Group 1: Cragmaw Hideout
Marching Order: Dakath, Teranthvar, Xander, Melathos, Talin
Having decided to cross the bridge of the upper section, the group pushes forward with their healthiest members in the lead, realizing that they had not a single melee-combatant left alive. Unless you count Teranthvar and his rapier.
Across the bridge lies a narrow pathyway that curves west and south, leading to a larger opening further down. The group moves slowly and cautiously, wary of other goblins that might be lying in wait. Instead, they see the corpse of Klarg lying on his back, with the shafts of three goblin arrows sticking out of his chest. The unexpected sight both increased caution and eased it, and Dakath finally moved forward when he saw a note next to the corpse.
As the group pushed on into the room you find that the large cave is divided in half by a 10-ft high escarpment. A steep natural staircase leads from the lower portion to the upper ledge and the air is hazy with smoke from a dying cooking fire, and pungent from the smell of poorly cured hides and unwashed goblins. Soiled bedroll are laid out around the fire but there are no signs of the goblins.
Dakath, Xander, and Melathos secure the area while the others go to examine Klarg and the note. The note looks like it was written by a child with arthritis, "Yeemik thanes yu for dedd Klarg. Yeemik is nu leeder. Is thanes, Yeemik leds yu all lif, an leds yu has humon."
As the note-readers question what human the goblin Yeemik was referring to, Dakath spots a human man lying wounded against the far wall of the upper section of the cave. He is bound, clearly beaten, and only barely conscious. Those of you who interacted with the dwarf who hired you, Gundren Rockseeker, recognize this man as Gundren's companion, Sildar. The one who was riding the other horse you found ambushed on the road.