

As our heroes make the journey home from their People will be unwilling to talk, simply gaping at them as
adventure, the body of their friend Gah-Ri in tow, not all if they're insane for not knowing. Sildar will have them
is well. The closer they get to Phandalin, the more a pall brought straight to him, relieved that they have
seems to fall over the forest. The air seems heavy, the returned. He looks exhausted, as though he hasn't slept
canopy thick and dark. The two-week journey is far more in weeks (which for all intents and purposes, he hasn't).
exhausting than it should be, and it seems to get worse
the closer they get to home. The first week, roll twice for "My friends," he says upon their entry. "It is a welcome
random encounters. The second week there is a 25% thing that you've returned alive, and none too soon. We
chance of an encounter every day. Check the following have endured many hardships these past weeks,
tables to see what they encounter, and when: beginning but a few days after you left on your errand.
News has reached me that you bear the body of the
 warlock with you. May I ask what happened?"
1-3: Day
4-6: Night He expresses sorrow at the revelation and says, "Well, he
will be given burial with appropriate honors, on my word,
and will be remembered. But now, onto other matters."

1: Orcs, Wargs, Dirdraug* "For weeks we have been besieged, almost nightly and
2: Ghouls, Ghasts sometimes during the day by dark forces. Undead, orcs,
3: Ash Zombies and vile dark elves have assaulted our walls, even
4: Drow (Night only) or re-roll infiltrated our town and carried away citizens into the
5: Wights night. Aside from the prisoners they take, they seem
6: Sacrificial site - mutilated dead bodies laid out in ritual interested only in sowing carnage and chaos. But then,
fashion--attack by cultists and cult fanatics. that is the way of the drow. After the first assaults, the
dwarves closed the mines and withdrew inside, sending
* The first time this encounter is rolled, the PCs come crews forth to work on fortifying our town, and they
across a scene of carnage--2 dead centaurs and 4 dead have, as you see, done a superb job. For the past two
elf warriors, as well as a few dead orcs. The carnage is weeks we've been able to beat back attack after attack,
fresh--they may even hear the battle before coming but our meager town guard grows weary and their ranks
across it. The dirdraug and orcs then ambush. thin with losses. We have sent runners with a plea for
help to the city of Naerie, but it is many leagues from
 here, and I fear aid may not come in time.
When the group finally arrives home (they've been gone
over 1.5 months), the town looks like a grim fortress. "I sent some of my most able scouts to try and find the
Stout stone walls surround it in all directions, and are source of this evil, and only one returned. Before he died
heavily patrolled. Dwarves labor tirelessly to reinforce in my arms, he revealed his discovery: it seems that
the walls, which look as if they've seen assaults. They are these monsters have taken up residence in the ruins of
hailed and asked their business when they arrive by Thundertree, which was once a small town a few days'
guards they don't recognize. Their names, however, are journey from here but has been abandoned for many
known and if they mention Sildar, they will be bid to years. I have only word that the town is overrun by drow
wait, before the gate is opened and they are admitted and other kinds of horrors, all in the service of some evil
with apologies. covenant whose full nature I do not yet know. He spoke
of a bald, red-robed mage who consorted with a
Inside, the town feels oppressive. People go about their banshee--the black spirit of a fallen, evil elf maiden, as
business, but are depressed and border on paranoia. The well as some dark warlord, and a green-armored
PCs will doubtless want to look into what's going on. warrior."
He tosses a medallion on the table--it's the unholy For his part, Kost has uncovered a treasure trove of evil
symbol of the Elder Elemental Eye, which the PCs first artifacts (including both an orb of green dragonkind and
saw on their recent quest. "This was taken from the body the legendary Book of Vile Darkness). He seeks to restore
of a drow priest--something rare enough among a the ancient magical empire of Netheril, lost for tens of
species that is entirely matriarchal. It would seem these thousands of years and now faded to legend. He has,
offshoots seek to establish an evil kingdom on the however, contacted the spirit of a demilich named
surface, away from the control of the subterranean Arthindol, a relic of that evil era, and believes that he can
Houses." use Arthindol's knowledge to gain even greater power. It
was, in fact, Arthindol who led Kost to the book, but his
He turns to Punty. "Before we go further, to personal true goal is to regain his full power and subjugate Kost or
business. Thus far, your manor outside of town remains destroy him.
undisturbed. I have placed a garrison there to guard your
home against these raiders, but how much longer it will The kidnapped victims in Phandalin have been used as
hold, I do not know. As you might expect, there are no ritual sacrifices both to Tharizdun and to Arthindol
lodgers there at present, though your caretakers himself, to restore his own power. While he cannot yet
staunchly refuse to leave the place and take refuge in directly affect the physical world, he has now gained the
town." ability to appear and speak directly to his cohorts
(subordinates).
"And now, my friends, I would ask, despite your
exhaustion, that you undertake yet another quest on
behalf of Phandalin. I could certainly use your abilities

