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The new companions, thrust together by events, rounds the corner. There they find a much larger assembly of goblins - eight footsoldiers of the type they have already encountered; two somewhat more fearsome-looking goblin warriors carrying bows and polearms, mounted on scabby mounts that look like someone crossed a bald rat with a mangy dog and added extra malevolence; and an extremely ugly female goblin, also astride one of the rat-like mounts, wielding a whip and chanting the horrid goblin ditty you heard before. A number of the footsoldiers have lighted torches and, gibbering with glee, they seem to be about the throw them on to the new temple roof.
Elisile rounds the corner, and quickly scans the area, assessing the situation. A number of her impromptu allies charge forward to engage the enemy, or else move to more strategic locations.
Of the enemy, it appears that a number of the goblins are about to put the large building to flame. They would appear to be a target of priority, but Elisile realised that it was extremely unlikely that all eight torch wielding goblins could be dealt with in the few seconds before they would throw their torches. At a worst case scenario, the building burning to the ground, the townsfolk in the square would have time to get away, and this building could be rebuilt in a few short years, decades at most.
No, the priority target here was the leader – presumably the singing goblin female near the back of the warband. Elisile would trust in the humans and the dwarf to deal with the goblin toughs – she would go after the leader.
Dammit. Vethran was nowhere to be seen. Illes darted through the scattering crowd like a fish working its way upstream all the while scanning faces worriedly. If he let his cousin get killed by a band of scabbed up goblins while he was off trying to charm some dull-witted peasant girl, well- there would be no going home after that. And it was certain that wherever Vethran was, he was trying to get himself into as much trouble as possible. That seemed to be precisely the kind of thing the kid was looking for on this aimless journey. It went hand in hand with his unhealthy obsession with burning things. Like he was always looking for an excuse...
Finally, he broke past the last of the fleeing crowd just in time to see Vethran rushing into the center of a square dominated by mounted goblins and a sizable force of foot soldiers. Illes sighed with relief and grinned in anticipation as worry was quickly overtaken by adrenaline. Hardly fair for that goblin witch back there to sing unaccompanied.
As he breaks across the square to Vethran, Illes yanks his flute free from his belt and stops once it is in hand to counter with the culmination of a frenzied Varisian fireside dance song.
Initiative Table
Goblin footsoldiers 6 @ A2, B2, C2, C3, C4, A5
Goblin songstress 5 @ F2
Begin Round 2
Mounted goblin toughs 23 @ E3, F4
Dravite 22 @ C6
Vethran 17 @ D9
Larken 16 @ D11
Illes 14 @ G8
Alwyn 14 @ B11
Lo'j 13 @ K6
Elisile 10 @ H13
Hudak 9 @ B6
Current Effects:
Bless, Inspire Courage, Minor Aura: Master of Tactics
Total Bonuses: +1 to hit, +1 to damage, +1 to saves vs fear and charm, and +3 damage when flanking.
Elisile's arrow strikes true. The female goblin is cut off mid-dirge, and slides off the saddle of her mount on to the floor. Meanwhile, Hudak charges and with a high sweeping blow virtually cuts a goblin in half down the middle in a fountain of blood and viscera (and he hadn't even bothered to sharpen his sword that morning).
The goblins shriek with rage and press their attack. Most come spilling round the stack of firewood to get at Hudak and Dravite. Two however, notice Illes and charge at him. Those attacking Hudak have mixed results - one scores Hudak across the chest with its blade, the other shatters its weapon on Hudak shield and stands holding the hilt and sniffling dejectedly. The two on Dravite fail to connect with the dwarf at all. Of the two attacking Illes, one manages to get in a nick on his arm.
The two mounted toughs head for Lo'j, swinging their polearms and whooping. One strikes a savage blow to Lo'j, and the bite from its dander-crusted mount drives him to the floor, bleeding and unconscious. The other hits Gurney, wounding the dog badly and causing him to fall to the ground, whimpering.
Larken, noting that while the good guys seem to be winning, they're "taking it in the shorts" (as his Uncle Raivan used to say), decides to enter the fray. He eases behind an overly-focused goblin, looks for the "sweet spot", and thrusts. Unlike the warriors in the group, he does this passionlessly, no more excited than if he were scraping dung from his shoe.
Fake Healer
(Male Dworc (half-dwarf/half-orc) Monk5/Barbarian1/Rogue2/Jack-of-all-Trades4/Master of None4/Quasi-diety4)
** spoiler omitted **
Not to wet blanket anything but I can't find a clear path for your charge from where you started, I had you as starting around the A10-B11 area by last reckoning. From any of those squares the charge is blocked by either Larken, Illes, or a Gobbo footsoldier. Did you have a different start location and if so what was it so I can correct my map?
Not to wet blanket anything but I can't find a clear path for your charge from where you started, I had you as starting around the A10-B11 area by last reckoning. From any of those squares the charge is blocked by either Larken, Illes, or a Gobbo footsoldier. Did you have a different start location and if so what was it so I can correct my map?
The loud, armoured human with the dog, who had run in, shouting out orders and tactics (“Flank them! Aim for the back of their necks!”) – had been taken down by the two goblin cavalry.
Good tactical position thought Elisile. If you know you have allies you can rely on. And if you don’t look like the biggest, most easily accessible threat.
The elf sighed, and prepared to turn her bow on the two goblins, for what good that might do – the man was likely dead, and even if he was not, she could not take down both goblins and their mounts before they could make sure he was – and none of the others in the square were in a good position to help him.
Just then, much to her surprise, the savage looking dwarf charged over to assist the downed man, opening himself up to attack from the goblins he had been facing. The Shoanti warrior – or was he a priest? – whom she had spoken to earlier also weaved around some other combatants and hacked down one of the goblins.
It was good that they had come to the downed human’s assistance – but it made it difficult to use her bow in the confusing melee.
She strikes at the rat-like mount of the goblin in J6.
Attack Roll: 18+5 = 23. Roll to confirm critical: 17+5 = 22
Damage: (4+2) + (5+2) = 13 – assuming it is a critical hit and the +1 from inspire courage applies to both damage rolls.
As the goblins closed in on him Illes wisely broke off the tune and grabbed for his rapier, but he was too slow and the lead goblin managed to slash the arm holding his flute. Eyes wild with indignation, the Varisian sizes up his opponent. "Very nice toadskin. But I'll see you that, and raise you this..." With that he steps forward fluidly thrusting his blade through the goblins abdomen and yanking it free steps past it in a quick spin.