The Cragmaw Hideout is a hidden goblin lair located in the wild frontier of the Sword Coast, off the High Road south of Neverwinter.

Discovery and Approach

The hideout’s existence was revealed to a party of five adventurers—later known as The Magnificent Five, consisting of Farwald, Gilmore, Nalini, Hope, and Erevyn—who had set out from Neverwinter. They were tasked by Gundren Rockseeker and Sildar Hallwinter with delivering a wagon of supplies to Barthen in Phandalin in exchange for gold. While Gundren and Sildar rode ahead on horses, the adventurers followed. After a day and a half of quiet travel south along the High Road, the party turned east toward Phandalin and fell into a goblin ambush.

Using Hope’s Ferocity, Nalini and Farwald’s magic, and Gilmore’s encouraging words, the party quickly dispatched the attackers. Nearby, they discovered the dead horses of their patrons and interrogated a surviving captive. The goblin disclosed that the “Dwarf and Knight” had been taken to a nearby cave known as the “Cragmaw Hideout,” which was ruled by a bugbear named Klarg.

With Nalini serving as a guide through and above the brush, the adventurers located the trail leading to the lair. They managed to avoid the worst of the traps laid along the path to deter intruders, and Erevyn eliminated the two goblin sentries guarding the cave’s entrance with well-placed arrows to the throat.

Inside the Hideout

The interior of the cave presented several distinct chambers and hazards:

• The Wolf Den & Bridge: Near the entrance, Nalini scouted a chamber containing captive wolves and a goblin sentry. Gilmore and Hope successfully freed the wolves, who fled. Further in, goblin lookouts stationed on an overhead bridge were quietly sniped by Erevyn.
• Klarg’s Camp: The leader of the hideout, a dim-witted bugbear named Klarg, operated under direct orders from a mysterious figure known as “the Spider.” Through a modicum of trickery, Farwald conversed with Klarg and learned that Gundren Rockseeker had already been abducted and sent to Cragmaw Castle, located somewhere to the north, on the Spider’s orders. Farwald attempted to further deceive Klarg into believing he was a powerful wizard, but Klarg was unconvinced, noting that everyone knows wizards wear hats and Farwald lacked one. Klarg and three goblins holding Sildar Hallwinter hostage then attacked. Klarg was ultimately defeated by Gilmore, Hope, and Erevyn, while Nalini used her Entangle magic alongside Farwald’s spells to keep the remaining goblins scattered. Sildar was successfully rescued and thanked the party.
• The Ancient Carving: On one of the cave’s walls, the adventurers discovered an ancient, mysterious carving detailing “The Pact of Phandelver.” The writing indicated a connection between three distinct ancient locations: “The Hand of Sehanine” (also written as “The Hand of Sehehine”), “Axeholm,” and either “Phandelver” or “Highthorn.”
• Recovered Cargo: Within the cave, the party recovered stolen supplies belonging to the Lionshield Coster, which they loaded onto their cart, along with a Jade Statuette of a Frog and some currency.

Aftermath

After helping Sildar to his feet, the party departed the hideout for Phandalin. Along the way, they encountered a petrified dwarf, near which Erevyn discovered a Ring of Protection.

This dwarf was later revealed to be Gotrek, an ancient dwarf who had been encased in stone for 1,000 years under the Pact of Phandelver.