Chapter 1-5: The Redbrand Hideout
General Summary
Clootie and Ramas burst into the cellar having finally got out of bed. The party then made their way through the trapped corridor - where Ryoko and Aetilius both fell into the pit. Ryoko, Miaug and Ramas then put on the stolen Redbrand cloaks and used them to bypass the skeletons in the old Tresendar Crypts. They also took this opportunity to raid the coffins for shiny rings. They then killed two Redbrand guards in spectacularly bloody fashion in front of the captive Delmar family, who they then rescued and ushered out of the hideout. Mirna Delmar advised themthat an old family heirloom was hidden in an Alchemy Shop is the ruined town of Thundertree, and they were welcome to help themselves to it as thanks for rescuing them. The stolen cloaks from these Redbrands allowed the whole party to cross the crypts and get to the armoury, where some of them decided to stock up on unnecessary additional weapons.
At this point you suddenly remembered that the Redbrands they had interrogated had told them about a secret door in the cellar. Which they had completely forgotten about - strangely... They checked the cistern in the cellar first and found a hidden satchel containing an emergency escape kit. The group then found the secret door, which led out to a large underground chamber with a crevasse in the centre, spanned by two wooden bridges. The party came across a Nothic which had made this place it's lair, it was attracted to some magic in the crevasse. The leader of the Redbrands had made an agreement with the creature, he would supply it with fresh meat in exchange for it guarding the secret entrance to the hideout. The party offered it the bodies of two dead Rebrands in exchange for passage.
The group then made their way to a storeroom in the north end of the chamber. Aetilius discovered a secret passage, which led to Glasstaff's Quarters. Here they spoke to Glasstaff, who turned out to be Iarno Albrek, the missing Lords Alliance agent Sildar was looking for. He tried to delay them, then decided to fight. Particular highlights included when Clootie played an inspiring tune on her kazoo and tried to stab him in the kneecap. After a good axe hit by Aetilius, and an arrow from Miaug, Ryoko restrained him with an entangle spell, then shapeshifted into a Dire Wolf and savaged him until he begged for mercy. He explained he just wanted to make some money, bring frustrated by what he felt was a dead end assignment, and he showed an incredible lack of morals given how far his Redbrands would go. He explained the Redbrands had been hired by a dark elf who goes by the monicker "The Black Spider" to terrorise Phandalin and to waylay any adventurers. He had been specifically warned about the party. The group decided to turn him over to Sildar
