The party begins heading towards the colorful tent when they all smell a deathly odor wafting from the tower's direction.

As the party approaches a horde of 12 zombies come lurching out of the tower.  As the sound of battle begins to pick up a red-robed figure with sallow skin, a shaved scalp, and a black tattoo on his forehead comes out of the tower.

The man shouts "What is the meaning of this?"

The party recognizes based on his tattoos and robes that this man is a necromancer from the land of Thay.  Og shouts out to him "We came up here to investigate, we heard prospectors were being chased by undead.  Are you behind these attacks?"

The man with a wave of his hands and a flash of magical energy stops the zombies in their tracks.  "Wait a minute, your the ones who wiped out those orcs aren't you.  I'm afraid I cannot discuss my reasons for being here at the well other than i'm searching for artifacts but I could provide you with some other information for your services against the orcs."

Og responds in a less frantic tone but his weapons are still drawn nervous of the surrounding zombies. "I'm afraid our employer will not be happy if we allow you to stay here with all of these undead.  Og stands prepared for his comments to lead to combat.

Hamun frowns and nods "I can do this if you would do a favor for me.  You see I wants to ask a question of Agatha the banshee: "What is the name of the wizard who built the tower at Old Owl Well?" but I don't think she will take kindly to speaking to me. If you will ask her I will leave.  She is located northwest of the old ruins of the town Conyberry in the Neverwinter woods.  Once you find the town you can't miss her lair.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:17, Thu 28 Jan 2016.

Og and the party agree and head off towards Conyberry.

The party arrives at Conyberry within a half days travel to the northwest without any trouble.   The town is ruined just as Hamun had indicated. The forest grows dark and still as the trail winds deeper into the trees. Heavy vines and thick layers of moss drape the branches, and the air is noticeably colder than it was in the ruined village. Rounding a bend in the trail, you see a screen made from the warped branches of trees standing close together, woven into a domelike shelter in the shadows. A low doorway leads inside.

The party approaches cautiously through the low doorway inside.

A home of sorts is sheltered within the dome of woven branches. It is sparsely furnished with chests, shelves, a table, and a reclined couch, all of it old and of elven craft.

A few brief moments pass before The air grows cold, and a powerful feeling of dread grips you. A cold, pale light flickers in the air, rapidly taking on the form of a female elf, her hair and robes waving in a spectral wind. She might have been beautiful once, but a hateful expression twists her features now. "Foolish mortals," she snarls. "What do you want here? Do you not know it is death to seek me out?"

Yarabon and Taten quickly look at each other and reach for their weapons before Og holds out a hand to stop them.  Xelael steps back out of the home but within eyesight clearly disturbed by the unnatural being.

We apologize for disturbing you Agatha we seek your assistance but we never sought to disturb your rest.  We seek some information about the Old Owl Well.

Agatha sneers.  The matters of the living mean nothing to me.  Leave my home! she screeches as she dissipates

The party decides since it cannot get the information from Agatha to send Hamun away and since they don't wish battle with him that it would be best to return to Daran Edermath and report what they have found and allow the locals in Phandalin to decide what's best to do about the well.

The party after several encounters with various creatures of the night manages to make it back to Phandalin alive and well.  They return to Daran Edermath and share their information.  Though he is disappointed they were unsuccessful in removing the necromancer he understands and is appreciative of the parties efforts.

The party return to the Triboar trail on the behest of Sildar Hallwinter. Sildar suggests the party might find the castle by searching the lands around the Triboar Trail for more raiding parties.

On the night of the third day they are attacked by a pack of stirges but they are not surprised and are prepared for combat with the fiends.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:40, Tue 03 Oct 2017.

The party takes some wounds but easily overcome the stirges assault.  They continue in seearch of information about the Cragmaw castle and the night and next day pass without event.  Then late that next evening Taten notices the undead pouring out of the woods, three ghouls assault the party. He quickly awakens his companions and the battle begins.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:03, Thu 05 Oct 2017.

The party handily destroys them but Yarabon remains exhausted after overexerting herself in the last fight.

The party continues searching dispatching an ogre and then a group of seven goblins.  One of the goblins they capture and get the information out of them on how to get to Cragmaw Castle.  The party arrives and they first scout as much as they can with Xelael transformed into a spider.  They try to then sneak through the broken down front gate but the armored party makes too much noise and they are assaulted by half of the defending goblinoid army.

After a brutal battle that very nearly took all of their lives the party kills all of the hobgoblins and a goblin leader in their disgusting kitchen and causes the remaining goblins not yet killed to flee.  The party then gathers what items they could find including Sildar Hallwinter's gear which they gladly take with them to return to him back in Phandalin.

They begin their journey back home.  The party rests a few miles outside of where the castle is and then begin the journey home.  Their trip during the day is uneventful but at night they are ambushed by a hungry pack of ghouls.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:48, Thu 12 Oct 2017.

The party easily dispatches the ghouls and returns home.  They sell their belongings and return the equipment found to Sildar.  After resting, recuperating and resupplying they return back to Cragmaw Castle to begin again. On their return trip they are unaccosted in their 24 hour trek.  On the next morning the party returns to Cragmaw Castle to finish the job.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:14, Tue 17 Oct 2017.

