Gareth grunts and his weapon fly over his head.
He misses horribly, hitting sideways at a wall. The dwarf pulls the weapon back with difficulty, and his eyes start to look around searching for Iteb. The orc went alone on the other house! He guessed she'd have yelled if she needed help, but the damned daggers of the hobgoblins sometimes were swift and deadly enough to silence the strongest throats.
Jeb flinches down and under the blow, earning but a gash to the scalp, but still brings her blade around.
Stepping up to the hobgoblin opposite Jeb, Lysander flails at the hobgoblin his rapier, to little effect.
Bunko closes ranks with his allies, gripping his oversized sword and swinging for the fences. He's not able to get a good balance of the weapon, though, and his swing is clumsy, and easily dodged.
Surrounded and massively outnumbered, the lone surviving hobgoblin manages to hold off all four of her attackers, her sword and shield flashing as she blocks and parries at dizzying speed.
Seeing Jeb as still her best target, the Ironfang legionnaire makes another cut at the dwarven warrior. So busy is she at trying to defend herself, though, that she has no chance to truly threaten Jeb.
,
The fire begins to creep further along the thatched roof.
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Iteb will make her way to the others, charging the hobgoblin if she can and making an attack with the longsword if she can, otherwise simply moving up to it.
, damage
After breathing heavily from her sprint to and fro her home, she continues. "Three more in home. No one else, no hurry." She announces, "Burning building more urgent."
Iteb's blade plunges deep into the Ironfang warrior's back, and she stumbles hard, barely staying upright.
"I've got this one, someone deal with the flames!", Bunko says, though there's a quaver in his voice at the final word, and his concentration is divided between his foe and the unforgiving flames.
Looking over his shoulder to his companions - and making sure Iteb seemed alright as well - Gareth continued his way towards inside the building.
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Gareth moves to engage the enemies, screaming war cries in Dwarven.
Gareth tries to move quickly to help them leave the building. He yells to the militia members asking for help.
Gareth immediately engages into trying to deal with the fire, searching for water or large pieces of clothes he can use. At the same time, he yells calling the militia members and asking them to help.
Although Bunko's sword is exceedingly well-balanced, its weight is just off enough to allow the last-standing hob to block it with her shield.
Gareth steps into the smithy. If he was hoping for a passage into the barricaded Trading Post, he is disappointed - the two buildings share an ancient stone wall, but nothing more. For centuries, the forge here provided ample space for working iron and steel as well as limited farrier services. The hobgoblin raiders have already targeted the smithy, snatching up any weapons or armor in their meaty paws - but it seems that something ill befell them in the process of looting. A single hobgoblin still lies in the middle of the floor. The forge remains hot, as it was when Gareth visited before.
Inside, the smithy is lit by an everburning torch set near the forge. Hanging from a nail over her workbench is a large key ring. Several notes, apparently regarding some work Kining was doing on the Marideth Bridge are scribbled in chalk on a large piece of slate leaning against the wall.
For a moment, there is no sign of movement in the smithy, then the glow around the forge ripples and bubbles, and a humanoid figure composed of pure flame rises up from the forge. About the size of a preadolescent human child but much bulkier, it glares around and roars before rushing toward Garth in a fury.
Fortunately, the fire being seems too aggravated to aim its attacks well.
As the strange fiery creature approaches, Gareth wings his longhammer as per pure reflex.
Lysander and Jeb work together to try to finish the last hob off.
,
,
Lysander's stab doesn't land, but Jeb's massive blow cleaves the Ironfang legionnaire in almost in half.
Inside the smithy, the elemental swings again, but it remains unfocused and swings seemingly at random.
With the last hobgoblin felled, Bunko races towards the door to the house, gritting his teeth as he nervously glances towards the flames spreading across the thatched roof. Wasting no time to check if the door is unlocked, he throws his shoulder into the door to force it open.
Sheathing his rapier, lysander follows Gareth into the smithy.
The elemental brings Lysander skidding to a halt. "Woah, that's a fire elemental. Think it's in league with the Ironfangs? Or does it live in the forge?"
Lysander hasn't been around enough lately to know anything relevant to the bridge.
The door is not locked, but it is definitely barricaded on the far side. However, neither Bunko or Iteb can get it to open on the first try. You start hearing shouts and cries for help from the other side, as apparently those in the Trading Post have begun to recognize their danger.
Seeing the issue, Aubrin hobbles over. "If you need to break the door in, I have a spell that might help - but we would lose access to it later."
