Solo LMoP - 11. The Search for Cragmaw Castle

The next morning the party wakes up and gathers at breakfast in the Stonehill Tavern, where they discuss their agenda. After yesterday they would all agree that their priority should be to try and find Gundren. They have a general idea of where the castle is located since they questioned one of the goblins at the Cragmaw hideout. Chances are that they come upon a patrol of the tribe's goblins when they get near and that might help them pinpoint the exact location. 
Before they leave, Haunui heads to the Lionshield Coster to buy a shield and Harbek heads to Qelines house where he lays copper coins on Egarts eyes and says a prayer that will keep his body from decomposing for the foreseeable future. (Casting Gentle Repose as a ritual) This should give his aunt the time to set up a proper funeral and inquire about his mother. 

Then the party says their goodbyes to Sildar and heads North towards the Triboar Trail.
🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 4 => No encounter
🎲Weather (3x 1d20 for each condition): Temperature (7: normal), Wind (6: none), Rain (9: none)

It is a pleasant journey as the sun is warm and the travel goes along the road. The group travels about 15 miles along the road and then turns North and head into the hilly grassland that separates them from Neverwinter Wood. They camp not too far from the forests edge. 
🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 14 => No encounter

The group spends a quiet night of rest (Consuming a ration each) and in the morning they talk about what to do now. The description they had was that the Castle was in Neverwinter woods, roughly 20 miles East from the hideout, but the exact location is a riddle to them so far. But it cannot be very far in, so they will need to head in there and hope that they either find the castle or hit a patrol. 

🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 15 => No encounter
🎲Weather (3x 1d20 for each condition): Temperature (11: normal), Wind (12: none), Rain (5: none)
🎲Investigation Check Quillathe, +5 (DC 20): 20 (success)

The group heads into Neverwinter Woods, leaving behind the beaten trails and wandering between the ancient trees of this outstretched woodland. The sounds of birdsong from above and now and then the cracking of a branch under their feet surround them in this world of shadow and light. Soft leaves cover the ground under their feet. It is halfway through the day when Quillathe, who has kept her eyes to the ground points out a set of footprints at the edge of a murky pool. The size and form appear to be similar to goblin feet. They have found a trail. Haunui inspects the area and starts to lead the party in an attempt to follow the trail. 
🎲Survival Check Haunui +3 (DC 15, soft, natural floor but it's been dry and the tracks were made by small creatures): 12 (failure)

Haunui tries to follow the tracks but eventually loses them in an area with little moss. As the afternoon is nearing its end the party makes camp for the night. 

🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 7 => No encounter

The party sleeps somewhat uneasy with the strange sounds of the woods around them but awake the next morning rested. (Consuming a ration each)
🎲Direction they travelled, 1d6 (1: N, 2: NE, 3: SE, 4: S, 5: SW, 6: NW): 6 => Northwest
🎲Weather (3x 1d20 for each condition): Temperature (1: normal), Wind (3: none), Rain (17: light rainfall) 🎲Amount of rain, 1d6x4: 3 => 12 hours of light rain

A soft rain has started falling. In the early morning-hours the tree-tops keep most of it at bay, but as the day continues and the canopy becomes drenched more and more moisture drips down onto the adventurers, slowly soaking into their clothing. 

🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 10 => No encounter
🎲Investigation Check Quillathe +5 (DC 20): 18 (failure)
🎲Direction they travel in, 1d6 (1: N, 2: NE, 3: SE, 4: S, 5: SW, 6: NW): 4 => South East

Quillathe leads the group back, trying to find the trail they had lost yesterday but at the end of the day the only tracks they run into are their own. Frustrated and tired they bed down for the night.

🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 20 => 🎲Encounter table, 1d12: 6 (Hobgoblins) => 🎲Amount, 1d4+2: 6
🎲Who is on watch, 1d10/2 (1: Drusa, 2: Haunui, 3: Harbek, 4: Quillathe, 5: Brandr): 4 => Quillathe

🎲Stealth Check attackers, +1, disdavantage because of armor (DC 13): 12 (failure)

In the middle of the night Quillathe suddenly calls out as on her command the campfire burns brighter again: "Wake up, we're under attack!"

