The group stands up and draws weapons. Khaz blesses those around him with divine protection. Fergal stands and draws his staff, moving to a more advantageous position. His loyal fox moves over the protect him.
The Bugbear fires his loaded, heavy crossbow at the Dwarf who moved forward and called out to him.
The large bolt appears to be headed straight for Brunner's chest, but at the last second is diverted by some divine force.
After firing, he drops the crossbow and draws his greataxe. "If you's surrender, you's chance of living increases. Drop da weapons and submit to you's new master!" The bugbear's voice booms throughout the room. The bard drops to his knees and begs for his life. Auburn continues to clutch the gaping hole in her chest. She gasps for breath.
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Shocked by the sudden violence erupting all about him, and by the terrible realisation that the slaughter that befell his home village is about to befall Phaendar, Arun is slow to react. He rises from the table, but in doing seizes the brandy bottle, stuffs a serving rag in the top, and lights it with a candle.
Infuriated by the Bugbear's challenge, the big man calls to the villagers around him in a booming voice of command "Out the back door! Phaendar has fallen! We will buy you time! Run!" Unsatisfied with the crowd's response, he bellows, "FLY YOU FOOLS!"
Many of the merchant folk begin running for the back door at Arun's words.
Both hobgoblins step up and attack the human who threatened them. Both attacks miss. Bahram slams one of the hobgoblins over the head with a stool and it deals a devastating blow.
Feeling the power of Torag flow from the ring into him, Khaz lets out a roar of rage which he had never known before. His eyes briefly glowing with the light of Torag's forge, he runs straight at the nearest hobgoblin. Chairs and tables are knocked aside as he makes his way towards the goblinoid. As he swings his greathammer it erupts into holy flames...
With a sigh, Jean-Pierre holsters his bow, and draws a greatsword, instead.
He then 5' steps .
As the heavy stool comes swinging down Bahram catches sight of the fleeing merchants and curses under his breath
The gods only know what's waiting for them out there
"Jet! You have 20 seconds to gather anything useful, then you're coming with us. Same to anyone else. We go together. Somebody help the cleric."
Khaz hits the undamaged hobgoblin and crushes his skull with one mighty blow! Even though the Bugbear has cover from one of the Hobgoblins, Brunner's reach weapon strikes true. The bugbear winces in pain. "You's gonna pay fah dat!"
You identify the insignia on the goblinoids' uniforms as the emblem of the Ironfang Legion, a mercenary army responsible for the Ramgate Massacre 2 years ago, but absent from the battlefield ever since.
Ramgate was a fort that was overun by molthune forces. Every man,
woman, and child was slaughtered. Their remains were hung up throughout the region.
Jet is jolted from her shock by Bahram's words. She hops the bar and rips her skirt. She stuffs Aubrin's wound with it. It doesn't seem to slow the bleeding. "She's bleeding out! Help!"
Seeing the success of the warriors, some of the townsfolk and merchants start throwing things at the goblinoids. It doesn't do damage, but it distracts the enemy a bit.
Using his momentum Khaz went for the bugbear, his hammer swinging in a deadly arc. The fire of Torag had left his hammer but not his eyes.
[dice=Hit]1d20+8
[dice=Damage]2d6+10Using his momentum Khaz went for the bugbear, his hammer swinging in a deadly arc. The fire of Torag had left his hammer but not his eyes.
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Seeing Jet behind him truggling with Aubrey, Arun calls out to Fergal over the din of panicking merchants rushing for the back doors: "Druid - will you stabilise the cleric? I do not have your skill at healing..."
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Fergal runs over to the cleric and assesses him. "Hey mate, you just hold still, and I'll get you patched up, s'truth."
Fergal moves over and provides divine healing to Aubrin. He can tell the wound is massive. His healing is able to stop the bleeding, but the ex ranger turned cleric appears a long way from well.
The bugbear steps up and attacks Khaz. He deals a significant blow to the Dwarf, creating a large gash in his shoulder. "This'll shut ya up, midget!"
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Seeing Fergal aiding the downed cleric, and refusing to be distracted by Jet's exposed thighs (after she ripped a bandage from her skirt), Arun at last contributes to the melee at the other end of the barroom. Sliding a wand from a sleeve within his sash, he places one foot on a chair, shoulder-barges a panicking merchant from his line of sight, and lets rip with a coruscating arc of emerald-green energy against the remaining hobgoblin. The blast bursts between the shoulders of Brunner and Bahran, catching a glancing blow against the hobgoblin's right shoulder and neck.
The hobgob attacks Bahram.
