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Saélihn dashes out of the mist, firing a parting shot at the fleeing hobgoblin.
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We can't let him get away Grym starts running after the Hob hoping that induces Ghost and Pawnies to chase the Hob down
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Gronilda cannot see what is going on and hence, she keeps healing her many wounds. Also not seeing the fleeing hob, thus she cannot command Pawnies to follow him unless the dog takes the decision on his own.
As Grym calls out and starts running after the fleeing hobgoblin, Ghost looks up, Launching into a full run as Saélihn gives him the attack command.
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The hobgoblin sprints along the road, desperation on his face, but Ghost barrels after him with relentless speed. Saélihn looses an arrow from afar, and it finds its mark deep into the hobgoblin's shoulder. Staggering in pain, the hobgoblin darts toward a dense set of trees, hoping for cover, but he nearly falls over as he stumbles into the undergrowth.
He turns just in time to see Ghost hurtling through the air, bloodied fangs bared. Ghost slams into his chest, and the party hears the sound of the hobgoblin's death cry down the road.
As the sounds of combat come to an end, Gronilda inquiries how everyone is doing "Are you ok friends?"
First of all, she tends to the wounds of everyone, starting by patching her own wounds.
"That was close. They are dangerous these hobgoblins. Well trained"
She then moves to the wagon, and checks with care what were the hobgoblins escorting.
Slipping her bow over her shoulder, Saélihn jogs over to Ghost as he returns to her, visibly limping from his multiple wounds now that the fury of battle is over. "Good work! My brave deadly hunter." she says, kneeling to wrap her arms around his neck.
"Ghost could definitely use a bit of healing if you can spare it!."
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Lizzie lets out a soft whistle at Ghost's performance.
"He deserves treats. If that hobgob had escaped, that'd have been bad."
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"Definitely!" Saélihn replies, fishing out a shoulder bone from the boar she'd kept for just such an occasion.
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Zarena smiles at everyone, relieved that they survived, and then she says
We should search the cart quickly and gather what we can from the bodies before someone else comes along. This was a great triumph, but we can't afford to be tracked. We need to take what we can, and hide, bury, or obscure the rest. We could really use the horses and the cart, but I am not sure we can afford the tracks. What do you all think?
She moves over to the cart to see what is inside.
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Approaching the wagon, the party notices the horses' ribs peeking through their sides, as if they hadn't eaten for a very long time. Sadly, it must've been done on purpose, because a large sack in the wagon is filled to the brim with fruit and dried meat.
The wagon also contains two masterwork chain shirts, 300 feet of silk rope, a healer's kit and a box containing 10 vials of alchemist's fire.
There's also a lockbox under the seat.
Inside are 550 gold pieces
"Lizzie, think you can get this lockbox open?" Saélihn asks the rogue, while looking over the contents of the wagon. "You're right, the wagon would just slow us down. We can take what we need now and find somewhere in the deep woods to stash the rest until we head back to meet with everyone else."
Gronilda gently places her hand over Ghost and closes her eyes while wrapping her holly symbol in her other hand. Her hand shines with divine power and the wounds quickly close up.
Satisfied she smiles at the wolf "That was my last healing spell for the day. We ought be careful until we can make it back to camp to rest"
"We are going to need the wagon to carry the food anyway" Gronilda points out "C'mon let's take it. We will figure out how to cover up our trace as we make it back to our refuge"
Lizzie will try opening the box.
"Aww come on. One more try then."
No luck the 2nd try either.
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I think we should pull the wagon far enough off the road so that it's not visible. And then load up the horses with all they and we can carry and head back to camp. The least important is the gold. If we can't carry it all, we should find somewhere AWAY from the wagon to bury it.
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Okay, well, we're agreed that we need to take the wagon somewhere. If we think we can cover the tracks, that's good enough for now. Let's loot the bodies, make sure they aren't visible from the road, and then move the cart and cover the tracks. If we find a place to stash it as Grymwold suggests, great, but Gronilda is correct that we probably need it for now to be able to carry everything.
