Betzolte frowns a bit as she realizes the fight's ended just as she got to it, but doesn't say anything. This was good, there was still more fighting to do and they were still fresh and ready. This was no time for bruised egos. As they advance, she tries to keep pace with Erigga.
If you can't strike wisely, strike fast.
Moon and Histya keep advancing.
Histya pads along beside her mistress.
Grobradon takes the rear so not to mess up stealth attempts by others, mumbling minor prayers to offset his armor's weight.
Thankfully, Grobradon's clattering doesn't seem to have alerted the goblins nor the spiders in the nest widened area. A single tent and a few scattered stacks of barrels and crates stand around the edges of the clear area. A goblin sings as it pets a spider while another sits on a crate grumbling to itself. Two more goblins riding giant spiders stand guard at the mouth of a passage that leads to the west while another path continues south.
Maidie stays close to Erigga, remembering clearly how being able to dive for cover behind her shield can be a literal lifesaver when fighting spellcasters.
Even Betzolte somehow manages to keep pace with the group without making her sound, not even a jingle from her hauberk.
Grobradon scoots more center to best get reach on his entangle when if the time comes.
Once more he prays under his breath.
Being a small halfling, Erigga had no trouble sneaking.
With the goblins none the wiser, the heroes get into position. Emerald pulls out her bow and nocks an arrow before nodding to the others. She'll do as before, bolstering everyone's courage with song once everyone else is in position.
"I'll hit them with the stone call. Try to finish off the warsinger and the two spellcasters as quickly as possible, they are the biggest threats," Maidie whispers, then waits until her companions are in position before she begins casting her spell.
With practiced ease, she opens the connection to the plane of earth, unleashing the deadly rain of sharp volcanic rock on the unsuspecting goblins and their arachnid pets.
As the stones begin to fall, Erigga bolts, skirting the battlefield. The rocks still pummeling their enemies, she jumps and twists, navigating the deadly rocks mid-air and then slashing the scary spider as she lands.
plus
Betzolte marches towards the one riding the spider on the flank and focuses her power into her axe, bringing it to bear against the mount to take the rider down faster.
The spider dead, Erigga steps over its corpse and moves around the stones, her shield high to protect herself.
Histya bounds forward , skirting the edges of the rocky explosion while Moon launches an arrow at what she thinks is a goblin spellcaster.
==============
Histya continues to wind her way past the battlefield and avoid as much of the sharp rocks beneath her paws as possible .
Moon stalks forward and continues to fire arrows at her target.
Arrows (45): xxxx
Blunts (45): xxx
Iron Arrows (3):
Lead Blades (1):
Hero Points (3):
Kassen Battle Boon: 1x
Kassen Death Boon: 1x
Lead Blades – Rnd x of 10 – all my melee weapons act as one size larger
Grobradon moves and flings his sling's bullet at the nearest still living foe, preferably one not in melee yet.
Red Spider: 7 damage
Yellow Spider: 6 damage
Lt. Blue Commando: 7 damage
Yellow Commando: 5 damage
Red Priest: 3 damage
Yellow Priest: 3 damage
In moments there is pandemonium among the goblins. Two of the spiders are killed before Moon puts an arrow through the warsinger's throat, silencing it forever. Grobradon's stone knocks the goblin down on its back, doing no harm, but putting it in a very, very difficult position to recover from.
Grobradon sees Betzolte take down the spider, and joins her, walking through the rubble to take down the now former rider. He raises his staff, and SMASHES it down at the goblin.
With the spiders and their riders well in hand, Maidie aims her wand at the two spellcasters, ready to disrupt any attempts to use magic.
Wasting no time, Erigga rushes in for the next spider and swiftly kills it as well. There is a smile on her face, which soon disappears. Focus. Surest way of get yourself f$+$ed is to feel cocky.
plus
Betzolte focuses her energy into her axe again...
...and then swings her axe at the goblin while it's trying to dodge Grobradon's staff!
Red Spider: 7 damage
Lt. Blue Commando: 18 damage
Yellow Commando: 5 damage
Red Priest: 3 damage
Yellow Priest: 3 damage
Another spider dies and the now spiderless spider-rider howls as Betzolte tears into it. Despite its wounds and the pain, it is still up and looking to fight back.
Moon stalks forward and continues to fire arrows at her target.
Arrows (45): xxxx
Blunts (45): xxxx
Iron Arrows (3):
Lead Blades (1):
Hero Points (3):
Kassen Battle Boon: 1x
Kassen Death Boon: 1x
Lead Blades – Rnd x of 10 – all my melee weapons act as one size larger
Histya skirts the paw-hurting terrain until she has to run into it to snap at her prey.
