Session 10 - The Goons Come to Gundren's Rescue

General Summary

Date: 20th & 21st Day of Mirtul 1491 DR

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The Party:
Aether – Level 3 Human, Circle of the Moon Druid
Duncun – Level 3 Human, Champion Fighter
Kailo - Level 3 Wood Elf, Kensei Monk
Xavien - Level 3 High Elf, Necromancer Wizard

Report:

Gundren's Goons stand at the tree line looking at Cragmaw Castle, thinking of how to infiltrate the goblin base. They decide the best course of action is to sneak around the perimeter of the ruins and get a better understanding of the building. Aether casts pass without a trace on the party and they make their way to the eastern side up to the north side of the small castle. Now on the north side of the castle the party beings making their way from east to west along the castle wall. At about the halfway point to the western side of the castle, Kailo notices a footpath on the ground leading to a section of the wall that has quite a bit of rubble. He investigates further and notices a dusty canvas painted to blend in with the surrounding rubble is hiding an entrance to the ruined castle. The gang enters through the poorly hidden entryway and make their way into a room filled with rotting crates and ancient barrels of provisions. A heavy curtain blocks the crumbling area to the south and Kailo goes to investigate what is beyond the curtain. Meanwhile, Aether moves to the intact door on the eastern wall and puts her ear to it, to listen for anything that may lay beyond. She hears nothing immediately on the other side of the door but she can make out some faint footsteps. Kailo peeks around the curtain and finds more rubble and curtains as well as doors leading off further into the castle. He returns and reports his findings. The party decides to open the door that Aether listened to and she opens it up to find a pitch dark room, Kailo enters to further investigate and finds a door on the eastern wall of this chamber as well as a curtain dividing the area to the south. Kailo peeks around the curtain and finds a hobgoblin keeping watch out of an arrow slit looking out to the area they had just snuck around outside. Kailo returns to the rest of the gang and reports his findings. They decide that Kailo should go in and attack the hobgoblin unawares while the rest of them hang back on the other side of the curtain. Aether produces flame so that she and Duncun can see in the chamber and Kailo informs Duncun to not let anything get past him and with that Kailo runs through the curtains up to the hobgoblin keeping watch and cuts him down with one swing of his longsword. As Kailo does so he hears a startled yell from the northwestern area of the room and turns to find a surprised hobgoblin leaning against the wall there. Duncun hearing this moves in sees the startled hobgoblin and takes a shot only for it to bounce off the hobgoblin's shield. Duncun dips back behind the curtain and Xavien moves past the curtain to shoot a firebolt at the hobgoblin but misses as well and rushes back past the curtain. Aether then goes past the curtain and let's fly the magical flame she was using as a light source. and ignites the hobgoblin's hair on fire and holds her ground. The hobgoblin not knowing what to do flees out the western door and makes his way for the canvas exit out of the castle only for Kailo to pursue and as the hobgoblin gets right to the exit Kailo draws his longbow and puts an arrow in the goblinoids back.

