Murder Hobo Squad: A Lost Mine of Phandelver/Dragon of Icespire Peak & Beyond D&D 5E record (Beware Spoilers!)

With the door slammed shut behind them, separating them from their allies, Ramond picked himself up off the floor and advanced to the body in the chair.  As he got closer the body snapped its head back from over the chair and back into position. He recognised her from the apparitions of the manor. It was the dark advisor Gertrude. She grinned wide and evil, then cackled a haunting laugh as her features grew long and haggard. Her skin turned midnight blue and her pupils turn the red of the 9 hells.  She was mumbling under her breath and Ramond was now close enough to hear it.  As her speech reached its crescendo she raised her arms in the air.  As Ramond brought his greatsword down to Smite her, three Ghouls rose out of the piles of corpses and she called out, “Attack them!”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Bilba tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.  It didn’t appear to be locked either.  It just didn’t want to open.  Karson decided to ram it down with his shoulder.  The door didn’t move, as if held in place by something more than hinges and a frame.  The wood was old a rotten and weak, and had given partially where he had impacted.  A small dent had formed, and along the cracks at its edges small beads of a black liquid were starting to ooze out, as if the door was bleeding from its wound.  Talindra sent her familiar to watch over the wounded and weak Gundren, and followed Karsons example and Eldritch blasted the door.  Wood splintered, but the door held.

Araloth remained on the floor panicking.  This whole experience was too much for him (DM: He failed his fear save like 6 times, even with advantage once). Devere cast Silence to prevent more summoning, covering most of the room and silencing Araloth’s screams.  Melandrach picked himself up and attacked the nearest ghoul.  The ghouls then lashed out at Ramond, and Melandrach.  Ramond swung at Gertrude and missed.  She tried to cast a spell but the Silence stopped her so she moved to flank and dragged her claws across his chest.

Outside, Thorovir stepped forward and used Druidcraft to ignite the door.  Gundren moved slowly forward towards the party and Bilba threw a flask of oil at the burning door and the small flame engulfed the whole door.  Karson smashed at the door with his sword, but got his sword briefly stuck between the doors.  Talindra showed him how it was done with a second Eldritch Blast, and a large panel gave way.  For a moment they could see inside the room, but then black goo from inside the woodwork grew out and formed back over the hole.

Devere stepped out of his Silence, climbing on to the desk in to the North East corner, and cast a heal spell at Ramond, who was close to death.  Melandrach moved out from between two Ghouls and continued to lay in to his target.  The Ghouls lashed out at their nearest targets, hurting Ramond badly. Gertude finished him off (DM: with a scary crit.  When I rolled the damage everyone laughed when they saw the look on my face).  With no one threating her she followed Devere’s example and backed up in to the South East corner until she could hear herself again.

The fire finally consumed the door and it fell to the ground.  Thorovir took the opportunity to fire an arrow in to Melandrachs target, felling it.  Bilba stepped in to the doorway, Fired at Gertrude but missed, before retreating back to cover.  On the floor, still cowering in terror, Araloth became aware of a dark shape under the bed.  It took shape as he noticed its head slowly turning to look at him with an evil grin on its face.  The doll got to her feet and ran straight to him, attacking with its clawed hand and its wicked knife.  He lost consciousness and lay there, bleeding out where so many others had before.   Seeing this, Karson ran in to the room and attacked the doll (DM: He hit and everyone was horrified how little her health bar moved).  Talindra poured his Healing Light in to Ramond, waking him back up, and fired an Eldritch blast in to the doll.

Devere let the Silence end and called out, “By the light of Lathander I will end you!” and summoned a Spiritual Flaming Mace to attack Gertrude, which hit her hard as he launched himself off the end of the corner desk, bringing his mace down on her head.  Melandrach beat in to the nearest Ghoul and shouted insults at the other, trying to bait it.  The Ghouls attacked Melandrach and Karson to no effect.  Ramond picked himself up off the floor and drank a healing potion and then got up on the other desk to engage Gertrude, boxing her in to the corner.  As he approached, she chanted and three Magic Missiles flew out of her finger and damaged Devere, Ramond, and Melandrach.  Thorovir missed his shot at Melandrachs Ghoul as Gundren made himself comfortable at the skeleton clerks desk.  As the fire in the doorway went out, Bilba put an arrow through the Doll.   The doll scratched Karson, but missed with her knife.

