Well protected behind Erigga, Maidie keeps a firm grip on her wand and peers ahead, ready to cast whatever spells the tactical situation calls for.
Emerald moves towards the center of the clearing and glances down the western path before the noise of the approaching goblins and spiders demands her full attention. The wait seems far longer than it could possibly be before the the cause of the cacophony reveals itself. Six massive spiders, each the size of a horse, come skittering along the path and through the brambles blocking most passage. Two goblins ride the last pair, hooting and chittering as they lay eyes on the heroes of Kassen.
"Time for a little backup, I think."
Breath in, breath out. She raises her shield, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
plus
Moon waits. She takes the opportunity to slash the first spider that rushes past her to get at her allies. She reserves a strike for the next spider that comes at her directly.
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
Following her mistress’ lead, Histya creeps up beside Moon and waits to attack any spider that tries to get past her and saves another bite for a spider that comes after her or Moon.
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Betzolte takes a hand off her axe's handle and begins casting a spell. Almost immediately she grunts in discomfort as her bones crack and readjust in her arms, extending to a freakish length. Then she chokes up on her grip again. Longer arms meant she could strike from a position safer from those spiders' massive fangs.
Emerald begins to sing as everyone prepares for the fight ahead.
Grobradon seeing the threat come to the south, moves as fast as he can to join the others.
Moon and Histya are covered in green-black ichor as they demolish two of the spiders before they are aware of the pair. Two more of them charge Betzolte, Erigga, and Grobradon, mandibles snapping and fangs dripping with venom as they try to bite and poison the brave heroes. The two goblins maneuver their spiders around, one trying to draw a bead on Moon and her faithful Fangwood leopard companion while the other slips into the underbrush in an attempt to sneak around on Moon's flank. The racket it makes, however, easily gives away the spider and rider's location.
The racket is enough to distract the deadly ranger, however, as an arrow rips through the branches and grazes her cheek. Erigga, readied for the attack, tears a wicked gash in the monstrously large spider's hide, enraging it and causing it to focus on her instead of Betzolte. For all the spider's fury, however, it fails to breach the halfling's defenses.
Grobradon, however, is less fortunate. The spider's bite isn't deep, but it doesn't have to be to pose a danger. The burning in the wound let's the druid know that he might be in trouble.
Grorbradon curses as he's bit, hoping he won't have to use his delay poison spell on himself,
Moon closes with the spider and its rider. She brings her sword down in a brutal slash trying to hack through both monsters.
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
The battlecat sprints then leaps on the spider, leading with her claws and fangs.
Grobradon swings his thundering quarterstaff at the spider before him! "I try to love all nature's creatures, but woof."
Betzolte roars a battlecry as she hacks at the spider!
Erigga glimpses back at Maidie, checking if she was safe before turning to the spider for another slash.
plus
Maidie completes her spell and the familiar shape of the earth elemental warrior Cragg-el rises from the soil behind the goblin and spider pair hanging back behind the frontline skirmish.
"Thought you could snipe us from safety, you coward? Well guess again..." she calls out in goblin as the rock-lined fists of the elemental come crashing down.
She follows up her taunt with a trio of magic missiles against the rider.
Grob Spider: 16/27 HP
Erigga Spider: 1/27 HP
Bottom Spider: 27/27 HP
Moon and Histya are a whirlwind of carnage as they dismember both spider and rider with brutal efficiency. Meanwhile, Erigga and Betzolte grievously wounds the spider they face, badly injured and close to death, the stupid beast runs away from the vertically challenged women. Grobradon and Emerald manage to land some blows on the other spider, but it is still in the fight, however ineptly as it's furiously snapping mandibles and fangs fail to find purchase on Grobradon.
Cragg-el's mighty swing misses, but that fact is soon rendered moot as Maidie blasts the life from the goblin. The spider, no smarter than its fellows, turns on the elemental warrior, with about as much success as the one attack Grobradon has.
From the Western and Northern paths you hear the sounds of more goblins and spiders. It sounds as if they will be on you in only a couple of moments.
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"Western and Northern paths... more incoming, sounds like really soon," He tells the others.
Even as he strikes at the spider again with his staff hoping he or Emerald finish it off.
Thunder rings where Thunder should not be as the Staff releases it's full power on the arachnid.
plus
Erigga finishes off the fleeing spider and then, thanks to Grob's warning, moves around to cover the new direction where enemies are supposed to be coming from. "At some point they'll run out. Right?"
Unfazed by the lack of success with his first attack, Cragg-el slams another fist at the spider. Maidie sends another round of missiles at it, hoping that sufficient injury will cause it to flee like the others.