Let's move slowly, cover our tracks, and either get back to camp, or find a place to camp off the road. We need rest after that battle, and can't afford to get into another one soon. Remember also how we could hear this cart coming from a long way away? We need to leave here as soon as we can, but once we get away from the immediate vicinity, we are going to have to be super careful, and not ride it fast... keep the sound down, keep the tracks hidden.
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Ghost gives Gronilda a grateful look, lowering his head and bumping her with his shoulder in thanks.
"Honestly, covering the tracks of a laden wagon isn't easy, and we know they're out here hunting for us. I wouldn't risk leading them back to everybody." Saélihn points out.
"I agree with stashing the wagon with what we can't carry and coming back for another trip later."
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Lizzie can't quite pop the lockbox open right away, but at least the box doesn't explode in her hands when she fails. She has more time to work on the lock as the party takes care of the horses, and pops it open to reveal 550 gold pieces.
The party takes a closer look at the horses. They appear to be standard draft horses, strong but not trained for combat. They seem nervous but not openly hostile, and could likely be calmed with some basic animal handling.
The two armored hobgoblins held The four ordinary hobgoblins carried a .
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"The armors seem of good quality, an improvement over my scale mail" Gronilda will take one of the breastplates and equip it, cleaning it and erasing the symbology of the Legion when she has time.
"About the wagon. We can do what Zarena suggests and hide the wagon outside the road, then free the horses and take with them everything we can" the dwarf offers before moving to try calm down the horses and make them move as needed.
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Zarena helps with the horses
And casts detect magic to make sure they don't miss anything important.
When they get back to camp, she lays out all of the magical items and attempts to ascertain what each of them does.
With a nod, Saélihn moves to help with calming the horses, focusing on the more skittish of the two as Zarena and Gronilda seem to have a handle on the other one.
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Gronilda, Zarena and Saélihn all show a particularly good touch with the animals. Both horses respond well to their gentle approach. After some initial nervousness, the draft horses calm and allow themselves to be handled.
Working together, the party is able to redistribute 30 Provision Points worth of food between the two horses using makeshift packs fashioned from the wagon's tarp. Zarena scans over the area once more, looking for anything magical, but she doesn't detect any auras.
The wagon is heavy, but with everyone working together they're able to push and guide it off the road. About 100 feet into the dense forest, they find a suitable spot with thick undergrowth that will help conceal it, and distribute some branches over the wagon to further hide it from the Legion.
As the sun begins to set, the party guides the two laden horses through the deepening shadows of the Fangwood. The journey back is uneventful, with the earlier encounters with the Legion teaching the party how to travel more cautiously.
The party spots the familiar silhouette of the redoubt treehouse just as the last rays of sunlight filter through the canopy. They can see the warm glow of fires where the refugees have made camp.
As they approach, they hear a low whistle - it must be the a signal the group has established. Moments later, Aubrin emerges from the shadows with her bow lowered, a relieved smile crossing her face at the sight of the horses.
"By Cayden's cup, you've brought back quite a haul!" she says, moving to help with the horses. "The refugees were starting to worry you might not be back before night, but I encouraged them that you can all handle yourselves well enough."
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"It's good to be back! Feels like coming home after a long day in the fields" Gronilda pats one of the horses affectionately before glancing at Aubrin.
"We ran into a hobgoblin patrol guarding a wagon filled with provisions. Dealt with them cleanly enough, and managed to hide the wagon deep in the forest. These two fine beasts" she gestures to the horses "carried what we could salvage. Should keep our people fed for a while yet"
She moves to help unload the horses, humming a low tune under her breath, clearly in good spirits.
"We ran into a hobgoblin patrol guarding a wagon filled with provisions. Dealt with them cleanly enough, and managed to hide the wagon deep in the forest. These two fine beasts
"More importantly though, they were looking for us." Saélihn chimes in, looking at Aubrin. "The leader seemed less surprised to find others out in the wilds, than excited to have found us. There was mention of a bounty, just before the blood started flowing."
