Surma scratches the side of her head before tapping it. ”If we bring everyone they’ll spot us coming and start picking us off. We could probably sneak in. But there’s no telling how well defended the place is.”
"Small numbers move quicker, stay quieter, hit faster. Stay to the ground and out of sight. We strike where it hurts, then let the forest be our shield." Kane replied, checking his equipment. Though it didn't really seem like his words. More like he was repeating a mantra he'd heard a hundred times.
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Your fellow survivors wish you luck as you prepare to depart. Aubrin embraces Surma and gives her a kiss. "Cayden's own luck be with you, love. Come back to me in one piece!"
You follow the map to the northwest, towards the area of the woods that Kane deduced the hobgoblins' camp would be. You rest after a full day's travel, then continue on for a few more hours the next morning before reaching your destination.
Knee-high grass covers this gloomy clearing. To the west, earthen walls rise to form a steep-walled ravine in the side of a low hill. Thick briars grow to heights of eight feet to the south. A makeshift barricade of sharpened logs has been erected to close off much of the ravine, and a single gate hangs loosely on iron chains near the palisade’s center. Faint trails through the grass form strange loops and nonsensical paths.
Greasy campfire smoke rises up from within the camp beyond the palisade, filling the air with a hazy smog. The din from within is constant as hobgoblins shout at each other, wolves yip and howl, fires crackle, and troopers brawl.
"I will do my best, my dear lady luck... my love." Surma responds after getting her senses back from the kiss.
"Okay, so how y'all want to f*#$ s++* up?" she asks in a low voice to the others upon spying the camp.
Kane averts his eyes and turns a bit red when Surma and Aubrin say goodbye, but says nothing. He concentrates more on his current task: destroying this enemy camp. Leading the way through the forest, Kane finally spots the camp and ducks low, watching through the branches and studying the camp. His eyes seem to glaze over a bit as his mind begins to break down every detail.
"Five buildings... likely fragile... one pen... probably more wolves... one tree... possible cover... look out tower could be used for sniping. Steep ravines, two exits... narrow, could make for good choke points... numbers... unknown at this point... more than us..." The slightest sign of a grin started to show on the corners of his mouth. It was all coming together.
Kane knelt down and pulled out a blunt arrow, drawing a rough sketch of the camp layout in the ground. "Okay... we'll need to do some surveillance before we attack... but already, we have an advantage." His demeanor started to pick up as explained things, once more getting caught up in his analysis. "...their camp defenses prevent a typical frontal assault, but comes at a cost: mobility. They've boxed themselves in, which leaves them open to a ranged offensive, and means if they want to hit back, they need to either retaliate with ranged weapons, or use one of these two entries to hit back." He tapped the front gate and the stairs to the tower. "If we hit from the top of the ravine, we have the high ground. The trouble will be the watch tower, but depending on the number of guards they have stationed, we can overwhelm it. I could take up a sniping position from there and hit the whole camp... but we need more information to improve our odds."
Kane pointed his arrow at Griffo. "Griffo, you said you've learned an ability to turn into a bird? Do you think you could pose as a Chernasardo Graybill - it's a really common bird in this region - and fly in to spy on the camp? Try to get a head count on how many hobgoblins are there, what the buildings are for, key officers, and anything else you can pick up? If you can swipe anything that might limit their ranged options or slow them down, that'd be a big help." He directed his arrow towards Eilyne. "Eilyne. Can you take Minto and sweep around the edges of the camp from the treeline? You said you can move through the woods without leaving a trail. See if there are any sentries posted that we can't see. In particular, try to gauge how many hobgoblins they have stationed in that watch tower." Finally, he nodded to Surma. "Surma, you and I will stay here and monitor their activity from the outside. How often patrols come and go, how often they change guard, where to do they spend the most time shoring up defenses. If we can hit them when most are out on patrol, we'll have a better chance at striking at the heart of the camp."
"Okay... any questions..?"
Surma chuckles. ”Glad you found us.”
Kane paused at Surma's praise, before looking intently at the ground... or, more accurately, avoiding eye contact intently. "O-oh... I was just... looking for survivors... glad I found capable hands..."
Surma pats the Eldritch Knight on the shoulder. ”Same to you.”
Nodding in agreement Eilyne began to move one direction around the camp and watched for trouble as well as any useful information about the camp itself.