The hobgob cleaves the human.
Arun's missile damages the hobgob.
Khaz, led by his deities might, quickly wipes the smile off of the bugbears face. He sends his body back through the open door with his blow.
Brunner finishes the last goblinoid.
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With the molotov brandy bottle in one hand, and his wand in the other, Arun leaps down from the chair, and rushes to the back door. Risking a peep outside, he tries to gauge the distance from the Taproot Inn to the stables outside, where his and Bahram's horses were lodged with others from the caravan.
Thinking of the Cavalier, he turns, fearing the worst from the terrible axe blow that felled the soldier. "How is he? I have a healing potion to hand if he is not beyond help."
Looking around at the three friends he met in Falcon's Hollow, plus the stout Dwarf from the forge, the fallen cavalier, Jet and Aubrin, Arun tries to assess the group's options. His intuition is to get to the stables, take horses and a cart, and flee the doomed town. "What do you say - fight our way out of town, or try to hide? I favour the former. We need to decide now."
With the fire dying in his eyes, Khaz drops to his knees, panting for breath. It took more out of him than he expected to fight with the fire of the forge in him. He nodded at Brunner's words as he used his hammer to pull himself to his feet. He then called out the name of his god, forcing himself to channel the power of the divine once more.
Jet helps Aubrin sit up. She is still extremely wounded . Aubrin addresses the group, “It... it sounds like there’s an army outside the door. How did they fall on us without being seen? These damn plains are so flat you can see an elk from two days off, let alone an army!” She winces and presses her hands against the bloody hole in her chest. “They sound large. Too large to fight on the ground like honest fools. We need to gather what we can, cross the bridge, and hide out in the Fangwood. I—I know a few secrets that may keep us safe. Should probably figure out how to take down the bridge while we’re at it, else they’ll just march themselves across before we have the chance to hide.”
Jet looks up. "Is your friend OK? He is still down." She turns to Brunner. "We need to check on Kining." Aubrin adds, "Probably Vane and Ryna too. Quick...heal the soldier if you can and let's see what we can find as far as provisions. We are going to need some."
A merchant speaks up. "Who are they? What is that insignia?"
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First things first - with the immediate danger over, Arun extinguishes the flaming rag at the end of his brandy bottle. Then takes a swig. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he passes the bottle round, and stashes his wand.
Counting each point on his finger, he talks in a low and urgent voice: "First, let's get the wounded healed. Fergal, do you still have that wand of yours? Two or three charges each for Aubrin and Bahram should suffice."
"Given the numbers of troops out there, we surely have to flee. Anyone disagree? " He pauses in thought. "I don't recognise their uniforms; anyone else have a clue who they are?"
"We have some priorities. We need transport; to move anyone we can't heal, " here he looks at Aubrin and Bahram, "and to enable slow dwarven feet to escape pursuit. Except you of course, Khaz." Arun grins at the speedy dwarf. "It'll also help with carrying provisions for the road, if we pick some up on the way through town."
"Now with this... Arun brandishes a scroll from one of the many scroll cases held on his sash, "I can conjure a floating disk to carry 200 lbs of kit for 2 hours, but it travels slow. We need our horses, and maybe a cart, too."
"Now Jet, you mention Vane, Kining, and Ryna. Who are these folk, and where are they, relative to us and the bridge we need to escape over?"
"Aubrin, what's this about destroying the bridge? Is it stone or wooden? Guys," here he turns to the others, "I don't have any sort of blasting magic at my command. Any ideas? "
Arun looks round the team, urgency written all over his face.
Jean-Pierre frowns.
"This one notes that this congregation of souls is now surrounded by a superior hostile force, with no knowledge of how they arrived. Data is lacking, and that could prove to be a terminal disadvantage. This one notes that retreating to a position of safety to regroup would probably be wise."
"I've the wand, but it doesn't have that many charges, methinks. But we'll use what we have, sure enough."
Fergal steps over to Bahram, since he appears to be worse off, and touches him with the wand, chanting softly.
Seeing that his first attempt didn't wake the man, he tries again.
Seeing that Bahram now appears to be conscious, or close to it, he moves over to Aubrin. "Move easy now, s'right. Let's see if we can make it a bit better."
With a rumble Bahram rolls over and pushes himself up to his feet
[ooc] 3HP Thanks all[ooc]
"We need to get out of town."
Fingering his now bloodstained and cut up clothes Bahram scowls and strips his top off.
"But first we need to find friends. My Shirin, Kining..."
