Episode 2: Fun in Phandalin - The Orrery of the Wanderer

Episode 2: Fun in Phandalin. The Ruins of Tresendar Manor In episode 2, Omin Dran sends the adventurers (now 2nd level) to Phandalin to learn the fate of an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise that opened there a few months earlier but has recently gone dark. After overcoming hazards on the road, the characters enter the town. There, they learn that the franchise had signed an agreement to purchase the oft-ruined Tresendar Manor, a small estate on the outskirts of town. However, something catastrophic occurred at the manor recently, and no one in town has seen any of the occupants since. While in Phandalin, the adventurers have the opportunity to interact with the townsfolk, possibly becoming involved in small-town dramas-including a mayoral election. Those events could have a significant impact on the franchise the characters will establish at the end of this episode. At the ruins of Tresendar Manor, the characters find clues about what caused the destruction. They locate one of the two surviving members of the previous franchise, the half-orc majordomo Gildha Duhn. Gildha provides details about the attack and the apparent goal of those who struck the manor-retrieving a mysterious magic clockwork device that the characters recognize as part of the magic orrery found under Waterdeep. Investigating where the attackers slipped into the manor's basement and dungeon, the characters discover signs of recent rituals tapping into the power of the Far Realm-and take on the monsters the attackers left behind. After dealing with the threats in the dungeon, the characters run into operatives from Dran Enterprises who have been sent to take control of the site. With the imminent dangers in and around Phandalin neutralized, the characters are rewarded by Head Office with the license to take over the failed Acquisitions Incorporated franchise. From there, they are set to investigate who was behind the attack on Acq Inc, and what connection the mysterious orrery might have to t...