Moon slaps the blood-smeared cat on the rump and points at the western path. Aware of the approaching threats, she sprints to engage the last spider. Her sword strikes true.
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
The battlecat springs across the battlefield towards the west trail.
The first wave of the coming horde ends in a brutal flash of arcane magic and a sweeping blade that destroys the last spider. Emerald moves towards the others as now the sound of the oncoming goblins and spiders is clear for all to hear. Her song falters for a moment as she looks worriedly towards the Heroes of Kassen to see what they will do.
Moon sprints forward to engage the creatures coming along the northern path while Histya moves to watch the eastern path and hide herself among the plant life.
Grobradon moves after Moon
"I figure you'll protect me," He smirks.
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Moon keeps her eyes riveted on the northern path but snorts a laugh at the half-orc’s comment. She wipes the spider-ichor from her face with a semi-clean sleeve. ”Only if you stop flirting with that dragon-girl. I get jealous you know.”
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Betzolte, huffing and puffing as this skirmish ends, about-faces and hustles up to Emerald.
"Not to worry," she says. "I won't let them creepy-crawlies near ye!"
Then she hears Moon's comment and gets a huffy, annoyed look on her face, but says nothing.
Erigga turns to Maidie. "Where do you want to go?"
Erigga turns to Maidie. "Where do you want to go?"
”Right here is fine. Let’s stay together and present a united front to whatever is coming our way. I’ll instruct Cragg-el to provide flanking support.” Maidie responds, then calls out to the elemental warrior in Terran.
”Cragg-el, blend with the ground and wait for enemies to pass over you, then emerge and charge them from the rear!”
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Moon keeps her eyes riveted on the northern path but snorts a laugh at the half-orc’s comment. She wipes the spider-ichor from her face with a semi-clean sleeve. ”Only if you stop flirting with that dragon-girl. I get jealous you know.”
He chuffs, and mutters low but assuring, "You've already got my heart, just asking that you also save my ass."
Emerald opens her mouth to say something, but just as she does, a shrill, blood curdling warcry echoes through the clearing as dozens of goblins pour in. Two small hordes of goblins lead from the rear by a trio of more elite goblin troops rush for the small band of heroes now massively outnumbered.
Seeing the array of forces before them, Moon gives Grob a sidelong wink. "I'll be right back, Sweetie."
The ranger rushes the horde of goblins, swinging her curved blade like a scythe. She tries to slow their advance and hew them into bloody chunks, yelling. "For Kassen!"
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
The sheer numbers of goblins is a bit much for the forest leopard. She stays in hiding, ready to strike any goblin that comes within range of her jaws.
There was just too many goblins and, for a moment, Erigga lowers her shield. What was the point? A sigh, a frown, a deep breath and a deeper frown. She slips by Emerald's feet. "These folks are fighting for their home so..." She shakes her head. "Run, Emerald. Run!" And Erigga runs. Forward, raising her shield back and waiting for the enemy to swallow her as a tear runs along her cheek.
plus
Betzolte tromps up towards the spider on the flanks, chanting the spell to lengthen her arms so she can attack from a distance.
"Come and get me you little ugly wretch on your big ugly webcrawler!" she bellows.
Not wanting to be swept up in a throng of goblins, Maidie flutters her wings and rises 20 ft into the air. From her higher vantage point, she keeps an eye out for spellcasters in the new group of enemies, ready to disrupt their casting with her wand.
In Terran, she calls out: "Cragg-el, come to our aid. We have need of your stength."
The ground pulses as the earth elemental warrior surges closer to group.
Grobradon decides to reduce the actions of enemies and casts entangle on the largest batch he can without hindering his allies.
Goblin Troop 1: 24 Damage
Acolyte 2: 11 Damage
Emerald begins to sing again, lifting everyone's spirits as Grob envelops the onrushing horde in writhing vines and other plant life. Moon cuts down many of the goblins in the western troop while Betzolte, Maidie, and Erigga prepare themselves. The northern troop finds their advance stalled as most of them are caught in Grobradon's trap. It also catches one of the goblins that appear to be spellcasters of some sort and one to the mounted goblins, but it doesn't catch the troop closest to Moon and himself nor does it stop the four better armed and armored goblin warriors that step out of the area and take potshots at Moon and Erigga, all of them missing.
