"Yikes! Can we run them over?" Then the kobold fumbles around with the holy symbols under his vest and pulls out a silver holy symbol of seven stars around a pair of eyes, and says, "Ah, yes, the... uh... All Seeing Nighttime... uh... Shadow...ed One! Bless Tana to thump their skulls to pieces, although she's incredibly talented and deadly even without your blessing. She will save us all!"
Then turning his attention to the bandits up ahead, he flashes the holy symbol at them, saying, "But these idiots are the worst and are so bad they probably hate each other!" With a further wave of his hands and speaking an incantation, he casts at one of the bandits.
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A jagged iron crown grows from the hobgoblin's head and its eyes fill with a crazed look as it narrows its focus upon his comrade, striking out!
The hobgoblin's blade bites deep into its ally! It watches it's comrade die, a crazed look on its face!
Green looks for the caster that struck its ally with a spell, but seeing that a dragonborn is between him and the little kobold, decides to strike at Jarprax.
The hobgoblin's sword strikes true, ringing off the storm priest's pauldron and sliding to cut into the dragonborn's shoulder!
Yellow and Red move to Antonio and swing, working in perfect concert with each other and the captain!
The paladin's shield turns one of their blades aside, but Yellow catches Anronio in the leg!
Everyone else may go. Jarprax, would you like revise your targets?
Green -4 hp
Cyan -4 hp
Orange Dead
Hob Capt -16 hp
Red - Healthy
Yellow - Healthy
Initiative - Round 1
Order
Hobgoblin Captain -> Shaldinari -> Antonio -> Blacklock -> Jiro / Hobgoblins -> Zar -> Tana -> Jarprax
Frustrated that he didn't see the ambush in time to put some of them asleep, Zar tries to help finish of the leader. Grabbing his wand, he sends 3 missiles at the hobgoblin.
Gathering eldritch power in her hand Shaldinari then sends the purple orb streaking toward one of the hobgoblins surrounding Antonio.
As the blade cuts into Jarprax's shoulder, he roars in pain and outrage. The surge of adrenaline taps into his connection to the divine forces of the storm, filling him with power that, with the speed of lightning, flows back along his attacker's blade:
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Suddenly a flash and pop heralds an arc of lightning that runs up Green's sword! The hobgoblin reels, but remains standing!
Zar points his wand at the hobgoblin captain and lets a flurry of arcane bolts at his target! The hobgoblin rocks with the hits, and narrows his eyes at Zar!
Jarprax turns his attention away from his current assailant, just long enough to call down a clap of thunder, rocking both the Captain and Red!
The Hobgoblin Captain crumples, just unable to withstand the assault on his senses!
Green -9 hp
Cyan -4 hp
Orange Dead
Hob Capt Dead
Red - -8 hp
Yellow - Healthy
Initiative - Round 1
Order
Shaldinari -> Antonio -> Blacklock -> Jiro / Hobgoblins -> Zar -> Tana -> Jarprax
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Tana surges toward Green with her staff!
The blow caves in the skull of the hobgoblin!
Wheeling on her heel, the monk speeds back to behind the wagon and leaps with a kick at Yellow's head!
The hobgoblin gets its shield up, blocking the strike!
Shaldinari lobs another eldritch blast at the same target, but the goblinoid soldier maneuvers its shield to block that shot, well!
Green Dead
Cyan -4 hp
Orange Dead
Hob Capt Dead
Red -8 hp
Yellow - Healthy
Initiative - Round 2
Order
Shaldinari -> Antonio -> Blacklock -> Jiro / Hobgoblins -> Zar -> Tana -> Jarprax
Antonio, Jiro, and Blacklock are up!
Jiro realizes there's no one else for the charmed bandit to attack and announces, "This one in front of us won't be under my control any more, just so you all know."
Then thinking quickly, he decides to go with the tried and true wand.
Unfortunately, seeing the charmed bandit awaiting instructions, Jiro's heart isn't really into it, and the magical darts fall short of their potential.
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Picking the easier target, Blacklock draws a bead and squeezes the trigger!
The hobgoblin is just a shy too slow getting its shield up, as the quarrel thuds into the soldier's eye! It screams in fury, wobbles on its feet for a second, but pulls itself together and turns its attention to the thief!
Jiro aims his wand at Cyan, as he watches it charge at him, and unleashes a barrage of arcane bolts! Riddled with scorchmarks, the hobgoblin slows and falls on its face, dead.
Green Dead
Cyan Dead
Orange Dead
Hob Capt Dead
Red -8 hp
Yellow -10 hp
Initiative - Round 2
Order
Shaldinari -> Antonio -> Blacklock -> Jiro / Hobgoblins -> Zar -> Tana -> Jarprax
Crossbow bolt zooms past Antonio's head sticking into a Hobgoblin.
"I am glad he is on our side." He says as he slashes the (yellow ) hobgoblin.
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Antonio swings again, but the disciplined soldier swats it aside with his shield!
The Red looks at Yellow, barking a few quick words in their guttural tongue, eliciting a growl as the one-eyed hobgoblin snarls a retort and swings at Antonio!
