Reidoth the Druid - Mirna's Heirloom Quest at Thundertree
From Phandalin - Part 2
Alderleaf Farm Qelline is a longtime friend of a druid named Reidoth. If she figures out that the characters are looking for specific sites in the area, such as Cragmaw Castle or Wave Echo Cave, she suggests that they visit Reidoth and ask for his help, "since there's not an inch of the land he doesn't know." She tells the characters that Reidoth recently set out for the ruins of a town called Thundertree, just west of the Neverwinter Wood. The ruins are about fifty miles northwest of Phandalin, and she provides directions so the characters can easily find the place. If the party pursues this quest, see "Ruins of Thundertree".
Tresendar Manor Side Quest: Mirna's Heirloom.
Though her family has nothing to offer as a reward, Mirna tells the characters that she might know where a valuable heirloom is hidden. When she was a young girl, she and her family fled from the town of Thundertree after undead overran the place. Her family had an herb and alchemy shop, inside which a case containing an emerald necklace was hidden beneath a section of storage shelves. She never dared to return and retrieve it. The shop was in the southeast part of Thundertree. If the characters decide to explore the ruins of Thundertree, see part 3 of the adventure.
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From Part 3 - Quests ...
The Spider's Web
The Ruins of Thundertree
Near the place where the Neverwinter River emerges from Neverwinter Wood stands the abandoned village of Thundertree.
Once, this was a prosperous community on the outskirts of the forest, wealthy from the work of its woodcutters and trappers. Then thirty years ago, the eruption of Mount Hotenow to the north devastated Thundertree. In the wake of the natural disaster, a plague of strange zombies swept over the area, killing or driving off those who survived the eruption.
Though most of the zombies have long since crumbled to dust, strange magic permeating the area has mutated the local vegetation into new and dangerous forms. Few people dare to venture into the ruined village now, and those who do so seldom stay long-with two notable exceptions:
As the party approaches the ruins, read the following:
Gradually, the trail becomes an old, overgrown lane winding between dilapidated buildings choked in vines and brush. Ahead of you, in the middle of the settlement, rises a steep hill, upon which stands a stone tower with a partially collapsed roof and an adjoining cottage. A dirt road hugs the base of the hill and wends its way between old stone houses, many of which are roofless ruins with interiors open to the weather. Other buildings appear more or less intact. The whole place is eerily silent.
A wooden sign is nailed to a post nearby. It reads: "DANGER! Plant monsters AND zombies! Turn back now!"
Reidoth placed the sign to discourage bands of treasure seekers from stirring up the monsters in the area.
General Features
Many of Thundertree's buildings have crumbled in the years since the town was abandoned, even as nature threatens to swallow what remains. Buildings.
A building in Thundertree is either ruined or intact, as shown on the map.
Ruined buildings are empty shells with stone walls 5 to 8 feet high. Their roofs are gone, leaving piles of debris inside the walls. The debris is difficult terrain (see "Difficult Terrain" in the rulebook).
Intact buildings are rundown, ramshackle stone cottages that are otherwise still standing. Their wooden doors are swollen and require a successful DC 10 Strength check to force open. The windows of any intact building are 2 feet wide and covered by wooden shutters containing 6-inch wide arrow slits. Creatures on one side of an arrow slit gain three-quarters cover against attacks from the other side (see "Cover" in the rulebook). Dusty old furnishings such as simple wooden chairs and tables remain in most intact buildings.
Trees and Brush
Trees average 30 to 40 feet tall and provide cover. Brush consists of large bushes that count as difficult terrain.
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1. Westernmost Cottage
This cottage has seen better days. Cowering in the shadow of an old tree is a crumbled stone cottage with no roof. Weeds are rampant here.
Two twig blights hide among the weeds that flank the cottage's open doorway. Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check for the blights, and compare the result to the passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of the characters to determine if the blights are spotted.
The blights do not attack on their own (except in self-defense) but quickly come to the aid of the twig blights in area 2 if combat erupts there.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 50 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys the twig blights.
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2. Blighted Cottages
Wind and weather have done their work here, and little remains of these houses or their former contents.
These ruined, side-by-side cottages look as though they might have been the homes of prosperous shopkeepers or well-off farmers in their time. All that remains are collapsed walls and piles of debris. Several young trees have grown up in the midst of the ruins.
The overgrowth conceals deadly threat six twig blights lurking among the ordinary foliage. Spotting them requires a successful Wisdom (Perception) check challenged by the blights' Dexterity (Stealth) check.
