Daniil notched an arrow as he crept up between the trees on the road.
Olivia will wait until veryone is in position before leaving the trees and going to the road. There, she'll walk towards the bridge pretending to be distracted until the hobgoblins see her before turning around and retreating.
Alezandu quietly creeps forward, crouching behind the undergrowth near the riverbank. He aims his bow through the bushes, ready to shoot the hobgoblin archer as soon as combat breaks out.
Solace knows better than to bother trying to be sneaky, so she just walks boldly down the road with a her bow in hand and axe within easy reach. Though she is not particularly surprised to see that they have come across some hobgoglins, she is nonetheless saddened by the sight, taken it as a sign that the ranger's station may be already over run.
Ian goes along with Alezandu, gripping the dagger he found back in the town tightly in his hand... maybe a little too tightly, out of fear. Still, he is resolute and ready.
Decisions made Claustipher hobbles over behind a tree to wait for the others.
No sense making myself an easy target now is there.
Falcom heads back from the bridge, dashes across the road and into the underbrush on the other side, making his way quietly back towards the bridge.
Elyas walks alongside Solace and olivia, making a fairly loud and obvious target, his longsword at the ready. He spends a moment studying the arrangement on the bridge, relaying some tactical advice to Solace in the hopes of getting her a clean shot before things get messy.
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
Average of that is 15.4
Once the quiet types move into position, Solace, Olivia, and Elyas walk out onto the road.
The hobgoblins reactions are immediate. One of them shouts in accented common, "The four of you need to put down your weapons! Yes we can see you there in the trees." The hobgoblin gestures towards Daniil as he says this.
Die, you bastards, Alezandu thinks, loosing an arrow at the archer while trying to remain hidden.
As things spiral out of control yet again Claustipher has a passing thought.
Maybe next time I should just hobble out alone. I doubt they would just kill and old man out right.... or maybe they would.
As the first arrow is launched he raises a hand an a small force missile flies unerringly towards the archer in the middle of the bridge.
The moment it leaves his hand he ducks back behind the tree.
Solace doesn't bother to dignify the hobgoblins order with a response. Instead, she aims her arrow at the closest hobgoblin and lets loose.
Falcon stays put. The plan is to let the hobgoblins come to them so for now, he sticks to the plan.
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
Alezandu, Claustipher and Solace let fly their shots. Alezandu very narrowly misses the archer, but Solace and Claustipher's shots find their marks.
Rally from the opening volley the archer shouts out, "Hoidke silda! Tagasi kaugemale! Seitse neist on liiga palju."
The hobgoblins start backing up towards the far side of the bridge. As they move one of them whistles and the wolf follows him. They also pull out a bow, as does the archer. The two hobgoblins remaining on the bridge bring up their shields and swords defensively, preparing to hold the group back.
Once across the bridge the hobgoblin with the wolf fires at and hits Solace.
The archer screams, "Stupid humans! We shall take your land from you!" his anger apparent as he fire at Elyas. The shot strikes Elyas square in the chest.
Hearing the Hobgonlins conversation Claustiphers yells.
"They are not falling for it. They are falling back."
He leans out and lets another little force arrow fly at the archer before ducking back again.
Alezandu stands up from behind the bushes, shouting "If anyone has a spell or item which can slow them down, now would be a good time!"
He quickly fires two arrows at the hobgoblin to the left of the wolf.
Falcon moves 15 feet northwest and prepares to charge next round.
Olivia moves towards the bridge, getting ready to charge.
Ian dashes out of the riverside bushes, wending his way onto the bridge as he runs. He passes by Olivia with a whoosh of air, dashing towards the hobgoblins. "C'mon guys, we've gotta close the gap!"
Elyas sees the goblins pull back and starts to follow, taking a big hit from an archer as he moves to close the gap.
Solace moves up, closer to the bridge and then fires another arrow at the same hobgoblin as before.
Daniil hustled forward and let an arrow fly at one of the hobgoblins across the river.
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
The group lets fly another volley while moving forward. Claustipher's missile strikes true as always, and Daniil's arrow lands a solid blow. The others miss unfortunately.
The hobgoblin Daniil bloodied runs around to the other side of the bridge and fires an arrow, letting out a sharp whistle as he does. Its arrow misses Ian as the wolf surges forward and unsuccessfully tries to savage the boy.
The other two hobgoblins back away slowly while remaining on the defensive. The archer uses their bodies as cover as he fires at Olivia while shouting, "Saada oma kuradi hundi eemale. Ma tahan lapse!".
Falcon moves up to stand next to Ian, then somersaults past the wolf to end up 10 feet south of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Hobgoblin.
Alezandu snorts in frustration and sends two more arrows flying, this time at the hobgoblin in front of Falcon.
As Falcon vaults past him, he calls back to his companions, "What, are we afraid of bridges now?" He lashes out at the wolf before him with his dagger, but as he does so he feels his father's blood boiling within him. The dagger crackles with arcane power that flows from his hand.
