Episode 2: Fun in Phandalin

In episode 2, Omin Dran sends the adventurers (now 2nd level) to Phandalin to learn the fate of an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise that opened there a few months earlier but has recently gone dark. After overcoming hazards on the road, the characters enter the town. There, they learn that the franchise had signed an agreement to purchase the oft-ruined Tresendar Manor, a small estate on the outskirts of town. However, something catastrophic occurred at the manor recently, and no one in town has seen any of the occupants since.

While in Phandalin, the adventurers have the opportunity to interact with the townsfolk, possibly becoming involved in small-town dramas—including a mayoral election. Those events could have a significant impact on the franchise the characters will establish at the end of this episode.

At the ruins of Tresendar Manor, the characters find clues about what caused the destruction. They locate one of the two surviving members of the previous franchise, the half-orc majordomo Gildha Duhn. Gildha provides details about the attack and the apparent goal of those who struck the manor—retrieving a mysterious magic clockwork device that the characters recognize as part of the magic orrery found under Waterdeep. Investigating where the attackers slipped into the manor’s basement and dungeon, the characters discover signs of recent rituals tapping into the power of the Far Realm—and take on the monsters the attackers left behind.

After dealing with the threats in the dungeon, the characters run into operatives from Dran Enterprises who have been sent to take control of the site. With the imminent dangers in and around Phandalin neutralized, the characters are rewarded by Head Office with the license to take over the failed Acquisitions Incorporated franchise. From there, they are set to investigate who was behind the attack on Acq Inc, and what connection the mysterious orrery might have to this new threat.

Layers of Villainy

Although the characters have no way to discover this fact at present, the attack on Tresendar Manor was carried out by operatives working for the Six. That dark cabal of dark individuals wants to bring dark forces into the world—and its members have a specific motive of wanting to destroy Acquisitions Incorporated in the process. However, most of the agents involved in the attack had no idea they were working for the Six. All were hired individually and clandestinely by one of its members—the goblin Splugoth the Returned, who made no mention of his identity or allegiance.

The appearance of Dran Enterprises at the end of this episode is meant very much to imply that the organization was involved in the attack—and to distract the characters and the players alike from speculating on what other nefarious operators might be involved. The plots of the Six are revealed over the course of the adventure. More information on the Six, Splugoth, and Dran Enterprises can be found in “Factions and Rivals” in chapter 3, and in appendix B.

Traveling to Phandalin

The trek from Waterdeep to Phandalin requires the adventurers to travel north on the High Road, then head east along the Triboar Trail before taking the track south into town. Walking at a normal pace, it takes about 6 days to travel from Waterdeep to the head of the Triboar Trail, 1 day to hike along the Triboar Trail to the track to Phandalin, then another 4 hours to reach the town.

Overland Adventuring

This first part of the episode features three encounters covering the journey from Waterdeep to Phandalin, all of which offer connections to the rest of the adventure. If you want your campaign to move at a quick pace, run only these encounters. In doing so, you don’t have to worry about random encounters and setting up details of the journey such as who keeps watch when the characters camp.

If you prefer to emphasize the dangerous nature of the adventuring life for lower-level characters, random encounters can be used to create additional tension along the road. As characters gain levels and access to diverse powers, random wilderness encounters become less of a threat, so this is a great point in the campaign to use random encounters to challenge the party.

When using the Random Encounter table below, roll once for travel during the day and once while the characters are resting at night. Or if you see an encounter that tickles your fancy, just run it.

Random Encounters

Before diving headlong into the events of “The Orrery of the Wanderer” campaign, you might wish to spend some time having the characters experience and explore the city of Waterdeep. The adventure Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and the “Volo’s Waterdeep Enchiridion” section of that book (available at the DMs Guild as a separate download—www.dmsguild.com) provide a ton of information about the City of Splendors.

Additionally, you can make use of the following rumors that characters might hear on the streets or in the taverns of that great metropolis. Some of these rumors tie to the adventure, while the truth of others depends on your wishes for the campaign. Either way, feel free to use these rumors as inspiration for new encounters or side treks.

Omin Dran is one of the fabled Masked Lords of Waterdeep. His presence on the council is the impetus for beneficial changes sweeping across the city.

Omin Dran is definitely not one of the Masked Lords of Waterdeep. The addition to the council of such a power-hungry and ruthless individual would spell the end of the rule of law in the City of Splendors.

The earthquake that hit the city two days ago wasn’t natural. Strong magic unleashed underground caused it—maybe even magic from Undermountain.

Acquisitions Incorporated is making a play for control in the city, and the other power groups of Waterdeep are not going to let that happen without a fight. The recent hostilities between groups such as the Xanathar Guild and the Zhentarim have been made even worse by the increasing sway of the company.

A noble merchant in the South Ward survived an assassination attempt last night. A female half-elf was seen fleeing the scene, bearing a deep cut on her shoulder from a bodyguard’s blade. A 50 gp bounty has been offered for bringing her in alive for questioning.

A killer is stalking the streets of the North Ward, murdering people in broad daylight. The victims' feet are chopped off, as if by a powerful blow with a sharp blade. Then they’re decapitated. The heads are left behind, but the feet are taken!

The famous Waterdavian actor Tystanya Creed has not been seen since leaving the theatre after her last performance several days ago. Her adoring fans fear she is dead.

Towering forms in black cloaks have been seen around the City of the Dead at night. A number of witnesses swear that those cloaks and their deep hoods concealed skeletal forms.

A green dragon was spotted flying over the Sea of Swords just west of the city. The Blackstaff and her team are on high alert in case it ventures closer or harasses ships in the area.

One of the great walking statues of Waterdeep has been reported to be crying over the last three days. No one is sure about the cause of this watery discharge from the eyes, but some say it means the destruction of the City of Splendors is imminent! Others are certain it’s a sign of great fortune on the horizon. Still others say it’s just the humidity.

Members of the Guild of Chandlers and Lamplighters are going on strike, leaving the streets of Waterdeep dark and dangerous around the next new moon. The thieves and assassins of the city are already getting prepared for a night of carnage.

Free-Market Lizardfolk

As the party skirts the Mere of Dead Men on the High Road, they come across a lizardfolk being intimidated and harassed by an unscrupulous Zhentarim merchant and his bodyguards.

This part of the High Road runs parallel to the Mere of Dead Men, a swamp full of dangers, pestilence, and death. Alongside the road, a lizardfolk is pleading with a male human dressed in black leather. Behind the dark figure, two bugbears stand with their morningstars drawn, staring at the lizardfolk with menace in their eyes.

The human shouts loudly enough for you to hear. “Not acceptable! Friends, show this walking fish my displeasure.”

The lizardfolk starts to argue, saying, “I am not a fish. I am—” But the bugbears interrupt with the hafts of their weapons, knocking the wind out of the lizardfolk and driving it to its knees. The poor creature catches sight of your party, looking at all of you with a pleading expression.

Rasqel, a Zhentarim-backed merchant (NE male human bandit), entered into a business agreement with this female lizardfolk named Thetsis, who is a leader of her tribe. The two Bugbear, Jutt and Meff, act as Rasqel’s muscle.

Development

If the characters attempt to involve themselves in the altercation, Rasqel rudely orders them to go do things that are possible only during one of the less-restrained services in a temple of Loviatar. If the characters fail to leave after this warning, Rasqel gives them an ultimatum: they can walk away or face the wrath of the Zhentarim.

A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check can tell that Rasqel seems unsure about the bite behind his threat. His little operation is off the books, with no sanction from his superiors in the Black Network. The bugbear bodyguards know this fact too, and because of it, they are less than enthusiastic about working for Rasqel.

Tactics

If the characters refuse to back down after the second warning, Rasqel orders the bugbears to attack while he hangs back. They obey reluctantly, but if it becomes clear that their lives are in danger at any point, or if the characters offer 10 gp or more to each of them, they walk away and leave their boss to his fate. Rasqel, who is indebted to bad people, fights to the death. If the situation looks grim for the adventurers, Thetsis enters the fray.

Treasure

The bugbears carry nothing of value, as Rasqel has not paid them in several days. The bandit carries 25 gp in his belt pouch.

Business Opportunities

The “Free-Market Lizardfolk” encounter is just one of the many business opportunities that mark a long-running Acquisitions Incorporated campaign. Forward-thinking adventurers can make a deal with Thetsis and her tribe that might help them corner the market on Potion of Water Breathing. The terms of the deal are up to you, but it’s best to start small. Once per month, the lizardfolk can meet the adventurers or their agents to sell them algae. As the characters start to hire franchise staff at the end of this episode, this is a perfect opportunity to set up how staff members can conduct franchise business with no direct involvement from the characters—at least not to start.

These kinds of side ventures can easily expand to become adventures of their own. For example, one of the franchise NPCs handling the algae trade might fail to return from the Mere of Dead Men one day. The characters need to find out what happened if they want to keep employee morale from tanking—and to keep the business relationship with the lizardfolk intact. Choices must be made and consequences faced, which are the hallmarks of a great campaign.

The “Franchise Tasks and Downtime” section in chapter 2 has more information about working ongoing business activities into the franchise’s campaign story.

Franchise Opportunity

If the characters aid her, Thetsis shares the story of her business arrangement with Rasqel. The bandit originally worked a fair deal with Thetsis and her lizardfolk tribe, whose members grow and harvest a nutrient-rich algae that is also a key ingredient for creating Potion of Water Breathing. After earning the tribe’s trust, Rasqel altered the terms of the deal in stages, starting by offering less money in a “slow market,” then taking the algae with a promise to pay later, saying his cash flow was poor. When the lizardfolk began to balk at this arrangement, Rasqel threatened to send mercenaries to their home deep in the Mere of Dead Men, promising to destroy the tribe unless the lizardfolk worked for free. That threat was the cause of the altercation the characters witnessed.

The characters might easily recognize that this situation is a prime business opportunity. If not, suggest that realization to a character with a merchant-related background, or one who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check. Thetsis carries algae that she’s willing to sell for 50 gp, but which is worth 100 gp in Waterdeep. More importantly, any character with herbalist or alchemist experience realizes that the algae can be mixed with other reagents costing 150 gp to make a potion of water breathing. Such a potion might fetch up to 500 gp in a city such as Waterdeep or Neverwinter.

