Aster's Ledger

Summary

The party resumed the battle in the crypt beneath Tresendar Manor and quickly destroyed the remaining skeletons and two of the three Redbrand reinforcements. Their victory was complicated when an invisible, bat-shaped fiend attacked Beatrix and the surviving ruffian ran to raise the alarm. With nearly everyone badly wounded and low on magic, the party abandoned plans for a short rest, freed Mirna Dendrar, her daughter Nilsa, and her son Nars, and used Bone as a decoy while escaping the hideout with Beech in tow.

Back in Phandalin, the party learned of a valuable Dendrar heirloom in Thundertree, divided their loose coin, and shopped for equipment. Beatrix initially refused to enter the Stonehill Inn because of her continuing suspicion that Edvard is a vampire, but a bugbear and unseen companions tracked her supposedly hidden camp and forced everyone back into town. At the inn, the papers taken from Glasstaff's chamber revealed that Glasstaff is Iarno Albrek, Sildar's missing friend and a traitor to the Lords' Alliance, and that the Spider is directing both the Redbrands and the goblins. The party rested at the inn with plans to return to Tresendar Manor first thing in the morning.

Key Events

Finishing the Crypt Fight

• Glomblax fell back and prepared an attack — Badly wounded and without a ranged weapon, he waited for the first enemy to enter reach. A Redbrand obliged, and even Glomblax's minimum-damage greataxe strike opened the man's guts and killed him. Glomblax observed that the ruffian "really wanted to fucking die."
• Beatrix burned the packed doorway — She spent her final spell slot on Burning Hands, scorching both restrained skeletons for 8 fire damage and catching the two remaining ruffians for 4 each.
• Shoomit killed a ruffian with one shot — With Bone distracting the target, Shoomit stepped out and dealt 14 damage with his musket, dropping the man immediately.
• John mocked the last ruffian bloody — At only a sliver of health himself, John conserved his final spell slot and used Vicious Mockery for 4 psychic damage before retreating behind the doorway. He also gave Glomblax Bardic Inspiration—rendered at the table as "vertically perspire Glomblax."
• The last ruffian fled — Rather than press through the vines, he ran through a side door and began trying to alert the rest of the hideout.

The Invisible Familiar

• An unseen creature attacked Beatrix — A tiny bat-like creature appeared at her neck with a critical hit that would have dealt at least 8 damage and forced a Constitution save.
• Silvery Barbs saved Beatrix — She used the free casting granted by her feat, forcing the creature to reroll and turning the critical hit into a miss. She passed the spell's granted advantage to John.
• Beatrix identified the attacker — With a 20 Arcana check, she recognized it as a quasit in bat form: a small fiend capable of turning invisible. Her immediate reaction was: "A fucking quasit? Why is everything in the dungeon attacking us right now? This is insane."
• The quasit escaped — It flew over Beatrix and vanished around the corner before anyone could strike it. Beatrix demanded that somebody push it into the pit, but her reaction had already been spent on Silvery Barbs.
• The party reconsidered its position — With a ruffian loose, an invisible familiar nearby, almost no healing, and most of the party badly injured, Beatrix began arguing that they might need to "get the fuck out of here."

Prisoners Beyond the Crypt

• Bone scouted the adjoining rooms — Looking through her familiar's eyes, Beatrix found two barred cells containing a woman, a young woman, and a boy. Bone also saw the fleeing ruffian heading toward the rest of the hideout.
• The remaining skeletons were destroyed — Glomblax killed one with a 13-damage greataxe strike, and Shoomit blew apart the last with a 16-damage musket shot.
• A short rest became impossible — The party briefly considered barricading themselves in the prison room, but Bone heard the fleeing ruffian shouting for help near the room whose door Shoomit had previously jammed. With enemies beginning to answer, the party chose rescue and retreat.
• Beatrix announced a jailbreak badly — She told the terrified prisoners that the Redbrands would soon work for her because she was conducting a hostile takeover. Her insistence that "they are working for me" made the prisoners suspect the rescue was a trick.
• The unicorn pendant belonged to Mirna's husband — Shoomit displayed the pendant recovered from the dead prisoner in the crevasse. Mirna recognized it immediately and demanded to know whether the party had killed him, deepening her suspicion before the situation could be explained.
• John attempted damage control — He assured the prisoners that the party truly meant to rescue them and asked whether the Redbrands staged false rescues. His better manner softened Mirna slightly, although Beatrix immediately complicated matters by demanding details of the promised reward before opening the cells.
• Shoomit opened both cells — He picked the locks and freed Mirna Dendrar, her 18-year-old daughter Nilsa, and her 13-year-old son Nars while Redbrands shouted and hammered at doors across the cavern.
• Glomblax tried to look reassuring — He told Mirna, "Don't worry about this big axe, ma'am. It's only for killing skeletons and Redbrands."

