Wardens of Heroes Gate

On the Triboar Trail

] You have been traveling The High Road from the city of Neverwinter to settlement of Phandalin for over 2 days. With you is L’Khifrey Albrek-Roethorn, the daughter of Iarno Albrek of the Lords Alliance, and a Half-Elf Drow woman named Koza who you saved from being beaten to death by a couple of half-orcs in camp last night. A Half-Elf named Belteb is the owner of the cart hauling supplies. You expect to reach your destination by nightfall and meet up with Gundren Rockseeker and Sildar Hallwinter. The Triboar Trail is slow going compared to The High Road as it winds through rocky areas in the far-foot of the Sword Mountain. For the past 4 hours you have seen one ambush opportunity after another – it is a perfect terrain for bandits to do what they do to travelers and supply carts like yours. You have been on high-alert all day, stopping frequently to scout ahead.

] Currently, Roonoo is standing on the back of the cart keeping watch from behind and to the sides. Daine is walking along in front of the cart. The cart driver, Belteb, is more focused on his own feedbag than the two Oxen pulling the cart. As you round a bend you see trail blocked ahead of you by two dead horses. You can see each appears to have arrows sticking out of it. The terrain on either side of the Triboar Trail here is raised with dense high thickets leading into a forest on the North side and some rocky areas on the South side towards the Sword Mountains.

Deynn] I turn back to Belteb “Hold the cart! The road is blocked ahead. Could be an ambush spot. Best take some cover while I check it out.”

Roonoo] I move crates and barrels around so that Khi-Khi, Koza and Belteb can take cover in the back of the cart. Then I ready my shortbow – ducking behind a barrel (3/4 cover).

Deynn] I slowly walk towards the horses blocking the road, keeping close watch on the thickets to the North and the South.

[()]

] You do not see or hear anything on either side of the trail. As you get closer to the horse corpses, you see both have several black-feathered arrows sticking out of each. The horses seem familiar to you, one a large tan-colored Palomino and the other a small black mare. The saddlebags have been looted and tossed. You also notice leather cylindrical map case empty and lying on the ground.

[()]

] A barrage of arrows comes at you from either side of the trail. One of the attackers is clumsy about it and gives away it’s position in the thicket as it fires an arrow. Most of the arrows miss you entirely but two find their target

Deynn] I use my Reaction to catch one of the arrows (Deflect Missiles) and hurl it back at the attacker that gave away it’s position.

() 1d20 Attack 1  [Crit Fail]

] You instinctively snatch one of the incoming arrows out of the air and spin to fling it back at the creature you saw firing. It misses its target however and the maneuver allowed another arrow to graze you (5dmg)

Roonoo] I fire an arrow at the same attacker which gave away its position (G02)

() 1d20 Attack 15 +6 = 21 [Hit] Dmg 4 +6 = 10

] Your arrow evokes a death squeal from the thicket. You all hear a few brief words of fright. Roonoo, you recognize the language as Goblin but do not understand the words. There is the sound of a small body falling into the thicket. Another round of arrows fly.

[()]

] Two arrows are launched towards Roonoo but miss, thunking into the wooden crates. Three more arrows attack Deynn from the North side and you both see a Goblin step out of cover to make the shot. (G04) One of the arrows hits you Deynn.

Deynn] I use a Reaction to catch the arrow and fling it back at the Goblin out of cover.

() 1d20 Attack 18 +6 = 22 [Hit] Dmg 4 +6 = 10

] You hurl the caught arrow at the visible Goblin and it pierces its throat, spraying blood over the surrounding area.

Deynn] I use my Movement to run into the North side thicket and look for the other attackers. I yell to Roonoo “Stay with them – watch the South side”. Once inside the wooded area, can I see any other Goblins?

() 1d20 Perception 18 +6 = 24

] You see two other Goblins on the North side. (G01, G03) When they see you, they both panic and pull back into the more heavily wooded area.

] The Goblins on the South side (G05, G06) both fire towards Roonoo, but both arrows strike the Oxen. One glances off the shank of one Ox and the other is stabbed in the side. The Oxen begin pulling forward to escape the arrows.

Roonoo] “We are about to lose our cover!” I crouch down, dropping both the shortbox and my robe and picking up my Blackthorn. As the cart pulls closer to our attackers, I tell Belteb to stay down then I leap into the thicket on the South side.

