The Spider's Web

Expedition

The party sets out on a journey following a tenuous lead and becomes entangled in a criminal's schemes.

• After being detained and observed for a brief period the party recruited by the Council temporarily governing Rivercairn to seek information regarding forces that attacked the city. They are also informed the capital cities of Moria and the Niflheim Empire were attacked at the same time, current information suggests that both the Dwarven King and the Emperor are also dead
• Per Theodoric's instruction the party first goes north to Innsmouth to meet with a ship captain, Barnabas Marsh and say a specific phrase to him
• After finding the captain and saying the passphrase, he grants them passage on his ship and sail to an abandoned lighthouse on an island to the northwest where Marsh instructs them to head in while his crew unloads supplies
• After accessing a hidden doorway the party finds themselves in a strange underground complex where they meet Sabryna - the director of the Avalon Research Commission and deliver defeated automata to her
• Sabryna gives a brief explanation of what the Commission is and how long they've been studying the facility, as well as what the artifact was - one of multiple called "Shards". She advises the only strange rumor she's heard was that a strange aircraft was seen near the eastern coast some days ago
• After returning to the mainland the party heads east, as they do they find themselves in the small town of Phandalin, roughly 10 miles west of Everfield
• The quickly learn from interacting with the townsfolk that a group of thugs calling themselves the "Redbrands" have been running a protection scam and harassing the townsfolk - recently a man was killed and his wife and daughters are missing. After some investigating the party suspects the group is operating out of the abandoned manor
• Party encounters Midna, a half-drow woman that was being harassed by by a few Redbrands - the party intervenes and obtains a key they suspect will open the lock on the cellar door of the manor
• Midna invites herself on assisting the party, they have her stand guard at the suspected escape tunnel while they enter from the main entrance - after rescuing the captured mother and daughters from a cell they relocate Midna to the manor itself to protect them
• Party clears out the hideout, rescuing a Goblin named Droop as well as capturing one of the Bugbears and the Redcloak leader "Glass-Staff", they learn from correspondence he had that he is working for someone called "The Black Spider" and that he has a spy in Rivercairn - they inform Theodoric of this info via sending stone
• Over the next few days the party follows several leads learning the Black Spider's identity, that he is seeking the Spell Forge, and how to access Wave Echo Cave - the suspected location of the Spell Forge - Theodoric
• Otto reveals his identity to the party during a planning session, Midna asks that she be allowed to join them as she has personal stakes involved - The Black Spider is her father, she informs the party of these circumstances
• Midna arranges lodging for the party in Everfield - spare rooms in a brothel she has been working out of. Ossu has relations with a female Aarakocra named Sapphire
• The party travels to where they were advised an entrance to the cave may be along the coast - utilizing the abilities of Otto's familiar they are able to enter
• Over the course of two days the party explore Wave Echo Cave, find the key to the Spell Forge door and confront The Black Spider
• After the battle they gather their enemies belongings, including a journal that indicates another group working in the south to locate a Shard being held in Asteros. The party also imbues their weapons with the remaining power in the Spell Forge (a slot to hold a Shard sits empty) and identify the entryway that The Black Spider used
• Party makes their way back through the cave and spends the night at the small village nearby before beginning the trek back to Rivercairn