Finding himself between two Ghouls and the Doll, Karson killed the weakened Ghoul, and missed an attack on the Doll.  Talindras Endritch Blast thudded in to the Doll as she used golden radiant light to bring Araloth back to consciousness.  Araloth came to his senses, jumped up, moved to flank the doll and missed with his shortsword but hit with his dagger.

“I do not believe you heard me, foul wench.  I will end you!” Devere said, as he burst in to golden light, illuminating the dim room for a moment.  As the light subsided he had golden glowing eyes and wings made out of light.  He smacked at her with his Spiritual Weapon, but missed.  Melandrach flanked the remaining Ghoul and wailed on it hard.  The Ghoul tried to retaliate without success.  Ramond swing his blade at Gertrude, but missed, sinking it in to the desk he was stood on.  She responded by raising three more Ghouls.  She turned to face the Celestial threat and said to him, “I’ll swallow your soul!”.  The green glow tethering her to the mass of tendrils on the ceiling began to pulse and she appeared revitalised and healed somewhat (DM: Regained 3d6HP).

Thorovir finished off the damaged Ghoul as Bilba fired at one of the new ones near Devere.  The doll stabbed Karson almost to death.  Karson retaliated, hitting with his main hand only.  Talindra hexed the doll, shouting out, “No one else is allowed to die.  I’ve run out of healing!” before critically Blasting her.  Araloth stabbed at the doll, and figured out his non magical weapons were not being as effective as he would expect, before retreating from the room.  Devere killed the Ghoul behind him as he brought his Spiritual Weapon to bear on Gertrude.  The blow sparked with a divine glow.  Melandrach almost killed one of the two remaining Ghouls, who then both flailed ineffectually.

Ramond swung at Gertrude who effortlessly deflected his blow, before lunging for Devere.  However, she was thrown off by a blinding flash of light and missed.  Thorovir tried to kill the ghoul behind Ramond, but fumbled his shot, landing his arrow harmlessly in to Ramond armour.  Bilba put an arrow in to Gertrude, who glared menacingly at her in return.  The doll critically wounded the already battered Karson, who now lay bleeding out on the floor.  She then moved to attack Melandrach, nearly downing him too.  Talindra blasted the doll again and cast shillelagh on his staff.   Araloth ran back in to the room and slashed and stabbed at the Doll, before moving back out again.  Devere side stepped to finish off a Ghoul while his Spiritual Weapon hit the Night Hag.

Melandrach shouted out, “I’ve got healing potions on me.  Can someone give me one when this goes wrong” and whacked at the Doll and missed with his staff, but landed a solid kick.  The remaining Ghoul hit Ramond, who became paralyzed as a result, but shrugged it off at the end of his turn.  Gertrude lashed out at Devere and once again was distracted by a blinding flash of light.  Once again, the green beam started the pulse and she looked refreshed and healed.  Thorovir moved up to the end of the bed and shot a Grasping Vine arrow in to the doll.  Bilba fired at the Doll, but missed.  The doll slashed twice and Melandrach and to everyone’s surprise missed.  The doll then turned around and vanished under Karsons unconscious body.  Readying her staff, Talindra rolled over the body to look for the doll, but could not find her.  Araloth pulled a potion out of his pocket and ran over to heal Karson.  Devere hit Gertrude with both his mace and his Spiritual Weapon.  Melandrach moved to flank the last Ghoul and hit it twice.  The ghoul retaliated but missed.  Ramond missed another swing at the Night Hag, and despite another Warding Flare, she slashed her claws across Devere.  Thorovir put an arrow in to the last Ghoul, nailing its dead body to the open window frame.

Bilba also fired her bow, landing a critical wound on Gertrude.  She was then surprised by a sharp pain in her ankles and looked down to see the Doll stabbing her from under the desk she was pressed up against.    Karson stood up and knew he couldn’t reach Gertrude so he turned his sword in to a hawk and had it attack her from a flanking position behind her.  She turned around to defend herself, but it was already too late.  The hawk was in her face, and scratched a claw straight through one eye, pulling it out. The pain and the blood loss was too much and she fell to the floor, while the bird pecked out the other eyeball.  After a moment, her body dissolved in to black gloop, soaking through the pile of her clothes in to the wooden floor.  Talindra stepped up real close and Blasted the doll in the face.  Araloth ran back in to the room, ducked down low and shoved his shortsword straight in to and through the dolls face, pinning her to the back of the desk.  He then spent the next few rounds pulling her apart to make sure she should not get back up again.