[()]

] You jump from the moving cart. The close distance of the attack did reveal the hiding spots of two Goblins (G5, G6) They are crouched in the thicket about 15 feet apart from each other.

Roonoo] I rush after the closest Goblin (G6) and attack with my staff

() 1d20 Attack 14 +7 = 21 [Hit] Dmg 2 +7 = 9

] The goblin falls under a single powerful blow.

Roonoo] I use the rest of my movement to rip thru the thicket towards the other Goblin to engage it in combat and I use my Bonus Action for Aggression Tactics

[()]

] You successfully Intimidate the Goblin (G05 Crit fail) and it drops its shortbow and makes a high-pitched squeak. Seconds later you smell the unmistakable reek of Goblin shit.

] The panicing oxen continue to jerk the cart forward and Belteb tries to regain control with the reins. From the roadway just beyond the two dead horses, two Hobgoblins rush towards the cart. “Look!” yells Khi-Khi, “more coming at us!” Koza fires an arrow at one of them (HG01) [()] but the hobgoblin bats it away with its sword. Khi-Khi fires off Magic Missle at the same (HG01)

Deynn] I note the direction the two escaping Goblins are running thru the forested area and I try to calculate where I might stop them using Tree Stride. [Insight Check] I reach behind me to touch my flute and cast Tree Stride.

Result Table

Deynn]

() 1d20 Insight 14 +6 = 20

] You successfully plot a pathway through the larger trees and step out of a large oak just a few feet in front of the scrambling Goblins, surprising them with your sudden appearance.

Deynn] I attack the nearest Goblin (G1)

() 2d20a Attack 16 + 6 = 22 [Hit] Dmg 3 +6 = 9

] You land a fist powerfully into the nose of one of them (G1) and its face crumples inward. Its body falls dead.

[()]

] The other Goblin tries to halt its forward progress while also reaching for its Scimitar. The effort fails badly and it trips and falls prone at your feet, its weapon only halfway out of the sheath.

Deynn] I disarm the creature and check for any other weapons hidden on it, then I restrain the fallen Goblin then I start dragging it back to the road.

] Belteb manages to get the oxen to stop just before the two dead horses lying in the roadway. Khi-Khi and Koza are both still in the back of the wagon. The Hobgoblins mount an attack against [()] Koza from the right side of the wagon but she deftly escapes the long blades. She fires her bow at short range and spears one of them while Khi-Khi launches another round of her Magic Missle spell at the other. The beast falls backwards – apparently overwhelmed by the magical assault.

] Back on the South side of the road, Roonoo is engaged with the final Goblin (G5). (It is currently in a Shaken status and has -3 penalty on all Attacks and Saves and attacks against it have Advantage.) It looks confused about what is happening and seems unsure whether to draw a weapon or run.

[()]

] The Goblin uses Disengage to bolt away from you. Do you allow it to escape or pursue it into the Southern woods.

Roonoo] I chase after it, afraid it might alert others and return with backup.

] It begins to outrun you through the rocky terrain, but it runs into an area where it needs to climb about 8 feet up a rocky surface or turn around. In panic, it tries to climb.

[()]

] As you catch up to the Goblin, it has failed to climb far enough to get over the rocky hurdle.

Roonoo] I grab it and throw it to the ground. “Should I let you live or end your smelly life?” I ask it, not really expecting it can understand Common.

] “Live! Live!” The Goblin says and it throws its weapons and a small pouch onto the ground. “Let live!?”

Roonoo] “You speak Common? Perhaps I will let you live then.” I grab the pouch and drag the Goblin back to the cart.

] Khi-Khi and Koza have just finished dropping the other Hobgoblin when you both reach the roadway with your goblin captives. Roonoo, as you approach the cart you get a good look at the two dead horses in the roadway… you recognize the small black mare as Queen a’ Mine – the same horse you sold to Gundren just a few days earlier. The other is Sildar’s Palomino mount.

Roonoo] “That is Queen a’ Mine! And I recognize Sildars Palomino as well.” I am angry at the Goblins for killing the horses and now I think the Goblin who shit himself is no longer worthy of mercy… but I want to question him first to see if Gundren and Sildar are still alive.

] It is not an easy conversation, but you learn from the Goblins minimal Common that Sildar and Gundren were captured, not killed. They were taken to the hideout cave. When asked where the hideout was, the goblin pointed in roughly the same direction that the other two Goblins were fleeing towards when Deynn stopped them. You also learn that there lots of others in the tribe. They call themselves the Cragmaw. A Bugbear named Klarg is boss… they all hate Klarg. The only other thing you learn is that someone named King Grol told Klarg to capture the Dwarf named Rockseeker and that they must get his maps.