"I can't really shrink down to songbird size yet, but I could do something bigger that they might appreciate - a vulture. That shouldn't stand out too much in this region," Griffo says. "Minto, you go with Eilyne."
Griffo then undergoes his transformation into a vulture and flies off to perform some recon on the raider camp. He initially lands up on the higher ground overlooking the tents looking about for some food as he tries to observe the raiders, looking to count numbers and identify leaders.
Minto sticks close to Eilyne in order to offer her his protection. Turns out, he's none too stealthy either.
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Peering down into the ravine, Griffo sees four hobgoblins and two bugbears seated around the central fire pit. To the south, a sagging hut of patched canvas leans precariously near a crude fence of wooden posts and ropes. The patch of bloody, overturned earth within serves as an animal pen. A stretched section of hide shades a far corner, with furs and straw piled into a soft bed. Curiously for an animal pen, there is no gate on the fence, only a wide opening. The pen is currently empty, but Griffo can hear some soft growls coming from inside the tent.
North of the fire pit is a sturdy, oilcloth tent. A square window has been cut in one wall and a puddle of thick, foul-smelling liquid marks the ground beneath. Fumes from the puddle have discolored the canvas above, turning the beige fabric a milky gray. Griffo can see two female hobgoblins working at an alchemist's lab inside.
West of that tent is a simple canvas-walled lean-to that conceals eight tidy bedrolls and several cast-iron buckets. Two hobgoblins and a bugbear are currently asleep inside the tent.
Finally, in the western portion of the ravine, another tent stands. The skins of many humanoids—many with faces still twisted in agony—make up the walls of this gruesome domed tent. Rough stitches hold it together. It is currently closed, and Griffo can't see what might be inside of it.
Eilyne and Minto move through the brush, circling around to the top of the ridge to get close to the watchtower. The 30-foot-tall tower provides an unobstructed view of the entire camp. A large bronze bell and hammer sit within, ready to sound the alarm. A single rope ladder is coiled at the top.
Two hobgoblin sentries are posted on the tower, but one currently appears to be napping, leaving only a single soldier keeping watch.
Despite the kineticist and wolf's lack of stealth, the sentry doesn't seem to be paying particular attention to his surroundings, so they remain unnoticed!
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Griffo then undergoes his transformation into a vulture and flies off to perform some recon on the raider camp.
"... that Halfing just turned into a bird. I was expecting a Griffon."
Eilyne settled in to watch the hobgoblins in the tower for a bit. She hoped that one of them might leave so that she could potentially take the second out but realized it was an unrealistic goal. The chance that she could kill it in one hit was low. Instead she shifted back further into the trees on the ridge putting them between herself and the hobgoblins and spoke very quietly to Minto. "Go get the others Minto, bring them here." She pointed in the direction they had come from as she whispered and hoped the wolf would understand what she wanted.
Griffo makes his way back to the Surma and Kane and changes back into his halfling form. "I counted 11 humanoids in the bulk of the camp - 3 bugbears, the rest hobgoblin - and 2 more hobgoblins up in the tower. There's an animal pen that is inhabited, but I didn't see what it was. There's an utterly horrible tent that probably houses the main chief of this little band. He's playing shy. And of the humanoids there, we can expect at least some magic because I'm positive at least one is an alchemist - maybe two." Griffo shrugs.
"We should try to find some way to pick off some of the piecemeal. Starting at the guard tower is probably out best bet."
Minto makes his way back around the camp in accordance with Eilyne's wishes.
Back at Griffo's side, Minto bites onto his druid's cuff and pulls to get him to follow.
"What is it, Minto, old fella? He wants us to follow him and it doesn't seem too urgent. Eilyne must have found something."
Surma nods as Griffo relays the information he had gathered. When Minto returns and begins tugging at his friend she has a playful smirk as she begins following.
Kane breaks contact as Griffo returns and explains what he found. Sounds like they had their work cut out for them... but he had a plan. "Alright... I have a way for us to beat them. Sounds like Eyline's found something else... better go find her... Lead the way."
Upon finding Eyline, Kane gathered the group around, keeping his voice low. "Alright. I have a plan. Once they change watches, we overwhelm the tower and take it while the ladder is down... we should be able to catch them off guard and buy us a bit of time to prepare. Surma, you and Minto hold the top of the staircase, let nobody through. Eyline, if hobgoblins start climbing the stairs, hit them with your thorns. Griffo, harry them with any ranged weapons you have, but your key priority will be keeping Surma in fighting shape. Leave any ranged or magical threats to me... from the tower, I can see any possible counter attacks they might be planning..."