As he looked around for the next threat he noticed the vines release the emaciated victim on the ceiling.  He fell heavily to the floor, landing on his back with an ‘oof’. He breathed shallowly and they looked over him he smiled, and whispers ‘thank you’ before breathing his last breath. The emerald in his chest lost its glow as he passed away.  Ramond investigated the Night Hags remains and found a small pouch, a curved jewelled dagger and a black stone pendant.  Talindra investigated the body from the ceiling and looked at the gem, but didn’t touch it.  Instead, she started ritually casting Detect magic while Karson created some Goodberries and handed them round to everyone patching up their wounds.  Araloth tore the doll to pieces and pocketed her knife as Gundren entered the room and sat on the bed.  Melandrach started to do a thorough search of the room, but was interrupted when all of a sudden the room started to rumble, as dust fell through the cracks and holes in the ceiling. Then, suddenly, the entire manor began to shake, as the walls started to decay and erode.  The manor, it seemed, was caving in on itself, and would likely be nothing but a pile of rubble before long.  They had put everything in a pile ready for the detect magic, so all took a moment to pick this back up again, but then debated who would grab the emerald from the man’s chest.  Karson headed over to assist Gundren.  Debris started falling in larger chunks from the ceiling, hitting Mellandrach, Ramond, Devere for 1d10 damage.  Devere and Araloth said they were going out over the balcony, noticing that the hail storm had relaxed in to regular rain during the fight.

Araloth lowered himself over the balcony safely and Karson was able to lower Gundren down to be caught by him.  Ramond pulled the gem from the chest, removing some flesh with it as everyone lowered themselves off the balcony.  Melandrach stayed behind to ensure everyone else made it safely and caught a bit of falling lumber as he jumped, knocking him out.  The dragged him to safety and patched up his wounds with a med kit back at the horse as the building collapsed.  Exhausted and all near death, the party was keen for a rest.  They put some distance between them and the house just in case and set up camp for a short rest and a round of Detect Magic and Identify rituals. (DM: details at end of section)  Mr Clipperty, their horse, also needed healing.  He had suffered multiple wounds from the hail stones.  After setting up his tent and before adding his loot to the Detect magic pile Ramond opened the Night Hags pouch to see if it was worth identifying.  A small black cloud puffed out of it, and he coughed and went a little bit dizzy, a little feint for a moment.  The pouch appeared to be empty after.  He added it to the detection pile anyway.

Exhausted and on single figures, the party has decided to stay here for the night.  Its early afternoon and it is still raining, although the weather has definitely eased up.  They have the afternoon to themselves and will have a long rest overnight before working out how to get back to town.

Curved jeweled dagger is not magic.  Araloth priced it up for around 500gp

Doll dagger is not magic

Cavalrymans Sabre, +1

3 times per day: Can gain advantage on an attack if you have moved at least 25 feet under your own control that round immediately before attacking.  This does not count against daily total if performed on horseback.  Such attacks gain an extra dice of slashing damage.

Heartstone Amulet (Necromantic magic)

This lustrous black gem allows a night hag to become ethereal while it is in her possession. The touch of a heartstone also cures any disease.  3 charges only.  Does not recharge.

Skin bag = Bag of holding but stinks of rotting meat inside

Soul bag (Necromantic magic).  This pouch made of human flesh is made and used by Night Hags to store captured souls in.

Sun Elf Statuette (From Cragmaw Keep) (Divination magic)

Any non-evil creature grasping the statue can ask it a question and receive a telepathic response, as though it had cast augury (see the rulebook for a description of this spell). Once a creature has asked its question and received a response, it can never activate the statuette again.

The Leacher’s Emerald (Strong Necromantic magic)

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This green emerald is an ancient relic imbued with necrotic energies by an evil necromancer long ago. Its master and wielder, once attuned, can attempt to magically implant the emerald into the chest of any living creature. The creature must successfully win a Grappling (PHB, pg. 195) contest to be able to resist the attempt.

As a bonus action the emerald’s master can use it to transfer 3d6 Hit Points from the victim to them-self if it is within 60 ft. The emerald has two charges per day and regains all of its charges at dawn.

The gem exerts no control over the victim otherwise, but the master of the emerald knows it’s direction and distance at all times. If the emerald crosses into another plane, the owner knows which one.

Extraction. A skilled physician can remove the gem on a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Medicine) check, but the patient suffers 4d10 piercing damage on every attempt. A greater restoration spell can be used to eject the gem. The emerald radiates evil.