Aboleth Group - The Intimidated Cow - LMOP Session 3
Aboleth Group – session 3 summary
16th May 2019, 7:30 – 11:00pm
In-game timeline: Start of session, day 2. End of session,
day 3.
This session was a ‘talkie’ session. Lots of meeting new
people and trying to find out what is going on. No swinging of axes at all,
which means Derrick had an excuse for not hitting anything. He tried to make up
for it by trying (and failing) to hit ON everyone.
Quite a few notes on the session follow, as I don’t think
the characters are great at remembering what was said. Note I said “characters”,
not “players”. I am being kind.
Our “Heroes” stand in a cave, next to a dead bugbear
(Klarg), dead wolf (Ripper) and dead goblin (Screech, not that anyone stopped
to ask his name). Yeemik appears, dragging a semi-conscious Sildar, and
followed by 4 goblins. Yeemik tries to haul Sildar and drop him in front of the
party, but isn’t quite strong enough to make it look impressive, so ends up
just dropping him.
Yeemik is true to his word – he is happy to let the party
go, with Sildar, so long as they leave all the treasure and Mallorn’s robes, as
previously agreed. The party, on the other hand, are less honourable, not only
having taken some of Klarg’s treasure already, but also debating whether to
- Make a run for it, abandoning Sildar, in favour of keeping Mallorn’s robes
- Kill Sildar, then make a run for it (funnily enough, Derrick’s suggestion) achieving nothing more than the above option, but with a dead Sildar
- Kill Yeemik, and his associated goblins.
all so they could get away without handing over some elvish
garb. Interesting priorities. In the end, Esme attempted to intimidate Yeemik
into letting them all go, WITH Mallorn’s clothing. She made a fair attempt,
except that Yeemik knew they were pretty weak after the fight, and, as he
quickly demonstrated, he had at least 10 goblins as backup. Reluctantly, the
party ‘honoured’ their part of the bargain, handing over Mallorn’s robes
(revealing his Spiderman undergarments) and left the cave with the
semi-conscious Sildar, but without his sword and armour.
They made their way to Phandalin, with Gundren’s wagon of
goods.
They spoke to Elmar Barthen at Barthen’s Provisions, where
they were due to drop off Gundren’s goods. Barthen hadn’t seen Gundren or his
brothers for some months, and had no knowledge of any payment due to the party.
He was very accommodating, though, and did agree to look after Gundren’s wagonload
of goods for free while they waited / looked for Gundren. Barthen also managed
to find a leather jerkin and some cloth trousers that fitted Mallorn. Not quite
as “impressive” as his previous robes, but at least hid his modesty, and the
rest of the party were relieved Mallorn was once again fully clothed.
Barthen also mentioned that Phandalin was a prospectors
town, he explained what shops were around, but also said that recently a band
of ruffians known as the Redbrands were starting to terrorise the town. He was
concerned that the townmaster, Harbin Wester, wasn’t doing much about them.
The party also purchased a map of the area from Barthen.
They headed to the inn, and Sildar, who was slightly more ‘with
it’ by now, arranged for them to get some rooms – he will pay for them (despite
having no money at the moment, his credit is good). Sildar explained to the
party that his main reason for coming to Phandalin was to find out what
happened to his old friend, and fellow member of the Lords Alliance guild,
Iarno Albrek. Iarno was sent to Phandalin about 6 months ago to help them set
up a local police force, to bring more order to the town and dispel the bandit
threat which was growing in the outlying areas. After initially successfully setting
up the Redbrands to do just this, Iarno hasn’t been heard from for a couple of
months now, and Sildar is here to look for him.
Sildar also explained that Gundren, on the journey to town
before they were ambushed by goblins, told him that he and his brothers were
looking for a fabled lost mine in the area, which was reputed to be the
location of a magical forge. Sildar did not know where it was, or whether the
brothers had found it yet, but did know that Gundren was very protective of a
map that he was carrying. Gundren also gave Sildar a gnomish gadget to carry
(which is in the party’s possession, but they didn’t tell Sildar this), as he
didn’t want to be caught carrying the gadget. He didn’t explain what this
gadget was, but it was obviously important.
Sister Garaele mentioned to the party that she has been
asked by her superiors to find out what has happened to the spellbook of a
legendary mage named Bowgentle. She tracked it down to an elf named Agatha, who
has since become a banshee, located near to the town of Conyberry.