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Aubrin's expression darkens at Saélihn's words, though she continues helping unload the horses. "A bounty, you say? Similar to what that other group of hobgoblins had the other day. That explains the increased patrols we've spotted. They're not just wandering - they're hunting."
She gestures for some of the refugees to continue distributing the supplies, then lowers her voice. "While you were gone, Lirosa and Taidel reported seeing more organized search patterns in the forest. They're getting better at tracking us."
"Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, I hope you will reach the caves. This redoubt has served us well, but..." she glances at the restored yet rickety structure, "We need something more defensible if they're actively seeking us out."
"In any case, the provisions you've brought will boost morale considerably."
Before turning in, Zarena scans over the undentified goods. She identifies the 15 arrows as , and the amulet as an . She isn't quite sure what the rest of the goods are - at least not today.
Saélihn nods in response, considering the information added from the twins' report. "We'll definitely work to find it as soon as possible and get everyone there safely."
Afetr everything is unloaded, the huntress checks in on her mother, helping Bronwynn with anything she needs before joining the watch rotation.
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"You're right, Aubrin. This place has done well for us so far, but we need to keep moving if we want to avoid them finding us" with a determined nod, Gronilda continues helping unload the horses "Rest sounds like a fine idea tonight, but come morning, we push forward. Erastil guides us, and we'll find those caves"
She gives a firm clap on Saélihn's shoulder before grabbing her pack and offering a quick prayer to Erastil to watch over the group for the night.
Grym examines the well-crafted (MW) breastplate and begins adjusting the straps to fit his torso better. And drops his chainmail into the armory so that others might make use of it
And settles in for the night, hoping to find the caves tomorrow
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The night passes quietly within the redoubt's walls. High up in the trees, the party and refugees take turns on watch, and notice distant torch lights moving through the forest - Legion patrols, perhaps, but none venture anywhere close to the redoubt. The horses, now settled in a makeshift stable, occasionally stamp nervously but gradually calm as the night progresses.
Another morning comes and with it so does more dried meat and stale bread.
After getting some sleep, Zarena feels ready to try again, so she once again lays out all of the unidentified magical items and tries to identify them.
Two wands:
Four scrolls:
Six potions (I think I just rolled once for this before because it was one item on the sheet, but not sure if they are all the same, so if they clearly are, then just take one roll):
Gronilda finishes her morning prayer and joins the group as they discuss their next steps. She eyes the newly identified items, her brow furrowed in thought "I can carry the healing scroll in case we are in dare need for it"
Looking at the map and the faint trails leading deeper into the forest, she adjusts her pack and turns to the others "I'm ready to move out. Let's find those caves. I can assist with navigating if needed. Erastil's guidance should help us stay on the right path"
Saélihn begins her morning in quiet contemplation, taking a moment to utter a prayer to Erastil, and communing with the natural world around them, while most of the refugees are still asleep. Quietly nodding in agreement with Gronilda, she gives the map a quick once over as well, determined to find a more defensible safe-haven for them all by day’s end.
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With the map looted off of the evil centaur, the party is able to navigate through the dense forest, though the going is slow. Assuming the map is detailed enough, the caves appear to be about four or five hours away at a careful pace, so they should still be reachable before too much of the day has gone by.
Gronilda and Saélihn take turns navigating the terrain and calling out directions, and about two hours into the journey, the party notices something concerning ahead.
Against the gray morning light, the party spots what appears to be the ruins of a small settlement through the trees - charred walls still standing, with something unsettling fluttering in the breeze. The site lies just off the path to the caves.
We should probably check it out. We're going to have to come back this way eventually. Just have to keep it quick.
Agreed it's close to the caves. We need to know if there's danger here before bringing our people
"I agree. We should investigate, but carefully. If there's anything dangerous lingering, we should better find out now than let it find us" Gronilda takes a moment to whisper a quick prayer under her breath asking for Erastil's advantage.
With that she moves under the cover of the forest and looking for a high spot from where to examine the area without being seen.