The Wrongness

After turning east from the High Road onto the Triboar Trail, the characters' travel slows a bit. The High Road is frequently traveled by caravans, and so is better kept and easier to traverse. Triboar Trail, on the other hand, sees less frequent traffic and is less well maintained.

After a few hours' travel east, the adventurers come upon the following scene.

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the road is an odd-looking figure wearing not a stitch of clothing. In one hand, he fiddles with a copper medallion etched with the image of a thin, tangled pair of antlers. He might be a beardless dwarf, or a short and pale half-orc, or a human with a gland condition. Either way, he doesn’t look up as he speaks in a voice that sounds like a goat choking on sawdust.

“Fortune has strange and wonderful and terrible things in store for you. So I am here as fortune’s lackey. Fair or foul? Weal or woe? Chant or howl? Friend or foe?”

This unfortunate wanderer is named Carkuss (N male human priest). A character who has an appropriate background or who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the copper medallion as a holy symbol of Beshaba. Known as the Lady of Misfortune, Beshaba is Tymora’s twin sister and archenemy. This character knows that Beshaba sends her favored souls out into the world as a focus for bad luck and calamity, and that dealing with a favored soul of the Lady of Misfortune is a risky situation. Interacting with such agents in any way can draw Beshaba’s ire, with potentially catastrophic consequences.

The Hands of Fate

Now that Carkuss has crossed paths with the adventurers, they are stuck in the strands of his web of misfortune. To avoid the curse of Beshaba (see below), the characters must not harm Carkuss, they must not be overly kind to him, and they must correctly answer a riddle he asks. If successful on all three counts, each character earns a d10. Once before the character’s next long rest, they can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. In addition, by earning Carkuss’s favor, the characters might see him when they need good fortune later, if you so decide.

If the characters fail at any of these three tasks, one or more of them (at your determination) earns the curse. If the characters attack Carkuss, he doesn’t defend himself, hoping that they slay his miserable form so his soul can be free.

The Riddle

After initial interactions with the characters, Carkuss asks the following riddle:

I stand aloof, alone as a savior.

I shine my oily smile across the rippling vastness.

I, with this beaming, attract and repel.

Ignore me, and you are lost, one way or another.

What am I?

The answer is a lighthouse—a foreshadowing on behalf of fate of where the characters will go in episode 3.

Curse of Beshaba

Beshaba inflicts her curse upon any cleric character who doesn’t worship her, or the character who has the most interaction with Carkuss. She might target more than one character, especially anyone who worships Tymora. While under the curse, a character has disadvantage on saving throws. The subject knows the curse can be ended with remove curse or similar magic, or it can be passed to another person.

To pass the curse, the victim can choose a living humanoid within 5 feet of it once per day, making a Charisma check contested by the target’s Charisma check. If the cursed victim wins, the curse transfers to the new target. If unsuccessful in transferring the curse, the victim takes 5 (1d10) psychic damage. A target who resists the transfer is immune to the curse of Beshaba for one year. Passing the curse on to an innocent person is an evil act.

An NPC victim of the curse has a chance to die of a terminal case of bad luck. For each day that passes, roll a d20 and a d12. If both dice show a 1, the NPC dies in a freak accident. The curse is gone, but if word of the death reaches the character who transferred the curse, the consequences might live on.

A Horse Is a Corpse, of Course

When the characters move off the Triboar Trail and onto the even-less-used track to Phandalin, they stumble into what looks like a by-the-numbers goblin ambush that turns into something much more bizarre. After an hour’s travel, the characters come upon the following scene.

Ahead on the rough road, a pair of dead horses and an overturned cart block your way. Sacks and barrels spilled from the cart litter the ground. Trees grow close to the road here, and the thick undergrowth obscures the view beyond.

As the characters approach within 50 feet, any character who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that several goblins stand motionless in the underbrush, while several more perch in the trees. A character who succeeds on the check by 5 or more also notices that these goblins are dead, as does any character who attacks or attempts to interact with them. A closer investigation then reveals that they have been propped up and tied into their positions.

Creatures

The two dead horses are Warhorse Skeleton whose remaining flesh sloughs off as they fight. When any character comes within 20 feet of the fallen horses, these undead lurch to their feet and attack. When this happens, each character must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check or be surprised.

Tactics

The gnome archmage Hoobur Gran’Shoop animated these dead horses in the aftermath of the attack on Tresendar Manor, commanding them to lie still and attack any humanoid creatures that approach them.

Hoobur’s Mark

If the characters poke around the rotting flesh that fell of the horses during the battle, they see that each horse bore scars on its sides that form the image of a draconic skull with a sword driven up through it from the bottom. A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes the sigil as part of a unique necromantic ritual that can turn any creature into an undead creature when it dies. (The characters will see this rune and this magic again later. See the sidebar “The Magic of Convenience” below for more information.)

Treasure

Most of the crates, sacks, and barrels that litter the road and the wagon have already been emptied of valuables. One cask of Luskan Ice Mead remains intact among the looted goods, worth 50 gp in Phandalin. Alternatively, the characters can get 200 gp for it in Waterdeep, where patrons won’t realize that ice mead is just normal mead in Luskan.

The Magic of Convenience

The work of the gnome archmage Hoobur Gran’Shoop is a constant presence in episodes 2 and 3 of the adventure, even before his actual appearance toward the end of episode 3. Savvy players might note that the undead minions Hoobur creates to harry the party don’t follow the standard rules by which a spellcaster character might create undead. Likewise, some of the creatures working for Hoobur do so in ways that aren’t covered by dominate monster.

If the characters develop a strong interest in creating undead horses or summoning will-o'-wisps to their service, you can decide to reveal the “unique rituals” Hoobur knows, which can show up as treasure in the adventure or be something that the characters can learn through research. Otherwise, just assume that like many classic villains, Hoobur Gran’Shoop has access to whatever magic is necessary to advance the plot in the most interesting way.

Arrival in Phandalin

After a harrowing and potentially lucrative journey, the characters arrive in Phandalin. Map 2.1 shows the layout of the small town, with key locations described in the sections below.

Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene:

This modest-sized town is comprised of some fifty buildings, most of which show signs of regular upkeep. Farms and an apple orchard mark the outer edge of town, with houses and shops closer in. Townsfolk are milling about in the central square and on the adjacent green. Two people stand on a stage on the green, addressing the crowd, but the distance to them—along with a steady chorus of cheers, boos, and shouts—obscures what’s being said.

Rising from a small hill overlooking the town is an old manor house—or at least it was an old manor house. Most of its walls have collapsed in what appears to be a recent disaster, with traces of smoke still rising from piles of tumbled stone.

When the characters approach the stage or try to slip away, continue:

A portly, well-dressed male human on the stage points unexpectedly at your group and shouts. “You see? This is exactly what I mean! Just when things start to calm down in Phandalin, more murderous vagrants show up. They probably have something to do with what’s happened to Tresendar Manor, and with the livestock that have started going missing! And it’s only a matter of time before this all ends in misery and bloodshed, I promise you!”

Politics in Phandalin

Phandalin was long run by an elected townmaster, until trouble with bandits some years ago saw the townmaster replaced by a council of three prominent citizens, elected every two years. However, the recent abdication of one councilor and the town’s growing size have prompted the townsfolk to decide that it’s time to expand the council to five persons, and to incorporate a mayorship to handle increasingly important decisions about Phandalin’s future.

Two people, both current councilors, are running for mayor. One is Harbin Wester, a male human with the integrity and unctuous personality of… well, a career politician. Wester is a former townmaster, and is running against Sildar Hallwinter, a male human, member of the Lords' Alliance, and former adventurer. Hallwinter is a circumspect sort who opposes Wester mostly because of the latter’s corruption. For more information on both, see the “area People of Phandalin” section.

Wester is the town’s banker and a major landowner, so some consider his wealth and power to be ample justification for his greedy, conniving nature. More importantly, a number of monstrous and magical incidents in the area over many years have left Phandalin’s citizens anxious for strong-sounding leadership. Even though adventurers solved many of the town’s problems in the past, Wester has gained much popularity by convincing people that the town’s troubles would have never surfaced if those well-armed wandering busybodies hadn’t gotten involved in the first place. The banker has even gone so far as to suggest that adventurers might have orchestrated some of Phandalin’s past woes for their own gain.

Sildar Hallwinter isn’t a great orator. He spends most of his time refuting Wester’s “unsubstantiated claims.” The retired warrior also points out that Phandalin needs a leader who knows the dangers of the wilderness, even as its people need a mayor unburdened by scandal and potential conflicts of interest.

The characters can become involved in the mayoral debate if the players wish. If they don’t, wrap it up and let the characters interact with the townsfolk as they see fit. Talking to any townsfolk yields up the information detailed in the “Recent Events in Phandalin” and “area People of Phandalin” sections, below.

Recent Events in Phandalin

The Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose was the Acquisitions Incorporated franchise previously established in Phandalin. When that group arrived in town a few months ago, they spoke with Harbin Wester about acquiring the ruined Tresendar Manor, since the banker held the property’s title. Wester worked out terms with Head Office and the deal was signed. The members of the franchise soon got to work on restoring the manor, frequently coming to town for supplies. When not slipping off to adventure for a few days here and there, most of their time was spent at the manor.

A number of days ago (the same day the franchise’s payment was due to Head Office), the townsfolk heard explosions from the manor, with a few people reporting seeing gouts of flame and hearing the commotion of a battle. No one was really keen to investigate, wanting to avoid any trouble that the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose had brought on themselves. (Adventurers, right?) But after a few days passed and no one from the manor came into town, Sildar Hallwinter braved the walk up the hill to investigate.

Where the manor once stood, he found only rubble, scorch marks, ruined construction, and bloodstains. He failed to discover the single franchisee left alive in the manor, who was unconscious at the time. The townsfolk have given the ruins a wide berth since then, not wanting to risk awakening whatever mad magic delivered the adventurers of the Golden Mongoose to their final fate.

