Murder Hobo Squad: A Lost Mine of Phandelver/Dragon of Icespire Peak & Beyond D&D 5E record (Beware Spoilers!)

Talindra is still DMing for the first part here.  I take over again as they arrive back at town.

The party woke up the next day in the army camp and gathered from breakfast while the army dismantled the Hobgoblin fort around them.  They discussed their plans for the day and while the group needed to return to deal with unfinished business in Phandalin, Reginald wanted to stay with the army to see what happened next and gather some accounts from soldiers on the other battles involved in this victory.  He broached the subject of splitting the loot and said he had an interest in the golden jewelled holy symbol of Tiamat they had taken off the cultists’ leader.  He said he wondered if it had a greater significance and wasn’t purely decorative.  The party were more than OK with this and he waved them off on their way, saying he might stop by Phandalin at a later date for a visit.  Ramond also warned them that Claugiyliamatar had been scrying on them so they should take care.  Who knows how much she knows about them, or if she will continue to take an interest and come seeking revenge at any time.

As the party headed out along the road out of Kryptgarden Ramond spoke up.  He thought the party needed a name, otherwise how are people like Reginald, or the soldiers of the army supposed to ask for them? (DM: They’d said they were going to pick a name a month or so back when they were offered positions within the Lords Alliance, but they never did)  They bandied around a few names (DM: And spent some time on random party name generators laughing at silly suggestions) and have settled on “The Fellowship of Phandalin” (FoP) for now, with the possibility of changing it should they have a better idea.

Two nights out of Kryptgarden they camped about a mile away from the Mere of Dead Men, and during the first watch some Ghouls from the swamp wondered out from the trees and disturbed their rest.  It was a cloudy night so a short battle occurred in pitch darkness.  The Fellowship (DM: That name already belongs to another group, but what am I supposed to do?) dispatched them without too much difficulty (DM: Karson did get paralysed after charging in), but despite having time to pelt them with ranged attacks before they could become a threat, and few people ran in to melee without thought.  Ramond complained about this after the battle, insisting once again that they need to learn to think tactically and work better as a team so as not to put themselves in unnecessary risks.  They’d done this in the final battle in Kryptgarden and it had made things harder than needed.  They were too spread out and over exposed then, and they shouldn’t have been.

About ten miles outside of town as they were cutting across the plains, they encountered two Ogres arguing in Giant, which none of them understood.  The party discussed this at a distance and spread out in to a defensive formation (two spread out lines perpendicular to the path) and slowly approached the Ogres.  As they drew closer the Ogres noticed them and approached.  The party tried to look like they weren’t on the attack, while still being ready to defend themselves.  Ramond drew his sword.  The ogres demanded the Fellowship give them some food.  Ramond refused, asking why they are even here, this close to town.  They said there was a big white dragon up in the mountains near their home killing everything so they’d had to leave.  Devere said they were hunting a white dragon.  The Ogre said, “Well it’s over in the mountains.  Now give us some food”.  Ramond relaxed and went over to the wagon to look at the Fellowships supply of rations.  Devere tried to see what the Ogres had to trade for the food.  The Ogre offered not to put his club through his face in exchange.  Everyone agreed this was a good deal.  Ramond put ten days of rations in the road half way between both groups and told them to take it and move along.  He said if he heard about them causing trouble for anyone they were going to come back and deal with them.  The ogres acted unbothered and began stuffing their faces as the party gave them a wide berth and continued on their way to town.

DM: We switched DMs at this point.  I’m back in charge from now.

As the group walked back in to Phandalin around midday they could see the redevelopment had progressed in their absence.  A few building projects had finished and some new ones had started. Work up at the Manor still continued.   The sound of construction had always been there, but this is the longest they had been out of town so this is the first time they’ve really noticed any changes.

