map by Gunther
Nine adventurers, Cressidien, Ruu Dawnhammer, Almalexia, Sauroff, Silvermoon, Koravhik Agu-Vakanu, Squirrelly, Cernan, and Jack had reached the guard outpost at the border of the principality just before dusk. They chose to make camp just outside the wooden stockade. Almalexia tried to entertain the soldiers inside the walls, but due to the distance and darkness she could not tell how well she had performed for them.
In the morning, the party broke camp and crossed the border to the west into the untamed province while a troop of six mounted dragoons left the outpost and headed east down the Tri-Boar Trail. According to Koravhik it was most likely a routine patrol.
The ancient Tri-Boar road allowed them to make good progress as it rose into the foothills and wound through a dense forest. Most of the original roadway had been uncovered and restored, though there were a few scattered sections of road and bridges that had been washed out over the centuries and repaired with lower quality, though still passable, replacements.
They eventually came across a several mile detour from the old road onto a newer, somewhat rough roadway down-slope to the north. The two wagon-masters, Sauroff and Koravhik, were able to keep up a decent pace on the crude road without losing much time or damaging their vehicles. The detour turned west, forded a stream at a wide, shallow stretch of river rock, then curved back uphill to the south, finally rejoining the much smoother Tri-Boar Trail. The detour added almost a full day to their travel time.
Compared to the several encounters they had crossing the supposedly more civilized farmlands of Westland, little evidence of wildlife, hostile or otherwise, had been seen thus far in the provincial wilderness. The forest has been eerily quiet; almost too quiet. However, as they got within a half day's journey of the town of Phandalin, the party saw the road blocked ahead.
Silvermoon and Cressidien scouted ahead stealthily through the trees on opposite sides of the road, and while most of the party advanced slowly up the road. They spotted a tree that was lying across the road, blocking it. In front of the tree were two dead horses, identified as the ones belonging to the Gundren and
Sildar, who had ridden ahead a few days ago.
Silvermoon spotted two goblins lying in wait near the tree on the south side of the road, and called out "Goblins!" as a warning to the rest of the party. Realizing they had been spotted, the two goblins (plus two more hiding on the north side of the road) launched their ambush. However, the party killed them easily.
Searching the area, they found that the saddlebags had been removed and there was no sign of Gundren or Sildar. However, goblin footprints were found leading uphill to the south, and it appeared that the goblins were dragging things with them as they went. Cressidien and Silvermoon quietly followed the trail, with the rest of the party a short distance behind. They discovered and disarmed two crude traps along the goblin tracks - apparently they expected unskilled pursuers. En route, Almalexia found and picked some unusual-looking mushrooms. She didn't know what type of mushrooms they were, but was eager to find out. Soon the two party scouts found that the tracks led to a cave entrance at the base of a cliff. Two inattentive goblin guards were efficiently dispatched, and the entire party gathered at the entrance.
Cernan cast a Light cantrip on two rocks, one each for Almalexia and Koravhik, as neither can see in the dark. A short distance into the cave three wolves were found leashed to stalagmites. Although the beasts were initially hostile, growling menacingly, the party was eventually able to calm them. This was aided when Squirrelly brought them a dead goblin guard to feast upon, the wolves were initially skeptical, but once Squirrelly took a bite, the wolves eagerly joined in.
A little further on, the cavern split into two dark tunnels. The branch on the left sloped steeply upward, the floor comprised of loose, unstable rocks.
The other branch curved to the right, sloping upward at a shallower angle. They party also spotted a lone goblin sentry on a crude log bridge about 15 feet above the right branch. Once again two of the party members silently dispatched the sentry before it could spot them and raise an alarm.
Squirrelly used a Mold Earth cantrip to stabilize the left branch, and most of the party carefully made their up the newly-formed stair-like passage. The slopped tunnel then intersected a more level one which stretched to right towards the log bridge, and to the left towards a larger room with faint, flickering orange light of a fire.
Cressidien entered the room and spotted seven goblins. Four were clustered around a small campfire, roasting what appeared to be a human arm. Two others were lounging against the walls, while the last, wearing what appeared to be a feathered headdress jabbed the blunt end of a spear into the stomach of a bound Sildar. Sildar collapsed to the ground, apparently unconsciousness. The goblin leader spotted Cressidien, and ordered to surrender, or he would kill his helpless captive. Not hearing a response to his demand, the leader then ordered his followers to attack, and battle was joined. The party killed all the goblins but one, who seeing the was alone, quickly surrendered.
