Sildar visits the party the following morning and suggests that Astrid accompany him back to the ambush area to see if they can find clues regarding the Goblins or Hobgoblins as to where Cargmaw Castle maybe or even find more Goblin’s that may tell them where Cargmaw Castle was or follow back there. Sildar tells the adventurers that Harbin Wester, the current Townmaster is a fat, pompous old fool. He is completely intimidated by the Redbrands and he claims that they’re “just a mercenary guild, and not all that much trouble, really”. Unless Sildar has grounds in intervene, Harbin Wester is the Law in this one-horse town. Sildar and Astrid both do not trust the man but the Law is the Law.
Sildar and Astrid visit the Townmaster’s Hall and commandeer Harbin Wester’s horse and then Bart
Sildar and Astrid commandeer Harbin Wester’s horse from the Townmaster’s Hall and one from Bart, who was kind enough to offer his, and then ride out to the ambush spot. They wait and see nothing until it gets dark and that’s when Astrid hears, as she cannot see in the dark, movement in the area of the dead horses.
Harbin Wester
The noise moves away in the direction of the Cargmaw Hideout and Astrid gets to see the creatures in the moonlight. It had dark orange or red-orange skin, and hair ranging from dark red-brown to dark Gray, Hobgoblins. Yellow or dark brown eyes peered out beneath their beetling brows, and their wide mouths sport sharp and yellowed teeth. It was a male Hobgoblin which might have a large blue or red nose, which symbolizes virility and power among Goblinkin.
Sildar and Astrid follow the Hobgoblins tracks, which eventually head back to the Cragmaw Hideout and the Hobgoblins appear to be tracking and they were carrying only equipment. Sildar and Astrid wait for the Hobgoblins Trackers to exit the cave and kill them. The Hobgoblins must have come from a nearby camp or fixed encampment. Astrid finds a Wanted poster for the 2 Halflings but not Galdor.
Sildar and Astrid then wait for daybreak and follow the tracks of the Hobgoblins, from the ambush spot, back to their origins at Cragmaw Castle, some 20′ miles from the ambush spot and 30′ miles from Deadwood.
Astrid stalks around the Cragmaw Castle and discovers the following:
CRAGMAW CASTLE GOBLINS & HOBGOBLINS:
Cragmaw Castle is not a Goblin construction, nor is that the structure’s original name. The stronghold consists of seven overlapping towers; however, its upper levels have long since collapsed to heaps of crumbling masonry. Only the ground floor is still sound enough to be habitable.
General Features: The centuries have not been kind to Cragmaw Castle. The Goblins have shored up the weakest areas beneath its falling towers with crude timbers, but it’s only a matter of time before the structure collapses completely.
Light: A small amount of natural light filters through the arrow slits around the Castle. During the day, this provides Dim Light in most areas. At night, all areas will be Dark.
Walls: Exterior walls and load-bearing interior walls are 5’ feet thick, with 3’ feet of mortared fill sandwiched between 1’ foot thick courses of hard stone blocks.
Arrow slits: In the castle walls are 10’ feet above the outside ground level, 4’ feet above the interior floor level, 8’’ inches wide, and 4’ feet high. A creature on one side of an arrow slit gains Three-Quarters Cover against attacks from the other side (see “Cover” in the rulebook). Castle Entrance: The Castle consists of seven crumbling towers of different sizes and heights, but the upper stories are all in varying states of collapse. A short flight of stone steps leads up to a terrace which are in front of the main entryway of Cragmaw Castle. Past the wreckage of a pair of sundered doors lies a shadowed hall. Round towers loom over the entrance way, with dark arrow slits looking down on the terrace.
