Nigel immediately goes to the back of the Taproot to look for his wolves. He finds his wolves in a pen, with a savaged hobgoblin body, their teeth bloody. One of the wolves has lump on the side of its head and seems a little disorientated.
The wolves whine at him.
This bad two legger and his packmates tried to put ropes on us. He hit Fang when Fang bit him for trying to put a rope on him, so we killed him and the rest of his pack ran away.
The party splits into two, with Robert, Azmythe, Hedran, Fizzbang,Cildon, Farrow and Aubrin headed to Riverwood Shrine while Ratel, Nigel, Bear,Leo, Jet, Kaelan and Billy headed to the Orled's fine goods.
"Be careful, all of you." Jet tells the group going to Oreld's fine goods."And take care of Aubrin."
"We'll meet at Kinning's. Good luck." Aubrin tells the group going to Riverwood Shrine.
Next to one of the houses, Robert, Azmythe, Hedran, Fizzbang, Cildon, Farrow and Aubrin spot among the dead townsfolk, Victor's body, in a pool of blood, from a stab wound in his abdomen.
Robert realizes that despite the vicious wounding, Victor is still alive, but he probably won't be for very long unless he receives medical attention.
Azmythe will heal him.
Cure Light Wounds:
Victor groans as his eyes flicker open. "Azmythe? How did you get here? Did you see my mother Aurelia?" Victor gasps. "The hobgoblins pulled her away from me. I tried to stop them..."
As they're having this conversation, two hobgoblins march down the street and catch sight of the party.
"You will make fine slaves!" One of them declares, as they attack.
"Someone tap me with a Cure Light from a wand, please."
Aubrin casts Cure light wounds on Robert.
"I've got five here, but you can keep them." She passes her Cure light wounds scrolls to Robert. "With my issues, I won't be very helpful in a fight." She also passes Robert 2 oils of magic weapon,5 potions of cure light wounds, a scroll of cure moderate wounds, 2 scrolls of delay poison, 2 scrolls of protection from evil, 2 anti toxin, a healers kit, and 2 vials of holy water. She passes Azmythe her longbow, and 20 arrows.
Robert shoots at the approaching hobgoblins but the hobgoblin blocks the shot with its shield.
Asmythe gets close enough to Daze (DC 14) red hobgoblin.
|
Nigel looks solemn, then grins.
"Activate!"
After an initial fizzle, he manages to get the wand to activate...
He then heads for Oreld's place.
The goblin looks befuddled for a moment, then shakes off the spell. Hedran moves up to the red hobgoblin, and engages, opening a large gnash on its shoulder.
Aubrin casts guidance on Robert.
The red hobgoblin tries to cut Hedran with his longsword, as does the light blue hobgoblin. "You resist? Then you will all die!" It declares
Hedran dodges out of the first strike but into the second, sustaining a vicious cut on his ribs, drawing a pained grunt from him.
Cildon and Farrow both fire their crossbows at the blue hobgoblin, while Leo engages the blue hobgoblin.
Cildon's bolt sticks the blue hobgoblin in its bicep.
Leo stumbles over a stone on the road as he swings his sword, nearly pulling him off balance and his sword swing goes wide.
On hearing Hedran's grunt of pain, Aubrin freezes for a moment, then regains control of herself. "I can do this."
As they pass a side alley, an ugly creature resembles a twisted shadow puppet’s silhouette, a wild thing of flared black and brown fur whose pelt juts out from its body at freakish angles jumps out at Ratel, Nigel, Bear, Leo, Jet and Kaelan.
The crouching shadow’s ears are large and floppy, draping shoulder-length, adding to the creature’s unnatural shape. Its eyes are too big for its head. Tremendous milk-white ovals loom on either side of the thing’s wheezy pig-like nose. Its panting mouth is filled with bristly needle-teeth spiderwebbed in disgusting strands of yellowish saliva, all vibrating to the tune of its wheezing breath.
Ratel identifies the creature as a bugbear.