Roonoo] Once I think we got everything from the Goblin, my anger is so under pressure that I bash its head in and kick it to the side of the road.

Deynn] “Hey… That was not… necessary. Roonoo… while we are working together… I request that we would discuss things like when we are done questioning an informant, and perhaps… how to be done with them.”

] Koza looks at Deynn with a puzzled expression but remains silent.

Roonoo] “I understand, and I’m… I’m willing to have such discussions. I am just filled with anger at the moment for the killing of the horses. I sold that black mare to Gundren just days ago – she was a beautiful creature, unlike these kak-eating scavengers.”

Deynn] “I understand and I share your anger. Let’s keep this one alive – he just may help us get Sildar and Gundren back alive. It nothing else, we will walk him in front of us as a short shield.”

] The tied up Goblin appears to be oblivious to your words, but he looks back and forth between you and Roonoo. He obviously fears he will soon meet the same fate as his tribe-member just did. Using the ox, you clear away the corpses of the two horses and ask Belteb if he wants to continue toward Phandalin alone while they go after Gundren and Sildar or should they find a place to hide both he and the cart until they return. Belteb wants to risk the road rather than hang around. He will meet you in town. Khi-Khi seems conflicted… she is anxious to rescue Sildar from the goblins, but also to find her father. She decides to go with Belteb rather than join the assault on a goblin hideout. Koza is willing to join you in the search for your friends.

] As the cart pulls away with Belteb and Khi-Khi, the remaining captured Goblin silently directs you to a hidden trail just off the Triboar which leads North.

Deynn] We follow the trail and force the Goblin to lead the way at the end of a rope.

] You walk the ascending dirt trail for nearly 3 miles. Along the way, the Goblin quietly walks around a hidden snare trap, making it obvious and easy to trigger without incident.

Roonoo] “Keep an eye on the beastie… he seems none-to-concerned with whether we walk into one of his traps.”

Deynn] “Right. At least we can assume that the presence of traps means we are on the right trail.”

Roonoo] “I am not assuming that much…” I laugh “But I am assuming there will be more traps ahead for us.”

] Less than a mile further you watch as the Goblin walks around a pit in the ground and looks down into it for a second and then just keeps walking. You see that the pit was a trap that has triggered, its false ground falling inward. Looking down into the pit, you see a young man, possibly Half Elf, obviously dead, with spikes protruding through its body. The blood glistens on the spikes.

Deynn] “Hold up!” I yank on the Goblins rope leash. “This poor fellow only just met this fate – look at the blood, it is still fresh.”

Roonoo] “Hey Kakstain! What do you know about this?”

] The Goblin makes eye contact with you but remains staid and silent.

Deynn] “It feels dishonorable to just leave his body impaled like that. If we had time, I’d say we should give him a proper burial.”

Roonoo] “We expect to be heading back this way once we liberate Gundren and Sildar… we can show due-honor to the stranger then.”

Deynn] “I agree with your reasoning Roonoo, it is sound, but my heart cannot walk away from this sight.”

] Koza “What honor is owed a complete stranger? For all we know, it was honor that threw him down there… Do you bury every corpse you come upon in this violent world?”

Deynn] “I know it seems strange. It is the way of The Abbey to show honor when and where there is any opportunity. Please allow us to at least pull him from the spike pit and cover his body with some branches in the forest. It will take only minutes and I will not have to carry the odium of grim actions for months. If there is time ample afterwards, we will provide a proper burial.”

Roonoo] I pull my rope from off my pack. “Your reasoning is also sound friend, whatever his honor, we should not damage ours. Koza, can you gather a few thick branches while we extract our unknown chum here?”

] The two of you pull the body from the spike pit. It is indeed a Half Elf, apparently quite young, perhaps only still in his second decade of life. His body has deep slashes apparent – the fall into the pit spikes may not have been the only cause of death. He has a cheap rapier strapped to his waist and extremely worn leather armor around his chest. In his left hand is a fine looking flute, made of an exotic wood with intricate carvings inlaid with silver.

] Koza “That instrument looks to be expensive, perhaps we could use it to earn some gold for our troubles.”

Deynn] I hand the flute to her “You are correct – it is a fine instrument. How much do you think we could get for it?”

