Rogar sends a blast of earthen spikes at the plant monster, tearing into its body.
Wulfram casts a blessing and moves up in front of the others, readying his spear. As the creature lunges for him, he drive the point of his weapon into its bulk. It thrashes for a moment, then slumps and lies still.
"Well, that's a nasty trap for the unwary," Wulfram said, after the plant creature stopped moving. He moved to the vines and started picking berries. "This will be a welcome addition to our food stocks," he commented. "All in all, not a bad day. We've got a good amount of food to bring back, and we learned a bit from Veld. Those caves sound interesting."
When you make it to the camp's new location, you can see that the adept's efforts to build shelters didn't result in much success. Karrga managed to make a small lean-to to hold two people, but Rhyna and Jace stand over a pile of collapsed leaves and branches. "This is harder than it looks!" Rhyna laughs. "At least it's not cold any more! We should be fine under the stars tonight." Her squirrel chitters and shakes his head, as if embarrassed.
Edran and Felicia work together to start training the wolf cubs. Felicia is a mousy blonde woman who wears spectacles, and she and the bard seem to be getting along well enough.
Those who ventured into the woods come back with a pair of sheep, as well as a few provisions.
Kining returns with a grim expression on her face. "Found a body in a creek bed back near Phaendar. Gilida Dravonich, local trapper. She was brutalized both before and after she died, and her stab wounds looked like they came from hob swords. Think they made it across the river." The dwarf tosses down a haversack. "She had some good stuff on her at least."
Edran starts to breathe quickly and glances back and forth to the trees, obviously unsettled. "This is crazy. When is the Nirmathi army going to get here? They're going to do something about these hobgoblins, aren't they?"
Aubrin shakes her head. "That's not how it works here, son. Tamran's a hundred and fifty miles away. They probably have no idea what's happening out here. We're on our own, at least for now." The retired ranger frowns, thinking. "There's a small Chernsardo Ranger redoubt in a swampy gully southeast of here. It's about eight miles away, but if the Ironfang Legion is in the woods now, it might be time to make contact with them and recruit them to our side."
After joining up with the main group, Wulfram enchanted some of the berries he can helped gather.
Kining's report was worrying. "We need to find a defensible base soon," Wulfram said. "The hermit Veld talked about some caves off to the east. Perhaps they might prove suitable."
"I'm wondering what's at the end of that map we found. There were some interesting things in that sack. Maybe there's a shelter. It sounds like everything is to the east. Maybe we should move our camp in that direction slowly. Do you think we should leave our people for a night or two, and look for the caves and the Ranger camp in the same trip?" Eustoma has been happy to follow along, and sorry she didn't get in the fight with the brambles.
Before everyone turned in, Wulfram soothed the aches and pains of himself and his companions.
The night passes in relative quiet. Another pleasant morning arrives, and after partaking of Jet's tasty cooking, you are ready to decide what to do today.
Eustoma takes a moment to commune with nature for a bit before getting breakfast and speaking to everyone about he plan for the day. "I think we should head to the east in search of the Chernsardo Ranger's. We're going to need help if those hobs start after us. If we happen to come across the caves or the location marked on the mite's map all the better. Should we prepare to be gone more than one day?"
"The location on the mite's map is about 4 miles due east of here, by my reckoning," Wulfram said to Eustoma. "We could go there, and have the entire group follow us - or we could leave the camp here, and go to the map location, and then on to the Chernsardo Ranger's redoubt."
"Agreed. We can head tha' way ta follow tha map, and send tha rest o' tha group east as well, ta try an' head towards those caves Veld mentioned."
Wulfram tried to solve the mystery of the unknown single boot.
While Aramant stays behind to ensure the safety of the other refugees, the three of you follow the map through the shadowy forest. After traveling for a few hours, you hear harsh voices speaking Goblin up ahead.
Three hobgoblins stand over a prone figure. The apparent leader barks orders while the other two bind their prisoner's wrists with rope and secure a leather hood over their head.
When they notice you, however, they turn towards you and snarl a challenge!
