Premek nods as the details start to be filled in. At the description of the rope bridge, he extends his claws as if to say tear it down, an idle offhand comment rather than a deliberate statement. At the stone building, he inquires about size. Warehouse sized? Or a shrine?
So the wagons leave the Taproot and then go over the bridge, with one north and south. The model-sized wagons go rolling along their paths. The north one must go to this Redmaw Camp. A red monstrous mouth appears in the woods and the northern wagon falls into it and is eaten.
The south one supplies the patrols more likely to find us here. Tiny figures swarm out from the southern wagon. Premek steps on it and smushes it flat.
He points at the marble-sun as it passes by several times. How soon is the next wagon? Tomorrow? Two days? Three?
After getting an answer, he goes back to the earlier unanswered question. More wagons approach from the south, hesitantly from different directions. Where do they get their supplies from?
Tobias shakes his head in the negative at the translation of Premek's questions, I don't know, but the shadowless cat is right, we can all work to step on the Southern route caravan. If we leave by sunset, we should be able to ambush it resupplying troops along the Tamran highway by noon tomorrow.
Assuming all agree with the plan, you set out to ambush the Ironfang resupply caravan, Tobias leading with a few select refugees from what they are quickly coming to call 'Misthome'
Slightly before noon, you hit a wagon track, although Zdena can tell this hasn't been travelled in at least four days. Tobias nods, and wanders a short way west along the track while you lay in ambush for the hobgoblins. Maybe half an hour passes when Tobais appears around the bend, looking not-too hurried. They are maybe ten minutes away. Heavily armed, but you were expecting that, right?
Set up just before the crossing? More cover, harder for them to bolt.
I'm thinking Lirosa and Taidel for NPCs, probably set up to cover possible escapes along the road in each direction. Zdena would prefer to be towards the west of the ambush line to have time to acquire a studied target before the surprise round.
Ryll and I should be on the same side to take advantage of Pack Attack. But maybe not start right next to each other in case I get spotted.
Malgrim sets up on the east side of the ambush area.
If we want melee support, Pharus is decent now. And he has a good bow as well. That would give us equal numbers to the enemy. Another opportunity to be seen though.
Ryll nods at Malgrim's idea, but offers a suggestion. Storyteller, if you take a step back, I can tuck in around the corner of the boulder, and you may be less likely to be spotted.
Done
Malgrim's take 10 on stealth is 16.
I'm ok with bringing Pharus if he wants to come.
I think Sighere is the only one with a hand free, so if he wants to hold the Hemlock Banner that's cool. Otherwise Malgrim will have it and plant it in the ground when we spring our trap.
A heavily laden wagon slowly pulls east through the forest. Two massive horses pull the wagon. Two heavily armored hobgoblins sit on the wagon bench, crossbows near at hand; while four hobgoblin troopers follow behind, longbows in hand. Two more heavily armored hobgoblins bring up the rear. They march with a military precision - something which is still shocking to you.
The seated hobgoblin on the wagon comes alert, raising his crossbow and peering ahead through the dense foliage.
If we act now, is it a surprise round? Because what I see is the wagon is on difficult terrain, and would be pretty slow to get away. And at least 4 targets in the cone of a color spray....
This would be a surprise round, yes.
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Ok, this cat is on a hair (whisker) trigger.
Looking at the cone diagrams on https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat/space-reach-threatened-area-t emplates/ if these are 5' squares with no space between ranks, I think I can hit the back six. If there's a space between them, the back four. I'm not sure because the squares look a bit rectangular. In any case, they get Will saves at DC 15.
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Taking that as a signal, Zdena emerges from the undergrowth to attack the hobgoblin she had been watching pass her hiding spot. (The one directly North of her.)
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Malgrim incants a spell and unleashes a tirade of vile curses at the hobgoblins.
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Ryll shoots a Frost bolt at the hob closest to her (lower right on map)
Premek's colorful eruption engulfs the rearguard of the wagon, sending the hobgoblins reeling from the magical assault. Immediately after Malgrim's goblinoid taunts shake the will of the drivers and their immediate comrades causing many of them to burst into flame. Ryll's arrow barely scratches the lead hobgoblin trooper, lodging deep into its armor plating and drawing blood; while Zdena emerges from her hiding spot and immediately puts down a hobgoblin in the rearguard, eliminating him from the fray.
The Driver on fire quickly leaps to his feet, ignoring the ghostly weapon, and throws himself on the ground to put himself out! While his companion hops down and takes a swing at Zdena with his scimitar. The Heavy trooper in the rear advances at the spot where the color spray originated, and swings down his scimitar in frustration at Premek.
Premek yowls at a glancing blow from the green heavy trooper.
Ryll darts forward at the Red Hob's flank, slicing at him with both weapons.