Moving back to the table the big Kelishite begins what seems to be a ritual of arming. Under armour, steel plates, a bejeweled scimitar strapped to his hip, a wooden shield across his back, and finally a plain bow strung and arrow nocked.
In a few moments a grim warrior stands before the group, gone is the jovial foreigner.
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Arun clasps the cavalier by the forearm; "Welcome back. That axe-blow would have felled an ox. I'm glad you're still with us." and passes him one of his two last CLW potions.
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Jet agrees with the group. "I say we go check on Kining and then try to hit the other two sites before leaving." She helps Aubrin stand. "We can probably find something to blow the bridge at the smithy. It is our only hope."
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"The town is a little smaller, and more open than I expected. I'm not confident about crossing that central green without being seen by the enemy... especially if we are in a hurry to clear the bridge before it is captured."
Looking around the group of 8 , plus other townsfolk, it feels like stealth is likely to fail. "How about the old 'prisoner escort' ruse?" Arun suggests, "We have three dead enemy. How about three of us don their uniforms, and make out we are escorting the rest of us? That might fool at a distance, and we can keep to the back alleys to avoid closer inspection." He looks around the group. "The dwarves won't pass as goblinoids. I speak goblin. How about I wear that bugbears' cloak, and use my magics to complete the ruse. We'd need two others wearing the hobgoblin uniforms atop their armour . First stop the stables, then the forge. What do you think?"
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Jean-Pierre nods thoughtfully.
"This one agrees that that plan has merit; doing whatever is possible to reduce the chances of detection, whilst collecting the supplies that will be required seems like a reasonable idea."
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Jean-Pierre nods thoughtfully. "This one agrees that that plan has merit; doing whatever is possible to reduce the chances of detection, whilst collecting the supplies that will be required seems like a reasonable idea."
So will you wear a hobgob uniform?
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"That is a thing that this one most certainly can do."
"We go fast, we go quiet. We take what we can, we get out. Dangasa ilon o'lsa!"
Bahram pauses, eyes the vial Arun gave him, then knocks it back before nodding his thanks.
"None of us will pass for Goblins surely? The town is a circle. We go around. Maybe form two groups, meet at the bridge."
"It's a better idea than any I have, s'truth. Let's do it."
Fergal begins stripping off his things.
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Right let's go! Arun, JP, and Fergal don the hobgoblin uniforms over their existing gear (Arun wearing the bugbear's cloak and hood, not armour). It's a very basic disguise, only good from a distance, no more. The 'prisoners' hide their weapons under their cloaks. Everyone out, after looting the bar for provisions, and off to the stable and the forge.
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The group gets their disguise together and heads out the side door. Aubrin limps along, holding on to Jet.
Hobgoblins battle with townsfolk in every direction, and from the sounds of battle, the whole of Phaendar is under attack. Bodies lie on the ground everywhere, run through by hobgoblin blades and left where they fell. A wolf howls in the distance, its eerie cry echoed by the screams of the dying.
A group of hobgoblins are viciously cutting down merchants, who are on their knees begging for mercy, in the street to your left. They fail to see your group as you slip in the shadowy alley behind the building. It only takes you a few seconds to get to the Trading Post.
A signpost by the road announces the clapboard wooden shop and barnlike smithy sharing a single large, stone wall to be the Phaendar Trading Company. The smithy’s double doors stand open, revealing a large, still-glowing forge within. Two slaughtered goats and a dead horse fill an adjacent animal pen. Many fresh scratches and dents mar the trading post’s heavy wooden door, and a chair leg juts through one broken window.
Bahram peeks around the corner of the building and sees a dead body lying in the courtyard. Right as he looks, a hobgoblin throws a red-hot iron on the top corner of the building. Small flames lick at the thatch rooftop where it lands.
"I don't like sneakin' around while innocents die. Here's our chance to make a difference." As he said this, Khaz could feel the Divine Favor of Torag fill him. This bravery felt odd. He actually felt the way he thought he should be. And it scared him, because he was aware enough to know that this change hadn't happened until he put the ring on. While it was the will of his god, questioning how much control he had over his mind was still disconcerting. As such, where some of the others charged straight in, he still somewhat hesitated.
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On hearing that there's a hobbo ahead, Arun assumes the martial classes will stick it with arrows and keep moving. If the building has been torched, time is of the essence. Let's get in there, and out, fast.
Round 1
Attack action: Cast 'Daze' DC14 at any visible target within 30'.
Move action: if others have moved in, continue to move up 30' around the perimeter of the fence.
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Jean-Pierre calmly moves forward , bow in hand.
He then opens fire on the Hobgoblin!