Session 2 - The Hunt for Adabra
Preface
Harbin Wester advised the group to seek out Adabra Gwynn at Umbrage Hill. After getting a re-supply from Elmar Barthen, the gang set out on the road.
Scene 1 - Traveling Tales
As the gang sets off for their first out of Phandalin adventure, have them each tell a little story or provide some background.
Scene 2 - The Fighting Pit
Setting the Scene
As the gang rounds a bend in the trail, they stumble upon a group of men gathered in a small clearing. There is a tent, an ox cart, and long table piled high with bottles of beer and stronger spirits. The men surround a wooden fence, and they are shouting encouragement. You hear an animal cry out in pain, and half the men cheer while the other half voice their displeasure. You see coins exchange hands and the men retire to their drinks while a young man darts into the enclosure and pulls out a dead creature. The young man slams the fence shut behind him and locks it, then wipes his hands and begins to collect discarded and broken bottles around the area.A large, gruff man in hard worn leather armor is seated by the tent. He has a cape clasped to his armor with sharp beaked animal skulls acting as shoulder pads. He has a belt strapped across his muscular chest, the belt containing three small vials of an unknown substance. He sees you approach and motions for two guards in dented half plate to come forward, crossbows out but pointed to the ground. The crowd senses the intrusion and begins to quiet down. You hear the squawks of an unknown creature in the pen, but otherwise this once vibrant scene has become quiet as the grave. The caped man looks at you and says "State you business here, friends"
Story Elements
- The cloaked mans name is Dorian Eldrich.
- He is a collector of rare and magical beasts. He will pay handsomely if anyone brings him such a creature alive.
- Those with coin can pay to fight one of his beasts or can pay to view the beasts fight each other.
- His travels bring him far and wide around the Sword Coast, with those that best his beasts earning fame and renown.
- The current purse for any single fighter slaying a beast one on one is 25 gold, 15 if the fighter resorts to magic.
Potential Fights
- Cockatrice Escape - DND Beyondand Owlbear Rodeo
Scripted Text
Built on the slope of Umbrage Hill is an old stone windmill surrounded by an iron fence. A large winged monster with a spiky tail is trying to knock down the windmill’s front door. A woman appears in a second-floor window, waves at you, and yells, “A little help?!”
Flavoring
Umbrage Hill got its name after two feuding dwarf clans fought a pitched battle atop it. The cause of their umbrage is a tale lost to time, and only the cairns of the dead now remain. The stone windmill on the hill is a later addition, but is still more than a hundred years old.
Adabra Gwynn, a midwife and apothecary devoted to Chauntea (goddess of agriculture), resides here. A manticore driven out of the mountains by Cryovain the white dragon attacks the windmill shortly before the adventurers arrive.
The Manticore - Description
The monster has a vaguely humanoid head, the body of a lion, and the wings of a dragon. A bristling mane stretches down the creature’s back, and its long tail ends in a cluster of deadly spikes.
Manticore.jpg
The Manticore - Non Combat Options
Characters can fight or negotiate with the manticore, which ceases its attack and flies away if given at least 25 gp in treasure or a few pounds of meat.
The Manticore - Combat Options
If the players fight the manticore -
DND Beyond EncounterManticore Owlbear link here
IF PLAYERS WILL ALL DIE - Adabra blows up the windmill dealing 5d10 damage to the Manticore
Wrap Up
If it’s not killed, the manticore could return with its mate to make more trouble in the future. Adabra declines to return to Phandalin, but the characters can complete Quest by asking her for a note for Harbin Wester confirming her safety. Adabra also gives her saviors one potion of healing for dealing with the manticore (see below).
Related Characters
Related Locations
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