A group of newly acquainted adventurers gathered in a tavern in Neverwinter, having been hired by the dwarf Gundren Rockseeker. After a brief introduction where they shared their origins—Breth, a dwarf from near Mirabar; Bjorn, a goliath from the Ice Spires; Clara, a wizard from Neverwinter; Nisa, a forest gnome from Neverwinter Wood; and Eiric, a former soldier from Red Larch—they were formally greeted by Gundren. He enthusiastically spoke of rediscovering the legendary Wave Echo Cave, a lost center of magic. He tasked the party with escorting a cart of supplies to the nearby town of Phandalin, where he and his associate, Sildar Hallwinter, would meet them after concluding some business.
Before the party set out, they discovered a festival in full swing outside the tavern. Nisa, with her incredible archery skills, dominated the archery contest, winning a set of magical Walloping Arrows. Breth, guided by his faith, challenged and defeated the five-time Lashmaster champion, earning a Clockwork Amulet. Bjorn, with his immense strength and glowing axes, effortlessly won the axe-throwing contest, receiving an Immovable Rod. Clara, a devoted scholar, triumphed in an Arcana trivia contest hosted by a famous wizard, winning a Hat of Wizardry. Finally, Eiric, showcasing his military training, bested all opponents in a sword-dueling competition and was awarded a glowing Moon-Touched Sword.
The following morning, after Eiric purchased a hefty maul, the party set off with their supply cart, heading south on the High Road towards Phandalin. Their first two nights of travel were uneventful, though Nisa was startled by the sound and wind of what she believed to be an invisible green dragon flying overhead one night. On the third day, after turning onto the more rugged Triboar Trail, they discovered two dead horses in the middle of the path, riddled with crude arrows. Investigating the scene, they found an empty saddlebag and a piece of cloth belonging to Gundren, realizing their employers had been ambushed.
Following drag marks leading away from the scene, the party decided to hide their cart and pursue the captors. The trail was fraught with danger; Eiric narrowly avoided a snare trap, and Breth fell into a camouflaged pit. Eventually, the tracks led them to a stream flowing from the mouth of a cave. As they approached cautiously, they were ambushed by goblins. The adventurers fought back, dispatching the guards and capturing their leader. Under interrogation, the goblin boss revealed that a dwarf and a human had been taken inside the cave to Klarg, a brutal bugbear leader. The party sent their captive goblin back to guard their cart and, after setting a simple alarm at the cave mouth, decided to retreat and rest before attempting a rescue.