When scouting a base of operations, consider how many of the local businesses in your area could be strong-armed into submission, or how many of the politicians could be replaced by a member of your own implausibly large family.

• Rosie Beestinger

Plots of the Six

Just over a year ago, operatives of the Six came across one of the components of the Orrery of the Wanderer—the far gear. Quickly realizing the potential power in the component and the orrery it was a part of, they began to scour the Sword Coast for information regarding the artifact. A month ago, their intelligence-gathering resources turned up word that two Acquisitions Incorporated franchises—including the newly minted Phandalin franchise—had been scrutineering for lore about mysterious magic clockwork devices. Wanting to determine what Acquisitions Incorporated might know about the orrery, the leaders of the Six put a plan into motion. (The second franchise was based on the Sword Coast between Neverwinter and Luskan. Its fate will be discovered by the characters in episode 3.)

The Six set up an agent in Phandalin—Ditch Fundi, who first raised and now runs Phandalin’s new Temple of the Coin Maiden. Using Ditch’s intelligence on the activities of the Company of the Golden Mongoose, the Six confirmed that the franchise held an orrery component called the timepiece of travel—and that Acq Inc head office was so far in the dark about their discovery. So the Six hired a number of agents—including archmage Hoobur Gran’Shoop—to attack both franchises.

Hoobur’s forces snuck into Phandalin and razed Tresendar Manor to the ground. However, the Six operatives were unable to find the timepiece of travel. Knowing that one of the franchisees had teleported away from the fight, the agents assumed that the orrery component was gone. Unknown to them, the timepiece stayed behind, and remains in the possession of the survivor still buried alive in the rubble.

Only two of the townsfolk have any information regarding the attack on Tresendar Manor. Ditch Fundi, a charlatan priest of Waukeen and agent of the Six, was installed in Phandalin a month ago to watch the franchise’s activities and set up the attack. At the same time, Sister Garaele of Tymora works for Dran Enterprises, and has previously fed much information on the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose to her bosses. She knows no details of the attack, assuming that the Golden Mongoose adventurers either blew themselves up or summoned a monster they couldn’t control. But she knows that Dran Enterprises is sending a team to clean up the mess and claim the manor. For more on these two, see the “People of Phandalin” section.

People of Phandalin

After the characters arrive in town and get involved in the mayoral debate (or don’t), they can take the opportunity to interact with the townsfolk. With the destruction of Tresendar Manor still the talk of the town, the characters have no problem finding people with opinions on the fate of the previous Acquisitions Incorporated franchise.

The information presented in the “area Recent Events in Phandalin” section can guide the NPCs' responses to the characters' questions. But beyond being sources of information, many of the NPCs in this episode have the potential to interact with the characters as allies, foes, or potential employees when their franchise comes together at the end of the episode. You should feel free to add your own NPCs as well, or change the ones provided to better fit the story you want to create with your players.

Have We Been Here Before?

The town of Phandalin will be recognizable to any players familiar with the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure. This version of Phandalin is set five years or so after that adventure, making use of many of the original Phandalin locations and NPCs even as it adds new places and new characters to the mix. If you have your own version of Phandalin in your campaign, make any adjustments necessary to this episode for continuity.

Brawn McGable

Brawn (N male human bandit) is a middle-aged former member of the Redbrand Ruffians, a bandit gang that did their best to set up a reign of terror in Phandalin some years ago. Brawn came very late to the Redbrands' operation, and thus did only a little intimidation work with the locals before adventurers defeated the bandits and cleared their hideout in the dungeon of Tresendar Manor. He served a sentence on a work gang for his involvement with the bandits, but his affable personality won over many in town by the time of his release. He thus stayed on in Phandalin, where he works doing odd jobs and keeping a close eye on local goings-on.

Development

Brawn knows a great deal about Tresendar Manor, including the location and layout of its dungeon. Characters who talk to him about his past can learn a few details of the entrance to the dungeons (see “area Tresendar Manor” below). If effective roleplaying or ability checks get the characters on Brawn’s good side, he can be convinced to provide further details of the layout of dungeon areas 1 through 8. However, he knows nothing about what the Golden Mongoose adventurers (and the agents of the Six) might have done to alter the features of the dungeon as he remembers it.

Over and above his general utility in a fight, Brawn has a way with people, a winning smile, and a sharp tongue. If the characters look at him as a potential employee, he makes a good retainer for the franchise, picking up or dropping off goods, making deals, or entertaining potential partners. If he joins the franchise and the characters encourage him, you might eventually upgrade him to use the stat block of a spy.

Ditch Fundi

A gnome named Ditch Fundi (LE female gnome assassin) runs the Temple of the Coin Maiden with the help of two female human Acolyte, Hesten Jenz and Mischka Solmen. The two acolytes hold regular services, preach the gospel of Waukeen, and have gained the trust and favor of most of the townsfolk in the month the temple has been open. Ditch stays removed from public interactions, instead looking after the financial welfare of the temple.

Development

Ditch is an operative of the Six, planted in Phandalin a month ago to watch the Company of the Golden Mongoose—then to destroy the franchise when the time was right. She knows just enough about the teachings of Waukeen to talk a good game. The gnome does nothing to tip her hand, acting friendly toward the characters for as long as possible. However, if she ever maneuvers them into a position where she can easily destroy them, she does so.

The acolytes know nothing of Ditch’s treachery, assuming that her allowing them to take responsibility for temple services is a sign of her trust and their own ability. They defend her unless they learn the truth.

Phandalin… Phandalin. Yeah, I know it. Temperate climate. Average rainfall eighteen inches per annum. Take that, Mrs. Brinbury! Give me a C+ in geography. Ha.What? Oh, yeah, yeah. Phandalin. Quaint place. Full of rustic charm. Primary industries include… gods, I don’t know. Rocks and sheep? Oh, and a couple of very private festhalls. I can’t tell you the number of times…Wait, why are you writing this down? Did Dran send you? Well… I’m on my lunch break! Yes, I know what time it is! It’s gin o’clock!

• Viari

Harbin Wester

Harbin Wester (N male human noble) knows only greed, power, and treachery. He is the wealthiest citizen in Phandalin, owning much of the land, many of the businesses, and a good portion of the wealth in the local area. He was the last townmaster before that position was dissolved in favor of a three-person town council, and has been a member of that council from its inception to the present day.

Wester is friendly until it suits him to be otherwise, so most locals don’t think ill of him. However, he is more than capable of stabbing people in the back while keeping a fake grin on his face. He is cunning in the ways of business, knowing exactly who to bribe or threaten to get what he wants, but he’s careful to keep most dealings aboveboard and “legal” so that no one can claim to have been treated unfairly.

Development

Even after pointing the characters out as “murderous vagrants” during the debate, Wester tries to be the first person to talk to them in private. Laughing off his claims as “political rhetoric,” he offers to buy drinks and asks to hear the group’s stories.

Harbin Wester is intended to be a political adversary. He invites the characters to explore the manor if they desire, reminding them that he still owns the place. He also tries to get the best of the characters, offering money, land, goods, or services to place them in his debt. Once this is done, he calls in those debts whenever it’s convenient—and is not above asking the group to undertake morally questionable tasks as payment.

Wester never puts himself in a position where his foes can kill him without severe consequences. Several bodyguards (use the thug stat block) always watch over him. He also has extensive contacts and investments in Waterdeep and Neverwinter. With a message to either city, he can call in a large force of skilled mercenaries (Veteran) to his aid.

Macklin Talctuft

Macklin (N dwarf bandit) is a young wanderer who came to Phandalin expecting to secure a job mining in the nearby hills. Once they arrived, the dwarf found no mining work to be had, and the jobs they’ve taken to make ends meet were terribly boring. Macklin has thus been draining their savings looking for any employment that inspires them. So far, nothing has fit the bill. Macklin wears their hair and beard in a mohawk style that underlines their general disinterest in tradition.

Development

Macklin had been preparing to seek employment with the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose before the disaster that leveled Tresendar Manor. If the characters take possession of the place, the young dwarf marches up to them and offers to oversee the reconstruction. Macklin is reliable and creative once their mind is engaged in a project. However, as an overseer, they are difficult to please, and other franchise employees or casual workers might come to resent their drive for perfection.

If Macklin joins the franchise and has the opportunity to do field work or adventuring, you might consider upgrading them to use the stat block of a berserker.

Minghee Graywind

Linene Graywind is the owner and operator of the Lionshield Coster (see the “area Locations in Phandalin” section). Her daughter Minghee (NG female human commoner) knows that her mother expects her to take over the business in a few years—and she wants nothing to do with it. Minghee wants to travel, see the world, and make a name for herself, settling down only when she’s ready. She works at the coster reluctantly, and tells anyone who’ll listen how she wants to get away and do something different with her life.

Development

Minghee is quite outgoing, and she engages the characters excitedly the first time they visit the Lionshield Coster (or she seeks them out elsewhere if they don’t). If the characters set up a franchise in Phandalin, she offers to be their roving representative, procuring goods and services from wherever the characters want to send her. Minghee has a great mind for numbers and a strong head for business, but if the characters take her into their franchise, she becomes restless if denied a regular chance to travel. In the long term, Minghee has the drive and instinct to pick up spellcasting (and use a new stat block of your choice) if any spellcasting character takes the time to mentor her.

If the characters take Minghee into their employ, Linene is heartbroken at first, but she soon sees the value in having her daughter working for an up-and-coming franchise. Opportunities might arise for the franchise to enter into an ongoing business arrangement with the Lionshield Coster—which might in turn raise the ire of Sharna Quirstiron at the Miner’s Exchange (see below) if the coster’s success threatens Sharna’s own plans for economic domination.

Sharna Quirstiron

Sharna Quirstiron is the feisty dwarf overseer of the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange. She took over that position after the former overseer (and third member of the town council) Halia Thornton left Phandalin “to seek other opportunities.” All the locals know that continual problems at nearby mines made Halia’s job difficult, with little to no wealth coming into the exchange for months at a time. Unfortunately for Halia, the downturn in the mining industry was the least of her worries. The Manshoon sect of the Zhentarim saw an opportunity in Phandalin and had Halia killed. Sharna (LE female dwarf bandit captain) is the sect’s agent. She aims to revive mining in the area, with the goal of making Phandalin a haven for the rogue faction of the Zhentarim.

