Edvard's spear manages to penetrate the Ironfang heavy's defenses, and she gasps, blade and buckler dropping from suddenly unmoving fingers, before crumpling to the bridge.
Although Raska finds the sword and shield of the legionnaire too difficult to get past, Calliae has far less trouble, and he seems to be more than a bit weak and wobbling on his feet at this point.
Recruit #2 17/17
Bert brings down the legionnaire, leaving only one target left - so Quinn's magic missile slams into her, for the first damage she has so far suffered in this battle. She remains focused on Edvard, though, as the most dangerous of all in her mind. Her bladework lacks the skill of her companions, however, and Edvard has no trouble dodging out of the way.
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"Quinn is right. Get across the bridge, now!" Edvard will shout to the survivors without looking, then turn to the hobgoblin and say "I would offer you the chance for surrender, but you clearly don't deserve it. Instead, I offer you the chance to die."
Leaving the flank open for Raska, Edvard will stab the remaining threat with his spear.
Seeing the bridge's defenders fall, the Phaendarite refugees begin to creep out, past the shed and onto the bridge. They are timid at first, but then begin to run - and then sprint, as an arrow from somewhere off to the south falls in among them. The missile fails to hit anyone, but it's clear that more will soon be coming.
Aubrin is being carried by two of the stronger townsfolk, and she moves past quickly, but Kining Blondebeard and Vane Oreld run up to you rather than moving on. "What are we going to do about the bridge?" Vane asks. Kining adds, "We can't have more than a few seconds before the Legion gets here from that damned tower!"
"If possible people should drag the dead hobs and the wolf to the other side of the bridge with us. We can use the equipment from the hobs and butcher the wolf for food."
On the subject of the bridge Calliae is silent for a mere moment, "Oreld, you brought your secret project didn't you? Can we use that to demolish the bridge?"
"It can," Vane agrees hesitantly, "but it will take me several moments to get set up, and then about 30 seconds for the reaction to reach full potency. Do we have that much time?"
A couple of the warriors grab the bodies as they go by.
Raska limps along with the refugees attempting to herd them across the bridge. As the question is posed about whether or not they had enough time to blow the bridge he shrugged, "Set the explosives and run. Maybe we can catch some of them in the blast and outrun the others. We've got to get to cover, otherwise those arrows will be the death of us all."
"We'll hold them off while you set the explosion up. We'll need to keep them away from your stuff until it goes up, otherwise they might stop it." William adds. He then says, "This may call for a bow. Should we all switch to them or will they be on us and we'll need to engage in melee?"
"Do we have a faster way to take out the bridge? If so that might be better and we can use that secret weapon of yours for something else later on."
"We'll hold them off while you set the explosion up. We'll need to keep them away from your stuff until it goes up, otherwise they might stop it." William adds. He then says, "This may call for a bow. Should we all switch to them or will they be on us and we'll need to engage in melee?"
"Do we have a faster way to take out the bridge? If so that might be better and we can use that secret weapon of yours for something else later on."
"My crane, maybe," Kining replies. "I could unlock it and someone could get down there and use it like a battering ram, swing it out and back in to break the scaffolding. Might go faster, might not, depends on how well you can aim your swings."
At the mention of defending with bows Quinn realized he had left his beaten crossbow in the dirt by the shed, ”Well, s#~+….I can conjure up some globs of acid at the hobs I suppose. But I agree with Matches here. If we set the explosives and run, how easy would it be for these idiots to disarm it?”
Edvard helps cover people across with his shield and says "Probably alot harder if we're shooting at them when they try to deactivate it."
Looking at the refugees, Edvard will turn to Raska and say "Find us a rally point on the other side. Some place where there is at least a little cover, if possible." He will then turn back towards the near side of the bridge and cover the people who are working on the device. "Let me know when it's set up and I'll get across the bridge."
A scratching voice in the back of Quinn's mind spoke up, ”... crossbow is right over there….just waiting to be picked up….”
Quinn raced over and snatched you the crossbow, ”This one is much nicer than what I had. Better made too!”
He loaded a bolt and turned to the group, ”Well, if we're going to do this let's do it already before I lose my nerve.” Quinn was only joking but even as he said it he could feel the urge to run to the trees building.
Raska turned a hard eye to Edvard. Normally, he'd have a few words for the man barking orders at him, but with his tentative grasp on consciousness and their dire situation, he silently obliged.
He musters up enough energy to shout at the refugees, "Get across the bridge. You're lives depend on it!"
"Okay then," Vane nods, visibly taking a breath. He turns toward Kining as though about to ask for her help, but she's already making her way north, over the bridge toward the woods. "...gods I hate that woman," he finally says, then grabs his alchemical kit and ingredients and carefully climbs over the bridge's railing and onto the scaffolding.
"Calliae, can you remove that mist so we can take them under fire from further away? This longbow has quite a range and we may be able to take out a few on there way in."
Edvard moves to shield William from return fire.
"I won't remove it, at least not until Vane is done. If they don't see us they have no reason to come charging or open fire. If you want I'll drop it once the stump remover is in place so we can protect it before it blows." Most of all, she didn't want to leave Vane upon to attack. He wasn't a fighter like the others and she wasn't sure he could handle it.
"No, wants Vane is out we need to follow him across the bridge and out of the blast. I'd say drop it when we are clear and can fire on anyone trying to stop the stump remover." William replies to Calliae. Maybe if they don't know what's going on they won't try to stop it and we can just get out of here without having to engage them again.
Quinn placed himself opposite of Vane and shouldered the masterwork crossbow, ”Hope they don't come this way. Expect that they do.”