Meanwhile, three of the party members, Koravhik, Almalexia and Silvermoon, decided to climb up to the bridge on the right branch. The first two made it up easily, but the log bridge creaked loudly as Koravhik started to pull himself up on it. Ignoring the warning noises, he pulled heavily on the logs, which snapped in a loud "CRACK" echoing down the tunnels. This is not the first time that Koravhik's great size caused a structural collapse, but at least time none of his friends were injured.
Worried that the noise might have alerted any enemies deeper in the cave, these three then backtracked to rejoin their compatriots. Silvermoon cast a healing spell on Sildar, rousing him. It was also discovered that the arm cooking on the fire was Sildar's - it had apparently been cut off just short time before the party's arrival at the cave.
Almalexia shoved one of her mushrooms into the mouth of the captive goblin, calming him immediately. She then cast a charm spell on him and he introduced himself as Yeemik. When questioned, Yeemik said that their chief had ordered them to capture any dwarves on the road and take them to Cragmaw Castle. He described this as a mighty fortress which was their main base. From his description, it was apparently in the gap on the Tri-Boar Trail bypassed by the detour they took, and he said it was near the site of an old washed out bridge.
Just then a loud roar of rushing water was heard back towards the broken bridge. When asked, Yeemik explained that the tribe's chief had them build a large dam. The plan was to break the dam if they were invaded, drowning and washing away all intruders. Moving to the bridge site, a rapidly lessening stream of water could be seen in the passage below. Safely crossing over to the other side of the tunnel, despite the lack of a bridge, they came about the chamber where the dam was released, the last of the reservoir draining away.
Almalexia led the still charmed Yeemik by the hand forward, saying "Let's go meet your friends!" Yeemik heartily agreed, and called out in goblin as they advanced. They came to a small chamber lit by a small campfire. The walls of the chamber were lined with floor-to-ceiling stalagmites and wooden crates, but nothing else was readily visible. Once about half the party had entered the chamber, several goblins, a bugbear, and two wolves launched their ambush from hiding. Although they were able to knock Cernan unconscious, the battle ended quickly.
Two of the goblins attempted to escape down a narrow tunnel leading to the wolf den below, but the party had earlier taught the wolves to eat goblin flesh. The goblin screams were quickly cut short...
Searching the chamber revealed a small wooden chest under some furs. Inside was 600 copper pieces, 110 silver pieces, a small jade statuette of a frog with tiny golden orbs for eyes, and two Potions of Healing. Also recovered was one intact wooden shipping emblazoned with the blue shield with red lionhead emblem of the Lionshield Shipping Company. Four other Lionshield crate were destroyed by Squirrelly's Thunderwave spell.
Making their way out of the cavern, the party released the three wolves from the den near the entrance. They made camp for the night near their wagons by the roadside. Almalexia prepared a rope harness for Yeemik, and Koravhik then secured him several feet up in a tree. Almalexia then prepared a fine meal for the rest of party. However, only she and Koravhik partook of the special mushroom sauce she concocted. The two also took first watch, and neither of them noticed Yeemik untying his harness and escaping into the night.
In the morning no trace of Yeemik could be found, so the party drove their wagons for the final half-day travel to Phandalin. Delivering the wagons to Barthen's Squirrelly handed the sealed envelope to the owner. He read the contents, thanked the party, and paid them the 10 gold each as promised, plus another 5 gold to Squirrelly as the lead teamster. Sildar used his position as Gundren's "right-hand man" to withdraw some funds from the Rockseeker brother's account, then went to the local inn to recover.
Delivering the Lionshield crate to the local shipping company office gained the party another 10 gold to split amongst themselves.
The party tried to warn to townmaster
Harbin Wester of the goblin threat, but he insisted that there were no goblins. He said that he had even contracted with a mercenary group known as the Redbrand to ensure that the town Phandalin would remain a safe and growing community. Harbin also showed an unusual interest in Almalexia. She told him that she would be playing at the inn later, and Harbin said that he was eager to see her performance.
A brief check in with locals at the inn told the party that the "
Cragmaw Castle" was a ruined, overgrown keep. As far anyone there know, it was abandoned, had only one floor intact, and that there were no goblins in the area.
Checking in with Sildar, he promised the party at least 100 gold if they could rescue
Gundren, He said that the reward would most likely be higher, but that he did not have personal access to more than that from the Rockseeker account in town. He also loaned them one of the horses to take with them.
Despite her promise to perform at the inn, Almalexia joined the rest of party as they set out to rescue their missing employer. The second day out they found the remains of Yeemik along the side of the road, the apparent victim of a wolf attack. After camping for the night, party approached the overgrown ruins of an ancient keep just before dawn...
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