These plant monsters are hungry and fight until destroyed. One round after they attack, the twig blights in area 1 join the fray.
Treasure
A merchant who once lived here had a chest full of coins hidden under the flagstone floor of his home. A thorough search of the interior of the eastern cottage and a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the old chest among the roots of the tree growing up through the house. The chest contains 700 cp, 160 sp, and 90 GP.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 150 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys these twig blights.
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3. The Brown Horse
This was formerly the Brown Horse, a tavern renowned for its excellent ale. A weathered signboard by the door of this large building shows the faded image of a workhorse holding a flagon of ale. The building is sagging and dilapidated, but it is more intact than the ruins across the road.
Four ash zombies (see the "Ash Zombies" sidebar) lurk in the shadows in this building, slumped against the walls or under the bar. When living creatures enter, the zombies groan and stir, slowly climbing to their feet (spending half their speed to do so-see the "Being Prone" section in the rulebook). They pursue any characters they see, attacking until destroyed.
The eastern half of the building is the old common room, while the western portion held the kitchens and the brewer's vats. Huge wooden tuns stand to the west, and a faint smell of yeast still permeates the air. The ale is long gone.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys the ash zombies.
Ash Zombies
These zombies were created by the magical devastation when Mount Hotenow erupted thirty years ago. They use the zombie stat block, with the following additional trait: Ash Puff.
The first time the zombie takes damage, any living creature within 5 feet of the zombie must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on it early with a successful save.
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4. Druid's Watch
When Reidoth visits Thundertree, this is where he makes camp. This small house appears to be in better condition than the ruined and dilapidated structures nearby. The doors are reinforced with heavy iron bands, and thick shutters protect the windows.
Reidoth is a gaunt, white-bearded human who doesn't use two words when one word will do. Though he receives very few visitors, he is reasonably hospitable. Reidoth is adept at staying away from the ash zombies that overrun the village, as well as avoiding the area's mutated plants.
He knows that dangerous spiders lurk in the ruins at the base of the hill, and he suspects that someone is hiding out on the eastern side of town-he's seen "folk in black masks and cloaks" (the cultists) skulking around.
However, he is currently most concerned by the fact that a green dragon has moved into the tower (area 7) since the last time he was here. He warns the characters of all these threats and suggests that they leave Thundertree before they get themselves killed.
Developments
If the characters ask about Cragmaw Castle, Reidoth gladly provides directions. He is a member of the Emerald Enclave, a widespread group of wilderness survivalists who preserve the natural order while rooting out troublesome threats.
The enclave works to restore and preserve the natural order by keeping the elemental forces of the world in check, preventing civilization and the wilderness from destroying one another, and helping others survive the perils of the wilds. The goblins are a threat to the delicate balance.
If the characters ask Reidoth aboutWave Echo Cave, he will not divulge its location but will offer to guide the party there in exchange for a favor: he wants them to chase off the dragon in area 7. If they succeed, Reidoth will honor his part of the agreement but will not accompany the party inside the mine.
If the characters attack him for any reason, Reidoth transforms into a gray squirrel and scurries out of the cottage through a crack in the wall. He vanishes into the woods, then waits for the hostile characters to leave. His watch post contains nothing of value.
Joining the Emerald Enclave
If the party helps Reidoth by chasing off Venomfang, the druid privately approaches certain members of the group and urges them to join the Emerald Enclave. He speaks with those who exemplify the ideal of protecting the natural order. If a character agrees, Reidoth gives the individual the title of Springwarden.
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5. Blighted Farmhouse
To its south, this farm abuts a field with thick patches of gorse and briars.
This ruin looks as if it might once have been a farmhouse. It is now half swallowed by a dense thicket, with trees growing up through its ruined foundations. The lane continues south a short distance past the ruin before ending in an overgrown field.
The thicket east of this ruin is crawling with eight twig blights. Any disturbance in the ruined farmhouse (for example, characters rooting around in the rubble) draws the blights' ire.
Each round for 3 rounds, two twig blights head for the south doorway leading into the farmhouse while two more head for the north doorway. The blights attack until destroyed.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys the twig blights.
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6. Ruined Store
This former general store is not a complete ruin yet, with portions of its tile roof still intact.
At an intersection near the middle of the village, a narrow lane winds up the steep hillside to the north. Directly to the south is a ruined building that might have been a store or workshop. Webs stretch across the lane, from the building to the trees on the north side of the road.