After a few long seconds' worth of work, Vane reappears at the edge of the bridge. The last of the Phaendarites have crossed over, with just you as the exceptions. "Done," he says. "We have about 28 seconds before it explodes. Any sign of the-"
Vane's words are interrupted by sounds from the south - marching feet, and then a shouted word in Goblin.
Quietly to William and the others, Edvard will say "Let's get across the bridge now, quick as you can. I'll bring up the rear."
Shouting, Edvard will say
"Archers prepare to fire as soon as they break cover. Focus on the lead elements and pick them off one at a time. Knights to the front!"
William begins to move back and is ready to shoot the first hobgoblin through the mist.
The group begins to head back across the bridge, weapons pointed at the mist. Even as they retreat, the first hobgoblins appear from the mist at the foot of the bridge. William's arrow takes one in the arm, and Quinn's crossbow bolt in the thigh, but they keep approaching. And it sounds like there are more behind.
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William fires at the same one again and moves back with the others. "Keep falling back. Try to concentrate on the same one."
Even with his injuries, Raska can't stand by and watch as the enemy approaches on his allies. He gingerly trots up behind the others and knocks an arrow to his shortbow.
Instead of wasting his time reloading, Quinn gripped the crossbow in one hand and launched acid at the hobs before backing towards the safe side of the bridge.
William's shot takes his target down, though Quinn's follow-up on the hob's ally misses widely.
Edvard backs up to continue shielding the others.
Callie sticks close to Raska, ready to aid the ifrit if he needs her again.
Most of the hobs rush forward, swords and shields at the ready, but their squad leader raises his bow and fires down from the top of the arch toward your party. His target, seemingly chosen at random, is Callie, and the arrow just barely ricochets from her shield.
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Edvard will stab the hobgoblin who has moved around to threaten Raska.
Surprised that the hobgoblins were on them so quickly, Raska steps back and fires at the warrior threatening him, hoping to finish him off. He then drops his bow and once again brandishes his dagger.
Quinn cursed and launched another glob of acid.This time aiming for the one of the hobs still in formation
”Don't let them surround us!” He shouted as he backed away, "Keep moving!"
"Quinn is right! Keep falling back!" William then fires at the hobgoblin near Rasks (if he still stands, if not the closest wounded one) and moves back.
Calliae nods as the others talk about a retreat. She lashes out with her sickle before stepping back.
The group inflicts deep wounds on several legionnaires, but none fall, and more keep coming. The one cut by Calliae pursues her, slashing with his sword, while Raska's foe likewise tries to circle him and find a gap in his defenses for her blade. Two archers fire again, on William, while Edvard tries to hold off two more.
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Another two press down on Edvard then, and another chases after Quinn, though she does not reach him. A fourth finds his way up to threaten Calliae from a different angle.
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Seeing Edvard being surrounded William begins to worry he won't make it out, and shoots at the southernmost one next to him. "Back up out of there! You're going to be trapped!" He then puts his bow away and prepares for the hobgoblins.
One of the hobs narrowed the gap between it and Quinn. Behind the hobgoblin Quinn could see that the rest we're in far more dire circumstances than he, Edvard being the worst.
Quinn had just enough time to think No, no, no, no, no! before lobbing more acid at the hob who had come to cut him down.
He was not ready to die and so he moved closer to William, hoping that the two together could stand a better chance.
Quinn called out to the other survivors again, "Arrows! Bolts! Rocks for all I bloody care!"
Raska tries to stab the legionnaire closing on him and then steps back.
Quinn called out to the other survivors again, "Arrows! Bolts! Rocks for all I bloody care!"
Raska shouts over his shoulder, "You heard the man, fire everything you've got or we're all dead!"
Edvard takes a 5' step back and stabs at the one behind him.
An arrow comes from beyond the bridge, headed for the hob threatening Raska. ,
Calliae's magical fog suddenly dissipates, and the lights of the bridge reveal dozens upon dozens of additional Ironfang troops coming. Realizing their position is shortly to be overrun by the sheer weight of the hobgoblin army, the heroes of Phaendar begin a rapid retreat, turning to run for the Fangwood Forest in the dimly-lit distance. For several long, harrowing seconds, hobgoblin swords are at their heels and arrows flash over and past them - but then a roar like a direct-hit lightning strike sounds from the bridge as it recedes behind them. The pursuers slow, stop, and turn to see the whole bridge heave and ripple like a cloak in a high wind. Dust pours out of the western side of the bridge in vast billows, and with a terrible groaning shudder the whole bridge suddenly drops to the west, the broad flagstones tilted at a steep angle. Stones from the bridge plummet into the angry river, and choking dust pours upward. The hobs, full of fury moments before, stop and tremble at the bridge's base.
Another call to advance reaches your ears, along with an order to "Loose!" Arrows loft upward, falling among the Phaendarites at random, but though there are a few cries of pain, no one falls. Kining breaks off a shaft from where it lodged in her left arm and sneers. Much slower now, a double handful of the Ironfang warriors begins to cross the sloped bridge.
Their caution does not save them when the bridge goes down entirely a moment later. There is another massive billow of dust and a second groan, far louder than the first, as the whole structure gives away. Several hobs are crushed by falling rock, and others are pitched headlong into the whitewater 80 feet below.
The pursuers give up on chasing the Phaendarites entirely, turns back toward the river to aid their fellows or simply regroup with the army from which they are currently separated. The flights of arrows nip your heels as you go, but no more injuries are taken, and for now, it would seem that you have safely escaped Phaendar.
Edvard brings up the rear. Though heavily injured, he still insists on covering the retreat.
Once out of harm's way Calliae moves to check on everyone to see whether they need patching up.