With the two hobgoblins being disposed of the party then goes to investigate the eastern door in the pitch-black room. Aether puts her ear up against the door and hears two voices in a heated discussion. One a loud, growling voice demanding payment for something and the second a silky smooth reply. Xavien decides to open the door and back away while Kailo moves to enter, where he sees that the chamber had been set up as a crude living space with thick furs thrown on the floor to serve as carpets, old trophies hang on the walls while a large bed to the north of the chamber a wolf laying on the floor by said bed. A round table with several chairs standing on the south side of the chamber a drow woman standing on the side closer to the door while an old bugbear stands on the opposite side. Also near the table on the floor lies an unconscious dwarf who looks badly beaten. All discussions between the two immediately stop as they hear the door open and turn to see who entered. The drow seeing Kailo attacks him landing a strong punch, and goes for a second one but Kailo is able to block the second blow. Duncun seeing this fires off two shots with his longbow into the drow, while Aether moves into the room, wild shapes into her lion form and bites the wolf. The bugbear is none too pleased that this lion is attacking his loving pet wolf and takes his morning star and slams it across Aethers back. Kailo engages in combat with the drow slashing out with his long sword and delivering two blows with his feet and fists. Xavien enters the chamber and lets off Scorching Ray throwing all three bolts at the drow she manages to avoid the first two but is hit with the third. The wolf locked in the eternal battle of cats vs dogs bites back at the lion that is Aether, as the female drow attacks back at Kailo with her fists, the first one Kailo manages to block but the second one she lands a heavy punch to his face. Duncun enters the room next to Kailo pulls out his longword Talon and stabs the drow right in the heart. As she dies she looks at Duncun with malice and as Duncun pulls his sword out of her and she falls to the floor the drow begins to change, her skin becomes grey her face becomes formless, her hair disappearing and her eyes becoming pale white. All the while Aether turns to face the old bugbear and swipe at him with one of her clawed paws but the old bear is surprisingly agile and is able to move out of the way. He then smiles and slams his morningstar down on Aether's head, the pain, causing her to pop out of wild shape and back into human form. Kailo moves up to attack the bugbear and tries to take the attention off of Aether slashing the old goblinoid with his longsword. The bugbear cries out at Kailo to "wait his turn, I will deal with you next." Xavien attempts to cast toll the dead on the wolf but it has no effect as the wolf turns and snaps at him, but his mage armor is able to defect the bite. Duncun turns from the corpse of the creature that was once the drow and aims his bow at the wolf only for the arrow to graze the top of the wolf. Aether conjures a blade of fire into her hand and attacks the bugbear but he easily deflects her attack and grins widely at her, and delivers a riposte with his morningstar. Kailo swings his longsword at the bugbear, but the goblinoid easily defects his blade with his shield, turns smiles and tells him to wait his turn. Xavien attempts to cast Toll the Dead on the bugbear this time and succeeds in dealing necrotic damage. The wolf continues its attack on Xavien, but can't break through his magical defenses. Duncun takes a second shot at the wolf and this time is able to sink an arrow into its hide. Aether casts healing word on the unconscious dwarf, their friend Gundren Rockseeker, and he awakens with a shock as he sits upright disoriented to what is going on. Aether then takes her flame blade and swings it at the bugbear the blade flares up as it makes contact with the goblinoid, and the bugbear enraged at Aether's attack, slams his morningstar into her making her buckle to the floor unconscious. Kailo swipes at the bugbear with his longsword in desperation, but the goblinoid easily deflects with his shield laughing all the while and telling Kailo "now it's your turn." Xavien casts false life on himself and books it to the other side of the room away from the wolf, however, the beast manages to sink his teeth into Xavien as he attempts to make his escape, the false life taking soaking up the damage. The wolf then lunges for Duncun, but Duncun is able to dodge the attack. Duncun then moves to get some distance from the wolf and shoots the canine dead. The bugbear enraged at the death of his pet swings his morningstar with great force towards Kailo, who narrowly manages to dodge the attack. Xavien casts witch bolt and lighting arcs towards the bugbear while Duncun shoots an arrow right into the bugbears ear dropping the old chief.

Kailo pulls out the healers kit and stabilizes Aether who was bleeding out on the floor. Gundren gets up and sits down on one of the chairs at the table catching his breath and processes what's going on, surprised to see the friends he hired to deliver the mining supplies to Phandalin have come to save him from his fate. The party asks what happened to him and he explains how he and Hallwinter were ambushed on the road to Phandalin by a group of goblins, and they took them to a cave, where they then took the dwarf to this castle. All he knows is that some person named The Black Spider is after his cave, and then with some panic in his voice, he asks where his map is. The party asks if he needs the map that he doesn't know the location of the cave to which he replies that is beside the point he can't leave the map lying around for someone else to find. While the party stands there Gundren begins looking around the room trashing the place looking for his prized possession, he finds a leather satchel under the mattress which he looks inside pulls out his map and with a smile drops the bag and slides the map into his belt. Kailo sees that the satchel has other things inside it and takes a look finding coin and potions of healing. He takes one of the potions and feeds it to Aether waking her up. The party debates whether or not to clear the castle ruins or to head out, which Gundren replies he wouldn't mind if they wanted to kill all those filthy goblins but he also wants to get back to Phandalin. Being fairly beat up by the whole ordeal they decide it best to head back to town. as they head out of Neverwinter Wood they see a green dragon flying overhead but it doesn't notice them. When they make camp that night at the edge of the wood, Kailo sees Droop get up and walks towards Aether, Kailo asks what he is doing and replies that he needs to piss to which he continues to walk past Aether into the brush and comes back laying next to Duncun. Upon Xaviens watch, Kailo tells him to watch out for Droop and sure enough, droop awakens again this time wandering towards Gundren then looks up at Xavien waves, walks off into some brush and sometime later returns. They head out the next day and make it to Phandalin that evening. The gang makes it to the townmaster hall and reunite Gundren with Sildar. Xavien wonders off giving an offering to the shrine of luck then laying in the town green watching the stars as the rest of the party discuss with Gundren their next move in going to Wave Echo Cave. Gundren hands them the map and tells them when they are ready to head over and investigate, he is worried The Black Spider may already be there since his brothers have not made their weekly supply run back into town. Gundren says he could use a drink and they head over to the inn to eat, drink and celebrate the return of Gundren Rockseeker. During this Aether notices that Droop is looking at all them with malice when he thinks no one is looking at him....

Character(s) interacted with

Gundren Rockseeker

Report Date

16 Dec 2019

Primary Location

Cragmaw Castle