Two giant spiders hide on the inner walls in this ruined building, so they are not visible from outside. Trailing lines from the webs in the lane allow the spiders to sense when prey is moving through the webs, at which point they nimbly scuttle over the wall and attack. The alert spiders surprise any character whose passive Wisdom (Perception) score is less than 17.
Webs
The webs fill two squares north of the doorway (and the square marked "6"). They are difficult terrain, and a creature trying to move through them must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
On a failure, the creature is restrained in the webs (see the rulebook for the effects of being restrained). A snared creature can take an action each round to attempt to break free with a DC 12 Strength check, or it can try to cut its way free by using a light weapon that deals slashing damage. The webs have AC 10, 5 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage (see "Damage Resistance and Vulnerability" in the rulebook for how vulnerability works).
Going around the webs is difficult because of the thickets on the north side of the road. Going around the ruined building to the south leads to the twig blights in area 5.
Treasure
The corpse of an unfortunate adventurer is cocooned in spider silk in the western half of the building. The body is shriveled up and sucked dry, but appears to have been a male elf. The body wears studded leather armor and a shortsword in the scabbard at its hip. A careful search also yields a potion of healing in a belt pouch, along with 23 gp and 35 sp.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 400 XP equally among the characters if the party defeats the giant spiders.
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7. Dragon's Tower
This tower was formerly the home of a human wizard, who was killed fighting the ash zombies that overran Thundertree thirty years ago.
At the top of the hill stands a round tower with a cottage attached. Both are in good condition, although half of the tower's roof is gone. A door leads into the cottage, and several arrow-slit windows are visible in the tower. You can't help but notice an eerie quiet in the area and a strange, acrid smell in the air.
The corpses of two hideous giant spiders are sprawled near the edge of the pathway, apparently dragged there. Their bloated bodies are puckered and blistered, and appear to have been mauled by a large animal.
A young green dragon named Venomfang has recently claimed the tower, having passed over Thundertree while searching Neverwinter Wood for a suitable lair. The giant spider corpses are the former residents of the tower, killed by the dragon after it tore its way through the roof. Since then, Venomfang has been laying low. Tower
The dragon lives in the tower—a single room with a 40-foot-high ceiling. A 5-foot-wide staircase circles the interior, rising to the now-opened rooftop that allows the dragon easy access to its new home. Heavy wooden beams and stair supports crisscross the tower interior.
Venomfang does not want to give up such a promising lair, but if the characters reduce the dragon to half its hit points, it climbs to the top of the tower and flies off to fight another day.
Cottage
The cottage contains dusty furniture draped in webbing, but nothing of value. If the characters make a lot of noise in the cottage, the dragon hears them and steels itself for a fight.
Treasure
An old wooden chest broken open on the tower floor holds the last of the dead wizard's treasure: 800 sp, 150 gp, four silver goblets set with moonstones (60 gp each), a scroll of misty step, and a scroll of lightning bolt. Venomfang spends much of his time greedily admiring the loot.
The dragon has barely noticed the most interesting item in its hoard. Beneath the coins is a rusty old battleaxe of dwarven manufacture. Runes in Dwarvish on the axe head read, "Hew," and the rust is misleading. Hew is a +1 battleaxe that deals maximum damage when the wielder hits a plant creature or an object made of wood. The axe's creator was a dwarf smith who feuded with the dryads of a forest where he cut firewood. Whoever carries the axe feels uneasy whenever he or she travels through a forest.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 2,000 XP equally among the characters if the party drives away Venomfang. Given their level, the characters aren't likely to slay the dragon, but it is worth 3,900 XP.
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8. Old Smithy
This smithy was abandoned long ago. A wide chimney and rotted piles of firewood jumbled outside the walls of this sagging building suggest that it was a smithy in its day.
Two ash zombies (see the "Ash Zombies" sidebar) are slumped on the floor. When the characters enter, the monsters climb to their feet (spending half their speed to do so-see the "Being Prone" section in chapter 2 of the rulebook). Then they attack. When the zombies have caught sight of the characters, they pursue them no matter where they go.
A variety of old tools-tongs, bellows, hammers, and a pair of iron anvils are scattered around the interior of this building.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 100 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys the ash zombies.
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9. Herbalist's Shop
This was an herb and alchemy shop belonging to the family of Mirna Dendrar, now a resident in Phandalin (see encounter 5 in the "Redbrand Hideout" section).
This ruined shop is cluttered with sagging storage shelves and broken furniture. Shards of glass and pieces of pottery glint in the weeds and rubble next to rotted books and casks.
