Wave Echo Cave: First Blood

### Escape from Cragmaw Castle

Having been decieved by someone disguised as Tharden and locked in the old chapel, the party faced down the might of King Grols force, facing dozens of golbins, hobgoblins, and even a grick. Back to back before the gods, Ruth, Peren, Grilmus, Bird, Gundren and Florp fended off their attackers and emerged victorious. They cleared the rest of the castle but were very aware that their deciever, assumed to be the female drow they saw earlier, had esacped with the map to Wave Echo Cave... where Gundrens brother Nundro was waiting for his return.

### Race to the Lost Mine

The companions made to head back to Phandalin, but as they were leaving Florp realised that the goblins in the camp below were from her tribe. She was torn between her loyalty to her family and the bond she had fromed with Grilmus and the rest of the party, but ultimately chose to return to her homeland. However, as she left, she promised to return again.

After an emotional goodbye, the group once again made their way back to Phandalin, stopping for only a single night before riding onwards directly to Wave Echo Cave. The legendary mine was hidden deep within Gnoll Ridge Pass in the depths of the Mistbreak Mountains - it was no wonder it had been lost for so many centuries. Upon arriving, the party discovered the recently dead body of Gundrens brother Tharden, as well as multiple tracks heading into the mine. The Black Spider had beaten them here.

Gundren offered the party a deal. If they could clear the mine of monsters and foes, save his brother, and secure the Forge of Spells, he would pay each of them 500GP and offer them a share in the mines profits (once it was up and running again). They accepted, and pressed onwards to finish the job while Gundren remained behind.

It quickly became apparant that the old mine was a maze, and a trecherous one. Their first encounter with the mines denizens occured when ten stirges dropped from the ceilings, swarming them. The bat-like creatures used their numbers to attach themselves to vulnerable targets, before sucking the blood rapidly from their bodies. Fortunately the companions prevailed and were able to down all ten of the hungry beasts before anyone fell.

As they probed deeper into the ancient caverns and tunnels, they began to discover clues of what had occured here so many years ago. The skeletal remains of dead warriors, mostly dwarven and orc, were strewn throughout the mine indicating the remnants of a great battle. On closer inspection, Grilmus recognised his own families crest on the armour of many of the dead dwarves.

His suspicions were confirmed when they came across the original proclimation inscribed upon the wall of the original entrance, captured in note from below by Ruth:

Grilmus recognised Lord Kyrgozod Hammerhand as a distant ancestor of his, which suggested that the Hammerhand Clan had forged an alliance with the Iluskans to operate this mine.

The party pushed on further into the mine, taking out a few undead ghouls, before finding themselves in a huge natural cavern that had once been used as a central feasting hall. Unfortunately, they were not alone here.