Bree can't help but snicker at the absurdity of him being upset about his instrument. She tries to hide it behind a cough. "I'm sure you'll find another fiddle," she says.
Lily just looks at exasperated at the elf. "You watched people die and your fiddle is the most important thing??? I get wanting to have some sort of comfort around but seriously....," she says in a stern voice.
"Udnari I'd love to be wrong but I'd rather just not speculate anymore. The amount of times I've had my optimism dashed is too many count at this point. I'd rather just be pleasantly surprised than just be depressed," Lily says rather somberly.
"Agreed, fiddles aren't hard to come by. Especially if you plan on heading to Erages. I went to the Academy there, I can even recommend a good shop if you like," Gaius offers. "I'd get going while you can, Hobgoblins like their patrolling."
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Maybe the tracks of the Hobgoblins lie along our path to the Rangers, or perhaps they go a different way. If they go the same direction, we can follow both leads for a time...
"I wish we'd gotten that magic dust from Novvi..." Thorek mutters to himself in Dwarven, brows furrowed in thought.
"If the hobgoblins are regularly patrolling this area every few hours, that suggests there's something around here worth protecting. A camp, a waystation, I don't know. But it's too damn close to Hidden Hope to ignore."
He frowns, looking around at all the others. "I think we should track this patrol back to wherever they're based. If there's only a few we'll eliminate them. If there's too many we can fall back to warn our allies, then push on to link up with the Chernasado Rangers. Thoughts?"
”It is at least worth a look, as long as it doesn’t delay us too long,” contributes Undari.
"If anything we should make sure that the patrol doesn't discover that the outpost we razed. I shudder to think what could happen if they investigate the surroundings and find our camp. Lets track them down first," she says frowning at the idea of the camp being attacked.
Thinking about it a bit more, Undari considers, "Or, if they pass by this way regularly, we could set our own trap, then follow them back to their base to clear out the rest of them. Truly, I am fine either way--following their tracks now or waiting in ambush for their return."
Turning to Vardalel, Undari asks, "When did the last patrol come by? Are we close the the 18 hour mark where you would expect another four hobgoblins to arrive?"
"I like the idea of setting our own trap. A little payback," Bree says with a fierce grin.
"Very well," Gaius says, now beginning to check out the surroundings with the intent of laying a trap. My webs should prove useful in trapping some Hobgoblins! Soften them up with arrows before the others close to bash them to pieces!
"I'm...I'm not sure how long it's been, precisely," Vardalel stammers, a little stunned by the unexpected chastisement regarding his fiddle. "I drifted off for a bit while I was up there and lost track of time."
While examining the clearing left by Vardalel's departed logging colleagues, you discover sets of tracks aside from those left by the ambush unleashed upon the dead rangers. This clearing apparently now serves as a travel landmark for these patrols, and the freshest set of booted tracks are less than 24 hours old. It is impossible to be certain, but it is reasonable to suspect that another Ironfang patrol will pass through soon.
"Right," says Undari. "I have an idea from our last big battle at the Ironfang camp. Let's set up the clearing just like it was when we found it, with one minor difference."
"You see, if clear all our tracks, then we mound up dirt and such to make it look like the ranger bodies are here, but instead we place alchemist fire strategically, I can light off the battle with a flaming sphere and alchemist fire explosion from the cover over there! To make it believable, though, we are going to need those cloaks, Gaius."
Lily just nervously adds," Let's make sure to give ourselves plenty of time to hide. I nearly died because I couldn't hide in time. Otherwise this does sound like the safest option."
"Works for me, I'll fix up what's left of the cloaks afterwards," Gaius says with a nod. "I'll get part way up a tree or something I suppose..." After tying off his horse somewhere far enough away, he does his best to scale a tree a row or two back form the clearing about 15ft off the ground.
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Undari will also hide, but with a clear view of the "body pile".
"I'm not much for hiding, but I'll try." Thorek moves a ways off and try to remain still and quiet prone on the ground.
Bree waits as patiently as she can, hiding behind a small bramble (or whatever is available).
Between the felled logs, the undergrowth, the trees at the clearing's edge, and fittingly enough, the concealed dell from which the Ironfangs hatched their own ambush, the party finds ample hiding places. Even the shine of Thorek's armor is concealed, even if just barely, from sight.
Not long after taking your places, you can hear the snap of twigs, the rustle of leather, and the soft grumbling of voices speaking in the Goblin tongue. A quartet of hobgoblin soldiers, clad in polished breastplates and crimson cloaks, soon breaches the clearing's perimeter. A pair of them carry bows, with arrows nocked but the strings undrawn. The other two wield shields and battleaxes and guard the flanks of their archer fellows. This patrol is more heavily equipped than the scout units you have faced before.
When the party launches its ambush, beyond even taking this patrol by surprise, they will likely be quite shaken by the sudden assault.
Undari waits for the patrol to get close enough to the 'bodies' for him to spring his trap, then casts Flaming Sphere in the middle of the 3 alchemist fires he set up earlier to superheat & spew their contents on nearby creatures.
If they notice us and the trap is foiled, he will cast the same spell, but on one of the guards directly instead of in the trap area.
Lily just sits their calmly until an insect brushes across her face and startles her right as the patrol approaches.
Springing to his feat, Thorek invokes a prayer of protection and prepares to rush the Ironfang troops.
Buahahahahahahhaahaha........ BUahahahahahahahahahahh......
Lily just sits their calmly until an insect brushes across her face and startles her right as the patrol approaches.
Gaius waits from his perch for the perfect moment to snare the Hobgoblins in his web. Is this what a spider feels like? Watching prey until the perfect time to snag them for dinner? Hrm...
