The two heroes decide that their next move should be to investigate the eastern door in the Ruined Tower looking for King Grol, where they currently were, as they still wanted to follow the advice from the Deity Tymora, assisted by Sister Garaele’s ‘Divination’ Spell, and take out King Grol first.
Lofty listens at the door and again is unable to compose himself enough to focus on the task at hand. The fear of finally being in a real adventure has unsettled the Halfling Rogue. Fairly convinced that the coast was clear, Lofty oiled the hinges of the door and proceeded to quietly open the wood reinforced with iron bands door.
Beyond the door, as Lofty quickly pulls Galdor through with him and closes the door behind them, the Rogue and the Cleric find themselves in a L-shaped corridor with another door to the east and another heavy curtain to the south. Lofty elects to first listen at the eastern door and then the southern curtain.
Lofty fails to hear clearly again at the eastern door, but makes out several beings speaking in common.
At the southern curtain Lofty can make out the sound of marching or pacing and also the sound of creaking leather.
Hobgoblin Knight
Lofty tries the eastern door again and can hear the voices of King Grol, Jingles the Goblin Jester, a wolf called Snarl and a male Drow. King Grol is refusing to handover Gundren’s Map unless he is paid. King Grol appears to want now to sell the Map instead of surrendering it. and he and the Drow are negotiating a price. Vyerith first wants to question Gundren to find out if anyone else knows the location of the mine.
Lofty then bravely, or foolhardily choose to take a peek behind the heavy curtain to the south to make sure they knew what to expect to appear from that area. Lofty attempted to listen again beyond the heavy curtain but was unable to decern any further information.
The Rogue, quite as a mouse, moves the curtain to one side as he heard the guard moving away from it.
GUARDS BARRACKS:
A stone brazier full of coals glows in the middle of this small barracks. Four straw pallets are lined up along the east wall. The wall to the south has collapsed, but a barred wooden door in that direction is still clear. A curtain hangs in an archway to the north.
Lofty can now clearly see that one of the Hobgoblin’s was watching out of one of the arrows slit and the other marching from the curtain, to the western door, to the southern door and then back to the northern curtain. The Rogue eases back the curtain and silently returns to Galdor’s side.
Lofty then had the bright idea to deploy his 1,000 ball bearings in the area in front of the southern curtain, behind which he suspected were some guards. Next, the plan was to open the eastern door and attempt to surprise the enemy beyond it. Galdor was to open the door, assess what was beyond and enter to engage with King Grol. Lofty would hang back and use his Roguish Skills to inflict the most damage possible from his shortbow arrows.
Galdor opens the door and catches all those within the King’s Quarters, apart from the Drow, by Surprise.
KING’S QUARTERS – KING GROL:
This chamber has been set up as a crude living space, with thick furs thrown on the floor to serve as carpets, old trophies hanging on the walls, a large bed to the north, and a brazier of coals burning brightly. A round table with several chairs stands to the south near the door. Near the table, on the floor, is an unconscious Dwarf who looks badly beaten.
Galdor rushes in and attacks King Grol while he was still ‘Invisible’ and he can also see those within.
The creatures’ descriptions.
Galdor successfully hit King Grol with his Longsword and a follow-up attack by Lofty also strikes true and King Grol is bleeding but by no means fazed, the old warrior must be still alive for a reason. King Grol, Jingles the Goblin Jester and Snarl the Wolf are all too surprised by the ‘Invisible’ attacks and fail to act while they all take-in what had just happened.
Galdor attacks again as does Lofty. Meanwhile, the Drow, or Black Spider as we now know him to be was out of Lofty’s line of sight behind the door and to Galdor’s back, had move back into the room to the north-west of the King’s Quarter’s.
NPC – The Black Spider
Lofty, knowing that the Hobgoblin guards would exit the Guards Barracks soon, open the door to the Ruined Tower and back off towards the western side of the chamber.
Out of the southern curtained room, The Guard Barracks, then appear two Hobgoblin’s. They are dressed in the same livery, tabards with the crossed hand-axes of King Grol, while the first Hobgoblin was carrying a Longbow the second had a Longsword drawn. Both Hobgoblin Guards avoid slipping over the 1,000 ball bearings and one moves off to aid King Grol whilst the second stands in the corridor.
King Grol: “Stand back loyal guard, this minor inconvenience is mine to deal with.”
The Hobgoblin stows away his Longbow, steps back and draws his Longsword.
King Grol: “Jingles, Snarl go after that little morsal for me would you.”
At that command the Goblin Jester jumps on the back of the Wolf and they head out westwards after the Halfling Rogue.
King Grol: “As for you young Cleric, I MARK you and you will fight me as I have fought all those who have challenged me over the years. Be forewarned, I killed them all.”
King Grol draws his mighty Flail and swings it right at Galdor’s head. The Cleric was able to avoid the worst of the blow but he was caught and it did hurt greatly.
The second Hobgoblin looks to Lofty and then dashes off southwards back towards the Guards Barracks.
Jingles and Snarl slowly move out of the King’s Quarter’s, due to all the furniture having been upended throughout the chamber, and ends up in the Ruined Tower just a few feet from the unsettled Rogue.
Galdor and King Grol continue to fight with Galdor striking the King for more damage and then calling upon Tymora for her ‘Healing’ favour. King Grol strikes again and Galdor realises that he may have bitten off more than me could chew.
King Grol rises to his full height and flexes his muscles at Galdor, showing the many scars that covered his body.