Development

Sharna is thoroughly evil, but she’s a fine actor. She has the economic interests of Phandalin at heart, but only because she hopes to have a prosperous town at her mercy when the needs of the Zhentarim become her focus. She ingratiates herself to the characters, hiring them to clear out monsters in the local area that threaten mining interests. She offers to partner up on business deals, sharing the profits of the mines if the characters invest their time or money in such operations. If the characters end up on the wrong side of Harbin Wester, she sides with them against the banker, concealing her goal of usurping his wealth and power. She encourages the characters to actively oppose Wester—or even to kill him if she thinks they might be amenable to the idea.

Sharna is a formidable combatant compared to most folk in Phandalin. She also keeps four bodyguards (Thug) on hand to guard the exchange, travel to the mines, rough up “uncooperative” people, or do the dark deeds she needs done to meet her objectives.

Sildar Hallwinter

Sildar (NG male human knight) is a retired adventurer and Griffon Rider of Waterdeep. Some years ago, he worked in the employ of the Rockseeker family, who had hoped to reopen mines in the hills and mountains surrounding Phandalin. After nearly being killed in a goblin ambush while traveling to Phandalin for the first time, Sildar’s faith in himself was shaken. The Rockseeker family moved on after their troubled dealings in the town, but Sildar stuck around.

Although he is getting on in years, Sildar still trains with his weapons and keeps himself in shape. He was one of the town’s three councilors prior to (as he puts it), “Halia Thornton leaving without even saying goodbye.” By running for mayor against Harbin Wester, Sildar hopes to help Phandalin increase its prosperity—and to put that prosperity into everyone’s pockets, not just Wester’s. What he lacks in charisma, he makes up for in sincerity.

Development

Sildar is a member of the Lords' Alliance, a group of allied leaders concerned with the security and prosperity of the North. As such, his goals are to bring stability and wealth to the region. He is brave and honest, but nearly losing his life years before caused him to doubt not only his martial skills but also his decision making. He could prove to be a valuable ally to the characters, especially if he’s elected mayor. However, he might also frustrate them with his passivity and indecisiveness—or allow them to take advantage of those same qualities to wield great influence over him.

Politics and Adventuring

An Acquisitions Incorporated campaign works best when it’s running on many levels at once. One of those levels is the business aspects of the characters' lives, with satire another obvious side of the campaign. But politics can be another driving force in an Acq Inc story, as can the satirical treatment of people in power.

The political maneuverings taking place in Phandalin will inevitably have an impact on the characters and their franchise. Still, if the players aren’t interested in the political aspect of the campaign story, don’t worry about it. Wester is elected mayor, the players can play nice with him to get what they want, and the story moves forward. But if the characters care about who becomes mayor, they have plenty of opportunity to influence the outcome.

Sildar Hallwinter cares about the good of the town but is wishy-washy. His lack of charisma hurts his chances for election. But a clever group of adventurers working behind the scenes might be just what Hallwinter needs to energize his campaign. On the other hand, Harbin Wester controls much of the wealth in Phandalin, including Tresendar Manor. As such, helping Wester get elected—or at least not being too obvious about opposing him—can put the characters on his good side. Even if Wester loses the election, his power and wealth mean that the characters will be interacting with him—and dealing with his ability to make their lives easier or harder—whether they want to or not.

Another possibility is that one of the characters could run for office as a last-minute wild-card candidate. A stranger wandering into Phandalin is unlikely to gain the trust of enough citizens to win the race, and the need to stick around town and run things will eventually get in the way of the characters venturing all over the North being heroic. But don’t discount the narrative possibilities involved in the characters embracing the political side of the story even more wholeheartedly than you expect them to.

Sister Garaele

Sister Garaele (CG female elf priest) was a zealous and enthusiastic servant in Phandalin’s Shrine of Luck before Ditch Fundi, “the competition,” arrived in town a month ago. Now, she is downright frenetic. She proselytizes for Tymora in the streets, in taverns, and in people’s homes. Garaele is well known for haranguing the folk of Phandalin, claiming that the misfortune of previous years has been due to a lack of devotion to Tymora. Despite this, most locals like the priest, and are likely to help her if she’s in trouble.

Development

Garaele was once an agent of the Harpers, though she has recently broken ties with that group of agents opposing the abuse of power. Since then, she has taken significant donations from Dran Enterprises, whose agents asked her to keep an eye on the members of the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose and any other Acquisitions Incorporated operatives in Phandalin. Garaele is happy to pass this information along in exchange for Dran Enterprises' payments to the temple, and she asks no questions about that organization’s long-term goals for the town. She is a good person, however, so she won’t knowingly allow harm to befall others. She is helpful to anyone willing to offer wealth, goods, or services to her shrine.

Stuuzant

Though not exactly people and no longer in Phandalin, a neutral ogre named Stuuzant is another potential source of information for the characters. She was one of the operatives used by the Six in the attack on Tresendar Manor, smashing her way through the site’s walls. When the attack was over, the ogre wandered away. However, she decided to stick around the area to enjoy her proximity to lots of tasty livestock, even as she keeps her distance from anyone who might pester her.

In the days since the destruction of the manor, farmers and herders on the outskirts of Phandalin have reported seeing giant-sized footprints, both humanoid and canine, as well as missing animals. No one has spotted Stuuzant, as the ogre has good instincts for avoiding trouble. She keeps moving, hiding until the time is right to strike. When she attacks livestock, she does so when no one can see her, and she takes only what she needs to survive.

Development

Characters might be asked to look into the missing livestock, or they can do so on their own to get on the good side of the locals. Investigating the disappearances might be used to angle for something the characters want or need, such as supplies, a lower price on Tresendar Manor, citizens favoring one mayoral candidate over another, or whatever else you can think of.

Tracking down and defeating Stuuzant is no easy task, however. She is friends with a pair of Dire Wolf, and is mostly successful at covering her tracks after her raids. The ogre also has yet to establish a den in the area, so she rarely stays in one place for more than a day.

If the characters locate her, Stuuzant speaks Common quite well, uses smarter tactics than a typical ogre, and tries to bargain with the characters if it looks like they might defeat her. If questioned, she tells the story of being hired to attack the manor. A goblin in hooded robes paid her to help break into the estate and smash everything in sight. Stuuzant never saw the goblin’s face, and knows nothing about the Six (which was never mentioned to her or any of the other hirelings).

Savvy characters might convince Stuuzant to take a position in their franchise, with the ogre making a great sentry or bodyguard. However, the townspeople might need assurances to accept such a creature living so close to their town.

Treasure

Stuuzant carries the 50 gp she was paid to help attack the manor.

Locations in Phandalin

As they explore Phandalin—and eventually set up their franchise in the town—the characters can engage with many of the town’s businesses, whether as patrons or potential partners. The most prominent of the town’s locations (as well as a few additional NPCs) are detailed in this section. You can come up with details for additional locations and NPCs based on the needs and desires of your players.

Edermath Orchard

The apple trees of Edermath Orchard surround a small group of buildings on the edge of town. The smell of fruit is strong around the orchard year round, with the apples grown and picked here processed throughout the winter into juice, cider, and other products.

Daran Edermath (NG male elf scout) established the orchard many years before. A former adventurer and one of the oldest people in Phandalin, he remains aloof from town politics and focuses his interest on the traveling merchants and food-related businesses in Phandalin that buy his wares. Daran employs down-and-out miners to do odd jobs and help during harvest, so he’s popular among the town’s working folk.

Development

Daran’s half-elf daughter Bertice went missing the day before the destruction at Tresendar Manor, and he is beginning to fear for her. Most folk in town know that Bertice recently took up with a human miner named Grovet, who is also missing. If the characters met the couple on the road (see the “area Random Encounters” table earlier in this episode), they can allay at least some of Daran’s fears for his daughter’s safety.

Earning Daran’s full trust is a long-term proposition, and the characters must prove themselves beyond reproach in any dealings with the orchardist. If they do, however, the elf proves a valuable ally. He has more resources and power in town than his humble orchard might suggest. And as a member of the Order of the Gauntlet—an association of vigilant adventurers that seeks to overthrow evil—Edermath has the ear of powerful people up and down the Sword Coast.

Lionshield Coster

The Lionshield Coster is a trading post and competitor to the Phandalin Miners' Exchange. A weathered sign hanging above the front door depicts a blue lion painted on a wooden shield. Linene Graywind (NG female human commoner) manages the store, which is one of a chain of mercantile outposts spread up and down the Sword Coast. Mother to Minghee (see “area People of Phandalin” above), Linene works tirelessly to keep the coster operational through good times and bad.

Most of the goods in the Player’s Handbook can be purchased here. Linene can special order items for delivery in a few days (with a deposit, of course). However, she doesn’t buy, procure, or sell morally questionable goods.

Phandalin Miners' Exchange

This trading post once acted as the central hub for mining activity in the area, as well as the authority for maintaining public records. A two-story building, the exchange bears a newly painted sign depicting two crossed pickaxes above a lump of gold. The first story is where business is conducted, while the second story contains living quarters.

As with the Lionshield Coster, most of the goods available in the Player’s Handbook can be purchased here. Mining gear is also easily had—as are illicit goods, with Sharna Quirstiron’s dispensation (see “area People of Phandalin").

Shrine of Luck

Until a month ago, this temple to Tymora was the only shrine in town. With the Temple of the Coinmaiden (see below) newly established, Sister Garaele, the local priestess, works harder each day to keep the attention of the faithful of Phandalin. See “area People of Phandalin” for more information on Sister Garaele.

Sleeping Giant

This single-story tavern’s better days have seen better days. Its weathered sign probably depicts a prone giant, but whatever paint or carvings once adorned the sign have been all but worn away. Inside, the place shows the same lack of care. It’s dirty, ill kept, and in need of a thorough cleaning. Or burning.

