Zeke looks visibly uncomfortable at the idea of being bound at all.

'I'd prefer to cut our way through, but that's just a general state of mind, not really a plan.'

"If we can avoid bloodshed we might be able to keep the goblins calmer," Elra says. "Though I'm not sure if this King with leave willingly."

Fae would follow Ethan's instructions as he perfected the knot.

"I believe there's a time and place for it..." Fae would clear her throat. "I agree that if it keeps the goblins calm and we reach our targets with more efficiency, it's worth a try." She'd shrug.

Then the wizard would demonstrate how easy it is to break out of the bonds in one swift motion. Even if they don't go ahead with the rouse, she was genuinely impressed.

Elra nods in agreement, "Ya, our first priority should be the King. So are we going in through the back and facing him as a group or slipping in through the back and pretending we're prisoners. What do you think Yeemki?"

Yeemik shrugs yet again.  "Grol will be surprised either way.  Don't worry about the goblins though, you just let ol' Yeemik do the talking there.  Shall we?"  Yeemik gets up and starts leading the party around the lake, staying away from the shore where the residents of Cragmaw Castle might be able to see a sizable group approaching.  Yeemik looks at Zeke and says "don't worry, we'll protect you from the Spiders."  He seems amused.

Zeke snorts at the goblin's dig and falls into his normal position covering the party's rearguard. 

Once he thinks no one is looking, he does sneak some furtive glances into the deep dark shadows looking for any spiders closing in on them....

Fae would send Edgar out to be the party's eyes from the sky and follow near the rear of the group.

Tarja would set out at the front, also keeping an eye out for anything hostile in the trees and woods. Perception: 18

However, without a specific threat, she would stay in dwarf form - she would expect to need her animal forms to infiltrate the castle. Hopefully they would be able to arrive around nightfall, to get in without alerting King Grol.

[edit] Oops - that should be a +6, and not a +5, forgot my new ASI! So that's a 16...[/edit]

Zeke and Tarja see plenty of spider webs as the group slowly approaches the castle by heading counter clockwise around the lake, but register little threat from the arachnids with the goblins at their side.

Eventually Yeemik, Fraac and the quiet Ikket lead the party to the western side of the lake and approach the castle from the north.  Ducking in the woods and brush, Yeemik points out a few features of the old, crumbling castle.  Many walls have partially collapsed and large sections of any roofing are in disrepair.  The weather has grown foggy and damp with the occasional brief sprinkle of rain, the cool stone of the castle walls thus dripping with moisture.

Yeemik points out the gap in the crumbled wall between two towers near the north east quadrant of the castle, and the tower to their left (north east corner), reminding the group that King Grol usually lounges there in his quarters.

(Just going to show you the whole castle map as there isn't much revealed that your buddy Yeemik couldn't have described anyhow.  Crumbled walls may be various heights, so I'll have to describe those areas as we go.)

Elra looks back at the group, "So are we pretending to be the Spider? Or just going in there?"

"What? You'd take away my chance to try out a new trick?"

"Of course I shall pretend to be the Spider!"

The party thinks they have a bit more than an hour of daylight left.  Yeemik looks to Arvel, Elra, Zeke and the rest and asks "we going in, boss?"  He suddenly looks uncomfortable near Arvel and turns his gaze away from 'the Spider'.

While crouched in the bushes with the goblins pointing out and describing their headquarters, Fae would quickly add to her notes that she had compiled during their detailed conversation earlier with Elra and the others. She'll put her notebook away as soon as she finishes her updates. The scholar was glad to have paid attention to the lively conversation. They were not going in completely blind and there was a lot of helpful information that she feels has them well prepared for their task ahead. And of course it helps that they have a fantastic disguise artist on their side.

"Are we to be your prisoners, Spider?"

If we're going in with a fake Black Spider, I'll transform into a large spider to help convince - and staying on the walls or ceiling might help us be less crowded. I'll transform at the last possible moment, though.