All the reagents and concoctions here have long since been ruined, and the books are unreadable masses of rot. However, a small wooden case is hidden in a compartment beneath the storage shelves. A character searching through the wreckage can find the case with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. The check succeeds automatically if Mirna sent the party to find the heirloom.
Treasure
The case is worthless but contains a gold necklace with a fine emerald pendant (200 gp).
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if the party returns the necklace to Mirna instead of keeping it.
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10. Town Square
Encroaching underbrush has yet to engulf the square.
On the east side of town, the lane opens up to form a small square. Several ruined buildings surround the south side of the square, but a larger, intact structure to the north looks like a barracks. One lane leads southeast, another heads southwest around the hill in the middle of the town, and a third way meanders north. In the middle of the square, leaning to one side ever so slightly is a weathered wooden statue of a warrior clutching a spear and shield.
The leaning statue is ten feet tall, including the base. It depicts an old hero of Neverwinter named Palien, who supposedly defeated several monsters in Neverwinter Wood when Thundertree was first founded. A character who studies the statue recognizes the depiction with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check. The statue can be knocked over with a successful DC 20 Strength check.
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11. Old Garrison
For the residents of Thundertree, living so close to Neverwinter Wood demanded constant vigilance.
The barracks appear to have weathered the years better than most buildings in town. Its rooftop features a simple battlement, and arrow-slit windows confirm that it was built to serve as a small keep in times of emergency.
Five ash zombies (see the "Ash Zombies" sidebar) lurk within this building. Former members of the garrison, they still wear the remnants of rusted mail and soldiers' surcoats. These scraps of armor do not improve their Armor Class, however. The zombies animate and attack if any living creature disturbs their rest.
The interior of the building still contains furnishings, and the main room has a ladder leading through a trapdoor to the roof. The chamber to the north contains two double bunks, while the chamber to the south has three double bunks, providing quarters for ten soldiers altogether. To the northwest of the main area of the barracks were a kitchen and pantry, now containing piles of well-rotted sacks and barrels that once held salted meat. All the foodstuffs have long since been devoured by vermin.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 250 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys the ash zombies.
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12. Weaver's Cottage
This fallen cottage is a lure for the creatures that lair nearby.
Heaps of wreckage litter the interior of this ruin. In one corner stands a broken loom.
Six twig blights lurk in the thicket south of this ruin. Allow each character to attempt a Wisdom (Perception) check contested by the blights' Dexterity (Stealth) check to avoid being surprised by them.
Developments
Any loud noises here alert the cultists in area 13, who quietly and cautiously investigate.
Awarding Experience Points
Divide 150 XP equally among the characters if the party destroys the twig blights.
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13. Dragon Cultists
A group calling itself Cult of the Dragon seeks to forge alliances with powerful dragons of the Sword Coast. Toward that end, four cultists recently tracked a green dragon to Thundertree (see area 7) and are waiting for the right moment to approach the dragon and broker an alliance. They have been spying on the dragon from afar, trying to gauge its demeanor and its needs.
This small farmhouse appears to be just another empty home at first glance. However, all the doors are shut and windows shuttered.
The doors to this cottage are barred from the inside, requiring a successful DC 20 Strength check to force open. The shutters are also barred from inside and can be forced with a successful DC 15 Strength check.
Six human cultists are hiding in the house. Four stand guard (two in each room) while the others rest in the larger chamber. The cultists wear black cloaks cut to resemble dragon wings and black leather masks with stylized dragon horns. In addition to the Common tongue, these cultists speak Draconic.
The interior of the house is dusty and strung with cobwebs. The only furnishings are a small stove, a table, two chairs, and a bunk (which the cultists share).
Roleplaying the Cultists
The cultists are not interested in fighting anyone and prefer to be left alone. The leader of the group is an evil and ambitious young man named Favric, who hopes to rise through the ranks quickly by earning the allegiance of the green dragon in area 7. His fellow cultists lack Favric's ambition and flee if he is captured or killed.
If the characters talk to the cultists, Favric explains that they have come to treat with the green dragon (whose name he doesn't know). If the characters express a similar desire, Favric suggests an alliance. He really plans to offer the characters to the dragon as part of his tribute, and if a fight ensues, the cultists side with the dragon.
Treasure
In the main room, Favric has a small coffer containing tribute for the green dragon: three diamonds (100 gp each). He also carries a potion of flying in a stoppered vial around his neck.
Awarding Experience Points Divide 150 XP equally among the characters if the party defeats or drives away the cultists.
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