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It only takes a few seconds. From the dark there are arrows shooting, released by red-skinned humanoids in heavy armour. The Hobgoblins quickly drop their bows and rush in, swinging longswords, but three of them are sent to sleep by Quillathe and the others are swiftly dealt with. The group leaves one of them alive and searches all of them, finding some coin and a very bad sketch of what apparently is supposed to represent Harbek's face with a note attached: 

25 gold pieces for this one

The party attempts to interrogate the surviving Hobgoblin but the creature keeps its teeth clenched together, only opening its mouth to insult them in Goblin and demand an honourable death. 

The party talks about how to deal with this and decides to purposefully tie her up in a way that she will be able to escape so that they can follow the footprints in the soggy ground in the morning. 
🎲Deception Check Drusa, +2: 12
🎲Insight Check Hobgoblin, +0: 11 (Drusa succeeds)

The party ties up the creature and tells her that they will decide her fate in the morning before going back to sleep, their weapons at the ready and keeping a guard up all night that does pretend to have a hard time staying awake. The party finishes a long rest and awakes in the morning to find the Hobgoblin gone. (One ration consumed by each of the partymembers)
🎲Direction they travelled, 1d6 (1: N, 2: NE, 3: SE, 4: S, 5: SW, 6: NW): 1 => North
🎲Weather (3x 1d20 for each condition): Temperature (1: normal), Wind (9: none), Rain (3: none)

The party gathers their belongings and decides to follow the tracks that are not too hard to see in the softened forest floor after a day of rain. 
🎲Survival Check Haunui +3 (DC 10): 18 (success)
🎲Encounter Check, 1d20 (Encounter on 17-20): 9 => no encounter

With Haunui in the lead the party follows the tracks Southwards for about two and a half hours until they see clear paths trampled through the underbrush by many armoured feet over a longer period of time. They are nearing the castle, and these must be the paths made by the patrolling groups of goblinoids. 

The party tries to find a quiet place to discuss what happens now. A stealthy approach would be preferable but three of them are wearing loud and noisy armour that will make it hard to get close undetected. They can either go in for a frontal assault or hope that nightfall makes it easier for them to approach undetected. Haunui offers to try and attempt to get closer, but not without the rest of his group waiting within earshot. Quillathe also informs the group that this castle is the location of a shrine to Oghma that she intends to cleanse. She understands that rescuing Gundren is the first priority, but if possible, she wants to try and clear out the Goblins. A peaceful solution will only work for her if the Cragmaws give up the castle, which she believes unlikely.

They advance slowly and carefully as they see crumpled stone walls emerge behind the trees. The castle is more of a ruin than a fortress. 

Given their travels the group advances from the North and slightly East. 

While his friends wait behind a few bushes Haunui tries to get closer as softly as he can. 

🎲Stealth Check Haunui +3 (DC 5, no one is paying attention on this side of the castle): 12 (success)
Haunui creeps closer to the North-Eastern tower and, hearing voices speaking what sounds like Common from inside he leans against the castle wall under one of the arrow slits and attempts to listen in. 
🎲Perception Check Haunui +3 (DC12 for some succes, DC 18 for total success): 10 (failure)
He hears at least two voices but cannot make out much of the conversation. 
🎲Direction Haunui goes from here, 1d6 (even=West, odd=South): 6 (West)
Making brief eye-contact with his compatriots Haunui skirts along the wall and around a big pile of rubble along the Northern side of the ruin. 
🎲Perception Check Haunui +3 (DC15): 5 (failure, he does not notice anything)

Haunui sneaks onward to the next tower, the third one along the Northern Side of Crawgmaw Castle. 
🎲Stealth Check Haunui +3 (DC9): 5 (failure)
As Haunui shirks around the next pile of rubble he dislodges one of the pieces of stone that tumbles down with a lot of noise. 
🎲Dexterity/Initiative Checks Goblins vs Haunui: Haunui +3 (11), Goblin +2 (8) => Haunui moves first. 