The bugbear is the largest of the goblinoid races, a lumbering brute that stands at least a head taller than most humans. They are loners, preferring to live and kill on their own rather than form tribes of their own kind, yet it isn’t uncommon to find small bands of bugbears working together, or dwelling in goblin or hobgoblin tribes where they function as elite guards or executioners. Bugbears do not form large warrens like goblins or nations like hobgoblins; they prefer smaller-scale mayhem that lets them keep their favorite acts (murder and torture) on a more personal level. Humans are a bugbear’s favored prey, and most count the flesh of humanity as a dietary staple. Grisly trophies of ears or fingers are common bugbear decorations.
Robert swings his longsword, but stumbles on a rock on the ground and nearly trips over his own feet. The sword swing goes to the side of the hobgoblin.
The lump on Fang's head subsides and he licks Nigel gratefully, as he gives a whine.
Thanks pack leader! There were two of you, and now there's only one.
The other wolves whine at Nigel questioningly.
Supplies? Yummy goats? But why are we leaving our den to the bad two leggers, is it not in the way of wolves to protect their den?
Seeing the Hobgoblin ran through, Ratel leans against the barrel doing everything he can to keep it from tipping over, Laughing, ”That’s the problem with the scizore, no hands.” As Nigel fetches the wolves, Ratel helps pack everything up.
Moving carefully down the street passing a side alley, an ugly creature resembles a twisted shadow puppet’s silhouette, a wild thing of flared black and brown fur whose pelt juts out from its body at freakish angles jumps out. Ratel nodding to Nigel, "Certainly" Calling to the Bugbear he bluntly states, ”Brother you may be the ugliest bugbear I’ve ever seen. No matter Bear will help you look better.” Pointing with the scizore, ”Bear attack!” At the same Ratel begins running toward the creature. As Bear bites at the things thigh Ratel swings his scizore at it's chest.
|
|
Nigel smiles.
He then turns the other wolves, and nods.
Bear gives the bugbear a vicious bite on his leg and Ratel makes his day worse by shoving steel into his chest. Seeing ugly life about to come to an end, the Bugbear drops its Morningstar and raises its hands. "I surrender!" It wheezes, blood bubbling through its chest wound.
The wolves whine back at him.
We think two leggers are complicated. White eyes two legger is nice though as is her pack mate with two tails on her head. They feed us animal guts and give us good scratches! But white eyes wants to be our pack leader like you too. Is that OK?
"I'm too young to die! I want to live more seasons! " It pleads with Nigel for its miserable life. "And they didn't kill everyone. Just those who resisted."
"I can tell you more about the Ironfang Legion if you'll let me walk free..."
'War? Not even that these are raiders killing innocent women and children.' Ratel holds his tongue and waits to see what Nigel tells the Bugbear.
Azmythe moves up and swings his mace at blue
Mace: silver
to hit Damage
The bugbear happily starts spilling the beans. "We are lead by the great hobgoblin general Azaersi, but only our top commanders are allowed to speak to her. We were given orders to take the humans within as slave stock, and if any resist, kill them. We report to Commander Scavistin and his sons. The attack was masterminded by him, and we came from an underground tunnel."
"The commander Scavistin has six sons and is in the black tower, but one of his sons, Scarvinious is in the town Centre where they're gathering all the plunder and slaves. I've talked, can I walk free?"
Azmythe tries to clonk the hobgoblin but it ducks out of the way.
Hearing the conversation start Ratel tells bear, "Down Bear, this ugly one wants to sing." Watching from Nigel to the Bugbear, Keeping his scizore at the goblins throat.
When the talking is over, and the bugbear asks to leave. Ratel looks to Nigel, "Leave? Or take him as prisoner and let him enter buildings first? We promised alive, not that we wouldn't let one of his own shoot him."
Looking at the Bugbear he asks, "How do we know you won't attack us again. It would be easiest if we blind you, or maybe hamstring you. We said alive not whole."
Ratel looks at Nigel, to see if is willing to let the goblin leave.
'That works, killing in self defense is fine, even in a fight, but blinding a creature or killing it in cold blood, how would you sleep at night with that on your conscious?' Ratel nods "Come on Bear."