The place is normally occupied by dwarf and human miners, either back from a stretch in the mines or waiting for a mine to reopen. They are not overtly hostile unless provoked, but it doesn’t take much to provoke this unhappy lot. The owner and barkeep is Grista Kettlecopp (N female dwarf commoner). Surly to the point of rudeness, she tries to run her business her own way and stay out of the political and personal affairs of other townsfolk.

Development

The miners that frequent the Sleeping Giant are a rough lot, and could become a competent and formidable force if stirred up and pointed at a target. Currently, Sharna at the Miner’s Exchange has their trust (see “area People of Phandalin"), mostly for her assurances that the mines will soon be more prosperous than ever. If Sharna discovers that the characters are interfering with her and the Zhentarim’s plans, she need only tell the miners that the characters are standing in the way of their gainful employment to inspire them to use their pickaxes for something other than mining. On the other hand, characters who earn the miners' good will can end up with numerous allies in Phandalin.

Smithy

This building contains an open area with a forge and several anvils, but the rest of the structure is closed off. Maza Fieldsalder (N female human commoner) took over the smithy a year ago, after the death of her master, Alger Frakk. As the master smith’s apprentice, the powerfully built young woman earned her new position through hard work and talent, and she is well liked among the other townsfolk.

Development

Among the few people in town who are wary of Maza are those who question the nature of Alger’s death—including a few malcontents who whisper that perhaps the young smith had a compelling reason to kill her master. Whether these rumors hold truth or are just the ramblings of a would-be ironworker who wants Maza’s job is up to you.

Stonehill Inn

The Stonehill Inn is one of the largest buildings in town. The business is run by Trilena and Toblen Stonehill, assisted by their twelve-year-old son, Pip. (All are human Commoner.) The Stonehills have comfortably weathered the changeable times in Phandalin since building the inn more than five years ago. The six-bedroom complex is tidy and clean, the table fare is good, and the company is pleasant.

Development

The Stonehills are unwitting soldiers in the war for power in Phandalin. Although they own and operate their business, they owe a small amount of money to Harbin Wester. The banker wants to take their business, and he keeps an eye out for any opportunity to gain the necessary leverage. He might use the characters to lean on the Stonehills if they end up owing him favors. Alternatively, if the characters befriend the Stonehills, they might become staunch allies in the family’s attempts to keep Wester’s hands off their business.

Property and Law

Many fantasy campaigns either ignore questions of law or utilize benevolent authoritarian figures to oversee social and economic justice—the wise monarch, the enlightened town council, the Masked Lords, and so forth. This method means that the law is stable. Higher authorities can be consulted on matters requiring arbitration, with concrete edicts handed down to make the line between right and wrong—in a civil sense, at least—crystal clear.

In Phandalin (as with many of the other locations in this adventure), the situation is not that simple. No king or council owns the lands of or around the town. Eminent domain is neither implied nor accepted. In most of the smaller settlements along the Sword Coast, the person with power is the individual who takes and holds that power. Locales still have authorities and laws, but the person who can kill everyone else—or pay someone to do so—is the one who truly rules.

In Phandalin, Harbin Wester is that person. Even if he loses the mayoral election, his monetary resources far outstrip those of anyone else in the town, leaving him in a position of strong economic control. However, part of Wester’s power derives from subtlety. He is wary enough to watch out for anyone with the ability to effectively oppose him, and savvy enough to make sure that such people never have any reason to oppose him. As such, when the characters clean out Tresendar Manor and attempt to use it as the base for their new franchise, a potential for social and economic conflict arises.

Wester holds the mortgage on the manor. The legal entity that was the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose was the signatory to that mortgage, and unfortunately for Acquisitions Incorporated, the mortgage is now in arrears. The characters can work a deal to take over those payments, but the terms are steep. Fortunately, after the manor is cleared, Head Office is willing to negotiate for the manor’s deed. (See the “area Conclusion” section of this episode for more information.) This leaves Harbin Wester bitter, as he recognizes that having the favor of Acq Inc backing them up gives the characters more potential power in Phandalin than he likes.

As the rest of the campaign plays out, keep track of how Wester might try to take advantage of the characters and their deal. What if operatives of Dran Enterprises or representatives of the Six come to him? More importantly, if the characters directly oppose Wester and bring him low, what happens if a worse power steps in to take his place? The options are limitless. Do what challenges and entertains your players most!

Temple of the Coinmaiden

Half a year past, another general store in Phandalin called Barthen’s Provisions went out of business. The building was purchased a month ago for the church of Waukeen by an unknown benefactor, and quickly renovated with all the fineries necessary to draw the attention of the goddess of wealth. The gnome Ditch Fundi oversaw the temple’s construction and dedication, and she now runs it in Waukeen’s name. (In truth, the benefactor who built the temple is the Six, and Ditch Fundi is their agent. See her entry in “area People of Phandalin” for more information.)

Town Council Hall

This one-story hall is the closest thing the people of Phandalin have to a government building. Long used as the town council’s meeting room and the townmaster’s hall before that, it is set to be expanded to include the new mayor’s office after the election. As the two remaining members of the town council, Sildar Hallwinter and Harbin Wester currently share office space here.

Tresendar Manor

After the characters have met some of the locals and heard what’s known about the events at Tresendar Manor and the disappearance of the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose, they can investigate the fallen manor and the dungeons beneath it. Once a small but elegant estate, the ruined building sits upon a hill overlooking Phandalin. Years of neglect had already done considerable damage to the structure, only some of which the Golden Mongoose adventurers had restored. But the recent attacks undid all that work, pulling most of the above-ground structure down.

Level Inappropriate

“The Orrery of the Wanderer” makes use of an adventure trope as old as D&D itself—working up a totally high-powered artifact, then dropping it into the hands of low-level characters just to see what happens. The orrery and its six components are presented in appendix D, and the powers of these relics are significant. But the fact that the orrery is an artifact in a some-assembly-required state gives you a lot of latitude in determining how you dole those powers out.

The orrery’s components are set up so that their magic gets weird while the orrery is in pieces. At your determination, that magic might act in unpredictable ways, not recharge as often as normal, or add random effects to keep the characters on their toes. One aspect of this unpredictability comes into play in the adventure when the tiefling Talanatha uses the timepiece of travel to escape from the attack on Tresendar Manor, only to have the timepiece stay behind (see later on in this episode for details).

By making sure the characters understand the unpredictable nature of the components' magic, you give them good incentive to be cautious about using them. And if the power of the components threatens to derail parts of the adventure (for example, if the characters plan on using the timepiece of travel to teleport everywhere and find every secret location in the scenario), feel free to have the power of individual components mysteriously fail until they are all installed in the orrery housing once more.

The Ruins

When the characters reach the top of the hill and get a closer look at the ruins of Tresendar Manor, read the following:

Many of the crumbled walls of the manor show signs of having been recently rebuilt, but even that newer stonework has been toppled and smashed, coating everything in the area with a thick layer of dust. Temporary structures seemingly set up to aid the reconstruction have been badly damaged by force and fire, though a couple of wooden buildings still stand amid the destruction.

As the characters draw closer, a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or Investigation) check reveals that the fire damage isn’t natural, and that magic was likely involved. The same successful check allows a character to intuit that the stonework was not smashed by weapons or tools, suggesting that a creature of great size and strength took part in the destruction.

Any character who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check can hear the jackals in the central courtyard of the manor before the group approaches that area.

Jackal and Hide

As the characters enter the ruined courtyard of Tresendar Manor, they find they are not alone.

Numerous brown-and-gray jackals prowl the ruins. Some gnaw on bones, while others sniff and dig at a pile of stones at the center of the manor courtyard. In response to your approach, the nearest jackals turn toward you and snarl.

Creatures

A jackalwere called Hamebi leads a pack of ten Jackal searching the ruins for survivors and treasure. Any character who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check after the fight starts notices that one of the jackals (Hamebi in animal form) wears a satchel slung across its back.

Tactics

Hamebi stays in jackal form, using her Sleep Gaze on the toughest-looking adventurer. If that target falls unconscious, three jackals quickly swarm the character. Hamebi flees if it looks like the characters might defeat her. She orders her jackals to cover her retreat, but they follow her lead the next round. She surrenders if she faces death with no way to escape.

Development

Hamebi works for the Six, although she doesn’t know it. If captured, she can relate that a short, cloaked humanoid came to her in Neverwinter Wood two days ago, hiring her to bring her pack of jackals to Phandalin and search the ruins for bodies. This was Splugoth, unconvinced by Hoobur Gran’Shoop that the orrery component known to be held by the Golden Mongoose company is gone from the area; see the note in area area 12 of the Tresendar Manor dungeons. Splugoth wanted creatures with keen scent to make another attempt at locating any franchise dead.

Treasure

Hamebi’s satchel holds 50 gp and a potion of climbing.

Searching the Grounds

With the jackalwere and her pack defeated or driven off, the characters can search the grounds. If they search in the area where the jackals were digging, see “Survivor” below. If they explore the remains of the buildings on the grounds, a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the following:

• Newly built wooden structures were struck by fire. Two of those still stand, but most have been burned or smashed to the ground.
• The older masonry of the manor walls had been crumbling for some time. New stonework was replacing the old, but everything has been smashed to pieces.
• Older humanoid remains were the source of the jackals' meal. However, no intact corpses can be found among the rubble.

Additionally, the walls of the still-standing structures bear a mark in chalk—a double-“D” insignia. This is the sigil of Dran Enterprises. As adventurers familiar with the operations of Acquisitions Incorporated, all the characters recognize the mark of Acq Inc’s greatest rival organization. (The marks have been scribed by the archmage Hoobur Gran’Shoop, who is charged by the Six with ensuring that Dran Enterprises takes the blame for the attack on the Acq Inc franchise at Phandalin. More on Hoobur will be revealed in episode 3.)

Treasure

The two intact wooden buildings hold seven tendays' worth of rations, two explorer’s packs, and a dungeoneer’s pack, along with other adventuring equipment that has been smashed, burned, or melted.

Survivor

As the characters search the area where the jackals were digging, a low, pained moaning rises from beneath the rubble. Carefully pulling away the rocks reveals a half-orc buried under smashed and still-smoldering masonry. This is Gildha Duhn, majordomo of the Company of the Golden Mongoose franchise. She is starving, dehydrated, and addled. Gildha Duhn uses the acolyte stat block with these racial traits:

• When reduced to 0 hit points, she drops to 1 hit point instead (but can’t do this again until she finishes a long rest).
• She has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
• She speaks Common and Orc.

