Aguideto running Halia Thornton’s Zhentarim faction offerto a PC in LMOP.
Halia is Phandalin’s cold, calculating Miner’s Exchange Guildmistress and Zhentarim agent.
Halia is a very attractive, raven haired, human woman dressed in a lace-up white peasant shirt, a red and gold hooded cape and tight leather breeches.
Your description should conjurea Gal Gadot-type image. When Halia asks the PC’s to eliminate Glasstaff for 100 gp, the PC’s will likely determine she has ulterior motives through a DC 15 insight check, which should add to her mystique.
Once Glasstaff is removed and the Redbrands disbanded, have the townspeople of Phandalin throw a celebration for the PC’s at the Stonehill Inn. The NPC’s they’ve met in towneach approach withpersonal messages of gratitude.
When Halia comes by the PCs should give her Glasstaff’s correspondence. Have her question them on the battle and what they’d learned in Tresendar Manor. Halia pays them100 gp and then describe how Halia gives a fairly long-winded speech of thanks and how the town will prosper with the newfound security.
If your PC qualifies as a potential Zhentarim agent, pass this message (or similar) to them secretly:
Halia is sneaking a message into this conversation using Thieves' cant, which only you pick up on. Her message: I have a proposition. Come to the Miner’s Exchange at noon to learn more. Come alone.
If that PC goes to the Miner's exchange at the agreed upon time:
Inside the Miner’s Exchange, Halia is behind a counter waiting on a grizzled prospector. The miner drops some heavy copper ore out of a pack on to her scales, she adds weight to the other side to balance and then opens a drawer with a lockbox and pays him what looks like 2 gp, 6 sp and 7 cp. The prospector tips his hat and is on his way.
Play out the conversation with Halia, potentially ending with:
As I said, I have business to discuss with you. Come to the back.I promise not to hurt you. And I always keep my promises.
If the PC or PCs attempt anydeceptive shenanigans in the Miner's Exchange, have the lockbox on the counter go off in alarm. For example, crying out “Invisible, Invisible, Invisible”. Halia can hit the lock box to silence it, followed by:
<Halia sighs> One does not simply sneak into the Miner’s Exchange. What is your business here?
If the PC agrees to follow Halia, break off the scene with the rest of the group and do the rest with just that PC in a one-on-one session.
There is a very simple and sparse office in the back room of the miner’s exchange. Halia goes behind the desk, pulls back a rug which reveals a secret trap door, which she opens and takes a ladder down into the darkness.
When you follow, she lights a lantern, revealing a large, luxurious room. There are colorful rugs, a plush purple velvet couch, beautiful paintings and tapestries on the walls, shelves of books, a writing desk, and an alchemy set which appears to be brewing a thick, green, viscous liquid. This is like nothing you would expect in Phandalin. There is one closed door on the east wall.
Some potential dialogue for Halia:
I told you to come alone. You’re not very good at following instructions.
I’m glad you came. You and your friends have proven useful to me in ridding the town of Iarno. But they seem to lack the moral... flexibility that you possess. Am I correct in that assessment?
I’ll cut to the chase. I am an agent of a very powerful organization called the Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network. Have you heard of us?
We operate in the shadows, answering only to our own moral code. And that code is that those with the power make the code. And as we gain more power, we intend to exert our influence across the entire Sword Coast for two purposes: unimaginable wealth and unlimited control. In short, we want to own this world, and we will stop at nothing to do it.
I am telling you all of this because I would like to offer you membership into our family. The only ask I would have of you is that you remain ambitious, opportunistic, and absolutely loyal to me, your patron. You can take up any identity or personality that you like, and assume any semblance of a normal life while conducting Zhentarim business.
Do you accept the Black Network’s offer?
If the PC accepts:
Excellent. Then I bestow upon you the family’s initiate title of Fang. I, in turn, have the title of Viper. You will meet others of our order when you need to. But don’t worry, they are never far.
For myself, I will continue to secure this part of the Sword Coast. This may be just a jerkwater village now, but once you secure the Forge of Spells we’ll have access to the riches of Wave Echo Cave. You will be rewarded handsomely when you control the forge.
You are probably concerned about Harbin Wester. I am the one who has been paying him off. He doesn’t know it, he thought he was being bribed by Glasstaff. But I am the one who wanted him to keep the pressure off of the Redbrands. I was going to take over that operation. Not with the same brutality and distasteful methodology, of course, but with an even greater degree of control over this region. It is unfortunate that you destroyed their organization. But no matter, owning Harbin should still prove useful to me.
Before you go, I have a few special items for you
She pulls aBag of holdingout of a desk drawer. She reaches in and pulls out one gold piece and flips it to the PC.
This will signal that you are a member of the black network to other members of the family.
It is a nondescript gold coin with the Zhentarim insignia of a dragon diving after a moon.
And this is something I picked out just for you:
She gives the PC a Hat of Disguise
With this hat, you can be anyone you want to be, any time you want.
Note: I gave out the hat because there is a distinct lack of Role Play-centric magic items in LMOP, and I knew my PC would be pumped in getting it. YMMV.
If asked, she will provide one Poison, Basic (vial)from the alchemy set.
Now go. I will be in touch. And remember, the family is never far away.
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If the PC's try any "funny stuff" with Halia:
Halia is a Level 7 Rogue (Assassin) with a Dagger of Venomand a Cape Of The Mountebank. She should not be easily defeated by the PCs at this level, and will retreat to this space from any location in Phandalin. There are traps in this room that should TPK a level 3-4 party nice and quick.
Both of the entrances to the room haveArcane Lockcast on them, with herself having the only permission to enter. The door to the east opens up to a 50' nondescript tunnel that leads to a ladder which takes you up into her house through another secret trap door. Her house has nothing remarkable in it.
If she is robbed in secret by the PC's, she is then nowhere to be found. If she is either robbed or killed, the next time the party sleeps indoors, the building they are in is set on fire. When they make their way out to escape the fire, 1d4+2Level3 RogueZhentarim agents stealth snipe from nearby rooftops. The PCs have gained a powerful enemy in the Zhentarim and setting things right with them will be an adventure in itself.
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Hopefully this provides inspiration foryour Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure. Let me know how it goes if you try any of this, thanks!