Escape from Tresendar Manor

• Bone became the decoy — The familiar flew north, screeched at the alerted Redbrands, and led their attention away from the party's southern escape route.
• Shoomit tried to lock another door behind them — His hands were too sweaty to set the pins, leaving the route unsecured.
• The party sprinted through the manor — They raced out with the Dendrars while numerous ruffians and other creatures poured into the cavern behind them.
• Shoomit recovered Beech on the way out — Using his speed and powerful build, Shoomit picked up the bound Marsh and Company recruit and carried him to safety.
• The pursuers broke off near town — Arrows flew past the fleeing group, but the Redbrands and several bugbears stopped rather than chase them into Phandalin. The party heard the bugbears ordering the survivors to regroup and promising, "We'll get them."
• The hideout remained occupied — The escape confirmed that several bugbears and many ruffians were still inside. The party had survived and rescued the prisoners, but had not cleared the Redbrand threat.

The Dendrar Family's Reward

• Mirna revealed a family heirloom in Thundertree — An emerald necklace worth at least 200 gp is hidden in the family's abandoned herb shop there. She offered it to the party if they retrieve it.
• Thundertree is a significant journey — Mirna described it as roughly 50 miles away and warned that the roads and the ruined settlement are dangerous.
• Beatrix claimed credit for Marsh and Company — She instructed Mirna to tell everyone who rescued them and made sure the family knew exactly whose operation had broken them out.
• John volunteered as a distant stepfather — John told Mirna that if her children needed a new daddy, he would be at the saloon. He clarified that he was not propositioning her—he had simply always wanted a child—and, after learning Nilsa was 18, revised the offer to becoming "a gambling drunkard of a distant father." Nars then asked to be bought a beer.
• The party split over where to rest — John wanted the safety and celebration of the Stonehill Inn. Beatrix warned the Dendrars that Edvard was a vampire, while John agreed he probably was one but argued everyone would be safe if they did not "fuck with the barmaid."

Shopping in Phandalin

• Elmina Barthen greeted the battered party plainly — Her opening observation was, "You look like shit." Beatrix replied, "Right back at you, girl," setting the tone for another strained business conversation.
• The party kept its jewelry — Elmina was not a jeweler and suggested Edvard as the town's likely buyer. Beatrix refused to use him or pay Elmina a middleman's cut, so the 140 gp bracelet and five malachites remained unsold.
• Healing potions were too expensive — Elmina quoted 50 gp for one. Beatrix declined, pointing out that her herbalism training allowed her to make one herself.
• The dynamite deal remained open — Elmina reminded the party about her promised three sticks of dynamite. Beatrix said they had dealt a heavy blow to the Redbrands but were only "about 40% done" and still planned to use the existing dynamite to close the goblin tunnel on the road.
• Linene Graywind distrusted Beatrix's caginess — At the Lionshield Coster, Beatrix asked for magical equipment but repeatedly refused to say whom the party was fighting. Once the Redbrands were named, Linene explained that banditry had disrupted her stock and that better magical equipment could be ordered after the roads were secured.
• John charmed Linene — John asked whether he could call her Linene; she told the blood-covered bard to clean up first and use “Miss Graywind.” After his successful persuasion, she visibly warmed to him.
• John upgraded his armor — Linene first discounted studded leather from 45 gp to 38 gp, then accepted John's old leather armor in trade and reduced his final cost to 25 gp.
• Beatrix bought ammunition through John — Her own advantaged persuasion roll was a 3, but Linene happily offered John 30 bullets for 5 gp on the condition that they go into Redbrand or orc brains. John bought them for Beatrix.
• Talon stayed with the party — They considered selling the +1 longsword but decided to keep it until Linene could offer a useful +1 weapon in trade. A "plus one guitar" was proposed for John.
• John invited Linene to the inn — He promised drinks were on him, and she agreed to attend the evening's celebration.

Watched in the Woods

• Beatrix returned to the hidden camp — Still refusing to enter the Stonehill Inn, she took Shoomit, Corby, Beech, and the company's other hirelings back to the wagon, intending to craft a healing potion.
• The camp had been found — Beatrix's fur stood on end as she sensed multiple watchers. She spotted the outline of a bugbear among the trees and felt more unseen eyes nearby.
• The watchers withdrew when challenged — As Beatrix packed up, she heard at least two sets of footsteps retreating but sensed additional observers. A high, faint bat sound suggested the quasit might also have followed them.
• Beatrix tried recruitment again — She shouted into the darkness that she would double whatever the watchers were being paid. No one answered.
• The whole company retreated to the inn — They extinguished the fire, loaded the wagon, and hurried into Phandalin. The feeling of being watched eased only after they reached the lit streets.