Gareth attacks the enemy again. As Lysander points out what it is, his face pretends to know an answer, but he has not much of a clue.
Don't know, Elfie, but it's trying ta' burn this ole Dorf' right here, so I'm gonna smash it!
He five-foot-steps diagonally, then swings the hammer.
Gareth's hammer pounds the dirt next to the elemental without other effect.
Jeb moves up to help Gareth fight the elemental.
,
Shrugging, Lysander draws his rapier and attacks the living bonfire.
Jeb's blade hammers down, cutting cleanly through the elemental. The flames flicker and die out. Even as Lysander is poking at the remains of the elemental, there is more movement in the smithy: two humanoids, up in the hayloft. They quickly resolve themselves into two half-elves, siblings by their age and similar appearance. Hands raised, they introduce themselves as Lirosa and Taidel, hunters from the nearby woods in town for the Festival. "We were laying an ambush for those hobbos," Lirosa says, and Taidel finishes, "but that fire-creature came out of the forge and beat them down, so we decided to stay hidden."
"Thanks for getting rid of it," Lirosa adds, shouldering a longbow.
Jeb recognizes Lirosa's name as the owner of the Erastilian holy symbol the group recovered from the Shrine.
"You can take care of the townsfolk now," Taidel says. Lirosa adds, "We’ve got hobgoblins to hunt."
Please let me know if you plan to search the smithy any further.
Don't ye kids want to stick with us? We have use for more able hands. - he asked, advancing to study the wall shared by the smithy and the trading company.
Over at the doorway, Iteb and Bunko slam into the door together - and although it shakes and trembles under the weight of the blow, it still doesn't open.
The fire continues to spread, having now engulfed the entire eastern end of the Trading Post roof.
Aubrin's spell finishes, and suddenly Iteb swells in size, now more than ten feet tall and wielding giant's weapons.
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+1
Don't ye kids want to stick with us? We have use for more able hands. - he asked, advancing to study the wall shared by the smithy and the trading company.
Lirosa and Taidel look skeptical.
Unhappy about the sturdiness of the wall but again somewhat proud of the craftsmanship, Gareth tries to quickly look around the smithy.
Seeing the two siblings didn't answer him about his offer, seeing simply skeptical, Gareth pointed at the trading company.
Well, at least help us free those people down there... Then 'ya can decide what yar' going ta' do. If ya' wanna fight them hobbogobbos with them' weapon of yars, we're ya best bet.
Seeing the two siblings didn't answer him about his offer, seeing simply skeptical, Gareth pointed at the trading company.
Well, at least help us free those people down there... Then 'ya can decide what yar' going ta' do. If ya' wanna fight them hobbogobbos with them' weapon of yars, we're ya best bet.
Gareth notes a set of keys on a keyring handing over a work desk, and on the work desk itself, some papers that seem to relate to some kind of construction or repairs on the Phaendar Bridge.
The twins start at Gareth's reference to helping out for the fire, and rush out to the Trading Post yard, with the other refugees. "What should we do?"
Gareth collects what he can and runs outside, towards the door. He signs calling the siblings to help.
There are people locked inside, and we'r seein' flames all 'round. Let's force it open!
Aubrin, me dear, praise Cayden. - says the Dwarf, as he tries to help with the efforts outside - Would 'ya be so kind and tell me friends here 'bout our little resistance? These are Lirosa and Taidel.
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Iteb is distraught over her last blow, even in conjunction with another person, failed to bring down the door. "Dammit, if you barricadin' yourselves in there or somethin' best ya stop." She curses at them as she suddenly grows in size. She felt a strange magic and was just about to resist it before noticing it to be coming from Aubrin, having recieved a warning about 'helpful magic' beforehand. "Place'z on fire." She roared, but without actually allowing anyone on the other side time to register and respond, she simply tried to strike down the door once more.
Lirosa, Taidel, Jet, and Rhyna grab one of the pieces of lumber nearby and hand an end off to Iteb to act as a battering ram.
The door shatters under the blow, and smoke rolls out from the newly created hole in the Trading Post wall. Inside, the inhabitants are passed out, but the other refugees with you bravely rush in and begin dragging out the bodies, grabbing for what they can find that looks useful while they go. Aubrin channels again , and the victims suddenly gasp and shudder into wakefulness.
Among them are Negan and Mako Kusk.
There's not quite enough room for jeb to help out, but the burst of positive energy does alleviate some of her wounds, so that's good, at least.