Kane nodded at the others, looking grim. "...this will be our first step in retaking our home... let's show them that they've made a grave mistake..."
Eilyne listened to Kane's plan and nodded as she added, "If we do that I can stay up there and pull the ladder up. It would give me a good view to attack from so long as they can't burn it down with me still up there." I can only reach so far though so you'd have to bring them close to it."[/b]
Surma solemnly nods along with the plan. At Eilyne's addition the Sword Devil smirks. "I'm sure we can come up with something."
Kane nodded, before blinking and digging through his specialty quiver."That reminds me... I have flammable arrows, as well as some oil, I think... I can buy us a bit more time by firing them on the buildings. Possibly those makeshift barracks."
Kane seemed to hesitate a moment, before reaching behind him... and producing a clay ocarina. "As for any fire... I was taught a song that could summon the rain. If they do manage to launch any sort of fire... I can... uhm... how did she put it..? Something about 'calling upon the spirits of the wind'? Anyways..." He put the ocarina back to safety, before nodding. "The... the point is, the fire won't be an issue..."
Surma's eyes gleam at the mention of flammable arrows, but they blankly settle on the clay instrument Kane produces. Once he's finished explaining how it works she stares for a bit longer before simply uttering "Cool."
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"It's not a bad plan," Griffo offers. "We should keep an eye out for them taking the run around if they decide the stairs are too well covered. We don't want to be flanked. Fortunately, I think we'll see them coming if they try it in plenty of time to get you two off the tower."
You gather in the bushes at the edge of the encampment and stake out the watchtower. After a few hours, a pair of hobgoblins and a worg return to the camp from the surrounding woods, taking a circuitous path through the cleared field in front of the camp's gate. Soon after they return, another pair of scouts and a second worg head out on their patrol. A few minutes later, two of the hobgoblins who had been sitting around the fire ascend the stairs on the side of the cliff and approach the base of the watchtower. The two lookouts throw down the rope ladder and prepare to descend.
Kane considered Griffo's concerns a moment, before noticing the returning hobgoblin patrol and watching them move through the front of the camp. Were they... walking in a pattern? "...I don't think we'll need to worry about that. Look, see them walking in? ...I bet they've laid traps to deter frontal attacks. If they want to get out through that way, they need to go through their traps... that should slow them down..."
"...here they come. Looks like they're changing the watch." Kane said, watching them and making brief hand motions with his bow in hand, before the vines on the armor he wore grew thicker and stronger. "Now's our chance... ready?" Kane waited for all the hobgoblins to be within sight, or at least as many as possible, before drawing back his bowstring and materializing an arrow of solid light, and firing it!
The arrow streaks through the air with impossible speed before crashing into the base of the tower, filling it with blinding light! "Go!"
Eilyne looked at Kane as he spoke of the powers of the ocarina and his peculiar turn of phrase. She'd heard it before from her mother and she gave the man a more serious look as she started to piece some things together. Still, she had other things to worry about than whether Kane had met her mom right now.
When the patrol entered she nodded in agreement with Kane and mapped out the path herself in case she needed it. As the guard began to change she was safely behind a tree and began to gather power for her first strike against the enemy.
When Kane casts his spell Surma begins to hustle towards the tower.
Griffo casts his magic stone spell to enchant some sling stones. Then he sends Minto to help Surma.
"Attack the hoboglins, Minto," he whispers to his companion. Minto trots out to close with the hobgoblins.
Leaves begin to swirl in the air around Eilyne as the kineticist gathers power. Griffo enchants his sling stones before sending Minto in, Surma hustling alongside the wolf.
Kane's spell fills the tower with brilliant light. The hobgoblins cry out in surprise, two of them clutching at their eyes as the light blinds them!
As Eilyne finished pulling in her power she stepped out from behind her tree and unleashed a seed into the energy that then streaked through the air towards the tower. As the seed flew it grew into something like a small tree trunk and looked to slam butt first into the blinded hobgoblin with resounding force.
With a resounding *thwack* the flying chunk of wood hit and caused the hobgoblin to stagger back towards the edge of the tower from the force.
Eilyne's wood blast knocks the hobgoblin unconscious and sends him toppling over the edge. He plummets to the ground, impacting with a solid crack. He does not get up.