Gildha repeatedly mutters something in a low voice, but she has something in her mouth that makes it impossible to understand her. Oddly, that something is a complex clockwork device, which Gildha stuck in her mouth to keep out of enemy hands during the attack. If the device is removed, the characters hear her repeatedly say, “They came for it… they came for the timepiece…”

If given magical healing or allowed to sleep for an hour after being given food and water, Gildha regains her senses. She tells the characters that she worked for the Acquisitions Incorporated franchise in Phandalin, and that while working on their ongoing renovation of Tresendar Manor, the franchisees were attacked at night by unknown assailants. Gildha knows few details of the attack and heard little of the aftermath. Though she saw one of her group escape by teleporting away, she isn’t sure what happened to the others. Falling rubble knocked her down, then buried her. Surviving on nothing but rainwater and her half-orc endurance, Gildha has been in and out of consciousness since the attack.

The Timepiece of Travel

When the characters examine the somewhat sodden device that was in Gildha’s mouth, they can see that its design and etched glyphs clearly mark it as part of the Orrery of the Wanderer.

Gildha Duhn knows a little about the device, which she calls the timepiece of travel. The Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose found the relic six months ago in the possession of an evil adventuring band, who claimed to have taken it not long before from a tomb haunted by undead. After careful scrutineering and research, the Golden Mongoose adventurers learned that the timepiece had magical powers dedicated to navigation and teleportation, and speculated that it was just one piece of a larger and more potent magic device.

During the attack, Gildha saw one of the Golden Mongoose adventurers—a female tiefling paladin occultant named Talanatha Three-Coins—activate the timepiece of travel and teleport away. For reasons unknown, the timepiece stayed behind (see the “area Level Inappropriate” sidebar). Gildha grabbed the relic, but has no idea where Talanatha went.

Gildha also tells the characters that she saw some of the attackers heading into a small cellar beneath the manor, consisting of storage areas and a spring-fed cistern. She knows that the manor features subterranean areas more extensive than the cellar, but the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose had yet to do a thorough search of those areas. (As a result, Gildha doesn’t know about the secret door that leads to the dungeon.)

“The Orrery of the Wanderer” makes use of an adventure trope as old as D&D itself—working up a totally high-powered artifact, then dropping it into the hands of low-level characters just to see what happens. The orrery and its six components are presented in appendix D, and the powers of these relics are significant. But the fact that the orrery is an artifact in a some-assembly-required state gives you a lot of latitude in determining how you dole those powers out.

The orrery’s components are set up so that their magic gets weird while the orrery is in pieces. At your determination, that magic might act in unpredictable ways, not recharge as often as normal, or add random effects to keep the characters on their toes. One aspect of this unpredictability comes into play in the adventure when the tiefling Talanatha uses the timepiece of travel to escape from the attack on Tresendar Manor, only to have the timepiece stay behind (see later on in this episode for details).

By making sure the characters understand the unpredictable nature of the components' magic, you give them good incentive to be cautious about using them. And if the power of the components threatens to derail parts of the adventure (for example, if the characters plan on using the timepiece of travel to teleport everywhere and find every secret location in the scenario), feel free to have the power of individual components mysteriously fail until they are all installed in the orrery housing once more.

Tresendar Manor Dungeon

Although the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose didn’t find the secret door leading into the hidden basement beneath the manor, the agents of the Six did. They then made extensive use of the dungeon before departing. Map 2.2 shows the layout of the dungeons beneath the manor.

General Features

Except where otherwise noted, all areas of the dungeon have the following features.

Ceilings

The ceilings are 10 feet high.

Light

The dungeon is dark. Old but still functional torches and lanterns are affixed to the walls of some rooms at your determination, but they need to be lit to be useful.

Doors

Most doors in the dungeon are wooden, and are closed and unlocked. If a door is locked, it takes a successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves' tools to open it. A locked door can also be smashed open with a successful DC 15 Strength check.

A character looking for a secret door finds one with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.

1. Cellar

The stairway leading down into the cellar shows signs of recent foot traffic. Characters can find these tracks easily. When the characters open the door at the bottom of the stairs, read:

The door at the bottom of the stairs opens atop a set of double stairs that descend, north and south, about ten feet into a cellar. At the west end of that room, a cistern full of clear water bubbles lazily. A door on the cellar’s west wall is ajar.

Cistern

Operatives of the Six tainted the cistern here. The water might appear pure, but it’s teeming with a magical disease called ghoul gut. No antacid in this world or any other can beat it.

Ghoul Gut

Water polluted with ghoul parts carries ghoul gut. A creature drinking this tainted water must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or contract the disease. Symptoms strike when a victim starts a long rest or next becomes excited, as during combat. A victim suffers severe cramps, and their bowels make sounds like two ghouls fighting. When the symptoms first strike, the victim takes 5 (2d4) necrotic damage. In addition, a diseased victim regains no hit points or Hit Dice from nonmagical sources, including resting or spending Hit Dice. A victim who finishes a long rest can attempt a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the victim shakes off the disease. Failure deals the character another 5 (2d4) necrotic damage.

A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check can also remove the disease from another creature. Doing so requires the character making the check to care for the sick individual during a long rest. The caregiver gains no benefit from that rest.

Secret Door

A secret door leading to area 8 is hidden in the wall in the southwest corner of the room. Agents of the Six have used this door recently. A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival or Perception) check can spot the door or note scuff marks and tracks leading through it.

Walled Door

The door that leads to area area 3 was walled over when the Redbrand Ruffians were ousted from the dungeons. The masonry over the doorway is obviously newer than the existing stonework, and is poorly mortared. A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check confirms that something is behind the new wall. It takes 5 minutes to remove this masonry, or 1 minute if a heavy bludgeoning tool or weapon is used.

2. Storage

Stacks of crates and casks line the walls of this storeroom.

Trap

Agents of the Six braced three Alchemist’s Fire (flask) loosely behind the crates. Any character who searches the crates must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the rigged flasks before moving the crates or otherwise disturbing them. If a character moves any crates before spotting the trap, the three flasks tumble in different directions, exploding in a way that covers the entire room. Each creature in the room takes 2 (1d4) fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

Treasure

If the characters spot the trap, any character who succeeds on a DC 10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check can safely retrieve the three Alchemist’s Fire (flask), disarming the trap. The crates and casks contain building supplies (nails, mortar, glue, and so forth) worth a total of 100 gp.

3. Hall with Pit

Defaced murals and metal etchings, probably once quite beautiful, adorn this hallway. An open pit divides the passage’s eastern and western ends. Hanging from nooses above the pit are two humanoid figures, each clothed in white with a purple hood pulled over its head.

Creatures

The creatures hanging here are two Scarecrow created by the archmage Hoobur Gran’Shoop. The constructs remain motionless until the adventurers move close or attack. These scarecrows can cut the rope holding them with their claws, but they prefer to remain hanging from their ropes while they swing to pull foes into the pit, using the following attack:

Swinging Grab

Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: The scarecrow pulls the target 10 feet.

If a creature is pulled into the area of the pit, it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the target falls into the pit. On a success, the target lands prone at the pit’s edge.

Pit

The pit is 20 feet deep. Operatives of the Six spread shards of broken glass over the bottom of the pit, so that a creature falling in takes 2 (1d4) slashing damage in addition to 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage from the fall. Climbing the rough walls requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.

Development

If the characters defeat the scarecrows and search the constructs, large stones can be found in each one’s stuffing. Hoobur Gran’Shoop’s sigil—the dragon skull pierced by a sword from the bottom up—is carved into these stones.

4. Crypt

Three smashed human-sized coffins and one intact smaller coffin lie on the floor here. The larger coffins are carved of fine mahogany and lined with rotting silk. Humanoid bones are scattered across the floor.

Creature

The smaller coffin is a mimic left to guard this area by agents of the Six. In its current form, this monster is indistinguishable from an object, so it surprises any group that has no means to detect it before it attacks.

Bones

When the mimic attacks, the bones spread across the floor begin to rattle and move, as if attempting to form into undead skeletons. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check sees that fine wire ties the bones to the mimic, so that when the mimic moves, the bones move too.

Treasure

One of the larger coffins has a pouch sewn into the lining under an embroidered star, which a character can find with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. The pouch detaches from the lining with any sharp tug. Inside is a potion of gaseous form and a potion of frost giant strength, kept as a means of escape for someone accidentally entombed alive.

5. Cells

The door to this area is locked. If the characters listen at it, they can hear ragged breathing. When they open the door, read:

This room reeks of filth and death. The corpse of a dragonborn rots in a rusty cell of iron bars to the north. To the south, a similar cell holds two living prisoners.

The cell doors are both locked.

Creature

Courtesy of the magic of Hoobur Gran’Shoop, the rotting dragonborn reanimates as a ghast moments after anyone opens the north cell. A character who quickly examines the corpse and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices tremors coursing through the body that warn of its imminent rise. Even before it animates, the corpse registers as undead to spells and other abilities that detect such creatures.

Prisoners

The two prisoners in the south cell are the sisters Ebella and Ocheri Splintfig (N female half-elf Commoner). When the characters enter, the Splintfigs are too weak to move, but they beg for help. Both must be given food and water before they can freely speak. If either sister takes any damage, she dies. Moreover, if the characters fail to give the sisters food and water within 10 minutes, one of them dies. The surviving sibling then makes it her life’s mission to seek revenge on everyone involved, including the adventurers who failed to act quickly enough to save her sister.

The Splintfig sisters sell rare herbs and spell components, and were visiting the manor to see if the franchisees wanted any of their wares. Their choice to stay the night turned out to be a textbook case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when the Six’s operatives attacked. The Splintfigs hid during the assault, but Drahkso Blaakberz, a dragonborn mercenary and part of the assault force, found them. Drahkso took pity on the sisters and refused to kill them, so his comrades locked him up with them.