They headed straight to the Stonehill Inn for lunch and to work out what to do next.  Ramond ordered them all lunch and enquired after Gundren.  Toblen, the Innkeeper, said he was doing well.  He’d been sleeping a lot but looking healthier every day.  He should be up and about any day now.  He said he’s let him know they were back in town when he brings him some food.

The party discussed option.

• Let the Townmaster know that monsters were being chased towards town by the Dragon. They feared he would just panic even more and for no good.
• They still need to find this missing druid around Thundertree
• They still have the Lighthouse to investigate
• They thought the monsters chased out by the dragon may be a higher priority than the mine if Ogres etc are coming near town (DM: Ramond spent a fair chunk of the rest of the session pricing up the funding of a small militia in town and OOC  constantly complaining about the stupidity of PHB prices.  “10gp for a shield?  It’s a bit of wood!”  How much for a pointed stick???)
• They wanted to talk to Gundren for more information on the mine, to see why it might be a bigger concern. Just what kind of magic items can the Spellforge there create?  Useful dragon fighting stuff?  Siege weapons that could be used against Phandalin?
• They considered checking in with Sildhar

Talindra walked in to the inn and joined them for lunch.  She asked them where’re they’ve been and they all had a bit of a catch up.  Talinda told them all she had been to Neverwinter to sell off some of their rarer items (DM: Their captured spellbooks etc) and gave them their cut of the gold.  Talindra also handed Araloth a parcel, saying the mail had come while they were away.  It was a small box wrapped in paper, bound in string, with a red seal over the string.  Talindra apologised as she had had an accident and spilled candle wax all over the package.  It was a mess.  Half the seal wasn’t visible and wax was everywhere.  Araloth just accepted it and put off opening the package until he was alone later.

She then mentioned that she had recouped her expenses from learning new spells before splitting the profits.  Most of the group were OK with this, but Araloth disagreed.  An argument happened and Araloth is currently biting his tongue on this issue as he doesn’t see why he should have to pay towards someone else learning spells.

They ate their lunch in an awkward silence for a while until Gundren came down the stairs and joined them.  His movement looked uncomfortable, and he was using a cane, but he looked better.  He greeted the group and offered them a reward for rescuing him (DM: The module has him offer them 20gp when they first rescue him.  So where was he supposed to be hiding all those coins if he’s been a prisoner for a week or two and has been searched and tortured?  Does he jingle as he parps?)  They asked him about the mine and what it could make.  He said the Spellforge there could make any magic item.  Legend says it could be used to make enchanting items a while lot easier and simples and could theoretically be used to mass produce magic items.  In the wrong hands you could easily equip an army with magic weapons.  If they mine is in the hands of the Drow this is very worrying.  They asked what they might find there.  Gundren said he didn’t explore it much, but as its been abandoned for hundreds of years they should expect wild creatures and monsters to have moved in.  The Black Spider appears to be a dark elf with goblinoids under his control so it’s likely there will be some of them down there.  Beyond that he could only guess.  The mine entrance is only around 10 miles outside of town at the foot of the Sword Mountains, but is hidden.  Gundren and his brothers had to tunnel part of the way in.

Gundren is keen to get out there and meet up with his brothers.  They were camping about a mile away from the entrance and he wants to make sure they’re safe, and warn them about the Black Spider.  However, Gundren isn’t quite ready to travel.  He needs to heal up a little more and he has preparations to make.  He advised the party take a few days to prepare or take care of any unfinished business.  They discussed their options.  They weren’t going to find and deal with the dragon in this time, and Thundertree is at least a 6 day round trip, with more time potentially spent exploring.  They figured the Lighthouse was a day and a half away so would be a reasonable task to fill the time.  The party agreed the mine needs to be their main priority for now.  They wondered if the dragon had been drawn to the mine, or if it would want it should it find out about it.

