Sildar Hallwinter offer to stay with Gundren Rockseeker if the adventurers find a good place to defend until the others return and hope not to meet a Grick.
Lofty suggests that the Owlbear tower who be a good place to hide with the first floor providing a good place for Sildar to shoot his cross-bow from.
The adventurers all look to Lofty and he realises that he had been chosen to scout the route ahead that is his job after all.
Lofty stealthily moves out of the King’s Quarters and move south to the Guards Barracks. At the heavy curtain the Rogue stops to listen for any noises beyond it. He hears nothing.
The Rogue finds that the Barracks are empty and the door to the west is left open. Lofty once again creeps over to the western door and listens out for any sound of their foes, nothing.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “It’s all too quiet for my likening; the sooner we leave the happier my nerves will be.”
The Rogue continues south and into the Owlbear Tower which he also finds empty.
OWLBEAR TOWER:
The upper floors of this tower have collapsed to create a hollow silo at least thirty feet high, and the upper reaches of the room are lost in shadows. Dust, rubble, and broken glass cover the floor, and old worktables and bookshelves lie strewn to the south. In the middle of the room is a hulking beast that looks like a mangy bear with an owl’s head. It rears up and roars when it sees you.
Lofty thinks it best to check the whole area and climbs up to the upper floor. All that remains of the tower’s second floor is a jagged ledge, upon which sits a battered wooden chest. The chest is hard to see from the floor and the Rogue smiles to himself and this adventure had netting him more money than he had ever seen in one place.
Item – Chest
The chest is checked for traps and one is found. However, the Rogue is not able to disarm the trap and the poison on the blade is lost. Once unlocked by the Rogue, he finds inside contains 90 ep, 120 gp, a Potion of Healing, a Scroll of Silence, a Scroll of Revivify and a Broch with a Red Ruby.
Lofty quietly returns to the party and Lofty, Astrid, Galdor, Gundren and Sildar all head back down to the Owlbear Tower.
Lofty then persuade the team to follow him as he believes that they should check the side door, then the Banquet Hall and finally check the south-west corner area of Cragmaw Castle.
The Rogue leads his sister and Galdor back to the Guards Barracks, out west then south through the heavy curtains and to the Postern Gate. This he checks to see if it still remained unlocked, which it was.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Now we can check the Banquet Hall, look the door is wide open and the room is in a mess as if they all ran out.”
The Banquet Hall was empty and there was no sign of the Goblins or their leader, Yegg. Lofty, again take the lead and moves westwards to the Ruined Barracks.
RUINED BARRACKS:
The southwest tower of the castle is little more than a heap of rubble. Several ragged bedrolls are scattered across the remaining floor space, and a small, twisting passage leads east through the ruins
Not wanting to waste any more time than he had, the Rogue noiselessly move to the northern door, puts his ear to it and listens. However, he is unable to discern any noise beyond due to his rapidly beating heart.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Nothing here let us return to the western door between the two heavy curtains, I believe that is where everyone has run off to.”
Once the adventurers reach the door the Rogue presses his hear to the door, one more time, but now he hears the sound of bear feet moving across the stone floor and then the sound of a door being closed but not shut closed.
Lofty having some time to prepare, casts ‘Message’ and informs Galdor that they will attempt to Silently enter the chamber beyond, Astrid leading the wat with cover being provided by Galdor and Lofty and the very back. Astrid opens the door and finds the following in the Dark Hall behind:
DARK HALL – GRICK:
This high, narrow hall looks as if it might have been part of a chapel or shrine at one time. Angelic figures are sculpted along the room’s upper reaches, looking down on the floor below. To the north, heavy curtains block a matching pair of archways. Between the archways is a cracked but ornately carved stone brazier. Next to that on the floor is a very large bowl with the word ‘Fluffy’ scratched into it.
Astrid moves into the 30’ foot high chamber followed by Galdor and Lofty who leaves the door open behind him.
Astrid Bilberry: “Who are all these statues meant to be?”
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “You must have been training when they taught Deities of Faerûn in your monastery sister.”
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “They are Oghma (god of knowledge), Mystra (goddess of magic), Lathander (god of dawn), and Tymora (goddess of luck). This is an obvious sign that the builders of the castle were human.”
Astrid Bilberry: “Smart short-arse.”
Lofty chooses to check the western door first while Galdor waits with his Longbow draw and Astrid stands on the balls of her feet and with her Magical Shortsword in hand. Lofty can see that the door is slight ajar and listens out for noise, this was fortunate for him for at that moment, from among the angelic figures drops a Goblin dressed in religious garments and riding an adult Grick.
Monster – Grick
A fight commences with Astrid taking damage initially from the Grick and then the adventures all hit and kill the Grick in a matter of seconds. Surprisingly the Orc is dextrous enough to jump off the back of the Grick and land safely from the falling Grick and he in turn attacks Astrid. This time the bows of Galdor and Lofty finish-off Lhupo the priest.