Haunui quickly looks around and then jumps behind a bush, kneeling and trying to hide himself from view. 
🎲Stealth Check Haunui +3: 6

🎲Perception Check Goblin, -1: 9 

Now, the goblins quickly climb up to one of the arrow-slits and spy Haunui shuffling away behind the bush. They would not directly attack, but instead raise the alarm. They'd back away from the arrow slit and rush to get help. They cannot go directly to their leader, since he is currently preoccupied and would not take kindly to them disturbing him, but instead they'd go and get help from their congeners in the hope to ambush the man outside. I'll treat this like initiative, with each round allowing a few things to happen. 

First, the goblins decide on what to do and spend one round to do so. 

Haunui in the meantime will try to figure out if he has been seen. 

🎲Stealth Check Goblin, +6: 9
🎲Peception Check Haunui +3: 4 (failure)

So Haunui does not know yet if he has been seen or not. He did not spy the goblin peering out, because it is much darker inside the ruin than outside. 

Now ("second round") some of the Goblins rush through the castle to get help. The one that is remaining behind tries to get a look at Haunui without revealing himself.
🎲Stealth Check Goblin, +6: 7 
🎲Perception Check Haunui, +3: 19 (success)
So now Haunui knows he has been found out, or can at least assume he is. That will however be his action, so he'll move his entire speed away from the tower, trying to get distance between himself and whoever saw him. He stays visible for this moment but tries to give the impression of fleeing. 
🎲Deception Check Haunui -1: 5
🎲Insight Check Goblins -1: 18
Very unconvincingly uttering things like "Oh no, what ever shall I do" and "Good grief, I must flee to get away", Haunui backs into the trees.
Next, the goblin who had gone for backup arrives at his destination and needs to convince a bad tempered cook to spare him some of his assistants for defending the castle:
🎲Persuasion Goblin -1 (DC 10: Moderate success, DC 15: Full success): 16 => Full success
Several Goblins are sent with him to back him up. This does however take a total of two turns while Goblins run and get their weapons. 

In the meantime, Haunui tries to get out of the way and hide in the forest. 
🎲Stealth Haunui +3: 15
🎲Perception Goblins -1: 18

Despite Haunui's best attempts the Goblin observing him still manages to get at least the general direction of where he is traveling. Haunui returns to the group quickly, informing them that he has been seen. They need to think fast and decide what to do, since now the Goblins are probably coming after them. They do not know from where to expect them, so the entire group backs up to get some distance and try to keep quiet. 
🎲Group Stealth Check (DC 9): Haunui, +3 (17), Drusa -1, disadvantage (6), Harbek, -1, dis (14), Brandr +0, disadvantage (12), Quillathe +2 (3, natural 1) 
            => 3 successes, 3 failures (nat 1 counting double), even chances. Average is 10 (rounded down) 
            🎲 Goblin Perception -1 (DC 10): 11 (success)

The group has a head start of approximately 60 ft, backing up towards a small stream that flows close to the castle when a shouting group of Goblins catches up to them. 

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The group of goblins advances as a closed formation, shouting, skreeching and notching 

arrows. But Quillathe releases a spell and the biggest part of the group collapses to the ground, fast asleep. The adventurers rush in and kill most of the creatures while Haunui and Drusa both manage to capture one. They put sharp objects on the creatures' throats and the goblins quickly spill all the beans they have. Apparently, the castle is ruled by a bugbear called King Groll who is the chief of the Cragmaw tooth. At the moment he is in a meeting with a 'dark elf woman' who has been sent by 'the Spider'. 
Drusa pricks the side the Goblins neck a little bit and tells him she'll cut his throat if he doesn't tell her anything interesting or important about his tribes castle.

🎲Intimidation Drusa +2 (DC 10): 16 (success)
The gibbering goblin tells Drusa that there is a hidden pit in the central hall and that the dark hall is guarded by "Lhupo's bitey pet monster". 

Drusa and Haunui tell the Goblins to get away from here as fast as they can or they won't live another day, before releasing them into the woods where they scramble to flee as far away as they can.  

The adventurers, aware that they are probably not going to get inside the castle unseen hope to make their entrance at least somewhat of a suprise and circle around to attack Cragmaw Castle from the front.