Lost Mine of Phandelver - Session 15: The Star and the Cat from Hell
September 29, 2026
The truth behind the disguises
The party continued its exploration of Wave Echo Cave with an important clarification about the enemies encountered along the way: Neznar was a male drow. The female drow seen at Cragmaw Castle had been a doppelganger in disguise, and the apparent Sildar in the forge chamber was also an impostor. The real Sildar remained missing.
The confrontation at the Forge of Spells involved Neznar, the doppelganger, and a spectator, all amid dangerously unstable magic. The doppelganger was killed, but dealing with the forge itself proved just as urgent as dealing with its occupants.
Stabilizing the Forge of Spells
Clara attempted to remove the Star of Dumathoin from the forge. Her first effort failed: the crystal resisted and popped back into place. Neznar insisted that it needed to be seated correctly rather than pulled free.
When Neznar properly reseated the Star, the chamber settled. Floating stones and objects dropped, the dangerous humming subsided, and spellcasting became possible again.
The party questioned Neznar while keeping him restrained and under suspicion. He admitted that he had found the Star long ago and had pursued the forge in the hope of obtaining unlimited magical power. He had believed the artifact would activate it. His assistance made him useful, but it did not earn the party's trust; questioning, intimidation, and attention to his restraints continued.
Clara's research
Clara examined three books recovered in the chamber:
The spellbook of Aram Veylon, a record of arcane knowledge.
Principles of the Phandelver Forge, a technical account of the forge and its relationship with the Star of Dumathoin.
Observations Upon the Star, research notes describing unexplained magical resonance deeper beneath Wave Echo Cave.
The books established that the Star powers the Forge of Spells. With the crystal properly seated, mundane weapons and armor can receive temporary magical enhancement, described as a +1 effect. These enhancements are temporary rather than permanent; their timing matters for the party's next expedition.
The Star also has uses beyond powering the forge. Its described properties include serving as an arcane focus, detecting magic, revealing hidden writing, and resonating with other magical sources. The suggestion that something deeper beneath the cave responds to it left the party with a mystery much larger than a single forge chamber.
Halia's offer
Halia Thornton arrived with red-cloaked associates, already aware that the party had found the Star of Dumathoin. She wanted to buy or claim it and spoke of the money to be made by putting it on the market.
The party chose deception over negotiation, collectively denying that they had the artifact. The bluff bought time, and Halia left for the moment. Her interest in the Star remained unresolved.
Treasure, attunement, and the forge
Clara identified two notable treasures:
Lightbringer, a magical mace associated with Lathander, the god of dawn.
Dragon Guard, a magical breastplate offering an armor-class bonus and advantage on saving throws against dragon breath.
The group discussed who should carry each item and whether Dragon Guard could be adjusted to fit Nissa. Distribution and attunement required some thought, particularly because Clara already had several items competing for her attunement slots and the Star required attunement.
A spider staff with ten charges was also examined, including its Spider Climb and Web abilities. Other equipment came up during the discussion—a staff of defense, an amulet, a potion of invisibility, an immovable rod, and a grappling hook—but those mentions did not establish that all of them were newly acquired in this session.
Clara later placed the Star back into the forge and activated its enchantment process. The party used the opportunity to give mundane equipment temporary magical enhancements before moving on.
The blast-furnace chamber
North of the forge, the party entered an industrial chamber containing a blast furnace, mechanical bellows, a dry water-wheel channel, coal, ore carts, and scattered withered corpses.
A floating skull wreathed in green flame hovered above the bodies. The corpses began to rise, and the room became a battlefield.
Bjorn pressed forward into the undead while Erik joined the front line. Jasper and Avalanche fought alongside the party, but the cramped chamber, crowded movement, and poor visibility made positioning difficult. Nissa maintained ranged pressure while the others worked to contain the attackers.
The flaming skull struck Erik with Magic Missile and knocked him unconscious. His allies scrambled to protect and heal him while keeping the remaining enemies at bay. Erik eventually recovered enough to rejoin the fight.
Clara answered the skull with Magic Missile of her own, destroying it and extinguishing the room's eerie green illumination. The danger, however, was far from over.
The cat from hell
A strange, demon-empowered cat-like creature turned the battle into a prolonged struggle. It retaliated with hellish, rebuke-like effects and appeared able to recover from punishment that should have put it down. Its exact nature remained unknown.
The party traded attacks and healing as the fight continued. Clara used Witch Bolt, Nissa kept up ranged attacks, and the front-line fighters pressed the creature. Jasper pounced into the action, while Avalanche helped harry the enemies and manage the crowded battlefield.
The creature ultimately escaped by teleporting away. It was not confirmed slain.
Afterward, the party searched and harvested the battlefield, recovering a potion of greater healing before withdrawing toward the forge.
A rest beneath the mountain
Later discussion with Gundren brought the party back to its unfinished business: his missing brother, the whereabouts of the real Sildar, and the route onward through Wave Echo Cave. King Grol and the remaining dangers in the cave were still unresolved.
The party returned to the forge chamber, secured and barricaded the doors, and arranged watches. Equipment distribution and attunement occupied part of the downtime. Jasper, unable to rest normally with the group, was sent back to his home plane to recover.
The cave continued to crack and settle around them, but the party completed its long rest and reached the next day.
They remained deep inside Wave Echo Cave: rested, better equipped, and with several unanswered questions.
Unfinished business
What is resonating with the Star of Dumathoin beneath Wave Echo Cave?
Where are the real Sildar and Gundren's missing brother?
What remains to be faced concerning King Grol?
What should the party do about Neznar?
Will Halia return for the Star?
What was the demon-empowered cat, and where did it escape?
How much can the party accomplish while the forge's temporary enhancements last?