Seconds after the fall of Lhupo, 4 Goblins with Shortbows in hand emerge from behind the curtains and are shocked to see both Lhupo and Fluffy the Grick laying dead on the clod stone floor.3 of the 4 Goblins turn and run for their lives while only one of the soldiers stands and fires. He does not last long in the wolrd and is quickly dispatched by the adventurers.
The adventurers elect not to exit via the western door as the way feels fowl and so it is north past the two hanging heavy curtains.
Lofty, Galdor and Astrid move as silently as they can towards the western of the two curtains and not all of the members are successful in this task, both looking out for a Grick. Lofty Listens at the heavy curtain and unnerved by the noise coming from the party is distracted and is convinced that the coast is clear. Beyond the curtain Lofty find another 30’ foot high chamber.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “This appears to be some form of Goblin Shrine, just in case you were unsure sister.”
Astrid Bilberry: “Enough with the joking brother as I still possess some KI that I am willing to use on you,”
GOBLIN SHRINE – GRICK:
This chamber occupies the northern tower of the castle. A stone altar stands in the middle of the room, covered with bloodstained black cloth. Golden ritual implements—a chalice, a knife, and a censer—are carefully arranged on top of the altar. Two archways to the south are covered with heavy curtains.
Lofty tiptoes over to the Eastern door, which has been left open by the fleeing Goblins, and listens. Galdor and Astrid follow close behind and stand ready in the middle of the Goblin Shrine. Then surprisingly from behind the stone Alter 2 more Goblins emerge and surprise our 2 warriors.
Lofty is left to attack the 2 Goblins as they fire at the Cleric of Tymora and the Monk of Urogalan. Both Goblins miss and are easily dealt with after a fantastic strike by the Rogue. Lofty, having listened again, hears nothing and the 3 adventurers enter the next chamber.
Clerics of Faerûn
STOREROOM – GRICK:
Old casks of salted meat and sacks of grain fill this storage area. The food appears to be of better quality than that found in the Ruined Tower.
Lofty first see that some of the casks and sacks had been spilled across the floor or left uncovered as if someone had grabbed surplices quickly. Lofty then moves to the southern door in this room and can clearly see it has been opened and that is another door to the west which appears to lead into the western most tower. Next the Rogue listens at the closed door, in the Storeroom, and he can clearly hear the sound of Goblinoids talking and moving around. Lofty believes that they are Hobgoblins and that they should attempt to surprise those within.
Lofty gestures to Galdor to enter the room via the other door, while the Rogue and Monk would enter via the door in the Storeroom.
Galdor opens his door and finds that he is not where the Rogue expected him to be.
ARCHERS POST NORTH:
This small room is clean and tidy. The arrow slit opposite the door offers a fine field of fire over the terrace in front of the castle gates.
The Cleric finds that the room is occupied by 2 Goblin Archer, wearing King Grol’s livery, both looking out of the arrow slits whilst guarding the Castle Entrance.
Stez, Goblin 1#: “Now there goes Wrung, Vaard and Big Nagnok and they’re carrying weapons and sacks. I tell you there’s something wrong”
Plix, Goblin #2: “Don’t get involved as I bet its Yegg messing with them again. Chain of command we do as told, guard the Castle Entrance and keep an eye out for them.”
Galdor chooses to let these poor creatures live and in his most Intimidating voice offers the 2 Goblins a way out.
Galdor: “You have the chance to leave of your own free will, or to fight me the Elf Lord who had already killed Yegg, Lhupo and Fluffy.”
Stez and Plix both look at each other, bow to Galdor and scamper out of the northern Archers Post and out of the Castle Entrance.
Monster – Goblin Archer
Meanwhile, Astrid is ready to open the door to the Hobgoblin Barracks, surprise those inside, rush in to attack whilst allowing space for Lofty to fire at those inside too.
HOBGOBLIN BARRACKS:
Four plain straw pallets and bedrolls are lined up on the floor of this barracks. Brackets on the walls hold a number of weapons—spears, swords, morningstars, and more. The north wall shows signs of damage, but the floor is swept clean of rubble.
Inside there are 4 Hobgoblins, 2 sitting on the straw pallets playing a game of Bones and 2 others cleaning and polishing their equipment. All of the Hobgoblins are occupied and caught completely by surprise and Bloody Murder ensues.
For some unknown reason, maybe the fact that Lofty had miscalculated the rooms and he and his sister had to fight alone, the Rogue mad every shot from his Shortbow count and his arrows were deadly. Between Astrid using her last Flurry of Blows and Lofty’s expert archery the 4 Hobgoblins manage just 2 attacks before joining all the other soldiers of the Black Spider.
Galdor rushes back north and joins the siblings.
Galdor: “Clear, that is the last of them me thinks.”
Lofty spots that the Hobgoblins Barracks was filled with weapons. Mounted to the walls are 5 Spears, 4 Longswords, 3 Morningstars, 2 Greatswords, and a fine Quarterstaff. The quarterstaff is engraved with stylized feathers, is surprisingly light (1 lb.), and worth 10 gp in Lofty’s opinion.