6. Goblin Den
Six goblins inhabit this den. The five ordinary goblins tend the cooking fire in the lower (northern) part of the cave near the entrance passage, while the leader rests in the upper (southern) part of the cave.
Kostas Kiriakou, a human warrier, is held prisoner in the upper chamber of the cave. He is securely bound. The goblins have been beating and tormenting him, so he is weak and at 1 hp.
The goblin leader, Yeemik, is second-in-command of the whole hide-out. If he sees that the PCs are getting the upper hand, he grabs Kostas and drags him over to the edge of the upper level. "Truce, or this human dies!" he shouts.
Yeemik wants to oust Klarg and become the new boss. If the PCs agree to parley, Yeemik tries to convince them to kill Klarg in area 8, promising to release Kostas when they bring back the bugbear's head. Kostas groggily warns the PCs that they shouldn't trust the goblin. If the PCs take the deal, Yeemik tried to force them to pay a rich ransom for Kostas even after they complete their part of the bargin.
If the characters refuse to parley, Yeemik shoves Kostas over the edge and continues with the fight. Kostas takes 1 d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall, which is enough to drop him to 0 hp. Quick acting PCs may attempt to save him before he dies.
Developments:
If he is rescued and healed, Kostas remains with the party but is anxious to reach Lakedale as soon as possible. He offers to pay the party 50 gp to provide escort. Although he has no money on him, Kostas can secure a loan to pay the PCs within a day after arriving in Lakedale. First, he hopes they'll put a stop to the goblin raids by clearing out the caves.
He doesn't have any weapons or armor, but he can take a shortsword from a defeated goblin or use a weapon loaned to him by a PC.
Treasure
Yeemik carries a poouch containing three gold teeth (1 gp each) and 15 sp. Kostas' gear, along with Bokhur Flintaxe, was taken to Cragmaw Castle.
What Kostas Knows
- Bokur and his cousins (Tharden and Nundro) recently located an entrance to the long-lost Wave Echo Cave, site of the mines in theSilfur Lake Pact.
- Klarg, the bugbear who leads the goblin band, had orders to waylay Bokhur. Kostas heard from the goblins that the Blood Crow sent word that the dwarf was to be brought to them. Kostas doesn't know who or what the Blood Crow is.
- Bokhur had a map showing the secret location of Wave Echo Cave, but the goblins took it when they captured him. Kostas believes that Klarg sent the map and the dwarf to the chief of the Cragmaws at a place called Cragmaw Castle. Kostas doesn't know where that is, but he suggests someone in Lakedale might know. (It doesn't occur to Kostas immediatly, but a captured goblin might also be persuaded to divulge the castle's location.
- Kostas' contact in Lakedale is a human wizard named Irano ALbrek. The wizard traveled to the town two months ago to establish order there. After the Eagleswatch recieved no word from irano, Kostas decided to investigate.
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