As they walk, continuing toward Oreld's, Ratel turns to Nigel, "Nice punch. I was wonder if you'd just have one of the wolves follow him, just to make sure he left."
Shaking his head, smiling as he looks at Nigel. "I wonder how much trouble he'll get in for being out of uniform"
Nigel gives the bugbear a solid uppercut and knocks the bugbear out. Looting it's body, the party finds leather armor, a light wooden shield and a Morningstar and 3 javelins.
Jet, however, isn't so merciful, and walks up to the unconscious bugbear, then fires her crossbow bolt at his heart. "That's for Phaendar. And I made no promises." She spits on his corpse.
Oreld's fine shop - labelled with a small shingle hanging out in front - is one of the few buildings in town made entirely out of stone. Motared white blocks form the walls of this odd shaped cottage. Scorch marks that shift in colour from black to dark blue to glimmering violet mar one wall. The door to the sop stands open and bloody footprints lead inside.
The shop consists of primarily a desk, a few crowded shelves and a cluttered window display, all which have been ransacked by the invaders. Oreld lies slumped against the desk, an iron collar connected to his neck, and a javelin sticking out of his stomach. Holding his chain is a hobgoblin clad in a leather apron, wearing a bandolier, that's rifling through the shelves. He sees the party and turns to face them."Oh Hadregash damn it, can't I get to loot and plunder in peace? Or make more booms with my new slave?" He leers at Oreld.
Oreld mouths, "Help me," with a pleading expression in his eyes.
Ratel thinks that the hobgoblin belongs to the Ironfangs grenadier corps.
'What is she doin...oh, note to self, don't cross Jet.' Surprised by the tavern keepers actions, Ratel looks from her to Nigel, but says nothing.
"Oh my, at least OReld is still alive and Nigel can use the wand.' As they look beyond the scorch marks into the disheveled interior, Ratel hears and sees the goblin. Rushing forward, he calls out. "I'm not Hadregash, neither is he, Bear attack!" As they move into the room, Bear, faster on all fours, reaches the goblin first biting at his knee, while Ratel steps to Bears left swinging the scizore at the goblins waist.
The hobgoblin yelps as Bear mangles his knee, but Ratel's scizore only clips the desk.
|
|
Nigel shrugs.
"Fair enough."
"I zink you vill find zat zings vill be very peaceful for you, shortly, for ze rest of eternity... Zere vill just be a brief period of pain, first."
Nigel then strides forward deliberately walking around to a flanking position, and attempts to whack the creature with his hiking stick.
Nigel moves to the back of the hobgoblin, then swings his walking stick two handed, crushing the hobgoblin's skull and the hobgoblin collapses on the ground, dead. On the hobgoblin, the party finds a potion of invisibility, alchemist’s fire (3), antitoxin, healer’s kit, oil (5), smokestick (2), tanglefoot bag (2), thunderstone (2), leather armor, daggers (3), heavy mace, hooded lantern, dried jerky worth 3 Provision Points and 16 gp and an alchemist formulae book containing bombers eye, true strike, cure light wounds, shield and enlarge person.
Oreld gasps, "There are still some Phaendarians in the cellar. I told them to hide - then trigger trap. The place is rigged so anyone entering will get acid at them."Then he closes his eyes, tired by the effort of speaking.
Ratel and Nigel find three vials of antiplague, five bottles of bloodblock, a bottle of fire ward gel, and two flasks of defoliant. A well-used marble mortar worth 50 gp sits on the desk.
'I didn't see that coming.' Catching Nigel's movement out of the corner of his eye. Surprised as his friend caves the hobgoblins skull in. Stepping back, "Nice swing Nigel." as expected he smiles as Nigel heals the wounded Oreld. waiting to see if the shop keeper can explain how to open the door without an acid bath.
"Thanks for the timely rescue. That hobgoblin Tukang said he wanted me to make bombs for their grenadier corps." Oreld replies as Nigel removes the javelin and taps him with the healing wand. He pulls himself to his feet, then says, "Don't worry, I'll disarm it myself."