After lunch the split up and did a little shopping, selling off loot and restocking consumables.  Talindra had an unusual request of Devere.  She said she had been studying up on a magic item that would help her and it needed a particular component, linked to a Celestial nature.  She needs some of his blood.  (DM: The party OOC went on comments about this for a while.  Jokes about demon worship, necromancy, selling of souls, possession, etc).  Talindra got out an intricately carved rod she had made from the Manticores thigh bone.  Devere was most agreeable, even when he found out it would be a pint and not a small vial needed.  They went somewhere private and Devere donated with the aid of a knife, and then Talindra healed him up after.  Talindra stored this sample in the rift up at the Manor (DM: It’s magical and cold.  It greatly slows down the decay of any organic matter within it)

Early afternoon they hit the road and headed towards the coast.  They drew near the lighthouse late on the next day.  A storm was brewing out at sea. They chose to camp before entering, rather than head in with the sun starting to go down.  Overnight the storm drew closer and hung heavy over them.  They could hear the rumble of thunder in the clouds overhead, and while it started to rain, the storm didn’t kick in.  Overnight, they got a close up view of the light from the lighthouse.  It appeared to have a green tinge to it, easy to miss or dismiss at a distance, but much more apparent now.  They woke up the next morning with the clouds hanging dark and threatening in the sky above them and headed towards the cliffs.

Below the high cliff that hugged the coastline, an outcropping of rock was nearly surrounded by water, with only a narrow causeway connecting it to the beach below. Atop this outcropping was a stone building surmounted by a lighthouse tower. An eerie green light pulsed from its beacon, shining westward out to sea. With each green pulse of light, they could hear the thump of a slow-beating heart.  They could see a giant crab on the shore far below them.

As they walked down the narrow stairs to the beech the crab approached them, claws waiving in the air overhead.  As people were debating Calm Animal and Speak With Animal spells, it greeted them in Common and asked what they were up to.  They said there was a problem with the lighthouse and they’d come to investigate.  The crab agreed there were problems.  He introduced himself as Mur’raih and the party introduced themselves.  Devere asked if giant crabs usually talk. Mur’raih said he was special.  He had a friend who gave him the ability to talk; a clever Sea Elf named Miraal.  He asked if they could help Miraal if they were already heading in to the lighthouse anyway.  She used to live near here, until she was killed recently by the Half Orc that has taken over the lighthouse.  She’s become a restless spirit ever since and haunts the cave on the way to the lighthouse.  She’s become much angrier and scarier since.  It’s warping her spirit and changing her.  Mur’raih asked the party to help her find peace.  In exchange he would go down to one of the shipwrecks and fetch them a bit of treasure.  They shouldn’t go diving down there themselves.  There’s sharks.  One mean shark in particular called Daggermaw enjoys making people suffer when she eats them slowly.  Talindra said it was a good deal and they shook hands/claws.  Mur’raih pointed them towards his mistress’s cave and they headed off.  As they left, he shouted out a warning about Harpies nesting up by the lighthouse and they should watch out for their beguiling songs.

Talindra and Ramond went to talk to the Banshee Miraal.  As they entered the narrow cave on the tight outcropping a ghostly female elven spirit drifted out of the rocks, her hair seemingly drifting on watery currents they could not see.  Talindra called out, “Miraal, is that you?”  “I am Miraal.  Have you come here to do more harm?”  Talindra said they had come to deal with whatever at the lighthouse has been causing ships to crash.  She said they had come to kill him then.  The man who had killed her.  Please go in there and fetch back my treasure.  He took it from me when he killed me.  My opalescent conch shell.  It’s not much, but its precious to me.  His name is Moeska.  He’s a half orc.  Talindra said they had spoken to Mur’raih and already agreed to help her so they would do their best.  She let them past and drifted off back in to the rocks.

The beckoned up the others and had a discussion about how to resist the harpy songs.  They discussed the pros and cons of a Silence spell, but opted for Ramond to cast Bless on Araloth, Carson and Bilba and let the others rely on saves and elven resistances to Charms while they spend a few rounds running up the walkway.

 It was getting late and doing anything would have triggered a time consuming encounter so e called it there for the week.