They enter a dark hall and are accosted by a hidden Grick that jumps out of the darkness. The party deftly teams up and bashes the creature into nothing but paste then move towards the curtains that block entry into the northern part of the room.

This chamber occupies the northern tower of the castle. A stone altar stands in the middle of the room, covered with bloodstained black cloth. Golden ritual implements-a chalice, a knife, and a censer-are carefully arranged on top of the altar. Two archways to the south are covered with heavy curtains.

When the party enters Taten is immediately shot at with a bow by a hidden goblin in dirty robes and the party then sees two other goblins in dirty robes over their armor hiding behind the altar.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:47, Thu 26 Oct 2017.

The party with minimal damage and a bit of chasing kill the goblins and loot the room of a few gold items with some coin back in Phandalin.

The party moves through the eastern door into an empty room with many doorways.  They then head north through an area blocked off to find a ruined tower.  Xelael with his perceptive half-elven eyesight notices a hidden path leading in from the north the party could have used to sneak into this place had they been more aware before they came in.

This tower has almost completely collapsed, although the ground floor still has a little open space. Rotting crates and ancient barrels show that provisions were once stored here. A heavy curtain blocks a crumbling area to the south, and an intact door leads east. To the north, a short passage through the rubble ends before a screen of canvas.

The party then heads through the eastern door into a tight hallway.  To their south is a curtained off doorway and then a normal wooden door to the east. The party chooses the door to the east.

The party bursts into a room with Gundren Rockseeker held captive by a large bugbear King Groll and his pet wolf.  Yarabon unable to resist her rage rushes forward  despite King Grolls threats he will kill the dwarf.  Before she can reach him she barely sees a drow woman lunge for her and stab her in the midsection and then King Groll brings his morning star down on the unconscious Gundren crushing his skull sending brain matter flying as he is killed instantly by the blow and the ground begins to pool up with blood.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:16, Thu 26 Oct 2017.

The party takes a short rest and investigates the bodies. They find some loot and a few potions of healing but the strangest thing is the dark elf that reverts into a strange creature. Taten, Og, and Xelael put their heads together and they realize this creature is a Doppleganger, a beast that can take any shape it wants at will.  They also find a map to Wave Echo cave, all valuable information to take back to Sildar. They then head south from their battle to a tower, the last piece of this place they haven't explored.

The upper floors of this tower have collapsed to create a hollow silo at least thirty feet high, and the upper reaches of the room are lost in shadows. Dust, rubble, and broken glass cover the floor, and old worktables and bookshelves lie strewn to the south. In the middle of the room is a hulking beast that looks like a mangy bear with an owl's head. It rears up and roars when it sees you.

Xelael yells at the party that it is a natural creature and to not impede it's movement.  Sure enough the beast though it growls as it does it it bowls past the party and runs out of the castle. The party searches the creatures former home and finds a chest with a potion of healing a scroll of revivify and a scroll of silence.  They dole out the treasure among each other and begin their journey home.

The party wipes out the resistance in Cragmaw castle and things looked grim for Gundren Rockseeker until Og found a scroll of revivify in the den of the Owlbear.  He rushed back to the fallen body of Gundren and called out to his god the mighty Lathander.  The power of the great deity flowed through Og and brought Gundren back to this plane his wounds healing rapidly.  They help Gundren back to see Sildar with their heads hung high.  Sildar gives the party 500 gp as a reward for clearing the place out and humble thanks for saving his good friend.

In a few days time once hes has recovered fully they show Sildar and Gundren the map they found and tell them about the doppleganger in the room with the bugbear leader. Gundren offers the characters his thanks for the rescue and for taking him back to Phandalin.  He then asks the party to venture to this Wave Echo Cave to learn the fate of his brothers, Nundro and Tharden are there. Gundren informs the party that he knows someone called the Black Spider orchestrated his capture and wishes to see the party stop this awful villain. He give each party member 25 gold and offers a 10% share(500 gp/month) of the mine's wealth once the operation is up and running.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:14, Sat 28 Oct 2017.

Taten spends his time in Phandalin cleaning his armor and sharpening his Glaive prepping for war.

Yarabon spends her time in Phandalin drinking pints in the Tavern, occasionally getting into bar fights and drowning away any woes or sorrows the young barbarian may have.

Xelael never actually enters Phandalin after the initial meet up with Sildar and Gundren has ended.  She lives and sleeps among the wilds outside of the town until they is gathered for their trek to Wave Echo Cave.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:15, Sat 28 Oct 2017.

Sildar meets privately with Og.

"You have done well Cloak, I will pass on to my superiors how well you have been doing and I personally cannot thank you enough for bringing Gundren back from the brink.  Please, take out this fiend and bring Phandalin and it's mine peace once again."

"By the blessing of Lathandar I will not stop until I have succeeded Sildar.  Many Blessings to you and Gundren but you must excuse me, I must prepare myself both mentally and physically for the oncoming battle."

Sildar nods in affirmation with a nervous smile upon his face. Og and his crew had exceeded expectations by so much already but the danger was surely to be even higher in this cave.  he feared for what was to come and if he would ever see his new recruit again.  When thoughts like that entered his mind he fought them back easily through his military training and returned to his stoic and strong self.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:20, Sat 28 Oct 2017.