Tristan Manor

Tristan Manor is a historic, multi-level residence located near the frontier town of Phandalin. Once a grand home, it became a focal point of dark rumors, undead sightings, and bandit activity before being cleared, fully restored to a “ship shape” condition, and bequeathed to a band of heroic protectors.

History and Ownership

The manor is historically tied to the Tristan family. This lineage shares ancestral or familial ties with the noble Gilmore’s Stork family, prompting the adventurer Gilmore to take a personal interest in reclaiming the property from the threats occupying it. Phandalin is also the original home of Gilmore’s ancestral bloodline, drawing him further to the estate.

During recent conflicts, the three surviving members of the Tristan family—including Myrna Tristan—were taken captive within their own home by occupying forces. They were ultimately rescued and secured safely in the cellar by a band of courageous adventurers. Out of gratitude for their liberation, Myrna Tristan bequeathed the manor to the adventuring party to serve as a home and shelter for them in their role as protectors of Phandalin.

Following these events, Townmaster Harbin Wester presented the party with the magical deed of ownership for Tristan Manor. The deed required a formal group name to bind the magical contract; thus, the heroes officially took the name The Magnificent Five (sometimes referred to as the Fantastic Five) to claim the estate. Myrna and Deacon formally designated that the manor be left to the town to use as it saw fit, with Myrna specifically choosing the Magnificent Five as its permanent inheritors.

Layout and Key Locations

• The Dining Room: Located on the upper floor, this grand room was found infested with animated, creepy zombies—a grim testament to the manor’s recent fall into decay. Following restoration, it became a communal meeting space where Farwald was known to snooze at the dining table while awaiting his companions.
• The Cellar: Beneath the main house lies a stone cellar containing a hidden secret door. This secret passage leads deeper into an underground network of rooms. Farwald later cleared out and sold off half the leftover gear and clutter found in these subterranean chambers to buy spell scrolls from Deacon.
• The Bandit Quarters: An underground chamber where occupying bandits gathered, famously used for poker games.
• Glasstaff’s Laboratory: A subterranean alchemical laboratory and study utilized by the wizard Glasstaff. This arcane workshop contained numerous powerful relics and research materials.
• The Crypt: Underground ancestral resting place beneath the manor where Gilmore discovered the Blade of Tristan.
• The Garden: Located outside the manor, the garden has undergone substantial restoration under the care of Nalini. She discovered that with the right mixture of wild mushrooms, the remains of the defeated dining room zombies could make for highly effective fertilizer to revitalize the soil. During the unseasonably cold autumn, Nalini planted wintery mushrooms and berries. By sinking her feet into the earth, she could attune to the mycelium colonies, once feeling a great natural mourning and red-hot anger emanating from the north. Nalini frequently uses this tranquil space for meditation.

The Redbrand Occupation and Downfall

In recent months, Nezznar—the enigmatic dark elf known as “The Spider”—sought to suppress the region. He bribed a human wizard named Iarno Albrek, known as Glasstaff, with gold and a powerful staff to turn his back on his Neverwinter masters. Glasstaff established a headquarters beneath the manor to terrorize the local townsfolk of Phandalin and keep figures like Halia Thorton and the blind priest Deacon distracted. Operating from the cellar’s secret chambers, they kept a Half-Ogre guard (referred to as Ogrillon) and held the Tristan family hostage.

This occupation was dismantled when the adventuring party infiltrated the manor. While the noble Gilmore distracted the bandits by joining their poker game and drinking three of the four players under the table, his companions rescued the captive family. The wizard soon realized he had been locked in his laboratory and called for aid. Stepping into the hallway, he was confronted by the party. Erewyn managed to shoot the wizard’s staff out of his hand, and along with Hope and Farwald, they dispatched him, though he critically injured several of the group, particularly Erewyn, before falling. Nalini quickly administered healing to Erewyn to save his life. Meanwhile, Gilmore dealt with the Half-Ogre, nearly being overwhelmed until Erevan managed to kill the beast with a well-placed arrow. The battle left the basement of the manor covered in blood and ash, with the smoldering remnants of Glasstaff and Ogrillon, and two drunken bandits collapsed in the corner. The remaining arrested bandits were subsequently turned in to local authorities.

Recovered Relics

Following the liberation of Tristan Manor, several highly valuable and plot-significant items were recovered from the subterranean levels:

• The Blade of Tristan (which “found” Gilmore in the crypt)
• The Glasstaff (a unique wizard’s staff)
• A Bag of Holding
• A historical tome titled “The Rise and Fall of the Pact of Phandelver” authored by the legendary archmage Elminster Aumar
• A mysterious correspondence from “The Spider” detailing plans and frustrations regarding his agents Klarg and Glasstaff

Post-Liberation and Legacy

Now serving as the headquarters for The Magnificent Five, Tristan Manor has evolved from a ruined symbol of fear into a sanctuary of hope. The party extended an invitation to Gotrek, an ancient dwarf they rescued from a thousand-year petrification, to live at the manor as a safe haven while he readjusts to the modern world.

Following their adventures in the Snowmont Monastery and Conyberry, the party returned to find the manor fully restored and ship-shape. During this period of respite, they hosted the famished gnome academic Dusty for dinner. Over their meal in the manor, Dusty revealed critical intelligence regarding “The Spider” (revealed to be a Drider), the Spell Forge, Gond’s Smelter, and the Underdark. It was also within the manor that Farwald and Dusty worked together to successfully dispel the curse on Hope’s Berserker Axe. During this same stay, Hope spent her time chopping wood and working out, and Gilmore negotiated with Townmaster Harbin Wester and Deacon to sell off salvaged gold bits for 2,600 gp.

To further commemorate their new base of operations, Gilmore struck a deal with a wayward merchant named Mikael whom they rescued from distress; in exchange for escorting him back to Phandalin, Mikael agreed to commission a custom painting to hang within the grand halls of Tristan Manor.

Later, after the party successfully cleared Wave Echo Cave, they agreed to reconvene at the manor. By then, the surviving Snowmont monks, Jaque and Zoe, had departed south to seek a new monastery, leaving behind provisions. Upon returning, Gilmore discovered a scrawled note left on the dining table by Hope, which read: “Took my share. Suck at goodbyes. H.”