Elra shivers, "No more spiders please," she whispers.

Arvel puts his hand on Elra's shoulder. She can see his golden eyes through the disguise for a second.

"Don't worry, the only spiders will be on our side."

"Now come, my pitiful captives and face your fate in the castle of King Grol!"

"The Spider" leads the party to the goblin's entrance and has Krikket fly ahead invisibly to inspect the inner chamber.

Krikket approaches a sizable hole in the crumbling castle wall, rain water dripping down from the cool stone.  He flies through a gap that should be big enough for each member of the party, collapsed stone and a few old beams forming a bit of a tunnel through the old wall.  There is a bit of an odor as he enters the castle, like that of unwashed people and spoiled meats, and he sees the bones of a few small mammals inside the tunnel.

Emerging on the other side Krikket finds an old store room with broken crates and barrels sitting about.  There is a half-open old wooden door on his left and a large hallway ahead of him.  To his right there is a large pile of rubble almost as tall as a man illuminated by the sun, the castle ceiling above having caved in long ago.  A few intentionally placed stones form crude, uneven steps up to the top of of the pile and beyond is a large room with wood carvings and other decor on its high walls.  Just beyond the pile of rubble in the hallway is a doorway that also leads to the adjacent room, and a few crude, dirty curtains hang here and there breaking up Krikket's sight lines.

(Don't worry about exact size and spacing for now.  Not sure what the marching order is after Krikket and Arvel either.)

Yeemik holds up a hand to tell 'the Spider' that he should go next after Krikket.  The small goblin fits easily through the gaps even where the stone hangs low and then stops half way through.  Calling the disguised Arvel forward he points to an area of small stones lining a ledge above the next area they must pass through and silently insists they hold up and signals to Arvel to keep quiet.  Yeemik lets out a low whistle a few times and then calls out in somewhat of a hushed tone, but loud enough for someone a room or two away to hear.  "Lhupo... Lhupo!"  After a brief pause another goblin appears and comes over the rubble pile Krikket is next to.  "Yeemik?"  He then looks at Krikket with a bit of alarm.  "Hey!  Who..what are you?!  ...Yeemik?"  "Lhupo, in here!  Call off Daisy."  "What, why...ok ok."  The new goblin Lhupo whistles and all of a sudden the rocks Yeemik had pointed at come alive and begin moving like a large snake.  Lhupo's pet Grick slithers away into the castle and over the rubble pile and out of sight.  Lhupo stairs into the tunnel at Yeemik and 'the Spider' and looks confused as to who or what Krikket is.  Yeemik calls Lhupo into the tunnel and begins to tell him that he's bringing new friends in and not to be alarmed.  Lhupo looks apprehensive but ultimately listens to Yeemik, who briefly explains the situation, the arrival of Fraac and Ikket inside the tunnel finally convincing Lhupo to go along with their plan.

The goblins enter the area Krikket is in and point Arvel towards the door to the east, confirming that King Grol's tower is in that direction.  They remind him that the owlbear is to the right from there in the south east tower.  Larger members of the party such as Zeke and perhaps Ethan with all of his gear find their makeshift entrance a bit tight, but can make it through with a bit of patience and a squeeze.

(will pause here for RP and allowing the others to enter, etc.)

Elra slips inside, both slightly terrified and intriuged by the castle. She's about to start asking questions about it when she remembers where they are and closes her mouth.

When Elra enters the castle she has the feeling that she has been here before, or that it is otherwise familiar.

Prior to transforming, Tarja says a quick prayer, casting Guidance on Arvel. (Get +1d4 on one check of your choice, if it's within 1 minute and I haven't lost concentration). She then transforms in to a Fiendish Giant Spider and follows the "Spider" in to the room. For effect, she would do her best to stay on the walls (or ceiling, if there is one) immediately next to or above Arvel (but away from Elra, if possible.) She would look around to see anything of note (perception 13) and try to get a good look at the Grick to see where it went.