1.2 - Cragmaw Cave

Nelly rushes across the creek and up to the goblins hideout.

Igrem sees his companions move forward and decides to follow as well.

The mage stays on the wheel of Nelly, ready to act when he is in sight of the enemy.

The goblins recoil in surprise at Nelly’s sudden move—but instinct takes over. Both snatch up their shortbows and loose in hurried succession.

Twang.

The first arrow skips off and goes wide into the brush.

Twang.

The second though...HP lost
G1: 11
G2: 0

Repeating a strategy which has already been successful, Igrem will give some more contingencies through magic to Nelly, then blast one of the goblins after cautiously observing the situation to find the right timing and angle.

Nelly moves op to the goblin her glowing maze held high and bring it down on the skull of the second goblin. There is a flash of light as the mace makes contact.

Igrem angles his hand and releases a focused blast of fire at the nearer goblin, timing it for the instant the creature leans out.

The spell strikes.

The goblin is thrown backward into the briars with a strangled cry, body burning before collapsing in a limp heap, unmoving.

At the same moment, Nelly closes the final step.

Her mace—its head faintly glowing—comes down in a brutal arc. The weapon connects with the second goblin’s skull in a blinding flash of light.

Crack.

The radiance bursts outward on impact. When it fades, the goblin drops where it stood, skull shattered, bow slipping from lifeless fingers.

Silence returns to the cave mouth. The briar blind, once a hidden guard post, now holds only two still bodies.

Nelly quickly examines the bodies and their small outpost.
This was a front guard post.

Alex will you take point further in? We will back you again.

"With pleasure, madam, Alex says with a bow, "perhaps we should first check the corpses for anything of value and move them out of the open, just in case they have friends on patrol?"

Nelly is emptying the goblin pockets as Alex suggest this

A quick search reveals only the basics: two crude shortbows with half-filled quivers, a nicked dagger, and a notched shortsword that has seen far too much use. Nothing fancy, but serviceable.

Regardless, the group works quickly and without ceremony. The bodies are dragged off the main approach and pushed deeper into the forest, thorns swallowing them from casual view. A few scattered branches are pulled back into place, breaking up the outline of the disturbed ground.

Within moments, the lookout post looks abandoned again—silent, still, and deceptively empty.

The path into the cave now lies open.

"Shall we enter? Maybe a we could scout ahead a few meters past the entrance: we will always have the possibility to fall back if we are outnumbered." proposes Igrem, while looking at Alex.

Alex slowly and carefully enters the cave, a bit ahead of his fellows, but remaining in shouting distance should things go poorly. He tries to keep his eyes peeled for anything unusual, like tripwires, animal spoor, or mounds of gold coins.

Alex, you slip into the cave with deliberate care, each step placed very precisely. The light dies quickly behind you, swallowed by damp stone and shadow. Even so, your eyes adjust enough to make out shapes and movement in the gloom.

This part is dim but not pitch black. Faint daylight leaks in from the entrance, and the pale sheen of water reflects just enough light to guide your steps. You move slowly, testing each patch of ground before committing your weight.

The constant murmur of flowing water fills the cave, echoing softly off the walls. It works in your favor—footfalls and your soft movement are swallowed by the sound. Anything deeper inside would have to be listening very carefully to notice you.

The floor is uneven. Jagged stalagmites jut upward like stone teeth, rising from the ground in irregular clusters. They offer pockets of natural cover if needed, though navigating between them requires care.

A shallow stream winds through the cavern, no more than two feet deep. You test it with a boot—cold, but slow-moving and manageable. You can cross it without much trouble, though it would chill you if you were barefooted.

Just inside the cave mouth, at the limit of what you can see, you notice a set of rough stone steps climbing up into a small side chamber on the eastern wall. The air there is thicker—dank, close, and foul. Then the smell hits you.

Wet fur. Rot. Animal musk.A low, rumbling snarl rolls out of the darkness ahead, followed by the metallic rattle of chains dragging against stone.

As your vision sharpens, you make them out: two wolves, chained just inside the opening of the passage beyond. Their eyes glint in the dim light, lips curled back from yellowed fangs as they strain against their restraints, hackles raised.

They’ve noticed you. And they do not sound friendly.

Pinging @Avraham

Once Nelly hears the animal sounds, she follows Alex in to back him up.