The Coast Way

Wirrow's eyes trace every detail in the dirt as the group exits through the Friendly Arm Inn's large gate. Where Aiwe found only broad tracks of general passersby, the ranger finds more significant clues. Sheemish is no small man, and his boots have some tell-tale craftsmanship, signature modifications made by the artificer himself. Wirrow easily follows his path North, around the outside of the Inn's wall. From the gait of the boot prints, it seems that Sheemish passed this way rather confidently, as though he expected no danger at all.

The further the party gets from the Inn's gate, the darker the night becomes. Still, Wirrow's eyes are able to pick out the trail, and soon the adventurers arrive upon the scene of a scuffle. Several more boot prints join those of Sheemish, laid out in the dirt in chaotic fashion. There are several dark stains on the ground, and the smell of blood taints the air. What's more, in the close vicinity the party finds several arrows stuck in trees or splayed out on the ground.

The boot tracks of Sheemish's antagonists lead deeper into the woods, with signs that they dragged the unfortunate blacksmith that way. From the state of the scene, this all must have happened within the last couple of hours. The ones who waylaid Sheemish may not have gone far.

The group continues on, closely following the tracks of Sheemish's assailants. From the look of things, there are perhaps a handful of blacksmith-nappers.

A warm breeze rustles branches and leaves, making the dark trees sigh as they sway. Every so often a faint ray of moonlight skitters across the forest floor. Crickets and frogs sing their music from all about.

Those adventurers for whom the night's darkness is but a mild inconvenience spy a broad figure just up ahead, nearly hidden beside the trunk of a tree. But just as they notice it, the figure apparently sees them as well, for it shouts out in Goblin and points in the party's direction. Immediately after the cry of alarm shatters the calm night, the stomp of boots and the clatter of metal follow. In a mere moment several more humanoids - hobgoblins all - join the first, weapons at the ready!

Round 1 Player Phase!

HP: 24/28
AC: 14
Back rank, but within range to move up if neededWirrow immediately springs into motion, eyes flashing red like Aiwe's and yet differently. A quickly nocked arrow shrieks forwards and slices at the hobgoblin. While the wound may not be critical, blood sprays from the ugly creature, and when it hits the ground, a shaking occurs. Then, twisted bones shoot up from the ground around it, caging it in place.

(Cast Ensnaring Strike, Shoot le Hobgoblin Captain. HobCap takes 8 damage, and must make a Strength save or be restrained and stuff (see spell description))

The hobgoblin leader raises his two-handed sword high and lets out a battlecry. Together with an ally on either side he charges forward as his two remaining warriors loose arrows. One missile grazes Wirrow's shoulder (Wirrow takes 5 dmg), and another punctures Stella's thigh (Stella takes 9 dmg). Wirrow's own shot takes the hobgoblin captain in the hip, a slight wound, but as blood falls to the ground the soil begins to churn...

Dieter's expertly-set pike deals a far more grievous wound to the captain, but the trio of hobgoblin warriors press forward with tenacity. For all their brutish appearance, these goblinoids show respectable skill with their weapons and tactics; as one swipes at Dieter from the side, the leader thrusts his large blade forward and into the young fighter's gut, dropping him to the ground (Dieter takes 23 dmg and falls unconscious).

Energized by his victory, the leader and his two cronies turn to focus on Aiwe. The lone bard doesn't flinch, but with honed determination waits for her chance to strike.

The forest is lit suddenly by a streak of light fired from Stella's bow. In the sudden clarity of vision, even Dieter with his human eyes can see the bones burst from the earth, clacking together to form a hindering cage about the hobgoblin leader.

And then, in that moment of confusion, Aiwe takes the leader's head from his shoulders with one swing of her longsword, a song of triumph on her lips. The two cronies curse in Goblin and take steps to either side, flanking Aiwe. She doesn't last long under that pressure, and falls with a deep slash to her collarbone (Aiwe takes 26 dmg and falls unconscious).

With the two front defenders of the party down, the remaining four hobgoblins size up their next targets: Wirrow and Stella!

Round 2 Player Phase!!

Round 2 Summary

The two nearest hobgoblins step over the fallen bodies of Dieter and Aiwe and advance on the party's back row with toothy grins. But Aiwe, somehow clinging to consciousness, manages to slice one of them across its hamstring from behind, then magically causes the ground quake and tear at itself.

The injured hobgoblin, crooked curses streaming from its mouth, stumbles away from the spell and slashes at Stella just as she attempts to loose her shining arrow. Stella manages to duck away from the monstrous soldier's swing, but in so doing abandons any hope of loosing her arrow cleanly. The magical bolt flies into the sky like a shooting star. Moving quickly, Stella slips past her adversary and pours healing starlight into Dieter.

The young warrior rises just in time to protect Stella as the two hobgoblins - legs still shaking from Aiwe's spell - turn in pursuit. One falls with a handaxe hurled deeply into its chest, and then a with the pike gets the other's attention.

The surviving hobgoblin raises its shield and peers over the rim at the adventurers before it. Two elvish women, one who can barely keep her feet and another who can't shoot straight. The true threat is the man with the pike, who has already proven himself a capable fighter. Surely with help from the archers these three will be made short work of... The hobgoblin strikes out at Dieter, but even as it feels its sword sinks into flesh (Dieter takes 2 dmg), it pauses as an alarming thought occurs to it:

Wait, but weren't there four adventurers?

The hobgoblin glances around quickly for Wirrow, then flinches in disbelief as it sees a murky, wraithlike form shrouded over one of the dead hobgoblins. The specter looks up with crimson eyes, blood somehow dripping from its ethereal mouth, then blips forward in a series of terrifying reappearances. The hobgoblin falls away from Wirrow's horrible form, just barely avoiding the bloodstained fangs that look all too solid - and sharp.

Wirrow flickers past that hobgoblin and on to the two archers, one of whom screams as the nightmarish ranger sinks her teeth into his neck. When she reforms between them, the two archers (one of them aghast and bleeding) drop their bows and whip out swords, slashing at her. She easily dodges away from the strikes, even her corporeal self as difficult to hit as a flickering shadow.

Round 3 Player Phase!!!