In Neverwinter a dwarf you know, Gundren Rockseeker, hires you to escort a wagonload of supplies to Barthen’s Provisions in Phandalin while he goes on ahead with a warrior friend, Sildar Hallwinter. Gundren and his brothers have found “something big” which he is very excited about but he won’t tell you more.

You follow the High Road south for a few days then strike east on the Triboar Trail. As you round a bend you see two dead horses stuck with black-fletched arrows. When you investigate you are ambushed by goblins who you manage to defeat.

Following the goblin trail you avoid a few traps and reach a large cave in a hillside five miles form the ambush. Creeping up the stream which flows out of it you defeat two hidden goblin guards and then three wolves tied up inside the cave. Further inside you survive a flood unleashed by the goblins and encounter Yeemik, the goblin second-in-command, with a large group of goblin warriors. He has Sildar captive and offers to hand him over if you kill Klarg, the bugbear who leads the goblins. Tricking Yeemick with a surprise attack you manage to defeat his gang and free Sildar.

Sildar tells you that he is an agent of the Lords’ Alliance and that the Rockseeker brothers have found an entrance to the long-lost Wave Echo Cave, site of the Forge of Spells where dwarves and wizards crafted magic items in ancient times before the cave was destroyed in a great battle.

He also tells you that Klarg was ordered to waylay Gundren by a mysterious figure known as the Black Spider. He believes Klarg has taken Gundren’s map of Wave Echo Cave and sent it to the goblin chief at Cragmaw Castle. He doesn’t know where this is, but his contact in Phandalin – a wizard named Iarno Albrek – might. Unfortunately nothing has been heard from Albrek for two months and Sildar was on his way to find out why.

You press on and defeat Klarg, recovering a little treasure and some supplies stolen from a merchant company in Phandalin. You haul these back to the wagon and ride on to Phandalin …