The goblins in the group that Moon had attacked crawl over their dead to swarm over the ranger and Grobradon. While neither receives much more than a scratch or shallow cut from the slavering horde, there are a lot of crude blades seeking a taste of their blood. Maidie, meanwhile, spots the goblin caster that had evaded Grobradon's spell trying to cast one of its own and sends a volley of arcane darts at the wretch. They injure it, but fail to break its concentration as another patch of writhing plant life explodes from the ground underneath the heroes' feet right as Betzolte takes an arrow from the other goblin rider as she ducks the wad of webbing its spider had launched her way.
Annoyed that the goblin acolyte managed to complete their spell despite her magic missile assault, Maidie shifts her attention to the pair of goblin archers hiding behind the troop of weaker goblins.
She summons a thick layer of slippery grease underneath their feet.
Meanwhile, Cragg-el slides into the ground to avoid the ensnaring plants only to emerge like a jumping shark to pummel one of the goblin rangers.
Erigga's heroic charge is stopped short as the creepers creep up her feet. "You plant psychos..."
With some effort she pulls her feet free and, noticing a big chunk of the goblins she was heading towards are also being molested by the plants, she falls back to help Moon and Grobradon.
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Moon ignores the roots and plants binding her legs. With reckless abandon, she slashes at the equally mired goblin horde. As her blade cleaves goblin flesh, she starts a yelling chant, hoping to break goblin spirits.
”Smart goblins should know to run
When Kassen’s great heroes come!
We fought the Bugwumps once before,
They died by axe, arrow, and sword.”
”Cuz we’re the warriors of Kassen!” She gulps air, preparing for the second verse.
Arrows (45): xxxxx
Blunts (45): xxxxx
Iron Arrows (3):
Lead Blades (1):
Hero Points (3):
Kassen Battle Boon: 1x
Kassen Death Boon: 1x
Entangled – Move at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to DEX
Lead Blades – Rnd x of 10 – all my melee weapons act as one size larger
Mindful of the grasping plants around her, Histya mews in her throat, wanting to help her packmate but seeing no way to spring and claw. She settles for snapping at an unwary goblin on the edge of the troop.
Histya's munching of a goblin is more of a punctuation mark on the dissertation of carnage that Moon delivers as she cuts down goblins left and right. In only a few moments she's covered in blood, most of it the goblins'. The song only adds weight to what it means to get close to the ranger, and the few remaining goblins run for their pathetic lives.
Acolyte 2: 11 Damage
Ranger 2: 15 damage
Maidie's spell is only partially successful, in that one of the goblins maintains its footing. Its fellow is less fortunate, falling flat on its back just in time for Cragg-el to punch it in the kidney.
Grobradon is wounded and not feeling too hot. But he grins as Moon tears the troop up like it was nothing. He takes a swig of a potion.
Betzolte, seeing the vines spring up, chops at them with her axe, its fairy-fire seeming to ward them off.
Then, she fixes the enemy spider rider in her gaze, lifts up her axe and rushes over to them, a wordless battle-cry roaring from her lips, her magically-lengthened arms swinging the axe through the air!
Betzolte pushes through the first layer of the tangled brambles and underbrush lining the maze-like paths and clearings here to reach the vexing goblin riding a spider. With a wet splat, she kills both, though not without some scrapes and scratches in return.
Meanwhile, Emerald runs for the southern edge of the grasping vines and takes a takes a shot at the remaining goblin horde as she continues her song.
Goblin Troop 2: 4 damage
Acolyte 2: 11 Damage
Ranger 2: 15 damage
Two of the goblin rangers, recognizing the threat Moon poses, takes aim at the half-elven ranger. One misses while the other lands a heavy hit as it retreats out of the slippery grease.
The one tripped by Maidie's spell tries to stand, but only manages to wallow around like a scrawny pig.
The final goblin ranger exhorts the goblin rabble on with various threats and curses while the two goblin casters disappear into the underbrush, seemingly unaffected by the brambles that had scratched Betzolte when she attacked the spider and its rider.
The surviving rider manages to break free of its bonds and guides it's mount out of the area of Grob's spell. The troop, despite it's best efforts, fails to extricate itself from the writhing vines despite the encouragement of their fellow goblin.
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Accompanied by her scream, Moon yanks the arrow from her side and tosses it away. Then she plows through the remaining plants to the one spot where vines aren’t writhing like snakes. She takes a moment to catch her breath before she tries to skewer the prone goblin ranger while belting out the second verse…
”Lugruk tried a surprise attack.
His fighters died while he turned his back
And ran screaming into the night.
Bugwumps – they’re no good in a fight!”
”Cuz we’re the warriors of Kassen!” She waves her sword in the direction of the goblin swarm. ”Just wait! I got a verse for you f*ckers, too!”
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