He leads the party to the back of the shop, where he moves a desk over, climbs up on top of it, then unties the flask of acid he tied to a string looping around the door knob. He then reclaims his acid, moves the desk, and opens the door."Done."
Beyond the door lie a workroom and a part time clinic, and a comfortable bedroom."Are we going to strike back against the hobgoblins?" Oreld asks the party.
Notes on Oreld's work table describe Oreld's experiments with a "stump remover" a potent explosive mixed from alchemically refined lamp oil and animal dungs. Enough ingredients can be found in the workroom with one minute of searching to assemble one charge of the explosive. The notes themselves provide a +5 bonus on craft (alchemy) checks to assemble and use the explosive, and allow such checks to be attempted untrained.
A cellar door here has a rug hastily kicked over it.Oreld pulls the rug off, yells, "It's me Oreld. Ratel and Nigel are out here to get us out."
Then he opens the door. "Oh thank goodness you've arrived. I was hoping we wouldn't be discovered." The party hears Geran's voice from the cellar."Master!" Another voice cries out, "I'm glad you're safe! I mean you should have come along and hid here with us!" A young man with short cropped blonde hair climbs up the ladder and gives Oreld a hug. "I mean, it wouldn't be fair if you gave up your life to save ours..."
"This is Marcus, my apprentice." Oreld introdues the young man."I told him and to get everyone inside the cellar and close it while I set up the burglar alarm."
"What's happening out there?" Geran asks the party. "I mean Marcus said there were invaders and we were all told to hide. Have you seen Kethry, Ben and Geogia? How about Victor, Ryan and Mura?" Geran asks.
"Yeah - have you seen my daughter Connie, my husband Gareth, and my son Tolman?" Another voice asks. "Have you seen my wife Zoya, and my daughter Ada?" Yet another voice asks.
The earthen-floored cellar stores vegetables and a variety of forest herbs. The northern end stinks ferociously thanks to a slight seepage from the shop's cesspit.
Inside the cellar are Bella the goatherd and her 12 year old daughter Felicia, Ajobe the herbgatherer, Geran the farmer, Tammylan the veterinarian, Lyria, a travelling herbalist and Daniel the leatherworker.
There are enough root vegetables and mushrooms for 7 provision points in the cellar.
Watching as Oreld disassemble the 'acid trap' he's a little surprised by the storekeepers question. Looking from Nigel back to Oreld, he answers, "Eventually I think, but the first step is to get everyone we can out of town and across the river, then blow the bridge. That's why we came to you. Aubrin said you may have something that can blow up the stone bridge and delay pursuit."
Watching as the folks come out of the cellar, Ratel nods politely, shaking Marcus' hand "It's good to meet you." and hugging Geran. "And to see you still alive Geran."
'What do I say, I guess the truth is the best answer.' Shaking his head, Ratel nods toward Jet, ”All we’ve seen is Aubrin, Kaelan and Billy, also a couple of merchants but other than Hedran, Azmythe and Robert I mean. The others were headed to the shrine while we came here to get you folks.”
He gestures towards the food stuffs in the cellar. "Let's gather this stuff up and put it in a bag. We'll be glad we have it in a couple of days. But hurry, we need to get out of town."
'I can't make to big of a promise here.' He looks to Nigal, "As soon as we rescue those we can."
"You are nothing but rabid beasts!" - Hedran snarls at the hobgoblins - "And you will be put down like one!" - he adds, his orcish heritage showing more evidently for the first time.
"All right, we need to clear this place out, lest resources fall into enemy hands."Oreld nods decisively. "Marcus, pack up the alchemy bench." He orders Marcus. Marcus packs up the workstation . Oreld unlocks a locked cabinet that stands against one wall. Inside the locked cabinet are alchemical components that are worth 200 gp on their own, or can be used as raw materials to craft 600 gp of alchemical items.
Marcus also opens a hidden compartment on the work bench, taking two folded envelops tied up with twine.
"I think you can use these better then us." With that, Oreld and Marcus pass all that they have gathered, and give them to the party. "We wouldn't have survived the night had you not gotten here, so take all these, with our thanks."