] Koza looks it over and says “Hmmm… it appears to be real silver for the inlay. Maybe as much as 50 or 60 gp?”

Deynn] “I will give you a hundred for it.” I fish out 10 plat from my pouch and make the trade. “Roonoo – do you want a cut?”

Roonoo] I look at Deynn as if trying to understand him… “No friend, I do not need of any.”

] Koza “You are a strange one Deynn. As you seem quite serious… and I – quite skint… I will accept your coin.” She hands the flute back to you and pockets your platinum. “I suppose I should not call you strange though… I probably owe my life to your oddity… who else would stand in to defend a drow from being beaten to death.”

Deynn] “There are surely others.” I remember suspecting her of actually killing the Half Orc at camp which started that beating. I remember wondering if she somehow calculated my willing involvement. I consider calling her on it but change my mind and decide to be subtle. “You gave me opportunity to show you honor Koza. I am just glad I did not have to bury you as well.” I drag the body into the undergrowth near the pit and cover it with the branches Koza gathered. I kneel and offer a silent prayer to Nobanion for the boy and for those who will miss him. “There, that did not take long.”

Roonoo] “Takes me longer to void the old bowels… and I dare say – both feel worth the while.”

] You continue forward another mile. The trail begins to switchback steeply up an incline with heavy undergrowth making it difficult to see very far ahead.

[()]

] The Goblin ahead of you reaches a sharp turn and you lose sight of him for just a second. You hear a brief yelp from the Goblin and you see it fall back into your view and into the undergrowth. There is an arrow sticking out of its chest.

Deynn] “Ambush! Find cover!”

] The heavy thickets hide the source of the attack from you. You can see the Goblin remains alive but is losing blood as it scrambles back towards you.

] Koza has her bow drawn and ready. “That arrow”, she whispers, “is not the same as the ones the Goblins attacked us with. It could be the source is no enemy of ours.”

Deynn] “Good observation Koza. You are probably right.” I say quietly. Then I raise my voice. “We are no friend to Goblins! What be you?”

] A voice calls down “We are no friends to Goblins either!” He sounds young with a slight tremble to his words.

Roonoo] “Then we have no reason to harm you unless you intend injury upon us.” I yell.

] Another voice, a female, calls out “We seek only to find our friends.”

Deynn] “We seek the same, two friends were captured by Goblins and taken this way up into hills. Shall we put away our weapons?”

] You overhear brief whispers and then the male voice says “Agreed. We shall trust.”

Roonoo] “We shall trust as well.”

] Moments later, two young Half Elves walk around the switch turn. “I am Darsley and this is my husband Colt. We were attacked by a large group of Goblins and had to scatter. We were seperated. We are looking for two friends, my sister and another.”

Deynn] I pull out the flute from the Half Elf. “Does this belong to your friend?”

] Colt “Yes! That is Wahlers flute! Where did you find it?”

Roonoo] “We are sorry to tell… we found the body of a Half Elf lad a short ways back. We provided what service we could for him – expedient but reverent.”

] Darsla “What of Deyni? My sister?”

] Koza “No sign of another. The trail has been heaviliy traveled, I would not have been able to make out one set of feet from another. I expect Goblins would have disposed of both bodies together if both were there… it is worth holding to hope Darsley.”

Deynn] I look at Koza, at first with a little shock that she would be less-than-delicate, and then that she would be encouraging hope in the next breath. “I agree with Koza, there remains reason for hope. Our two friends were captured and carried into these hills… an elder Human and a crimson Dwarf. You poked a fine hole into our guide here. We were not certain whether we could trust him to lead us to our friends but he is all we have at the moment.”

] Colt “We have seen no others, I am sorry. As for sticking a Goblin, I am tempted to finish the job now, but I see you have it restrained. I did not notice that when I loosed my arrow upon it.”

Deynn] “We shall try to recover.” I attempt to remove the arrow from the Goblin body and apply a bandage. [Medicine Check]

Result Table

Deynn]

() 1d20 Medicine 12 +3 = 15

] You extract the arrow and successfully apply bandages to stop the bleeding. The pain of the extraction causes the Goblin to fall unconscious.

Deynn] “Looks like we have lost our guide for the time being.”

Roonoo] “Don’t tell me we are going to carry it with us like a baby. Are we sure it is not faking?”

Deynn] “No, and no. But I think we must leave him restrained so he does not awake and alert his tribe. Colt, Darsley … how much further up the trial have you been?”