Unfortunately when she visited Agatha herself, Agatha refused to answer her
question – Sister Garaele thinks it is because she didn’t bring Agatha a gift –
Agatha is reputed to be very vain. She asked the party that if they could ask
Agatha the question and get an answer, she would be very grateful. She gave
them a silver comb that they can give to Agatha as a gift to hopefully get her
to answer.
Next on the list of “townspeople to visit late in the day”
was Linene, at the Lionshield Coster. They recognised the sign above the shop
as the same as was on the boxes in Klarg’s cave. Derrick tried flirting with
Linene. He failed.
Telling Linene where her boxes were resulted in much
gratitude, and a reward of 25gp for the information. She said she would try to
get a party together to go and recover her goods, but suspected she would have
to ask the Lionshield company for help, which could take a couple of weeks.
Mallorn was keen that she try to get his dress back too, complete with shoulder
pads.
Her shelves were a little bare, unsurprisingly, as she was
missing her last shipment, but she generally stocked weapons and armour. She
also admitted to having to pay protection money to the Redbrands, who were
getting rougher and rougher. She thought they were terrorising all the
merchants in town, except perhaps Halia at the Miners Exchange.
The party then went to the Townmaster’s Hall, which was
shut, but had a reward notice outside asking for people to help to get rid of a
band of orcs based at Wyvern Tor. Knocking at the door, the townmaster Harbin
Wester answered. He was quite dismissive, a little flustered at the
questioning. The party were not sure if he was in league with the Redbrands, or
was being controlled by them, or was just very frightened. He did encourage
them to take on the orc challenge, though, and offered them 100gp if they
managed to get rid of the orcs.
Moving on to Pruni’s aunt, Quelline Alderleaf. As they
approached the farm, Quelline’s son (Pruni’s cousin) Carp came running up to
say hello. Quelline was very accommodating – even offering to cook her last leg
of lamb, which would have fed her and Carp for a month, to entertain the party
when Derrick initially insisted on having dinner there. In an uncharacteristic
pang of guilt, he settled for a cup of tea instead.
Quelline backed up what the party had been hearing about the
Redbrands. Carp piped up that he was almost caught the other day when he saw a
couple of Redbrand humans, and a “big, ugly monster” emerged from what seemed
to be a secret entrance in the hillside beneath the ruins of Tresendar Manor
the other day. He agreed to show the party where that entrance was, if they
wanted. Quelline thought that maybe the Redbrands are based up at the Manor,
though they tend to hang out at the Sleeping Giant Taphouse in town.
They asked Quelline about Cragmaw Castle – she didn’t know
where it was, but thought that a friend of hers, Reidoth the Druid, is likely
to know where it is, as he knows a lot about the local area. He is currently
doing some research in a town called Thundertree, a few days travel away.
Derrick finished his visit by managing to intimidate a cow.
From 30 yards away. Quite impressive. For those that are impressed by people
intimidating cows.
Back in the inn, speaking to Sildar again, he tells them
that he has found out that Iarno was last seen a few months ago, around the
Tresendar Manor area. He will find out more in the morning. He also heard that
a local woodcarver, Thel Drendrar was brutally killed by a gang of Redbrands
only a few days ago. His wife and two children haven’t been seen since.
When
the party ask Sildar more about Cragmaw Castle, and orcs at Wyvern Tor, he
points them towards an old adventurer Daran Edermath, who is sitting chatting
to a local prospector Lanar.
Daran, who was a great adventurer before he took an arrow to
the knee, owns the orchard to the west of town. He briefs the party on orcs,
and also mentions that Lanar was chased away from Old Owl Well recently by some
undead. Lanar explains that he was prospecting in the area, and went up to the
ruins of the old well to look around and was chased away by what he thought
were zombies. Both Daran and Sildar wonder what undead are doing in that area,
which is supposed to just be old ruins, of interest only to archaeologists.
Lanar also give them more history on the legendary Lost Mine
of Phandelver, backing up Sildar/Gundren’s description of a magical forge in
the mine, but also adding that the mine has been lost for many centuries, after
the famous orcish invasion from the north. Many prospectors have come to the
area in the centuries since, to try to find the lost mine, but none have found
it.
At the end of the evening, a young boy came into the inn, absolutely
knackered, dripping with sweat, almost in tears and carrying an empty oil can.
James, for that was his name, was confused as to why all the doors in the
village had suddenly developed a squeak, and had been running around all
evening, following the party wherever they went, and oiling the door hinges
behind them. Derrick sniggered.
After retiring for the night, the following morning the
party spent the morning levelling up, before deciding who to visit next, and
what lead to pursue....