Inside the envelops, is a dust of illusion and a dust of tracelessness.
"I can make the stump remover, and it'll destroy the bridge. Give me a minute." Oreld says, as he fusses around the workshop, using the gathered portable alchemist laboratory. Then he hands a weird looking yellow ball with a fuse sticking out of it to Ratel.
"No...Kethry...Ben...Georgia...I only had a few hours with them...and I may never see them again?!" Geran weeps unashamedly into Ratel's shoulder.
"I should have spent more time with Zoya and Ada.." Ajobe bemoans. "But I had to put food on the table so I only got to see Ada and Zoya when they were about to go to bed."
"But how about Gareth, Connie and Tolman? What if the hobgoblins got them?"" Bella wails. "Mummy, please don't cry." Felicia tries to comfort her mother.
Blue tries to block Hedran's strike with his shield but is too slow and gets a deep cut on his side, but he still remains standing.
"We are many. We are LEGION!" Blue chants as he tries to attack Hedran with his longsword, but it clanks effortlessly off Hedran's armor.
His comrade, red, yells, "Die, half orc!" as he strikes at Hedran with his longsword, but Hedran parries the wild strike.
Robert attempts to cut down red, and steps to the side after red ducks out of the way.
Farrow and Cildon load their crossbows and fire at blue, but are too worried about hitting Azmythe and their shots go too high.
Leo wields his sword two handed, trying to cut blue down, but he just sidesteps.
Aubrin begins pray.
Hedran has no idea what she is casting.
Azmythe continues to try and smash red
Lt. Mace: silver
to hit Damage
|
|
Nigel nods his head approvingly, as Oreld and his apprentice pack up, and make the stump remover.
"Now ve may have a better chance of getting out of here alive."
He then turns to the others.
"I am not going to lie - zings are looking grim. I do not know who else has survived, but zere have definitely been casualties. Zat said, I know zere is another group vorking zeir vay around town, and zey vill have collected some survivors of zeir own, I am sure. Ve are planning to meet zem at ze Trading Company, and zen get out of here. Come - ve need to be on our vay..."
"It does not matter how many you are! We will put you all down!" - Hedran growls back, and swings again.
Accepting the yellow alchemical device, Ratel places it carefully in his pack. Turning to Geran and then the others, "Do not give up hope. Even if we cannot rescue them right now the Hobgoblins were instructed to take slaves and only kill those who resist. So all of your family may be safe. Let's hope, for now, that they do not resist."
Nodding to Nigel, "Underway to the trading company, it is." quickly opening the door he rearms his scizore, turning to his furry companion. "come on Bear."
Azmythe smacks red but it bounces harmlessly off his shoulder plates.
Hedran shoves 6 inches of steel through the gut of the blue hobgoblin, who finally has the decency to fall down and die.
The red hobgoblin, seeing Hedran as the biggest threat, redoubles his efforts to cut Hedran down, but Hedran easily sidesteps the attack. "Damn you slippery half-orc, stand and fight!" It curses.
Robert swings his longsword two handed and beheads the remaining hobgoblin.
Searching their bodies, the party finds a longsword, a longbow, 20 arrows, and studded leather armor and a light wooden shield on each of them.
Aubrin cancels her spell, then channels to heal everyone.
A wooden deck surrounds an octagonal structure with broad archways leading to a place of worship. To its left stands a moss-encrusted stone monument. Carved birds, branches and fruits decorate the wooden supports of the temple’s archway. 3 hobgoblin corpses, with arrows sticking out of them, lie en-route to the wooden deck, and the fourth lies on the deck, its heart pierced with a dagger, next to Father Noelan’s corpse, which a lean, hungry wolf with a spiked collar is taking bites out off.
"The wolf's hungry," Aubrin explains, a hard edge in her voice. "It can't help what it's doing. Even if Father Noelan never deserved it, and would have treated it with the respect it deserved. One more reason to hate hobgoblins."Aubrin declares. "If we fed it, it'd probably not bother us."