King Grol: “You will not last much longer as my blows are too much for you to take and I offer no quarter Elf.”
NPC – King Grol
Galdor is overawed by the Old Bugbear King and his intimidations was too much for the Elf as he saw himself slowly backing away from his foe.
Lofty feels he has no choice but to run out, via the hidden canvas entrance, and seek the aid of Astrid and Sildar who were still hiding to the north of Cragmaw Castle.
Lofty Bilberry: “Astrid, Sildar the time has come for you to aid us. I will meet up by the entrance as I’m being chased by a Jester riding a Wolf.”
Sildar Hallwinter: “What did he say, I don’t understand Halfling.”
Astrid: “You won’t believe me if I told you Sildar, just be ready.”
Lofty rushes out of Cragmaw Castle via the hidden entrance and sees Astrid dashing up the path towards him, with Sildar totting up behind him. The 3 Heroes wait for the enemies to exit the Castle and the Rogue begins by casting ‘Sleep’ on the creatures that rush out. First out was the Goblin Jester, riding the Wolf, followed by a single Hobgoblin Guard. The Goblin Jester and Wolf succumb to Lofty’s Spell and they both drop to the ground.
Jingles – Goblin Jester
Astrid then takes over the task of clearing the way into Cragmaw Castle and lays into the Hobgoblin with her Flurry of Blows which leaves the Hobgoblin dead without having swung his Longsword.
Lofty sprints back into Cragmaw Castle, being the only one of the 3 heroes that had been within, as he is desperate to help Galdor whom he had left alone inside fighting with King Grol.
A scream rings out and can be heard coming from within the Cragmaw Castle, but thankfully it is too guttural to have been Galdor and Lofty believes it could be one of the Hobgoblin Guards. But what could have attack him, did he not flee southwards?
An owlbear’s screech echoes through the darkness and benighted castle, piercing the quiet night to announce the death of its prey.
Back inside the Ruined Tower the trio of heroes look through to the King’s Quarters and can see Galdor, in a more defensive stance, looking around nervously as he fought King Grol. King Grol, on the other hand, was laughing and enthusiastically wielding his Giant Flail at the Cleric.
Lofty places an arrow on his Shortbow with the intent of firing at the King. However, at that very moment the heroes hear a blood chilling sound, it sounded like the growl of a huge creature mixed with the chattering of some form of bird?
Astrid waits to aid Galdor, to allow Lofty to release his arrow, while Sildar stands in front of the Halfling Rogue just like a Knight would protect his King. Lofty’s aim was true and deal significant damage to King Grol.
Meanwhile, Galdor was still intimidated by the dominance of King Grol and choose to cast another Spell upon himself, ‘Shield of Faith’. A shimmering field appears and surrounds Galdor providing him with Tymora’s protection. Then the Elven Cleric gains a little courage from knowing his family had come to help him. This is because Galdor, like the 2 orphans Astrid and lofty, had no other known family. Galdor strikes the Bugbear King, who is forced to take a ‘Potion’, the potion’s red liquid glimmers when agitated by the drinking of it.
Galdor is struck again by King Grol, even with the extra Holy protection and the battle hangs by a tread. Galdor calls to his comrades in Halfling.
Galdor: “Gundren is here on the floor, he is in a bad way.”
Out of the room to the west Galdor spots a creature emerge and fly over to King Grol’s large bed.
King Grol: “Stay away from my royal bed chamber; it is not for the likes of you or your master the Black Spider. There is nothing of value to be found there creature.”
Galdor takes a quick glance behind and spots the creature and know what it is, a Kobold. Kobolds are craven reptilian humanoids that worship evil dragons as demigods and serve them as minions and toadies. But this one had wings. The creature immediately turns and begins to pull the bed apart.
Astrid was about to sprint forward to the Clerics aid but she was stopped in her tracks by what happened next. From the L-Shaped corridor, the one the second Hobgoblin had fled down, a huge creature appears after having run into the room and had slipped due to the 1,000 Ball Barings. The creature had feathers covering its thick, shaggy coat of its bearlike body, and the limpid pupils of its great round eyes stared furiously from its owlish head.
Owlbear
All those confronted by the Owlbear brace for the imminent fight that they expect to have. Lofty and Sildar move back and away from the creature hoping to gain his Roguish advantage, whilst leaving the close-quarter work to his sister. Astrid plants her feet and assumes the crane position.
The Owlbear chooses freedom over captivity and burst out of Cragmaw Castle at a speed greater than that of any of the adventurers and none volunteer to follow the freed creature.
Back with Galdor and King Grol, the fight continues and the Cleric of Tymora swings with all his strength but misses the Old, but still agile King Grol.
Galdor is too busy to stop the Winged Kobold, who he saw had found a leather sack hidden under Grol’s bed mattress, from flying past him and King Grol. The Winged Kobold had discarded the coins and bottles within and take a map.
Is this the map to Wave Echo Cave?
King Grol: “Your technique is flawed and I have you now.”
Galdor: “Not while I have one last toss of the coin, Tymora bring me luck”.
Galdor prays for godly favour and luckily is able to bring back around his Longsword, which he is wielding two-handed, in an arch and strikes the surprise King Grol. The large Bugbear fall dead and so ends the rein of the Cragmaws.
Lofty can see into the room and he spots a nude creature fly across the King’s Quarters, heading towards the south-eastern arrow slit.
Lofty Bilberry: “Did I just see a Winged Kobold fly past with a Map or Scroll in its clawed hands?”. For the next few seconds Castle Cragmaw is silent.
