Seeing the hobgoblin go for some kind of vial, Ira's face twitches and he lashes out with his sword, patience expended.
"What did I just say?" He snaps at the unfortunate.
The hobgoblin goes down under Ira's sword. The shopkeeper, Vane Oreld, flinches and begins to beg for your aid. "Please help me. This javelin wound in my gut is about to end me. I can't even make it over to the shelf to get one of my remedies."
Valasca mutters a few words of prayer to Gozreh under her breath as she presents the symbol of a Dripping leaf.
Korvak will help Vane draw the javelin from the wound and help him back to his feet.
"Friend Vane, gather what you can, we have other villagers outside and we are doing a quick sweep of the village and then hopefully getting out from this attack, is there anything useful we can grab from the shop?"
Lillie goes back to the door and keeps an eye on the street, making sure that we are not surprised by a hobgoblin patrol.
"Related, is there anyone else hidden here, or do you know if anyone is hiding nearby?" Arcavic asked Vane. He'd always rather liked Vane, as he could sell his alchemical concoctions through the man and make a small but decent living.
"Thank you for the aid." Oreld tells you. "I hid some townsfolk in the cellar, together with food and supplies. I also trapped the doorway to the back room to keep them safe."
Arcavic nods as Oreld tells him. "Very good. I am not particularly skilled with traps. Could you please assist me in disarming it so we can get the people to safety?"
We'll cover you to the tree line then I'll need you to get the villagers to my camp which is to the West and slightly south of the village on the edge of a small orchard. Take this Goblin's weapon
Ira kicks the dead hobgoblin. "I gave you a bloody chance, you can't say I didn't," he muttered mostly to himself. He seems irritated about the situation and spends a minute informing the corpse of what an idiot it was for making him kill it, then turns to set about the business of looting the shop for their more righteous cause.
Korvak will help gather and then help Vane get to the people downstairs and carry help what/who is needed.
Oreld touches a hidden area on one of the shelves, and tells you the trap is disarmed. Those of you who go with him find a workroom (which appears to double as a clinic) and a small, neat bedroom. He leads you down into the cellar, where you find three villagers hidden. You also get 7 provision points worth of food and drink.
For those who are searching the shop, you find some unspoiled alchemical supplies, which Oreld insists come with so he can use, and 3 vials of antiplague, five bottles of bloodblock, a bottle of fire ward gel, and two flasks of defoliant. The hobgoblin was carrying food (3 provision points), 16gp, 2 potions of cure light wounds, a potion (unknown), alchemist's fire, antitoxin, oil(5), smokestick(2), tanglefoot bag(3), and thunderstone (2), in addition to his normal combat gear. You also find notes about an explosive 'stump remover' Oreld is developing.
"What's this 'stump remover' you're working on, sir?" Cnut says, curiosity piqued when he runs across the notes.
"It's an explosive designed to be used to remove tree stumps from fields. Unfortunately, it's too strong for that use. I still have a few batches I've made, but I don't know what it could be used for."
Ira goggled at the man, "Don't know indeed. Reckon our dead friend knew just fine."
"Maybe we could bring down a building on some of the hobs, if we can catch a group inside? Is it that strong? It could definitely come in handy, regardless."
Korvak will take as much of the alchemical stuff as he can, using any cloth and such to pad his page.. as it all seems very useful.
After we have got this stump remover thingie.. it sounds useful..
"We have one last place to investigate for gear and survivors and then we should probably make our ways out of the village. To the trading post"
"Actually, we need to collapse the bridge to delay the hobgoblins from pursuing us. Perhaps Oreld's stump remover wold be powerful enough for us to take the bridge out? Regardless, we should take it with us so we can deny the hobgoblins its use."
Arcavic's eyes glow as he scans the unknown potion, seeking to read the magical auras it creates.
"that 'stump remover' is safe to transport? It won't spontaneously go boom? asks Lillie with worry and excitement in her voice "just how strong is that stuff and could it be applied to an arrow "
"It can be moved as long as you're careful. One use is about the amount a generous mug of beer holds. It would probably do a good job with the bridge."
"Well friend Vane, your the most qualified, howabout we get you to hold it until we need to cross the bridge..
I can only get on the website on my phone, so I can't do a big post that moves the story forward. I will keep checking on the website from my computer.
You move on to the trading company. There are three hobgoblins in the yard, and the building is on fire. The doors are all tightly shut, perhaps barricaded by people taking refuge. There is no sign they are aware of the fire.
You may all act before the hobgoblins.
Sighting a pair of hobgoblins standing together, Arcavic grinned and cast a spell to create a pool of grease beneath them, hopefully causing them to fall.
Korvak moves to the non-greased hobgoblin... and attempts to kick him
"I'll keep him busy, someone tell those inside of the fire."
With the demeanor of an executioner, Valasca enlarges and grimly stabs down with her spear with deadly force.
"Best to do this quickly before that fire spreads.
Both hobgoblins fall prone in the puddle of grease. Valasca's spear strikes one, hurting it very badly. Korvak swings his fist at the hobgoblin not in the grease, but his fist passes by the side of the hobgoblin's head.
Cnut moves up next to the grease spot and attacks the still-standing hobgoblin.
However, putting a foot in the grease, he slips and misses his attack.
Lillie moves closer, takes aim and shoots at the prone and injured hobgoblin, hoping to finish it off
One of the hobgoblins in the grease is dead from Lillie's arrow.
"Bugbear! Your cloak!" Ira shouts, spreading his wings and taking off from the ground with a powerful swing of them. Grabbing Korvak's cloak, he pumps his wings and darts up toward the roof. Landing next to the crackling flames and the reptilian figure begins beating at them, trying to slow or extinguish as much as possible.
The hobgoblin in the grease tries to get up.
He gets up, triggering an AoO from Valasca and Cnut.
The non-greasy hobgoblin swings a longsword at Korvac.
He finds that his balance is off, and almost drops his sword.
Party is up again.
Arcavic stomps on the ground again, sending a Tremor towards the uncreased hobgoblin in an attempt to knock him to the ground for Korvak.
"Ira the horse water"
The hobgoblin rocks on his feet from the tremor, but remains upright.
Ira leaps down, casting his shadow over the brawl as a couple of sweeps from his wings drop him just within reach of the trough. Hoping to whatever gods would pay him any heed that Korvak's cloak would be waterproofed enough for this to work, he dunks the cloak into the water and grabs the four corners, trying to use it as a leaky if temporarily serviceable bucket.