Who?
You are all members of the Cragmaw Clan - a very large tribe of Goblinoids who's name comes from the jagged, toothy grins everyone shares in kind.  It's very common for members of this clan to even sharpen their teeth to better fit in.  At the very top of the food chain is King Grol - a Bugbear who is massive in stature, mighty in strength, and keen in mind - who rules with an iron fist.  Under his brutal command are many other Bugbears and Hobgoblins who serve as something like generals, while beneath them are nearly a hundred Goblins who are both the foot soldiers and grunts to flesh out the bulk of the Cragmaw Clan.  Many of the Goblins are related to one another, but the majority originally came from lesser Goblin tribes who were absorbed into the Cragmaw or who joined up willingly.  The Cragmaw Clan is particularly well-known for it's habit of raising wolves as mounts and guardians, while King Grol is even accompanied by a viciously loyal - and just downright vicious - Worg.

Among the Goblins there are two castes - the strong and the weak.  Strength is determined entirely by might and cunning, and those who are strong bully, belittle, and control those who are too weak to do anything about it.  As such only the weakest, most cowardly, and most stupid Goblins get stuck with the unsavory tasks like guard duty and manual labor.  King Grol actively encourages this civil unrest among his underlings, feeling it keeps everyone hungry and eager to try and achieve more, while confident in his ability to force the clan into obedience when necessary.

The Cragmaw Clan is chock full of eclectic, unusual, and downright weird personalities at varying levels of competency.  There is a very strong clique/caste system in place though; Bugbears have the most power and privilege despite being loners who occasionally band together when they feel like it.  Hobgoblins are immediately below Bugbears; they are strict and uptight but all have each other's back as a single unified force.  Goblins are at the bottom rung, being a chaotic gaggle of barely-controlled mayhem broadly held together by mid-bosses; smarter Goblins who are generally respected enough to be some form of authority.

Where?
The Cragmaw Clan operates on the western coast of Faerun - namely, the Sword Coast - and is based in the ruins of an old castle, now cleverly dubbed "Cragmaw Castle".  This castle is tucked away at the southernmost corner of the vast Neverwinter Woods; a dense forest region plentiful with game and and set in an ideal location along the intersection of two primary trade routes.  The only major city of Mankind is Neverwinter 50 miles to the northwest, while all the neighboring settlements are little more than frontier towns, expanded farms, and small communities built around natural resources and mining settlements.  That is to say, perfect targets for raids.  Venturing too far north is unwise given the proximity to Neverwinter and the fact that Wood Elves have claimed the forests north of the Neverwinter River which divides the forest in two.

The region is, by and large, rather peaceful.  It's sleepy, uneventful, and it seems like all the big events happened in ages past given how many ruins there are scattered amid the hills and forests.  Because of the main trade routes along the coast that lead to major cities like Neverwinter and Waterdeep further north, it is very popular among traders, merchant caravans, and criminals looking to lay low.

Why?
The Cragmaw Clan is content to sit on it's laurels for the most part.  They enjoy a position of being the big fish in a small pond, terrorizing the merchant routes as feared bandits.  From time to time some would-be warlord might come down and buy the services of the clan to serve as muscle, which King Grol is all too happy to oblige by selling any number of Goblins who never return, for better or worse.  It's often attributed to King Grol's wisdom that he can manage such a large clan without drawing too much attention to them and bringing down the wrath of Mankind or the Elves on their heads.  But there's just as many who grumble and mutter that he's simply lazy and happy to sit at the top his own little kingdom in the woods.  There has been the occasional attempt at overthrowing King Grol but every effort has failed in spectacularly bloody fashion, to the point that such revolutions are almost considered a form of seasonal entertainment.

As of late, there's been some muttering among the clan as unrest has begun to rear it's head again.  Some Goblin mid-bosses are unhappy with their lot and looking to seize more power for themselves, while a few notable Hobgoblin Generals have been growing restless sitting around not accomplishing anything worthy of more glory.  Grimgallows, the local senior high priest of Maglubiyet prone to fits of madness, has been even more insane than usual with strange, indecipherable visions.  Frankly all his screeching is just annoying everyone for the most part.  The Wood Elves from the north have been getting especially ballsy and pushing further into Cragmaw territory, leading to plenty of skirmishes and lots of stress.

But just when it seems like things may reach their boiling point, King Grol announces that there's something big underway and it's time to get to work...