She lends a hand gathering supplies, before they're ready to move on.
Lirosa and Taidel exchange glances after hearing Aubrin's plea, but finally the siblings nod and fall in with the rest of the refugees.
After he has a chance to look at what he grabbed from the smithy, Gareth discovers that the papers are drawings and plans for repairs Kining as contracted to perform on the Marideth Bridge. After reading through them a few times, he's gained enough understanding of the bridge to gain a +2 insight bonus on any Craft (alchemy), Disable Device, or Knowledge (engineering) checks attempted to destroy it.
Gareth reads the papers and shows to his companions, interestedly looking at the details about the bridge. He doesn't know much about it, but is trained enough in disabling devices to be able to try to rig it.
This here seems to be plans to repair tha' bridge. With these plans, 'aye might be able ta' rig it and try to quickly destroy it... Ta' prevent them hobbogobbos from following us. Maybe something for us ta' think 'bout.
He scratches his beard, but doesn't really seems willing to waste much time - becoming visibly worried at the group of people they're escorting.
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Unfortunately, due to her increased size she would have hindered the rescue effort ongoing to get those trapped inside out, and so decided to wait outside glancing back over to her own workshop. "Like said before. Three more, ransacking home. Next stop to get my gear, then not sure where next." She offered, turning to see some of those that were brought out. Initially with a hint of worry at seeing Negan and Mako, but soon thankfulness after seeing them breathing well. As soon as Aubrin healed them, she wasted no time in letting them mentally recovery. Likely their injuries not even fully healed, but again, she didn't seem to pay such a thought heed.
Stepping over to them, a menacing 12-foot Orc reaching down and grabbing Mako, her son, under her right arm and Negan crushed under her shield in her left. She held them close to her several feet off the ground, "Bout time I found ya two! Looking all over!" She had a genuine smile, something she didn't offer often. Soon setting them dwon however, a more grim look returned, "Still in hurry though, must flee town with who we have so far. Also more bastards inside our home. Gotta get my weapons" She stated, looking to the rest of her militant group for assistance in this.
I'm ready to move on, i don't think butchering the animals here is wroth the time, unless they can be doing it safely while Iteb is working on reequipping.
Negan's smile is every bit as broad, even though he is being manhandled like a child. "That's a good look for you," he even manages to tease a little, embarrassing Mako. "We came to the Trading Post to try to rally the militia, such as it is, but they overran us and we had to fall back and barricade. At least so I thought. Turned out to be a deathtrap of our own making."
He and Mako are both ready to move on as well.
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Unless someone wants otherwise, Iteb recollects herself and begins making her way across the road to her smithy once more. Readying the now giant longsword in his right hand, she enters the home with a mind to engage the three ransacking her stores, then reacquiring her own armaments. She plans to make full use of her short-lived size and strength, not sure how long Aubrin's strange magic would hold.
While Iteb takes advantage of her size, Jeb grabs the opportunity to lead a group of the townsfolk in carving up the dead animals outside for provision points.
Lysander falls in behind Iteb, rapier at the ready. All the while, he wonders. Not many elves pass through these parts. A few, to be sure, but not many. I wonder I might know their father or mother. A question for calmer times.
It takes but just a handful of seconds to cross the street from the burning Trading Company to the quiet and seemingly-still house across the street that Iteb and Negan called home. The house's front door still stands open, just as Iteb left it, and the side entrance that is the shop's front door is open as well. The interior is dark and cramped, Iteb knows, which will make fighting difficult, especially at her current size.
The shop itself is mosly just a few racks of weapons displayed out for use, most at this point either destroyed by hobs with no taste for orcish weapon design sensibilities or looted for their own use. Shards of metal litter the floor along with splintered wood and a few scattered papers. Three Ironfang soldiers are still searching through the store, hoping to find a last trace or two of worthy gear to take with them.
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Iteb enjoys the prospect of pulling apart the hobs that dare tear apart her home and destroy her goods. While it may not be her home for much longer, until they can formally take back the town, she still relishes the thought of vengeance. "Will get as close as possible and open door for surprise, will fight through door if necessary, or squeeze in if not." She announced, moving carefully to the door, just ten feet away from it, and then opening the door after Lysander and Gareth move into position.
'Aye will try to hide and attack through one of tha' windows. Maybe tha' one closer to tha' door - considering my long weapon, I shoulda' be able to hit them inside tha' shop. - whispers to Dwarf to the Orc as they plan their attack.