If she hits - Rogue Trick:Pressure points. When dealing Sneak Attack damage, also deal 1 pt of Strength or Dex. (I'm opting for strength)
Sighere mutters arcane words and fire wreathes his eyes. He focuses his gaze on the hobgolin in melee with the spiritual weapon and the creature begins to smolder
Premek disappears with more than the usual level of abruptness (jaunter's hop) and appears some distance away behind cover, hopefully out of view. I imagine that solves the problem of green already having sighted me.
Then green is pelted with a hopefully unexpected Snowball.
I think we're doing the updated Snowball that doesn't stagger.
Zdena pivots towards the nearest hobgoblin still on their feet.
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Malgrim walks out of the woods and up the path, past the horses and climbs onto the wagon. Settling their balance atop the drivers seat they throw back their pink cloak and begin taping their buckler with their rapier. It rings true and strong and raises the spirits of the all those under the Hemlock Banner.
Ryll dispatches the hobgoblin closest to her, while Zdena moves toward the blinded hobgoblin at the rear of the column. Malgrim's able to climb up onto the wagon, and the horses seem very docile as they pass by them.
The hobgoblin on the other side of the wagon from most of the party rises to his feet, no longer on fire, but slightly singed. They shake off Sighere's spell effect and start to wander behind the wagon toward where Zdena and Ryll are. The hobgoblin pelted by the snowball casts his eyes around, before stalking forward to try and climb onto the wagon where Malgrim is sitting.
Lirosa and Taidal, seeing that they can't do much from their position, both advance across the river, trying to get better lines of sight on the wagon.
Noting that her opponent is still stunned, Zdena makes a rather cursory stab at them before moving on towards the hobgoblins that might still be a threat.
Save my power just in case, or take out green as payback for hitting me?
Another snowball comes whipping out of the brush towards green...
Malgrim steps across the wagon and runs their rapier around the rim of their buckler. The buckler vibrates in a pure note broken only by Malgrim taping it as they recover from a quick thrust into the light blue hobgoblin's shoulder.
Sighere focuses his gaze on the now closer Green one. The spiritual weapon simultaneously slashes out and the new opponent.
Ryll crosses to the blinded hobgoblin trooper, and stabs low into its torso, while Lirosa's arrow takes it high in the shoulder, and between the two wounds the hobgoblin falls to the ground, insensible. Zdena's mighty falchion strikes high on the hobgoblin seeking to outflank the party, and Premek's snowball finishes the job, flattening the warrior before it can respond to Zdena's appearance next to him. Malgrim's thrust sinks deep into the closest trooper's shoulder, while the flaming gaze of Sighere scorches the trooper neat Malgrim, although he does not catch aflame.
The lone standing hobgoblin swings wildly at Malgrim, but as they have the higher ground, the scimitar swing wildly misses...
Zdena drops the hobgoblin trying to get back on the cart, gives Malgrim a feral grin, and turns to consider the three hobgoblins still lying on the ground.
Combat over, what do you want to do with the unconscious hobgoblin soldiers?
Malgrim looks down from the wagon and considers the unconscious hobgoblins.
If things had gone the other way they would either kill us or take us for slaves. I don't hold with slavery. I don't suppose we could tie them up somehow and just leave them here while we drive the wagon away
Malgrim starts looking through the wagon for rope, chains or manacles.
If they live, we'll fight them again later. Better to kill them now. Premek moves to act on that intention.
Also, if we let them live, they can report back what they encountered, and where. She pauses, Though to be fair, most of this lot didn't see too much. Best to just kill them. We could certainly try questioning them first, but I don't think we'll get far.
Zdena nods agreement with Ryll and Premek.
So, where to put bodies? Longer it takes hobs to track down where wagon and troops disappeared, the better.
Drag then into the woods or toss them in the river seen to be the obvious options to deal with the bodies.
Quickly dispatching the downed hobgoblins, Lirosa, Tobais, and Taidal help quickly dragging the bodies away and concealing them to delay their discovery. Malgrim begins to inventory the wagons discovering the following:
160 lbs combined of dried meat, fruit, and ale
two masterwork chain shirts
300' Silk rope
Healer's Kit
10 bottles of Alchemist's Fire
a lockbox (which Ryll takes a few minutes to open) containing 550gp in coin
From the hobgoblins:
4 MWK cold iron scimitars
4 MWK light Crossbows
4 MWK breastplates
4 mwk bucklers
80 bolts
4 backpacks
4 bedrolls
4 compass
4 crowbar
4 manacles
4 signal whistles
4 small tents
64 gp
4 Antiplague
4 antitoxin
8 scent cloak
8 alchemist fire
4 potions labelled "Endure Elements" in common
12 potions easily identified as Cure light wounds
4 longbows
80 arrows
4 longswords
4 studded leather
4 light steel shields
Additionally there are two underfed and obvouisly mistreated heavy draft horses here, which don't seem to want to move the wagon any further. They stamp their feet and huff, but aren't exactly hostile to you either.
How much of that can we carry? I could try to persuade the horses to pull the cart, but they'd be pretty easy for the hobgoblins to track.