""Get out of our forest!", Wulfram shouted to the hobgoblins. He cast a spell to bolster his allies and moved forward.
Sia growls and waits for the goblins to get closer.
As Sia growls and waits, Wulfram casts a blessing and moves towards the hobgoblins.
The leader draws his bow and moves a bit closer to the shaman before firing an arrow at him, its barbed point piercing his chest!
The other two hobgoblins draw their swords and approach cautiously, holding their shields up defensively.
Sia rushes forward and lunges at one, but he barely manages to wedge his shield between the wolf's gnashing teeth, keeping her at bay.
Rogar wrinkles his lip- an action mostly unnoticeable due to his beard- at the treatment of their prisoner. He takes a deep breath as he starts to gather power from the ground around him, a slight tremor moving through the earth. As the dust coalesces into a boulder, he sends it rocketing towards the leader.
Wulfram swore as the arrow found a weak spot in his armor. He paused to soothe his wound, then moved to support Sia, protecting her flank.
Eustoma lets an arrow fly at the hobgoblin with an arrow. "No you don't. You aren't living to the end of today."
Eustoma's arrow grazes the hobgoblin's cheek, drawing a line of blood but not hurting it very much.
Rogar's blast, however, slams into the archer's chest. He grunts in pain as a few ribs crack!
Karla struggles to try to free herself from her bonds, but makes no progress yet.
Wulfram heals himself and moves to protect Sia's flank.
The archer shifts his aim to Rogar, firing on the dwarf. The arrow pierces Rogar's neck, a critical injury! Blood fountains from the deep strike!
The remaining hobgoblins each choose a target. One steps up and to the side to get under Wulfram's reach. The other slashes at Sia. Both score good hits.
As Wulfram stepped back to cast a spell, he saw out of the corner of his eye, his dwarven friend hit with a grievous injury. Engaged as he was, however, he couldn't get over to heal his companion at the moment. He channeled his anger to produce a burst of flame to burn his enemies, hoping that Rogar could hand on for a little bit. [b]"Come near me so I can heal you![b]", he shouted.
Rogar grits his teeth when the arrow bites deeply into his body, but his oddly resilient skin helps him concentrate on summoning a massive cloud of earth, and razor-sharp blades of dust whirl through the air towards the archer, striking him squarely ,
but fails to knock him back. Rogar is so intent on trying to finish off his attacker that he almost misses Wulfram's call to heal him, but looks behind him and steps back closer to the human.
Eustoma lets another arrow fly at the hobgoblin that attacked Sia. "How dare you. You don't belong here."
Sia bites at the hobgoblin in front of her, and then takes a step back.
Sia sinks her teeth into the hobgoblin who struck her, dealing a grievous wound before hopping back a few steps.
Eustoma fires past her companion, grazing the same hobgoblin with an arrow.
Rogar strikes the archer squarely with another earthen blast, causing him to crumple and fall to the ground.
Karla squirms and struggles, and as she bends her wrists at a painful angle, she's able to slip out of the bonds!
Wulfram unleashes a blast of flames at the remaining warriors, but they are able to dodge the worst of it, only getting slightly singed.
Snarling, the soldiers step up to keep the pressure on Wulfram and Sia. Each one slices with his sword, scoring more good hits!
Wulfram thought he heard a familiar voice say his name, however his thoughts on the matter were interrupted by a sword-cut to his leg. Grimacing, he reached out to heal Rogar, then turned his attention on his assailant.
Rogar turns his focus to the warriors right next to him, and, dust swirling around him, a jagged pillar of rock bursts out of the ground
And slams squarely into the chest of the hobgoblin that just struck Wulfram. At the same time, Rogar steps back, getting out of reach from their swords.
"Sia come here." Eustoma calls. She shoots another arrow at the hobgoblin who attacked Sia.
Eustoma calls Sia back to her side. As the wolf heels, the halfling shoots the hobgoblin that struck her with another arrow. He groans in pain, clutching the wound.
Rogar blasts the other hobgoblin, battering him and knocking him back.