The sisters talked to Drahkso a bit, and learned he was a mercenary hired to attack the manor. He mentioned that his employer was a short, hooded person who sounded like a goblin. Eventually, some thugs came and took Drahkso away. They then returned with his corpse and tossed it back in the cell.

Treasure

Four rare platinum coins (worth 15 gp each) covered in dirt and grime can be found in the north cell, as can three glass vials hidden by Drahkso—two Potion of Healing and one potion of animal friendship. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check finds the treasure.

If the characters rescue both Splintfig sisters, the grateful half-elves return to Phandalin at a later date to give the party rare herbs worth 100 gp.

Franchise Opportunity

If rescued and treated well, the Splintfig sisters might become franchise business partners. As procurers of rare spell components, Ebella and Ocheri can expand their operation with suitable capital and assistance in locating and harvesting monster parts and other rare materials.

6. Empty Room

This small room is breathtakingly empty.

Sometimes, rooms are empty. Let the players' paranoia play out, though, as the characters search and ponder and fret.

7. Failed Ritual

A dozen desiccated and skeletal humanoid corpses litter the floor of this small chamber. The stone of the north wall has been etched with intricate runes, but the pattern ends abruptly.

Bodies and Runes

A closer examination of the still-intact bodies reveals that each bears tattoos matching the runes carved on the walls. The corpses wear a wide range of clothing and armor, but have been stripped of all valuables and gear. Some are the fallen members and staff of the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose. Others are innocent bystanders the operatives of the Six came across as they moved toward the manor from the north. Still others are Six agents who died during the attack.

A character who has proficiency in Arcana can attempt a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check when examining the corpses and sigils. With a success, the character discerns that the runes are connected to a ritual that could open a rift to the Far Realm. The dead humanoids were likely victims sacrificed to power the ritual. Something went wrong, though, and the victims were consumed before the ritual could be completed. A success with this check, or 5 minutes spent studying the runes and the bodies, gives characters advantage on their checks to work against the active rift in area 10.

Secret Doors

Both the secret doors in this room swivel open like the door in the cellar.

8. Charnel Chasm

The smell of death is strong in what was probably once a large and ornate hall, long since fallen into ruin. Not only are the walls and supports crumbling, but a ten-foot-deep rift has opened up in the floor. Two wooden bridges span the rift, whose floor is littered with skeletal corpses.

The rift floor is difficult terrain because of the bodies. Any character who approaches the edge of the rift and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check can hear a faint crunching sound emanating from the bodies.

Creatures

The crunching is a clue that the rift contains two Swarm of Insects feasting on the dead bodies. When any character moves near the rift or a bridge, the swarms emerge to attack.

Development

The bodies here wear a wide range of clothing and armor, and are of the same origin as the bodies in area 7. All were dumped here after being sacrificed to fuel the ritual in area 10.

Tunnel

A tunnel leads out of the rift to the south. The operatives working for the Six collapsed it intentionally, as can be determined with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check. A character who has an engineering or mining background has advantage on this check. With three days of digging and careful reinforcement, the tunnel can be cleared again. Where it runs 100 feet to the south, the tunnel opens up to a small cave hidden in the forest outside Phandalin.

9. Between a Rock and a Cockatrice

When the characters attempt to open the door into this area, they find it locked from the inside. If they pick or smash the lock and then try to open the door, read:

The door strikes a large piece of stone on the floor, making it difficult to push open.

Opening the Door

The stone blocking the door is a small statue—a kobold petrified by a pair of Undead Cockatrice that dwell here. The door can be forced open with a successful DC 10 Strength check. However, if the check succeeds by 5 or more, the door breaks, causing the character attempting the check to spill into the room and fall prone.

When the characters enter, continue with the following:

Apart from a fallen kobold statue that blocked the door, this room contains only four beds. Each is covered in torn sheets, its straw mattress crawling with bugs.

Creatures

Two Undead Cockatrice lurk beneath the south beds. Each uses the cockatrice stat block with these changes:

• The creature is undead.
• It has immunity to the poisoned condition and to poison damage.

After the fight, a thorough examination of the Undead Cockatrice reveals a tiny sigil etched into each of their beaks—the draconic skull with an upthrust sword that is the symbol of Hoobur Gran’Shoop.

Development

Any character who succeeds on a DC 11 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check knows that any creature petrified by the cockatrices, including the kobold, should return to normal in 24 hours. Sure enough, half a day later, the kobold—named Patsky—revives. Patsky is hungry, thirsty, scared, and used to being bullied. No matter how the characters treat him, he tells them that he was a servant to the attackers who assaulted the manor. Those attackers brought the living (at the time) cockatrices with them, but chose to leave them behind when they moved on. A spellcaster put a mark on them (the dragon-skull symbol), then ordered Patsky to lock the creatures in this room. They pecked him before he could escape, and have been repeating the process every time the kobold recovers. At some point, the cockatrices died and reanimated, but the kobold doesn’t know how.

Patsky can also tell the characters the general story of the attack. He didn’t fight much, since most of the other attackers were stronger, nor does he know who hired the attackers. Hoping to learn some magic, Patsky stuck close to the spellcaster, whose name he knows as Hoobur Gran’Shoop.

Treasure

In gratitude for his rescue, Patsky offers up his only valuables—a gold necklace worth 25 gp, a Potion of Acid Resistance, and the key to this room.

Patsky’s Future

Patsky is another wild-card NPC that you can use in your campaign as desired. If the characters take a liking to him, they might hire him to work for their franchise. If not, assuming anyone in the group was kind to him, Patsky might show up to help the characters with useful information at a later date. Ignored or abused, then left to his own devices, the kobold joins up with some other evil gang led by a spellcaster.

10. Far Realm Rift

When the characters enter this area, read:

A five-foot-diameter circle of dark energy crackles in the northwest corner of this room. The walls are etched with complex runes, as well as drawings in charcoal and some reddish substance. These runes pulse with the same dark energy of the portal, surging and ebbing in a steady rhythm.

The portal crackling in the corner is a growing gate to the Far Realm, activated by operatives of the Six before they vacated this area. Characters entering the room provide the spark of energy the portal needs to bring across its first creature.

Creature

After the first character enters the room, roll initiative. A gibbering mouther wriggles through the portal on its initiative count, but can take no other actions on its first turn. Thereafter, the aberration tears into any other creatures in the room. Any character fighting in close notices the gibbering mouther’s eyes blinking in rhythm with the runes and the portal.

Runes

The runes covering the walls keep the portal active. During combat, the characters notice these sigils continuing to pulse in sync with the portal and the gibbering mouther’s blinking.

As an action, a character can attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to deactivate the runes or a DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to sabotage them. Any number of characters can attempt these checks, which can be made each round. All characters have advantage on these checks if someone succeeded on the check in area 7 or the characters examined the failed ritual there.

In each round that one or more characters succeed on the check, the gibbering mouther and the portal weaken, as follows:

• First Success: The gibbering mouther deals half as much damage with its attacks.
• Second Success: The gibbering mouther loses its Gibbering feature.
• Third Success: The portal closes and the gibbering mouther dies.

Development

If the portal isn’t closed after 1 minute, a second gibbering mouther comes through. It suffers any consequences already in place for alterations to the runes.

11. Workshop

A long table has been pushed into the northwest corner of this room, with three corpses of male humans piled beneath it. Each corpse is naked to the waist and wearing colorful tights. Visible on the chest of one corpse is a sigil of a draconic skull pierced from the bottom by a sword.

Creatures

Hoobur Gran’Shoop’s necromantic rituals have caused the humanoids slain here to come back as three Shadow. All were professional grapplers hired by the operatives of the Six for the attack on Tresendar Manor, and were executed when the attack was done to provide permanent undead sentries. The shadows currently linger in area 12, but they move under the door into this area to attack if the characters make any noise or bring any light into the room. If the shadows attack, they surprise any character who does not notice their approach with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check.

Tactics

The shadows remember being professional grapplers, and they put on a show as they attack, tossing each other toward their enemies, “jumping” off the table or each other onto foes, and so forth. They flex and posture, pose and prance in a way that is very unbecoming of a typical undead. If they need a break from the battle, they retreat under the locked door into area 12.

Development

If the characters have Patsky or the Splintfig sisters to ask, they can report that the bodies under the table were grapplers who helped attack the manor. The last time any of the others saw the three, they were alive and among the victors.

12. Office

The door between areas 11 and 12 is locked. When the characters enter area 12, read:

A bed and a desk are the only furnishings in this surprisingly clean room. The bed is made with linen sheets and a fluffy pillow. Atop the desk are an ink pot and a quill pen.

Hoobur Gran’Shoop cleaned and set up this area as a command headquarters for the few days his forces remained in the dungeon.

Secret Messages

Crumpled up under the desk is a piece of paper covered with ink blots—residue from when the paper was placed under another piece of paper that was written upon. Any character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check discerns the impressions on the paper, which can be read by rubbing charcoal across the page or with careful study.

S—

We have completed our work here. Omin’s moppets have been defeated, although the half-orc and the tiefling escaped. We believe the former ran for the woods, which means she will be ours soon enough. The latter, we cannot locate. We could not find the timepiece either, and it is possible the tiefling took it with her. However, if its magic functions as erratically as does that of the far gear, there may be more searching to be done.

Everything goes according to plan, and the manor should be free to claim. Loose ends are being tied up as I write this.

I am, always, your obliging servant,

Hoobur

Beneath the signature is the symbol of a draconic skull pierced by a sword from the bottom up.

Clean-Up Crew

Dran Enterprises keeps a close watch on Acquisitions Incorporated operations. Whenever an Acq Inc franchise fails, Dran Enterprises swoops in to make a hostile takeover of the assets and expand its own operations. The Phandalin franchise is no exception. As soon as Sister Garaele saw the trouble at Tresendar Manor, the priest of Tymora let Dran Enterprises know. Dran Enterprises then dispatched a crew of hobgoblins to evaluate the area, clean up, and take control of Tresendar Manor as quickly as possible. When the adventurers leave the dungeon for the final time, they see that cleanup crew in any area close to the entrance.

