Phandelver - Prisoners and sarcophagi

Wednesday, March 23, 1491

Following their encounter with the skeletons, the group elects to shelter in place for a few moment as they recuperate. After patching up their wounds, Kaine enters the eastern door, discovering a prison. Two women are chained to the east wall in the southern cell, while a boy is chained to the west wall in the northern cell. Kite approaches them, and, through the iron bars, attempts to convince them they are not members of the Redbrands. Unfortunately, the prisoners refuse to make eye contact, and keep their eyes on the ground. Kite removes her cloak, and tells the prisoners that they are here to destroy the Redbrands and free them.

Infused with hope, the woman reveals her name is Mirna Dendrar and she has been imprisoned with her two children, her boy Nars and her girl Nilsa. Her family was attacked at their homestead by the Redbrands, and her husband was violently murdered by the thugs. She and her children were captured and brought here. The Redbrand's leader suggested they would be sacrificed. However, when she mentioned to him that her wealthy family in Neverwinter would gladly pay a hefty ransom if they were returned to them safe and alive, he changed his mind. They've been imprisoned ever since, as the Redbrands await a ransom that will never come, as her family is actually not wealthy.

Not finding the key to unlock the padlock, Fugnar uses his warhammer to destroy the offending device that held the chain around the women's cell, before doing the same to the boy's cell. Emmy and Kyrdean unlock their manacles, releasing the prisoners. Kite tends to their wounds and offers them day old rolls and water. Mirna and her children are thankful for the food, as they have not been fed for at least two days. As thanks, Mirna mentions the emerald her family owned and kept in their herb and alchemy shop in the southeast corner of the village of Thundertree before they had to flee an undead invasion, and offers it to them if they ever head to that cursed village.

Kritza agrees to escort Mirna, Nars and Nilsa back to Phandalin so they can seek healing and to notify the authority of the attack on their homestead. The four of them depart the underground complex, carefully making their way back to town.

With the prisoners now gone, Fugnar, Kaine, Kyrdean, Emmy and Kite pursue their exploration of the Redbrands' underground lair. Kaine opens the one remaining door, and inside he finds the Redbrands' armory. They examine the weapons, and find a few decent ones. They replenish their supply of arrows, before returning to the sarcophagus room. Kaine searches three of the four sarcophagi. Two of them contains the earthly remains of women, while the third was that of an elderly man. Seeing no reaction from the bodies, Kaine carefully removes their jewelry and carefully places the items in his backpack.

Kyrdean carefully moves the lid of the fourth sarcophagus, discovering inside the body of a young boy. When he sees the boy's face muscles twitch, Kyrdean closes the sarcophagus. He calls Fugnar over, and tells the barbarian that he's not strong enough to remove the lid. Fugnar pushes the lid off. Noticing an alexandrite next to the boy's body, he carelessly chops off his head, before taking the stone. Underneath the now headless body, Kyrdean finds a pair of silver tourmaline earrings. The monk then pierces his ears and proudly wears his newfound items. Could they be infected with tomb rot?