Clearing of Crawgmaw Cave

Military: Battle

The party successfully delivered their supplies to Barthen's Provisions in Phandalin, where they negotiated additional hazard pay from the surprised shopkeeper Elmar, who mistook Po, the sentient bear, for a pet.   Venturing back to the goblin cave they discovered, they overcame the guards, freed captive wolves, and used a chimney slope for a strategic advantage to defeat the goblin leader Klarg and his minions. They found a note linking their quarry, Gundren Rockseeker, to the Cragmaw tribe's chief, King Grol.   After rescuing Sildar Hallwinter from the goblins and clearing the cave of bodies, the party returned to Phandalin, extracting some gold teeth from the corpses as spoils. Their day concluded at the Stonemill Inn, pondering the implications of their findings and the rescue mission ahead.

Our heroes encamped outside Barthen's Provisions in Phandalin. Their vigilance was not just for their safety but also to ensure the delivery of the supplies they were entrusted with. At dawn, they were met by Elmar Barthen, the shopkeeper, who was both relieved to receive the supplies and surprised to see a walking and talking bear, Po, whom he had been told was being shipped to him as a pet. Grateful for their service and persuaded by Naïló's diplomatic finesse, Elmar generously compensated them with not only the agreed payment but also an additional hazard pay, and a promise of reward for the rescue of Gundren Rockseeker. The party retraced their steps to the goblin cave hideout they had uncovered. Upon arrival, they engaged and defeated the goblins guarding the entrance with ease, largely thanks to Aria's now bloodied fists and feet. Within the cave, they encountered and liberated a pack of starving wolves, demonstrating compassion amidst adversity. Findabhair showcased her athletic prowess by scaling a steep chimney slope, securing a path for the group to ascend and stage a surprise assault on the goblins and their leader, Klarg the bugbear.   In the aftermath of their victory, a note and key were discovered on Klarg's person—a note from King Grol, detailing orders to capture Gundren and seize his belongings, and do whatever with the other prisoners they might take.   Further exploration led to a daring rescue of Sildar Hallwinter, the human who accompanied Gundren at the start of this expedition. During the encounter however Sildar was grapped and used as a human shield while one of the goblins tried to take control of the situation, however, he was surprised by the relentlessness of the party resulting in friendly fire. After securing Sildar's freedom, they meticulously cleared the cave of its fallen foes, a grim task that did not go unrewarded, as some members, including Po and Naïló, scavenged valuable gold teeth from the corpses.   Their mission in the cave completed, the heroes escorted Sildar back to Phandalin, where they sought rest and respite at the Stonemill Inn. Sildar agreed to share more information that he knew about the Cragmaw tribe and the possible whereabouts of Gundren after he is healed up.