The Stonehill Inn and Iarno's Betrayal

• John received a hero's welcome — The room cheered his arrival, the pianist announced him, and the staff rushed to serve him despite the blood and arrows. Pip cleaned up the blood while Elsa prepared the strongest drink available.
• John used liquor as medicine — Elsa served an ale with two whiskey shots and a glass of clear spirits. John chugged the first and poured the second into his wounds, failed his Constitution save, and became extremely drunk while discovering how badly that burned.
• The Dendrars were fed for free — Elsa brought Mirna and her children a meal on the house while John and Glomblax reported that the rescue had succeeded but the hideout remained uncleared.
• Beatrix finally entered the inn — After the camp was compromised, she brought the wagon and company inside the inn's protection while carefully avoiding Edvard's gaze.
• John tried to make peace with Edvard — Drunk and uninhibited, he bought the pale patron a small ale and called him his new friend. Edvard felt unnaturally cold and tensed away from John's touch, doing little to reduce the party's vampire suspicions.
• Jakob glared from across the room — Elsa explained that Jakob was another regular who probably had feelings for her and disliked Edvard. John answered the jealousy by praising Elsa and repeatedly elbowing the profoundly uncomfortable Edvard.
• Sildar read the papers from Glasstaff's room — The letter ordered “Iarno” to capture or kill the newcomers, seize any dwarven maps, and protect the writer's plans. It was signed by the Spider.
• Glasstaff was revealed as Iarno Albrek — Sildar recognized that his missing friend was the Redbrands' leader and had betrayed the Lords' Alliance. He collapsed onto the bar and asked Elsa for a drink; Beatrix summarized the discovery with, "Hey, man. Your friend's a traitor."
• The Spider connects the threats — The party already knew the Spider was connected to the goblins. The letter showed that the same figure also commanded Iarno and the Redbrands, prompting Beatrix to conclude, "We got a conspiracy on our hands."
• Sildar urged immediate action — He warned that Iarno is a dangerous wizard, that Redbrand sympathizers may be in town, and that reinforcements could already be coming. The 200 gp reward remains tied to eliminating the Redbrand threat, not merely identifying Iarno.
• The party committed to return in the morning — They chose one night's rest at the Stonehill Inn, with Toblen and Elsa safeguarding the wagon and horses, before going back to clear the manor.
• The night ended with carousing — Beatrix ate a Reuben, Glomblax ordered a turkey leg, and Linene arrived looking for John. John bought a round, spent the evening drinking with her, and warned her not to ruin her pretty dress by leaning on his blood-and-filth-covered clothes.

Session End

The party completed a long rest at the Stonehill Inn. Tresendar Manor still contains several bugbears, numerous Redbrands, and Glasstaff's quasit familiar; Glasstaff himself remains at large. The party intends to return to the hideout first thing in the morning before the Redbrands can fully regroup or receive reinforcements.

Inspiration

Party Ledger

Treasure and funds

• The party calculated that its loose coin divided to 50 gp per party member; jewelry and other unsold assets were excluded from that split.
• The jeweled gold bracelet worth about 140 gp and five malachite gems remain unsold.
• Talon, the +1 longsword, remains with the party for possible use or a later trade.
• Mirna Dendrar promised the party an emerald necklace worth at least 200 gp if they recover it from her family's abandoned herb shop in Thundertree.

Purchases and resources

• John traded in his leather armor and paid 25 gp for studded leather armor.
• John bought 30 bullets for 5 gp from Linene on Beatrix's behalf.
• Beatrix spent her final ordinary spell slot on Burning Hands and expended her once-per-rest free casting of Silvery Barbs.
• John used Bardic Inspiration on Glomblax during the crypt fight and spent one Luck point while negotiating with Linene.
• Beatrix gave John three Goodberries before the party split up; they would expire within hours.
• Beatrix planned to craft a Potion of Healing at camp, but the enemy surveillance forced an immediate retreat before she could do so.

People

• Mirna Dendrar, Nilsa, and Nars were rescued from the Redbrand cells and brought safely to the Stonehill Inn.
• Beech escaped with the party and remains an employee of Marsh and Company.
• Corby and the other company members were moved from the wilderness camp into the safety of the Stonehill Inn.

Open threads

• Return to Tresendar Manor and eliminate the remaining Redbrand threat before it can regroup.
• Find Glasstaff/Iarno Albrek, who escaped and remains at large.
• Determine how to counter or locate Iarno's invisible quasit familiar.
• Investigate the Spider's control over both the Redbrands and the goblins.
• Recover Mirna's emerald necklace from the abandoned herb shop in Thundertree.
• The existing rewards remain available: 200 gp for ending the Redbrand threat and 100 gp for dealing with the orcs at Wyvern Tor.