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"The rest of you should stay back a bit." Saélihn says quietly, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment, resting her hand on the back of Ghost's neck. She reaches out, her spirit touching the web of the natural world, drawing to herself the essence of The Owl, taking on the gift of the primal silent hunt.
Opening her eyes, she rolls her shoulders, moving forward with Ghost, both of them making even less sound than usual as they creep through the brush toward the ruins.
Stay back? Of course not.
Lizzie easily sticks to cover, sneaking closer.
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Lizzie, Saélihn and Ghost creep closer to the ruins, and get close enough to clearly see the grim scene: the blackened walls of the longhouse stand like broken teeth against the gray sky. Smoke stains are still visible where flames licked up the walls. But it's what decorates those walls that turns your stomach. Human skins, methodically flayed and stretched taut, nailed up as banners. Their faces are frozen in their final moments of agony.
A charred wooden sign lies half-buried in ash near what was once the longhouse's entrance. It's blackened but you can still make out carved letters: Gristledown Below it, a smaller carved line reads Pop. 15 - Visitors Welc... but the rest is burned away.
The area has an unnatural stillness about it, and the party can see that a 10 foot stretch of ground here that has been recently disturbed, as if something was hastily buried.
Gronilda and Ghost notice that one of the skins seems to move slightly differently than the others - not just fluttering in the breeze, but with more of a purposeful motion, as if it's still alive. That skin appears fresher than the others, with an unnatural blue-gray tint to it. The whole scene feels very wrong.
Lizzie's eyes grow wide in horror of the skins. She holds a hand over her mouth, as her heart skips a beat at the grizzly sight.
Desna preserve us, this is horrendous!
"This is a horrible sight" Gronilda frowns, her eyes still at the scene "It seems someone is still there moving. It might be a beast but there is chance someone is still somehow alive. I think we should go there and investigate more closely. Maybe we can still save this person"
She looks at the others for quorum, and if there is no opposition, leads a group there for a closer look.
We need to know if there's a threat here. We're not gonna figure that out from a distance. nodding to Gronilda in agreement
"Agreed." Saélihn says, fitting an arrow to her bowstring and preparing to creep forward, expression grim.
Zarena follows along after Gronilda, and as she gets closer she notices the sign.
"Gristledown" ... a little town trying to set up in the Fangwood? Poor people.
When they go closer and she sees the recently disturbed ground, she takes out her Anytool and configures it into a shovel.
I'm going to find out what is going on here.
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As Gronilda approaches the wall to help what she believes to be a survivor, the seemingly fresh skin suddenly peels away from the wall with unnatural speed, moving like a living thing!
At the same time, the disturbed earth where Zarena has begun digging erupts as four skeletons claw their way to the surface. The reddish mud clings to their bones as they rise, their eye sockets emanating with a spooky glow.
The undead act first. Two skeletons lunge at Zarena, tearing into her with bony claws and drawing blood.
Meanwhile, the flayed skin whips through the air toward Gronilda like a sheet in the wind, but she manages to duck away from it.
The remaining two skeletons are still clawing their way from the bloody earth.
Who's up
Green Skeleton, Skin, Blue Skeleton
Zarena (-15), Saélihn, Ghost, Grymwold
Pink Skeleton
Gronilda, Lizzie
Yellow Skeleton
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Zarena looks like she's in TROUBLE. Grym CHARGES at the green skeleton and barrels into it leading with his shield like battering ram
Charge +2, Banner+1,Relentless+2
IF Bull Rush is successful he deals 4pts bludgeoning damage
AND free action Overrun
IF Overrun is successful he inflicts 2pts bludgeoning damage
If your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD by 5 or more, you move through the target’s space, and the target is knocked prone.
Calling out a command for Ghost to attack the skeletons to rescue Zarena, Saélihn swings her bow to target the skin-like creature attacking Gronilda.
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Zarena takes a 5-foot step away from the skeletons and behind Grymwold, thankful that he has come to help her.
She casts Burning Hands.
Ghost races forward, avoiding the trio of skeletons engulfed in fire, and he moves to snap at the one squaring off with Grym.