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Boudra takes cover with the wounded Vardalel, offering the sign-language warning that he may be a liability during this fight before slipping away from the clearing.
After the Ironfang patrol has entered the clearing, they take notice of the body pile and edge closer. One of the axe-wielding soldiers marches forward to investigate, while his comrades nervously whisper their speculations.
Undari's flaming sphere erupts from the brush and careens towards the trapped pile. The impact ignites the concealed flasks and douses the investigating soldier with burning oil, clinging to his armor and skin as flaming rivulets spread across his limbs. Just as the patrol howls their cries of surprise and fear, Gaius' web unfurls among them. All four are ensnared, including the pitiful soldier who is now both webbed and burning.
Undari rolls the flaming sphere onto the adjacent hobgoblin (DC 16 Reflex Save to avoid ).
He then casts Burst of Radiance in a 10 foot radius burst on the three hobgoblins clumped together in the northeast section of the web. DC 16 Reflex to be dazzled instead of blinded for . Damage if hobgoblins are evil is .
Clinging to his branch, Gaius pulls a battered wand from his Haversack and takes aim at the Hobgoblins. Get them Thorek! Go go go!
________
Bree's arrows rain down upon the hobs.
With a shout Thorek charges forward towards the pinned-down hobgoblins, hurling his dorn-dergar at the nearest.
Lily fires off a rain of arrows at her closest enemy.
In the opening volley upon the surprised hobgoblins, Bree's first arrow sinks deeply into one enemy's stomach, while Lily's first arrow glances off her target's armor.
As Undari unleashes the next wave of spells upon the foes, the one at the lead of the patrol narrowly evades the flaming sphere despite being seized in the web. Two of the other hobgoblins roar as they are blinded by his burst of radiance, while the last finds his vision blurred and dazzled by the bright magic.
The archer at the rear of the patrol is laid low by the onslaught of Undari's magic, Lily's mesmerism-enhanced arrow, and Thorek's might swing.
One by one, the remaining Ironfang soldiers break free from the magic webbing's grasp. The remaining archer drops his bow and draws a glaive to support his axe-and-shield armed comrade as they move towards Thorek. The third soldier escapes the webbing and strides towards Undari, rightly suspecting him to be the source of the spells.
One more arrow from Bree and Gaius' magic missile pepper the hobgoblins as they advance towards Thorek.
Undari smiles as he draws his crystal clear liquid glass scimitar and faces the hobgoblin, a confident predator's grin. He nods towards the flaming sphere and it bounds at the hobgoblin at his command, attempting to burn the hobgoblin approaching him.
"Should've run," Thorek growls to the Ironfang troops as they close with him. Taking a step back, the warpriest whirls the steel ball up towards the nearest hobgoblin's chin.
From his vantage point, Gaius keeps his wand trained on Thorek's targets. Focus fire and everything will be ok...
________
The southernmost hobgoblin evades the latest roll of the flaming sphere. In response, he dashes forward and vaults over a felled log to accost Undari.
The other two move forward, with the one carrying a glaive getting caught anew in the magic webbing. His axe-wielding fellow, however, delivers a well-aimed strike at Thorek, whose own dorn-dergar swing is deflected by his foe's shield. Nevertheless, another bolt of magical force from Gaius soon strikes the hobgoblin soldier.
Undari nods once more at the flaming sphere, and it bounds in the wake of the the hobgoblin, attempting to burn it! It then dissipates as Undari swings a powerful blow at the same enemy.
Thorek gives ground against the hobgoblins, coiling in the dorn-dergar to conserve momentum. Catching the steel head, he hurls it at the axe-wielding warrior.
Seems things are going ok for now, but there isn't anything I can do from up here anymore! Gaius starts climbing down the tree, looking over his shoulder every few seconds at Thorek. Can't call out to him lest one of those Hobgoblins come charging at me! Hold out a little longer!
________
The tension from Lily dissipates as she realizes that the ambush is going better than before. She fires off an arrow and jokingly said," Well this is going so much smoother. Last time we tried this I nearly died."
Lily's first arrow badly wounds the hobgoblin standing before Thorek, and the dwarf's swing puts the foe out of his misery. Lily's second arrow sinks into the next hobgoblin as he struggles, in vain, to escape from the webbing again.
Meanwhile, despite the haste, Gaius slips down the tree trunk with a minimum of scratches from bark and branches.
Bree continues to pepper the webbed hobgoblin with arrows, delivering a sturdy wound.
On the other side of the clearing, Undari delivers a telling blow against his opponent while deflecting the retaliatory swing of the hobgoblin's battleaxe.
With the Flaming Sphere expired, Undari focuses on dispatching his foe with his scimitar.
"We've got them on the run. We can finish them off," Lily beams at their imminent victory.
Twang!
Stepping closer to the entangled hobgoblin, Thorek sets his jaw in a determined line as he swings at the warrior.
Undari's scimitar swing lops off the arm of his foe, leaving him bleeding out on the forest floor. Likewise, Bree's arrow and Thorek's dorn-dergar bring down the last member of the Ironfang patrol. The dying sounds of battle echo into nothing among the trees lining the clearing, and the rangers have been avenged.
Witnessing another bloody battle leaves Vardalel looking a bit green and all the more eager to fall back to shelter, seeking a chance to rest properly before trying to contact his vanished comrades. Boudra volunteers to escort him back to Hidden Hope, confident that the way back will be safe, especially with this patrol no longer roving the Chernasardo.
"What a show! Plenty of noise though, let's strip them of what they are worth and get back on the trail!" Gaius suggests, eyes darting around the treeline for any reinforcements.
________
"Hold a moment, Gaius, I want to track them back to their camp. If there's another forward base like the one we sacked before meeting you I want to know about it now."