Solo LMoP - 05. Return to the hideout

 Wounded as our adventurers are they still have at about 7 or 8 hours to travel, but now they at least have Sildar with them who - injured and tired but still strong-willed and very much annoyed by what overcame him - confirms the story the captive goblin has told them. He and Gundren have indeed been taken captive by the goblins and he hasn't seen the dwarf since then. He does however know that the map that Gundren had was a map that held the secret location of a place called the "Wave Echo Cave", where the mines of the Phandelver Pact must be. He hopes to find help for the group in Phandalin. A fellow agent of the Lords Alliance, a wizard named Iarno Albrek is located there and might have some information or aid for them. 

It is late in the evening when the group finally arrives at Phandalin. The flavor text in the book reads as follows: 

The rutted track emerges from a wooded hillside, and you catch your first glimpse of Phandalin. The town consists of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. More old ruins—crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars—surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street of sorts as it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside at the east side of town.
Sildar seems much more at ease.
“My friends,” he says, “let us secure lodgings. I’m told the local inn is very quaint.”

Without much argument, being tired and beaten the group brings the oxen up to the inn and procures food and lodging for the night. (for 8 silver each) They receive rooms and after a quick meal they all head to bed, sleeping for the night and finishing a long rest in that way. 

🌙Spells prepared Harbek: Command, Healing Word, Guiding Bolt, Sanctuary
🌙Spells prepared Quillathe: Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Shield, Sleep

The following morning the party and Silder reconvene in the common room of the Stonehill Tavern, where they have spent the night. Toblen Stonehill, the innkeep tends to their needs with a hardy breakfast and Silder repeats his request for the group to go and clear out the cave entirely. He will pay them 50 gold if they do so and will spend the day trying to find Iarno Albrek and - if possible - Gundrens brothers. 
It is not hard to convince the party to do as Sildar has requested. Especially Quillathe is very eager to diminish the Cragmaw-clan since they are responsible for desecrating the shrine of Oghma. Harbek wants revenge for the pain that has been inflicted on his cousin. Haunui and Drusa agree that to clear out the cave would be the right thing to do and Egart gladly joins, hoping for more loot to be had. 

They bring the wagon and the oxen to the local store where they are paid 10 gold each and also hear about Tharden and Nundro, Gundrens brothers who must be camping near the town according to Elmar Barthen, the proprietor of Barthen's Provisions. Since we are here anyway, let's check out Elmar's inventory and stock up for our party. 

💰Egart: 1 bag of caltrops, 1 bag of ball bearings and 8 rations
💰Quillathe: 1 healers kit and 10 rations
💰Drusa: 10 rations, 50 ft of hempen rope
💰Harbek: 6 rations
💰Haunui: Healer's kit and 4 rations

Sadly Elmar does not sell any healing potions, but with the healer's kits at least the group won't have a hard time stabilizing fallen comrades anymore. 

There are more locations they would want to visit but there is a bit of urgency for them to rush and deal with the Cragmaw-threat before the goblins receive reïnforcements so those visitis will need to be put on hold for now. 

Traveling back to the hideout, they would actually make it there quicker on foot, traveling at a fast pace they'd make it in under 5 hours. 

Now to do some math: By now the dead goblins would have been detected and there would have been some rearranging in the cave. Klarg would have dispatched a runner to King Groll but not have received any as off yet. He would however have taken care to put another sentry out, probably with the wolves as backup. So that would leave a single Goblin on the lookout near the kennel. But that resentful sentry would not do their utmost best, to keep an eye out, especially as she is being distracted by the hungry wolves. She prefers staying out of sight as much as possible, either loitering around the entrance area or sticking to the back of the kennel cave where she is out of reach from the beasts.

🎲1d2, 1=sentry in the tunnel, 2=sentry in the back: 2

So when our party of adventurers arrive at the cragmaw-hideout they don't see anyone and decide to enter stealthily, Quillathe leading the way and Harbek closing the ranks with a Light-pebble in his hand. 

🎲Stealth (DC 9), Quillathe +2: 1x

Already as the wizard is trying to enter the sound alerts the sentry in the kennels, she whistles loudly to warn the others, runs over and sets loose the wolves.  

Download full Battle Report (including all rolls and maps)

Rushing in quickly the party dispatches of the Sentry and most of the wolves, combining well-aimed arrows with a Burning Hands - spell cast by Quillathe. The last remaining wolf is seriously injured and poses no threat anymore. However, as the adventurers advance through the tunnel a tidal wave of water surprises them and washes most of them out into the clearing. Seeing a goblin spy on them from the bridge, Harbek quickly ushers his comrades up the steep slope that leads to the goblin den. 

The den is still reeking of death and no sign of life comes from there so the group carefully advances through the tunnel until they reach the bridge that spans the passage below. Crossing it they see another tidal wave wash past without doing any harm and quickly advancing they find the remainder of the goblins. Harbek, who has been taking the lead keeps himself up with his healing spells and together they manage to drive the last goblins into a final cave where they hear a booming voice usher commands. 

Here Harbek halts and, magically amplifying his voice he calls out: “Flee, Klarg! Flee now! We have come to collect your bones!”
Quillathe, taking her cue from that rushes up beside him and fills the air with the sound of soft, ominous music. 

A large wolf suddenly jumps out of the darkness ahead and grabs the dwarf by his throat. The beast quickly dies, Egarts arrow lodged in its eye and Haunui rushes forward to quickly stop the bleeding and stabilize Harbek. As Drusa en Egart step forward to face the leader of the goblins, all they hear is scrambling as a large, hairy shape followed by the last two Goblins climbs down a narrow chimney to the kennel and flees from the cave. Klarg and the Cragmaw Goblins here are defeated. 

As the book states I award each character 275XP, which means that they will level up whenever they finish another long rest. 

In Klargs cave the party finds a lot of stolen goods marked with the image of a blue lion, the symbol of the Lionshield coster, a merchant company that also has a trading post in Phandalin.

Klarg has left his treasure chest behind, in which the party find: 
600 copper, 110 silver, two potions of healing and a jade statuette of a frog with tiny golden orbs for eyes (worth 40 gold). The potions go to Quillathe and Egart, since they do not possess any way of healing themselves and Harbek, who has a love of stonework, takes the frog. 

🎲Inidividual loot on the three killed goblins, 3 x 1d100: 17, 29 and 86
🎲3d6 gold and 10d6 copper: 14 gold and 35 copper

Klargs Cave offers some shelter and since Harbek is unconscious for the next (🎲1d4) 2 hours, they get rid of the Goblin corpses, throw them in the den and make camp for the night.