Chapter 1 > Road to Adventure

[hedgeknight]

Cragmaw Hideout > Final Exploration

Some things to point out > it's dark in here, so for the humans to see, they will need a light source. Ioriston states he casts Dancing Lights, but he does not have that spell on his sheet, so that really isn't an option. So...since I am running Kelton (and Baer), here is my post > please feel free to critique or ask questions, because I am trying to move this forward so we can introduce our new players/characters.

Having searched the bodies (see below), Aslaan is about to enter the dark, stinky chamber when Stitches comes up behind him and peers inside. Soon, the pair hear the approach of others and turn to see both Kelton and Ioriston coming toward them in the light of the flickering torch which suddenly sputters and dies, plunging the chambers into blackness.
"Hold on,"Aslaan murmurs, as he digs through his pack for a tinderbox. Pulling a black-gummed torch from the top of his pack, he strikes his flint and it flares to life, illuminating the faces of his companions.
"I chased two goblins across the bridge, but lost them in the dark tunnels beyond. Where's Baer?" Kelton asks, looking to Ioriston.

After some brief discussion, Kelton puts up his great axe and pulls his last remaining javelin, agreeing to carry the torch for he and Aslaan. With that, Stitches enters the chamber of Klarg first, with the others following.
(Just to be clear, your group is entering the chamber directly off the pool cave; see map above)

As noted above, sacks and crates of looted provisions are piled up in the south end of this large cave. To the west, the floor slopes toward a narrow opening that descends into darkness. In the middle of the cavern, the coals of a large fire smolder.
Stitches, the quietest of the group, thinks he hears some type of scratching or clawing coming from the narrow opening in the floor; otherwise, you see nothing alive in the cavern.

Actions?

Stats:
Stitches > down 7 hp
Kelton > 6 hp
Baer > at "0" hp and dying
Ioriston > down 6 hp
Aslaan > full hp

Klarg > dead
3 goblins ran for their lives! Two across the bridge and Dwimp...somewhere!
2 goblins dead on the bridge
4 goblins dead in the pool cave
1 dead in the stream
1 wolf (Ripper) dead

[Belkregos]

stitches keeps his bow ready towards the noise and looks to his companions nodding hi head in the direction
and advances slowly

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton nods back at the halfling while also advancing with the torch out in front of him.

He tries to get a closer look at whatever it is that has got Stiches attention.

Whats up gang! I'm here and ready to give this system a go. I'm a bit of a slow learner so I hope you can be patient with me starting out.

Glad to be on board!

[burlyjr]

Aslaan will move toward the noise ready to attack.

[hedgeknight]

Kelton moves forward slowly, his torch driving away the shadows and illuminating the cavern as he walks. Aslaan follows closely, needing the torchlight to see.
Stitches leads to the two warriors toward the , while Ioriston brings up the rear, out of range of the torch, allowing his darkvision to help him move along.

In this way, the companions fan out in the chamber and are able to see almost the entire thing. But it is Stitches who peers down into the chimney-like flue and spots a goblin climbing down as quickly as it can.
With a shriek, the goblin loses its grip in the narrow fissure and falls, tumbling down about 20 feet, landing in a heap of rubble at the bottom of the shaft. Stitches sees the goblin flailing around 30 feet below as it tries to get up.

Actions?
If you look at the map above, you are currently in the large southernmost chamber on the right, while the goblin (G) is actually on the other side of that narrow fissure on the left of the large chamber. You might realize the fissure likely leads to the small cave where you first encountered (and killed) the chained wolves.

[Belkregos]

Stitches takes a shot at the retreating goblin

bastard's trying to get away!

attack- to hit:[1d20+5] = 12+5 = 17 damage: [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7

[burlyjr]

When Aslaan notices Stitches firing he will move to get a better view of what's going on.

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton admires the spunk of the little halfling so he tries to encourage him.

Dont let him get away, Stich! Make a pin cushion out of it if you have to!

He keeps an eye out around their torchlit circle of light, making sure nothing sneaks up during the "fish in a barrel" target practice session.

[hedgeknight]

Stitches aim is spot on and the arrow punches through the goblin's back, leaving it unmoving below. Aslaan and Kelton scan the rest of the room in the torchlight, and with Ioriston checking the shadows, the group is satisfied that nothing else of immediate danger is in the vicinity.

There are still a lot of crates and barrels and supplies and stuff in the cavern.

And Baer is missing.

Actions?

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton slaps his forehead.

Oh Crap!!! In all of the excitement, I totally lost track of Baer! Does anyone remember where he fell?

Sorry, I had no idea he was missing.

[burlyjr]

Aslaan will go back out to see if he can find Baer. "Let's go find him and then we can come back in and check out all these crates."

[hedgeknight]

Aslaan exits the dark cavern, passes the pool cave, and returns the way the group came, following the gurgling stream south. Just past the overhead bridge, Aslaan finds Baer...his eyes rolled back in his head, throat cut, blood running to mingle with the stream.
He hasn't been dead long...

Dead-Dwarf.png (236.15 KiB) Viewed 771 times

[wordoftheoracle]

Ioriston realizes that Sildar Hallwinter is also lying somewhere and will go seek him out.

[Belkregos]

wha...what happened?...Baer...

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton follows the others to find their fallen comrades. He is saddened to see Baer lying dead on the ground.

Is there anything we can do for him? If not, we should do him better than just leaving his body lying in the dirt.

[wordoftheoracle]

There is nothing we can do for Baer now. We must tend to the living. Sildar may yet live! We must find him!

[burlyjr]

After realizing that he can do nothing for Baer he will go back into the cavern and search the area and the crates.

[hedgeknight]

With a renewed mission, the group moves back into the goblin caves, meeting no resistance...until they finally cross the bridge and find one of their benefactors, Sildar Hallwinter. The veteran warrior is barely alive and needless to say, is much relieved to see his rescuers. The goblin den is divided in half by a ten-foot high escarpment. A steep natural staircase leads from the lower portion to the upper ledge. The air is hazy with the smoke of a cooking fire, and pungent from the smell of poorly cured hides and unwashed goblins.

Sildar 3.png (123.25 KiB) Viewed 749 times

After several desperate gulps of fresh water, Sildar props himself up and thanks the group. "Thought for sure I was a dead man. Figured it was just a matter of time before they carved me up for the spit. What about Klarg and the other goblins? Are any of them still alive?"

Aslaan and Kelton return to the pool cave, and look through the crates and supplies, finding the following:
10 crates of fruits and vegetables; a lot beginning to rotten
6 barrels of salted fish
4 barrels of wine
2 kegs of beer
All of these are marked with the blue lion symbol of the Lionshield Coster based in Phandalin.

Among the supplies is also a fairly large chest full of copper pieces, some silver, two glass vials, and a small jade statuette of a frog with tiny golden orbs for eyes.

[OGRE MAGE]

Klargs dead, says Kelton to Sildar, while patting his axe. Some of the goblins yet live I'm afraid. They can scurry into the smaller, deeper holes and get away.

But, look at the loot we found! A chest of coppers and a couple of potions I think.

He takes the frog figurine to examine it closer. I wonder if this little thing is magical?

[burlyjr]

"Looks like all the stuff that is in here belonged to the same people. All the crates and supplies have the same marking on them. They were probably stolen from a group traveling through just as we were. Does anyone recognize the symbol? Shouldn't we try to return it to the rightful owner?"