Red Spider: 7 damage
Yellow Commando: 5 damage
Yellow Priest: 3 damage
Emerald continues to sing as she steps up and nocks an arrow. Her shot lands in the throat of the goblin facing Betzolte, killing it. Maidie's well-timed counter takes the head off one of the priestesses as it tries to cast something after Moon sticks it with a well-placed shot. Histya soon finds herself in an annoying situation as her target manages to scramble away from her swipe and pull out a piece of bark with a strange painting on it. The priestess mutters some words and behind the cat appears a fiendishly glowing fire beetle. Other than the ominous glow, there's nothing much threatening about the otherworldly beetle as it fails to land a bite on the Fangwood Leopard.
Meanwhile, Betzolte is struck by an arrow from the spider-riding goblin as its mount climbs up and over onto the branches forming the ceiling of this strange maze. The follow up, a thick strand of webbing, is far less effective, entangling both spider and goblin in their haste to nab the dwarven battlemage.
In the distance, the calls of goblins and the chittering of spiders can be heard. Reinforcements are on their way.
Moon moves closer and sends another arrow at the gobbo trying to escape Histya’s claws.
Arrows (45): xxxxx
Blunts (45): xxxx
Iron Arrows (3):
Lead Blades (1):
Hero Points (3):
Kassen Battle Boon: 1x
Kassen Death Boon: 1x
Lead Blades – Rnd x of 10 – all my melee weapons act as one size larger
Histya spins on the new enemy and snaps at the strange beetle, trying to see if it is tasty. If it isn’t to her taste, she moves away from it.
Red Spider: 7 damage
Yellow Commando: 5 damage
Yellow Priest: 18 damage
Histya finds that the beetle isn't much of a meal. The sulfurous smell and the ashy taste are unpleasant and her powerful jaws and sharp teeth rip through it, tearing it into two parts that begin to dissolve into smoke and ash as the beetle returns to whatever plane it came from.
Betzolte tromps towards the remaining spider and its rider, her boots crunching over the gravel as she focuses her power into her axe anew.
Then she hacks at it with a grunted roar!
Not wanting to give the surviving priestess the chance to summon another critter, Maidie finishes her off with another round of missiles.
With only one enemy remaining, Erigga rushes as fast as she can towards it.
Red Spider: 7 damage
Yellow Commando: 5 damage
Betzolte's leaping attack misses the spider and the rider as Erigga hurries to get into range. Maidie levels her wand at the last of the spellcasters and blows a hole in the priestess' chest with a trio of arcane darts. The sounds of goblins and spiders grows closer from the southern passage as the priestess falls to the ground.
Grobradon curses "I hate when they fight smart." Switches to his slingstone and flings a stone at the upside down goblin.
Red Spider: 7 damage
Yellow Commando: 11 damage
The stone smacks the goblin in the center of his chest, causing it to yelp. It kicks the spiders sides, spurring the alien beast to break free and retreat into the canopy above.
Moon fires an arrow at the spider then moves south trying to get free of all the broken terrain.
Arrows (45): xxxxx
Blunts (45): xxxxx
Iron Arrows (3):
Lead Blades (1):
Hero Points (3):
Kassen Battle Boon: 1x
Kassen Death Boon: 1x
Lead Blades – Rnd x of 10 – all my melee weapons act as one size larger
At Moon’s silent direction, Histya moves away from the battlefield then vanishes into the woods.
The goblin rider screams as the spider it was riding finds it's insides ripped up by Moon's arrow. The cry cuts off with a sickening crunch as spider and rider crash through the trees and brush to the ground below.
"Nice shot." Grobadon observes to Moon, then asks the group "More incoming. Flee while we can or ready to hold here?"
"We have to fight them sooner or later. The broken ground may work to our advantage and the maze funnels them in - hopefully. Prepare for what comes."
Moon pushes forward to join the battle-cat in their concealed hide, shouldering her bow and pulling her blade.
"Thank you, Moon, for shooting the spider and not the rider." Erriga says, looking at Grob next. "New rule guys, if we have more spider riders, we shoot the spiders first."
She then moves towards the southern passage readying her shield, standing in the middle of the goblin corpses. She makes a triumphant pose. If that costs them a reaction or two, the better. In combat, advantage is like a delicious tangerine... you want to squeeze it to the very last drop.
"Hold on Betz..." Grobradon touches the dwarf's shoulder, "Dwarven heart, Oaken skin."
"Kill bugs dead. Got it." And he holds the entangle ready to snare when they come into view
Betzolte nods to Grobradon.
"Thanks Grob," she says. "An axe is nothing without its haft, after all."
Maidie flies after Erigga, still staying close in case she needs cover.
She scouts down the path, and also glances behind her, conscious of the spiders she spotted down the other corridor.
"Form up and get ready. Watch for threats from behind, we don't want to get trapped if there's too many of them to handle."
"Aye!" Betzolte replies. She begins huffing and puffing as she tries to run and catch up with Erigga.
The chittering of spiders and the snarls of goblins draw closer.
Betzolte, having caught up with the group, hefts her axe into both hands and lowers into a ready stance.
Breath in, breath out. Erigga raises her shield a smidge in anticipation.