Session 18 - Blood on the Docks, Dogs in the Basement, and Hags on the Road

Phandelver & Below — Session 18: Blood on the Docks, Dogs in the Basement, and Hags on the Road

2026-10-27

Phandelver & Below (Tuesdays) | October 27, 2026 | Source: DiscMeet session ceb36b85 (campaign 606)

Summary

Rolling Dirty wrapped up the dock job in Neverwinter without a fight, Nissa went undercover to expose an animal-smuggling noble for the Emerald Enclave, and Clara dug deeper into the Star of Dumathoin. Then a sea hag ambush in fog on the road to Thundertree killed Nissa and Dax, and ended the session with the table building replacements.

Story

  • Recap: Erik went to Neverwinter to regain his faith, Bjorn went home with Avalanche to lead his clan, and Breith left to serve his god. Clara and Nissa met Dax and Drakon at the Stonehill Inn, the party leveled up and redistributed gear, and a Cyclops Sentry ambushed the camp.

  • The docks: Dax, Drakon and Nissa met the armed group at the fountain over the dead business partner and a demand for 100 gp.

  • The party talked, using good cop and bad cop with Intimidation and Persuasion, and walked away without paying.

  • A History check identified a Zhentarim pin (a snake with dragon wings), and the dead man and the employer had matching tattoos.

  • The party told the employer his friend was dead and refused to pay him anything. He grumbled that his circle had kept the docks orderly for years, accepted the loss and left.

  • Wren Thistledown (Emerald Enclave): Wren told Nissa to keep the job quiet and low-profile, since one person is easier to explain if it goes wrong.

  • House of Knowledge: Clara continued her research on the Star of Dumathoin, the obelisks, Talhundrath, the crypt, the weavers, the mind flayers and Illithinok. When the obelisks came up, Dax had a strange vision of a dark, elongated shape and a sense that something old was awakening.

  • The Venn mansion: The party watched a nobleman berate and strike a servant girl outside. Nissa used Disguise Self to pose as a servant and learned the house had just fired the person who cleaned the basement and the cages.

  • The cellar: Nissa found owlbear cubs and blink dog pups in cages. The animals were calm around her, and one pup blinked out of its cage to her.

  • She identified them (Nature), then used Deception and Animal Handling to hide the pup in her clothing and slip out unseen.

  • Wren accepted the pup as proof, called the job a success and paid 150 gp. She was visibly heartbroken over the owlbear cubs and said she once raised an owlbear cub herself and let it go when it was old enough.

  • Dinner and drinks: The party talked backgrounds and the larger mystery (Talhundrath, Dumathoin, the crypt, the weavers, the obelisks, Illithinok and the Star).

  • The road to Thundertree: The party set out to get the green dragon to leave rather than necessarily kill it, and talked about how it might react to dragonborn.

  • The sea hag ambush: In heavy fog by the river, sea hags used Death Glare and brought a shark-like familiar.

  • Clara cast Witch Bolt, Shatter, Thunder Wave and Misty Step, Nissa used Hail of Thorns, Dax used Cloud of Daggers, and Drakon tried to fly and use his breath weapon.

  • Jasper, Nissa's tiger companion, soaked up a lot of damage. Wisdom saves against the glare and death saves piled up.

  • Nissa and Thardax "Dax" both died. Clara was dropped and reduced to death saves.

  • The hags had no ranged attacks left, so once the party got out of their reach they could not follow up. Drakon swooped down and lifted Clara out, and she barely escaped.

  • Afterward: The table discussed a house rule for bringing characters back through a lesser god, and began replacement characters. Michelle settled on a wood elf Circle of the Moon druid.

NPCs

Wren Thistledown (Emerald Enclave), Venn and his servant girl, the dock gang and the employer (Zhentarim-linked), Jasper (Nissa's tiger). Creatures: owlbear cubs, blink dog pups, sea hags and a shark-like familiar.

Loot and items

  • Party: 150 gp from Wren for the blink dog pup.

Open threads

  • The owlbear cubs are still caged; Wren was heartbroken over them.

  • The Zhentarim are pushing into the Neverwinter docks.

  • Dax's vision: something ancient is awakening.

  • What lies beneath Phandalin (Talhundrath, Illithinok, the obelisks).

  • The green dragon of Thundertree.

  • The sea hags are still on the road.

  • Replacement characters, and the lesser-god resurrection house rule.

Where it ended

Clara barely escaped when Drakon swooped down and lifted her out. The hags had no ranged attacks left, so they could not reach the party. Nissa and Dax lay dead, and the table started building replacement characters.