Awf Hornjaw et Loragwyn, a gold dwarf battleaxe wielding wizard, left his homes because he heard of a goblin threat near Neverwinter. In Neverwinter Awf met some industrious souls in the city.

Karkom Hammerstone, that wonderful axe and hammer dwarf, knows how to share an ale and those massive arms look like they’d be strong along his side. Rowan Evenwood, the lucky priest, keeps winning at cards, but she cannot match Awf’s skill at dragonchess. She’s a solid companion.

Favoring the bow, Norran Galanodel reminds Awf of his Loragwyn family. Norran is a bit of a sneak, but his aim is true. Like Awf, Ambrose is prone to The Violence. The dual-axe man has a bit of hate in him — that’s familiar.

Together we were hired by Gundren to meet he and his guard, Sildar, in a small mining town. Our ox-drawn wagon is slow. The big, dumb oxs are dragging along chests of mining supplies towards the town of Pandelver so that Gundren can profit and our group can earn a few gold.

Spoilers for the D&D Starter Set adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver follow.

It should have been a simple trip of a couple days. The slow, dumb ox dragging that wagon while Norran drifted ahead and Rowan at the reins. Ambrose, Karkom, and myself would walk alongside, or rest in the wagon depending on the time.

Simple, easy gold.

Roughly a half day’s journey to the south we found two dead horses. I’d say the horses looked familiar to the ones that Gundren and Sildran rode, but they’re horses. What do I know. One of the others told me they were similar – whatever.

Norran investigated the dead horses. It was probably him. Maybe elves like horses. Or he actually paid attention to Gundren. Probably smart to do.

During that investigation we were ambushed. Four goblins with the mistaken idea that they could defeat me – I mean us.

Despite all of our caution and wariness they surprised the group. Two shot us (me & Karkom) with arrows. Another slashed at Ambrose. Those idiot goblins.

I was pretty wounded. I’m willing to give goblins that small advantage. The Violence will follow soon.

The elf, whoa – Narron was nearly trapped between one of the gobbos and those dead horses, but instead he leapt over the remains, tumbled down, and turned drawing his blow. The Loragwyn in me was proud.

Speaking of proud. I didn’t see much of it, because I was a bit distracted, but Karkom hurled his tiny axe at a goblin and then charged after that little one to retrieve the hafted-blade. That’s right brother – never loan them an axe for long.

Ambrose and I had to deal with one ourselves. Both of us bloodied it could have been a tough fight. Ambrose sticks it with his spear. A solid strike on his second attempt.

As my elven instructors taught me I called the Gold Flame into my axe Oie Cendrée swinging through that poor souls body, cleaving it in half. The golden spark reached towards another victim but they were too far away.

Rowan needed to call to Tymora for healing, because Karkom was also quite bloodied. She’s a good one, that lucky priestess, we needed that. She then forced a retreat from another goblin.

I shout to that coward.
“This ye nite, this ye night
fire and sleet and candle light”
[thunderous bong of a bell sounds]

That goblin shrugs off my spell. Rowan or Karkom finish it off as I charge towards it. Norran drops the last to the edge of consciousness. The group interrogates that final goblin as I go to the poor oxen. Those dummies needed some love. They don’t need to see these kinds of thing and I don’t need to help a goblin.

My group gets some information from that goblin. There’s a hideout and castle maintained by some kind of uber-goblin named Cragmar, or however those morons spell words. That little goblin calls him king, but he is no king. I’ve met elven queens and heard tale of dwarven kings. Those are nobles, not some cheap goblin.

I feel like that goblin has suffered enough of our questions. He need not die today. I tie him to the dead horses. That should make it so we can get to the hideout and castle before that idiot gets free.

We need to rest. Even after Rowan’s powerful healing too many of us are wounded. We recuperate, a bit. Time isn’t on our side. Sildar is being held in the “eating room” which sounds fun at first, until you realize that he’s a prisoner so it’s unlikely the goblins are having a feast with him. He might be the feast. So we take only a short break rather than wait out the night.

With Sildar and Gundren held by those goblins, getting to Phandelver can wait. It’s unlikely we get paid if Gundren is dead, after all.

Norran does a wonderful job scouting ahead. He finds a foot-snare that I volunteer to trigger, but the group thinks that would be a bad idea. It would have been fun. I do not volunteer to take a dive into a pit trap. That’s dangerous!

Our hope is to rescue Sildar, send him back to the oxs, and then he takes the goods to Phandelver as we introduce the goblins of Cragmar to The Violence – ok, that’s my hope. Some may be willing to be sneaky or negotiate, but these are goblins and so the Violence of the Oie Cendrée will not be held back.