But his wild swing is easily side-stepped by the paladin.
At the same time, Red steps back and tosses his weapon to the ground in surrender.
Yellow looks with hatred at Blacklock, and back to Antonio, and then to his own companion before spitting a word in Goblin at the other soldier before raising his sword to attack again!
Giving a hard look to Blacklock.
"No, quater will be given to all that surrender!"
Raising his sword
"Does anyone know what this one is saying?"
In undercommon Antonio says "Surrender and you will be treated fairly."
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Blacklock's quarrel buries itself in Yellow's throat, dropping the soldier. The remaining hobgoblin soldier gets on his knees, defiantly daring Blacklock or any of you to kill him, seemingly intent on facing his end with honor.
The hobgoblin shakes his head, I speak your Common tongue, human. I surrender. Do with me what you will.
Zar scans the area for the next target but seeing all of the hobgoblins dead except for the one who surrendered, he pauses. "Good, someone find out if we were targeted or just happened upon their usual ambush spot. I'll keep an eye out for any other visitors," he says. He stays on the wagon, scanning the area while the hobgoblin is being questioned.
Rumbling low to Zar, next to him: "Well, that's hardly surprising, is it?"
Raising his voice and speaking directly to the hobgoblin: "HA! Seems you've had a change of heart, now that you've witnessed our might, eh? Perhaps, haha!, you'll join with us now for a bit of coin, eh?"
Quirking his head to the side: "Or perhaps not? Regardless, I wouldn't recommend returning to the Black Hand..."
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The hobgoblin looks at Jarprax, The situation became untenable. Once it becomes so, surrender is the only option that would render a possibility of survival.
At the mention of joining you all, he raises an eyebrow, Are you offering a job? You are not professional soldiers... and caravan guard is rarely a position offered to hobgoblins.
Zar looks at Jarprax with a puzzled look, wondering what the dragonborn was up to offering the hobgoblin a job.
"If you had retrieved the chest, where were you supposed to take it?" the wizard asks of the prisoner.
As the last hobgoblin falls, Shaldinari leans back against the cart and listens to the others interrogate the prisoner. Her lips form a thin smirk at Zar's reaction to the paladin's offer to have the mercenary join us. As long as the creature didn't bleed out on her boots, she didn't mind having another meat shield in front of her. After all she had little doubt this would be the only attempt to recover the disc.
"Where did this man in the cloak hire you and what exactly did he look like?" She says her mind trying to work through various possibilities. "Did he give you, or more likely your captain, anything besides the gold?"
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The hobgoblin shakes his head, The man was dressed in forest colors, and wore a cloak. The cloakpin struck me as unusual, as it showed a black hand, fingers up, but as he turned to leave, it seemed to go dark and just resemble an onyx brooch.
He points off toward Thentia, We met him outside the city, about a mile that way, in a copse of trees. We are mercenaries, Elf, we need little but gold to carry out our missions.
When the hobgoblin refers to Shaldinari as 'Elf', it does not strike you as an insult, as it might from other races, but more of a pragmatic sense that he does not differentiate you from any other of your race. You get the sense that he would find no offense if you referred to him as 'Hobgoblin'.
"Bah! Why not?! What were you likely to make from that deal, 10gp? 15? I'll give you 20 from my own purse - you can walk along behind the cart with me. Half now, half when we arrive. And you can fight bravely alongside us against those who would send you to your death."
Glancing around at the skeptical looks from his companions, he adds: "Or... we can talk about it first... Either way, friend, I suspect you'll have to answer their questions honestly. But also," now glaring at his party, "either way you will not be harmed, unless you betray us."
Jarprax tries to subtly covey (and fails miserably) that the group is already travelling with 'monsters', indicating himself and Jiro, what one more...?
Putting his sword away. Antonio listens as others talk to the Hobgoblin. As they talk Antonio places his hand on the wound and says a short prayer, the holy power of Torm closes the wounds almost fully.
Antonio turns to Jarpax when the offer to join comes up and gives the Dragon born a questioning look.
When told about the coin. Antonio nods and checks the Captain for items of value.
"Jiro, Blacklock could you check the bodies at the back of the wagon for anything of use?"
Looking to the Hobgoblin "What's your name? I am known as Antonio Holy Champion of Torm. You can just call me Antonio."
"Seems like most of us have decided not to kill him, so what's the alternative? Let him go? Likely, he'll just end up dead on the end of that Baneite's sword when he finds out they've failed. Or he comes back with reinforcements, now that he knows our strengths. So, why not have him along to help - worst case, I'm out 10gp when he sneaks off."
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The hobgoblin, without batting an eye says, 10 is fair. I am not worth 20. If I live up to your expectation and you feel that I have earned it, you may pay me before we part ways. I have no need of the money before the job is done.
Surprised by Antonio's question, the soldier hesitates, I am called, Uglariet. In my tongue, it means, 'The Thinker.' It is not a flattering name.