If the characters wish, they can stop at Trensadar Manor
here, but what would it accomplish? We beat back
to check in. Mirna and her children are fine; she is as
assault after assault, night after night, while waiting for a
hearty and determined as ever to hold the place, and
Naerian force that may or may not ever arrive? Nay, I
treats the garrison of soldiers quartered there as a stern
think we would be better served to strike at the head of
mother. The PCs will notice with amusement that the
this serpent. Would you journey north, to the ruins of
soldiers show her all deference as well!
Thunderspire, and direct yourselves against the apparent
leaders of this plot?"
The journey to Thundertree is harrowing and perilous. It
takes two days' travel, with encounters rolled every 6
He's willing to bargain for payment if the PCs request it,
hours (the potential for four per day) on the table above.
but is also quick to point out Punty's responsibility as a
As the group get within a mile of the town, they begin to
member of the Lords' Alliance, and that the town has
experience the environmental effects of the green
done them great service in granting them the very manor
dragon's lair. In fact, the noxious mist that coats the
in which they live, as well as helping to maintain the
region is so thick that drow do not suffer daylight
place. In fact, it is only through his sacrifice of a garrison
vulnerability within this area.
of guardsmen who constantly patrol the surrounding
region, their manor may now be a base of operations for
The situation in Thundertree has changed drastically
the drow. The arrangement, he points out and concedes,
from its original incarnation in the Phandelver Mines
holds value for both the characters and the growing
adventure. Encounter alterations are found on Table:
town.
Thundertree Encounters.

 With the possible exception of Agatha, none of the main

Thus, our heroes undertake their next quest, one that villains will fight to the death—all will retreat if in real
may shake them to the core as they realize that at least, danger. Harmun possesses a ring of teleportation which
in part, the villains they face are their own fault, for the will take him to Old Owl Well. He has also cast a
leaders of the Black Council (as they call themselves) are contingency spell on himself and each of his council,
none other than the necromancer Harmun Kost and the which will teleport each of them to Old Owl Well and
banshee Agatha, both of whom Punty allowed to live on resurrect (or re-animate) them if they are killed.
their first quest.
Somewhere in the village—perhaps on one of the elite
The other two villains are the blackguard Warduke, and a drow, perhaps in Harmun’s possessions, is
young green dragon that lives in the old wizard's tower in communication from the city of Highport which will lead
Thundertree. These have allied themselves with the to A1. The communication regards the “Shipments from
Slavers, and the drow cult of Tharizdun, and seek to our outpost at Darkshelf,” and preparation for “the
expand their influence across the region. coming war.” It hails Tharizdun and the Elemental Armies
of Night, the return of Netheril and the rise of “The Prism
Hand.” If it’s to be believed, the missive hints at a far
larger and more widespread conspiracy, as Highport is
nearly 350 leagues from the city of Naerie by ship and
land.



 
1 Shambling Mound (MM 270), 4 Vine Blights
(MM 32)
2 Six Vine Blights, Scarecrow (MM 268)
3 3 Drow and 2 Drow Elite (MM 128)
4 Dead, desiccated old man’s body, Drider
(MM 128)
5 6 Giant Spiders (p. 328)
6 As written plus 2 Ghasts (p. 148)
7 As written
8 8 Ash Zombies (See Phandelver)
9 Agatha (Banshee, p. 23), Drow Mage (p. 28),
10 12 Drow plus below
11 Add 2 Drow Elite plus Warduke (Volo Guide
p. 211)
12 3 Choldrith, 5 Chitins (Volo 131-132)
13 Harmun (Volo p. 217), Shadow (MM p. 269),
Bone Naga (MM p. 233)