In the city of Neverwinter the halfing rogue Elor Ricrich (Nick) , human fighter Niam Leeson (Merrill) , and elven wizard Zigmundo (Moch) have been entreated by the dwarf Gundren Rockseeker to escort a wagonload of his provisions to the city of Phandalin - a few days ride south. Upon delivery to Elmar Barthen at Barthen's Provisions each member of the party has been promised 10 gold in return. The adventurers get the feeling that something big is drawing Gundren to Phandalin but the dwarf leaves on horseback alongside the human warrior Sildar Hallwinter before they can learn anything more. The adventurers load up the wagon and head southward, toward Phandalin. Soon after turning east off the High Road onto Triboar Trail, the caravan finds the way blocked by two recently killed horses in the middle of a path between two steep embankments. Narrowly avoiding being ambushed by a small band of goblins, they manage to kill three of the goblins and subdue the fourth. While doing so they also manage to free the dwarven cleric Grodrik Grimwold (Andy) who had been recently captured by the goblins. The goblin, now tied up, tells them that the horses belonged to a dwarf and a human warrior - who the party surmises to be their patron Gundren and his companion Sildar - and that the dwarf was taken directly to see King Grol while the human was taken to the "eating caves" at Klarg's request. The goblin is able to tell them nothing else about King Grol, but is able to point the way to Klarg's cave to their north before the party unceremoniously executes him. The party (now with Grodrik as a new member) waits for Niam to finish chopping up to two horse corpses to clear the path before following the narrow path to the north toward Klarg's cave - AKA Cragmaw Hideout - while Zigmundo stays behind to guard their wagon and horses. When they arrive they dispatch two goblin sentries and two shackled wolves. They then find a narrow crevasse that rises upward toward fire light at the eastern edge of the room. As Elor nimbly climbs the slick cavern walls he stumbles upon a large, open room filled with supplies looted by previous goblin ambushes along the trail. He also spies a hulking bugbear who clearly holds authority over the goblins that serve him around the fire in the middle of the room, as well as being attended to by a mangy wolf pet. Elor lets down a rope to allow his comrades to climb up more easily. They then set out to dispatch the goblins in the room and find that the bugbear is actually Klarg, the leader of this band of Cragmaw raiders! They kill a number of the goblins as well as Klarg's pet wolf, Ripper, which prompts Klarg to attempt to flee down the crevasse they just came from. A great struggle ensues to prevent Klarg from successfully fleeing - who knows to what end? - and at last they are able to slay the bugbear and tend to their wounds. They search Klarg's room finding a bit of gold and a prized statuette (which Grodrik keeps) amongst a mass of sacks and crates bearing the the symbol of a blue lion.