An Adventure Begins

The party gathers in Neverwinter to bring provisions to the small town of Phandalin. On the way there, however, they discover that their employers, Gundren Rockseeker and Sildar Hallwinter, have been ambushed and kidnapped by goblins. Following their tracks, they find the goblin hideout. Due to some strategically bad decisions, they nearly die and their provisions get stolen, which is why they come back the next day. This time, they are more successful and manage to save Sildar Hallwinter as well as defeat their bugbear leader and reclaim their (and other) goods.

## Synopsis

It's the 8th day of the 2nd tenday of Mirtul in the year of 1489 DR. Four curious individuals have gathered in a square in Neverwinter, awaiting the arrival of their recruiter. The first, a male Tiefling, with violet skin and blue hair, introduces himself as Nate Westerland. He is dressed in bright colours and wears a lute on his back. The secound, a female Tiefling, again with violet skin and long blue hair, albeit another shade of these colours, goes by the name of Akemena. She is carrying a longbow and looks like she can use it. Third, we have a male wood elf, with a greenish skin and a mohawk. The most eyecatching thing however is the turtleshell he wears on his back. Hi introduces himself as Brottor. Lastly, there is a middle-aged looking half-elf joining the group. He has a long salt-and-pepper beard and wears a wolfs head on his head. He calls himself Caldarion.

After they have introduced themselves, a dwarf arrives. It is not anyone anybody has been expecting or knows. He welcomes them in the name of the Three Picks Delving Company and informs them that Mr. Rockseeker and Mr. Hallwinter already left early to take care of some business, hence his presence. The party receives a wagon with supplies and is tasked with bringing it safely to Phandalin. They also receive a map. Once in Phandalin, they need to deliver the provisions to Barthen's Provisions, where they will receive their pay of 10gp each. With that he takes his leave.

On the way out of the city the party also notices a reward notice on a notice board. It offers a bounty upon the proof of death of certain monsters. After a short discussion, Brottor decides to disregard law (or guidelines), taking the notice off the board and with him.

Somewhen in the afternoon, the party comes across to dead horses lying on the ground on the road. They carefully go to investigate, but are still ambushed by four goblins. After dealing with them, they find out that these horses most likely belonged to Sildar Hallwinter and Gundren Rockseeker, which is why they devided to follow the goblin trail. Brottor is left behind to guard the oxen and the provisions, while Nate, Akemena and Caldarion followe the trail. After some succesfully circumvented traps they arrive at what appeares to be the goblin's hideout; a cave with a small stream exiting. Upon transversing the stream, they alerted the goblins keeping watch outside and a fight ensues, which is quickly won.

The three adventurers then enter the cave and come across a chamber containing three wolves. Akemena, being very perceptive, spots a fissure at the back of the chamber and wants to investigate, however, the wolves are in the way and do not look friendly. A discussion breaks out whether to kill them, with Caldarion adamantly defending the wolves. By this time, the wolves got pretty worked up and start pulling on their chains. Fearing they might break loose, Akemena attacks the wolves. In the following fight, Nate falls unconscious after a single attack, and Caldarion eventually also drops unconsciously, trying to pull Nate out of the wolves reach. Akemena eventually manages to kill the last of the wolves, but is left with two unconscious and dying companions. After stabilizing them, she pulls them out of the cave, just before a wave of water brusts out of the cavemouth. She hides the bodies best she can in the bramble bushes, before running back to Brottor and getting help. Together they run back, but four goblins are already outside looking at the dead bodies of their (the goblins') companions. Afraid they could find Nate and Caldarion, they attack the goblins. They managed to kill all the goblins, but Akemena fell unconscious too. Brottor arrived just in the brink of time to save her from dying. Seeing as he was alone, he hid Akemena in the bushes too and waited for somebody to wake up.

Eventually Caldarion woke up and together they dragged the unconscious forms of Akemena and Nate further away, to wait until they woke up. They saw small search parties being sent out by the goblins, but they hid well enough that they weren't found. Some time later they saw one of the parties return with their oxen and cart in tow. At some point Akemena and Nate also woke up, and they decided to pull back further and rest for the night.

Since their provisions had been stolen by the goblins, they now had to get back there and reclaim their goods, as well as find out what happened to Sildar and Gundren. Back in the cave, they spot a goblin up on a bridge ahead and try to sneakily shoot him with a javelin. It misses, the goblin is alerted and shouts to "release the flood", whereupon a thundering fills the cave and a flood of water approaches the party. Caught off-guard, not all manage to escape it in time and the group is swept out of the cave. After regrouping, they try to take out the goblin more stealthily. They don't fully succeed and another flood is released. This time, however, they are prepared and manage to jump out of the way in time. Finally they manage to kill the troublesome goblin and continue to explore the cave.

In the next chamber, after defeating the inhabiting goblins, they find a very battered, but still living, Sildar Hallwinter. He tells them that he and Gundren had been ambushed, and that Gundren had been sent to a place called Cragmaw Castle. Not wanting to sit around idly in an enemy lair, the party equips Sildar with a weapon and continues their exploration. They eventually reach their boss, a bugbear named Klarg and his pet wolf, and manage to defeat him.

## Featured Characters

### **Adventuring Party**

* Nate Westerland
* Akemena
* Brottor
* Caldarion

## Quests

* Meet Me In Phandalin
* Escort to Phandalin