Elyas fights through the pain of the arrow wound and charges the wolf that is harassing Ian
Daniil rushed forward calling upon Erastil to guide his shot as he launched another arrow at his foe.
"Ian my boy, they are targeting you specifically. Careful lad."
Claustipher hobbles towards the river and launches yet another little force arrow at the archer hoping to annoy him enough to be distracted at least.
”It’s called making a formation and moving together, not letting one person get surrounded,” Falcon grunts to Ian.
"Sorry, what?" says Ian, half-laughing. "Formation?" Without the time or attention to say more, Ian resolves to speak with the group about this kind of thing after the battle.
Olivia will charge at the wolf with her bardiche.
Solace moves up and fires as she curses, certain that the boy is about to become wolfchow.
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
Another volley of shots bursts forth from the group. Alezandu's miss, but Daniil's takes one hobgoblin full in the chest, killing them, and Claustipher's bolt bloodies the archer's nose.
As the rest of the group closes, Falcon dodges past the wolf, Ian swings his dagger and can't seem to connect. Luckily for Ian, Olivia and Elyas deliver two devastating blows to the wolf, felling it.
With the wolf down, Solace fires an arrow at one of the remaining hobgoblins, which barely misses.
Falcon can see the archer grin as he runs to the side.
"You are mine child!" he screams as he looses an arrow.
Ian jerks to the side, but the arrow slices along his arm.
The remaining two hobgoblins stop being so defensive and strike out at Falcon. Falcon remains too on guard and deflects both strikes however.
Daniil gets into a rhythm and launched another arrow across the river.
= +3dex, +1bab, +1 weapon focus, +2 divine favor, -1 deadly aim (+1 if within 30ft)
= +2str, +2deadly aim, +2 divine favor, (+1 if within 30ft)
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
Daniil's arrow takes the archer hard in the face, obviously killing them.
Claustipher crosses to the other side of the bridge, matching the archer in location if not in speed. With a shout in goblin he summons forth yet another small force arrow that flies straight at the archer.
"Täiskasvanutele suunatud liiga nõrk?"
"Too weak to target adults?"
Falcon’s segmented staff is a blur as he lays into the two in front of him, starting with red.
Olivia steps closer to the hobgoblins and strikes again.
As the arrow draws near, Ian disintegrates into a fine gust of wind, allowing the arrow to pass right through him without harm. He grins a s$&$-eating grin that widens as the archer falls to an arrow. He laughs at one of the hobgoblins, taunting them, "You and yours can't even hurt one kid! Man, what did they teach you in Hobgoblin Murderer School?"
"Damn it!" Alezandu exclaims as his fifth arrow again misses. He pauses for a moment, trying to regain calm, then fires twice more at the same hobgoblin.
Elyas steps forward over the body of the wolf to aid in taking down the last hobgoblins.
Ian, get back! he calls to the boy, but is impressed as the arrow passes through the lad without doing damage. Maybe he doesn't need as much protection as we assume sometimes...
He watches Falcon smash through one hobgoblin and steps in with Olivia to take the other
Solace sighs. I wish that boy would stay farther back from the fights...
Solace fires upon the archer who shot at Ian.
ranged attack on the hob archer: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6 Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 = 9
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
An arrow from Daniil brings the archer to the ground. Claustipher's bolt hits one of the defending hobgoblins.
Falcon strikes at one of the hobgoblins, who blocks with his shield. The other hobgoblin is much less fortunate. Distracted by Claustipher's bolt, Falcon easily lands a devastating blow, and all of you can hear its ribs being crushed by Falcon's blow before it falls to the ground.
Olivia and Elyas strike in vain, but they force the last hobgoblin to turn towards them. With its back open, Alezandu sinks two arrows into it, dealing a crippling blow.
In the confusion of bodies, Solace's arrow flies high.
Confidant, Ian yells at the last hobgoblin, who seems to let it get to him.
Letting out a frustrated growl, the last hobgoblin strikes at Falcon, missing.
Whether the creature is still alive by the time Falcon’s sansetsukon falls, his first blow caves in the creature’s left temple, and his second its right.
:: Rova 24 - Mid-Morning - Bridge in the Little Chernasardo River ::
Falcon's strikes stave the creatures head in and it falls dead.
With the battle over, you all realize that none of the hobgoblins have packs with them, only their weapons and waterskins, even though they are nearly a day from Shoren and over a day from Phaendar. You can also see a newly worn path through the trees heading north from the road. The grass is freshly crushed, a few hours old at the most.
The fastest route to the Chernasardo Ranger outpost is south along the east side of the river. If you continue your journey now you will get there about an hour before night fall.
"No packs and a fresh path. Perhaps there is a small camp near by? Leaving an active force behind us might not be wise. Perhaps a look to see what is there is needed although it will delay us."
”And they might have slaves or prisoners there.”
It is better to move cautiously than to have our retreat cut off from behind. Let's see if we can find where these guys came from before moving on.