Session 18: "Where fools fear to tread....." Or "Hagnulf the brave leads the way"

1^st day of Highsun, Moonday

A gentle breeze had sprung up as the morning progressed and dark, ominous storm clouds were gathering over Neverwinter Woods and Cragmaw Castle. The group had managed to circuit the Castle and had observed several possible entry points.

Hagnulf had taken close interest in one area along the north walls (C). There, he saw as the breeze freshened part of the wall moved. It looked like there was a covering which had been blended in to match the dusty, ruined appearance of the outer walls.

Hagnulf indicated to the group and he crept cautiously forward. Reaching the area, he had spotted he could now see that a piece of canvas had been stretched across an area. He carefully pulled it to one side and peered within. (11) He saw an open area with signs of collapse, ruined, rotting crates and barrels in various locations. Hagnulf could also see what looked to be a door to the east and another canvas screen to the south.

The group quickly assembled in the room Hagnulf had discovered. Beorwulf took up a position on the rubble to the west, Hagnulf, peering though the next ‘curtain screen’ watched with bow, poised to strike. Fargrim opened the east door and found a short corridor with a door in the east and another ‘curtain screen’ to the south.

Beorwulf, his barbarian impatience getting the better of him, threw caution to the wind. He lit a torch and passed through the ‘curtain screen’ to the south and found himself in an open space. He could see a door to the east and a door to the west. 

Still covered by Hagnulf, Beorwulf chose the ‘curtain screen’ to the south. He found himself at a junction, a door to the south and a blind corridor to the west. He threw the lit torch down the west corridor and jumped round great sword now in both hands. The torch sailed through the air and hit an object, bounced back, and landed at his feet.

Hagnulf and Gimli watched the exits from the room. Hagnulf had lost sight of Beorwulf. 

Fargrim decided to bypass the eastern door and went through the ‘curtain screen’ to the south. (12) As he entered, he observed 2 Hobgoblins. 1 Hobgoblin ran out of a door in the east wall the 2^nd moved attacked. Fargrim struck a telling blow as Heimund who had closed in behind and with an over arm strike with his spear killed the Hobgoblin outright. The first Hobgoblin ran straight around the corner and Hagnulf dropped him with a well-placed arrow.

Fargrim and Heimund continued south, Heimund was caught unawares as Droop started pulling on his leg, telling him it was bad through the door, awfully bad. Heimund told Droop to hide and he would come back for him, Droop hid in an arrow slit. 

Fargrim opened the door (13) and with a flurry of feathers, claws, and beak an Owlbear attacked him. It took the combined efforts of Fargrim and Heimund to kill the Owlbear. But not before it had sorely injured them both.

Lionel, the Bard, left alone with his thoughts back in the first corridor wandered what was behind the door to the east. (14) He opened the door and was confronted by 5 Bugbears and a wolf!

The central figure let out a roar “and who are you?”.

Quick thinking Lionel, the Bard, bowed courteously and spoke in manner as you would to a King.

“Your majesty, I seek employ, your fame and magnificence are well known far and wide. I have tales to tell, songs to sing and I would like to write down your great exploits and sing of your great deeds so your fame will be further enhanced.”

To which the King, enamoured with the flattery spoke to his bodyguards and told them that what he had been telling them for months was true.

“Good, now sing me a song, play me a tune, tell me a tale or something so I don’t throw you in the dungeon for wasting my time!”

Lionel, the Bard, true to his skill played a lilting, jaunty tune that pleased King Groll very much. Kong Groll spoke to one of his bodyguard.

“Take our Bard to the Kitchen and have Yegg give him some food. Fatten him up a bit, eh”.

The Bugbear led the way and Lionel, the Bard, closed the door. Raucous laughter broke out from behind the door.

Hearing a noise from behind, music being played and load laughter, Gimli moved to cover the passageway and Hagnulf covered from behind. As the Bugbear stepped into view Gimli brought his Warhammer down and smote the Bugbear, Lionel struck from  behind and Hagnulf finished it off with a deadly arrow. Now what to do with the body?

Beorwulf opened the door and stepped into a room full of Goblins (7). Arrows thudded by and he missed his strike. Stepping backwards he fought off 3 Goblins as he tried to narrow the area they could attack from. 

He could see more Goblins pouring into the room from an entrance to the west. Beorwulf managed to kill some Goblins before he managed to break off and head to the open area on the other side of the ‘curtain screen’.

Fargrim and Lionel made their way back to towards the others, unawares that Beorwulf had gone off on his own or that there were Bugbears nearby.

Dragging the dead Bugbear into cover took some time.

Lionel told the others what he had seen through the door. A plan was hatched for Lionel to enter the ‘Throne Room’ and lure another Bugbear out so the group could kill him. Lionel put on his best Bard face and entered the room again. He saw the King, the 4 bodyguards but no wolf, laying on the floor badly beaten up was a Dwarf.

The King asked,

“Yes?”

Lionel, the Bard, replied very politely that Yegg refused to feed him and was mouthing off bad things about King Groll. Lionel had cast a spell and from outside the door a distorted Goblin voice could be heard shouting bad things about King Groll the final insult being that if King Groll wanted the Bard fed he better come do it himself. King Groll told a bugbear to go with the Bard and deal with Yegg. The bodyguard pushed Lionel in front of him and as Lionel opened the door plunged a blade into his back and pushed him through, the door slammed shut.

Fargrim got them into an attack formation and told them to follow him.

He threw open the door and walked into a trap. Assailed from right, left, and forward, he staggered under a flurry of blows before he was able to kill one of the Bugbear Bodyguards. He now had space to move which allowed Hagnulf to enter in support. The fight in the ‘throne room’ was fearsome and deadly.

Beorwulf hearing the sound of fighting behind him was momentarily distracted as Goblins burst through the screen in front of him. He was outnumbered, again!

Gimli and Lionel moved up in support of Hagnulf and Fargrim. The fighting was grim, blow succeeding blow as Fargrim and Hagnulf tried to win the day, Lionel joined the fight in the ‘Throne Room’.

 Heimund heard yelling and fighting coming from behind him. Beorwulf, now in rage, was screaming for the Goblins to come get him, which they did. Heimund, moving swiftly, approached the western door, before opening it he said a quick healing prayer and plunged through the door into the attacking Goblins.

Lionel caste a spell of bane over the 3 Bugbears, Slowly Fargrim and Hagnulf gained the upper hand and with Lionel’s help finished off the remaining 2 bodyguards.

Gimli caste a paralysis prayer and King Groll, aware of his surrounding but unable to move, was struck repeatedly by Hagnulf, Fargrim and finally Lionel, the Bard, giving the coup de grace.

Heimund managed to strike down 3 Goblins as Beorwulf sliced into Yegg and felled him. The remaining Goblins fled south. The companions re-grouped in the ‘Throne Room’. They found a large quantity of coins and 3 potions, which Lionel, the Bard, later worked out were healing potions. (There was a label on each bottle indicating such). 

A door in the north west wall was opened and the unconscious Dwarf could be seen bound hand and foot, lying on the cold floor. They untied the Dwarf.

Fargrim decided that they should leave the castle as they had found whom he supposed was Gundrun, so led the group into the Woods for 15 minutes before stopping and saying, 

“We will make camp here, rest for the night and take stock”. 

Heimund had been carrying the limp Gundrun and laid him down gently by a tree.