The other sentry atop the tower shouts in alarm, grabbing a hammer and ringing it against the bell to alert the rest of the camp. The blinded soldiers on the ground drink healing potions to mend their burns.
Stepping back behind her chosen tree Eilyne once again began gathering power to herself.
Surma hustles to charge the hobgoblin.
Kane moved forward, drawing another arrow and knocking it as he fired at hobgoblins, loosing an arrow at them in an effort to provide some backup for Surma and Minto. 'Gotta move quick. Surma has that one. Minto closing in. So far, so good.'
Minto bounds forward to help Surma bring down a hobgoblin.
Griffo strides out whirling his sling, loaded with a magic stone. He lets it fly at the one on the tower.
Surma charges and swings on one of the hobgoblins, but his armor manages to foil her attack. Minto bounds up alongside her, digging his teeth into the same hobgoblin, leaving him badly wounded.
Griffo hurls a sling bullet up at the soldier on the tower, cracking him on the head.
As Eilyne gathers kinetic energy, Kane moves up and shoots the other hobgoblin on the ground, causing him to double over in pain.
The hobgoblin on the tower and the one Kane shot grab potions off their belt and drink them to heal their wounds. The one facing Minto and Surma draws a battleaxe and swings blindly at the wolf. Luck is on the enmey's side as he scores a critical hit, his axe biting into the wolf's neck and leaving a grievous wound behind!
Down in the camp, the hobgoblins and bugbears who were around the fire get to their feet and start hurrying towards the wooden stairs leading out of the ravine.
From the tent near the animal pen, a gray-furred wolf and a bigger, black-furred worg rush out. Mounted on the wolf is a feral-looking goblin wearing only a leather collar and a moldering loincloth. He shrieks a war cry as he guides the animals towards the stairs!
With enough power gathered Eilyne steps out once more and sends another blast lancing out at the tower targeting the remaining hobgoblin there.
The blast his with resounding force and sent this one too flying off og the top of the tower to land on the ground below.
The torrent of wood sends the hobgoblin flying off of the tower. He smashes into the ground beside the other sentry and lies still.
Kane huffed slightly as the hobgoblins recovered some of his wounds. He needed a bit more power to his shots, and he had the magic to do it. But the camp was now roused alert and on the attack!
Drawing another arrow just as Eilyne's wooden blast tore through the tower. That was fine. He had a good vantage point from here. Kane drew back the string and fired another arrow at the hobgoblin that already had one of his arrows sticking out of him.
Kane finds his mark again, and the hobgoblin groans and sags to the ground.
Surma hacks at the Hobgoblin that wounded Minto.
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Surma slices into the blinded hobgoblin, cutting him down with a mighty chop of her axe!
Seeing his companion grievously wounded, Griffo cries out, ”Minto!” and rushes forward to his side. He quickly casts one of his own curative spells.
Griffo moves to heal his companion's axe wound.
The goblin and his wolves take the lead, rushing halfway up the stairs. The two bugbears lumber up the stairs behind the wolves, gripping morningstars and holding heavy shields above their heads to ward off attacks from above. The hobgoblins draw their bows as they fall in line behind the bugbears.
Surma hustles to the bottom of the stairs to keep the advancing goblins from spilling out.
Kane gave a small smile as the hobgoblin fell. His skills were improving! And that left them to deal with the approaching forces below. That was... a lot of them! And with Minto grievously injured and Griffo tending his wounds, that left Surma to handle the whole lot of them by herself!
Kane's mind raced with his options... and after a moment, he drew back the string as the wood began to sprout a host of vines and yellow flowers, while he almost unconsciously began to speak. "Spirits of the forest, guide my bow./Lend me the might of the Chernasardo./Where I aim, let it flourish and grow,/and in turn, I ask that you halt my foe!"
Letting the string go, a veritable flock of leaves and petals swirled through the air, before nose-diving into the ground near the stairs. After a moment, the surrounding area began to erupt in a bounty of plant life! Said plants immediately began to wrap and tangle themselves around the legs of nearly everything in the area! The tents, the ravine walls, even the stairs. Thankfully, it stops just shy of Surma, as if parting politely for her.
"That ought to slow them down a bit!"
Knowing that she might need to help slow down the attackers on the stairs Eilyne moved up closer to the edge, trying to remain just far enough back to be unseen, and began to gather power for another strike, the golden green energy swirling around her blowing the plant life at her feet to bend in the same direction.