Karla creeps up from behind and unleashes a color spray on both of the wounded hobs. As the spiraling colors wash over them, the one who was attacking Wulfram falls to the ground, unconscious.
Wulfram lays his hands on Rogar, healing the dwarf's wounds.
The remaining hobgoblin realizes he's outclassed, but surrender is the last thing on his mind. Turning to face Karla, he tries his best to take the sorceress down with him! He drives his sword deep into her side, badly wounding her.
The soldier jerks as Eustoma buries another arrow into his back. He groans and sinks to his knees before keeling over.
Rogar moves over to the unconscious hobgoblin before it can stir and ties it up securely. Should it start to wake up, he hits it in the head with a rock and finishes the job.
"Wha do we wan' ta do with 'im?" he asks, before remembering his manners and turning to Karla, "Terribly sorry, ma'am. Wha is yer name, and how did ye come to be taken by tha Hobs?"
"Karla!, Wulfram cried. "It's good to see you! We feared the worst." He healed her wounds, and Sia's.
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"Do with him? Should we question him? I doubt he'd tell us much, but it might be worth a try or we could just kill him. Save us from maybe dealing with him later." Eustoma pets Sia, and looks at the new arrival. "Eustoma Haddlefoot, and this lovely creature is Sia. A friend of Wulfram's is a friend of ours." she says in way of greeting.
"Ah don' care. Ah can kill 'im right now if ye want. 'E might 'ave some info fer us. So long as we don' end up takin this one home as well. Though it migh' be fun ta toss him in tha same pit as our last guest."
Now that combat was over, Pele emerged from Wulfram's pack and jumped down to see Karla.
"It would be good to know how the Ironfang got to Phaendar so quickly," Wulfram replied to Eustoma and Rogar.
After a few minutes of discussion, Wulfram said, "It looks like we're going to need some more healing. I'm going to need to meditate for a while." After satisfying himself that there were no more enemies in the area, he sat down for a period of quiet contemplation with Pele.
After he finished, he used some more healing magic on himself and Rogar.
Rogar bonks the unconscious hobgoblin over the head to keep him down. As Wulfram focuses on preparing spells, you have time to look through the hobgoblins' gear. Besides their possessions, each hobgoblin has a tattered notebook with rough maps of the woods and noting water supplies, game trails, and ideal routes for marching large groups. Each also carries a copy of a notice that reads as follows:
BOUNTY!
Phaendar has not been secured to our glorious general's satisfaction, and in her name I now offer a bounty of 25 pieces of gold to any member of the Ironfang Legion who returns reliable information regarding the location of fugitive human-likes who fled Phaendar.
The payment is doubled if you instead return their heads. Live captives may be claimed as slaves!
All rewards are doubled for the impudent ringleaders of this band! Return all information or heads to my cur of a son, Sergeant Scarvinious.
—Lieutenant Scabvistin
Eustoma grabs as much as she can carry, "Gather up the items." Looking at the map and listening to the note Eustoma says, "I think that's enough information don't you? We now have a bounty on our head. Just for surviving it seems. Should we just kill him and move on?" she glares at the unconscious hobgoblin.
"Ah still want ta learn how they got ta Phaendar so fast. All this really tells us is tha the Hobs want us captured or dead, no' much more. Bu' it sounds like this Scarvinious migh' be tha one we want ta take down in tha area."
"Sadly, it seems it's come to that," Wulfram replied to Eustoma. "It's a fight for survival — we can't let this one rejoin his comrades." He sighed and gathered up the captured equipment and stowed it in his pack. "It's all the more important now to keep moving the camp away from Phaendar," he said.
"I'll do it Miss. You shouldn't need to." Eustoma steps between Karla and the hob. "Well are we waking him up to question him or just doing the deed and moving on toward the Rangers?" she asks the others as she pulls out her longsword.
Eustoma steps aside with a look of understanding.
Wulfram bowed his head, as Karla sent the enemy soldier to the great beyond. After a moment of reflection, he summoned Pele to take her usual place in the top of his pack. He hoisted his load, ready to move on.