands and the wolves.

"If these wolves of yours are tame, you can bring them here, but they stay in the barn and you pay for whatever chickens they eat. And keep them away from Carp." Then she turns to Vutha.

"I understand things might be different where you're from, but the people here are not fighters. They're farmers and tradesmen. The Redbrands have been here for a while before you showed up. It would take a lot to get them to fight."

She gestures to the house, shoulders slumped. "There's food on the table if you're hungry. I imagine you'll be wanting to rest a bit, yeah?"
 
Turning to Calal, Merimar patted him on the shoulder with a friendly smile, "Let's go fetch Eugene, Mina and Moe then." As they walked, Calal leading the way, Merimar added, "Should probably tell them not to eat the chickens but to raise hell if they smell a Redbrand. We got a few cloaks so maybe the wolves could sniff them." she suggested.

"How are you feeling?" asked Merimar as she continued to walk alongside Calal.
 
Vutha's grip on the axe-head tightened as she let out a low rumble of a snarl -- perhaps the most irritated she had visibly been. "Do not need to be fighters! Take our victory, our kills as rallying cry! Do not let ... your tribe fade ..." The blade of the axe cut into her scales before she released her grip with a snort, turning away.

"Appreciate offer of meal ... but I'm not hungry." She watched Carp, "Should gather villagers either way. Expect Redbrands to strike back, easier to protect if gathered."
 
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