] Darsley “Not much. These switchbacks continue for ways and then the trail opens a bit and appears to circle round into a rocky valley. From there, we do not know. We turned back thinking Wahler and Deyni would not have gone any further without us, they must returned to the Triboar, we thought… Now I just don’t…” she becomes silent – worry and sadness have stifled her.

Roonoo] I look to Colt “None of our business I know… but can I ask what the four of you were doing out here in the first place?”

] Colt “The Lionshield Coster has hired us to locate and return a shipment of supplies. A tenday ago their wagons were ambushed on the Triboar below. The driver and guard were slain. 500 gold was offered for the recovery. Seemed simple enough… but it proven to cost us much.”

Deynn] “We were also ambushed while guarding a supply wagon. This Goblin was one of our attackers so it would appear you were on the right track. I propose the two of you continue back down to the main trail in search for your sister. She may have gotten lost off-trail. We will continue forward in search of our friends. If we encounter Deyni, we will help restore her to you. Hopefully we can all be safely in Phandalin before nightfall. We will catch up to you there.”

] Darsley “See you back on the Triboar, or at the Inn if it starts to get dark on us. I hope one of us finds Deyni alive – we have been through so much… too much to die at the grubby hands of Goblins.”

Deynn] “Here, Wahlers flute. You should keep it.”

] Darsley “No, you hold on to it. If you find Deyni, you can show it to her like you did with us.”

] You travel another mile or so Northward along the trail as it traverses a shallow valley. Tracks show the trail turn uphill again and the forest around you starts becoming less dense. The sun is high in the sky and elevation gain has caused both of you to break a sweat. Koza has been sheltering her eyes – the bright sun challenging her. Up ahead you see the hillside rise into rock faces. You begin to hear the sound of running water.

Deynn] I stop walking and whisper “Roonoo, do you hear that? A stream up ahead – and I am getting thirsty.”

Roonoo] “Let’s approach with caution – it’s been a while since we have seen any traps and one is long overdue.” I begin cautious approach forward. [Stealth Check *3]

Result Table

Roonoo]

() 1d20 Stealth 17 +4 = 21 [Success]

Deynn]

() 1d20 Stealth 11 +6 = 17 [Success]

] Koza, you suddenly notice, has been exactingly silent with her every step the entire hike. Even blinded by the sun, you realize she never took a mistep or caused any noise at all with her footfalls. You can see a heavy brook streaming out from a large rock face. The location where it exits is still hidden from your view by a large grouping of dense trees. The trail turns right and follows the edge of the stream towards the jutting rock formation – you see no sign of a trail on the other side of the stream.

Roonoo] I point and whisper “I think we are here… This must be the Cragmaws cave hideout – the trail leads right up stream.” I slowly begin following the stream.

] Just as you begin alongside the thicket which was obscuring the cave mouth from view, you both hear what sounds like squabbling coming from behind the leaves and branches.

Deynn] I tap Roonoo and point into the thickets, then motion to Koza that we follow around.

] As you reach the opening of the cave, you can see a rickety wooden platform has been raised inside the thicket. The squabbling continues – obviously from atop that platform.

Roonoo] I point at the legs of the platform and silently propose we yank both legs from one side of it, causing the stink-things to fall right towards us for a beating.

Deynn] I nod in understanding and agreement.

] Koza steps alongside the rock wall just outside of the cave entrance and nocks an arrow in readiness for the fall of whatever is hiding up on the ricketdy platform. The legs pull from the ground easily and just as planned, two very surprised Goblins slide right towards you. An arrow from Koza’s bow pierces one even as it falls into your view.

Roonoo] I attack the pierced one with my Blackthorn staff

() 2d20a Attack 8 +7 = 15 [Hit]

Deynn] I deliver a thrusting heel kick to the other Goblin.

() 2d20a Attack 20 Crit [Hit]

] Both Goblins are barely aware of what is happening before they are crushed by your surprise attacks. They each have a pouch with some small coins, a dagger and a shortbow with some arrows – black-feathered – same as you previously saw on the trail. They had apparently eating lunch – you find a grimy sack full of near-rancid meat and entrails and what looks like some sort of bread with a thick growth of green fungus. The sound of the platform falling was loud enough to attract some attention from within the Cragmaw hideout cave – you begin to hear the sound of vicious barks raising alarm.

Deynn] “Quick – against the wall. We may be able to surprise any running out of the cave.”

Appreciation & Collaboration