As you step through the door, two hobgoblins pause, staring at you with a mix of anger and confusion. One wears an oversized tank on her back with a hand-held hose and nozzle emerging from it. A clear, viscous liquid drips from the nozzle, sizzling and smoking when it hits the ground. The second hobgoblin brandishes a lethal-looking sword. Both wear leather armor branded with the insignia of Dran Enterprises.

Creatures

These two Hobgoblin—Grunka and Fraht—lead the Dran Enterprises advance crew. They arrived clandestinely just after the characters entered the dungeon, and aren’t expecting any resistance given the low-key nature of their cleaning assignment. Grunka wears an acid spray gun, an invention of Dran Enterprises R&D. Add the following attack action to her stat block:

Acid Spray Gun (Recharge 5–6)

The hobgoblin sprays acid in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The spray gun has a tank that can be filled with ten standard Acid (vial) mixed with water, allowing it to be used five times.

During the third round, two more Hobgoblin rush to join the attack from a nearby room. One of those hobgoblins carries and will use two Spell Scroll (see “Treasure” below).

All the hobgoblins are pragmatic professionals. If it looks like the fight is going against them, or if two hobgoblins quickly fall, the survivors ask for quarter.

Treasure

Each hobgoblin has 25 gp and a potion of healing. Additionally, one carries a Potion of Necrotic Resistance and the other carries a spell scroll of cause fear and a spell scroll of blindness/deafness (if those weren’t used in the fight).

The characters can also take the acid spray gun, and they find a sack holding ten Acid (vial) near the hobgoblins.

Development

Any NPCs the characters rescued from the dungeon or left in the ruins hide during the combat. Those characters emerge from hiding only when the situation is safe.

If questioned, any surviving hobgoblins proudly admit that they work for Dran Enterprises, and that they were hired to clean up the manor site and prepare it for annexation. The hobgoblins claim (truthfully) to know nothing about what happened to reduce the manor to ruins, or the fate of the missing tiefling from the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose. They have no connection to the Dran Enterprises insignia scribed among the manor ruins. They can’t say for certain that Dran Enterprises didn’t have some involvement with the incident, but if so, it had nothing to do with them.

Conclusion

With their adventures in Phandalin complete, the characters attain 3rd level! More importantly, after clearing the ruins and dungeon of Tresendar Manor, they are able to officially launch their own Acquisitions Incorporated franchise! The characters need to send a message to Omin Dran to report their findings. Not long after, Omin contacts them using magic, congratulating them on their success, telling them to rest up, and informing them that a representative of Acquisitions Incorporated will arrive soon to deliver paperwork and any other information a new franchise needs.

Sure enough, well-known Acquisitions Incorporated operative Viari (see appendix A) arrives the next day to deliver the documents and supplies, and to officially christen the new Acquisitions Incorporated franchise. He has each of the characters sign a contract crammed full of legalese and double-talk. Any character who reads the document and succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check can decipher the jargon to learn the following, or Viari can explain the highlights:

• Franchisees pay a monthly fee to Acquisitions Incorporated to maintain their franchise.
• As part of that fee, Acquisitions Incorporated handles parts of the franchise’s operations, including location procurement, staff management, and other benefits.
• The monthly fee paid to Acquisitions Incorporated by a starter franchise covers the salaries of a majordomo, a skilled hireling, and two untrained hirelings. Franchisees must pay any hirelings employed beyond this number.
• The franchise is licensed to operate in Phandalin and within 5 miles of the town, and is protected against interference in that area from other franchises.
• Acquisitions Incorporated will deal with acquiring the rights to Tresendar Manor from Harbin Wester, as they did for the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose.

“Franchise Advancement” in chapter 2 has detailed explanations of all these benefits and more.

One of the franchise’s first hires might be right in front of them already. Gildha Duhn, former majordomo for the Company of the Golden Mongoose, is grieving her lost employers and anxious to put her life back together. With previous experience running a franchise (and no fault in that franchise’s destruction), she makes an excellent choice for majordomo, and suggests that role for herself if the characters don’t ask her. The remaining episodes in this adventure assume that the characters selected Gildha Duhn as their franchise’s majordomo. If they chose another NPC to fill that role, simply adjust the text throughout the adventure accordingly.

With the contract signed, the ruins of Tresendar Manor become the franchise’s starter headquarters! One of the benefits of Head Office negotiating with Harbin Wester for the lease to the manor is that the company can drive a much harder bargain than the characters would ever be able to strike. This beneficial deal might have hidden downsides, though, as the thin profit margins of the lease become a point of ongoing conflict between the characters and the corrupt banker.

Company Positions

At the signing of the franchise agreement, each character picks one of the positions detailed in “Company Positions” in chapter 2. When they do so, Viari hands out any special position gear and instructs the characters in how best to fulfill their roles. Chapter 2 has more details on these positions, the benefits they confer, and what they mean to the franchise. Hopefully, the players have already considered what positions are the best fit for their characters and for the franchise as a whole, but if not, give them time. Make sure it’s clear what each position entails and what franchise duties a character with a given position is expected to perform.

In addition to the characters' positions, the franchise majordomo can also select a company position if desired. This is especially useful if there’s a key position that none of the players wants to take, or if the party size is small.

Franchise Downtime

The process of rebuilding Tresendar Manor will take some time, and as proud franchise owners, the characters need to be around to pitch in and make sure nothing goes awry. At the same time, their newly awarded territory is ripe for exploration and interaction with potential customers and business partners. As the characters take stock of their situation, they can engage in downtime activities and undertake some of the franchise tasks that operate alongside the downtime rules.

All the activities mentioned in this section are introduced or talked about in the “Franchise Tasks and Downtime” section in chapter 2. That section notes which books existing activities can be found in.

New Business

As the characters spend time establishing their new commercial home turf, the explore territory downtime activity can yield up all kinds of new opportunities and connections. Interesting NPCs might be revealed on a walkabout in the woods around Phandalin, or the characters might locate stands of prime timber or abandoned mines still holding valuable ore. Such resources can become part of the franchise’s ongoing revenue stream.

Commercial connections forged with NPCs could also be formalized and refined. The lizardfolk of the Mere of Dead Men and the Splintfig sisters are just two of the potential business partnerships from this episode, whether the characters engage those NPCs themselves or allocate members of their brand-new staff for those tasks.

Thinking Locally

In Phandalin, the characters might use the marketeering activity to set up a partnership with Linene Graywind at the Lionshield Coster, or with Sharna Quirstiron of the Phandalin Miner’s Exchange—whether they know Sharna’s true allegiances or not. Depending on how well the characters are getting along with Harbin Wester, the shady business practice activity might let them get more dirt on the banker, or gain his favor by going after some of his rivals.

Shady business practices might be an even bigger part of the characters' plans for their franchise. Any number of dodgy NPCs in town might be interested in partnering with characters who want to skirt the law. Smuggling ore without paying taxes, skimming from the coffers of either temple, running illegal gambling at the Sleeping Giant—any of these activities could net a nice profit with relatively limited risk.

Staying on the Good Side

If the characters have nobler aspirations for their franchise—or if they’re savvy enough to want to hide their franchise’s ignoble aspirations from the get-go—a philanthropic enterprise can go a long way toward shoring up the party’s reputation. A franchise could work to support the existing charity efforts of either of the local temples, or the characters could create their own fund for out-of-work miners. Doing so makes acquiring ongoing concessions or information from townsfolk much easier, but puts the characters in the bad graces of Sharna Quirstiron at the Miner’s Exchange.

Leads to the Lighthouse

Even as the characters are setting up their new franchise, you’ll want to work in hooks to lead them to the next stage in the adventure. Based on what they’ve learned during this episode, the characters are aware that the only other survivor of the attack on the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose was the tiefling paladin occultant Talanatha Three-Coins. Clearly the best source of information regarding the attack on the manor, Talanatha used the timepiece of travel to teleport away, but no one knows where she went.

Many of the locals had interactions with Talanatha in the three months that the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose was around Phandalin, and characters can use the schmoozing or carousing downtime activities to learn more about the tiefling. In particular, a number of the regulars at the Sleeping Giant remember drinking with Talanatha. She often grumbled about whether the Company of the Golden Mongoose was the best fit for her, and talked about a good friend named Wizzy who worked for another Acquisitions Incorporated franchise. The details on Wizzy’s franchise are vague, but Talanatha spoke of her friend having “an awesome headquarters up the coast.”

Characters can also spend downtime investigating the Orrery of the Wanderer and the timepiece of travel, using either the scrutineering or research activities. In addition to revealing more details of the orrery as you see fit (see appendix D), such investigation could reveal that the last place the timepiece teleported someone to was a location on the Sea of Swords, north of Neverwinter but south of Luskan. Scrutineering or inquiries through Head Office turns up information on an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise based in that area—the Order of the Stout Half-Pint, which has its headquarters in an old lighthouse along a stretch of coast known locally as Silent Sound.

Whatever clues the characters obtain regarding Talanatha’s likely destination, have those hints play out over the full length of the downtime rather than rushing to advance to the next episode. The players should get used to how big a part downtime and franchise activities play in an Acquisitions Incorporated campaign.

Continuing the Adventure

Before the next phase of the adventure, make sure the characters have their franchise and business affairs in order. They should know who their franchise employees are, giving those staff members detailed instructions about what to do while the characters are away. This sort of planning is a common theme in any Acquisitions Incorporated campaign, so establish this precedent early.

Speculating that Talanatha Three-Coins might have fled to the Silent Sound lighthouse headquarters of another Acquisitions Incorporated franchise, the characters might attempt to make contact with that franchise, either on their own or through Head Office. However, any such attempts yield no response. At some point, Omin Dran contacts the characters if they don’t contact him first. He’s worried about what the lack of contact with the Order of the Stout Half-Pint might mean, and he wants the characters to investigate.

The presence of Dran Enterprises operatives in Phandalin is troubling for Omin—especially if the Dran Enterprises hobgoblins were killed without the characters questioning them, leading to the assumption that the organization was behind the initial attack. If the characters aren’t suitably intrigued by the orrery and its newly discovered component, that can be another thing that Omin charges them with investigating. Armed with a solid guess that Talanatha fled to the lighthouse, the characters prepare to head north!