On the bodies, there is not much of use. The weapons are of fair quality, if a little vicious-looking. Most of the armor has been battered and punctured, and will garner very little on the open market. As indicated by Uglariet, at the waist of the Hobgoblin Captain, there are 5 smaller pouches, each with 20 pieces of gold stamped with the merchant guild's symbol from the Moonsea region.
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Continue on? More discussion on whether or not to bring the hobgoblin with you?
Jiro quietly studies the hobgoblin during this exchange, trying to size up how honest he's being.
At Antonio's suggestion and Blacklock's annoyance, the kobold shrugs and searches the bodies.
"Well, Jarprax, we might not be as soft-skinned and flat-faced as these others, but we didn't show up trying to kill everyone. Just sayin' maybe don't be too quick to lump us in together." Jiro winks at the dragonborn, showing he's not really annoyed.
Looking at the captured hobgoblin as he quite casually and not overly respectfully searches the corpses - roughly flipping them around, checking their mouths for gold teeth, and so on, making sure to avoid any sense of subtlety, Jiro says, "But, you're right, a job is a job, and everyone needs to earn their grub somehow. So no hard feelings."
"So let him go, kill him, bring him along, I don't care. BUT... if you cross us, we'll feed you to the grumpy one." pointing back at Blacklock.
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"Look, I don't know much about hobgoblins, but he seems honest to me - or, at least, prepared to sell his loyalty. I say we take advantage of it."
"Your judgement has been sound for the most part, Jarpax."
Still a little unsure whether to trust the Hobgoblin.
"So the contract will be. You will defend us against attacks and provide assistance to get the chest to where we ate taking it for your 20 gold crowns. Half to be paid now and the remainder to be paid when the chest and it's contents are delivered safely. Is that what you are agreeing to Uglariet?"
Jiro shrugs, "I suppose it's better to have an enemy we can see than one we can't. Speaking of which, he should go in front... and I'm getting nervous, we should get going before someone else attacks us!"
"I am paying extra for loalty, Mercenaries have a habit of going to the highest bidder."
Shadinari's eyes narrow slightly and a thin grin creeps across her face watching Blacklock petulantly toss bodies from the bridge. As the bargain is made with Uglariet, she gives the hobgoblin a friendly wink before turning back toward the sullen rogue.
"There's no reason to be so upset Blacklock!" She hollers across to the scowling human. "Hiring the hobgoblin doesn't threaten your unique status among our little band at all. You still win the ugliest mug contest hands down!" She whistles softly at the rogues battered and swollen visage. "I mean really, you were painful on the eyes before, but this? I've been meaning to ask all day. What the $@#! happened to you?"
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Turning his head to one side and squinting out of one eye: "I didn't want to say anything, but... Are you sure humans' faces don't just change overnight? Sometimes they change colour or grow fur in the night...? HEY, JIRO!"
Zar listens to Jarprax's reasoning about hiring the hobgoblin. "I suppose it's better that we can keep an eye on him so he doesn't go get reinforcements to try again. And yes, he should go in front," he says as they get ready to leave.
He shakes his head at Jarprax's comment about human faces.
Jarprax's eyes widen and he takes a half-step back before he catches the twinkle in Zar's eye: "Ah! AHAHAHA!! Yes! And this - "
Grinning broadly, his many sharp teeth evident, he remarks: "Still just a mammal though..." :P
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A few hours later, you arrive in Thentia, with little more hassle.
The sun is starting to begin its descent toward the horizon and you make your way through the main thoroughfare looking for the House of the Moon. Uglariet stays near the horses through most of the trip, keeping a sharp eye out for another ambush.
Then you see it, standing tall and easy to spot. The House of the Moon, a temple dedicated to Selûne, stands near the center of Thentia. While its white marble and silver trim is old, it remains in fine repair. As you enter, you take in the sanctuary’s domed, vaulted ceiling, which is painted a deep midnight blue with dramatic renderings of the various lunar phases. Acolytes dressed in dark-blue and black robes mill about the temple, performing various tasks.
Shaldinari laughs out loud at the antics of Jiro, Jarprax, and Zar and adds a giant snorting laugh when Blacklock mentions his need for honey. Still chuckling occasionally to herself as they arrive in Thentia she is finally distracted from the early escapades by the depictions of the moon in the temple and then finally finding the man that is supposed to be meeting them.
"You there." She says, waving down the nearest acolyte. "Can you tell me where Ontharr of the Order of the Gauntlet will be? He is supposed to be meeting us here."
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A young acolyte with hair as dark as her raven robes leads you down several hallways in the eastern arm of the temple complex. She knocks softly on an unadorned door near the end of the wing, and seconds later, a large, bald man with a thick, red beard answers.
A light-blue tabard bearing the gauntleted hand of Torm covers his simple clothing. Smiling warmly, he motions you inside a small room that contains a bed, dresser, and a writing table. His look changes to one of curiosity when he sees Uglariet, who stops at the door and takes a guardsman's position.
Please. Come in. You will have to excuse the size of my accommodations. The temple reserves their larger rooms for visiting dignitaries of their own faith. It will be cramped, but it is better we talk privately inside.