Quinn bursts through the door leading to Syzygy and Jurgen.

"Have you two found your ghost? How about Kimberly?

If we've searched everywhere, we best get Gundren and get outta here."

Just then, a thought comes to mind. He turns and runs to Bryony with a question.

"Bryony, do you have any idea what happened to Kimberly? You said she helped you escape that that they still have her."

The ruined castle is silent. What next? (Bryony recalls only that the last she saw Kimberley, she was badly wounded but freed from her bounds, and desperately trying to escape the king in the King's Quarters.)

"Agreed, lets take Gundren and Byrone to safety" Jurgen replies

Quinn heads over to the kings room to see if he can find any clues as to what happened with Kimberly. He scans the room carefully looking for blood they cannot be attributed to their fight with the king and his goons. He searches for pieces of her clothing, armor , etc. 

survival check: 22 (w/adv due to favored enemies trait)

Searching the King's quarters, Quinn finds a clump of hair that might match Kimberley's. Also a freshly-severed human finger. There is a lot of hobgoblin, goblin, and bugbear blood in this mess, but there is also at least one smear of human blood, as Quinn is surprisingly adept at discerning one from the other. It looks like a number of bodies have been recently dragged out and south toward the dining hall. There certainly were a lot of casualties today.

Quinn crouches down and examines what appears to be human blood. He dabs it with his finger and tastes it to be sure. He detects a metallic, slightly salty taste. In a low, gruff, almost growling tone, Quinn. "This must be her. Let's go."

Quinn leads anyone who's willing to follow in the direction of the dining hall. 

Quinn finds the banquet hall, recently piled with goblin casualties, has been emptied of bodies. Dragged west toward the front of the castle, by Quinn's estimation.

What's everyone doing?

Jurgen will follow along and check the rest of the building

Quinn would follow the tracks, hoping they lead to Kimberly. He walks slowly, keeping his head on a swivel and armed with his axe and shield.

"Everyone, be on the lookout for threats."

Quinn follows the drag tracks clear through the empty castle. Then he peers out across the broken front doors, where he sees three goblins in robes sitting in the bushes next to a massive pyre. A jumbled stack of bodies rests nearby, and others are just charred forms in the bonfire. The smell is acrid, repulsively meaty, and smoky. The flames are beginning to die down a little, but the three goblins just talk quietly with each other.

Quinn puts up his hand indicating anyone following him to stop. Holds up three fingers and points in the direction of the goblins and the bonfire. He moves back towards Jurgen.

"Three goblins burning bodies out there by the woods. I can hit one from here with my bow, but let's check this room first. I don't want anyone or anything stabbing us in the back."

Quinn moves to the closed door next to Jurgen and opens it slowly.

Syzygy subdues the temptation to kick the dead dire wolf and hurries along to catch up with the others. 

"I say we throw them in that fire." He says to Quinn in a soft hiss. "I don't think there are any more goblins...a hill giant, though...can't forget that."

Quinn opens the two doors to the north, both of which were already ajar.

The archer post on the west is empty. This small room is littered with debris. The arrow slit opposite the door offers a fine field of fire over the terrace before the castle gates, but not so much the area where the goblins currently sit, the view of which is partially blocked by the stairs.

The storeroom to the north is likewise unoccupied. Old casks and sacks of rotting grain fill this storage area, along with a jumbled pile of bloodied weapons, armor, and gear.

The quiet talking in Goblin outside has turned to singing.

(The ogre, the party recalls, was killed by the dire wolf, which nearly perished in the fight doing so.) 

Jurgen will check the door next to him and open and take a look.

Jurgen finds the archer post to the south to be virtually identical to the one Quinn found to the north, if a little smaller –  littered with debris, it features an arrow slit opposite the door, overlooking the terrace. The small room is unoccupied (albeit recently occupied.)

Singing continues outside. 

Quinn locks eyes with the rest of the crew. He draws his longbow, points at the unsuspecting goblins with his nocked arrow and counts down 3, 2 1...

He draws his longbow and fires. 

Action: 8 (1+7) to hit for 4 damage

The arrow flies high over the goblins' heads. But it gets their attention. One jumps in surprise and alarm.

The robed boss puts its hand on its surprised comrade's shoulder and stands, looking toward the front gate where the arrow emerged.

"Peace!" it calls in thickly Goblin-accented Common. "Who is there? Come join us in prayer."

Quinn holds for a moment and looks to the crew. He does the mental math and figures to take a gamble on these being goblins possibly being neutral or perhaps allies. He shrugs and says in a voice just loud enough for his comrades to hear "Watch my back."

He secures his longbow, and repositions the darts strapped to his thigh for easy access. Quinn slowly walks out from cover and approaches. 

"My apologies. I'm searching for a friend. We've been attacked and our group has been separated." 

He remains at the top of platform until he can assess the situation.

Jurgen holds for the moment.

"I think YOU are the attackers. And OUR group that has been slaughtered. But it doesn't matter. We mean no harm to you. The Jagged Tooth watches. The Jagged Tooth judges. You will not hurt us. Join us in prayer, human!" 

The two robed acolytes eye Quinn warily.